For generations we have been told that marijuana is the gateway drug to harder drugs, but a new study from the University of Florida contradicts that claim. Researchers believe that the true “gateway drug” is alcohol.

Marijuana has shouldered the blame for leading adolescents down the path to bigger and more addictive drugs, when in fact most teenagers begin drinking alcohol before they ever experiment with marijuana.

“By recognizing the important predictive role of alcohol and delaying initiation of alcohol use, school officials and public health leaders can positively impact the progression of substance use,” he said. “I am confident in our findings and the clear implications they have for school-based prevention programs. By delaying and/or preventing the use of alcohol, these programs can indirectly reduce the rate of use of other substances.”

The study appears in the August issue of the Journal of School Health.

Barry and his team of researchers used a sample of 14,577 high school seniors from 120 public and private schools in the United States to evaluate data The study was conducted by the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan.

The study evaluated the use of drugs such as cocaine, amphetamines and LSD. Those findings were then traced back to what the first drug was the child used, and the results were that alcohol, not marijuana was more often the first substance the child had experimented with.

In the study, the children reported 72.2 percent of the time, alcohol consumption at some point in their lives. While only 45 percent of students reported using tobacco, and 43.3 percent mentioned marijuana use.

Alcohol is a much easier drug for adolescents to gain access to. Many first time drinkers, sneak liquor or beer from the family refrigerator while others ask older siblings or older friends to purchase it for them.

On Wednesday, June 20, Representative Jared Polis and Steve Cohen two Democrats who favor the medical use of marijuana posed questions to Drug Enforcement Agency head, Michele Leonhart about the hazards of marijuana in relation to other illegal drugs, like heroin and methamphetamine, during a Judiciary Subcommittee hearing.

Ms. Leonhart dodged their line of questioning and refused to give even the most obvious answer that drugs such as heroin are more harmful that marijuana. Representative Cohen was not getting anywhere with Ms. Leonhart when he posed the following questions.

“Would you agree that marijuana causes less harm to individuals than meth, crack, cocaine, and heroin?” he asked.

“As a former police officer, as a 32-year DEA agent, I can tell you that I think marijuana is an insidious drug,” Leonhart replied.

“That’s not the question I asked you, ma’am. Does it cause less damage to the American society and to individuals than meth, crack cocaine and heroin? Does it make people have to kill to get their fix?”

“I can tell you that more teens enter treatment for marijuana.”

“Can you answer my question? Answer my question, please.”

A 2009 study done by the journal Clinical EEG and neuroscience shows that alcohol has a stronger negative impact on teenage brain development than marijuana.When brain abnormalities were measured, and seen in terms of brain functions and cognitive tasks it showed alcohol had a greater effect than marijuana. While abnormalities existed for marijuana users they were not to the same extent as those seen in alcohol abusers.

While Washington continues to almost completely turn a blind eye to even the use for marijuana in a medical capacity, while scientific findings continue to be made public. A Rasmussen poll of 1,000 likely voters showed that 56 Percent of those polled favor legalizing marijuana.

SAN DIEGO, July 12, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Medical Marijuana, Inc. MJNA 0.00% , a leading hemp industry innovator, is pleased to update its shareholders on the status of its portfolio company, CanChew BioTechnologies Inc ( www.canchewbiotech.com ) and related products. Recently the Company acquired a significant 50% ownership interest in CanChew BioTechnologies Inc from the owners and developers, Sannamad Foundation based in the Netherlands. The acquisition provided Medical Marijuana Inc. with the world-wide exclusive rights to develop, manufacture, market and distribute the first and only Cannabinoid (CBD) based chewing gum delivery mechanism.

Initially the CanChew chewing gum product will be marketed as an Over-the-Counter (OTC) product with a variety of health and wellness benefits. CanChew, is expected to have multiple uses, including pain management, decreasing of muscular spasticity in neuro-degenerative patients and in nausea management – a common occurrence in patients undergoing chemotherapy. The pain management market alone generated over $46 billion in worldwide sales in 2007, representing a 12.5% increase in sales over 2006 figures (source: www.globalbusinessinsights.com ). While there has not been a true breakthrough in pain management since the 1950′s with opiates -many new drugs have done exceedingly well. By example, in the analgesic narcotic market, Pfizer’s Celebrex generated $2.3B in sales for 2007 while the Lyrica product provided $1.9B in sales revenue during the same period.

Beginning Q4 2012, the Company will start formal clinical development in Europe focusing on the safety and efficacy in the treatment of pain and nausea with CanChew. Revenues generated from OTC product sales will fund these and additional trials, while immediate consumer feedback will provide valuable data to help speed clinical trial results. This effort will provide the Company with a strategic competitive advantage over traditional pharmaceutical companies product development and sales strategies.

About CanChew

CanChew® is a unique, socially acceptable, patient friendly, taste masked chewing gum which provides a convenient delivery format for release of cannabinoid based health and wellness. The delivery of these hemp extracts via the oral mucosa provides for rapid and near complete absorption directly into the body’s systemic circulation. This leads to a rapid onset of effects and significantly increased bioavailability of the cannabinoids in the CanChew gum. Pre-systemic metabolism is thus avoided. This method of delivery offers clearly improved economic opportunities compared to alternative health and wellness delivery routes.

CanChew was developed by a team of internationally renowned medical doctors, dental and oral surgeons in combination with a well-experienced product development team.

Determined by medical and dental experts as potentially the best delivery method for health and wellness benefits from CBD products, a CBD-based chewing gum has been developed. The basic science behind CanChew gum: since the oral mucosa is lined with tiny blood vessels and micro-capillaries in such a manner as to result in direct ingestion of the CBD compounds from the chewing gum directly into the blood stream. This “first-pass” allows the beneficial aspects of the gum to by-pass the liver where CBD products can potentially be converted into less beneficial or less potent cannabinoid compounds or metabolites.

Given this initial significant uptake, the cannabinoids in CanChew are also processed with the saliva during the chewing process. Cannabinoids then enter the digestive tract and are processed in a slower, less aggressive manner. This gives the user a time-release factor which allows for benefits of the CanChew Gum to extend for several hours.

Product Launch

Sales of CBD-based CanChew chewing gum are expected to begin on or around October 1, 2012. The Company is finalizing a multi-level distribution strategy. On-line sales will occur via our own proprietary internet sales portal through HempMeds Rx, a portfolio company of Medical Marijuana Inc., and its licensed affiliates.

Retail sales of CanChew will be managed by portfolio branding company, Red Dice Holdings, in conjunction with the Dixie X line of CBD based products. Dixie X has recently been launched in Colorado with sales exceeding management’s expectations. We expect the CanChew product line to be available at select retail locations throughout Colorado, California, Arizona and Washington DC by Q4 2012.

Continued distribution throughout North America and Europe will commence no later than Q1 2013.

PhytoSphere Systems Involvement

PhytoSPHERE Systems will provide the necessary raw Cannabidol ingredients for the CanChew product, insuring the highest quality, highest CBD content ingredients for CanChew’s gum. The Advanced Tissue Culture aspect will provide additional quality assurance for the CBD ingredients to be infused into CanChew’s revolutionary formulations.

For more about PhytoSPHERE Systems, see our press Release from Thursday June 28th, 2012 via the following link: http://app.quotemedia.com/quotetools/newsStoryPopup.go?storyId=52372693&topic=MJNA&symbology=null&cp=off&webmasterId=89753

RECENT MJNA PRESS RE: CANCHEW BIOTECHNOLOGIES, INC

http://www.canchewbiotech.com/18-press/2012-press-releases/25-medical-marijuana-inc-advisory-committee-and-board-of-directors-update

http://www.canchewbiotech.com/18-press/2012-press-releases/24-medical-marijuana-inc-acquires-50-stake-in-canchew-from-netherlands-based-sanammad-foundation

About Medical Marijuana, Inc.

Our mission is to be the premier cannabis and hemp industry innovators, leveraging our team of professionals to source, evaluate and purchase value-added companies and products, while allowing them to keep their integrity and entrepreneurial spirit. We strive to create awareness within our industry, develop environmentally friendly, economically sustainable businesses, while increasing shareholder value.

Medical Marijuana, Inc. does not grow, sell or distribute any substances that violate United States Law or the controlled substance act.

For more information, please visit the company’s website at: www.MedicalMarijuanaInc.com

FORWARD-LOOKING DISCLAIMER

This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and information, as defined within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and is subject to the Safe Harbor created by those sections. This material contains statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements by definition involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Medical Marijuana, Inc. to be materially different from the statements made herein.

Corporate Contact:Medical Marijuana, Inc.Toll Free: 888-OTC-MJNA (888-682-6562) www.medicalmarijuanainc.com www.facebook.com/mjnainc

Investor Relations Contact:Stuart T. SmithSmallCapVoice.Com, Inc.P. 512-267-2430F. 512-267-2530Email: ssmith@smallcapvoice.com Skype: SmallCapVoice.comAIM: SmallCapVoice7

SOURCE Medical Marijuana, Inc.

Federal agents surround Oaksterdam during the raid on April 2, 2012.

In the middle of the April 2 federal raid on Oaksterdam University, Oakland City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan rode up on her bike to a chaotic scene. Dozens of stoned-faced men and women in sunglasses from the Drug Enforcement Agency, Department of the Treasury, and US Marshal’s Office faced off with screaming protesters behind yellow tape outside, as some of the protesters lit up joints.

“There’s a bunch of law enforcement here, they seem to saying there was a crime, we have no information on who they’re claiming is the victim,” Kaplan said to reporters. “If [Oaksterdam founder] Richard Lee and Oaksterdam harmed someone, who are they claiming is harmed?”

While the day remained chaotic — the federal agencies did not announce why they were conducting the raid or what crimes they suspected had been committed—what Kaplan said she did know was that “the regulatory system in Oakland has succeeded.”

Oakland’s dispensary ordinance is well-respected among city officials, including Kaplan, who defended it even in the face of a federal raid. “Oakland’s history of regulating cannabis facilities with strict regulations, with background checks, with zoning rules, with rules about what hours they can operate, how they can operate, has been a success,” Kaplan said. “We have not had crime or violence associated with our dispensaries, and that’s because they are tightly regulated. And so we have not had the problems that other cities have had when it comes to regulation.”

Oakland’s dispensary ordinance, which has been on the books since 2004, is lauded by city officials—a staff report from the City Administrator’s Office published in July, 2011, calls it “a role model for the nation”—and is generally well-respected among local dispensary owners who consider it fair to them and the city. It requires that dispensary operators follow certain rules: sharing annual financial audits and personnel records with the city, making sure there’s proper security and safe access for patients, and making sure clients aren’t a nuisance to the neighborhood.

The ordinance originally permitted four dispensaries to be active in the city, and thanks to a revision of the ordinance in 2011, sometime this year four new dispensaries are scheduled to open, making a total of eight.

But there could be major changes brewing for how Oakland’s dispensaries are regulated.

WASHINGTON – Recognition of marijuana as a medical treatment is creeping into the national health-care discussion as states like Ohio try to determine where they stand on its use.

Measures to legalize the substance for medical use have been proposed in 19 states this year. Fifteen legislatures failed to pass marijuana legislation, but through citizen petition processes, four other states could still legalize the drug this year.

Massachusetts residents will vote on a ballot initiative in November that would make cannabis available for certain registered users. Residents of Ohio, Arkansas and North Dakota may vote on similar ballot measures to join 17 other states and the District of Columbia in legalizing the drug for medical use.

“It is totally possible the presidential election can swing on the marijuana issue,” said Morgan Fox, communications manager at the Marijuana Policy Project, a Washington-based lobbying group.

He cited Colorado where 2 percent of residents are registered marijuana users and several polls find the presidential race a near tie. A candidate’s view on the issue could gain or cost him the state, Fox said.

For the past year, Arkansans for Compassionate Care has gathered signatures for a petition asking to put a medical marijuana law on the November ballot. The deadline to file with the state is Friday.

Campaign Director Ryan Denham said there is a good chance Arkansas’ initiative could make it to the ballot and pass, which would make it the first southern state to support the movement.

“It is going to send a strong message on a national level to Congress,” Denham, 29, said. “It’ll show that even folks in the South support medical marijuana use. This is a state and local campaign, but we are fighting for a national issue too.”

The state has until August to decide if the initiative qualifies.

Citizens of 26 states cannot petition for initiatives, forcing the issue into state legislatures.

In June, New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch, a Democrat, vetoed a bill to legalize medical marijuana. The state Senate was three votes shy of overriding the veto.

In his veto message, Lynch said he sympathizes with the need for those suffering from serious illness to use marijuana as a treatment, but the bill did not provide for tightly controlled production.

“While SB 409 requires that marijuana for medical use be cultivated in a ‘locked and enclosed site,’” Lynch said, “neither state nor local law enforcement is authorized to generally inspect and confirm that these conditions are being maintained.”

In Colorado, penalties for non-medical marijuana use are similar to those for alcohol misuse. The state, along with 12 others, eliminated jail time for possessing small amounts of the substance.

“I think that in the near future we are going to see Congress passing a law removing marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act, or possibly putting it under the purview of the tobacco and alcohol act,” Fox said.

Other pro-marijuana groups, such as the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, lobby for legalizing the drug for all uses.

Denham said people often mix up NORML’s mission and that of pro-medical marijuana groups. That is why Arkansans for Companionate Care is continuing its campaign to Friday’s deadline.

“Ultimately, for me, this is an education campaign,” Denham said. “We really have changed the mind of a lot of people out there.”

The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act would require people with “qualifying medical conditions” such as cancer, glaucoma, HIV, Crohn’s disease and other illnesses to register with the Arkansas Department of Health.

The department could charge a registration fee and limit the number of dispensaries.

The act would allow counties and cities to ban dispensaries, just as they can ban alcohol, but any registered user who lives more than 5 miles from a dispensary could grow up to six marijuana plants. Those users could not sell or distribute their crop.

The Marijuana Policy Project helped write the act, basing it on Arizona’s successful 2010 proposition. The group is also helping North Dakotans for Compassionate Care get an initiative on the November ballot.

In Illinois, the group is pushing to keep alive a bill that would initiate a three-year pilot program. The bill barely failed and could be reconsidered in November.

Beginning on October 1, 2012, Connecticut residents will be able to smoke marijuana to alleviate symptoms of a debilitating medical condition without fear of arrest or prosecution by Connecticut authorities, or adverse employment action by employers in the state. The new law, entitled An Act Concerning the Palliative Use of Marijuana (Public Act No. 12-55), was signed by Governor Malloy on May 31.

Connecticut joins approximately one-third of the states and the District of Columbia in legalizing medical marijuana use and possession by certain individuals. However, the Connecticut law goes further than most similar laws because it forbids employers from refusing to hire, discharging, penalizing, or threatening individuals based on their medical marijuana use.

The new law  requires medical marijuana users to register with the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP). A physician’s written certification for the palliative use of marijuana will be required for registration. The physician must certify that, in his professional opinion, the patient has a debilitating medical condition and the potential benefits of medical marijuana use would likely outweigh the health risks of such use. Debilitating medical conditions include such illnesses as cancer, glaucoma, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, post-traumatic stress disorder, and any other medical condition approved by the DCP. Physicians cannot be arrested, prosecuted, or penalized in any way by the State of Connecticut for providing a certification for medical marijuana use to a patient.

Medical marijuana producers and dispensaries must be licensed by the DCP, which will determine how many producers and dispensaries are necessary to meet the needs of patients. However, the law caps the number of producers at ten. The DCP will decide whether a producer applicant is qualified to cultivate, sell, deliver, transport, and distribute marijuana, and whether a dispensary applicant is qualified to acquire, possess, distribute, and dispense marijuana. Only licensed pharmacists may apply for dispensary licenses. Dispensaries may acquire marijuana only from licensed producers and producers may distribute marijuana only to licensed dispensaries.

Medical marijuana users will not be subject to arrest, prosecution, or any type of penalty under Connecticut law, and cannot be denied any right or privilege due to their marijuana use. However, they will not be permitted to smoke in the workplace, in a moving vehicle, on school grounds, in any public place, or in the presence of a minor. In addition, users may not possess more than a one-month supply of marijuana.

The law also directs the DCP to reclassify marijuana under state law from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule II drug. Schedule I drugs are those considered to have a high potential for abuse and no currently accepted medical use in treatment because it is not clear the drug can be used safely even under medical supervision. Schedule II drugs have a high potential for abuse and a currently accepted medical use with severe restrictions, and abuse of the drug may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence. Marijuana remains a Schedule I drug under the federal Controlled Substances Act.

The Connecticut law specifically states that “[n]o employer may refuse to hire a person or may discharge, penalize or threaten an employee solely on the basis of such person’s or employee’s status as a qualifying patient.” However, it also provides that employers may prohibit the use of intoxicating substances during work hours and may discipline employees for being under the influence of intoxicating substances during work hours. In addition, the law permits employers to take action that is required either by federal law or to obtain federal funding even if such action is based upon the person’s status as a qualifying patient.

It is unclear how the Connecticut law can be implemented without coming into conflict with federal law, which continues to prohibit the cultivation, use, possession, and dispensing of marijuana. For example, although the state statute promises Connecticut will not discipline physicians or pharmacists for prescribing or providing marijuana, the law provides them no protection from federal authorities who may move to prosecute individuals who supply or prescribe marijuana to patients or to withdraw their licenses to prescribe narcotics. Since October 2009, the Justice Department has conducted more than 170 aggressive SWAT-style raids in nine medical marijuana states, resulting in at least 61 federal indictments, according to data compiled by Americans for Safe Access, an advocacy group.¹

Moreover, in James v. City of Costa Mesa, No. 10-55769 (May 21, 2012), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, widely considered to be among the more liberal federal appellate courts, wrote, “Congress has made clear, however, that the [Americans with Disabilities Act] defines ‘illegal drug use’ by reference to federal, rather than state, law, and federal law does not authorize the plaintiffs’ medical marijuana use. We therefore necessarily conclude that the plaintiffs’ medical marijuana use is not protected by the ADA.”

Nevertheless, employers should review their substance abuse prevention policies to ensure that at a minimum employees are on notice that the use of medical marijuana is prohibited during work hours and that disciplinary action will be taken against anyone who is under the influence of medical marijuana during work hours. However, it remains to be seen whether a medical marijuana user who tests positive for marijuana will be deemed to be under the influence during work hours and thus subject to discipline.

Employers should also confirm that their medical review officer (MRO) inquires whether an individual who tests positive for marijuana is a registered user. It seems clear that to comply with the statute an employer cannot in most cases reject an applicant due to his medical marijuana use. However, it is unclear whether an MRO can report an employee’s medical marijuana use to the employer as a legitimate medical explanation for a positive test, and, if the MRO does so, whether the employer can then take any action – such as moving the employee to a non-safety-sensitive position – without running afoul of the law. The law permits an employer to reject an applicant for a position for which federal law requires a negative drug test (such as a U.S. Department of Transportation regulated driver), regardless of whether the applicant is a registered medical marijuana user.

The law does not contain any enforcement mechanism so it is likely that an applicant or employee who believes he was unfairly treated by an employer due to his medical marijuana use would seek to file a lawsuit for failure to hire or discharge in violation of public policy. Applicants and employees in other states with medical marijuana laws such as California, Michigan, Montana, Oregon, and Washington have not been successful with such cases to date. However, none of those states’ laws forbids employers from taking adverse employment action based on a person’s medical marijuana use as Connecticut’s new law does. Two states with statutes prohibiting adverse employment action on the basis of medical marijuana use are Maine and Rhode Island. Those statutes have not yet been tested in the courts to determine whether the employment-related provisions can be enforced.

In sum, Connecticut employers will have to be cautious when deciding what action to take when an applicant or an employee who tests positive for marijuana produces a medical marijuana user registration certificate.

The national battle over medical marijuana is heating up, Connecticut is about to become the 17th medical marijuana state, and state and local battles continue. And so do the DEA raids. Busy, busy, busy. Let’s get to it:

Last Wednesday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi criticized the federal crackdown on medical marijuana. Listening to her home town constituents, the San Francisco representative called on the administration to back off from the raids and prosecutions. In doing so, she joined the San Francisco and Alameda County Democratic Party organizations, and various state and local elected officials.

Last Saturday, 34 groups opposing medical marijuana sent a letter to President Obama urging him to “continue to enforce federal drug laws in states that allow ‘medical marijuana.’” The effort was organized by the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America and the signees were mostly law enforcement, treatment industry, and community anti-drug groups.

This week, drug reform and medical marijuana advocacy groups mobilized in support of an amendment to the Justice Department appropriations bill that would cut funding for the agency’s offensive against medical marijuana. The amendment failed on a voice vote Wednesday night.

California

Last Tuesday, the Milpitas city council voted to reaffirm its ban on dispensaries. City leaders had been considering allowing them in order to create tax revenues, but decided to hold off pending clarification of state laws by the Supreme Court.

Also last Tuesday, Yuba County adopted a medical marijuana nuisance ordinance on a 4-1 vote by the board of supervisors. The ordinance creates limits on how big a space people with valid medical marijuana cards could use to grow plants, depending on the size of the parcel. Earlier, there were loud objections about the 100 square foot limit on grows on parcels of less than an acre. Growers are threatening a lawsuit.

Last Wednesday, the DEA raided a Santa Barbara dispensary. The raiders hit Pacific Coast Collective, but no arrests were made. A sign posted on the door that same day read: “Due to a raid by the federal government, we will be closed until further notice. We are sorry for any inconvenience this has caused.”

Also last Wednesday, the LAPD raided an Eagle Rock dispensary. The American Eagle Collective was hit and police on the scene said it would be permanently shut down. The collective is one of more than two dozen that are being sued by the city of Los Angeles for allegedly violating city zoning laws. Two other Eagle Rock dispensaries have been sued for operating within 600 feet of a school. The city plans to seek a preliminary injunction against American Eagle on May 31.

Last Thursday, the DEA and local police hit a medical marijuana grow in Santa Barbara. It was part of a declared war on dispensaries in the county by federal prosecutors. “All known marijuana stores in Santa Barbara County are now the subject of federal enforcement actions,” according to a statement from the US Attorney’s Office. The feds also filed three asset forfeiture lawsuits, two against dispensaries and one against the grow up.

Last Friday, the DEA raided a Glendora dispensary. The raiders hit the Glendora Healing Clinic and arrested two customers on outstanding warrants. Agents seized money and marijuana, but did not arrest the operators. The dispensary had only been open a few weeks.

Also last Friday, Vallejo police raided their fifth dispensary since February. They hit Nature’s Love and arrested at least one person. The identity of the man taken into custody Friday, and if anything was seized from the dispensary was not immediately known.

On Tuesday, protestors picketed the Garden Grove city council over the city’s recent talks with federal authorities about helping them crack down on dispensaries. They also gave council members an earful once the meeting got underway.

Also on Tuesday, Tulare County amended its code enforcement measures for medical grows. Now, for the first time, the county can use administrative code enforcement proceedings that could lead to a series of penalties that include $100-a-day fines for each violation of the county’s medical marijuana ordinance.The ordinance specifies where medical marijuana can be grown and distributed, along with other requirements, which include requiring the plants be grown in enclosed buildings with security.

Also on Tuesday, the Palm Springs city council approved a fourth dispensary. Three permitted dispensaries already operate in the city, as do at least a half dozen unlicensed ones, clustered in an area known as “Little Amsterdam.”

Also on Tuesday, Nevada County approved marijuana cultivation ordinances on a 4-1 vote of the board of supervisors. The ordinances limit cultivation to 100 square feet in parcels smaller than two acres, 300 square feet in parcels smaller than five acres, 400 square feet in parcels less than 10 acres, and 600 square feet in parcels smaller than 20 acres. Unhappy residents shouted that supervisors should be voted out, and growers are threatening a lawsuit over the restrictions.

Also on Tuesday, the Vallejo city council retreated from plans to regulate dispensaries. They cited uncertainty under state law and fears of federal prosecution if they regulate. Residents accused the council of cowardice, but the council was not swayed.

Also on Tuesday, Lake County came out against a June ballot measure that would give “right to farm” privileges to medical marijuana growers. The board of supervisors voted to oppose Measure D, which would also allow medical pot growers to cultivate up to 12 mature plants in residential backyards of less than a half acre outside of city limits in Lake County. More plants could be grown on larger parcels, with a maximum of 84 plants allowed on properties that are seven acres or more. The ballot measure is opposed by county and police officials, the local Sierra Club, the Chamber of Commerce and state and local farm bureaus. Opponents say it will lower property values and increase pot-related crime.

Colorado

On Monday, a Denver attorney reported she had lost her liability insurancebecause part of her practice involves representing medical-marijuana businesses. Ann Toney’s insurance company, Hanover Insurance Group, explained that her practice “does not meet current underwriting guidelines because of the following risk factors: Area of practice involving medical marijuana.” This is believed to be the first time in the nation an attorney has lost her insurance because of doing medical marijuana-related work.

Also on Monday, 25 more dispensaries were ordered to close by federal prosecutors. All of the targeted dispensaries are within 1,000 feet of schools, which does not violate Colorado law, but which federal prosecutors are using as an arbitrary benchmark for targeting them.

On Wednesday, the state legislature adjourned without passing a drugged driving bill that would have criminalized drivers solely on the basis of having five nanograms or more of THC per milliliter of blood in their systems. The bill had passed the Senate, but didn’t get a floor vote in the House.

Connecticut

Last Saturday, the state Senate approved a medical marijuana bill. The measure had already passed the House, and Gov. Dan Malloy (D) has already said he will sign it. Connecticut will become the 17th medical marijuana state.

Iowa

On Sunday, news came that three out of four state Democratic district platforms support medical marijuana.

Michigan

Last Thursday, the House passed a package of four medical marijuana bills that advocates don’t think very much of. The Marijuana Policy Project said it is “opposed to the package because of concerns that the bills would compromise patients’ privacy and subject medical marijuana to more onerous restrictions than those that apply to more dangerous prescribed narcotics.” It is urging supporters to voice their objections to House bills 4834, 4851, and 4856.

Montana

On Monday, advocates suing to repeal Montana’s restrictive medical marijuana law said they need more donations to continue. The Montana Cannabis Industry Association said the case has cost about $150,000 and it needs another $100,000 to take the case to the state Supreme Court.

Also on Monday, the number of medical marijuana patients had dropped below 11,000, continuing a steep decline since the number of card-holders peaked at more than 31,000 at the end of last May. The number of providers has also declined by more than 90%, to slightly more than 400. This in the wake of a federal crackdown and the state legislature passing very restrictive legislation.

Rhode Island

On Wednesday, the state Senate approved a compromise dispensary bill. It would restrict dispensaries to 1,500 ounces of usable marijuana at one time and limit cultivation to 150 plants. Patients and caregivers would be able to sell their excess to the dispensaries. The bill now must be approved by the House. Dispensaries had been stalled after Gov. Lincoln Chafee (I) quailed in the face of federal threats; this compromise legislation should assuage his worries.

Wisconsin

Late last month, the Wisconsin Medical Society voted to adopt a new position on medical marijuana. It calls for further controlled studies on medical marijuana and a review of the plant’s Schedule I status.

 As you can see in the video link below (starting at around 33 seconds), the reporter asks the presidential candidate a viewer’s question about medical marijuana after discussing gay marriage, a hot-button issue for Romney.Mitt Romney doesn’t like marijuana or medical marijuana, and he doesn’t want to hear your insignificant questions about the subject, either. At least, that’s what he told CBS4′s Shaun Boyd in an interview yesterday.

Medical cannabis is a big issue here and in sixteen other states, but Romney doesn’t seem to think so. Nor did he like the question: He chastises the reporter like a father lecturing a mouthy high schooler for asking him about something he clearly finds trivial.

“Aren’t there issues of significance that you’d like to talk about?” Romney asks. “The economy, the economy, the economy. The growth of jobs. The need to put people back to work. The challenges of Iran. We’ve got enormous issues that we face, but you want talk about — go ahead — you want to talk about marijuana?”
Then he dodges the issue of state-legal medical marijuana by equating it and its users with illegal drugs: “I think marijuana should not be legal in this country. I believe it is a gateway drug to other drug violations. The use of illegal drugs in this country is leading to terrible consequences in places like Mexico — and actually in our country.”

Then the reporter drops the issue, moving on to Romney’s official talking points about the economy.

Never mind the fact that medical marijuana is an economic issue in this state, a legal industry that brings in millions of dollars in tax revenue and also creates hundreds of jobs. Apparently an economic reality in 34 percent of the states in this country isn’t big enough for Romney to consider.

This week has been full of crappy news for advocates of medical marijuana here in Orange County. First, there was the failed effort by U.S. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher(R-Huntington Beach) to amend the Justice Department’s spending bill by preventing funding for the federal crackdown of medical marijuana dispensaries in California and other states that allow medical pot. Rohrabacher won no less than 163 of his colleagues to vote in favor of the measure, but 262 voted to continue the crackdown, including 19 mostly Republican legislators from California.

It’s not just the feds that are pushing ahead with their misguided attempts to circumvent state law, though. Here in Orange County, the number of cities cracking down all by their lonesomes–Lake Forest, Dana Point, Costa Mesa, what’s up!–is growing every week. The latest: Santa Ana. The city has had a medical pot ban for five years and has so far shut down dozens of dispensaries, but since not all cannabis clubs have fled yet, the city is ramping up the crackdown with frequent code enforcement fines.

The Huffington Post  |  By Lucia Graves Posted: 05/11/2012 12:07 pm Updated: 05/11/2012 3:23 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rCVc_kLfjMg

MARIJUANA, INC. (OTC:HEMP) or (HEMP.PK) is pleased to announce that MarijuanaInc.TV Segment Producer Stephanie Bishop will be in Dallas, Texas to cover the Director’s Screening Party “Hemp Bash 2012″ for the movie Hempsters: Plant The Seed starring Woody Harrelson, Willie Nelson, Ralph Nader and Merle Haggard. Content, including interviews, will be made available on www.marijuanainc.tv and www.hemp.com.

Hempsters: Plant The Seed follows seven activists as they fight to legalize industrial hemp in the United States. Industrial hemp is used in over 30 countries and is widely known to have numerous environmental benefits such as: less reliance on oil, more efficient use of energy, forest conservation, soil redemption and landfill use reduction. As our society continues to consume 30% more than the planet can regenerate, Industrial Hemp is proven to be a viable and cost-effective crop that can reduce our reliance on some of the earth’s most precious resources.

The film begins with the arrest of Woody Harrelson for planting four uncultivated hemp seeds in Kentucky and his subsequent trial and acquittal. This lively documentary, directed by Michael Henning and produced by Diana Oliver, explores the reasons why the United States is the only developed country that still bans the growth of Industrial Hemp. Hemp, which is a durable fiber cultivated from plants of the cannabis genus, can be used for paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food and fuel. Due to its relation to marijuana, it is illegal to grow in the U.S. under Federal law. Hemp is considered a controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act even though it contains minimum levels of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Featured speaker Julia “Butterfly” Hill, activist and environmentalist will address a crowd of hemp enthusiasts. Hill went to extreme lengths to protest the pulping of old-growth forests by living for over two years at the top of a 1,000 year old redwood tree in Northern California. Industrial hemp is a viable alternative for timber products. Hill lived in the tree, affectionately known as “Luna,” to prevent loggers of the Pacific Lumber Company from cutting it down. She is the author of the book The Legacy of Luna and co-author of One Makes the Difference. Hill was the subject of the 2000 documentary film Butterfly, and she is featured in the documentary film Tree-Sit: The Art of Resistance, both chronicling her time in the redwood tree.

CEO Bruce Perlowin stated, “As traffic to www.marijuanainc.tv and www.hemp.com increases, so will revenues through advertisers. Our in-studio projects should provide significant returns. Our social networking statistics show over 250,000 followers on Twitter alone. Also focusing on the Triple Bottom Line principle is very important to us; as we prosper, we will strive towards corporate social responsibility; people, planet and profit as the corporate path towards sustainability.”

MarijuanaInc.TV will continue to provide coverage of pertinent events in the medical marijuana and hemp arenas, in the coming months. Watch the coverage on www.marijuanainc.tv and www.hemp.com.

ABOUT MARIJUANA, INC.

Marijuana, Inc. (HEMP.pk) focuses on the peripheral businesses created by the quickly emerging, and growing, multibillion dollar medical marijuana and hemp industries. Marijuana, Inc. (HEMP.pk) is not involved in the cultivation or marketing of medical marijuana. It is the company’s belief that legalization of marijuana on a federal level will come to pass for all 50 states. With that in mind, the company is building infrastructure with the potential to gain substantial market share once marijuana prohibition ends.* (Pending any federal licensing or other requirements, that may be enacted after marijuana prohibition ends).
This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and information, as defined within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and is subject to the Safe Harbor created by those sections. This material contains statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements by definition involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Marijuana, Inc. to be materially different from the statements made herein.FORWARD-LOOKING DISCLAIMER
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