Cannabis Consumption Consulting Offered at AMC

                              Advocates for Medical Cannabis offers cannabis consumption consulting (CCC). With legal cannabis expanding in 4 states and Mississippi adopting a medical cannabis system, it is more important than ever new consumers learn safe and effective consumption methods and techniques.

       Cannabis is a great medicine for a wide variety of issues, but knowing how to use it is important. AMC will put their experience to work for you to develop a plan to help you get the most out of your cannabis healing. Cannabinoids, terpenes, dosing methods and concentrations, product selection, these are just a couple things AM                    C can help with.  

                     

Click Here to contact AMC and begin learning how cannabis can work for you.

3 Easy Steps to Get a Medical Cannabis Card in Florida

    Florida passed a  constitutional amendment for full plant medical marijuana on their second attempt in 2016, making it the first state in the Deep South to do so. This is great news for patients who choose to replace other medications with medical marijuana, but getting registered is not always easy. There are some hoops to jump through, so here are three easy steps to help you register for medical marijuana in Florida.

Step 1 - Do you Qualify

     These conditions will qualify you for medical marijuana in Florida:  cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV, AIDS, Crohn’s disease, PTSD, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, multiple sclerosis, or other debilitating conditions such as anorexia or Hepatitis C. Only pain related to one of these conditions qualify a patient for medical marijuana in Florida.

Step 2 - Find a Doctor

     A simple internet search is all you need to do to find a doctor near you in Florida who will recommend medical marijuana. You will need to bring an ID to prove you are a Florida citizen, medical documentation of your condition, and minors under 18 will need to bring a parent or guardian along. If you don't have documentation for your condition, you can sign a release and the medical marijuana doctor will contact your regular doctor.

Step 3 - Register with the State

      Sometimes it seems states make it as hard as possible to get medical marijuana, but there's just one more step!  Your doctor will enter you into the Medical Marijuana Use Registry (MMUR). Once entered, apply for a MMUR identification card. If your information matches up with your driver's license information, the state will use your DMV photo on your MMUR ID.

When the ID comes in the mail, you can then purchase medical marijuana at dispensaries around the state. No smoking though, Florida does not allow the sale of flower/buds at dispensaries.  

Update:
      Patients can now buy smokable cannabis in Florida. However, they must return to their doctor and ask for a new certification. 

Tacoma Community College Launches Cannabis Continuing Education Class

     Tacoma Community College is hosting a three session continuing education course on the topic of cannabis at its Tacoma and Gig Harbor campuses. The Tacoma course will be focused on the cannabis industry and the Gig Harbor class will introduce medical cannabis. The course will also touch on the history and the plant itself. These Tacoma Community College continuing education  courses will be taught by Lukas Barfield, a local teacher, Director of Advocates for Medical Cannabis and a local cannabis writer/reporter.

      Come have an experience with cannabis at TCC's Cannabis, Topics and Trends continuing education course. Maybe you are thinking of joining the growing cannabis industry, or wonder why did cannabis become illegal in the first place? Get helpful tips on safely storing cannabis and how to keep it out of the hands of kids, while getting an inside look at cannabis in Washington. Find answers to medical cannabis questions. If you're curious about cannabis, This is the class for you.

*Note-Cannabis products are not allowed on Tacoma Community College campuses. At no time will cannabis be present for this course.

Instructor

Lukas Barfield is a cannabis writer, reporter and activist who lives in Tacoma, WA. He holds a Master's Degree in Education and has experience teaching Math, Science and Technology. This experience, combined with lifelong experience with cannabis, allows him to bring the rigor of Math and Science to the subject of cannabis. He is the Director of Advocates for Medical Cannabis, a WA non-profit dedicated to bringing a medical cannabis system to Washington State based on compassion and science. Lukas writes for Ganjapreneurs, Cannabis Financial Network, Stoned Daily and has been published in Marijuana Ventures Magazine. He has taught in middle school, parochial school, and college settings and is looking forward to bringing his passion for teaching to Tacoma Community College.

High Five Farms - Green Star Review - Purple Mango and Ghost Train Haze Hash

     High Five Farms is a producer located in Benton County Washington. Found in shops all around the state, the farm produces some of the best sun grown cannabis I’ve tried in Washington. Using light depravation growing and traditional trimming processing and curing techniques, High Five Farms products are a cut above the rest. Here are two products the AMC believes deserve a Green Star.

Purple Mango Flower

I hadn't seen a
“mango” strain since the old medical days, so I was happy to find this on the shelves at Merry Mart in Tacoma. I knew from some writing I’ve done the “mango” strains contain high concentrations of myrcene, a terpene known for its sedative effects. The finish and cure on the flower was top notch. It wasn’t trimmed to close, so all those terpenoids on the sugar leaves hung around to give this flower a pungent fruity smell. The buds weren’t too dry and were very dense, so I could tell right away the smoke was going to be good on this One. It didn't disappoint.

     Because the terpenes were so strong on this flower, it definitely packed a punch. It offered a relaxing mellow effect that gave way to just the right amount of couch lock. This is a great strain for night time use, or for patients who need some more relaxation in their lives. Day time use is possible, but for those who need help with sleep this is a great strain for their medicine cabinets.

Ghost Train Haze hash

     High Five Farms has a Ghost Train Haze flower available, but their hand press 1 gram hash cubes for only $20 are a treat. Each gram is hand pressed from kief/resin collected while the flower is being trimmed. The hash color is a brownish blonde color with tiny darker specks throughout. It smokes good by itself, grated on a joint or in a bowl. The GTH is one of the stronger strains out there, so the hash comes in with high Cannabinoid concentrations.

     We'll be taking a look at HFF's 2018 harvest soon, so keep an eye out. In the meantime be sure to support producers in Washington doing it right.

Introducing the Green Star Review

      Introducing Advocates for Medical Cannabis’s “Green Star Review”. This is an opportunity to put the “medical” back in cannabis in Washington State. The Green Star Review will focus on attributes of cannabis products medical cannabis patients look for. The green Star Review will focus on

1. Pesticides – Pesticides are a big deal for patients. In our review we will be looking at what pesticides are used and are they labeled clearly. Preferably, the products we review have no pesticides, but we do recognize the need for pesticides in some cases when producing cannabis.   
2. Potency and Terpene Profiles – Terpenes determine the effects of each cannabis strain. Our reviews will look at what terpenes are present, are they labeled? And the general potency and medical effect of each product.
3. Finish – The finishing touches for cannabis really matter. The green Star Review will examine the flush, trim and cure of cannabis flower, as well as, the effectiveness of “gassing” for solvent based extracts.
4. Advocacy – This won’t be discussed in every review, but when possible we’d like to recognize good things businesses are doing for the medical cannabis community in general. “Do they support home grows?”, “What sort of environmentally friendly practices do they embrace, sustainable packaging, water management and light energy use?”

     Advocates for Medical Cannabis will be seeking out products to review ourselves, but cannabis consumers can nominate players in the I-502 market place they think deserve a “Green Star”. If you have a favorite cannabis product you think puts the “medical” in “medical cannabis”, send us an email to emailmmcws@gmail.com  and let Advocates for Medical Cannabis know about your favorite medical cannabis product.

 

Tell Lakewood WA to Finally Take the Vote on Legal Cannabis

     After nearly six years since the voters of Washington passed adult use legal cannabis in WA, Lakewood, WA still hasn’t taken a stand on whether or not cannabis business is good business in the city. All of the districts and 54% of its citizens voted “Yes” on I-502, the historic initiative that legalized cannabis for adult use in Washington State. Curiously, despite these numbers, the City Council hasn’t even brought the issue up for a vote. They just aren’t issuing business licenses in the city. As a result, medical cannabis patients, including Veterans, who use cananbis to treat a wide variety of ailments, including PTSD, are left to their own devices finding cannabis in the city. Recent studies have shown states with legal cannabis have far less opiate deaths. Lakewood is turning its back on these studies, leaving the community vulnerable to the opiate health crisis. Additionally, Lakewood is losing out on valuable tax revenue that would help the city, and their job killing regulations are stifling entrepreneurs in the city. The Medical Marijuana Coalition of Washington State is asking the Lakewood City Council to take a vote to allow the voter approved initiative to be finally implemented. It is time for Lakewood to take a stand on this issue. Please call or email the members and ask them to take the vote.

Jason Whalen

jwhalen@cityoflakewood.us

Mike Brandstetter

mbrandstetter@cityoflakewood.us

Marie Barth

mbarth@cityoflakewood.us

Paul Bocchi

pbocchi@cityoflakewood.us

John Simpson

jsimpson@cityoflakewood.us

Don Anderson (Council Elected Mayor)

danderson@cityoflakewood.us,

     The City Council meets every Monday at 6000 Main St. Lakewood, WA 98499 at 7:00 PM. They allow public comment on the1st and 3^rd Monday of the month. It is important citizens of Lakewood who support legal adult use cannabis attend the meetings and give public comment.    

Help Pass 2021, the Seed and Clone bill, in the Senate

Help Pass 2021, the Seed and Clone bill, in the Senate

      HR 2021, a bill that will legalize the sale of clones to medical cannabis patients on and off the registry, passed the House with a vote of 88-9. It passed through committees with not one “No” vote. However, the committee it has landed in in the Senate can’t be described as cannabis friendly. Ann Rivers ( R ), sponsor of 5052, the so called Cannabis Patient Protection Act, is the chair of the committee.

Please contact the members of the committee and ask them to vote “Yes” on HR 2021, the Seed and Clone bill.  

Ann.Rivers@leg.wa.gov,

Elizabeth.Pebley@leg.wa.gov,

Randi.Becker@leg.wa.gov,

Tiffani.Sanne@leg.wa.gov

Barbara.Bailey@leg.wa.gov,

Vicki.Angelini@leg.wa.gov,

Kuderer.Patty@leg.wa.gov,

Jennifer.Fay@leg.wa.gov,

Annette.Cleveland@leg.wa.gov,

Vickie.Winters@leg.wa.gov,

Michael.Baumgartner@leg.wa.gov,

Matt.McCoy@leg.wa.gov,

Joe.Fain@leg.wa.gov,

Frazier.Willman@leg.wa.gov,

Karen.Keiser@leg.wa.gov,

Jennifer.Minich@leg.wa.gov,

Steve.Conway@leg.wa.gov,

Kimberlie.Lelli@leg.wa.gov

Mark.Miloscia@leg.wa.gov,

Trixie.Harmon@leg.wa.gov,

Mark.Mullet@leg.wa.gov,

Adam.Day@leg.wa.gov,

Steve.OBan@leg.wa.gov,

Michelle.Lewis@leg.wa.gov,

Maureen.Walsh@leg.wa.gov,

Skyler.Rude@leg.wa.gov,

Help Pass WA Clone and Seed Bill HB 2021 `

The seed and clone bill, HB 2021, has moved to the House Finance Committee. Send over a quick note to the committee members with a personal story how having access to clones or seeds will benefit you or someone you know. The bill does allow patients off the registry to get seeds or clones, so its an ok bill. Here are the emails for committee members and staff.

Kristine.Lytton@leg.wa.gov,

Robin.Howe@leg.wa.gov

Noel.Frame@leg.wa.gov,

Michelle.Butler@leg.wa.gov,

Terry.Nealey@leg.wa.gov,

Meagan.Allen@leg.wa.gov,

Ed.Orcutt@leg.wa.gov,

Michelle.Trzecinski@leg.wa.gov,

Cary.Condotta@leg.wa.gov,

Brandt.Cappell@leg.wa.gov,

Laurie.Dolan@leg.wa.gov,

Eileen.Swarthout@leg.wa.gov,

Gerry.Pollet@leg.wa.gov,

Angie.Weiss@leg.wa.gov,

Larry.Springer@leg.wa.gov,

Diana.Hart@leg.wa.gov,

Drew.Stokesbary@leg.wa.gov,

Gina.Palermo@leg.wa.gov,

Sharon.Wylie@leg.wa.gov,

Megan.Walsh@leg.wa.gov,

JT.Wilcox@leg.wa.gov,

Sharon.Trask@leg.wa.gov,

http://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=2021&Year=2017

Still Not a Word About Medical

      With cannabis being such a big thing in Washington State (The state is making millions off the little devil weed.), in particular the medical sector, that medical cannabis would get mentioned in the Governor’s race. With numerous problems with the current system, namely pesticides and the high excise tax on patients, one would think the subject would come up in a debate. Or, at least someone in the media would ask a politician what they think about sick people in WA being poisoned with pesticides. It is obvious Olympia wants all the money from medical cannabis, but doesn’t’ want to put in the time or effort to get it right. No other sector of the economy would be able to operate like this, poison product gouging sick people and citizens with disabilities.

It makes you wonder “Why is the media and Olympia ignoring medical cannabis in WA?”

Cannabis Terpene Effect Guides Available

Cannabis Terpene Effect Guides Available

     Last year the MMCWS put together business card sized “Cannabis Terpene Effect Guides”. Terpenes are smell molecules. The cards list the most common terpenes found in cannabis, and their known effects. The cards are based on the work of Dr. Jeffery Raber, and others, who have studied what is known as the “entourage effect”. The idea is the terpenes act in conjunction with THC, CBD and other cannabanoids to produce the different unique medicinal effects of each cannabis strain. Think of THC as a 15 seat passenger van, and the terpenes the passengers. When ingested the THC “van” transports the terpenes across the blood brain barrier, thus intensifying the effect of the terpenes. For example, limonene in a lemon does not cross the blood brain barrier, therefore, when consumed the limonene has a far less effect than if it is consumed in Super Lemon Haze. This is a basic example, and there is much more to be learned about terpenes in cannabis and their various medicinal effects. We put these cards together to begin to educate the public and medical cannabis patients on the true nature of cannabis. They are not meant to be medical advice, and provide only a snapshot of current research.

     Recently, the MMCWS has generously received offers for funding to print more Cannabis Terpene Effect Guides. If you’d like a pack of 20, please send over your address to emailmmcws@gmail.com , and we will send them direct to your door. If you need more than 20, please let us know.

View our Cannabis Terpene Effect Guides at our FB page.
https://www.facebook.com/mjismedicine/

DEA Signals Possible Re-Scheduling of Cannabis

DEA Signals Possible Re-Scheduling of Cannabis

     According to several news sources the DEA is considering re-scheduling cannabis from a Schedule 1 Narcotic to a Schedule 2 Narcotic. Surprisingly, cannabis is currently classified with Heroin and LSD as a “drug’ with no medical value. The new schedule would put it on the same level as many pharmaceuticals, such as the many opiates currently over prescribed in the United States. This could be a turning point in the legalization movement, but also could spell trouble for people who grow at home.

     Many states and municipalities hesitate to legalize cannabis, due to its Schedule 1 status. They point to the long arm of the Federal Government, and use it as a justification for not legalizing. It makes sense n the context of the amount of money the Feds give out to the states. Even now DC could yank legalization away from the 4 states that have legalized cannabis. The Feds could simply say, “End legalization, or we’ll take away _______ funding.” The states would have no choice but to comply. A Schedule 2 designation would make this more difficult for the Feds to crack down on legalization. As far as working against home grows. Well, we don’t allow people to manufacture any drug on the Schedule 2 list. So, cannabis could be legalized, but not legal to grow at home. Home growing is the essence of the legalization movement.

      However, If the DEA reschedules cannabis in the end this will be a good thing simply for the number of people it will keep out of prison. It would also open up more research on cannabis. Let’s hope the DEA follows through, and reschedules cannabis as a Schedule 2 Narcotic.    

Reverend Weaver Grow Tip – Harvest for Aroma

Today research on the medicinal benefits of marijuana point in the direction of terpenes, the molecules that give cannabis strains their aroma or smell.  The different terpenes have been found to have unique medicinal qualities.  

Years ago through various periods I found out due to basic medical needs that what some would be considered an early harvest, 6 1/2 weeks to 7 1/2 weeks brought with it a much more pronounced flavor and aroma which reminded me of Lebanese Blonde hash from the 70's.  I would have to say that the " head rush" was more likely to occur here then with traditional harvest when 50 percent of the bud hairs are red.  Years ago whenever this was established as the harvesting standard thc was the focus.  We know more now about other components or chemicals found in cannabis and Thc is becoming a side note to the educated.

    To this day I find that what some commercial growers are now calling early harvest yields me a better product than if I " over finish" my produce.  I look for die off of the tips of the hairs and definitely harvest if I begin to see any red.  I know this goes against general harvesting folk lore and voices will talk about bud tightness and other things they dislike about harvesting a plant when the flower is at the peak of freshness.  This preference for flavor and taste known hereabouts as the Old Man Brand  or technique speaks to the feeling "that life is too short to smoke bad tasting ganja".  Besides I pick an apple before it falls from the tree and I give my lover a fresh fragrant rose not one that is at the end of its beauty.  

     When that 6 week period comes around we start watching for changes that show the hair receptors are beginning to deteriorate on the flower.  Harvesting after hair receptor die off means less flavor, fragrance and thus perhaps less terpene content due to 

the general deterioration of the flower.  

     This theory may already have been explored by commercial growers with product testing at various harvest times to check for terpene levels.  I never spent the money to prove this, direct experience by myself and others plus lack of loose change to pay for testing was enough for me.  

Another tip I discovered is to not trim so closely that I cut off hairs and all bits of small leaf within the bud.  Some plant strains have more vegetative leaf within the bud than others.  Also growing and flowering under a metal halide or full spectrum lighting system produces a leafier flower.  These flower leaves have flavor and may contain more terpenes than we are aware of, regardless I trim the tips off but make sure to not be so aggressive and so I try to leave any portion of leaf I see covered with tricombs or crystal.  The bud quality doesn't suffer if you have good curing procedures.  Again these things work for me and I enjoy the flavor of my harvest over most others I have tried, but it might not be for you.

Happy Harvesting

>From a Friend of the Friend