Insights to Michigan Medical Marijuana program

The Michigan Medical Marijuana program was first voted in 2004 and provides the safe access to qualifying patients to obtain cannabis as a medical treatment. A patient with a marijuana card will be exempt from any criminal charges if caught with x amount of marijuana. As Michigan Marijuana laws are very strict thus you need to make sure that you are never caught on wrong side of the law.
A patient can only receive a Medical Marijuana card if recommended by a registered physician. Once the recommendation has been given, the patient can go online or directly to official Michigan government website where they can apply for the process online. Once the Michigan government verified that the patient does indeed qualify, a Medical Marijuana card will be sent to the patient’s address.
Once the patient received his/her card, he/she will be eligible to participate in the Michigan Medical Marijuana program. This means that the patient can have access to caregivers or have the ability to grow their own medication. Under the Michigan Marijuana laws a caregiver or a patient can have up to 2.5 ounces of useable marijuana and can grow up to 12 plants. Each caregiver is limited to helping five patients. Any caregiver with prior felony convictions will not be eligible to participate in the Michigan Marijuana Program as Michigan Marijuana laws restrict him to do so.
When applying for your Medical Marijuana card you will have to pay a fee of $100 USD and will be charged annually. You cannot pay this fee in instalments nor can you wave the fee, it must be paid in full the moment you apply. It is important to abide by Michigan Marijuana laws all the time so that you don’t run into trouble of getting your card confiscated by authorities.
Earlier this year the new Michigan bill allowed dispensaries to operate. As of now there are no official dispensaries within Michigan but the process is underway. Currently the only way a patient can obtain cannabis as a treatment is either by growing it him/herself or through the services of a caregiver. The reason why dispensaries, that was voted illegal in 2011, is now in full swing is due to the fact that most caregivers failed to have the proper medical background to take care of their patients.
Thus the Michigan Medical Marijuana program is on the verge to change the dynamics of the system. They wish to institutionalize professional dispensaries to provide the highest quality in medication at a consistent basis.
The problem with caregivers is that rarely they manage to obtain the same consistency with their medicine. For a patient that is suffering from a debilitating disease, consistency with medication is an absolute necessity. These states that have outlawed dispensaries are recognizing the fact that Medical Marijuana requires a strict standard in terms of production, cultivation and consistency within potency of THC.
As more states begin to accept the status of marijuana as a medicine, we can see that a new post-prohibition era on the horizon. Soon we’ll begin to see new categories develop within the marijuana industry; Medical, Commercial and Industrial.

All about New Mexico Medical Marijuana program

The New Mexico Medical Marijuana program first came into action in 2007 and allowed qualified patients to obtain medical cannabis without facing any legal repercussions. Unlike some states, New Mexico does not have dispensaries but rather approaches the supply of Medicinal Cannabis through non-profit organizations known as “pot clubs”. A patient could either opt in for a NPO or grow the medicine themselves.
A patient under the New Mexico Medical Marijuana program can grow up to sixteen plants with only four mature plants at a time. In addition to the limit of growth patients may only have up to six ounces of useable Marijuana on hand. In case you have more than allowed limit, you are destined to get in trouble so ensure never to have more marijuana and allowed legal limit.
In order for a patient to obtain a Medical Marijuana card they would need to go to a registered physician and receive a recommendation for the use. There are several diseases that constitute a recommendation. Some of these diseases include, but are not limited to; Cancer, HIV/AIDS, Immune deficiency disorders, Muscle Spasms, Anxiety disorders and many more. You can check the official government website on the details of all the diseases and disorders that have been approved for the New Mexico Medical Marijuana program.
Non-Profit organizations currently are allowed to grow up to 150 plants per harvest in order to supply medicine to patients. These organizations only function on the basis of donations by the patients that implement their services. This alternative allows the growers to focus on the production quality of the medicine and maintain the consistency within the strains. In general to maintain consistency these organizations would implement cloning techniques. For longevity they would always need to keep a few clones in the vegetative state for future production. You can’t get more than prescribed quantity and should not try to get more too as it can land you in problems and you might lose your marijuana card.
Only the State can issues licenses to patients and only if they qualify. Any patient with a prior felony offence will not be eligible for this program. Thus, only a patient who doesn’t has any felonies against his name can apply for these cards.
As more states begin to adopt the Medical Marijuana programs the taboo behind the controversial topic of Marijuana is being lifted. Within the next couple of years we can expect more than half of the States in the United States adopt the program. Once that occurs the inevitability of commercial legalization becomes real and new categories within Marijuana will begin to spring up. Some of these categories are; Medical Marijuana, Commercial Marijuana and Industrial Marijuana. The New Mexico Medical Marijuana program is simply an example of how it could be on a commercial or an industrial level. It has been a success here and now the Government is considering it to extend to all other remaining states so that all Americans can enjoy the same benefit as enjoyed by people of those states where it is legal.

All about Medical Marijuana California

As many people know, California was the first state to implement Medical Marijuana Laws. California Marijuana has a long standing reputation for being highly potent and pure. Currently there are more than one thousand legal marijuana dispensaries scattered all over California.
California Marijuana Laws state that if a patient suffering from certain diseases or chronic conditions, and under the recommendation of a physician, can obtain a Medical Marijuana Card that will grant them access to Marijuana dispensaries. The medical marijuana California Card has a yearly cost of roughly $150 USD and is fairly easy to obtain if you qualify. Some of the more known illnesses and conditions include; Cancer, HIV, MS, Anxiety disorders, Stress related diseases, Anorexia and many more.
In terms of Marijuana California has opened the path for further development and research. It was first legalized in 1997 and since then the Medical Marijuana industry has undergone tremendous growth. The medical marijuana California card was later adapted to seventeen other states that have followed the example. Since then the tremendous support for marijuana legalization simply began to grow as the effects of the medication proved to exceed expectations. Recent studies indicate that Marijuana could be the link to completely eradicating cancer if not help reduce the number of cancer related mortalities by a significant chunk.
The California Marijuana laws also paved the road for other states as they began adopting similar systems. One state that showed similar interest as California in terms of legalization is Colorado. Currently Washington State, Colorado and California will be voting this November on a full scale legalization effort; if passed it could mean that the entire illegality of marijuana throughout the United States could drastically change.
The current medical marijuana California Card system might also be affected if full scale legalization should happen. Yet more probably would be a modification of the system due to the processes involved in cultivating Medical Marijuana. One could be expect a division in quality of Marijuana in a post-legal society where a person with medical marijuana California Card would have access to Medicinal marijuana where the general public would have access to commercial cannabis which would lack in consistency within strains and cultivation processes.
California Marijuana laws were the foundation for all of the other states that decided to legalize cannabis. It was because of their efforts that now we can see significant change in terms of public acceptance towards prohibition that has cause considerable damages to society and humanity as a whole. Throughout the next few years we will begin to see significant strides in both commercial and medicinal marijuana as more research is being conducted and public opinion continues to sway in favour of legalization.  There still is a long road ahead for cannabis activists due to the immense opposition from major industries, mainly due to the fact that cannabis has over forty thousand different industrial uses including; textiles, paper, construction to name a few. But one thing is certain, marijuana will one day be legal once more and there is nothing that anybody can do to stop it.

What is Medical Cannabis?

Medical Cannabis is a concept that was first coined in 1997 in California when researchers found significant evidence that suggests that Marijuana does have medicinal value. In fact, further research even found that Medical Cannabis has the potential to completely cure cancer.
There is a massive difference between “regular Marijuana” and “Medicinal Marijuana” in terms of process. What you would find on the street generally is cultivated and transported under harsh conditions due to the illegality of the plant. This means that the cannabis you purchase on the street could be treated with chemicals to minimize the smell, contaminated with other particles and generally will lack in purity compared to that of Medical Marijuana.
Medicinal Cannabis on the other hand undergoes scrutiny in terms of cultivation, curing, processing and transporting due to the fact that it is considered as a medicine. Scientists are also actively working on creating “designer strains” in terms of dealing with specific illnesses and conditions. As the legality of the plant continues to become more accepted around the world, we can only expect more specific strains, higher potency and more organic methods of production.
Currently if you wish to obtain medical marijuana it is imperative that you obtain a medical marijuana card. Note that these cards can only be obtained in states where Medicinal Marijuana laws are in place. Marijuana is still considered a Schedule I drug in terms of Federal law thus it is imperative to understand the local state laws in order to be protected from the Federal government.
If patients wish to obtain Medical Marijuana cards within their states they have to first get a physician’s recommendation that specifies that cannabis is an appropriate treatment for their discomfort or condition. Medicinal Cannabis have shown marvellous results in terms of treating a wide array of diseases including; Anxiety disorders, Insomnia, Lack of Appetite, Muscle Disorders, Cancer, HIV and more.
As the Medical Marijuana community continues to gain ground within legislation we can expect that a diverse industry will develop. Currently one can obtain their medicine in several different forms; bud, extract, liquid, oil. Some people prefer to consume their cannabis in pastries or simply putting it in their food as an added ingredient. By consuming it in this form, patients will generally feel a stronger impact of the medication and in most cases will sleep for prolonged hours, which is essential to the healing process.
Currently the cost of Marijuana is incredibly high due to the fact that the plant is still considered illegal making the cultivation very difficult. In the case that a full scale legalization effort takes place you can expect the price of cannabis to drop significantly making it more accessible to patients. There is still a lot of resistance in terms of Medical Cannabis due to corporate interests namely the Pharmaceutical industry due to the fact that 80% of their income comes from the very disease that Marijuana treats effectively.
One thing is certain; the full scale legalization of cannabis is inevitable. Every single day public opinion shifts more in favour legalization as the myths of prohibition continues to be proven fiction.

Buying Legal Marijuana in United States

Legal Marijuana is a concept that is growing in popularity every single day. Already with the Medical Marijuana community a pseudo state of legality has been implemented in States that allow patients to use Marijuana as medicine for a wide array of diseases and conditions. Currently there seventeen states that have adopted Medical Marijuana laws and roughly ten other states in the process of passing legislation.
In order to abide by the Marijuana laws within any given state it is imperative that patients obtain Medical Marijuana cards, which specifies that they have been authorized by a physician that cannabis is an adequate treatment for their illness. Each state has their own unique set of Marijuana Laws and it is strongly advised to be informed about those laws in order to steer away from any legal issues that may arise.
The concept of Legal Marijuana might even be pushed from its current “pseudo legality” to a full scale legalization and regulation of the substance. Currently the Federal government considers Marijuana a Schedule I drug, meaning that is has “no medical value and a high potential for abuse”. Even though the latter might be true, current research indicates that Marijuana effectively deals with more than 200 diseases and conditions including, in some cases, completely curing inoperable cancer.
States such as California, Colorado and Washington will be voting this November to see whether full scale legalization could be in effect. This would mean that the term “Legal Marijuana” soon might be reduced to just “Marijuana”. Colorado and California are two of the states that have most support towards full scale legalization and have very active Medical Marijuana Laws in place. Currently in California you can find more than one thousand unique dispensaries scattered all over the state.
But what would happen to the Medical Marijuana industry when Legal Marijuana becomes a reality? Many people believe that the industry would crash but the exact opposite is true. In the case of a full scale legalization effort Marijuana would be divided into three divisions; Medicinal, Commercial and Industrial.
Commercial Marijuana might not be as “pure” as Medical Marijuana would be due to the process of cultivation within the Medical field. When growing Medical Marijuana the entire process is scrutinized, all clipping and curing occurs in sterile environments and the absolute care for purity is one of the highest priorities. In regards to commercial cannabis the quality and purity would not require such vigorous scrutiny.
Also, in the case of a full scale legalization effort, we will begin to see more specific strains being developed that will target specific illnesses and conditions. Under a Legal Marijuana system we might see the eradication of Medical Marijuana cards due to the fact that anybody would have access to the plant. Medical Marijuana cards might still be effective in accessing pure Medical Marijuana within dispensaries.
The fact that marijuana laws are changing is a great advance for humanity due to the horrific side effects of prohibition.  The possibility of completely eradicating most cancers will also become a real possibility the moment that cannabis is completely legalized. One can only hope that it occurs sooner than later.

Marijuana Dispensaries – Drug pushing or supplying medication?

A lot of people have contrasting ideas when it comes to Marijuana Dispensaries. Some people believe that the entire medical cannabis movement is simply a cover for full scale marijuana legalization. Even though there isn’t anything wrong with full scale legalization as is proven in countries such as Portugal and Spain, medicinal cannabis is a very different concept to that of commercial marijuana.
Currently Marijuana dispensaries are the only means that patients can have access to legal marijuana to treat their discomforts or illnesses. Tons of research has revealed that not only can marijuana ease certain conditions, but in many cases completely heal a person. This is mainly due to the discovery of the endo-cannabinoid system that works in perfect sync with the lymphatic system. Yet under the pseudo legal status of marijuana further research is hindered.
To answer the question whether Marijuana Dispensaries are merely a front; the answer is no. Even when marijuana becomes commercial Medicinal Marijuana Dispensaries will become more specialized in strains and treatment methods. There will be a very huge distinction between commercial and medicinal. Medical Marijuana undergoes a process where optimal purity and consistency are its highest factors. In terms of commercial or recreational cannabis the process will have far less scrutiny in terms of quality and purity and consistency of strength.
When marijuana is used as medicine it is imperative to maintain consistency within strength in order to effectively combat any disease or condition. A patient cannot have one “strength” within a strain only to have a different “strength” when buying a month later. This is what will separate medical marijuana from commercial brands.
Currently if you wish to enter into a Medical Marijuana Dispensary it is imperative that you have a Medical Marijuana card that can be obtained by acquiring a physician’s recommendation. Also it is imperative to understand that these marijuana cards can only be obtained in states where Medical Marijuana laws are in place. Currently in the US there are seventeen states that permit the use of Marijuana to deal with a wide array of diseases.
Once you have obtained your Medical Marijuana card you will be allowed access into one of these Marijuana dispensaries. Generally speaking there is a guard to verify that your card is legitimate. Once you have been screened you will be led into the room where you will see different strains displayed under a glass case or in a catalogue. A qualified dispensary operator will guide you through the process and will see which strain will best help with your condition.
The Medical Marijuana industry generates billions of dollars in taxes each year and is proving to be a major competitor to most Pharmaceutical companies as it effectively treats the number one killer in terms of disease; cancer. As the legality of marijuana continues to become more prominent we can expect to see specific designer strains appear on the market that will effectively deal with specific illnesses without all of the side effects that patients currently experience when using marijuana such as; dry mouth, dry eyes and so forth. It is to be noted that no one has ever died directly because of marijuana consumption since the dawn of recorded history.

Legal Marijuana States List

Marijuana is still considered to be highly illegal in the United States under Federal Law. There are however seventeen Legal Marijuana States that have implemented a system of medical marijuana. What this basically means that within these states Marijuana is legal, yet only for people who have the proper credentials to obtain the plant. In most states patients that have serious diseases and that qualify for a Medical marijuana card have access to Marijuana dispensaries or Cannabis clubs.
Marijuana dispensaries are legal shops where they provide premium cannabis to patients in dire need of medication. Cannabis clubs are more in the line of cultivation collectives where “caregivers” can grow to supply marijuana to their patients. In the latter example no profit can be made and tight control is implemented. The only way that the growers can obtain any form of monetary supply comes through donations from the patients.
Legal Marijuana States allow these dispensaries and clubs to operate based on research that indicates that marijuana does have medicinal value, unlike the current classification by the federal government. Yet even though states might have legalized marijuana, the federal government still considers the selling, cultivation and consumption of the plant a Schedule I offense and is treated on the same level as Heroin, Morphine and Cocaine.
Currently there are three states that are working on a full scale legalization effort which will mean that any adult over the age of twenty one will have access to Marijuana for recreational purposes. What this means in terms of Federal Law nobody knows for sure. The only thing that is certain is that the past few administrations have maintained an eerie silence on the issue while support for Marijuana legalization continues to be on the rise.
Due to prohibition the world has seen criminal enterprises blossom from within the black market, countless deaths and corruption on the highest levels. It was only sensible that some states would opt in for legalization. These Legal Marijuana States however, still are under persecution from the federal government where Marijuana dispensaries are continually raided even when operating legitimately in accordance to state laws. The Obama administration has conducted double the amounts of raids on legal marijuana dispensaries within these Legal Marijuana States as opposed to the Bush administration.
Every raid against these dispensaries undermines the sovereignty of the states in terms of making their own laws and regulations. Due to these raids the support for marijuana simply gained more grounds and prohibition fell out of public favour. Currently it is said that more than half of the eligible voting population in the US is in favour of full scale legalization. It is important to note that most of the opposition comes from people in their sixties and that the younger generations are completely sold to the idea of legalization, meaning that as time progresses the full scale commercial legalization of marijuana is inevitable.
If it weren’t for these Legal Marijuana States many patients would be deprived of their medicine and in many cases would be left to obtain their medication on the black market, further supplying funds to criminal organizations.