Source: @norml @WeedConnection
Posted By: norml@weedconnection.com
media :: news - Tue, 25 Mar 2014 04:20:21 PST
Washington: Lawmakers Pass Measure Allowing For Retail Sale Of Marijuana Concentrates
Olympia, WA: House and Senate lawmakers have overwhelmingly approved legislation, House Bill 2304, to allow for the retail sale of high-THC marijuana concentrates, such as extracts, waxes, and oils.
The bill now awaits action from Democrat Governor Jay Inslee.
As passed, the measure amends state law to allow for licensed cannabis retailers to produce and sell cannabis concentrates, which are defined as extract products possessing a THC concentration of greater than 60 percent.
Under the state's 2012 I-502 initiative, retailers are permitted to sell to those over the age of 21 up to one ounce of marijuana, and/or 16 ounces of marijuana-infused product in solid form, and/or up to 72 ounces of marijuana-infused product in liquid form. House Bill 2304 allows retailers to additionally sell up to seven grams of marijuana concentrates to a customer at one time.
Earlier this month, state regulators began issuing retail licenses to individuals seeking to commercially produce and sell cannabis. Retail marijuana operations are anticipated to be up and running in the state by this summer.
Separate legislation that sought to impose regulations on Washington's existing medical marijuana program and would have restricted the amount of cannabis patients may legally possess and cultivate died last week upon the session's adjournment.
RAND Study: Marijuana Use Rises While Consumption Of Cocaine, Methamphetamine Falls
Washington, DC: A rise in the self-reported consumption of cannabis during the years 2006 to 2010 corresponds with a significant decline in Americans' use of cocaine and methamphetamine during this same time period, according to a new RAND study commissioned by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).
Researchers estimate that Americans increased their consumption of cannabis by approximately 30 percent during the years 2006 to 2010. During this same time, authors estimated that the public's use of cocaine and methamphetamine declined, with Americans' use of cocaine dropping by half.
Americans' consumption of heroin remained largely stable throughout the decade, the study reported. According to statistics compiled by the US Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration, an estimated 4.5 million Americans have tried heroin in their lifetimes. By comparison, an estimated 12 million Americans have tried methamphetamine, 37.5 million have tried cocaine, and 111 million have consumed cannabis.
Authors estimated that Americans spent approximately one trillion dollars on the purchase of cocaine, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamine between 2000 and 2010.
Commenting on the report, NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said, "These figures belie that notion that marijuana exposure is an alleged 'gateway' to the use of other illicit substances and instead suggest that for some people, cannabis may be a substitute for other so-called 'hard drugs' or even an exit drug."
Survey data published in 2013 in the journal Addiction Research & Theory reported that among a cohort of medical marijuana consumers, 75 percent of subjects acknowledged that they used cannabis as a substitute for prescription drugs, alcohol, or some other illicit substance.
A 2010 study published in the Harm Reduction Journal reported that cannabis-using adults enrolled in substance abuse treatment programs fared equally or better than nonusers in various outcome categories, including treatment completion.
Full text of the study, ""What America's Users Spend on Illegal Drugs, 2000-2010," is available online from the Office of National Drug Control Policy @ https://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp
Study: Inhaled Cannabis Relieves Symptoms Of Parkinson's Disease
Tel Aviv, Israel: Inhaling whole-plant cannabis provides symptomatic relief in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), according to observational trial data published in the March/April edition of the journal Clinical Neuropharmacology. Parkinson's is a progressive disorder of the central nervous system that results in tremor, slowed movement, and muscle rigidity.
Investigators at Tel Aviv University, Department of Neurology evaluated Parkinson's disease symptoms in 22 patients at baseline and 30-minutes after inhaling cannabis.
Researchers reported that inhaled cannabis was associated with "significant improvement after treatment in tremor, rigidity, and bradykinsea (slowness of movement). There was also significant improvement of sleep and pain scores. No significant adverse effects of the drug were observed."
They concluded: "[T]his observational study is the first to report an amelioration of both motor and non-motor symptoms in patients with PD treated with cannabis. The study opens new venues for treatment strategies in PD especially in patients refractory to current medications."
Israel has formally allowed for the licensed production and distribution of the substance for therapeutic purposes since 2011.
Full text of the study, "Cannabis (Medical Marijuana) Treatment for Motor and Non-Motor Symptoms of Parkinson Disease: An Open-Label Observational Study," appears in Clinical Neuropharmacology.
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