It is the great number of Recreational users that will help keep the market going, help push for higher quality and more diversity in strains and help regulate price.

Regardless of whether they get some medicinal benefit or are just being a part of it to avoid legal issues, without the huge number of people that just like to get high, there simply will not be the demand and quality.

Marijuana smokers come together! For whatever needs you have, for whatever draws you to Cannabis and for whatever makes you LOVE it…join in so we can all benefit.

ReporterB

Medicine, as a business, is highly regulated and highly documented. It has to be when you’re dealing with people’s health – this ensures the saftey and protection of the Patients and the Health Care Providers. So why should Cannabis be any different? It should not and this is why the community must keep records.

They will be private. They will be secure. They can have generic patient names. But you should keep records. And I’m not the only one who thinks this…check out these examples:

1. Michigan Medical Marijuana Assocation:  Accurate records will also help a caregiver prove to law enforcement, should the need arise, that they are operating within the guidelines set forth in the Act. Caregivers should keep accurate records of each patient including:

• A copy of each patient’s Registry I.D. Card
• Complete address and contact information for each patient
• An inventory of each patient’s strain, plants, and usable marijuana
• A log of transactions for each patient

2.  State of California vs. Dennis Peron (started first Cannabis Club) – 1997: Issued the following: Superior Court of the City and County of San Francisco, David A. Garcia, Judge:  Respondents shall maintain records showing monies expended and received as reimbursement of expenditures including overhead for their activities relating to the provision of medicinal marijuana.

3. District Attorney of Butte County, CA: On their website said “Do keep records on your patient’s medical needs, including a copy of the physician recommendation and recommended dosage. Do keep records of any expenses relative to the patient’s care.”

Some may be concerned of course but these are the types of steps that help LEGITIMIZE Cannabis as a true medicine. It should be measured and regulated by the people involved so it can be fully understood and accepted.

ReporterB.

From Police Captain, Peter Christ (ret.) member of LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition) speaking about how Prohibition does not work in any way, at any place. He spoke about the very first instance of Prohibition:

1. The Law: Do not eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil!

2. Location: Garden of Eden

3. Number of people involved: 2

4. Number of Trees of Knowledge to prohibit: 1

5. Entity enforcing the Prohibition: The Creator himself…wow.

We all know how that ended up. And while this is an extreme example (and I DO NOT want to get into a religious conversation) knowing that this all mighty Prohibition itself did not work on such a small control sample is an interesting way to illustrate why it does not work.

By dangling something in front of people and saying “See this lovely thing here? Well, you can’t have it!” all you are doing is making them want it more.

This is nothing new, I just thought it was a funny illustration of Prohibition.

Enjoy…more to come as always.

ReporterB.

The stigma attached to using Cannabis, whether medicinally or recreationally, is not gone by any means. However, it is decreasing every single day.

So what makes people finally comfortable being open about their Cannabis use? Well, the more people that do it, the more is written and discussed in public forums, the more it seems ok, others are going to join in – empowering Marijuana Momentum! If you hear about something all the time, if you talk about it more, if it’s in the media and all around the culture, it starts to take away the taboo aspect of it. It becomes familiar and comfortable and accepted – besides the federal law part of ‘accepted’ of course.

If you care about Cannabis.  Medicinal Marijuana. Weed. Whatever. I would encourage you to take some strides towards liberation. I’m not saying tell your boss you get high, walk around waving doobies all over the place, etc. but start to open up with trusted friends.

Or you can always start writing a blog about it – that helps too

ReporterB.

I think we need some local Medicinal Marijuana dispensaries, in Beta version of course. Let’s get them up and running, possibly in those gray areas of the law yet to be fully determined, and measure the affect.

The people overseeing them (and the people overseeing the people) should continue to watch, observe and regulate with great attention – just as they are right now in so many states where this is new. Obviously the full health, financial and societal affects cannot truly be known for years. However, we have many current examples from which we can learn and refine the next iteration, the Dispensaries: Beta Version.

From the same Reuters article ” ‘We’ve focused our efforts on reaching our high bar for taking our products out of beta, and all the applications in the Apps suite have now met that mark,’ wrote product management director Matthew Glotzbach in a blog post.”

I have absolutely no doubt that the people involved in the Cannabis world have incredibly high standards themselves and will be able to remove the “beta” tag soon. But we have to start somewhere…so let’s get on with it.

ReporterB.

www.michiganmedicalmarijuana.org

www.marijuana.com

For those that don’t know, these are “simply community-based support groups of patients, caregivers, families and loved ones, local caregiver groups, and the public, who meet regularly to learn and provide mutual support.” (Taken from the MMMA site)

The people there are a mix of Patients, Caregivers, organizational people and just people who are not sure of their involvement, but want to learn more about what is going on. Some are very sick, some are not. But one thing is consistent: They are there to answer questions, ask questions, and put their heart into this because they believe in Cannabis as something positive.

It is a team atmosphere and like any team, it’s not without conflict or disagreement. But from what I’ve seen, it’s all healthy debate striving to get MORE information, MORE answers, MORE action. These are the people that are going to initiate change in laws, change in community and change in perception.

And the people that run them work their asses off. People like Brad Forrester and Greg Francisco give tirelessly of their time, their money and their brain power for the good of us all. So Thank You to everyone who gives.

If you have a chance, go check out a Compassion Club meeting. It’s not an AA meeting. It’s not religious. It’s not a hippy-fest smokedown. It’s just real life with real people.

ReporterB – also check out these:

Marijuana.com – http://www.marijuana.com/

Michigan Medical Marijuana Association – http://www.michiganmedicalmarijuana.org/

HempNews – http://hempnewstv.wordpress.com/

420 Magazine – http://www.420magazine.com/forums/

I live in Michigan, and unless you have been hidden away filming a Reality Show for the past 2 years, you will know that this area is hurting. With the forced reinvention of the Auto Industry, this State is in need of new solutions, new economy and a new energy.

There are some people who are looking to find that next big single industry to come and take the place of the Big Three. The Movie Industry. The Alternative Energy Industry. Maybe the reinvented Auto Industry itself. But most people know that there will not be just one solution to this problem…it can and must be a Collective Effort.

The Cannabis Industry is going to be a part of this effort, and not only in Michigan. Consider that the Government of California received an additional $100 million in tax money from the legal sale of Cannabis and you can see how it could make sense to so many.

A major driver in the success of the industry is that it’s driven by people that genuinely care about and enjoy what they’re doing. It’s a talented community because they believe in it and they are good at it. The need is definitely there as is the desire to be a part of the solution.

You have enthusiastic suppliers, deserving demand and caring people in all facets.

Living in these massively transitional times has a way of changing how we look at things. Family, Money, Time, Business. A lot of people are looking at the Cannabis Industry in a different way and with that, the possibility for significant good.

ReporterB – also check out these:

Marijuana.com – http://www.marijuana.com/

Michigan Medical Marijuana Association – http://www.michiganmedicalmarijuana.org/

HempNews – http://hempnewstv.wordpress.com/

420 Magazine – http://www.420magazine.com/forums/

If you consume Cannabis for any reason, be it Medicinal, Recreational, Religious or other, there is always a place for appreciating its natural characteristics. And people are starting to keep track of, get deeper into and truly savor the differences in smell, density, taste and effect.

Not only does this once again show the level of love that people have for this plant but it helps change how others look at and think about Cannabis. Now, trust me, I know she ain’t the most beautiful flower in the garden. However, like wine, cigars, or cheese, there is a special connection with things that we put into our bodies and learning to appreciate them deeply lifts our level of humanity.

And while most of these are items that humans have played a part in creating, working in tune with nature to create something new, Cannabis grows without aid from us (although we have helped perfect and propagate this species through our love and usage). This means that its characteristics are a reflection of the empirical and complex beauty that is Nature.

Next time you are around Marijuana for whatever reason, take a close look at. Hold it, look at the color, the trichomes, the hairs. Then give it a slight squeeze to feel the density and release some of the scent and take a deep smell. It’s the smell of humanity and nature, both elevated and connected – and it’s lovely.

That was a nice post to write, so I will probably be covering this topic more in the future.

Reporter B is gone.

These will hopefully be continuations of people like Dennis Peron and now Richard Lee who blaze trails, push limits, and take chances for the good of others, for the good of all. And they will view this as a mission, a joy and also a business.

I’m envisioning a smart, driven person who is so damn happy that they can do something they love and to which they are completely dedicated! As I mentioned in previous posts, people LOVE THEIR CANNABIS! And being able to spend time around Marijuana – talking about it, handling it, cultivating it, providing it, using it – is motivation enough to get involved.

And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with viewing this as a growing industry because it completely is. But here’s the advantage: The community itself will benefit by having a rush of innovation and energy by intelligent, caring business people. These are eager and savvy caregivers and patients (and unstoppably passionate recreational consumers!) who know what they want and are not afraid to speak up.

I think it’ s going to be a wild ride, one that I’m absolutely ready for.

Enjoy.

Reporter B.