Dabs 101

 

Are dabs the new fad or the new way to overdose on THC? Dabs also known as BHO (butane extracted oil) is a process in which weed is taken and soaked in either butane or propane causing the THC content to skyrocket. According to Leafscience.com, “some extracts can contain as much as 70-90% THC, so dabs can be a very effective way for medical marijuana users to quickly get the amount of medicine they need.”The lack of regulation has sent many people in legalized states to the emergency room. The lack of research towards this type of getting “high” is extremely dangerous. There has not been a single connection between marijuana and the hospital as opposed to dabs where you can easily overdose causing seizures, panic attacks, and extreme paranoia. While I do support the legalization of marijuana, I believe there needs to be more time and effort spent on looking into the different ways of “getting high” to make the world a safer place with new drugs being legalized.

4 More States for Recreational Weed

It is now confirmed that 26 states and the District of Columbia have made medical weed legal, however three new states are joining on the bandwagon for legalizing marijuana for recreational use. According to Governing Data, “Seven states and the District of Columbia have adopted more expansive laws legalizing marijuana for recreational use. Most recently, California, Massachusetts and Nevada all passed measures in November legalizing recreational marijuana. California’s Prop. 64 measure allows adults 21 and older to now possess up to one ounce of marijuana and grow up to six plants in their homes. Other tax and licensing provisions of the law will not take effect until January 2018. In Nevada, adults will be able to legally possess up to one ounce of marijuana beginning Jan. 1. A similar ballot measure in Massachusetts allows for possession of pot starting on Dec. 15.” Maine, Nevada, and Massachusettes have all received voter approval in order to legalize weed for recreational use, however, this has yet to become implemented. We can see based on a the map provided that the country is gaining momentum behind the movement to legalize weed, as many states have now passed laws for medical and recreational use. This enables the use, sale, and consumption of marijuana under the law. There is still a period of time where we must wait it out to see when these laws will be put into play after merely being passed through the ballots.

http://www.governing.com/gov-data/state-marijuana-laws-map-medical-recreational.html

What Does the Trump Administration Mean for the Legalization of Marijuana?

 

As Trump was elected to be the United States next president, many people are wondering what that means for the future of the legalization of marijuana. On election night, there were 9 different states that had legalization of marijuana on their ballot. 4 states had to choose if they wanted to legalize medical marijuana and 5 states had to choose if they wanted to legalize recreational marijuana. The results of the ballots included recreational legalization approved in California, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Maine. Trump has stated in the past that he has been in support of the legalization of marijuana but that might change when he steps into the White House. He may start to face pressure from the more conservative republicans that he will be working with including his Vice President, Mike Pence. Only time will tell of what is going to happen with the legalization of marijuana during the Trump administration.

Florida becomes the 26th medical marijuana state!

On November 8, 2016, Florida voters overwhelmingly approved Amendment 2; this makes Florida the 26^th state with an effective medical marijuana law. Extremely sick Florida residents will now have the ability to access medical marijuana in the form that works best for them. The campaign was run by United for Care and supported by MPP, which assisted with the campaign’s fundraising and public education efforts. These efforts helped guarantee that in despite of the opposition spending millions on misrepresentative ads, 71% of Florida voters supported consideration. The amendment requires that the Department of Health regulate medical marijuana treatment centers, which would promote and distribute cannabis to patients who are qualified and been diagnosed with an unbearable medical condition, have a physician’s certification, and an authorized identification card.

However, this success is not the end of the effort. Since the movement was a constitutional amendment, there are various issues that will be attended to through the regulatory process. Continuing efforts will assist to ensure that patients receive suitable and affordable access to the medication they need as soon as possible (Marijuana Policy Project).

CannaCure Florida is proudly offering the most comprehensive medical cannabis educational conference following passage of Florida Amendment 2 legalizing medical marijuana. Medical professionals and cannabis industry leaders plan to assemble to present an exclusive educational conference Friday, Nov. 18, 2016 – Sunday, Nov. 20, 2016, at The Cuban Club in Ybor City. Workshops and seminars are fee-based, with proceeds benefiting CannaMoms, a nonprofit organization helping families with sick children in need of medical cannabis (CannaCure Florida).

-Jessie Rubenstein

Medical Marijuana

Six years ago, my grandpa was diagnosed with lung cancer. It was a difficult time in not only my life, but my entire family’s life as well. As time grew, his disease grew and took over his body. Watching him suffer was not easy on any of us, especially because there was nothing we could do to help him. The doctors did their best to make him comfortable and lessen his pain with remedies and treatments. Many of these treatments temporarily alleviated him, but not to the extent that we had hoped for. One approach that the doctors recommended was prescribing him medical marijuana. Out of all of the medications he was prescribed, medical marijuana was the most effective in treating his pain. Although it did not cure his illness, it relieved his suffering and gave my family and me a sense of relief. This lead me to believe that marijuana should be legalized across the country, as it is more beneficial than not.

Donald Trump’s View on Marijuana

Donald Trump is the Republican candidate for the 2016 presidential election and as of November 8th, the new elected President. So what does our next President of the United States think about legalizing marijuana?

In recent interviews, Trump has stated that “I support legal access to medical marijuana, and believe states should be able to set their own marijuana policies with regard to adult use.” In other words, Trump is more in support of legalizing medical marijuana however is not in favor of a nation wide legalization policy. So what we can expect to see in the near future is maybe a more lenient policy on using marijuana for medical purposes. He believes that allowing recreational use is a state-by-state issue, and will let those states decide for themselves if they want to make possession legal.

 

Jill Stein’s View on Marijuana

Jill Stein, a Green Party Presidential Nominee supports legalizing and regulating marijuana for medical and adult use nationwide. When asked Stein’s opinion she states, “yes, marijuana is dangerous—because it’s illegal. It’s not inherently dangerous. It’s certainly less harmful than alcohol and tobacco, which are perfectly legal.” It seems that when substances are illegal, it makes individuals want to use it more, which can lead to harmful effects. Stein feels that legalizing marijuana “would prevent billions of dollars in profits from pouring into the black market, and would greatly reduce the violence associated with illegal marijuana sales, including the drug wars ravaging Mexico and Central America…” Stein strongly feels that marijuana should be legalized for many reasons and that legalizing it would only benefit us in many ways.

Gary Johnson’s View on Marijuana

Gary Johnson is the liberation candidate for the 2016 presidential election. Johnson openly supports the legalization of marijuana for both medical and recreational use. He has stated that he believes that marijuana should be legalized at the federal level which will allow states to legalize and regulate it. Johnson was the CEO of a medical marijuana business before he started to run for president. He has also openly spoken about how he has used marijuana for recreational use. On Johnson’s campaign website, he has said ” “Over time, the politicians have ‘criminalized’ far too many aspects of people’s personal lives. The failed War on Drugs is, of course, the greatest example. Well over 100 million Americans have, at one time or another, used marijuana. Yet, today, simple possession and use of marijuana remains a crime — despite the fact that a majority of Americans now favor its legalization… ” .

Hillary Clinton’s View on Marijuana

Each candidate has made their policies and plans very well known amongst the public, but one thing that isn’t as publicized is the candidates views on legalizing marijuana. So what are those views?  We took the time to find out.

Hillary Clinton- Clinton is the former secretary of state and the Democratic nominee for the 2016 Presidential election. Hillary has said in multiple interviews that she does not oppose the movement towards legalization, not only for medical use but also recreational. She supports researchers who want to find out more about the medical benefits that marijuana yields. Currently, she does not believe that enough research has been done thus far, but thinks that when researching further into the topic it is important to let states such as Washington and Colarado lead the way. Depending on what the research results show, she could be the one to legalize it.

So if Hillary wins today’s election, we have reason to expect that a lot more research about marijuana will be conducted. She will not condone legalization right away, however we will hopefully be one step closer to having possession of both medical and recreational marijuana accepted across the United States.