When President Trump signed the 2018 Farm Bill into law, few could have realized the broad ramifications that it would have on marijuana laws nationwide. The Farm Bill is usually where agricultural farm subsidies, crop insurance, and nutritional priorities are set by the federal government. But this year’s bill contained some surprises. Thanks to Senator…
Terpenes are nature’s fungicide. Plants produce terpenes to protect them from hostile enemies ranging from grazing animals, insects, microscopic bacteria and fungi, and high temperatures. Terpenes provide the orange color to carrots (beta-carotene) as well as the citrus smell to oranges and lemons (limonene). At last count, scientists had identified more than 15,000 different terpenes…
EDIBLES ISSUE FINALLY, THE EDIBLES HAVE ARRIVED On January, 12, 2022, all eyes will once again turn to Annapolis and the General Assembly where the eternally hopeful Cannabis-consuming residents of Maryland will wait expectantly as legislators wrestle with the question, “Will this be the year?” Will this be the year that the Maryland General Assembly…
Seed Money in Maryland In my daytime gig as a criminal defense attorney, I am often called upon to explain to my clients the purpose of criminal laws. Sometimes the law reflects a clear and shared understanding by society of what is legally permissible–murder and theft are two good examples. But sometimes the law is…
If it has been more than ten years since you’ve tried Cannabis, a trip to a modern-day dispensary might leave you a bit confused. Of course, you would recognize the green, leafy buds of the Cannabis plant, now referred to by budtenders as “flower.” But stashed beneath the glass and bright lights, you will also…
This month’s issue of Maryland Leaf covers the broad topic of “Leisure” and focuses on the activities enjoyed by people during recreation while using cannabis. This issue explores the activities and classic cultural references that have spread due to the broad, popular appeal of cannabis around the world. But as I sat down to recount…
On 2nd December 2020, the United Nation’s Commission on Narcotic Drugs (“CND”), the drug policy making body of the United Nations, voted to re-classify Cannabis and Cannabis resin from its current listing in Schedule IV (alongside dangerous drugs such as heroin, fentanyl analogues and other opioids) to Schedule I (which are drugs still subject to…
Activism and Positive Impacts on the Cannabis Community Citizen Jones “I didn’t set out to work for the legalization of Cannabis. I don’t even get paid for the work I do on behalf of Cannabis reform. I do it because I wanted to educate myself about Maryland’s politics and how to participate in the political…
MARYLAND LEAF MAGAZINE APRIL 2021 In February 2003, the United States Department of Justice launched its most misguided indirect attack on Cannabis known as “Operation Pipe Dreams.” At the time, four western states had already enacted legislation permitting the statewide use of medical Cannabis, despite the federal prohibition against it. And more states were about…
Maryland Leaf Magazine Tucked away on the Johns Hopkins Medical School Bayview Campus, less than 45 minutes from the outskirts of Washington, DC, sits the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research. The Center is run by its Director, Professor Roland Griffiths, a professor of behavioral biology in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Departments, as well…
On March 23, 2020, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan issued an emergency “shut-down” order declaring that a catastrophic, statewide health emergency existed within the State due to the outbreak of COVID-19. The Order closed all “non-essential businesses” to control the spread of the disease — effective immediately. But tucked into the Governor’s Order prohibiting the public…
According to a recent poll taken in January of this year, 57% of all Marylanders support legalizing marijuana for recreational use, as do 76% of Marylanders under 50. Given this broad mandate for marijuana legalization across the State, one might believe that this is the year that adult-use, recreational marijuana legislation finally passes here in…