Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Eastern States Line Up for Medical Marijuana – NJ; NH; NC; DE

A perfect storm of relaxed federal intervention, intriguing new science and the failure of pharmaceutical narcotics for treating chronic illness has citizens clambering for legal access to medical Cannabis (marijuana) and several state legislatures scrambling for solutions to an issue many politicians don’t adequately understand.

While most states with legal medical marijuana are concentrated in the west, their programs established through voter referendum, eastern states generally don’t have ballot initiative processes, so changes must come through the legislature.

Click on title for more info........

Taxing Marijuana-cure for the US budget?

There are many people pointing to marijuana as a potential source of an enormous amount of tax revenue for the US government. Legalizing, and taxing marijuana sales could bring in millions of dollars in tax revenue, potentially. In Sacramento, CA, where medical marijuana is legal, $18 million in sales tax is collected on $200 million in sales of medical marijuana. Supporters also point out that legalization would remove a huge burden from the penal system and from law enforcement, as so much is spent in enforcing laws making possession and sales of marijuana illegal. Those who don’t support the plan point out that marijuana users are more likely to try harder drugs, and to not be productive members of society.

Commentary:

It’s funny that alcohol and tobacco are legal, yet marijuana is not. If a large corporation such as Phillip Morris were interested in profiting from the sales of marijuana, I think the government would take the idea much more seriously. It’s all a function of having a strong lobby in DC or not. So much money is spent in the attempt to stop the use and sales of marijuana in the US, yet it doesn’t stop people from wanting it. It’s funny that alcohol was once illegal too, and that law was overturned because the US needed more tax revenue…..

Medical Marijuana, Inc Captures Market Share in 3 More Counties in California

MARINA DEL REY, CA--(Marketwire - June 30, 2009) - Medical Marijuana, Inc (PINKSHEETS: MJNA) continues its expansion with four additional collectives agreeing to use Medical Marijuana, Inc's tax remittance card. Dianna Kaplan, the marketing consultant assisting MMI says, "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.

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 scientific recognition of marijuana as a powerful medicine has brought marijuana to a new status and opened the door for investment and opportunity.

The Ability To Properly Manage Tax CollectionThe Stored Value Platform System provides verifiable solutions to manage revenue and tax collection. The “Point of Sale” (POS) system recognizes the dispensary’s tax ID number, state and local tax rates and then provides an “Automated Clearing House” (ACH) settlement of the taxes to the proper financial institutions.

Internal Management
All collectives/dispensaries in the U.S. are cash businesses, which presents various challenges. Customers are issued a MMI debit card or medical revenue card that allows easy access to certifiably secure transactions, and lessens the risk for the dispensary at all levels. It can even monitor multiple locations.

Master Agent Program
MMI daily conference calls begin June 15 for Master Agents. The calls explain the tax remittance card, other features and offer the opportunity to earn long-term residual income.

Solutions
Medical Marijuana, Inc. is developing a suite of solutions to deliver an efficient and secure infrastructure for the Medical Marijuana Industry, providing the tools to effectively manage business with the confidence of full compliance.

Safe Harbor: This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements contained in this release that are not historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Actual performance and results may differ materially from that projected or suggested herein due to certain risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, ability to obtain financing and regulatory and shareholder approvals for anticipated actions.

For further details contact:
Bruce Perlowin - bruce@medicalmarijuaninc.com

www.medicalmarijuanainc.com
www.twitter.com/medmarijuanainc

Friday, June 26, 2009

Medical Marijuana, Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta

Dr. Phil Leveque Salem-News.com
Lukewarm Favorable to Medical Marijuana?

(MOLALLA, Ore.) - I have already saluted Mr. Cooper for having the chutzpah to talk/educate the public about medical marijuana on CNN. It seems most commentators are afraid to catch REEFER MADNESS. The recent CNN series on medical marijuana helps to propel the subject out of the closet.

Dr. Gupta gave a very favorable report. He is definitely a bright young neurosurgeon. His ancestral homeland is/was the site of the first medical/scientific studies on medical marijuana.

He was damning with faint praise the extraordinary uses and benefits of marijuana. He did say it was effective for pain stimulating appetite, enhancing mood and anti-nauseant, effective for neuropathic pain and multiple sclerosis (MS). This is only the shortest of short lists and it looks as if he had crib notes for his talk.

There are at least 100 physicians taking active care of some 300,000 marijuana patients. Any one of them could have presented a greater list of the almost 200 medical conditions for which medical marijuana is effective.

It is also more effective and safer than the standard medications. And safer than MARINOL (pure synthetic THC), it also has fewer adverse side effects with minimal addiction liability and has never caused a death in 5,000+ years of use.

It is the ultra-safe medicine.

I am very pleased to comment that it appears that Mr. Cooper and Dr. Gupta are both lukewarm, out of the closet, advocates for medical marijuana.

TOTAL LEGALIZATION IS AT HAND!

Medical Marijuana Inc. Expands Into Orange County, California

Medical Marijuana, Inc (PINKSHEETS: MJNA) adds to its growing market share by signing the first Cannabis Collective in Orange County, California to use the Tax Remittance Card.

GGECO in Foothill Ranch, CA will implement Medical Marijuana, Inc's Tax Remittance Card in July 2009. Bruce Perlowin, CEO of MJNA, said, "As we continue to ramp up our marketing efforts, momentum is building as more and more industry operators learn about the benefits of our products and services."

Medical Marijuana, Inc Signs Two More Collectives: First in San Diego County, CA and First in Berkeley, CA

MARINA DEL REY, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 06/23/09 -- Medical Marijuana, Inc (PINKSHEETS: MJNA) continues to sign collectives for a total of eight that have agreed to use Medical Marijuana, Inc's tax remittance card. Members Only Collective in San Diego County is the first collective in that county to sign up for the tax remittance card, and Fresh Starts Inc. in Berkeley is MMI's first collective in Alameda County, California. Both collectives will implement Medical Marijuana, Inc's tax remittance card in August 2009.

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 scientific recognition of marijuana as a powerful medicine has brought marijuana to a new status and opened the door for investment and opportunity.

NH State House And Senate Vote to Legalize Medical Marijuana

The Senate acted first on the medical marijuana bill. They acted quietly…voting without debate or discussion along near party lines.

President Sylvia Larsen read the tally. The vote is 14 in the affirmative, 10 in the negative. The committee of conference bill on house bill 648 is adopted.

House lawmakers took only slightly longer to pass the bill.

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Medicinal marijuana dispensaries open in Wash.

SPOKANE, Wash. – Now that marijuana can be legally used to ease patients' pain, dispensaries are opening in Spokane to provide it.

And regardless of whether such stores are what Washington voters and legislators envisioned when they allowed medical marijuana, it may only be a matter of time before the businesses are commonplace: Medical marijuana has been approved in more than a dozen states.

The dispensaries' legal status, however, remains hazy. For Judy, a medical marijuana customer who asked that her last name be withheld, the drug has been a blessing. She credits it for alleviating the pain from a severe brain trauma and other injuries sustained 12 years ago when a suicidal man rammed his pickup into her car.

The crash severed her leg below the hip. "I remain thankful to be alive," she said. After years of buying marijuana illegally, Judy now has a doctor's note that says marijuana is a proper medication to ease her pain. She buys her supply from a shop called Change. It opened two months ago and is run by Christopher Stevens, Noah Zarate and Scott Shupe.

People smoke and buy marijuana at the Northwest Boulevard store, and police know about it. The owners wrote a letter to Spokane police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick about their business; her reply stated that her officers are committed to enforcing local, state and federal laws. Stevens, a candidate for Spokane City Council, took her reply to mean police would not interfere with the business.

Washington voters passed Initiative 692 - the Medical Use of Marijuana Act - in 1998. The Legislature sought to clarify the law in 2007, asking the Department of Health to define a legal and appropriate supply of marijuana. The Health Department determined that a medically authorized person could possess a 60-day supply, or 1 1/2 pounds of marijuana or 15 plants.

Donn Moyer, a Health Department spokesman, said that enforcement of the laws is left to local, state and federal police. A Health Department Web page at http://www.doh.wa.gov/hsqa/medical-marijuana/ includes a "frequently asked questions" section about medicinal marijuana.

Measure F: New tax for medical pot

Measure F carries with it perhaps the smallest financial benefit to the city, though its backers like something else about the proposal: the potential to further legitimize medical pot.

Measure F would create a new business tax rate for Oakland's four legally operating medical marijuana clubs, hitting them with a levy of $18 for every $1,000 in gross sales.

That compares to $1.20 for every $1,000 in gross sales the clubs now pay under the standard retail business tax.

The proposed tax could produce a windfall of $315,000 — $294,000 more than under the current rate — in the 2010 calendar year, according to an analysis from City Auditor Courtney Ruby's office.

The clubs see the ballot measure as a way to help the broader cause of medical marijuana.

"Criminals don't pay taxes," said James Anthony, an attorney for Harborside Health Center, one of the dispensaries. "Law-abiding citizens do. We are nothing if not law-abiding citizens."

Medical marijuana is legal under California law, but prohibited by federal law. But some see a turning point in how people across the United States view the use of marijuana for medical purposes. For example, Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan (at-large) noted that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has said the Obama administration will end the federal raids on medical pot clubs operating in California or other states that have protected medical use.

"It is important that there be regulation and that there be a permit process and that there be taxation," Kaplan said. "Both because the city needs the revenue and to be sure that we weed out the bad actors."

Measure F came about after the clubs approached Councilmembers Kaplan and Nancy Nadel (Downtown-West Oakland) about instituting a new tax, Kaplan said.

The measure needs a simple majority to pass. Anthony said he expects the clubs, not patients, will absorb the cost of the tax.

Friday, June 19, 2009

San Mateo County adopts fee for medical marijuana collectives

Want to open your own medical marijuana collective in unincorporated San Mateo County?

In a few weeks, you'll have to fill out an application, pay a $100 fee and submit to inspections to make sure your club is in line with all the terms of the county's new ordinance governing the collectives.

Cannabis Science Development Team Recommends Patent Filings for Its Cannabis Processing and Drug Delivery Systems

Cannabis Science Inc., an emerging pharmaceutical cannabis company, announced today that patent filings are expected for two of its key innovations. "The Drug Development Team members recognize the importance of having our first cannabis-based medicine covered, not just by one patent, but by two," Dr. Mary J. Ruwart, Vice President, Research & Development explained. "A competitor can sometimes engineer a way around a single patent. Patenting both the manufacturing process as well as the delivery system virtually guarantees that our product will be immune to 'invasion' by a competing company."

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

Committee Debates Bill To Legalize Medical Marijuana

It was standing room only for a crowd listening to a debate on whether marijuana should be legalized in North Carolina for medicinal purposes.

"Marijuana has less side effects than other drugs that citizens throughout this country use regularly," the bill's sponsor, Representative Earl Jones, said.

House Bill 1380 would legalize marijuana in the state of North Carolina for people who use it for medicinal purposes.

The drug would remain in a smoking form and be provided by the federal government, Jones said.

He estimates revenues for the state would total more than $60 million annually.

click on title for full story........

Barney Frank Re-Introduces Second Marijuana Reform Bill

Congressman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) today introduced a bill to eliminate all federal penalties for marijuana possession. Via the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP)

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All but Three Rhode Island Legislators Vote to Approve Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

This week the Rhode Island legislature overrode Republican Gov. Donald Carcieri's veto of a bill authorizing state-licensed medical marijuana dispensaries. The vote was an eye-opening 68 to 0 in the House and a slightly less lopsided 35 to 3 in the Senate. Rhode Island already allows patients with doctor's recommendations to use marijuana as a medicine, but until now they've had no legal place to purchase it. Rep. Thomas Slater (D-Providence), a cancer patient who plans to use marijuana for pain relief, told his colleagues, "This gives a safe haven for those who have to go into the seedy areas to try and get marijuana." The new law makes Rhode Island the third state, in addition to California and New Mexico, where dispensaries are permitted; 10 other state allow medical use without providing for distribution.

Armed Robbers Hold Up Medical Marijuana Business

Authorities Friday were looking for four suspects who robbed a medical marijuana dispensary in West Los Angeles.

Three men armed with handguns robbed the business of $15,000, as well as marijuana.

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Thursday, June 18, 2009

Rhode Island to License Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

In a historic first, Rhode Island legislators today made their state the first ever to expand an existing medical marijuana law to allow for state-licensed compassion centers to grow and distribute marijuana to registered patients.

Legislators easily overrode the veto issued by Gov. Donald Carcieri with override votes of 68-0 in the House and 35-3 in the Senate.

Rhode Island's medical marijuana law, like most such state laws, did not set up a formal distribution system, but simply allowed patients to grow a limited quantity of medical marijuana for their own use or designate a caregiver to grow it for them.

In March, New Mexico became the first state to grant a state license to a medical marijuana producer, pursuant to legislation passed last year.

"We are seeing a historic shift to allowing state-licensed, regulated medical marijuana production and distribution," said Karen O'Keefe, director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C.

"Combining regulated distribution with provisions for patients to grow a limited quantity for themselves is the best way to assure safe access for patients, with solid safeguards to prevent abuse."

States where medical marijuana bills that include a dispensary provision are under consideration include Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, and a similar ballot initiative is now being circulated in Arizona. This November, Maine voters will vote on a ballot initiative to add dispensaries to the state's medical marijuana law.

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Medical Marijuana, Inc. CEO Bruce Perlowin at LA City Council Meeting

Anderson Cooper Video: Melissa Etheridge on medical marijuana

CNN's Anderson Cooper talks to Melissa Etheridge about how medical marijuana helped her during her struggle with cancer.

Click on Title to watch the video

Medical Marijuana, Inc Accelerates Sales With Addition of Four More Cannabis Collectives in California

Master Agent Program

MJNA will begin conducting daily conference calls starting June 15 with its Master Agents that are engaged in offering the stored value card to dispensaries and co-ops in states where medical marijuana is, or soon may be, legal. The conference calls continue to explain the tax remittance card and the numerous other features inherent in this technology.

This Master Agent program continues to grow as more people take advantage of the opportunity to earn long term residual income from introducing this program to collective/dispensary owners across America.

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

“Medical Marijuana, Inc” using a “Stored Value Debit Card.”

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Cannabis Science Inc. Reports on Prospective Life Saving Treatments for H1N1 Swine Flu and H5N1 Bird Flu in View of the Current Global Threat

Cannabis Science Inc. Reports on Prospective Life Saving Treatments for H1N1 Swine Flu and H5N1 Bird Flu in View of the Current Global Threat – Yahoo! Finance
juni 8, 2009 av medisinskcannabis


On Monday April 27, 2009, 8:41 am EDT
SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Cannabis Science Inc. (OTCBB: GFON - News), an emerging pharmaceutical cannabis company, reported today on the current state of development of its whole-cannabis lozenge in response to Homeland Security Administration Secretary Janet Napolitano’s declaration of a public health emergency to deal with the emerging Swine Flu pandemic. The Company’s non-toxic lozenge has properties that could alleviate many of the symptoms and harmful effects of the H5N1 bird flu and H1N1 swine flu viruses, and has offered its assistance to HSA today in a letter to Secretary Napolitano. The Company has offered to produce up to 1 million doses of its whole-cannabis lozenge, and provide them to HSA for distribution at cost.

Cannabis Science Inc., President & CEO, Steven W. Kubby said, “We have the science and preliminary anecdotal results confirming the anti-inflammatory properties of our new lozenges and indicating they may present an effective and non-toxic treatment for minimizing the symptoms and harm from influenza infections. Our lozenges appear to down-regulate the body’s excessive inflammatory response to the influenza virus, which could reduce the deadly consequences of an infection into something that is more like a common cold. Because of my cancer and diminished auto-immune functions, even common influenza is a deadly threat, and I’ve had incredible symptomatic relief with the lozenge.”

Click Title to read full story.........

San Bernardino County to implement marijuana IDs

San Bernardino County plans to quickly implement an identification card program for medical marijuana patients. County spokesman David Wert says the program will begin with in 45 days. The county Board of Supervisors issued the directive during a closed session meeting Tuesday.

It follows the U.S. Supreme Court's refusal to hear an appeal by San Bernardino and San Diego counties, which argued that federal law outlawing marijuana possession and use pre-empts California law allowing possession and use upon a doctor's recommendation.

Patients have to fill out applications and provide documentation at the county level before the information is sent to the state, which issues ID cards.

Medical Marijuana, Inc Accelerates Sales With Addition of Four More Cannabis Collectives in California

Medical Marijuana, Inc (PINKSHEETS: MJNA) continues to build market share with the addition of 4 more Cannabis Collectives that plan to use Medical Marijuana, Inc's tax remittance card.

Bruce Perlowin, CEO of MJNA, says, "The robust structure of our processing platform allows us to build many custom features into our program, which gives the collective owners a variety of options as they customize the program to fit their particular needs."

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

Monday, June 8, 2009

U.S. Physicians Announce Founding Of American Academy Of Cannabinoid Medicine

Santa Barbara, CA: A coalition of US physicians and researchers has founded a new organization dedicated to promoting ethical standards in therapeutic cannabis treatment.

"The American Academy of Cannabinoid Medicine ... is a professional medical organization dedicated to the clinical and scientific understanding of the endoccannabinoid system and the therapeutic application of cannabis and cannabinoids," the group states in a press release.

It continues: "The Academy serves as an authoritative information source for doctors, state medical boards and the media on the medical application and research related to the clinical use of cannabis and cannabinoids. We are dedicated to educating physicians about the clinical therapeutic usefulness of cannabis to relieve symptoms of the myriad of diseases that respond to this class of medications."

Members of the organization "will promote high medical ethical and practice standards in the approval and recommendation of cannabis for medicinal purposes." According to the organization's website, the AACM has "developed certifying practice standards and guidelines for practicing physicians who recommend and approve the medicinal use of cannabis acting within state law."

"Our mission is to foster the highest standards in the practice of cannabinoid medicine," the website states.

For more information about the American Academy of Cannabinoid Medicine, please visit: http://aacmsite.org.

Friday, June 5, 2009

Croatian court clears medical marijuana for troubled veterans

Zagreb - Croatia's Supreme Court has ruled to allow the use of marijuana to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a disorder that afflicts thousands of the country's war veterans, the Vecernji List daily said Thursday.

Despite Croatia's harsh laws on drugs, Wednesday's verdict surprisingly acquitted a man previously sentenced to a year in prison for growing a small amount of marijuana in Virovitica, 100 kilometres north of Zagreb.

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L.A.'s medical pot dispensary moratorium led to a boom instead

A ban meant to prevent new dispensaries from opening included a loophole that entrepreneurs have exploited. Where four years ago there were only a handful, now there may be 600 dispensaries.

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Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Medical Marijuana Inc's CEO Bruce Perlowin to Appear on "Corporate Strategies with Tim Connolly" June 5th, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. ET

Medical Marijuana Inc (PINKSHEETS: MJNA) CEO Bruce Perlowin will appear on "Corporate Strategies with Tim Connolly" on June 5th, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. ET. Bruce & Tim will discuss the first public company in US history to enter the legalized marijuana business. Listeners may call in with questions live and toll free at 800-336-2225.

Medical Marijuana seeks patent for inventory management & accounting solution

This article was published on the PharmaBiz site. Is this the beginning of pharma's interest?

Medical Marijuana, Inc has filed a provisional patent application for its newest invention that delivers an inventory management, supply chain infrastructure and accounting solution to the medical marijuana industry.

Using this improved inventory management, distribution and accounting system, Cannabis Co-Op/Collectives, Distributors and Grow-Ops can accurately track the quantity and value of their inventory at any point in time and adjust their inventory valuation criteria accordingly. The system is based on a 'plug-n-play' design that allows a variety of entities and components to 'plug in'.

Click on the title for full story.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Marijuana Safer Than Aspirin

When Bayer introduced aspirin in 1899, Cannabis was America’s #1 painkiller. Until marijuana prohibition began in 1937, the US Pharmacopoeia listed cannabis as the primary medicine for over 100 diseases. Cannabis was such an effective analgesic that the American Medical Association (AMA) argued against prohibition on behalf of medical progress. Since the herb is extremely potent and essentially non-toxic, the AMA considered it a potential wonder drug.

Instead, the invention of aspirin gave birth to the modern pharmaceutical industry and Americans switched away from cannabis in the name of “progress.” But was it really progress? There can be no doubt that aspirin has a long history as the drug of choice for the self-treatment of migraines, arthritis, and other chronic pain. It is cheap and effective. But is it as safe as cannabis?

New biologically active compounds from cannabis

Scientists have isolated and identified nine new cannabinoids that have antifungal, anibacterial, and a variety of other biological activities.

For example, some cannabinoids have potent effects on multidrug resistant bacteria and others are effective against pain. The structures of known cannabinoids also inspire chemists to create synthetic chemicals to mimic certain aspects of their function, like pain reduction, while providing a powerful medical effect and avoiding negative side effects. Click on title for full story.

Marijuana Should Be Legalized, Taxed Like alcohol

By Friday, the War on Drugs has cost taxpayers more than $11 billion, according to drugsense.org. In an economy where every penny counts, I suggest we divert the money being allocated to arresting citizens for possession of small amounts of marijuana to increasing teachers’ salaries. Not only do we pay enormous amounts of money to support the multi-decade War on Drugs, but we also pay to house those who are detained because of minor marijuana-related charges.

Since the prohibition of marijuana has proven to be extremely ineffective, the government should take the opportunity to capitalize on America’s fascination with marijuana rather than spend more taxpayer dollars fighting the losing battle. A study called “The Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Prohibition” was conducted by more than 530 distinguished economists. Their results prompted them to sign an open letter to President Bush stating they believed marijuana should be “legal, but taxed and regulated like other goods.”

For full story click on title.

Tax and Regulate Marijuana

LEGALIZE POT? LOOK AT THESE STUDIES AND PICK WHAT YOU WANT TO BELIEVE

Sparked anew by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's call for the state to study the legalization of marijuana, both sides in the smoldering debate point to research to bolster their positions.

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