Federal Laws Interfering With Medical Marijuana Patient’s Volunteering Efforts
Kaiser Permanente officials told Amy Hauser she can’t be part of their volunteer hospice program if she tests positive for cannabis, even though she has a doctor’s recommendation for medical marijuana.
The Cannifornian:
Medical Marijuana Patient Barred From Volunteering To Care For Hospice Patients
Federal law still classifies cannabis as a Schedule I narcotic, a category reserved for drugs such as heroin that are said to be highly addictive and have no medical value. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has been doubling down on that stance, even though polls show a record-high number of Americans now believe marijuana should be legal, 29 states permit medical marijuana and nine states plus Washington, D.C. allow recreational use. For cannabis consumers, the ongoing conflict with federal law can impact everything from gun ownership rights to employment opportunities. (Edwards Staggs, 1/23)
In other marijuana news —
Orange County Register:
Irvine To Allow Pot Testing As It Becomes 3rd Orange County City To OK Marijuana Businesses
Irvine will become the third city in Orange County to allow marijuana businesses, following Santa Ana and Costa Mesa. The City Council on Tuesday, Jan 23, voted 4-0 to amend its zoning ordinance to allow marijuana testing laboratories in industrial, medical and science districts. Councilwoman Lynn Schott was absent. (Shimura, 1/23)
Orange County Register:
2 Marijuana Dispensaries Raided By Santa Ana Police, Code Officials
Sky High Holistic, a medical-marijuana dispensary that gained national attention after Santa Ana police officers were caught on video there during a 2015 raid eating snacks and making fun of a disabled woman, along with the nearby Elevated Dreams Collective, were closed by city officials Tuesday morning, Jan. 23. Sky High and Elevated Dreams, in the same strip mall in the 400 block of West 17th Street, have been raided and closed multiple times as part of the city’s efforts to crack down on illegal marijuana shops. (Fausto and Schwebke, 1/23)