Medical Marijuana and Hemp News

Medical Marijuana and Hemp News

AMA Greets Medical Cannabis Changes Cautiously

Australian Medical Association (AMA) President Dr Michael Gannon has commented on the Australian Government's decision to improve access to medical cannabis.Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt announced earlier this week Australia will have a stockpile of imported medicinal cannabis products within a couple of months. This is to be a...

Medical Cannabis Supply Fast-Tracked In Australia

The Australian Federal Government has announced it will facilitate faster access to medical cannabis to qualifying patients.After mounting pressure from cannabis campaigners, and perhaps with the help of a bit of a nudge from Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, Health Minister Greg Hunt says Australia will have a store of...

NSW Labor Tables Medicinal Cannabis Legislation

The terminally ill and those suffering serious medical conditions will not be prosecuted for possessing medicinal marijuana if NSW Labor has their way.Legislation is being introduced to NSW Parliament by Opposition Leader Luke Foley, who wants to decriminalise the possession of small amounts of cannabis if it is being...

Bill Shorten Pushes Australian PM On Medical Marijuana

Australian Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is pushing the nation's Prime Minister to get cannabis medicines into the hands of the many patients throughout the country who need them.Mr. Shorten recently met with medical cannabis patient Ben Oakley, who appears to have left a very positive impression on the ALP's...

New Cannabis Council Appointments – But Where’s The Medicine?

As Australian heads for 12 months since medical cannabis legislation was passed, progress is still occurring - but much too slowly for some.Health Minister Greg Hunt announced two new appointments to the Australian Advisory Council On The Medicinal Use of Cannabis last week.Professor James Angus AO will be Chair...

Strong Support For Medical Cannabis In Iowa

Eighty percent of Iowa residents recently surveyed indicated their support for legalising cannabis for medicinal purposes, a large jump from a 2013 poll that showed 58% support it.The Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll reports 88 percent of young adults and 67 percent of senior citizens support medical marijuana. With...

USA Industrial Hemp News In Brief

There's been a lot going on with industrial hemp in the USA since the start of February - here's a summary of some of the stories we haven't yet covered in detail.In Arizona, a bill to enable Arizona farmers to grow industrial hemp was approved by a Senate committee...

DEA Starts Removing Marijuana “Misinformation”

It took a legal filing and a sustained campaign, but it seems the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has finally removed inaccurate information about cannabis from its website. Well, some of it apparently.Americans for Safe Access (ASA) filed a legal request (PDF) with the Department of Justice late last year...

The Importance Of Medical Marijuana Quality Control

A recent discovery of medical marijuana containing bacterial and fungal pathogens could be a serious wake-up call for the legal cannabis industry. Or is it just a scare campaign?Researchers at UC Davis examined 20 marijuana samples obtained from dispensaries in Northern California. Apparently they found alarming levels of infectious...

Ireland’s Medical Cannabis Programme To Go Ahead

Ireland's Health Products Regulatory Authority’s report on medicinal cannabis has been published and the nation's Health Minister has announced a compassionate access programme will proceed.In what the Minister Simon Harris described as a "milestone" in medicinal marijuana policy development for Ireland, the Cannabis for Medical Use – A Scientific...