OCC 0702 Apr/May 2016 by Oregon Cannabis Connection

FR E E

Apr/May 2016 Vol. 7 Issue 2

A h eal th y can n abi s pl an t read y for th e g ard en . A S ou th ern Oreg on S trai n u n offi ci al l y kn own as S aj o9 9 . Read h i s arti cl e on l i g h t d epri vati on on pag e 1 9 . I m ag e: Al l an Eri ckson

Connecting Oregon's Marijuana Community Since 2010

In This Issue

Apr/May 2016

Oregon Cannabis Connection

Medical News

Oregon News Oregon Generated Almost $3.5 Million In Marijuana Taxes In 1st Month

Cannabis Is A Gateway Drug! (But It's Not What You've Been Told)

What Are The Cannabis Testing Rules In Oregon?

Big Pharma Frightened After New Study Shows Cannabis Is a Highly Effective Antidepressant

Problems With Oregon's New Edible Rules

Study: Frequent Cannabis Use Protective Against Metabolic Syndrome

Yale Study: Genes Linked To Marijuana Dependence

Klamath County Initiative to Overturn Commissioners' Ban

Oregon Radical - Merging Medical and Recreational Marijuana Makes Sense

At Church & State: Updates From The Capitol

State of Our Cannabis

Foul Play For Cannabis Clubs Due To Clean Air Act

Cannabis Advocates Run For Office

ACMM Meeting Highlights

Oregon News Nugs - News From Around The Beaver State

National News Relegalizing INdustrial Hemp Project

DEA Set To Act Imminently On Five-year-old Rescheduling Petition

Food & Recipes "On Your Knees" Lebanese Tabbouleh Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies Stoner Stuffed Pancakes Zippy Italian Dressing

Cultivation Bug Bites: For Bigger Buds - By Nature's Control

Diverse Habitat: The Key to Healthy Low Maintenance Gardens - By Green Source Gardens

Six Reasons The New Marijuana Rules Make Light Deprivation Gardening The Way To Go

20 Business Classifieds OREGON CANNABIS CONNECTION

Upcoming UN Special Session An "Historic Opportunity" to End Failed War on Drugs

Florida: Initiative to Legalize Medical Cannabis Officially Qualifies For November Ballot

is a bi-monthly publication for the entire cannabis community in Oregon. Published by K2 Publishing Co. in Southern Oregon, we strive to inform the public on the value of medical marijuana, as well as provide news, information, and opinions concerning marijuana laws, legalization, and medicine. All information in OCC is intended for legal use by adults only. OCC is advertiser supported and over 21,000 copies are available FREE at over 340 locations across Oregon.

FOR A DISTRIBUTION LOCATION NEAR YOU, GO ONLINE TO WWW.OCCNEWSPAPER.COM

National News Nugs - News From Around The Nation

Cannabis Activist Shona Banda Files Lawsuit Against Kansas and Others For Wrongfully Taking Her Son

U.S. Senator Calls on Federal Government To Allow Gun Rights For Cannabis Consumers

OCC Staff:

OCC Contributors:

Keith Mansur

Anthony Taylor 足 at Church & State "Radical" Russ Belville 足 Oregon Radical Nicholas Mahmood & Elizabeth Luca-Mahmood -

Publisher/Managing Editor/Writer

Cheryl Smith

Copy Editor/Writer

Deb Lawrence

Ad Sales - OCCNewspaperdeb@gmail.com

Green Source Gardens

Nathan Jackson - Bug Bites: For Bigger Buds

Subscriptions are available within the U.S.A for 24.00 per year. Please visit www.OCCNewspaper.com to subscribe. Correspondence to: K2 Publishing P.O. Box 5552, Grants Pass, OR 97527 To advertise or distribute please Email: OCCNewspaper420@gmail.com or contact us at 541-621-1723. Next issue is Jun/Jul 2016, advertising DEADLINE IS MAY 25TH, 2016!

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Oregon Generated Almost $3.5 Million In Marijuana Taxes In 1st Month There are a lot of reasons to reform marijuana laws, the most important of which is compassion. We need to have compassion for our fellow humans, and charging them with a fine and/or charging them with a crime and/or locking them in a cage is inhumane and lacks compassion. No one should have to go to jail for marijuana, or be arrested, or even fined in my opinion. That’s why I fought so hard to legalize marijuana in Oregon, a state I have lived in all my life. That’s at the top of the list of reasons why we need to legalize marijuana, and second place isn’t even close in my opinion. But with that being said, there are obviously a lot of other benefits to legalizing marijuana. The economic benefits of marijuana legalization are touted early and often, and I think that’s in large part because it changes the minds of voters for better or worse. In a perfect world everyone would want to legalize marijuana because it’s obviously the right thing to do, however, some people are much more swayed by monetary statistics for better or worse. The State of Oregon instituted a 25% temporary tax on all recreational marijuana sales at licensed dispensaries, starting in February. State officials were quick to state that it’s not a sales tax, which is a taboo phrase in Oregon. But, at the end of the day and for simplicity purposes (and just calling it what it is!), the tax is a sales tax on marijuana. The numbers are in for January, and it looks like Oregon brought in just shy of 3.5 million dollars in tax revenue from recreational marijuana sales. The Oregon Department of Revenue issued the following press release about the numbers: February was the first month for medical marijuana dispensaries to remit the taxes they collected on their previous month’s recreational marijuana sales.

Oregon News Dispensaries are responsible for collecting a 25-percent tax at the point of sale and remitting it to the Department of Revenue monthly. Between February 1 and March 4, we posted 253 estimated marijuana tax payments to our system, totaling $3.48 million. Of those payments, 137 were made by appointment and 116 were made by mail. There were 309 dispensaries selling recreational marijuana products in January, according to the Oregon Health Authority. Since dispensaries can’t have bank accounts for various reasons, I’d imagine all of that tax money went to the State of Oregon in the form of cash. That cash was then deposited in a bank, which is a double standard that drives me crazy. The tax money was from marijuana sales. But the people making those sales can’t have an account, yet the people

they give a portion of it to can have a bank account because they are a government agency. It makes no sense since it all originated the same way regardless of who deposits it, but I digress. Sam Chapman of New Economy Consulting had the following to say about the figures being released: “This is just the tip of the cannabis tax revenue iceberg that will benefit Oregonian’s across the state. As other products such as edibles and concentrates become available to the general public we expect this number to continue to rise.” © 2016 The Weed Blog. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

What Are The Cannabis Testing Rules In Oregon? Many of us are aware that the rules guiding and shaping the cannabis industry in Oregon seem to change every week. As a result, it can be confusing and overwhelming to know what is current, what has changed and what is about to change. Our goal is to help bring clarity to what we currently know about testing in Oregon. HB 3400 has mandated new testing rules that are aimed at protecting consumers. This is accomplished by ensuring that all cannabis products and items are assessed using proper quality control criteria by requiring specific analytical testing and oversight of analytical testing facilities. These new rules were originally required as of June 1, 2016. This date has now been changed to October 1, 2016. One of the changes to the amended rules will require that analytical testing labs not only be licensed through the OLCC, but also be accredited through the Oregon Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ORELAP) using NELAC standards. Accreditation means that laboratories will be required to perform tests that show proficiency by the lab in the testing that they are performing. Laboratories will need to show that the method by which they perform the testing is proven and validated. Laboratories also will have personnel requirements that show technical competence. As many know, pesticides can be harmful to health as well as to the environment.

Oregon Cannabis Connection Another change in the amended rules concerns pesticide testing. Oregon HB 3460’s dispensary legislation required testing for a broad list of four classes of pesticides. These requirements specify each compound that must be tested. The new list of pesticides can be found at the Oregon Dispensary Program website (www.oregon.gov/oha/mmj/Pages/rules.as px), under the Rules section and the Exhibit A tables 3 and 4 links. There are 59 pesticides for which testing is required. The pesticide list is complex and rigorous. Two separate analytical instruments will be needed in order to accurately and legitimately test for all of the compounds. The Oregon Department of Agriculture has reference information regarding pesticide use and a guidance list regarding the use of pesticides on cannabis. The ODA’s cannabis guide list can be found at www.oregon.gov/ODA/shared/Documents /Publications/PesticidesPARC/GuidelistP esticideCannabis.pdf. However, for

Cartoon: Mariano Pogoriles for Oregon Cannabis Connection

growers and producers who want to ensure that their product will pass the new testing requirements, we recommend that they order extended pesticide testing, in addition to the current compliance testing. This will allow internal research and development to assess the need to change one’s standard operating procedures before the new testing requirements take effect. Residual solvents are another set of problematic compounds that can affect consumer safety and health. Residual solvent testing will be a new requirement Cont. on Page 10

Oregon News

Apr/May 2016 place.”

The high cost just to be in business also bothers Graham.

Oregon released its new proposed regulations on edibles for the adult use market (recreational sales) and they are the strictest in the nation for THC limits on edibles. Following Governor Kate Brown's signature on March 30th, the Oregon Health Authority Rules Advisory Committee decided to cap the THC amounts allowed in edible marijuana products. The anticipated cap is severe. The limit imposed was a mere 5 mg of THC per serving, with a total amount allowed in a package of 50 mg. The limits are half of what Colorado and Washington have in effect. The medical limits are proposed at only 100 mg per package. Those numbers are extremely low and will affect many edibles manufacturers, forcing them to lower the dosage of their product and forcing patients to purchase more and consume more to get the same result they have been getting for years. Rhea Graham, owner of Albany's Canna Kitchen and Gramsterdam Dispensary in Albany is directly affected by the rules, but believes the real issue is testing standards. “The biggest problem I see is that there is no consistency in testing,” Graham explained to Oregon Cannabis Connection (OCC). “We have had results that show our THC levels at 50 mg or 175 mg, but are testing now at 8 mg and even lower,” she explained. “How can you put a “limit” on something when there is no 'legitimate' testing standard for labs and the tests come back all over the

As an example, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) has to approve all the food packaging labels, at a cost of at least $200 per label prototype. Along with the initial separate licensing that is required just to have the privilege to make edibles for both the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and

OLCC, the fees incurred are many, many thousands of dollars. “The whole program is getting to be a pile of shit in my eyes,” said Graham. “It's now a revenue source for the state; it's not at all about sick people getting well.” Brent Kenyon, distributor of Chocowana medicated chocolate bars, also thinks the limits are too extreme. Chocowana bars have a THC level of as high as 350 or even 400 mg per chocolate bar, well over the allowable medical dose per package under the new rules. “A consumer will need three or four bars to get the same dose of cannabis now, which is a lot more expensive and a bit unfair for them,” Kenyon told OCC. “The reduction in THC will not have a substantial effect on the overall price since our bars are a custom, handmade product.” He also thought the new OHA mandated recreational limits were too low, saying in frustration, “The recreational limits are so low, a person could get diabetes before getting the desired result.”

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What has driven the strict limits? One driver is definitely the increase in calls about children to the Oregon Poison Center concerning cannabis, from 11 in 2014 to 25 in 2015. Though that is a 127% increase, one might consider that there were over 2,400 children under 6 exposed to “household cleaning substances” in 2015 which were reported to the Oregon Poison Center. Also, when you consider Oregon drug fatalities, over 160 deaths from opioid overdoses occurred in 2013 (overall, not just children – per OHA Fact Sheet available online), one might consider the OHA limits an over-reaction. Of course, no fatalities from marijuana have been reported… ever… in the world. Senate Bill 1511 allows dispensaries to sell cannabis-infused edibles such as brownies and cookies and cannabis extracts such as oils and tinctures to anyone 21 and older. However, the licensed OLCC recreational stores have yet to open, so the medical marijuana dispensaries are being allowed to sell to individuals who are 21 and over, in the meantime.

Initiative 18-105 in Klamath County is the initiative placed on the ballot by cannabis activists and supporters following a vote last year to ban marijuana facilities of any kind in the county. Supporters from the cannabis industry, including Klamath County Commissioner candidate Steve Ball and dispensary owner Ed Medina of A Better Way Medicinal and at least 25 more businesses participated in the signature collection. They collected over 1,500 signatures, of which the required 915 were certified, which was enough to put the initiative on the ballot for the coming Primary election.

Although OHA has provided no timeline yet on when rules will be drafted , to govern how edibles and extracts can be sold for recreational use, they must be promulgated. Hearings will be held to obtain more input before the rules are finalized, according to OHA. Legal retailonly stores are months away from opening. For more information and to keep up-todate, visit these websites, at a minimum. . Image: Melissa Ferroggiaro

Yes on Measure 18105 Gofundme

Klamath County first imposed a moratorium on dispensaries after the passage of HB 3460 in 2013, which allowed medical marijuana dispensaries in Oregon but immediately faced resistance from conservative counties. After the legislature made it an option for a some resistant communities to “opt out” of the recreational market as well—with a simple commission or Cont. on Page 10

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Oregon News

Oregon

Radical (Reprinted with permission from MarijuanaPolitics.com)

Merging Medical and Recreational Marijuana Makes Sense

The Oregon Legislature has completed its short session and has once again made significant changes to marijuana laws in the state. By all appearances it seems like the legislature’s goal has been to merge the medical and recreational marijuana systems in the state. I think that’s a fantastic idea that is best for both medical and recreational consumers, especially in the Portland area. The first step was when the legislature passed the so-called “early sales” bill. That law allowed the existing medical marijuana dispensaries to sell to all adults 21 and over. Sales were limited to just 7 grams of cannabis flower and four seedlings, so there would still be plenty of flower for patients. Edibles, tinctures, and concentrates were still off-limits to recreational consumers, though. This was a laudable move, motivated by Sen. Ted Ferrioli’s observation that if we were legal to possess and grow as of July 1, 2015, but had nowhere to acquire marijuana, we would simply support the black market until our recreational shops open in September 2016. What has happened instead is that some people are satisfied with 7 gram purchases, but others find that a short drive across the Columbia River into Vancouver, Washington, takes you to multiple shops that will sell you a full ounce at far lower prices than found in Portland. The shops

there will also sell you edibles, tinctures, and concentrates. This session, the legislature continued the process of merging the two systems. Laws were passed that allow the existing dispensaries to add edibles, tinctures, and concentrates to the menu for all adult shoppers. Future recreational shops will be able to sell their products to medical marijuana patients tax-free. New licenses have been created to allow for micro-canopy grows and for non-profit dispensaries to continue purchasing product from medical growers. (Some of these bills have been passed and signed by the governor, others still await her signature as of press time.) That means sometime this fall, there will be one building called a dispensary where anybody can go in and purchase marijuana products, but patients make those purchases free from tax. Then there will be another building called a pot shop where anybody can go in and purchase marijuana products, but patients make those purchases free from tax. The recreational products will come from recreational grows to be regulated by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) and the medical products will come from medical grows to be regulated by the Oregon Health Authority (OHA). These nearly identical parallel systems for producing, regulating, inspecting, and distributing marijuana add unnecessary cost to taxpayers and unnecessary paperwork for cannabis entrepreneurs and caregivers. Merging the two only makes sense.

One criticism I’ve heard about the idea of merging is that patients have much more sensitive needs for their medicine, in terms of being contaminant-free and medically effective. That sounds like “It’s OK for recreational consumers to be poisoned by lousy weed.” Just make the inspection and quality standards for marijuana products that which will suffice for patients. I guarantee that we recreational consumers will not mind getting clean, powerful weed. Another criticism is without a medical-only system, there will be a dearth of patientspecific products, like high-CBD oils, for instance. But that’s not how supply and demand works. If there is a huge demand for, say, vacuum cleaners, it wouldn’t matter if there was a dedicated vacuum cleaner shop in your town or a Wal-Mart. If people want to buy vacuum cleaners or high-CBD oils, someone will sell them, it doesn’t matter where they will be sold. A third point is that many places in Oregon are going to outright ban any sort of recreational marijuana, but might accept a medical marijuana shop. Well, the only difference between a patient and a pothead is that Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP) card. In the future, bans of recreational marijuana would simply become a requirement for an OMMP card to enter a pot shop. Another reason for merging the systems is the issue of location. Currently, there are over 250 medical marijuana dispensaries that must be 1,000 feet from schools and such. That means the medical side has already poached all the best locations in any given town. If new pot shops have to be separate and have to be 1,000 feet from the dispensaries, it pushes the recreational shops to the faraway fringes of any given town. Let there be an entity that licenses, regulates, and inspects marijuana in the state of Oregon – I’d prefer a new cannabisonly commission stocked with people who’ve actually used cannabis, rather than the current squares on the OLCC – but let there be just one entity. Let there be one universal system of grows, processors, extractors, testers, and retailers to serve both patients and potheads alike. That’s not to disregard patients’ needs. Let the OMMP remain and issue cards to patients. That card, shown at a universal pot shop, gets you a tax-free purchase and allows you to purchase in greater quantities. It allows the patient to maintain greater home-grow allowances and possession. It allows the patients and their caregivers to sell excess marijuana to the non-profit OLCC shops. It also provides that out-of-state coverage in the other medical states that have reciprocity. Why does this need to be so difficult? "Radical" Russ Belville Host of The Russ Belville Show at http://RadicalRuss.com LIVE Weekdays at 3pm Pacific on http://CannabisRadio.com

Oregon Cannabis Connection

Anthony Taylor is the President of Compassionate Oregon and has unique access and insights into Oregon's lawmaking process, much of which takes place in the Capitol building, near the corners of Church and State streets in Salem.

2016 Short Session Over

Another legislative session has come and gone and no one seems to know what exactly happened or what is next. The nascent processing industry faced a glitch along the way, and patients are still worried about losing growers, who now have to adjust to new limits and reporting requirements. Meanwhile, the agencies required to write administrative rules for implementation of new and existing legislation are scrambling to meet deadlines. They also must meet compliance criteria put forth by a legislative committee that continues its one step forward, two steps back approach to legal and medical marijuana reform. But what comes next and what might we expect for 2017 session? It is a sure bet that more legislation will be before committee. The Joint Committee on Marijuana Legalization is rumored to have held its last hearing, and any cannabis legislation will have to work its way through the building assigned to a relevant committee. It remains to be seen but I believe that marijuana bills will now become a staple of the legislative slate. Lobbyists and special interests groups are already gearing up to introduce legislation for the 2017 session. Maybe it is time ‑ and I can’t believe I am about to say this - to offer legislation that reorients OMMA in favor of the patient. It has been 10 years since a major rewrite was done and the Legislature has just spent the last two legislative sessions crafting a system focusing on the needs of the industry. Now we need to do the same for patients and begin the process that will lead to the integration of cannabis into the Oregon health care community. Many things still need to be addressed in regard to patients and should be key points for any bill drafted to redirect and redefine the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program. To name just a few: Patients must not be forced to choose between cannabis and prescribed pain medications by doctors who refuse to prescribe these medications and other treatment options for medical cannabis users. Pain management contracts must not be written to require dismissal from the clinic for patients testing positive for THC under required random urinalysis. State agencies should not be allowed to discriminate against medical cannabis patients in professional licensing such as applying for a daycare license or certification. Cont. on Page 10

Apr/May 2016

Oregon News

Page 7 True to who she is, Madeline Martinez, founder and owner of WFCC, remained open and worked diligently to push back against the city and “the forces that be” and continued to serve the community.

If you’re not dizzy yet, get ready. The state of our cannabis union seems to be mostly confusion. After hundreds of hours of free lobbying and work with Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC), I can honestly say that even I am having a hard time keeping up with the massive amount of legislative changes and internal rulemaking. If you call OHA three times in a row and ask the same question, you most likely will get three different answers—yet only one might be right. As for OLCC, I can say that they seem to be the most competent to handle all of this transition, partly because of their commitment to work with and get information from the industry, which is seemingly working well. I don't want to paint too dark a picture because, after all, this is the end of the second big prohibition, and what a mess the first one was. Fortunately, we are not dealing with gangsters with Tommy guns protecting their territory, mostly just some useless hate toward competitors when we all should be standing side by side and focusing on making sure we have a successful launch of this new economy in our beloved Oregon. As I see it, now things are slightly behind as the latest legislative changes have thrown a few wrenches into the works, but the agency has done a good job. They have sorted through this bag of crap that was handed off to them from a seemingly “anxious-to-go-on-vacation” group of legislators who rushed some poorly worded legislation through that essentially derailed many things, including the medical opt-in language! That provision allows a medical grower to come into the rec system and still continue to be able to care for their patients. However, the excess grown beyond what you give your patients cannot be sold into the rec system as originally planned, it would have to go to the dwindling medical marketplace only. I am confident that many of these provisions will be fixed in the next legislative session, but that is almost a year away and we will have changes to the scene in the meantime. I hope it will not badly affect the folks we have been working with to make this all happen, something that should remind us all to get involved locally and at the state level with our decision-makers. One good aspect is that, for now, people can apply at OLCC and whatever medical plant amount they have will just fall right into their recreational canopy limit and the change will be mostly painless. The fees at OLCC reflect the cost of tracking and staff time used for this program since the legislators refused to give OLCC a budget and forced them to be financially self-reliant. This means we have to pony up from the industry to fund our own program. This is not unlike what the OHA has done for years, but

The Clean Air Act was a great idea to protect nonsmokers from the harmful effects of tobacco and the health issues that second hand smoke causes, right? How did Cannabis get thrown into this?

Image: Keith Mansur, OCC

the difference is that they have a budget and the money. We pay them—as you all know—and it doesn't get us much in the way of customer service, and most of the money is taken for other state programs that don't necessarily benefit the patients the program is suppose to serve. The preliminary figure I was given is around $750.00 for the tracking and basic registration. Above that, it is for staffing and other costs of inspections, training and public education. Fees are from as low as $1,500 for a micro canopy to upwards around $6,000 for a tier 2 (one acre) outdoor garden or 10,000 sq. foot indoor garden. All of these fees may be reviewed on the OLCC website. And, they will actually answer the phone if you call and have questions! (That’s hard to believe since the OHA staff are mostly too “busy” to bother with our questions.) For now, the plan is to get the ball rolling for the farmers and labs licensed prior to the wholesale producers, processors, retailers, and the research folks start. As of the beginning of April, applications are in at OLCC for four labs, 563 producers, 144 retailers, 41 wholesalers, 63 processors, and one research facility at. For me, because of the seemingly “on purpose” foot dragging at OHA—whom we know couldn’t care less about the medical program—we must assume, at this point, that the small but bright light at the end of the initial tunnel is the newfound hope for our resilient industry with the OLCC. I am so proud to be part of the industry here in Oregon. Along with many in this movement, we will fight and ultimately preserve our way of life, and build the largest economic boom this state, or this country, has seen in over 100 years. As for now friends, I would say the “state of our cannabis union” is mostly good, but we have a lot of work to do to make it what we all know it can be. © 2016 Oregon Cannabis Connection. All rights reserved.

Medical News starts on Page 15

Cannabis has never killed anyone… no reported deaths. As a matter of fact, it’s just the opposite. Cannabis is now regarded as the replacement to Big Pharma, according to Dr. Sanjay Gupta and many other health care professionals. Yet, in the 13th hour, our state legislative officials slid cannabis into the Clean Air Act of Oregon. The result? On January 1, 2016, The Other Spot, a cannabis smoking lounge in Portland, closed its doors. Owner and proprietress Nickie D. ‘Dank’ Gates said, “I am a law-abiding citizen and I will not break the law.” With that, she and her faithful team dismantled the many decorations and painted over all those great bricks, returning the building, as much as possible, to its original condition. All that remain are the many, many wonderful memories! I’ll cherish the many of mine that were made there! That left two more clubs open in Portland, the World Famous Cannabis Cafe (WFCC) and the Northwest Cannabis Club.

Over the past few years, the WFCC hosted many different activities for multiple groups. Women Grow held meetings there, prior to Lobby day. You could catch a good game of BINGO every week and Yoga, too. You’d hear,“Welcome Home” each and every time you walked through the door. Sadly, it would only be a few more months and she would close her doors, too. Another terrible blow to the cannabis community. Here we are now into the month of April and the last club remaining open is the Northwest Cannabis Club (NWCC). They have a nice outside patio for smoking and a spacious lounge level seating area for indoor consumption at the dab bar. There’s entertainment, Ladies Night on Wednesdays in the lower level (basement) with its own dab bar, plenty of friendly faces and affordable prices. I encourage everyone to visit NWCC as soon as possible. It’s a great place! A real model for the future or what could be the future “social setting” of cannabis consumers. What we must not do is to lump cannabis with tobacco, but instead, allow a place for people to medicate away from home. Safely and legally. © 2016 Oregon Cannabis Connection. All rights reserved.

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Cannabis Advocates Run For Office After we covered the increased popularity of running for public office in the last issue, a whole lot of people filed to run before the March deadline in Oregon. The state's Primary election is May 17, so be ready to support the candidates who support cannabis! Federal Positions: Kevin Stein: Kevin is a city councilor from Medford, and is challenging Ron Wyden for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate from Oregon. He filed many months ago to challenge Wyden

and was a solid supporter of medical marijuana in Medford when they were trying to ban sales and cultivation, and supports legal sales and the industry as a whole. He is up against a U.S. Senate incumbent, which is a tough fight, and he needs your support during the May 17 Oregon primary election if you are a Democrat! His website is www.kevinstine.org/. Statewide Positions: Cliff Thomason: Cliff is a realtor from Grants Pass (Independent Party) running for Oregon Governor. Thomason is a coowner in Oregon Hemp Company (ORHEMPCO), is from Southern Oregon and is a supporter of medical marijuana and legalization of cannabis. He hopes to unseat current Governor Kate Brown, who is seeking reelection. His campaign website is www.makeoregongreat.com.

Oregon News Brie Malarkey: Brie is the owner of Breeze Botanicals dispensary and former dairy and pig farmer. She is running for District 55 State Representative as a Democrat. The district is huge (second largest in area) and covers from Shady Cove, northern Klamath County, up to Prineville and down to Lakeview. It’s a conservative, solidly Republican district, so she has her work cut out for her. Find out more about her campaign at www.briemalarkey.com. Stormy Ray: One of the leaders to get the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program approved in Oregon and the founder of the Stormy Ray Cardholders Foundation, Stormy is running for District 30 State Senate, the seat currently held by Sen. Ferrioli (Republican) of John Day. It is a huge district covering part of 12 counties from The Dalles down to Madras and across to Baker City and Ontario, and also all of Harney and Malheur Counties. This is also a conservative region in most areas, but not too much in the far west. Visit her Facebook page for more info at: www.facebook.com/StormRay4StateSena te30/. Tyler Gabriel: Tyler is a Cannabis Consultant for DiamondTREE in Madras and a Medical Cannabis Grower. He is running for District 55 State Representative. The district is in Central Oregon and reaches from The Dalles over through Jefferson County and a northern portion of Deschutes County. “The state of Oregon seems to think that they can eliminate the medical marijuana program and eliminate medicine from their patients and have it all taxed as if they're recreational users,” Gabriel told the

Oregon Cannabis Connection

NWNewsService.org. Find out more at his Facebook page at https://m.facebook.com/TylerGabrielA REALVOICEforthePeopleofOregon 1698201550420947/ Local Positions: Shayne Christen: Shayne is a member of the Oregon Sungrown Growers Guild, a longtime OMMP medical marijuana grower and patient, and is running for Josephine County Commissioner for the countywide position being vacated by the controversial Cherryl Walker. Josephine County is Jackson County’s little brother, and will do many things similarly to their larger Eastern county. Hopefully Shayne can make them see the truth. Find out more at his Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Committeetoelect ShayneChristenJosephineCounty Commissioner 1044114828994373/?fref=nf. Jenifer Valley: Jenifer is a longtime Oregon medical cannabis patient and advocate and also the cofounder of Stoney Girl Gardens, Sunny Girl Gardens soils company, and Portlandsterdam University. She will be running for Clackamas County Commissioner position 3 as a Democrat, a countywide position. Clackamas County sits just south of Portland, and is not particularly conservative, but they did pass onerous regulations against cannabis businesses in the past few years and could use a change on their commission. Find out more at www.JeniferValley.com, www.facebook.com/voteJV . Kris McAlister: Kris is with Willamette NORML and a marijuana activist for the past few years in the Eugene/Springfield area. An outspoken opponent to curtailment of the OMMP, Kris is running for city council in Springfield. He hopes to bring a fresh procannabis perspective to their stodgy council. Find out more on Kris at https://www.facebook.com/RootedInSprin gfield/. Steve Ball: Steve is running for Klamath County Commissioner, a countywide position. He owns a hydroponics store in Klamath Falls and has long supported cannabis legalization and medical cannabis in Oregon. Klamath County has a ban on all dispensaries, so getting a new cannabis friendly commissioner there would be a huge victory. Visit his FB page at www.facebook.com/SteveBall4Commissio ner/?fref=ts. Way to go, and we apologize if we missed anyone. If we did, let us know at occnewspaper420@gmail.com. Good luck in the election!

The Advisory Committee on Medical Marijuana met in Salem on March 30, 2016. André Ourso, Section Manager of the OMMP, reported on changes to the program driven by HB 3400 and other legislation passed during the legislative short session. He noted the 90% of medical dispensaries have indicated that they will transition to the recreational system.

• There will be a stay on grower limits until May 1 • Patients will receive notice regarding growers transitioning to the recreational system • There will be a 60-day waiver of the change fee for a new grower/removing a grower during this transition. • Patients and growers need to get together and discuss their rights and this change. This will also require proof of written attestation from grower to patients. • Patients will receive a receipt when they apply for a card, which they can use to purchase medicine at a dispensary • The presumption of six plants per patient has been eliminated. Growers are bound by the limits on plants but can serve as many patients as desired, within these limits. • A Clinic/Dr. workgroup will be formed to come up with guidelines for recommending medical cannabis. Their report is due January 201 7. • Patients will soon be able to go to a processor to have their cannabis processed into another form. They will pay for the processing. • One person may be designated to report at a grow site with multiple growers • Rules will have to be written for new nonprofit dispensaries that will provide free or discounted medical cannabis for patients at or below the poverty level. • An access method must be developed and rules written for areas counties that prohibit growing of medical cannabis, to ensure that all patients in the state can obtain medicine • The OHA Chronic Disease and Health Division will do a pilot project in conjunction with the Departments of Education and Alcohol and Substance Abuse. • There are currently 77,1 55 registered cardholders. • Beginning in June 1 , 201 6, individuals who are not growing for themselves at their own homes will be required to register their grow sites and, on June 1 0, 201 6, to start reporting to the state. In the afternoon, after a review of the prior minutes, the committee re-elected Cheryl K. Smith chair of the ACMM and Sarah Bennett was elected vice-chair. The Education and Outreach Committee, chaired by Aligra Rainy, will begin work on training for budtenders. Anthony Taylor provided a short legislative update. The committee developed goals for 2016, with recommendations for fees at the top of the list. The ACMM is looking for new members. The deadline for submissions is at the end of April.Find the form you need to submit online at: https://public.health.oregon.gov/Diseases Conditions/ChronicDisease/ MedicalMarijuanaProgram/Pages/acmm .aspx

Oregon News

Apr/May 2016

Oregon News Nugs Bend Cops Call Out Bomb Squad To Dismantle BHO Lab By OCC Staff The enforcement on extract labs is fully underway in Bend. A traffic stop led to an ongoing investigation, which ended in the raid on two locations April 1, 2016, one containing a extraction lab with a fully contained extraction system and vacuum ovens and more. No explosions, no one injured.

From www.KTVZ.com: “A January traffic stop of a distracted Bend driver turned up 63 pounds of processed marijuana, sparking an investigation that led to two raids this week. One was at a home north of Bend that housed a marijuana grow and a lab to make a potent form of hashish oil, called “butane honey oil,” authorities said Friday.” Of course the drug enforcement unit, called Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team (or CODE) led the enforcement efforts, along with Oregon State Police (OSP). They have years of experience in raiding marijuana operations, but they eventually called the OSP Explosives Unit (or the “bomb squad”) to render one of the “vessels” safe. Two men were contacted at one of the sites, both from Bend, and were cited to appear in court on marijuana manufacture, delivery and possession charges, Lt. Bill Fugate said.

of Senate Bill 1598, the Jackson County Board of Commissioners has interpreted the bill in a manner that has essentially banned all cannabis grown on rural residential property.”

"The state’s decision to allow limited adult use sales through existing dispensaries in advance of recreational sales, which are scheduled to begin in the fall of 2016 have helped boost revenues for the 85% of dispensaries that opted into the program and provided an early indication of the demand expected when the full adult use market activates.” said Troy Dayton, CEO of The ArcView Group.

“Kelly Madding and the JC BOC believe the intent of SB 1598 is to deem cannabis as a “farm use” crop,” explained Diesel. “Jackson County's stance is that “farm use” crops are not permitted to be grown on Rural Residential (Zoned RR) properties, in essence, shutting down nearly 6,000 growers.”

“Oregon is on the frontier of the cannabis legalization movement. It was the first to decriminalize small amounts of cannabis, one of the first to legalize medical marijuana, and it was third to allow adult use sales. It will be quite interesting to see how they do in 2016, their first full year of recreational sales,” said Giadha DeCarcer, Founder and CEO of New Frontier.

RTG USA has retained legal counsel and on April 6, 2016, and filed an appeal against Jackson County. They said they intend to file a lawsuit taking this to Circuit Court.

A number of factors make Oregon’s adult use market attractive to business:

“To say that we at Right To Grow, USA are disappointed by this decision is a gross understatement,” explained Diesel. “We believe Jackson County needs to be held accountable for creating a severe public health crisis by taking away patients’ safe access to medicine.”

- No restrictions on the number of producer, processor or retailer licenses

Should you wish to support their lawsuit, please contact RTG at www.righttogrowusa.com. Their mission is: to effect positive change and facilitate the drafting of lawful and responsible legislation for medical cannabis that preserves and protects the rights of patients, physicians & providers. © 2016 Oregon Cannabis Connection. All Rights Reserved.

Oregon Marijuana Market Hits $265 Million In 2015 From The Weed Blog ArcView Market Research, the leading publisher of cannabis market research and information in partnership with New Frontier, the cannabis Big Data and analytics authority, has released the 4th Image: Weedjournal.org

Right To Grow Files Appeal Against Jackson County With the passage of House Bill 4014, Senate Bill 1511 and Senate Bill 1598, significant changes were made to the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act. These rules were intended to patch up part of the problems that existed at the end of the last legislative session, but Jackson County took the wording of one provision in SB 1598 to try to prevent most cannabis growing in Jackson County. Sandy Diesel of Right To Grow USA (RTG USA) told OCC, “With the passage

edition of the State of Legal Marijuana Markets, which shows that the legal cannabis industry is one of the fastest growing industries in America, with a compound annual growth rate of 31%. The official 2015 ArcView market estimate is $5.7 billion, up from $4.6 billion in 2014. Oregon adult use sales began in October of 2015, and combined with medical sales, the legal market brought in $264.8 million. By the end of 2016, the total legal market is projected to be $481.7 million.

- Low license application fees

- The lowest retail cannabis tax rates in the country - The 6th highest rate of adult cannabis use in the country - 16 years of medical cannabis experience in the state before adult use was legalized If you would like more information on the state of Oregon’s market or any of the other states where marijuana is legal, you can download the State of Legal Marijuana Markets Report at www.ArcViewMarketResearch.com and https://frontierfinancials.com/SOLMM where it can be ordered for $497. © 2016 The Weed Blog. Reprinted By Permission. All rights reserved.

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Gov. Kate Brown Lifts Marijuana Business Residency Requirements By Keith Mansur OCC Oregon's Governor signed a law lifting the residency requirement from licensing marijuana businesses, a move applauded by attorneys, legislators, big money and their consultants across the state. The people standing to gain the most from the move are surely cheering, while the small Mom and Pop operators are quickly shut out of the system and damning the move. From www.marijuana.com: “Oregon has officially eased the barriers for entry for businesses looking to get involved in the world of legal weed. Prior to yesterday, Oregon required all applicant-holders to have lived in the state of Oregon for at least two years. After a long journey, Gov. Kate Brown signed to officially remove the two-year residency requirement for applicants. Now, anyone can apply for an Oregon recreational marijuana license. This opens many doors for out-of-state producers, processors and retailers who previously had overlooked Oregon. The Beaver state is now viewed as a prosperous opportunity to interested investors.” —Allie Becket, March 7, 2016.

Now the Wild West is opened up fully in Oregon, and investors from New York, California, Texas, and even Asia are now looking at Oregon for a quick buck. Maybe a small “micro” environment we had hoped to culture here can still flourish, but with few playgrounds available, and Oregon opening it up to everyone, we will surely be swamped. We can hope for the best. HOLD ON TIGHT! © 2016 Oregon Cannabis Connection. All Rights Reserved.

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a laboratory will be required to analyze. Residual solvent testing will be required for products that are processed using any of the compounds found on the residual solvent testing table referred to above. Sampling methods will be another change for many in the industry. As of October 1, 2016, the sampling of cannabis items and products may only be performed by a laboratory that is accredited by ORELAP to perform sampling. This will require more planning on the part of those ordering testing services and an understanding of exactly what they want tested and what types of testing will be performed. Once the order has been placed for sampling, it will guide the sampler on how and what types of instruments they will need to properly perform the sampling.

Image Green Leaf Lab

Water activity is another new testing requirement. Water activity is a test that assesses the likelihood of microbiological growth on usable cannabis. If water activity is measured and falls at 0.65 A or below it will be considered passing. If it falls above that threshold it will fail the test. Batch sizes also will be required for all cannabis products. Batch size for usable marijuana will be 10 lbs. Batch size for concentrates, extracts and marijuana products will be a process lot. Process lot is any amount of a cannabinoid concentrate or extract of the same type that is processed using the same extraction methods, standard operating procedures (SOP) and batches from the

Oregon News same or a different harvest lot; or any amount of a cannabinoid product of the same type that is processed using the same ingredients, SOP and batches from the same, or a different harvest lot or process lot of cannabinoid concentrate or extract. To ensure that testing is financially viable, we recommend that producers and growers grow enough plants of the same strain to ensure that they can test a whole batch. This will spread the cost of testing over multiple pounds of the same product. The rules spell out remedies for products that fail testing for residual solvents, potency limits, water activity, microbiological analyses and pesticides. However, remedying the product requires remediation as well as testing validation. Failed pesticide analysis has no remedy; the product will have to be destroyed.

council vote, Klamath County quickly moved to ban all licensed marijuana businesses, simultaneously thumbing their nose at the inevitable windfall of tax money from the state cannabis trades that would set up businesses in the region.

Oregon Cannabis Connection

Businesses should not be able to arbitrarily test for THC in employee drug screens. Revenue generated by OMMP fee should be allocated in ways that make the Program better for patients and by directing funds for research.

The referendum initiative, filed by Melissa Ferroggiaro of Laughing Lotus Farms, would reverse the commissioners’ ordinance and allow marijuana businesses to operate in Klamath County, which in turn allows Klamath County to share in a portion of the annual statewide tax revenue estimated to be 40 or 50 million dollars, based on the $3.5 million raised in January alone.

While many rules are still being fleshed out and some will be changed before they become permanent, we hope to share what we do know and help you prepare for a successful transition to the new testing requirements. Remember that rules may change before October 1, 2016.

These issues are important and go handin-hand with establishing and requiring ongoing education curriculum for health care professionals as a condition of license renewal, offering lifetime cards for certain conditions and re-establishing the doctor-patient relationship that will allow physicians to recommend cannabis for a patient regardless of its position on a list of approved “conditions.”

The last take-away to remember is that any product that has been transferred to a dispensary before October 1, 2016, may still be sold if it was tested under the old rules, but it must have the proper disclaimer on it. Any product that is transferred to a dispensary after October 1, 2016, must comply with all the new testing requirements. However, a dispensary is not prevented from accepting test results under the new standards before October 1, 2016.

The march toward the 2017 legislative session has begun, rules will be promulgated based on new legislation passed by the 2016 Legislature, and patients and industry will still need to remain vigilant over the next few months as the OLCC and OHA continue to lay and modify the foundation upon which industry and the medical community will conduct their businesses and provide for patients from this point forward.

Laughing Lotus had been about to open a dispensary in the county, which was derailed by the commissioners’ decision. Feeling deceived and mistreated by Klamath County, the owners decided to fight back. “We had our provisional license from the state and were about a week from getting our real license when the news came out that the commissioners were going to ban,” Ferroggiaro told OCC. “We had contacted the county multiple times asking for approval and were told our location was fine.” The group Klamath For Cannabis, also headed by Melissa Ferroggiaro, is sponsoring the initiative and organizing the Yes on 18-105 campaign. You can help them with funding by visiting www.gofundme.com/klamathforcannabis. You can learn more by visiting their website at www.voteklamath.org. They are having an education event on April 24, 2016, at the Shilo Inn Ballroom, 2500 Almond St, Klamath Falls OR at 6:00 pm. Get more info at https://www.facebook.com/events/927580 860688457/ © 2016 Oregon Cannabis Connection. All rights reserved.

Apr/May 2016

YOUR CHANCE TO REMOVE INDUSTRIAL HEMP FROM THE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ACT!

The true potential and benefits of industrial hemp will not be realized until industrial hemp is federally legal. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides all U.S. Citizens with the right to petition the federal government for a redress of grievances. The fact that industrial hemp is classified as "marihuana" a Schedule I Controlled Substance (like heroin), is a grievance that must be redressed. Congress has further provided for Citizens to petition the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for a review of the Drug Schedule classifications. The Relegalizing Industrial Hemp Project (tinyurl.com/RelegalzingH emp) is filing a formal administrative rulemaking petition to the DEA to remove industrial hemp from the definition of "marihuana" under the Controlled Substances Act. A fully-funded petition will successfully result in U.S. farmers having the right to freely cultivate industrial hemp, subject to state law. Industrial hemp is not marijuana. Scientists, medical researchers and even law enforcement researchers agree. While both are members of the genus Cannabis, genetically the two are distinguishable. Scientifically, intoxication in Cannabis is determined by the ratio of THC to CBD (THC:CBD) within the plant, because CBD acts as an antidote to THC. Industrial hemp is Cannabis with more CBD than THC, a THC:CBD<1, and is nonintoxicating. On the other hand, marijuana is intoxicating Cannabis with more THC than CBD, a THC:CBD>1.

National News Even Congress has defined industrial hemp as distinct from marijuana in the Agricultural Act of 2014. However, Congress' definition is based on the arbitrary 0.3%THC concentration limit. This petition will request revising the definition of marihuana based on science and the THC:CBD ratio. To ensure the petition is a success, we will request in the alternative, revision of the definition of marihuana to exclude Cannabis with a THC concentration of not more than 0.3%, the same definition Congress has provided in the Farm Bill. Courts have the authority to overturn agency action that is arbitrary and capricious, not in accordance with law, and unsupported by substantial evidence. Industrial hemp is not “marihuana”, therefore it is arbitrary and capricious for DEA to continue to conflate industrial hemp with marijuana. I sat next to a DEA agent on a recent flight, and we discussed this project. He agreed with our work and supports industrial hemp. Times are changing!

Page 11 psychotropic cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) under federal law. "NIDA and FDA have been working to complete an extensive literature review of human and animal studies that have evaluated CBD," the agency wrote. "However, the FDA has indicated that a human abuse liability study may be necessary to make a final assessment on [its] abuse potential."

The US Drug Enforcement Administration is prepared to respond in the coming months to an administrative petition calling for the reclassification of marijuana as a schedule I prohibited substance. Replying to a July 2015 inquiry by US Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and seven other senators, representatives from the DEA acknowledged that they intend to respond to a five-year-old rescheduling petition, filed by then Governors Christine Gregoire of Washington and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, by this July. The petition, filed in 2011, calls on the agency to initiate proceedings to reclassify cannabis from schedule I of the US Controlled Substances Act to schedule II.

Science is on our side, facts are on our side, history is on our side, and most importantly the law is on our side. That is why we will win! To date, 27 U.S. states have legalized industrial hemp cultivation, and have defined industrial hemp as distinct from marijuana. It's time U.S. farmers have the right to commercially cultivate industrial hemp and share in that market. This is your opportunity to make a positive impact on public policy, on our environment, on public health, and our economy for ours and future generations! By providing a donation to the Relegalizing Industrial Hemp Project, you have the option of including your name on the rulemaking petition! Donations can be made at tinyurl.com/RelegalizingHemp. Together we will re-legalize industrial hemp! Courtney N. Moran, LL.M. EARTH Law, LLC Environmental Advocate Representing True Hemp, Cannabis Counselor and Attorney at Law. Admitted to Practice in Oregon, Wisconsin and Minnesota

Image Keith Mansur, OCC

The DEA last decided on a similar rescheduling petition in 2011. The agency rejected that petition, alleging, "At this time, the known risks of marijuana use have not been shown to be outweighed by specific benefits in well-controlled clinical trials that scientifically evaluate safety and efficacy." In recent years, NORML has advocated in favor of removing cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, as is already the case with alcohol and tobacco, rather than moving the plant to another schedule. According to the DEA's letter, a number of federal agencies are also separately considering whether to reclassify the non-

Sixteen states now explicitly permit by statute the possession of CBD by qualified patients. For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org. © 2016 norml. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved

National News Nugs Next Page

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National News

Oregon Cannabis Connection

Empowering the World Health Organization (WHO) to review the scheduling system of drugs on the basis of scientific evidence; Ensuring a broad spectrum of treatments for dependent people and services designed to reduce the harms of drugs; and

A bold public statement was released Friday, March 11th by the Global Commission on Drug Policy stating that “an historic opportunity to achieve more humane and effective drug policy is at risk.” The Commission is referring to the 2016 United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on drugs - a meeting of all UN member states to evaluate the current state of international drug control. The UNGASS is taking place in New York from April 19-21 and is the first such meeting in 18 years. "We are driven by a sense of urgency,” said Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Former President of Brazil and Chair of the Global Commission. “There is widespread acknowledgment that the current system is not working, but also recognition that change is both necessary and achievable. We are convinced that the 2016 UNGASS is an historic opportunity to discuss the shortcomings of the drug control regime and identify workable alternatives." The Global Commission today called the proposed outcome document for UNGASS (currently being negotiated in Vienna) “long on rhetoric, but short on substance” with “no hard solutions.” The Commission also urges governments to put “people’s health, safety and human rights first.” According to the statement, this includes: Ending the criminalization and incarceration of drug users; Abolishing capital punishment for drugrelated offences;

Allowing governments to apply different approaches to drug regulation in order to maximize public health and disempower organized crime.

The Commission believes that global drug prohibition has not only failed to achieve its originally stated objectives of eradicating drug production and consumption, it has also generated alarming social and health problems. The UN itself has identified some of the impacts of hardline approaches to drug prohibition including: the creation of an illegal, criminal market worth at least $US 320 billion per year; dangerous “balloon effects” during which production or traffic is interrupted, only to be increased in a different territory or route; and a lack of access to controlled medicines for 75 percent of the world´s population. Owing to the dearth of new thinking at the last UN Special Session on drugs in 1998, many countries have taken matters into their own hands. For example, Switzerland supports maintenance and heroin assisted therapy in order to reduce harms to users. Portugal decriminalized the use of all drugs in 2001, with significant crime prevention and public health benefits, including decreasing rates of HIV. Cannabis clubs have sprung up around parts of Spain, and Uruguay has regulated their cannabis market from production, to distribution to sale, with human rights at the center of the strategy. The U.S. is leading the world in regulating marijuana and paving the way for other countries to follow. Already 23 states plus Washington, D.C. have legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes; and four states plus Washington, D.C. have legalized

March 11, 2016 - In central Michigan at least a dozen medical marijuana distribution centers and many homes have been raided by various police agencies over the last 48 hours.

marijuana for recreational purposes. In addition, there is now unprecedented debate among elected officials, including President Obama, about how to transform drug policies to reduce mass incarcerations in the U.S. The Global Commission hopes that UNGASS 2016 will recognize the international momentum toward adopting drug policies based on science, compassion, public health, and human rights. “The only way to put governments back in control, disempower organized crime, reduce violence and corruption is to regulate drugs according to the harm they cause,” says today’s public statement. “There is still time to get the UNGASS process back on track.” About the Global Commission on Drug Policy: Founded in 2011, the Global Commission on Drug Policy is composed of 25 political leaders and intellectuals from around the world including: former Secretary General of the UN Kofi Annan; former Secretary of State George Shultz; entrepreneur Richard Branson; former Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve Paul Volcker; and the former Presidents of: Brazil, Mexico Colombia, Chile, Portugal, Switzerland, Nigeria, Greece and Poland; as well as leaders from the UK, Pakistan, India, Spain, Canada, Norway, Peru and the Czech Republic. © 2016 Drug Policy Alliance. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

It began on Wednesday, March 9th with police cars descending on a pair of centers where sick people certified by a physician and registered with the state obtain their medical marijuana. These centers, often called dispensaries, were located in Mio and Lewiston. On Thursday the raids continued. Nine dispensaries in Gaylord and one in Vanderbilt were raided by police, resulting in two arrests for charges related to illegal distribution and possession of marijuana and THC products. The raided businesses are accused of having illegal forms of THC products, alleged independently by officers involved in both Wednesday and Thursday’s actions. On Wednesday, STING raid teams, MSP troopers and Oscoda County Sheriff deputies seized “marijuana; growing equipment; other paraphernalia that is conducive for making edibles, which is illegal; THC wax; THC butter,” said Det. Sgt. Priest of STING. Raid teams from SANE on Thursday confiscated more than 150 jars of marijuana, THC edibles, drinks, waxes, extracts and oils, automobiles, 143 marijuana plants, prescription opiates and over $17,000 cash.Participating in the raids were Michigan State Police troopers, Straits Area Narcotics Enforcement officials, deputies from the Otsego County Sheriff’s Department. The communities involved are left shocked and surprised - not by the presence of medical marijuana, but by the actions of the police agents involved. Cont. on Page 14

Apr/May 2016

National News

National News Nugs

legalize the medical use of cannabis extracts for the treatment of epilepsy.

White House Marijuana Smoke-out a Success!

Senate Bill 1235 and House Bill 1445 both include emergency clauses, meaning they’ll take effect immediately.

OCC Staff In a move that was a little late in its planning and divisive within the cannabis law reform movement itself, a group of legalization protesters held a smokeout in Lafayette Square Park across the street from the White House in Washington D.C. Anthony Johnson of Marijuanapolitics.com reported: “The smokeout was supposed to start at 4:20pm Eastern Time, but according to Twitter, protesters may have gotten about a four minute jump on the smokeout. I got word from activist Adam Eidinger, who led the successful effort to legalize cannabis in Washington, D.C., and was the primary organizer of the protest, that there were two $25 tickets levied at the protest. Eidinger feels that the event was a success and that 'a message was sent to the President.'” Many leaders in the cannabis law reform movement felt that the move was not representative of what a protest ought to do, which is to commit acts of protest that they believe ought to be legal, not just thumb their nose out of frustration. Their point is, does anyone, including most of the protesters, really think smoking marijuana publicly in a public park is a good idea? If not, why do it? They have a very good point, I guess. Problem is, Obama has not done enough to loosen the reins federally, so a thumb to the nose was probably due. He will be gone in a few months, and the opportunity will be lost forever.

Virginia Governor Signs Medical Cannabis Bills Into Law The Joint Blog Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe has signed into law two measures that

The new law allows those with seizure disorders who receive a recommendation from a physician to possess and use cannabis extracts that contain at least 15% CBD (cannabidiol), and no more than 5% THC (delta9 tetrahydrocannabinol) or THCA (tetrahydrocannabinol acid). Both measures make it clear that practitioners shall not face prosecution if they distribute cannabis extracts to qualified patients. © 2016 The Joint Blog. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Maine Court Rules In Favor Of Marijuana Initiative Supporters From The Weed Blog A Kennebec County Superior Court judge ruled on Friday that state officials may have improperly invalidated thousands of signatures of registered Maine voters and unlawfully denied citizens their constitutional right to vote on a proposed ballot initiative to regulate marijuana like alcohol. Justice Michaela Murphy found that state officials invalidated more than 5,000 petitions —which included more than 17,000 signatures from Maine voters that were validated by town clerks — without actually reviewing every petition in question. The Secretary of State’s Office must now review all of the disputed petitions and place the initiative on the November ballot if it determines enough valid signatures were collected. On March 2, Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap informed the campaign that its proposed initiative did not qualify for the November ballot. 61,123 signatures of registered Maine voters were required, and state officials determined that

initiative backers submitted 51,543 valid signatures. In a document explaining his determination, the secretary of state said his office invalidated more than 5,000 petitions, which included more than 26,000 total petition signatures, solely due to its finding that the signature of a single notary did not “match” the signature the state has on file. On March 10, supporters of the initiative filed a lawsuit challenging the decision. Statement from David Boyer, campaign manager for the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol: “We are extremely pleased with the court’s decision to send our initiative back to the secretary of state for re review. As was the case when we submitted our signatures to the secretary of state originally, we know that a sufficient number of registered voters signed the petition to qualify for the ballot. So this rereview should now be a mere formality. Once the Secretary of State’s Office has completed its work, we look forward to launching the formal part of our campaign and educating Maine voters about the benefits of regulating marijuana like alcohol.”

Page 13 we don’t need Amendment 2. They probably think this law gets them off the hook and/or will distract the public into thinking the job’s done. They’re wrong. While they’ve acknowledged that marijuana is medicine, the new law does nothing for people who are fighting to stay alive, who need marijuana to help inspire hunger and alleviate pain, or alleviate life threatening (but not necessarily fatal) seizures. The new law denies medical marijuana to soldiers with PTSD and to those with MS. Amendment 2 gives access to those who are seriously debilitated, whether or not they are dying within an arbitrary period of time. We MUST pass Amendment 2 for those patients and more. Please support our efforts and our drive for 1000 new donations between now and April 30. We only have 755 to go! Visit www.unitedforcare.org here to support our 1000 donor drive with a contribution of any size. Thank you for everything you’re doing to support medical marijuana in Florida.

The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol is supporting a 2016 statewide ballot initiative to end marijuana prohibition in Maine and replace it with a system in which marijuana is regulated and taxed similarly to alcohol. For more information, visit http://www.RegulateMaine.org.

On March 23, 2016, the Mayor of New Orleans, Mitch Landrieu, signed into law a sensible new ordinance to decriminalize marijuana possession in the city. On March 17, the city council unanimously passed the ordinance. It will become effective on June 21, 2016.

New JAMA Study Disputes Dramatic Increase in Marijuana Use From 247WallSt.com A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Psychiatry disputes another study, published last October in the same journal, that adult use of marijuana in the United States has doubled. The new research found that marijuana use increased by about 20% between 2002 and 2013, rising from 10.5% to 12.5%. The October study reported that marijuana use among adults rose from 4.1% of the population in 20012002 to 9.5% in 20122013 The new study suggests that the totals in the earlier study are inaccurate due to an underestimate of the number of American adults using marijuana in 2002. The October report was based on data gathered in two facetoface interviews 10 years apart. The new study’s coauthor, Richard A. Grucza, said, “Data from facetoface surveys previously have been demonstrated to be more sensitive to social attitudes than data collected anonymously...people may say one thing to an interviewer but something else on an anonymous computer survey, particularly when the questions deal with an illegal substance.” Instead of using facetoface interviews, Grucza and his coauthors used data culled from a computerized questionnaire, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health for the years 2002 to 2013. In a comment published in Medical News Today, Grucza said: “We’re certainly seeing some increases in marijuana use. But our survey didn’t notice any increase in marijuana-related problems. Certainly, some people are having problems so we should remain vigilant, but the sky is not falling.”

Florida Governor Scott’s Marijuana Mistake In a letter to The Weed Blog; On March 26th, Governor Scott signed a bill making medical marijuana legal for people who can prove they’re dying within 12 months. The law is a total mistake, and here’s why: By passing this illogical, limited bill which does nothing for the vast majority of patients (whether they are dying or not), Scott and his cronies in the legislature will try to say they’ve already passed medical marijuana and therefore

Louisiana: New Orleans City Council Passes Decrim Ordinance & LA Legislature Introduces Bill From MPP

Ordinance 31,148 will allow law enforcement to issue a ticket — rather than arresting — for marijuana possession and reduces penalties from possible jail time to a civil fine of $40 to $100 if the officer cites under local law instead of arresting under state law. And, on April 5, 2016, Rep. Ted James (D–Baton Rouge) introduced HB 1112 — the Louisiana Therapeutic Use of Cannabis Act — which would establish a comprehensive program for the use of medical marijuana in Louisiana. While the legislature passed a bill seeking to institute a similar program last year, problems with that law — and prior ones dating to 1978 — have made the system unworkable. For example the current program requires a doctor’s prescription for a patient to legally possess and consume medical marijuana under state law. But under the federal Controlled Substances Act, doctors cannot prescribe marijuana. They can, however, recommend it. HB 1112 removes this flaw and offers seriously ill patients in Louisiana, and their families, treatment options that may offer relief. Under the bill, patients could obtain up to 2.5 ounces of therapeutic cannabis from regulated establishments in a 14day period. © 2016 MPP. Reprinted press release.

Costa Rica Legislature to Pass Medical Cannabis Legalization Bill by May 1st, Says Lawmaker By The Joint Blog A bill to legalize medical cannabis has enough votes to be passed into law in Costa Rica, according to Representative Marvin Delgado Attencio, the lawmaker who initially introduced the bill in 2014. According to Attencio, the bill will be voted on in time to pass plenary by May 1st. If the bill is passed into law, it will legalize the possession, use and retail distribution of medical cannabis including cannabis medicines such as oils, tinctures, sprays and edibles. Cannabis cultivation centers, licensed by the state, would supply dispensaries, who would then supply patients. The proposal would also create a research institute – established as part of the Ministry of Health – which would conduct studies as well as handle licensing. The law would take full effect midtolate next year. © 2016 The Joint Blog. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

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National News

Oregon Cannabis Connection

operation for years, and had been wellintegrated into the daily life of rural Michiganders. During the first series of raids on dispensaries in Gaylord the community reacted negatively to the police actions. The citizens protested, then they drafted a petition, they obtained the necessary signatures and successfully submitted their proposal. The Council adopted the proposal as an ordinance, one that specifically defines dispensaries and protects them from local police action. Note the police agencies listed as participating in the raids were all county or state level agencies; no local cops were used. These communities support the existence of dispensaries. Police that take their orders from local officials create a society that the citizens are comfortable with; police that take their orders from county seats or state capitals create societies that distrust government, distrust the police and detach from participation. © 2016 www.thecannabischronicles.com. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Shona Banda is a longtime cannabis activist in Kansas that suffers from Crohn’s disease. Cannabis has been proven to be very effective at treating Crohn’s disease, and as such, Ms. Banda consumed cannabis oil as part of her treatment regimen, and did so responsibly. Unfortunately cannabis is illegal in Kansas, even for medical purposes. Kansas’ harsh marijuana laws have torn Shona’s life apart. It all started on a normal day at a school that Shona’s son attended (he is 11). During a presentation Shona’s son spoke up in support of medical cannabis. That then lead to school officials contacting law enforcement and essentially interrogating the poor boy, all without Shona Banda or the boy’s father being contacted first. That unauthorized contact with the son then lead to the raid of Shona’s home. The cops took all of her medicine and all of the equipment that was used to make cannabis oil. The authorities also took Shona’s son. I can’t imagine what level of sadness Shona (and her son) have had to endure. From what I’ve read, Shona’s son is no longer in state custody, and is living with his father. On the one year anniversary of when this all started, which was Thursday, Shona Banda filed a lawsuit against the State of Kansas and other authorities that participated in the removal of her child. Per Kansas.Com: " The Garden City mother who has become a face of the medicinal marijuana legalization movement in Kansas is suing the state and some of the agencies involved in questioning and removing her 11-year-old son from her home last spring after he spoke up about her cannabis use at school. " Shona Banda claims in the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, that the

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (RAlaska) is calling on the federal government to allow those who possess and use cannabis legally under their state’s law to possess firearms without the fear of federal persecution. Image; The Weed Blog

state and the agencies are depriving her of her civil rights to treat a debilitating condition she suffers from and to parent her child. She also claims employees at her son’s school and the Garden City Police Department violated her constitutional rights when they questioned her son without parental permission and searched her property without a warrant. " The 20-page suit names the state, Gov. Sam Brownback; Kansas Department for Children and Families Secretary Phyllis Gilmore; the Garden City Police Department and its chief, James R. Hawkins; and Garden City Unified School District 457 and one of its former counselors, Tyler Stubenhoffer, as defendants." There is a GoFundMe page setup for Shona. You can donate to it at this link (http://www.kansas.com/news/local/crim e/article68269262.html). The State of Kansas is ripping families apart and ruining lives in the process. Kansas is the same state that took Raymond Schwab’s kids too. No one should ever have their children taken from them because they are treating their condition in a responsible way. I’m a parent, and I couldn’t imagine having my son taken from me. My heart hurts very much for these parents, and for their children. © 2016 The Weed Blog. All rights reserved.Reprinted by permission.

Murkowski actually opposed the initiative that legalized cannabis in Alaska, but now that her constituents have spoken, she’s doing what a lawmaker should do and is representing their interests. Murkowski feels that if someone is consuming cannabis legally, whether it in Alaska or another legal state like Colorado, they shouldn’t have additional restrictions placed on their gun rights. According to a letter Murkowski sent to the Department of Justice last month, she believes that denying Americans their personal Second Amendment right to possess firearms “for mere use of marijuana pursuant to state law” is “arbitrarily overbroad and should be narrowed”. Murkowski is calling on the Department of Justice to review the law that disallows legal cannabis consumers from possessing firearms, stating; “In my judgement the disqualification of an entire class of marijuana users acting consistent with state law from possessing any firearm merits a view of federal legal policy… Without such a review I fear that otherwise law abiding citizens will choose to answer the marijuana use question on Form 4473 either they believe their use is fully lawful or because they believe marijuana use consistent with state law should not subject them to a firearms disability. In either case they would be potentially exposed to criminal liability for false statements.” © 2016 The Joint Blog. All rights reserved.Reprinted by permission.

Apr/May 2016

Medical News

Page 15

or fear and option B would be an exploratory or adventurous state flush with feeling open or relaxed. The road we take most often will become our reality. Fear vs trust, worry vs wonder, or anxiety vs willingness to explore and embrace new things. OK, let’s start this way. Synapses that fire together wire together. What? Stay with me. A synapse (more specifically a synaptic cleft) is empty space (a gateway) between nerve cells. This is true for the entire brain and for all those super highways of connections called our nervous system(s). When we touch a toe to the cool surface of a pond the sensation is transmitted from one nerve cell to another in form of electrical signals that travel up the nerves until they reach a synapse. The signal (the charge) must now cross the gateway, the synaptic cleft, and it does so by releasing chemicals (neurotransmitters) into the space between nerve cells. It is upon these that the electrical charge rides across the portal and continues its journey to the brain where the signal is received, processed, and where we get to choose how we will respond. Pull back? Jump in? We decide. Now, the same is true for thought, feeling, or memory transmissions. When we generate a thought, recall a memory, or sense a feeling, it too is transmitted throughout the body. With each transmission we have options. Do we love this thought, this feeling, or that memory? Do we hate it? Does it scare us? Does it produce stress? Or does it make us feel relaxed? At this point the reader might ask why is this all relevant to cannabis being a gateway drug? Stick with me, just a little longer. The body is hardwired for efficiency. For every time the same charge is expressed, the gateways grow closer to reduce distance and make it easier for the electrical charge to cross the cleft. The more often we think the same thought, experience the same feeling, tell yourself the same story, the easier it will be to

redo it until it becomes the path of least resistance. Our thoughts (repeated) and our responses (repeated) are some of the most powerful forces that shape our brain (and our entire nervous system) and in doing so have great power over our health and well-being. Wow. Let that sink in for but a moment. We are designed to do this all the time! Our brain grows and evolves with every thought we think, especially those we think more frequently. In fact our most repeated thought and emotional narratives becomes the basis for how we experience ourselves, others, and the world (more on this in Part 2. How Changing Ourselves Changes the World Around Us). Think of it this way. Imagine the synaptic cleft as a gorge you need to cross. Let’s say you have two ways across. Option A is the one you have taken many times before. It takes you across but is an unhealthy and difficult crossing. Option B sounds really good, healthy, and leaves you feeling invigorated on the other side. But it is very unfamiliar and therefore you’re a little hesitant to try it out. How do most of us make that decision? If it’s the end of the day and we are tired, we might feel that it takes too much energy to try something new, even if the outcome would be better. So we go down the old and familiar path even though we know the cost will be high. In this scenario, option A is a pessimistic state flush with emotions such as stress

If we go with option A, fear, like all chronic negativity, becomes the source of chronic stress. Our body will be flushed continuously with stress hormones such as cortisol, adrenalin, or dopamine for example. Chronic exposure to these molecules are clearly associated with reducing our resilience, making us vulnerable to inflammation, and lowering our immunity not to speak of their ill effects on our heart or blood pressure for example. Given the consequences of option A, why is it so hard for many of us to choose option B? At this point it would really be nice to give ourselves a break. For many of us option A has become so hard wired into our nervous system because we have chosen it so often. Ok. Now, enter the cannabis-experience. Remember how we started? Synapses that fire together wire together! It is important to note that much of our “firing and wiring” is actually guided by endocannabinoid receptors inside the synapse. Cannabinoids are significantly involved in bridging signals. However, rather than merely ferrying over a signal cannabinoids also help to positively regulate additional, complex brain chemistry. And here is the magic of cannabis. Properly used cannabis is a mindfulness practices that make it easier to explore new choices. In fact cannabis works for so many different types of patients suffering from so many different diseases because it affects the body and the mind in such as way as to unblock old paths, stimulate the growth of new ones and thus fortify and enhance our capacity for healing. Mindfulness practices in mind-body medicine work through the same mechanism. That’s the reason why they are so effectively used in individualized, integrative medicine and for a similarly wide range of patient populations. Both (endocannabinoids and plant-based cannabinoids) can reduce chronic stress and induce deep relaxation making new pathways more available and accessible. Plus, both naturally and easily tilt the mind toward positivity (optimism or positive affect). And, in doing so both can become “hard wired” gateways to deeper mental, emotional, physical and spiritual healing and well being. Uwe Blesching is the author of The Cannabis Health Index: Combining the Science of Medical Marijuana with Mindfulness Techniques To Heal 100 Chronic Symptoms and Diseases. Visit his website www.cannabishealt hindex.com. His email is email@uweblesching.com and his book is published by North Atlantic Books and distributed by Penguin/Random House and it is available in fine bookstores, dispensaries, and Amazon. © 2016 Cannabishealthindex.com. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

A new study in the journal Neuropharmacology is showing yet again the incredibly diverse ways that medical cannabis can heal the body. We already know of several physical conditions it can treat—such as epileptic seizures, Crohn’s disease and neuropathic pain—but medical cannabis is also showing promise for the treatment of depression. Researchers at the Universidad de Cantabria focused on cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive component of cannabis, finding that that CBD has fastacting antidepressant effects that can be sustained with continued doses. “Our results demonstrate that CBD exerts fast and maintained antidepressant-like effects as evidenced by the reversal of the OBX-induced hyperactivity and anhedonia… In conclusion, our findings indicate that CBD could represent a novel fast antidepressant drug, via enhancing both serotonergic and glutamate cortical signaling through a 5-HT1A receptordependent mechanism.” The scientists used an established method of research on mice that has proven to be an accurate model for human depression, allowing study of the biological causes and potential treatments. They discovered that CBD acted to reverse depression symptoms by causing an increased release of serotonin and glutamate. “Mice with the OBX surgery showed significantly reduced symptoms of hyperactivity 30 minutes after CBD was administered, in comparison to mice that were given a placebo. Continued daily administration of CBD was found to completely reverse the effects of OBX surgery on the mice’s loss of interest in sugar after one week. Examination of chemical activity within the mice’s brains indicated that CBD caused increased release of serotonin and glutamate. Glutamate release was affected dramatically in all mice who received CBD, both immediately after the first dose and after weeks of repeated administration. The impact on serotonin was more subtle after the first dose, and it persisted over time only in mice who Cont. on Page 16

Page 16

Frequent cannabis use is associated with significantly lower odds of metabolic syndrome, according to findings published in the journal Psychological Medicine. Metabolic syndrome is a group of risk factors, including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, unhealthy cholesterol levels, and abdominal fat, which are linked to increased risk of heart disease and adult onset diabetes, among other serious health consequences. Australian researchers assessed the association between cannabis use and metabolic syndrome in a nationally representative random sampling of 1,813 subjects. Metabolic syndrome was identified in 63 percent of non-users (defined as no cannabis use over the past year) compared to only 43.5 percent of frequent users (defined as having used

Medical News

cannabis at least once per week for 52 weeks).

received CBD, both immediately after the first dose and after weeks of repeated administration. The impact on serotonin was more subtle after the first dose, and it persisted over time only in mice who had OBX surgery, suggesting that this change may have occurred only in response to the depression-like conditions in the mice’s brains. — PsyPost.org”

Authors concluded: "Participants who reported using cannabis in the previous 12 months were significantly less likely than non-users to have the metabolic syndrome. This association remained significant for frequent users ... after adjustment for a range of potential confounders, including lifestyle ... and sociodemographic characteristics. ... [T]hese data suggest that (cannabis) may ... have a cardiometabolic protective effect." A 2015 assessment of US cannabis consumers and non-users published in The American Journal of Medicine previously reported that those who consume cannabis are 50 percent less likely to suffer from metabolic syndrome as compared to those who do not. The findings are consistent with those of previous observational studies showing an inverse relationship between cannabis use and diabetic markers, and support population data documenting that those who use cannabis typically posses smaller waist circumference and lower body mass index as compared to abstainers. For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org. Full text of the study, "Metabolic syndrome in people with a psychotic illness: is cannabis protective," appears in Psychological Medicine. © 2016 NORML. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Oregon Cannabis Connection

An analysis of more than 14,500 people has shown that some genes increase the risk of cannabis dependence (CAD), according to a new study published in the JAMA Psychiatry journal. The study authors say that marijuana is one of the most abused drugs after nicotine. This year, there have been stronger calls for cannabis to be legalized but many states have only allowed medical marijuana use for specific conditions. The Yale led study has also uncovered a link between marijuana dependence and other mental health problems. Senior author of the study, Dr. Joel Gelernter, the Foundations Fund Professor of Psychiatry, professor of genetics and of neuroscience at Yale University School of Medicine, said, “We were surprised to find a genetic risk overlap between cannabis dependence and major depression.”

In January we reported that people who have discovered the therapeutic uses of cannabis are giving up prescription drugs. Big Pharma is very concerned that their manufactured products could be replaced by a miraculous plant. As we reported last month, chemical antidepressants may be causing an increase in suicides, and governmentbacked pill pushers are trying to hide these destructive effects. This new study brings more bad news for Big Pharma, as CBD could prove to be more effective than their notorious products. © Copyright 2016. TheFreeThoughtProject.com Reprint allowed. Feel free to reprint and share, with proper attribution.

Business Classifieds are on Page 20!

Details of the Cannabis Dependence Study The National Institutes of Health (NIH) partly funded this Yale-led study that included Dr. Gelernter; Prof. Richard Sherva from Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts; Dr. Henry Kranzler from Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia and Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs (VA) Stars and Stripes Healthcare; and other researchers. More funding was provided by the Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare Center, and the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center. Study participants were drawn from three existing and independent substance dependence studies: the Yale-Penn Study, Study of Addiction: Genetics and Environment (SAGE), and International Consortium on the Genetics of Heroin Dependence (ICGHD). The total number of participants was 14,754 and had a mean age of 39.2 years. Their genomes were analyzed and the researchers were able to identify several genes linked with major depression and schizophrenia. The researchers said there was a “genetic overlap” between CAD and these two mental illnesses. Prevalence of Cannabis Use and Dependence According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), marijuana use has increased over the years especially among young people. Despite the classification of marijuana as a dangerous drug, NIDA found that many people no longer see it as risky to use. In 2007, the NIH published a report which showed that “9 percent” of people who used marijuana became dependent as compared to “15 percent of people who try cocaine and 24 percent of those who try heroin.” The researchers also found that marijuana use disorders were increasing among all age groups. Once marijuana dependence takes root, it can eventually become an addiction thereby interfering with a person’s daily life. Those addicted to marijuana can experience withdrawal symptoms, tolerance to low amounts of cannabis, lack of control and responsibility, and suffer cognitive impairments. While many cannabis legalization proponents will refute any information that goes contrary to the ‘marijuana is safe’ mantra, it is important to conduct more research to ensure that everyone stays safe and healthy. As Dr. Gelernter told Live Science, “We hope our findings help bring more awareness to the public that cannabis use is often not benign and can lead to dependence, especially in individuals at high genetic risk.”

Food & Recipes

Apr/May 2016

"On Your Knees" Lebanese Tabbouleh

Crunchy Chocolate Chip Stoner Stuffed Cookies Pancakes

The Putersons

By KGM

By J.C.

Page 17

WARNING: Medical cannabis consumption can be unpredictable. Always start with a quarter serving and give it time. Effects can take up to an hour and sometimes longer. If you have doubts, you should contact a cannabis clinician about dosage.

Zippy Italian Dressing By Kristi Anderson

Cultivation

Page 18

better. Access to a quality microscope can make detection much easier. They tend to stay on the upper side of the leaf, and prefer the area where the stem meets the leaf.

The Pest: Hemp Russet Mite Aculops cannabicola

Image KentuckyPestNews .com

First signs: Lack of plant vigor, curled or taco-shaped leaves, yellowing and dropping of leaves.

Hemp Russet Mites are the newest plague to hit cannabis growers. These tiny pests pack a punch. They cause severe damage and can spell disaster to any grow, from small to large. Many gardeners don’t even know they have them until it is too late. Russet mites are members of the eriophyid family of mites. Image: ICMag Unlike spider mites, which have four pairs of legs, russet mites have two pairs of legs. They look like small translucent cylinders that are tapered on one end. Some growers say they look like a miniature Jabba the Hutt, from Star Wars. They do not create webbing and are not visible to the naked eye. You might be able to see them with a 10power magnifier, but a 60 to 100x is much

Female russet mites can overwinter in the plant tissue, often inside the stem. They also lay eggs on the plant or in the soil. After the Image eggs hatch, they TheDudeGrows on Youtube go through two nymph stages, which are very similar in appearance to the adults. They take as little as eight days to mature to adults, and can have multiple overlapping generations. Russet mites don’t move very far on their own. They can get caught in light breezes that move them from plant to plant, and can even hitch a ride on whiteflies and other small pests. It’s been reported that strong airflow from commercial atomizers can spread them around the garden. They like to stay in one area and suck the sap and juices from plants. They can feed directly from resin glands on flowering plants, and can even survive for a short period of time on dried buds. They inject a poison into the plant that causes leaf disorders for several feet upward in the plant. Some growers like to apply one crushed noncoated aspirin per gallon of water to counteract the effects of the poison. Infected plants often are lacking in vigor and look weak. Leaves can turn yellow and might fold into a taco shape or fall off. The plants might appear to be deficient in calcium and magnesium, but no amount of calmag makes any difference.

Control: What is the best way to deal with russet mites?

As with all insect pests, prevention is important. Rigorously inspect new plants before they enter your garden or grow room. Do not visit somebody’s garden and then go to your own without changing clothes and, ideally, taking a shower. Inspect your own plants regularly. Several beneficial insects eat russet mites.

Predator nematodes have been used to control soil pests for many years. They are an inexpensive control for russet mites emerging from the soil and will help control virtually any pest with a soil stage. For best results use predator nematodes that have been raised on a live insect diet. Apply at a rate of one million per 2,000 sq. ft. Hypoaspis miles (also known as Stratiolaelaps scimitus) are small mites that lives on the soil surface. They can help control russet mites as they hatch Hypoaspis miles in the soil. Hypoaspis should be applied to the soil at a rate of 5,000 per 200 sq. ft. of soil. They will help with early stages of russet mites, so apply soon after the plants are in soil and reapplied every two to four weeks. Amblyseius swirskii are very effective predators of russet mites. They should

Oregon Cannabis Connection be used as soon as The temperature is above 70 degrees. Cannabis application rates vary, but for large plants use 250 to 1,000 per plant for a bad russet mite outbreak. For prevention on smaller plants reduce the amount used. A. swirskii can also eat certain stages of thrips and whiteflies. Amblyseius andersoni have been used in the past to control spider mites, but also work great against russet mites. They are slightly more coldhardy than other predators, so they can be used when daytime temperatures are a little lower (mid 60s.) Application rate for traditional crops is three predators per 10 sq. ft., but for russet mite control on cannabis you may easily increase that by tenfold. Another russet mite predators are worth mentioning. Neoseiulus californicus, Amblyseius fallacis, and Amblyseius cucumeris have been used in IPM (integrated pest management) for decades. They can be used with any of Amblyseius cucumeris the other russet mite predators to increase the biological diversity among your plants and give you the best chance for a successful grow. Russet mites can be expected to be an ongoing pest problem, just like spider mites have been for the last 40 years. Being able to recognize the symptoms and identify the pest itself is important. Take proactive measures and have a good population of beneficial insects on your plants before the first russet mite shows up. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the medicine. Nathan Jackson is the owner of Nature’s Control and Ladybug Indoor Gardens. Located in Phoenix, Oregon, Nature’s Control has supplied growers with beneficial insects for over 35 years. He can be reached at 541245-6033 or nathan@naturescontrol.com. © 2016 Oregon Cannabis Connection & Natures Control. All rights reserved.

Cultivation

Apr/May 2016

Diverse Habitat: The

Key to Healthy Low Maintenance Gardens Understanding the importance of biodiversity to healthy land helps give us direction in how to manage our own gardens. Biodiversity is a result of habitat diversity. The more dynamic and varied our garden environment is the more potential for life. It is not hard to imagine why conventional agriculture struggles with so many problems, all stemming from a lack of diversity. Monoculture is the modern production method of tilling and amending every year as a means to produce a single type of crop. This is the epitome of a lack of diversity. Unfortunately we see this monoculture model overlap into home gardens and small scale farms, ultimately bringing those big scale problems to our backyards. The only real defense against disease and imbalance infestations is by diversifying the environment we grow in and therefore increasing our ecologically dynamic potential in the garden. One of the misunderstandings that arise from common agricultural dogma is this idea that good soil is sifted and uniform. Look at store bought potting soils and large scale

composting facilities they reflect this idea that uniformity is superior and the more processed the medium the better it will be for plant growth. This idea is born of conventional agricultural mindset. Soil uniformity is like creating a mono culture medium. This goes against ecological reason and begins to help explain why there are so many problems associated with growing plants. A shift in our attention to promoting habitat rather than discouraging it to prevent problems is a long term solution than can prevent the need for pest and disease interventions. Establishing habitat diversity may be one of the most cost effective practices you could pursue in the garden as it provides you with resiliency that is associated with biodiversity. By effectively creating dynamic habitat in the garden we establish homes for a diverse array of life both big and small. The best way to begin is by observation of a biologically diverse habitat. My homework for everyone who wants to aid in garden health is to take a walk in the forest where bio-diversity is high. This is where we can learn all the tricks of creating and maintaining diverse habitat. Nature has been hard at work for a long time evolving this planet into a rich and extremely complex ecology. If we are striving to maintain such complexities it would be in our interest to mimic and work with nature rather than against it to create what we want in our garden landscape. So next time you are wondering “What do I do to enhance my gardens capabilities of production and health?”, I say incorporate logs and branches, rock piles, sunken beds and raised beds, diverse plant species, hedges, trees, bushes, wet areas and dry areas there really is no limit to how to diversify habitat. Ultimately this is what will balance out deficiencies and provide defenses for outbreaks. Invite life into the garden rather than suppress it and you will be doing yourself and your garden a big favor. © 2016 Oregon Cannabis Connection. All rights reserved.

Image: Green Source

Page 19 in October. It is warmer and drier so there are fewer problems with mold and mildew. The sun is higher in the sky so surrounding trees and other obstacles provide less shading. Less UV light is blocked at the higher sun angles.

4) For OLCC growers, limited by canopy area

Every marijuana grower knows that marijuana plants make flowers when days are short and nights are long. This happens naturally outside as summer moves into fall. Indoor growers merely change a timer to 12 hours of light and about eight weeks later they will have finished buds. Outdoors, it is a bit more complicated. Light deprivation (light dep) is a term used to describe limiting the hours of lights outdoor marijuana plants receive in order to make them flower. This simple process will revolutionize the way marijuana is grown. Growers must block the sunlight with black plastic for several hours each day so that plants only receive 12 hours of light. Some expensive greenhouses will do this automatically or growers can try various DIY systems. Light dep requires doing a chore twice a day but the results are well worth it. There are lots of reasons why light dep makes sense:

1) Using light dep techniques, outdoor and

greenhouse growers can get multiple crops per season.

but not by the number of immature plants, it means that you can have big veg plants ready to go into bud and harvest from a given area every two months instead of just once. OLCC growers won’t have to grow giant plants like medical growers are forced to. OLCC growers will be able to fill greenhouses with more smaller plants and bud them whenever they need to using light dep. Outdoor yields with light dep will be double or triple yields that depend on natural day length.

5) For households limited to four plants and

eight ounces, producing enough flower to last a year is easy, but storing a single harvest to last a year is legally challenging. By using light dep you can have two or three harvests each summer, which makes it easier to produce enough for your own use but not go over the eight ounce weight limit.

6) Light dep might save the planet. Portland

General Electric estimates that virtually all the expected increase in demand for electricity in Oregon will come from indoor marijuana cultivation. Over the next few decades this could mean Oregon needs new powergenerating capacity and everyone’s electric bill will go up. We didn’t legalize marijuana so we could fry the planet with electricity.

2) Using light dep, outdoor growers can almost

People started growing in basements and warehouses because prohibition made hiding necessary. Now that prohibition is ending, farmers should gravitate toward the least expensive and most productive techniques. Light dep is the future for marijuana.

3) Plants that bud outside in the middle of the

John Sajo is a marijuana farmer and activist who has been using light dep techniques for over 10 years.

match indoor production, but at a fraction of the cost. A building is not necessary, ventilation is easier and savings on electrical bills are huge.

summer will produce better quality flowers. The weather is consistently better in July than

Apr/May 2016

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Business Classifieds LUCKY 1 3 SEED CO. Cannabis Seed for Oregon find us everywhere @lucky1 3seedco MOONFLOWER GARDEN so. Oregon Acclimatized Cannabis Seeds Available at dispensaries and for licensed growers. www.moonflowergardens.com Richard at a(541 ) 787-7054 SANDIE'S CANDIES & MORE 1 00% Hand Crafted and Made Locally! Available at Your Local Dispensary! (541 ) 941 -0063 Like on Facebook! www.facebook.com/pages/SandiesCandies-More-LLC/1 7901 98821 43442

ASHLAND ALTERNATIVE HEALTH, LLC 1 80 Clear Creek # 1 03 Ashland, OR 97520 (541 ) 488-2202 www.ashlandalthealth.com COMPASSION CENTER 2055 W. 1 2th Ave. Eugene, OR 97402 (541 ) 484-6558 COMPASSIONATE OREGON Oregon's Premier Patient Advocacy Group. Protecting the Rights of MMJ Patients And Their Families! www.CompassionateOregon.org MAMA Mothers Against Misuse and Abuse www.mamas.org 3 Locations: Portland, OR 521 7 SE 28th Ave. (Steele & 28th) (503) 233-4202 Fax (503) 233-8266

420 INSURANCE ASSOCIATES Approved In All 50 States 844-YOUR-420 www.Insure-420.com CERTIFIED KIND Garden Inspection & Certification www.certified-kind.com 1 -844-GRO-KIND We are your local certifier! GREEN LEAF LAB The Northwest's Premier Cannalysis™ Laboratory OR (503) 250-291 2 & WA (253) 772-8771 www.greenleaflab.org IRON LABORATORIES 71 Centennial Loop, Suite D Eugene, OR 97401 (541 ) 207-0555 www.ironlaboratories.com JOHNSON BUILDERS Any Building, Any Size Post & Frame Construction (541 ) 479-1 465 or (844) 480-5580 oregonbuildings.com OR CB#1 72269 & CA CB#887249 OREGON ANALYTICAL SERVICES Quality Cannabis Analysis Put us to the test! (541 ) 505-91 93 www.oregonanalyticalservices.com PAUL LONEY, ATTORNEY Practicing Medical Marijuana Law Portland (503) 234-2694 Southern OR (541 ) 787-0733 paultloney@gmail.com

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DRAGON HERBARIUM 4638 S.W. Beaverton- Hillsdale Hwy Portland, OR 97221 (503) 244-7049 www.dragonherbarium.com

SMOKIN DEALS CUSTOM GLASS (Cont.) Grants Pass, OR 61 3 SE 6th Street (541 ) 767-831 0 Klamath Falls, OR 1 939 S. Sixth Street (541 )767-8909

GRASSHOPPER EXTRACTOR Fully Automated Dry Ice Pollen Extractor! Shaking Things Up! (31 0) 753-51 69 www.ge420.com

T ZONE - YOUR ALTERNATIVE STORE 3 Locations: Salem, OR 1 75 Commercial St. NE (503) 363-41 74

I'D HIT THAT SMOKIN' GLASS Roseburg's Best Glass Shop 1 502 SE Stephens St. Roseburg, OR (541 ) 677-TOKE (8653) The Only Glass You'd Wanna Hit!

Salem, OR 1 65 Lancaster Dr. S (503) 581 -1 71 2

LADYBUG INDOOR GARDENS The Shoppes at Exit 24 205 Fern Valley Rd, Suite X Phoenix, OR 97535 (541 ) 61 8-4459

Keizer, OR 31 09 North River Rd. (503) 463-1 711

MAGIC MUSHROOM / OREGON GIFTS "Look For The Giant Mushrooms" Next to I-5, Exit 1 36 Sutherlin, OR 97479 (541 ) 459-7481

THE GOOD EARTH ORGANICS 30088 Redwood Hwy. Cave Junction, OR 97523 Roy (541 ) 840-9352 www.thegoodearthorganics.com

NATURES CONTROL Hired Bugs to Eat Your Pests www.naturescontrol.com (541 ) 245-6033 (800) 698-6250 PO Box 35, Medford, OR 97501

THE PERFECTPIPE.COM™ A Pipe For ALL Smokers Filtered Smoking Device www.theperfectpipe.com VICTORIA'S STATION THE STATION 1 20 Galice Rd. Merlin, OR 97532 (541 ) 471 -1 396

NEW WORLD DISTRIBUTION Wholesale Butane! Quality Butane at Great Prices! (541 ) 450-2935 www.cheapbutane.com PIRATE GLASS SMOKE SHOP 865 W. Central Sutherlin, OR 97479 (541 ) 767-8846 thebigbear1 3@gmail.com

DUB'S ST. JOHNS Home of Mack n Dub's Excellent Chicken and Waffles! 9520 N. Lombard St. John's Portland, OR (503) 998-8230

Bend, OR 454 NE Revere St. (503) 233-4202

NORML and the NORML Foundation 1 600 K Street, NW Suite 501 Washington, DC 20006-2832 (888) 67-NORML (888-676-6765) (202) 483-5500 www.norml.org

SILVER SPOON 8521 S.W. Barbur Blvd. Portland, OR 9721 9 (503) 245-0489 www.silverspoonpdx.com

THE GYPSY The BEST Bar in Meddy! 205 W. 8th St. Medford, OR 97501 (541 ) 770-1 21 2

NORTHWEST ALTERNATIVE HEALTH 1 675 W. 11 th Ave #B, Eugene, OR 97402 (888) 920-6076 Fax (541 ) 482-2581 www.OMMPCard.com

AMERICANS FOR SAFE ACCESS 1 322 Webster Street, Suite 402 Oakland, CA 9461 2 (51 0) 251 -1 856 www.americansforsafeaccess.org

OREGON ALTERNATIVE REMEDIES A Collective CoOp - OMMP Only 9081 Old Hwy. 99 S Dillard, OR 97432 (541 ) 863-41 73

SKY HIGH SMOKE N' ACCESSORIES So. O's Premier Pipe Shop 2 Locations: Medford, OR 91 2 S. Central (541 ) 622-81 81

DRUG POLICY ALLIANCE 925 1 5th Street NW, 2nd Floor Washington, DC 20005 (202) 21 6-0035 www.drugpolicy.org

Coos Bay, OR 11 65 Newmark (541 ) 808-3030

OREGON SUNGROWN GROWERS GUILD Growers Uniting To Help Growers & Patients Join Today! www.oregonsungrown.org

MARIJUANA POLICY PROJECT P.O. Box 77492 Capitol Hill Washington, DC 2001 3 (202) 462-5747 www.mpp.org

The Dalles, OR 31 9 E. 7th. St. (541 ) 298-4202 Fax (541 ) 296-2983

SOUTHERN OREGON ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 836 E. Main St. #3, Medford, OR 97504 (541 ) 779-5235 Fax (541 ) 779-0479 www.southernoregon alternativemedicine.com UMPQUA CANNABIS ASSOCIATION Helping the Oregon Cannabis Community Thrive in Umpqua Valley and Beyond. www.umpquacannabisassociation.com

BEST BUD BAGS Quality Dispensary Supplies for Oregon The Best Bags for Your Best Buds! (908) 800-2247 www.bestbudbags.com

SMOKE POINT PIPE SHOP 7580 Hwy 62 (behind Stop N Go) White City, OR 97503 (541 ) 879-0396 SMOKIN DEALS CUSTOM GLASS www.smokin-glass.com 4 Locations: Ashland, OR 300 E. Main St. (541 ) 767-831 0 Medford, OR 1 246 S. Riverside (541 ) 767-8636

KSKQ COMMUNITY RADIO 89.5 FM "Home Grown" Radio Streaming Live at KSKQ.com 330 East Hersey St, Ste #2 Ashland, OR 97520 (541 ) 482-3999 MACK & DUB AND THE SMOKIN' SECTION Medicated Hip Hop/R&B Incorporating Live Instrumentation and Harmonies for that Mack & Dub Sound www.mackanddub.com THE RUSS BELVILLE SHOW "Radical" Russ Belville The Independent Voice of the Marijuana Nation cannabisradio.com www.RadicalRuss.com ROGUE CANNABIS RADIO WIth Wendy King of J. State Vibes Streaming LIVE Tuesdays from 7 to 9pm PST on www.kskq.org & KSKQ 89.5FM in the Rogue Valley THE SPACEMAN SHOW Hope Mountain Radio www.TakilmaFM.com (541 ) 592-4799 Friday Nights from 8 till late!

Get Noticed! Get a classified listing with any display ad in the Oregon Cannabis Connection! Ads start under $128.00 per issue and include full color... Mack & Dub's Potlandia Free downloads @ soundcloud.com/mackanddub

THAT'S UNDER$64BUCKSAMONTH

Watch for Mack & Dubs Smokin' Big Tour THIS SUMMER!

email: OCCNewspaper420@gmail.com

Potland, Eugene, Medford and Bend

for more info and our rates!

To book them for Private Parties, Dispensaries, Nightclubs or Festival's please call 503.481.2440

(Classified Ads are $35 per issue and are limited to 5 lines)