CannAssist.com

Thanks to Steve Elliot, Twitter @alapoet, for sending us a link to his fabulous blog “Reality Catcher”. Dig It!

Cheers Steve! Your request also prompted creation of Twitter link category.

jgg

I’ve been busy adding all our favorite links to online resources. Do you have a link to contribute? Please send it to us!! Check out the great people, blogs and online publications, etc. over on the right side >>>

Hello, LA-ASA Members and Friends. Thanks for turning out in such large numbers to support Charles C. Lynch and his family today. It was standing room only in the courtroom.

Charles’ sentencing has been continued until April 30 to allow prosecutors to obtain a written statement from the DOJ indicating whether or not federal policy regarding medical cannabis has changed. Judge Wu’s interaction with the prosecutor on this topic was promising. However, the judge did not seem persuaded by the defense explanations as to why the mandatory minimum sentences should not apply. It is still unclear how the final sentencing will go, but Charles is at home with his family for now.

__________________
Don Duncan
California Director
Americans for Safe Access
http://www.americansforsafeaccess.org/

Americans for Safe Access (ASA) is the largest national member-based organization of patients, medical professionals, scientists and concerned citizens promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research.

Are you an ASA member? http://www.AmericansforSafeAccess.org/Join

Tonight on 20/20: U.S.A. Vs. Charles C. Lynch. ABC News has done an in-depth report on Charlie’s case. Today, 2 months after his initial Sentencing Hearing was scheduled Charles is still waiting to hear what punishment he will receive for providing Cannabis for medicinal purposes to his local community of Morro Bay, California.  Charlie faces up to 100 years in jail because of federal Minimum Sentencing Guidelines.

Last year Drew Carrey did some great reporting for Reason.Tv on Charlie’s case.  Click Here to Watch.

Please also Check out Charlie’s Website.

The beautiful city of Oakland, California is special for many reasons;  Harborside Health Center is one of them. In an East Bay Express article published today, writer David Downs, explores this medical cannabis dispensing collective (MCDC).  Downs talks to operator, Steve D’Angeleo about why he is passionate about the Medical Cannabis Movement.

People are dying because of a lack of research. ~ Steve D’Angelo, Harborside Health Center

It’s true.  People are dying and suffering from the choke-hold the federal government has had over cannabis. The preposterous Schedule 1 Narcotic Classification renders scientists, most of whom rely on national funding programs, legally unable to study Cannabis sativa. But here we are now, March 2009; times are changing.

For the first time in the 3,000-year history of human cannabis consumption, consumers will be provided a scientific assessment of the safety and potency of products prior to ingesting them…

Harborside Health Center, one of California’s premier cannabis collectives, is pioneering laboratory analytical testing.  Testing started in December 2008 and feedback is coming in! Samples of Cannabis sativa are analyzed for health safety and for cannabinoid content.

Molds tested for: E. Coli, yeast & molds, aerobic bacteria and Enterobacteria

Cannabinoids tested for: delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinoid (THC), Cannabidiol (CBD), Cannabinol (CBN)

Tests are done off site and results are reported to Harborside in 24-48 hours.  Molds are compared to World Health Organization standards.  Cannabinoids are rated on a percentage scale. Testing is done with a gas chromatography machine.

Different compounds vaporize at different temperatures, where they can be detected by the flame ionization detector and mass spectrometer. . .

[A spokesperson from Harborside] said patients are using the new information to get less high and more mellow, drawing correlations between the main psychoactive ingredient THC and other non-psychoactive cannabinoids cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN).

What a great finding! Together, we can learn a lot. The East-Bay Express article describes all of this in greater detail. If you have comments or questions, please post!

JGG