How a City That Just Enacted the East Coast's First Marijuana Legalization Law Was Once at the Forefront of the Nation'S Prohibition Movement. The Portland city ordinance purporting to legalize the recreational use of marijuana took effect earlier this month the first in the eastern United States. Seeing Portland take the lead in a loosening-up of drug laws arouses a sense of irony in that the city was once in the vanguard of enacting the country's first laws outlawing liquor, boasting prominent Prohibition leaders in America. A complete turnabout in the city's mindset has not, however, necessarily occurred, as the story of these two early Portland temperance advocates illustrates. [continues 1032 words]
It's Highly Unlikely That Employers, Landlords, Hotels and Businesses in Portland Will Permit Pot Smoking. Portland may have become the first city on the East Coast to legalize recreational marijuana use, but residents who think this means they can light up, even in the privacy of their home, might need to think twice. Employers will still be able to forbid their employees to use marijuana, and if that employer receives any federal funding, it is expressly prohibited from allowing any employees to use the drug. [continues 901 words]
Laxer limits raise fears of doctor shopping and make it impossible to track the number of legitimate users Two years ago, Sharon Gagne of Greenbush discovered she had two herniated disks in her neck. Her doctor told her surgery was not an option and instead encouraged physical therapy and prescribed a painkiller. "I didn't like that," she said. "I know too many people who got hooked." Gagne, 44, eventually asked about other options. Her doctor referred her to Dr. Dustin Sulak, an osteopath who has become known throughout Maine for his willingness to certify patients for medical marijuana. Gagne's physician sent her medical records to Sulak, who then spoke twice on the phone with Gagne. [continues 2628 words]
Lawyer Mark Dion uses his problem-solving skills in legal conflicts arising from medical marijuana. A man from a small York County town had his medical marijuana stolen and was getting no satisfaction from the local police, who were skeptical that a burglary had been committed. As a result, he couldn't get his insurance company to cover the loss. Enter Mark Dion, former cop, former sheriff, now criminal defense attorney. He was able to convince police that the theft was legitimate, clearing the way for his client to get compensation. [continues 1128 words]
What Has Been Learned in California Could Be Put to Use Here, Turning an Illegal Market into a Significant Industry, PORTLAND - My last marijuana adventure was in the back of a '64 Mustang full of teenagers, deep in a Louisiana cotton field -- and I was far more worried about my mother's wrath than about getting stoned. Claiming my experiment was "medicinal research" never occurred to me. And, yes, I did inhale just once, which just about killed me. To this day, I still much prefer beer, but my curiosity about medical marijuana led me to Berkeley, Calif., the industry mecca. Overdue a midlife crisis, I grew a ponytail to blend in with the cannabis managers, gave my favorite handyman a week to paint my condo, and headed west from Maine. [continues 644 words]
Pot Would Be Legal If the Laws Were Driven by Public Health Standards Instead of Culture. Regarding Mark Publicker's Maine Voices column, ("Medical marijuana act silent on potential risks," Nov. 29): If health outcomes determined drug laws instead of cultural norms, marijuana would be legal. Unlike alcohol, marijuana has never been shown to cause an overdose death, nor does it share the addictive properties of tobacco. Marijuana can be harmful if abused, but jail cells are inappropriate as health interventions and ineffective as deterrents. [continues 140 words]
The Conditions a Rheumatologist Addresses Have No Studies Showing the Drug Is Effective in Their Treatment. PORTLAND - Medical marijuana prescribing is now legal in 14 states, with Maine the latest to join the growing social movement to legalize pot for medicinal use. Prior to the vote last November and as the mechanisms for distribution are finalized, there has been a relative silence from the medical establishment on the pros and cons of prescribing marijuana to treat various medical conditions. [continues 541 words]
But drug diversion is still a concern as Maine gets ready to distribute medical marijuana. You can learn a lot from other people's mistakes and a recent trip to California by Portland Press Herald reporter John Richardson showed that Maine has been a good student when it comes to finding out what works and what doesn't in the field of medical marijuana. In a series of articles that began Aug. 15 in the Maine Sunday Telegram, Richardson showed how good planning and careful supervision allowed marijuana clinics to operate in a secure and responsible manner. [continues 319 words]
Links to experienced dispensaries might ease the beginnings in Maine, but also raise concerns. Maine has so far licensed six medical marijuana dispensaries. Five of them have direct connections to California's cannabis industry. Some state officials are welcoming the experience and resources from the West Coast. The new arrivals should help Maine's experiment with dispensaries get off to a smooth start, they say. Others, however, fear the California connections are a troubling way to begin. Most of the concerns focus on Northeast Patients Group, which was granted the licenses to open dispensaries in or near Portland, Augusta, Thomaston and Bangor. [continues 730 words]
Tim Smale's quest for migraine relief led to marijuana, which he's now dispensing in Maine. Tim and Jennifer Smale have built and run businesses before. But their newest venture is more personal. Tim Smale, a former competitive swimmer with a master's degree in business administration, developed severe migraine headaches in his mid-20s. He said he tried various prescription drugs, but gave up because of side effects and the risk of addiction. In 2004, he said, he discovered what he says is a safer, better treatment for the pain and nausea: marijuana. [continues 187 words]
Concerns about affordability arise as dispensary operators set prices high to prevent resale on the streets. Maine's new network of medical marijuana dispensaries is expected to make the drug more accessible to disabled and ill patients. Making it affordable may be another matter, however. While the dispensaries are state-licensed nonprofits, most plan to charge virtually the same prices as illegal dealers charge on the street -- from $300 to $400 an ounce. At those prices, a typical patient with cancer or multiple sclerosis might spend $500 to $600 or more each month to relieve symptoms with medication that is not covered by insurance. [continues 1092 words]
Legislators may need to clarify rules to keep licensed marijuana sellers from profiteering. Maine's new medical marijuana dispensaries have to incorporate as nonprofits. But that doesn't mean they are charities or that they can't make lots of money. It doesn't even mean they have to reveal the salaries paid to officers and directors. "I think the term nonprofit is often misunderstood," said Rob Levin, a Portland-based lawyer who specializes in nonprofit law. "I have no idea what the Legislature had in mind, but it wouldn't surprise me if more oversight was envisioned than what is required under (Maine law)." [continues 625 words]
This Referendum Seeks To Do Good, But Its Method Is Flawed Question 2 on the Nov. 2 referendum ballot asks Maine voters if they would like to authorize people to grow "limited" amounts of marijuana, with a doctor's permission, in order to medicate themselves to relieve the symptoms of some ailments. While the idea of providing the relief marijuana offers to patients suffering the effects of cancer, AIDS and other afflictions is a good one, the method chosen by the backers of this proposed law is not. [continues 263 words]
If he truly cared about people with cancer, glaucoma and AIDS, Don Christen would go home, fire up a joint and keep his mouth shut. But for Maine's premier pothead, medical use of marijuana is more than just an idea whose time has come. It's a foot in the door, a step toward that glorious day when all of the world's troubles will disappear in a cloud of cannabis. In other words, it's the best reason yet to ignore Don Christen. [continues 541 words]
