This has led to all sorts of injustices. Historically, it’s been military policy to exclude from entrance any individual who previously used marijuana as a civilian. In recent years, waivers for “past misconduct” have risen, and are expected to continue rising. Just last year, for instance, the Military Times reported a Vietnam War veteran and head of a military school in Florida was terminated for using medical marijuana extract to treat cancer.

Now, Congressional leaders have filed twin bills in the House and Senate to change federal law that would allow U.S. veterans who abide by state medical marijuana laws to avoid federal intervention and would allow doctors with the Department of Veterans Affairs to issue medical marijuana recommendations to their patients. The Veterans Medical Marijuana Safe Harbor Act, sponsored by U.S. Senate Democrats from California and Hawaii, notes that the drug is legal in 33 states and that medical marijuana can be used to treat chronic pain without the use of dangerous and highly addictive opiates. The sponsor of the House version of the bill said in a statement, “it’s past time to end the anti-science, anti-health cannabis prohibition laws that prevent veterans from accessing health care.”

Our Los Angeles medical marijuana lawyers also believe that veterans and their doctors should be allowed to make health care decisions that are informed – without political interference.

This legislation, if passed, would also require the VA to initiate a study of the impact of medical marijuana on veterans suffering from pain, and the relationship between treatment programs involving medical marijuana to treat the chronic pain of veterans in states where it’s legal, how many veterans have access to those programs The proposal would allocate $15 million to support this research.

These measures are virtually identical to the legislation proposed last year in the Senate, but this year, it adds protection for medical marijuana policies of Native American tribes as well as in states where the drug is legal.

Sponsors note that states like California that allow medical marijuana have nearly 25 percent fewer opiod overdoses compared to those states with tight restrictions that do not allow medical marijuana. The provisions in the law that would shield veteran patients and their physicians would sunset after a period of five years, after which it would require renewal.

As longtime Los Angeles medical marijuana attorneys, we know veterans have increasingly been turning to marijuana as medicine to treat some of the conditions most common among combat soldiers.

Republican-controlled House and Senate majorities in recent years have blocked legislation that would lift or at least loosen federal restrictions on marijuana, considered a Schedule I narcotic under the Controlled Substances Act. Increasing evidence indicates overwhelming support for medical marijuana at all ends of the political spectrum.

The Los Angeles CANNABIS LAW Group represents growers, dispensaries, collectives, patients and those facing marijuana charges. Call us at 949-375-4734.

Additional Resources:

Lawmakers File Bills To Legalize Medical Marijuana For Military Veterans, Feb. 13, 2019, By Tom Angell, Marijuana Moment

More Blog Entries:

Cannabis Copyright in California: Protecting Your Budding Brand, Feb. 12, 2019, California Veterans Marijuana Attorney Blog

veterans are using medical marijuana. This is in spite of the fact that the department does not allow its doctors to recommend marijuana. The department cites Controlled Substances Act, 21 U.S.C. Section 812 as the reason for this policy, stating they are bound by the federal ban on cannabis being part of a federal agency. The department even shies away from studying the benefits of cannabis, instead focusing their research almost entirely on its problems, according to an article from New York Times.

For veterans who rely on medical treatment through the VA, this can mean they never receive access to medical marijuana. Many veterans have reported cannabis to be an effective treatment for chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder – two common issues among those who have fought in wars. It could also mean that veterans will still seek a way to obtain medical marijuana, either by visiting a physician certified to recommend cannabis other than their VA doctor, by purchasing recreational marijuana if they live in a state where it’s legal, or by illicit means. None of these methods are ideal, and this certainly is not the way we should be treating those who have served our country. There are, however, a few things that would be helpful for veterans to know about medical marijuana and the VA.The VA has a list of guidelines to help veterans understand their patient rights and how medical marijuana and VA treatments can co-exist.

• Veterans will not be denied VA benefits if they disclose marijuana use.
• They are encouraged to discuss medical marijuana use with their VA provider.
• Use will be recorded, but will remain confidential as part of privacy laws.
• VA will not recommend medical marijuana, will not fill out paperwork to participate in state programs, will not fill prescriptions for any form of marijuana at VA pharmacies, and will not pay for prescriptions of medical marijuana from other sources.
• Use or possession of medical marijuana is not permitted on VA property, which is considered federal property, operating under federal law.
• VA employees are subject to drug testing.

The department is currently involved in two studies about the potential positive effects of medical marijuana: one that tests CBD and its effects on PTSD (which is slated to last through 2023) and another that studies pain relief for hospice care patients. These studies are small steps, but steps nonetheless. Meanwhile, other people and organizations are stepping up to bat for our veterans. American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars are pushing for expanded studies, for example. The Santa Cruz Veterans Alliance gathers donations from growers to give away to veterans for free every month to help those who cannot afford to get cannabis without the help of their VA benefits. The giveaway bags include a variety of products, such as candies, hemp oils, lotions, pills, and smokable strains, giving veterans many options depending on their needs.

Our Los Angeles medical marijuana lawyers also will always be here to defend our veterans seeking relief with the help of cannabis.

The Los Angeles CANNABIS LAW Group represents growers, dispensaries, collectives, patients, defendants, workers and those facing criminal marijuana charges. Call us at 949-375-4734.

Additional Resources:

VA and Marijuana – What Veterans Need to Know, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

More Blog Entries:

Veterans Continue to be Denied Medical Marijuana Access, May 1, 2014, Cannabis Law Group

marijuana-derived drug was recently approved by the FDA, making it the first of its kind. According to Washington Post, Epidiolex is a liquid anti-seizure drug which contains a purified cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive element in marijuana. CBD, as you likely know it as, only contains trace amounts of THC and does not create the “high” that so many marijuana naysayers point to as the defense for their outdated thinking. CBD oil is commonly used for pain management, anxiety, addiction treatment, and now in a drug used for childhood epilepsy. Clinical trials of Epidiolex have shown better results without the severe side effects of epilepsy drugs already on the market. The drug has now been approved for patients 2 and older. Of course this is significant for families battling this debilitating disorder, but it also could be a groundbreaking moment for the rest of us as well.

As our Orange County marijuana lawyers can explain, cannabis is still classified as a Schedule I narcotic. According to Controlled Substances Act, 21 U.S.C. Section 812, a drug is considered Schedule I if it meets three criteria:

1) It has high potential for abuse. 2) It has no currently accepted medical use. 3) Even under medical supervision, it lacks accepted safety standards.

Millions of Americans have come to understand that these three statements couldn’t be further from the truth in regards to cannabis. That is precisely why FDA approval of a CBD derived drug is so colossal. Now a federal agency has directly acknowledged the safety and efficacy of medical marijuana. It is predicted that now the Drug Enforcement Administration could reclassify cannabis within 90 days, though there is some question as to whether marijuana as a whole would be reclassified or only CBD.

In the past, FDA has approved drugs that attempt to mimic the effects of THC, for example in drugs that cancer patients use to fight nausea from their treatments. But we all know there’s no reason we can’t move past all the hysteria and start working with the real deal. Reclassifying marijuana would mean doctors would be more free to run more trials, perform tests to determine the proper dosages and strains for various treatments more freely, and the drug could be more seriously taught in medical schools. It also would finally legitimize the medical marijuana laws already in place in 29 states and Washington, D.C.

Californians have been able to enjoy the healing properties of medical marijuana for more than 20 years. Yet the federal government has waffled on declassifying or dropping cannabis to a lower schedule. Sometimes anecdotes, no matter how frequent or compelling, just aren’t enough to shift deeply engrained ideas. Our attorneys know FDA approval is a huge first step, but we still aren’t anywhere where we need to be as a country. Discussions about CBD that still demonize the effects of THC will continue to perpetuate old myths about marijuana and tropes about “stoners.” So long as such old-school propaganda continues to enter any serious conversation about marijuana, whether medical or recreational, our attorneys will be there to fight back with facts. We have your back with a variety of services that use our wealth of knowledge and experience, including helping entrepreneurs establish cannabis businesses, defending Californians against employers or landlords trying to infringe on rights, and assisting with criminal matters related to marijuana.

The Los Angeles CANNABIS LAW Group represents growers, dispensaries, collectives, patients, defendants, workers and those facing criminal marijuana charges. Call us at 949-375-4734.

Additional Resources:

Researching the Potential Medical Benefits and Risks of Marijuana, March 29, 2018, U.S. Food and Drug Administration

More Blog Entries:

FDA: Liquid Marijuana Synthetic Approved for Cancer, AIDS Patients, Aug. 24, 2016, Cannabis Law Group

ignore marijuana crimes so along as alleged violators were in compliance with state laws. This step gave states the space to figure out how they wanted to handle recreational and/or medical cannabis laws without interference from the federal government.

Sessions, however, has made it clear he intends to revive marijuana prosecutions based on the drug’s current Schedule I controlled substance designation under the Controlled Substances Act, 21 U.S.C. Section 812. By rescinding the 2013 order, Sessions has given federal officials the freedom to pursue charges against anyone for these violations – even if they follow state and local laws to the letter. Our marijuana attorneys in L.A. encourage all cannabis business owners in California to seek prompt legal counsel to best protect themselves and their livelihood.

Some don’t see this as an immediate threat, citing the lack of resources to go after so many operations. They also point to a lack of support among citizens to pursue such charges, meaning juries will be more reticent to convict. Others are less optimistic.This is especially true in states with brand new marijuana laws, such as Maryland, which only recently launched a medical marijuana program. When Sessions spoke out a few weeks later, many doctors in the state panicked, according to a Washington Post report. The Maryland State Medical Society even said some doctors who had already registered to offer marijuana to patients withdrew after Sessions’s announcement, despite the top prosecutor in Maryland stating he had no plan to go after participants in medical marijuana.

This hesitation by the medical community is nothing new though, especially on the east coast, where awareness and education on the benefits of marijuana are not as prevalent as they are here in California. In Massachusetts, for example, just over 200 doctors in the whole state have registered to recommend cannabis to patients. Perceptions in the state could change this year after it becomes legal for residents to have limited personal plants in their home and possess marijuana for personal use. Question 4, which was voted on by residents in November 2016, also allows for licenses for commercial sale. It is scheduled to go into effect July 1 of this year.

Our Riverside medical marijuana attorneys hope to continue to see the country push back on this unwarranted and outdated federal classification of marijuana. There is far too much evidence of its benefits medically to continue to treat it the same as drugs like heroin.

In the meantime, education is a top priority. Some doctors are hesitant to recommend marijuana not only because of federal oversight, but also based on lack of knowledge. Unlike other drugs, its treatment potential was not discussed during medical school, nor are there set dosages and guidelines for how to use it to best treat various ailments. In a field that prefers precision, doctors are often not so inclined to recommend trial and error to their patients if other options are available. Other doctors rely on dispensaries to know the best strain to offer the patient, but this puts a lot of pressure on dispensary owners, who are knowledgeable in the different strains, but not the different medical issues.

But for those doctors who are moving forward, many say the rewards of seeing the suffering of their patients alleviated has outweighed the risks. We hope more research and education will help move the medical field and the country forward.

The Los Angeles CANNABIS LAW Group represents growers, dispensaries, collectives, patients, defendants, workers and those facing criminal marijuana charges. Call us at 949-375-4734.

Additional Resources:

Doctors Backing Out of Recommending Medical Marijuana in Response to Sessions Memo, Feb. 2, 2018, By Steve Hendrix, Washington Post

More Blog Entries:

An Aging Population Trades in Pills for Marijuana, Sept. 8, 2017, Riverside Medical Marijuana Attorney Blog

The first thing to understand is that marijuana, which is a plant that people consume, is classified as kitniyot, which includes other grains like corn, rice and beans. These foods are generally prohibited during Passover, as the dietary restrictions are much different and stricter than they are during the rest of the year.

However, this leading rabbi declared that marijuana could be an exception to the normal prohibition of eating or otherwise consuming these types of plant items during Passover. As part of his examination, the rabbi smelled leaves from a marijuana plant and said that they possessed a healing smell.

This decision is similar to one made by the former head rabbi. However in the past. the rabbi stated that while it is okay to use marijuana on Passover for medical purposes, it was not okay to use cannabis for recreational purposes during the holiday. This is a change to the edict of another rabbi that had said in the past that if you smoke the marijuana, it is okay since the prohibition only applies to foods you eat. This is no longer an issue under the most recent declaration.

As for whether marijuana is kosher in general, while there should be no issue, as it is a plant, one medical marijuana producer has taken steps to get their products certified by a rabbinical body with the authority to bless kosher foods. Based upon their general commentary, the rabbis treat marijuana like they do alcohol. It is never okay to drink to excess and to escape emotional problems, but there is nothing inherently wrong with the substance.

While it may seem odd that rabbis are taking a stance on medical marijuana such as they have, it goes to show how important medical marijuana has become and will become in our society in the future. However, there is still a long way to go before medical marijuana is legal in every state, as there are now 23 states and the District of Columbia that allow medical marijuana or even recreational marijuana in some form or another. It is also possible that marijuana will become legalized for recreational use across the nation before every state allows for the use of medical marijuana in their respective jurisdictions.

As our Los Angeles medical marijuana collectives attorneys have seen, there is a lot going on right now both locally and across the nation in terms of medical marijuana regulation. One things that is very important to address is the change to a state level administration of medical marijuana programs and the options of local municipalities to prevent the opening or continued operation or dispensaries and cultivation centers. This can have a major effect on businesses that are already in existence and those wishing to move to the area.

The Los Angeles CANNABIS LAW Group represents growers, dispensaries, collectives, patients and those facing marijuana charges. Call us at 949-375-4734.

Additional Resources:

Medical Marijuana Kosher For Passover: Leading Rabbi, April 26, 2016, The Right Perspective

More Blog Entries: New Statewide Regs Push for Local Bans on Medical Marijuana, Feb. 3, 2016, Los Angeles Marijuana Lawyer Blog

In other words, there are those that believe people who use medical marijuana are a bunch of potheads who move slowly and have the munchies. When an athlete tests positive for marijuana in the Olympics, he or she result is disqualified and there is a possibility of medals that have already been awarded could be stripped. When this happens, as it has in past, many joke that marijuana is clearly not a performance enhancer, so it should be allowed.

According to a recent news feature from the Los Angeles times, one former NCAA All-American track star is tying to prove that he can run a fast race after smoking weed and wants to run a four-minute mile in an upcoming race in California.

He tried to do it in a recent race, and, while he had no trouble with speed, he did have trouble following the race course as he was far ahead of the other candidates and ended up somewhat lost. He said he was running in the 4.2-mile race and quickly ran ahead of not only the other contestants, but also of the race officials. There were no signs posted telling runners where to go, because the race volunteers were supposed to do that, and they were not up to where he was running, because they did not expect anyone to get there so fast.

He was eventually able to find his way and crossed the finish line in the wrong direction after having run a quarter of a mile extra due to his unintended detour. This was actually a marijuana themed race, and he was by far the winner. He said he is doing this to show that pot users can be in top physical shape and not merely sit around eating snacks and watching Netflix.

He had previously run in the Olympics and was asked if he used marijuana at any time around the international competition. While he had no problem discussing his current marijuana use, he said he would not answer any questions about the past Olympics, because it could jeopardize his accomplishments and the team’s accomplishments.

As our Orange County medical marijuana attorneys have seen over the years, public opinion about medical cannabis is changing a lot, but there is still a long way to go until it gets the acceptance that it deserves. It has been shown to help children with deadly diseases lead a normal life, just as it helped cancer patients deal with the very difficult process of chemotherapy and radiation.

The Los Angeles CANNABIS LAW Group represents growers, dispensaries, collectives, patients and those facing marijuana charges. Call us at 949-375-4734.

Additional Resources: ‘The World’s Fastest Stoner’ wants to one day run a four-minute mile stoned, April 20, 2016, LA Times, By James Queally

More Blog Entries: California to Earn Huge Income from Taxes Should Legalized Marijuana Pass, Jan. 18, 2016, Los Angeles Marijuana Lawyer Blog

Given the fact that California was the first state in the nation to legalize medical marijuana when the very bold initiative was taken back in 1996, the question is why would Los Angeles County not want medical marijuana being grown within its borders.

First, it should be noted that it was never fully legal to cultivate medical marijuana in Los Angeles County. Rather, it was considered more of a gray area. Still, many did cultivate the drug within the state. However, a law recently passed and signed by Governor Jerry Brown requires county officials to enact specific bans on cultivation or dispensing of medical cannabis, and if they fail to act, these activities will become legal by operation of law.

To prevent this from happening, the county superintendents decided to pass such legislation. It is not that the county does not want anyone to ever grow medical marijuana in Los Angeles, but they are not sure of the impact to the community, the local economy, and the environment if they allow the cultivation centers to exist. They also do not know how many cultivation centers they would allow and where they would be located.

The county decided to enact a temporary ban to give them some time to study the issue and see what they would feel comfortable with on a long-term basis. As of now, the ban is in place for 45 days and will expire by itself unless it is extended. The law allows the period of banned cultivation to be extended from 45 days to two years if more time to study the issue is needed. However, it should also be noted that there is a decent chance that an upcoming ballot initiative to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes will be put to the voters in November, and there is a good chance that will pass. If that happens, it could change everything, and it may be possible to grow marijuana in many more places so long as EPA and the new state marijuana control agency signs off on water use and permits as they would with any other farming operation.

Specifically, there are concerns over pesticide use, water flow, land grading, electricity usage and zoning requirements. Water usage is always a big issue in California because of the constant drought conditions combined with the fact that marijuana uses a lot of water when growing as compared to many other crops.

Many also believe that it has more to do with who is elected as a supervisor and think the study is just a way to delay the process.

The Los Angeles CANNABIS LAW Group represents growers, dispensaries, collectives, patients and those facing marijuana charges. Call us at 949-375-4734.

Additional Resources:

Why LA County banned medical marijuana growing, April 12, 2016, KPCC, By News Desk

More Blog Entries: California to Earn Huge Income from Taxes Should Legalized Marijuana Pass, Jan. 18, 2016, Los Angeles Marijuana Lawyer Blog

The prohibition on marijuana was originally based upon a need to rid society of all “vices” and as a way to oppress minority groups in America. The so-called “War on Drugs” has cost the taxpayers unfathomable amounts of money, much of which was spent on stopping the importation and sale of marijuana, and created unjust results in the federal penal system. While the general public opinion has vastly changed, and now 23 states and the District of Columbia allow medical marijuana, or even recreational use of marijuana, there are still those against legalization, and many of these people are in law enforcement. One of the reasons law enforcement agents are so against legalization is because, for many years, officers claiming they smelled marijuana has been used a pretext to stop cars and pedestrians and perform unwarranted searches and seizures. It would not matter if the search turned up no marijuana but did turn up some other type of contraband.

According to a recent news feature from NBC News Southern California, a man crashed his car repeatedly into a Jack-in-the-Box restaurant in Los Angeles, and the authorities are blaming this on medical marijuana.

Authorities have said the man allegedly went to the fast food restaurant and tried to the use the women’s bathroom. Apparently, some of the employees in the fast food establishment refused to allow him to use the women’s room. It is not known at this time if the men’s room was occupied or out of order at the time of the incident in question.

After the man was not allowed to use the bathroom, he allegedly became what authorities are calling “agitated” and left the fast food eatery and got back in his car. He then allegedly rammed his car into the wall of the restaurant repeatedly until he made a couple of large holes in the exterior of the restaurant. There were more than a dozen customers and various employees in the restaurant when he allegedly crashed his car through the wall, but it is not believed any of them were injured.

One witness joked about him wanting to get to the burgers and fries, and it is being implied that medical marijuana is largely responsible for his behavior. However, as our Orange County medical marijuana attorneys have seen in various cases, it is rarely medical marijuana that would cause anything like that. Instead, it is possible that a patient already had an anger management problem, or another mental health condition like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The medical marijuana use may or may not help reduce this type of behavior.

The Los Angeles CANNABIS LAW Group represents growers, dispensaries, collectives, patients and those facing marijuana charges. Call us at 949-375-4734.

Additional Resources: High on Medical Marijuana, Man Angrily Crashes Into Jack in the Box, April 20, 2016, News 4, By Whitney Irick

More Blogs: Medical Marijuana Laws in CA More Liberal than in NY, Jan. 27, 2016, Los Angeles Marijuana Lawyer Blog

The highest schedule on the USCA is known as “Schedule I” and is reserved for the most allegedly dangerous drugs available. These drugs are supposed to have no known medical use and be highly addictive and dangerous to be listed as a Schedule I controlled substance. To get an idea of the type of drugs on Schedule I, we can look at a list of what is included. Congress has chosen to classify heroin, Quaaludes, GHB, and many other dangerous hallucinogens, as well as marijuana, at the highest schedule.

Since Schedule I is the most dangerous class of drugs, and Schedule Two is the next step down, we would expect these drugs to be safer and have more medical uses. Some examples of Schedule II controlled substances are cocaine, amphetamines, opium, oxycodone, Vicodin, Phencyclidine (PCP), and even pentobarbital, which is best known for being used to cause death via lethal injection executions. In case you were wondering, cocaine was once used before the invention of Novocain (now replaced by lidocaine) at the dentist, and is still used in dental pain control in very rare instances.

This means that your dentist can order cocaine with his or her DEA number and keep it on hand in the office, but as noted in a recent article from PBS Newshour, a well-respected Alzheimer’s researcher needs to wait six months for the DEA to approve a shipment of a small amount of medical marijuana to give to lab rats, who may be too old for the study by the time the medical marijuana arrives.

Apparently, the mice have to be a certain age, and must be raised in a certain way to make them eligible to participate in the bench research process, and when it takes so long to get marijuana, this often creates problems for researchers.

It is somewhat ironic that one of the reasons marijuana is allegedly on the Schedule I list is because it has no accepted medical uses supported by peer-reviewed federally approved research. While this in and of itself is not true, it is hard to do research when the federal government has made it very difficult to perform any experiments in the lab or with human patients.

If you are attempting to conduct research involving medical marijuana in Los Angeles, one of the best things you can do is to speak with an experienced attorney about what you can do within the system, and what you can do to make the process go more smoothly. While this may seem like a classic catch-22 situation, there are things that can be done to conduct research while not violating any DEA regulations, but there is a lot of red tape, and that is where the assistance of an experienced medical marijuana lawyer can really help.

The Los Angeles CANNABIS LAW Group represents growers, dispensaries, collectives, patients and those facing marijuana charges. Call us at 949-375-4734.

Additional Resources: Reclassifying pot could usher in a new era in medical marijuana research, April 20, 2016, PBS Newshour, By David Noonan

More Blog Entries: Kosher Medical Marijuana for Orthodox Patients Available, Jan. 23, 2016, Los Angeles Marijuana Lawyer Blog