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There's a bunch of medical marijuana news today, and President Trump misstates a Chinese position on fentanyl.
The president was unclear on just what China promised regarding fentanyl and synthetic opioids. (Gage Skidmore/Creative Commons)
Minnesota Adds Alzheimer's to List of Qualifying Conditions. The state Department of Health announced Monday that it was adding the degenerative neurological disorder to the medical marijuana program, despite concerns about the effectiveness of treatment with marijuana. "Any policy decisions about cannabis are difficult due to the relative lack of published scientific evidence," said state Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm. "However, there is some evidence for potential benefits of medical cannabis to improve the mood, sleep and behavior of patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease." Minnesota will become the 13th state to okay medical marijuana for Alzheimer's.
Pennsylvania to Consider Adding Qualifying Conditions. The state Medical Marijuana Advisory Board has approved a new process for expanding the state's list of qualifying conditions for medical marijuana and in coming weeks will begin accepting petitions for new qualifying conditions to be added to the list. Patient advocates are expected to petition for conditions such as depression, anxiety, and insomnia, among others.
Utah's Voter-Approved Medical Marijuana Law Amended. Lawmakers on Monday passed sweeping changes to the state's voter-approved medical marijuana law and Gov. Gary Herbert (R) immediately signed them into effect. The changes ban many marijuana edibles, prevent people from growing their own marijuana if they live far from a dispensary, and narrow the list of eligible medical conditions for which the drug can be obtained. Smoking medical marijuana wasn't allowed under the original ballot measure and still isn't. Opponents of the meddling with measure said the changes will create major obstacles for patients and are planning to sue to block the changes. "It's an almost complete disregard for the will of the people," attorney Rocky Anderson said.
Foreign Policy
Trump Misstated Changes in China's Fentanyl Policy. This past weekend, President Trump claimed he had persuaded the Chinese to make fentanyl a controlled substance, but he was mistaken. Fentanyl is already a controlled substance in China. What the Chinese announced was that they would shift the way it regulates synthetic opioids. Now, "China has decided to list all the fentanyl-like substances as controlled substances and start working to adjust related regulations," China's foreign ministry clarified.
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Comments
A vote for a third party is a vote for Trump
Has Russia infiltrated the marijuana legalization movement?
When Trump was installed as our fake President in 2016, it was evident at the time that a Trump presidency was going to be bad for the cause of marijuana legalization. When he appointed Jefferson Peckerwood Sessions as AG, it became incontrovertible.
Yet, as with the USA at large, the marijuana legalization movement, rather than collectively rising up in opposition to a wildly illegitimate and openly hostile administration, instead fractured into two camps -- with Trump supporters in one camp, and with reasonable, decent, and morally appalled folks in the other camp.
It is now quite clear (as perhaps it always was) that Trump and the Trump administration are in league with Russia -- specifically, oligarch and criminal mobster Vladimir "Dioxin" Putin -- who criminally helped him steal the 2016 presidential election, and who has been receiving deferential treatment in return, ever since then. Equally clear is the fact that Trump's supporters enthusiastically endorse and/or cover for this treason.
So: We know about Russia's solicitous behaviour and intentions toward Trump and the Trump administration, and we know the Republicans are either in on it, or down with it. That's point one.
We also know that Russia infiltrated the NRA (National Rifle Association) from top to bottom. That's point two. That tells us the Russian military is using a strategy which includes, among many other things, the infiltration of POTENTIALLY DIVISIVE, single-issue political organizations like the NRA. Who's to say there aren't other American political organizations in their crosshairs as well?
Perhaps you already see where I am headed here. Ask yourself the following question: based on what we've just discussed, what are the odds that Russia is also trying to influence American politics by, in addition to other tactics, the infiltration of the marijuana legalization movement?
In my estimation, the odds are extremely high that this is true. Given Russia's intentions and behavior, one might ask, how could this NOT be true?
So, accepting the premise for a moment, what would this mean? If true, what would this look like?
Well, for one thing, you would expect to see a drug reform organization downplay, or ignore entirely, the threat of authoritarian fascism which Trump and the Republicans represent.
And so we do. Show me one drug reform organization that has sounded the "fascism" alarm.
I think you would also expect to see and hear lots of "gaslighting" about Trump; like, for example, "Trump is for states' rights."
And, once again, so we do. (It's Bullshit, by the way. Trump is for Trump and Trump alone.)
And so I will say it once again: If The Resistance Fails, fascism follows; then, marijuana legalization itself fails.
Climb on the Big Blue Wave! Vote Democratic!
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