Medical Marijuana

The Department of Revenue's medical marijuana advisory committee has been controversial from the beginning, and not only because meetings weren't open to the public until after advocates complained. Now there are gripes that the meeting space is too small for everyone who wants to attend the next session tomorrow. People are pointing out that the DOR received over $10 million in application fees from the medical marijuana community in July and August, so they certainly have the funds to rent a larger room.

Andrew Weil, M.D., founder and director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, cuts through all the government misinformation and discusses the multiple uses for medical marijuana.

Medical marijuana advocates are planning a rally next month to push Nevada lawmakers to clearly define state law regarding dispensing. The rally will coincide with President Barack Obama's visit to Las Vegas. Several medical marijuana dispensaries were raided last week by federal agents.

Washington has added chronic kidney failure to the list of conditions for which medical marijuana is permitted under state law but has rejected petitions to add Alzheimer's and neuropathic pain.

Medical marijuana dispensaries aren't attracting crime in Colorado Springs, the second Colorado city where police have concluded that pot shops don't increase crime. Denver police made a similar conclusion earlier this year.

An estimated 200 medical marijuana users and supporters protested against the raids of medical marijuana establishments in Ferndale and Waterford. Six buses brought protesters from Ypsilanti, Lansing, Port Huron and Oak Park, who carried signs that blamed Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard for police brutality during the raids.

San Diego City Council has voted to start developing land use regulations that would define where medicinal marijuana dispensaries can legally operate. Currently, more than 100 dispensaries operate in the city. Kate Valentine of Americans for Safe Access calculates the proposed zoning would only allow about 15 dispensaries.

About 60 medical marijuana users and their supporters gathered outside the Health Department's offices to protest the agency's announcement last week that it was not granting licenses to any of the 15 groups that had applied to become the state's first medical marijuana distributors.

The founder and director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, Dr. Andrew Weil, discusses the utility of marijuana. He points out that in recent years, studies have shown potential for treating nausea, vomiting, premenstrual syndrome, insomnia, migraines, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, alcohol abuse, collagen-induced arthritis, asthma, atherosclerosis, bipolar disorder, depression, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, sickle-cell disease, sleep apnea, Alzheimer's disease and anorexia nervosa. What if cannabis cures cancer?

Despite campaign promises to the contrary, the Department of Justice under President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder hasn’t stopped raiding marijuana dispensaries operating in states where marijuana is legal for medical purposes. But the DOJ has demonstrated one marked change now that it’s under Democratic control: The department has stopped publicizing medical marijuana raids, both by requesting that more cases be sealed under court order and by refusing to distribute press releases.