NAACP supports AUMA… More cities pass marijuana bans… Oakland dispensary to go public… Migraines and epilepsy… and more.
LEGALIZATION & LEGISLATION
NAACP gives support to AUMA // Sacramento Bee “Legalizing marijuana is an important civil rights issue because pot-related arrests are ‘racially biased’ and disproportionately affect blacks and Latinos,” says the president of the California chapter.
No growing or delivery of cannabis in Fremont // San Jose Mercury News “Despite testimony from many speakers about the benefits of medicinal cannabis for their ailments and the need for local access to it, Fremont City Council voted unanimously [last week] to prohibit cultivation and commercial delivery of marijuana within city limits.
No grass in Grass Valley? // The Union “I’m not in favor of a total ban,” says the mayor, but “We also don’t want to be the pot city.”
Placer County joins movement to preserve local control on medical marijuana // Lake Tahoe News “The California Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act set a March 1 deadline for jurisdictions to assert local authority over medical marijuana regulation. If they don’t, the state assumes control,” which explains why many municipalities are considering these “placeholder” ordinances. [See Opinion, below.]
COPS & COURTS
Dept. of Justice examines drug task force after agent’s arrest // Appeal Democrat The action comes after “a Yuba County sheriff's deputy assigned to [the task force] for three years, was arrested on suspicion of trafficking 247 pounds of marijuana across the country,” as reported here last week.
BUSINESS
Former Federal Reserve banker joins cannabis investors // Wall Street Journal “My goal is to change the misconception that servicing the cannabis industry is a compliance burden for banks,” says Dante Tosetti, who had worked in the San Francisco branch of the Federal Reserve before joining Privateer Holdings, a cannabis investment firm.
Oakland dispensary merges and will go public // MJBiz Daily “Under the agreement, Terra Tech will acquire 100% of Blüm’s outstanding shares plus its integrated supply chain, which consists of an onsite cultivation facility, proprietary strains, and retail storefront, the companies said in a statement. The deal is expected to close by March 31.”
HEALTH
Fewer migraines with marijuana // NCBI “The potential effects of cannabinoids on serotonin in the central nervous system indicate that marijuana may be a therapeutic alternative.” That’s the word from the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.
UCSF adds to cannabis as epilepsy treatment // East Bay Express “UCSF announced last week that a pot extract reduced incurable seizures by an average of 36.5 percent in a group of 162 children and young adults over a 12-week period.
OPINION
Local bans on cannabis only aid the black market // Orange County Register As reported here and elsewhere, municipalities up and down the state are voting to restrict or ban cannabis. That’s probably not a good idea in the long run.
And you can blame these bans on the state legislature // News & Review “You can thank the state Legislature for this. In the zeal to pass some sort of statewide comprehensive medical cannabis regulations last year, it somehow overlooked a provision stating that if cities and counties didn’t have their own laws in place by March 1, the state would assume control. So now we have a flurry of bans.”
IN OTHER NEWS….
“No impairment” in bicycle smokers // Alternet “Hardly any driving faults occurred under the influence of cannabis. Only a few driving faults were observed even under the influence of very high THC concentrations… On average, there is no increase in the number of demerits after the cannabis consumption” according to an international study.
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[New content is generally posted on Friday.]
