An effort to allow veterans to access medical marijuana in states where it’s legal died Wednesday night when Congress passed a spending bill without the provision included.
The Veterans Equal Access Amendment would have nullified a Department of Veterans Affairs standard that keeps its doctors from recommending medical cannabis as treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, pain and other conditions experienced by veterans. Veterans currently seeking medical pot must obtain a doctor’s recommendation outside of the VA system and pay the expense out of pocket.
The amendment, authored by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Sens. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), passed both chambers of Congress earlier this year as part of a spending package funding the Veterans Affairs department.
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Monterey, Calif. Approves New Cannabis Permit Fees
With praise from a few medical marijuana industry backers, the Board of Supervisors approved a series of fees for commercial medical cannabis operations on Tuesday.
By a unanimous vote, the supervisors approved land use permit fees and commercial cannabis permit fees, while Supervisor Jane Parker dissented from a 4-1 vote approving a one-time fee for personal cultivation.
Land use permit fees would run between about $8,200 and $9,000 per application, while commercial or business permits would require a deposit of about $4,500 to process an application, with the ultimate cost to be determined. Annual renewal of the commercial permit would cost about $1,000.
Personal cultivation fees would cost $170, but Parker said she couldn’t support anything that would make it more difficult for a personal cannabis use patient to acquire their medicine.
Virginia Delegate Nick Freitas Backs MMJ
Standing in front of the “Liberty or Death” Culpeper Minutemen flag, Del. Nick Freitas voiced his support for legalized medical cannabis in Virginia during a town hall meeting Tuesday night at Grass Rootes restaurant hosted by the Culpeper chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML.
A former Green Beret who advocates for limited government and individual liberty, the Republican freshman legislator from Culpeper directly addressed the question when asked by an attendee about the issue of legalizing medical marijuana even though it conflicts with federal law.
“Honestly, I like pissing off the federal government anytime I get a chance,” Freitas said at the event attended by about 40 people.
“No, I don’t think we should wait for the federal government,” to legalize medical marijuana, he said, adding the matter should be left up to a doctor and their patient.
Most of Arkansas Medical Marijuana Signatures Valid
LITTLE ROCK — A retired Arkansas judge appointed by the state Supreme Court to review a medical marijuana initiative's petitions as part of a lawsuit said Tuesday that more than enough valid signatures were submitted for the proposal.
Separately, the Supreme Court said it wouldn't reconsider its decision to reject another lawsuit trying to block the proposal.
Retired Judge John B. Robbins said in a report issued to the court that he disqualified 2,087 of the signatures submitted and approved by election officials for the proposal, leaving it with 75,429 valid signatures. The proposal needed at least 67,887 signatures from registered voters to qualify for the November ballot.
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Separately, the Supreme Court said it wouldn't reconsider its decision to reject another lawsuit trying to block the proposal.
Retired Judge John B. Robbins said in a report issued to the court that he disqualified 2,087 of the signatures submitted and approved by election officials for the proposal, leaving it with 75,429 valid signatures. The proposal needed at least 67,887 signatures from registered voters to qualify for the November ballot.
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Colorado Cannabis Grower Buys Water in Bulk
A recently installed bulk water vending system at the Round Mountain Water District shop allows customers to pump water without a staff attendant being present.
Unlike the previous practice, where a staff member would manually pump out bulk water at a fire hydrant, now an ATM-like panel records the customer account number, amount of purchase, and collects the payment. This convenience, along with Round Mountain’s current unique water rights and availability position in the area, has elicited about eight or nine inquiries from legal marijuana grow facilities in Pueblo and Huerfano counties regarding opening business accounts for the purchase of water.
According to George Medaris, district manager, he has, with board consent, informed the growers by letter that they, like any other business, may establish an account and purchase bulk water at the vending site. To date, only one grower has done so, and has been purchasing water on a fairly regular basis for about four months.
Yeti Farms purchased 35,163 gallons in August, for example, for $527.45. They were one of 29 customers that month, who purchased a total of 101,090 gallons from the district, amounting to $1,516.35 in sales.
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