New scientific, political advances for cannabis

Kristin Peskuski addressed a Medical Cannabis Conference held at the senior community Laguna Woods City Auditorium on Jan. 22. The image behind her depicts super-magnified and colorized trichomes, or resin glands of the cannabis plant, which contain cannabinoids. More about the conference and more photos by Michael Guerrini inside.

March 18th, 2011 | Category: Medical Marijuana, SCIENCE & GARDEN | One comment

More THC, less CBD in confiscated cannabis

By Paul Armentano, NORML

Levels of the cannabinoid CBD (cannabidiol) are declining in marijuana, according to a review* of over 5,000 samples seized by law enforcement in California. The review appears on the website of the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

Investigators at the RAND Corporation in Santa Monica assessed changes in the median THC and CBD levels of cannabis seized between 1996 and 2008 and found that THC levels rose during this time peri- od while CBD levels fell.

“[M]edian THC potency has increased from 4.56% in 1996 to 11.75% in 2008,” they reported. “The increase in THC was far more dramatic in non-border areas (from 4.18% to 13.95%) than in border areas (from 4.52% to 6.84%). … The median level of CBD dropped from 0.24% in 1996 to 0.08% in 2008.” The authors speculated that the shift was because “growers are making greater use of plant strains that

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March 17th, 2011 | Category: National, SCIENCE & GARDEN | One comment

Overflow crowd turns out for forum to discuss ‘Next Steps’ for marijuana reform in California

California Norml hosts two conferences By Chris Conrad West Coast Leaf

An overflow crowd came from around the state to Berkeley Jan. 29, 2011 for a California NORML conference to assess ‘Marijuana Reform: Next Steps for California.’ Another conference is set for March 19 in Los Angeles (see canorml.org).

At the Jan. 29 event, State Senator Mark Leno and Assemblyman Tom Ammiano agreed that with Jerry Brown as state governor the prospect of getting meaningful reform passed and signed into law is enhanced. Leno said he is introducing SB129 to protect the jobs of qualified patients who use cannabis medicinally.

Oakland City Councilwoman Desley Brooks and Mendocino Supervisor John McCowen spoke of devising workable solutions at the local level in the face of erratic federal intervention. Surprise guest speaker Ethan Nadelmann of Drug Policy

Alliance pointed to a global debate that Prop 19 initiated in 2010 and the more

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March 17th, 2011 | Category: West Coasterdam | 2 comments