SB374 will allow Nevada medical marijuana dispensaries and grow farms.

While Nevada medical marijuana patients have been allowed to cultivate their own marijuana at home, they have yet to have a safe means in which they could obtain medical marijuana outside of cultivation.  SB374 will bring relief  as it will allow for as many as forty Nevada medical marijuana dispensaries just in Clark county to serve Nevada’s some 3500+ registered medical marijuana patients.  These patients will now have a safe, legal, and compliant way in which to obtain their medicinal drug – Nevada medical marijuana dispensaries.

Nevada medical marijuana dispensary bill details still need ironed out.

The fine details of SB374 must now be worked out by the states Health Division.  While federal law still makes possession and use of marijuana illegal, actions against medical marijuana users has been very limited while the feds pursue more serious marijuana traffickers and offenders.  The new bill will allow for at least forty Nevada medical marijuana dispensaries in Clark county alone, with more dispensaries being spread out in rural counties. 

We applaud Gov. Sandoval and the legislature for their leadership and commend those law enforcement organizations that expressed support for this much-needed legislation.  It will make Nevada a safer and healthier place not only for medical marijuana patients, but for the entire community. - Karen O’Keefe, Director of State Policies for the Marijuana Policy Project.

Nevada medical marijuana dispensaries will be subject to state taxes.

Any medical marijuana related items sold at Nevada medical marijuana dispensaries will be subject to the states standard sales tax in addition to a four percent excise tax.  Seventy five percent of that excise tax is planed to be funneled towards the state’s education program with the remaining twenty five percent being allocated towards the regulation of the new medical marijuana dispensary system.

Nevada medical marijuana home cultivation will be limited.

Under SB374, patients that live within a twenty five mile radius of a Nevada medical marijuana dispensary wil be limited regarding home cultivation.  Any patient that has an established history of home cultivation of cannabis before July 1, 2013 will be permitted to continue to grow at home up until March 31, 2016.  Patients who have been growing strains of marijuana that will not be provided by a Nevada medical marijuana dispensary will be allowed to continue to cultivate those types of strains at home.

Nevada medical marijuana dispensaries will bring change.

Up until now, Nevada medical marijuana patients basically had two ways in which they could obtain marijuana; grow it or obtain it from a caregiver.  With the passing of SB374, those patients will no longer be burdened by home cultivation, which for some patients isn’t even an option.  Most medical marijuana patients suffer from debilitating and chronic illnesses, like multiple sclerosis and cancer.  For those types of patients, Nevada medical marijuana dispensaries will bring change to their lives, giving them a safe, legal, and compliant way to obtain the medical marijuana that helps to increase their quality of life.

Nevada medical marijuana dispensary tax revenues will help to fund the regulation of dispensaries.

The new measure will first use tax revenues from the Nevada dispensaries to help regulate the dispensary system, with the additional revenue being allocated towards state education.  Through the new system the state of Nevada will require fees from the Nevada dispensaries, cultivators, medical marijuana card holders, and the processors of the marijuana.  Many patients were worried that their growing rights would be taken away if Nevada medical marijuana dispensaries passed, but under SB374 home growers will be allowed to cultivate up until 2016.

How Illinois medical marijuana dispensaries will benefit patients.

Illinois medical marijuana dispensaries would first and foremost provide patients a safe, legal, and compliant way to obtain medical marijuana, versus alternative methods such as buying it on the street, or growing it themselves.  Dispensaries are created to remove the challenges and barriers that are commonly in place to obtain medical marijuana.  

Illinois medical marijuana dispensaries would remove the burden of home cultivation.

Patients that qualify for using medical marijuana offer suffer from debilitating diseases such as multiple sclerosis. There are many challenges when it comes to cultivating medical marijuana at home for a patient that has a serious disease, or has suffered some type of catastrophic illness.  They aren’t able to grow their own marijuana, so they usually are forced to rely on a medical marijuana dispensary for their medicine.

There are many elected Illinois officials that recognize the importance of Illinois medical marijuana dispensaries and support for the legalization of Illinois medical marijuana has gained traction as it has passed through legislation, finally making it’s way to the desk of Governor Pat Quinn.  Now all Illinois medical marijuana advocates and patients can do is be patient and sit back while they see what decision the Governor will make.

Nevada medical marijuana dispensaries would be allowed under Bill SB374.

Fast forward to today, ten years after the last amendment to Nevada medical marijuana regulations, and the state finally has hope for a regulated system that would allow for up to sixty Nevada medical marijuana dispensaries.  This week the Nevada legislature passed SB374 which would create a system for state regulated medical marijuana dispensaries in Nevada, allowing qualifying patients a safe, legal, and compliant way to finally obtain medical marijuana outside of having to grow it themselves, or obtain it from a designated caregiver.

Nevada medical marijuana dispensary bill needs to be signed by Governor Brian Sandoval.

If Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval signs off on SB 374, Nevada would join nineteen other states that have already legalized medical marijuana, with fourteen of those states having a regulated medical marijuana dispensary system in place.  Two states, Washington and Colorado, not only have a system in place for medical marijuana systems, but have passed laws making recreational use of marijuana legal.  Governor Sandoval has yet to say if he will sign off on the law, but has said on multiple occasions that he is not opposed to Nevada medical marijuana dispensaries.

One of the biggest concerns that the Chicago Crime Commission has is the quantity of medical marijuana that House Bill 1 would allow medical marijuana patients to possess on their person – up to two and a half ounces.

Allowing each card holder 2.5 ounces of marijuana every two weeks will provide a surplus of marijuana that will undoubtedly find its way into the wrong hands and have significant law enforcement implications.  We are equally troubled that the medical marijuana bill that has been presented to the governor is lacking provisions for a standard of impairment test that can accurately assess motorists.  It is critical that Illinois avoids the mistakes of states like Colorado, where passage of medical marijuana legislation resulted in a dramatic jump in crashes where the driver tested positive for THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. – Joe Ways, executive director of the Chicago Crime Commission

Illinois medical marijuana dispensaries would be part of a pilot program.

House Bill 1 Creates the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act. Under the pilot program, anyone that has been diagnosed by a certified physician as having been diagnosed with a debilitating condition such as multiple sclerosis, cancer, or HIV, would be issued an Illinois medical marijuana card from the Department of Public Health.  The Illinois medical marijuana card would allow patients to obtain up to two and half ounces of medical marijuana from an Illinois medical marijuana dispensary.

Up to sixty Nevada medical marijuana dispensaries could open under SB374.

Medical marijuana has been legal for patients to use under several amendments of Nevada state law over the past years.  But even with the legalization of medical marijuana patients have not had the option of obtaining the drug from a dispensary and have been forced to grow it themselves, or obtain it from a physician-approved caregiver.  SB374 would allow for up to sixty-six Nevada medical marijuana dispensaries, with almost forty of those in Las Vegas alone.

Medical marijuana dispensaries legal in nineteen states.

If Governor Sandoval signs measure SB374, Nevada would join nineteen other states that have already legalized medical marijuana.  It took the state assembly several votes before it finally passed by a measure of 28-14.  The only assembly member that opposed the bill was Minority Leader Pat Hickey R-Reno.  

Unfortunately to me, one of the economic benefits is going to be that unscrupulous doctors and physicians are going to find a new clientele and we’re going to have a number of wiling participants, many of them young, that will take advantage of that. – Governor Hickey.

New York medical marijuana dispensaries supported by more than six hundred doctors.

Bloomberg’s comments come one day after the New York Physicians for Compassionate Care held a news conference in which they announced that more than six hundred physicians are in favor of medical marijuana in New York and will support a New York medical marijuana program.  The Mayor’s argument is one that is based on the notion that marijuana is dangerous and should not be legalized for any purpose, regardless if eighteen other states have already legalized the medicinal drug and the fact that medical marijuana support is at an all time high nationwide.

But the bottom line is I’m told marijuana is much stronger today than it was 20 or 30 years ago. I don’t have any personal experience in terms of today. So that’s one problem.  And number two, drug dealers have families to feed. If they can’t sell marijuana, they’ll sell something else, and the something else is going to be worse, and the push to legalize this is just wrong-headed. But they say: ‘Oh, well, it’s not going to hurt anybody. It doesn’t lead to dependency.’ Of course it does, and you can argue about recreational things, but it’s a very slippery path. – Mayor Bloomberg

The vice chairman of the New York Physicians for Compassionate Care vice chairman Dr. Sunil Aggarwal responded to Mayor Bloomberg’s comments by saying that medical marijuana does serve a medicinal purpose and in fact helps people who suffer from chronic illnesses and diseases.

Mayor Bloomberg’s statement that medical marijuana is a hoax is tantamount to saying that the moon landing was faked.  Marijuana, given in oral and inhaled forms, has been shown in large, gold-standard, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trials conducted at major medical centers to relieve pain and muscle spasm, and stimulate appetite and weight gain in patients with wasting syndromes. The data is published for all to see and has been backed up by biochemistry. - Dr. Sunil Aggarwal

If the proposed New York medical marijuana bill passed, patients with debilitating illnesses and diseases such as HIV, multiple sclerosis and cancer would be able to use medical marijuana if they have the recommendation from a qualifying physician. Patients would be able to take their doctor’s recommendation and obtain the medicinal drug from a New York medical marijuana dispensary.  At the end of the day, isn’t that what this is all about, allowing patients to have access to a non-addictive alternative to help ease their suffering and improve their quality of life?

Massachusetts medical marijuana dispensaries gaining support.

The article, which will welcome medical marijuana business to the town of Wendell, was requested by a group of residents at a recent Selectboard meeting.  Upon reviewing the request, the board agreed to make it part of the annual town meeting warrant.  While the act is in its infancy, it is showing signs of interest and support.

The article proposes that the town declares itself….

Medical marijuana-friendly community, in support of the Massachusetts Medical Marijuana program, and encourages individuals and organizations interested in siting an organic cultivation or distribution facility … to engage citizens and town officials in discussions about ways to retain local control, create local jobs and to ensure that zoning, planning, health and safety issues would be properly addressed.  The Town of Wendell has a long history as a nexus of holistic health and healing, spiritual enlightenment and social awareness, and a passion for agriculture and gardening.

The establishment of regional medical marijuana production and medical marijuana dispensaries are important elements in the development and implementation of the Massachusetts medical marijuana program. Towns and communities like Wendell that support and welcome the new industry often attract investors who are interested in opening a Massachusetts medical marijuana dispensary, which can undoubtedly lead to increase revenue and opportunities for such a small community. 

Up to fifty Nevada medical marijuana dispensaries would be allowed under Senate Bill 374.

The bill would allow up to forty medical marijuana dispensaries to open and operate within Clark County, up to ten dispensaries in Washoe County, and at least one dispensary in the remaining rural counties.  Additionally the bill would allow medical marijuana grow farms that would in turn supply the marijuana to the dispensaries.

While the bill has gained traction and support on its way through the Senate, it still must undergo hearings and a subsequent vote in the Assembly before it would then be forwarded to Nevada State Governor Brian Sandoval for a signature.

Currently the state of Nevada has approximately three thousand seven hundred eighty-five state authorized medical marijuana card holders.  These card holders would be able to acquire their prescribed medical marijuana from one of the multiple Nevada medical marijuana dispensaries that would be allowed to open under Senate Bill 374.  Only patients who receive a physician’s recommendation to use medical marijuana would be able to obtain the drug from a dispensary.

Nevada medical marijuana laws were last amended in 2000.

Even though medical marijuana remains illegal under federal law, 18 states, including Nevada and approved some form of legalized marijuana.  Nevada voters approved a constitutional amendment in 1998 and again in 2000 that allowed registered Nevadans with medical marijuana cards to use the medicinal drug.