Pubdate: Thu, 16 Jun 2016
Source: Sacramento News & Review (CA)
Column: The 420
Copyright: 2016 Chico Community Publishing, Inc.
Contact:  http://newsreview.com/sacto/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/540
Author: Ngaio Bealum

TRIP OUT

My wife and I both have medical cannabis cards. If we are flying 
within California, shouldn't we be OK to carry cannabis and our vape 
with us in our carry-on or in our checked baggage?

BF

The answer is: Yes! As long are you stay in Cali, you are all good!

Bring a copy of your letter of recommendation with you and you should 
have no problems. If you are really worried about it, don't bring 
anything and take advantage of all the nice dispensaries and delivery 
services from wherever you are. I bet you could even plan a vacation 
around different cannabis dispensaries. Someone should start a weed 
tour. Have a fun trip!

I hear we have a few more states with medical marijuana laws? Do tell.

Noam A'dic

Indeed we do! Please join me in welcoming Ohio and Louisiana to the 
list of states that have joined the 21st century. Well, kinda.

Ohio's new law allows patients with qualifying conditions to use-but 
not smoke. Vaping is cool but smoking is forbidden. No one is allowed 
to grow his or her own, but folks can buy medicine in states that 
allow legal cannabis sales and bring it home no problem. This of 
course will be a challenge for low-income patients, but hey, Michigan 
is right next door to Ohio, and Michigan recognizes letters of 
recommendation from all medical-marijuana states. I foresee many road 
trips. One of the best parts of the Ohio bill is that the list of 
qualifying conditions is fairly comprehensive. For instance, the law 
lists "chronic pain" as a condition. While this isn't a specific 
disease, pain relief is one of the main reasons people cite when 
asked about their medical cannabis use, so this law could really help 
many people.

Louisiana's new law is actually an expansion of a marijuana law 
signed by La. Gov. Bobby Jindal in 2015. It allowed cannabis use for 
only three conditions: people undergoing chemotherapy for cancer; 
folks with glaucoma; and those who have been afflicted with spastic 
quadriplegia, a rare form of cerebral palsy. The new law lets doctors 
recommend cannabis for, among other ailments, cancer, HIV, AIDS, 
epilepsy, spasticity, Crohn's disease and muscular dystrophy. The 
newly expanded law also prohibits smoking and goes one step further 
by prohibiting vaping as well. Only pills and tinctures will be allowed.

Both laws face challenges. Growing and processing infrastructures 
need to be set up, and rules and regulations need to be written. 
While both laws perhaps don't go far enough right now, they can be 
expanded. To me, the biggest thing about this is the fact that two 
states with extremely conservative governors managed to pass laws 
legalizing medical marijuana. This bodes well for the future, and I 
thank the activists and politicians who managed to make it happen.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom