California Marijuana Collectives

June 11, 2016

Cannabis Tech Development Keeping Pace

In today’s digital age, you can summon a pizza via text message or organize a meet-up in minutes via social media. But for a long time, the marijuana industry wasn’t on that technology bandwagon.

Many tech companies were gun shy when it came to cannabis, worried about the potential legal implications. After all, it was (and still is) illegal under federal law. For years in California, there was uncertainty as to the future of the industry, especially as federal prosecutors were filing case after case against countless marijuana dispensaries. Many were forced to go under.

But now, those actions have eased. Marijuana is legal in more than half of the country for medicinal purposes and in a handful of states for recreational use. Now, there is a demand for technology to keep the pace. A number of start-ups have begun to heed that call. Continue reading

May 25, 2016

Congress Approves Medical Marijuana for Veterans

By Cannabis Law Group

There are many veterans being treated at one of the nation’s Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers that would probably benefit from medical cannabis in one form or another. These are patients who have fought bravely for our nation in Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, and many other foreign nations that now suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain.

peacekeeping-soldiers-1245571 While many doctors are realizing that medical marijuana is a viable treatment options for these patients, the VA would not allow their doctors to prescribe medical cannabis, even in states were medical marijuana is legal. If a doctor at the VA prescribes medical cannabis, he or she could be subject to discipline including a termination. A patient on medical marijuana could also be subject to discipline in some cases and risk VA benefits. Continue reading

May 21, 2016

City of Los Angeles Targets Another Marijuana Delivery Service

By Cannabis Law Group

In some parts of California, access to medical marijuana is almost as easy as ordering Thai delivery on Seamless. Patients with a valid doctor’s prescription can use an app on their smartphone to have medical cannabis delivered to their door.

While it would be easy to dismiss this as just another creature comfort of today’s world, it is actually a big help for many people suffering from chronic and debilitating medical conditions.

old-schools-class-room-881694-m However, the City of Los Angeles, through its board of supervisors, has decided that medical marijuana should not be dispensed via a mobile delivery service within city limits. This somewhat recent effort to crack down on these mobile delivery services has already led to the shutdown of one major mobile delivery provider for medical cannabis, and now it seems that another service will be shutting down, according to a recent news feature from the Los Angeles Times. Continue reading

May 17, 2016

Taking Medical Marijuana Instead of Opioid Painkillers

By Cannabis Law Group

One of the strangest things about the fight against legalization of marijuana is, while they tend to paint marijuana as a serious threat to society in terms of crime, unemployment, and high school dropouts, these same people seem to have absolutely no trouble with people taking powerful opioid painkillers.

pillswhite Painkillers are very addictive, have a high potential for abuse, and can lead to serious health consequences, including overdose and death. One of the more powerful opioid painkillers is OxyContin, which is commonly referred to as “oxy” on the street. It comes in various doses starting at 5mg and going up to doses higher than 80mgs. There are even doses well over a hundred due to the high tolerance of some patients. If a person without such a tolerance took an 80mg pill, there is a fairly high chance of an overdose. According to a recent news feature from the Chicago Tribune, OxyContin has been responsible for nearly 200,000 deaths from overdose since it was first on the market in 1999. Continue reading

April 24, 2016

Police Blame Medical Marijuana After Man Crashes into Burger Joint

By Cannabis Law Group

For nearly 100 years, those opposed to marijuana being legal have been making unsupported claims that using marijuana will lead to violent crime and a society out-of-control. This anti-marijuana propaganda began around the time the Volstead Act (Prohibition) was passed and continued through much our country’s recent history. It is still a part of the modern rhetoric uttered by many groups.

rolled-cigarette-733342-m The prohibition on marijuana was originally based upon a need to rid society of all “vices” and as a way to oppress minority groups in America. The so-called “War on Drugs” has cost the taxpayers unfathomable amounts of money, much of which was spent on stopping the importation and sale of marijuana, and created unjust results in the federal penal system. Continue reading

April 19, 2016

NAACP Seeks More Diversity in Medical Cannabis Industry

By Cannabis Law Group

According to a recent news feature from the San Francisco Weekly, NAACP leaders in California are pushing for more back ownership of medical marijuana dispensaries in the state. While there are many black workers in the medical cannabis industry in Los Angeles and across the state, these workers are typically security personnel or working as budtenders in the dispensaries. There is very little black ownership of major dispensaries and that is what NAACP leaders want to change.

There is a saying that has become somewhat well known in the industry is that that the green rush is more of white rush that many would like. According to research, less than one percent of the nation’s 3,600 dispensaries are owned by black individuals.
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April 17, 2016

Medical Cannabis Employees in California Required to Be Patients Themselves

By Cannabis Law Group

If one goes to a local pharmacy and applied for a job as a technician, there is obviously no requirement that the prospective employee personally take any of the drugs with which he or she will be working. It would be rather ridiculous to think that someone who dispenses Vicodin for example would have to be a user of that particular drug.

However, according to a recent news feature from the San Francisco Chronicle, that is exactly the requirement for those who work at a medical marijuana dispensary. While California is seen as progressive in many ways pertaining to medial marijuana legalization, as it was the first state to enact medical marijuana legislation, it seems that these regulations may in some ways still be trapped in the past.
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April 15, 2016

Whoopi Goldberg May Lose Job on View over Medical Marijuana Business

By Cannabis Law Group

There has been a recent validation for medical cannabis as treatment for women menstrual discomfort. This was followed by an announcement that actress Whoopi Goldberg is launching a new medical marijuana business project designed to help woman with menstrual discomfort issues.

According to a recent article from Inquisitir, industry insiders believe Goldberg’s days on The View may be numbered as ABC executives apparently are not supportive of medical marijuana initiatives and projects and they may consider Goldberg’s new business venture as a conflict of interest.
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April 13, 2016

A Look at Medical Marijuana for Pets

By Cannabis Law Group

There is no question that people love their pets and want to take care of their pets to the best of their ability. Many will spend as much money as they can afford to have complex operations performed for the pets when necessary event when those operations cost upwards of $10,000. With this is mind, it should come as no surprise that pet owners are willing to try medical marijuana on their pets to see if it helps with pain and discomfort.

This makes sense since pets often suffer from the very same diseases that effect humans. A recent news feature from LA Weekly, looks at whether it is a good idea to give medical marijuana to pets. First, it should be noted that people are not finding ways to have their pets smoke marijuana as the medical cannabis is administered in a liquid form as it is in the case of human children who suffer from serious medical conditions like epilepsy.
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April 11, 2016

Lawmakers Push for Oral Swab Testing to Curb Driving While High

By Cannabis Law Group

With medical marijuana being legal in California for around two decades and a strong possibility that marijuana will be legal for recreational purposes pursuant to a ballot initiative in the upcoming November election, police claim they are worried about people driving while high.

Many people seem to believe that if they have a valid prescription for medical marijuana or are even in an area where recreational use of marijuana is completely legal, it is okay to drive a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana. This is simply not the case. It does not matter whether or not marijuana is legal in terms of a driving under the influence charge. However, it could matter in terms of a possession of a controlled dangerous substance charged, especially with a large quantity.
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