L.A. marijuana lawyer

September 18, 2016

Report: Fentanyl Manufacturer Supporting Marijuana Law Opposition in AZ

If you suffer from any kind of chronic pain or perhaps have endured a major surgery in recent years, you’re probably familiar with Fentanyl. It’s a powerful, fast-acting narcotic painkiller that is typically appropriate for severe, acute pain. It’s highly addictive, possessing many heroin-like qualities. It’s also extremely deadly when taken in high doses or in combination with other substances, which can cause respiratory distress.

Prescription bottles used to store medicine

Yet the makers of this drug have continued to advertise it as a common pain relief drug. So perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising, in light of a growing body of research to suggest marijuana could be a safer, more effective alternative to the scourge of painkiller addiction and overdoses in the U.S., that its manufacturer is pushing to quash the potential competition. It makes even more sense when you learn the company, Insys Therapeutics, recently came out with a synthetic cannabis product.

A recent investigation by The Washington Post reveals the Arizona-based company dropped a $500,000 donation to the group, “Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy,” a group that staunchly opposes legalizing marijuana. This amounts to more than one-third of the money raised by the group. Continue reading

September 13, 2016

Nuisance Abatement Laws Result in Eviction for Marijuana Users

By Cannabis Law Group

Nuisance abatement laws, codified at the state or local level, allow municipalities to fine landlords who allow “nuisances” on their properties. It was intended to curb violence and repeat police responses to the same location. However, it’s reportedly having a negative effect on those who use marijuana. rent

The Washington Post recently reported on the issue, beginning with the case of a D.C. law firm employee who, after eight years renting a residence on a quiet street in the Northeast section of the city, was evicted over the discovery of a marijuana joint. The report indicates the woman’s adult son – who had not lived with her for years – was arrested for possession of a firearm outside of a popular nightclub. Two weeks later, D.C. police officers raided her home, looking for more drugs. They didn’t find any when they stormed the home as she and her husband were helping her 8-year-old with his homework. However, they did find three cigarettes – one of them reportedly containing marijuana. No one was arrested or charged.

However, it was just a week later that the attorney general’s office in D.C. labeled the home a drug-related nuisance in a letter fired off to her landlord. That letter cited a nuisance abatement law passed in 1999 that grants the city broad power to prevail in civil lawsuits against landlords that don’t halt illegal actions on their properties. In response, the landlord evicted his tenant. Continue reading

August 24, 2016

FDA: Liquid Marijuana Synthetic Approved for Cancer, AIDS Patients

By Cannabis Law Group

Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) quietly approved a drug called Syndros, which is a synthetic form of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. Its use is limited to patients who are suffering from AIDS and cancer. laboratory

Syndros is the liquid version of a drug called Marinol, which was approved back in 1985 as a synthetic cannabinoid. However, Marinol only comes in pill form. Syndros is the liquid form. Marinol was approved in the mid-80s to treat the same conditions as Syndros.

Interestingly, the approval of this liquid synthetic came around the same time the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) refused to reclassify marijuana as anything but a Schedule I narcotic, despite petitions from lawmakers to knock it down to a Schedule II. In the agency’s refusal to take this action, officials cited lack of proof that marijuana serves any legitimate medical purpose. Yet we are making synthetic versions of it for uses that are clearly legitimate and medical? Continue reading

August 18, 2016

Federal Appeals Court: Feds Can’t Prosecute Medical Marijuana Cases Absent State Law Violation

By Cannabis Law Group

In a major victory for those facing prosecution under federal marijuana laws, a three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled unanimously that the federal government cannot prosecute persons who grow and distribute medicinal marijuana so long as they are in compliance with state law. gavel21

The case, U.S. v. McIntosh, is a consolidated appeal involving 10 different cases of interlocutory appeals and petitions for writs of mandamus that arose from three district courts in two states (California and Washington). All defendants in these cases were facing federal charges for violation of the Controlled Substances Act. Each sought dismissal of their indictments or else alternatively to enjoin their cases on a Congressional appropriations rider that would bar the Department of Justice from spending taxpayer money to prevent states from implementing their medical marijuana laws. You may recall that in the last two years, Congress prohibited the federal government from spending money in a way that would block or thwart state medical marijuana laws.

It was the position of federal prosecutors that this ban didn’t undercut their right to go after those who cultivate and distribute the drug under federal law – even in states where marijuana was legal. But now, the 9th Circuit has clearly issued a response to that, which is a resounding: No. Continue reading

August 12, 2016

Police: Tainted “Candy” That Sickened 19 at Party Likely Marijuana

By Cannabis Law Group

At a quinceanera in San Francisco, 19 people were sickened – including a 6-year-old child – after reportedly consuming gummy candies that were available as refreshments at the birthday festivities. gummy

Now, investigators with the San Francisco Police Department have said they believe the “candy” was in fact a form of edible marijuana and they are exploring whether the candy might have been placed there intentionally.

If it is shown the candy was knowingly placed there as a means to harm children, officials said, that would be, “a serious crime.” Still, officials said they wouldn’t rush to that assumption. Thirteen of the 19 people who fell ill were under the age of 18, with the youngest being just 6-years-old. The party was for a 15-year-old girl. Continue reading

August 11, 2016

Teen Faces Federal Drug Charges for 1 Gram of Marijuana

By Cannabis Law Group

The first federal marijuana possession case prosecuted in Oregon in five years involves a teenager who is facing up to one year in prison for having just a single gram of the plant. handcuffs2

According to The Washington Post, the 19-year-old recent high school graduate is preparing for college this fall. But at the same time, he’s facing down a possible federal prison sentence that could derail his future.

Bear in mind: This is the state where the drug has been legal for adult recreational use since 2014. But state law has never reconciled with federal law, which still classifies it as a Schedule I narcotic, which means it’s on par with heroin. Back in 2013, the U.S. Justice Department issued a memorandum that announced a hands-off policy with regard to state-level cannabis laws. However, that memo included a provision that directed prosecutors to continue taking on cases that involve distributing marijuana to minors. And that’s where this case picks up. Continue reading

August 6, 2016

Survey: Republican Support for Marijuana Grows

By Cannabis Law Group

As contentious as politics have become these days, it seems Democrats and Republicans largely agree at least on one thing: Legal marijuana.

It used to be that Republicans, particularly those that leaned more conservative, were staunchly opposed to legalizing marijuana in any capacity, even for medicinal purposes. But those attitudes are clearly changing, as evidenced by a recent poll conducted by YouGov.com.

The poll measured attitudes toward the legalization of marijuana and then compared the answers given by gender, age, race, family income, U.S. Census region and political party, in mid-July 2016. It also asked respondents about their beliefs regarding whether marijuana use is a gateway to other drugs, whether government marijuana enforcement efforts cost more than they are worth and whether the federal government should abandon enforcement of marijuana drug laws in states where the plant is legal. Continue reading

August 2, 2016

Study: Vaporized Cannabis Effective in Treating Pain

By Cannabis Law Group

It seems the more researchers are allowed to study marijuana, the more benefits they find. smokeswirls

Most recently, a study by a team of researchers published in The Journal of Pain revealed that vaporized cannabis was an effective treatment for neuropathic pain caused by injury to or disease of the spinal cord. Most of the candidates in the trial were suffering intense, chronic pain as a result of their condition, even despite other more traditional forms of treatment.

For them, it turned out, medical cannabis was a game-changer.

This was a relatively small-scale study, so more research is necessary. However, the results are strong and suggests this could be a promising means of treatment. Continue reading

July 31, 2016

Latest Effort to Open Banking to Marijuana Businesses Sputters Out

By Cannabis Law Group

One of the biggest challenges of running a legitimate marijuana dispensary or business is the lack of access to banking services. Because of federal laws that still consider marijuana an illegal, Schedule I narcotic with no medicinal value, banks have been reticent to extend services to any operation that is exchanging marijuana for currency, for fear of getting hemmed up on money laundering charges. cash

The result has been that marijuana dispensaries and businesses operate on a cash-only basis – despite the fact that more than half the U.S. population now lives in a state or jurisdiction where the drug is legal at least for medicinal use. These consumers want safe, legal access to the drug via a well-regulated business. Denial of banking services has made this tough.

Then, it seemed as if there might be some change. In June, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted 16-to-14 to give banks express permission to extend financial services to the marijuana industry. Unfortunately, the House nixed the move – for now, at least. Continue reading

July 29, 2016

Long Beach Wins Battle to Ban Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

By Cannabis Law Group

Long Beach city officials have prevailed in their fight to ban medical marijuana dispensaries within city limits, according to the Long Beach Press-Telegram. gavel21

The California appellate court decision did not surprise anyone. This litigation, filed four years ago, was a challenge to the city’s ban on dispensaries based on the argument that the action was a violation of the rights of the disabled.

The reason the outcome, handed down by the Court of Appeal, was no surprise was that it had been filed prior to the California Supreme Court’s 2013 decision in City of Riverside v. Inland Empire Patients Health and Wellness Center, Inc. In that case, the state high court ruled that the state’s medical marijuana laws do not prohibit cities from enacting a ban on the operation of local marijuana dispensaries within that city’s borders. Continue reading