RIPAC E-News
September 2008 Edition
RI Patient Advocacy Coalition
September 2008 Edition
RI Patient Advocacy Coalition
Welcome to the monthly newsletter of the RI Patient Advocacy Coalition (RIPAC), Rhode Island's medical marijuana community! Visit our website, www.RIpatients.org.
In this issue:
1. GET OUT TO VOTE IN THIS TUESDAY'S PRIMARY ELECTION (9/9)
2. BOSTON FREEDOM RALLY ON BOSTON COMMON SAT., SEPT 20
3. NEW RESEARCH ON MARIJUANA FOR ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
4. CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL ISSUES DISPENSARY REGULATIONS
5. FEATURED LINK: MARIJUANA POLICY PROJECT, MPP.ORG
6. SEPTEMBER REGIONAL, COMMUNITY, AND CARDHOLDER MEETINGS
1. GET OUT TO VOTE IN THIS TUESDAY'S PRIMARY ELECTION (9/9)
2. BOSTON FREEDOM RALLY ON BOSTON COMMON SAT., SEPT 20
3. NEW RESEARCH ON MARIJUANA FOR ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
4. CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL ISSUES DISPENSARY REGULATIONS
5. FEATURED LINK: MARIJUANA POLICY PROJECT, MPP.ORG
6. SEPTEMBER REGIONAL, COMMUNITY, AND CARDHOLDER MEETINGS
1. GET OUT TO VOTE IN THIS TUESDAY'S PRIMARY ELECTION (9/9)
- This Tuesday, September 9, is the party primary election for the entire state legislature, so make sure to get out and vote! You can check your polling place right here.
- The Providence Phoenix came out with a great article endorsing some candidates and mentioning medical marijuana specifically, and you can read it here.
- This Saturday, September 20, on Boston Common, MassCann will hold the 19th annual Boston Freedom Rally, a day of free live music with a hempfest atmosphere. It's fun and free, you should come!
- This year's Freedom Rally will focus on MA's upcoming decriminalization vote, but RIPAC will still attend to sign up supporters of RI's medical marijuana law. If you attend, come say hi!
- An important study published this month in the Journal of Biological Chemistry found a new way in which endocannabinoid 2-AG (binds with CB1 and CB2) is neuroprotective, helping to explain why medical marijuana slows the progression of Alzheimer's Disease: read the abstract here.
- And if you missed it, another study published last month in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology found that medical marijuana effectively relieves neuropathic pain in HIV patients, compared with placebo; here's a report.
- Attorney General Jerry Brown, California's top cop, has issued guidelines directing state law enforcement to follow state law on medical marijuana, NOT federal law.
- His guidelines affirmed the legality of collectives, cooperatives, and "non-profit" storefront dispensaries. He told the DEA to stay out of CA and leave enforcement of medical marijuana laws to CA law enforcement.
- Americans for Safe Access worked closely with AG Brown on these guidelines to advise law enforcement on how to handle medical marijuana encounters.
- The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP, mpp.org) is dedicated to ending marijuana prohibition, and helped pass Rhode Island's medical marijuana law.
- Of special interest is MPP's financial assistance program for low-income patients and caregivers to receive scholarships for their Medical Marijuana Program license cards.
- This month we'll have RIPAC Regional Meetings for patients and caregivers to meet others in their local areas. We've got South County, Warwick, and Cranston. Contact RIPAC here if you are a Cardholder in one of these areas but haven't heard about your Regional Meeting.
- RIPAC's next open Community Meeting for patients, caregivers, advocates, and anyone else interested in learning more about medical marijuana will be 6:30pm-8:00pm, Wednesday, September 10, at the Smith Hill Library (31 Candace Street, Providence). Contact RIPAC for more information.
- Our next Cardholder Meeting for patients and caregivers licensed in the Medical Marijuana Program will be 7pm, Tuesday, September 23. If you are a licensed patient or caregiver and can attend, contact us for more details.