Big Tobacco Planned Big Marijuana Sales in the 1970s

 

June 3, 2014

Documents buried deep in tobacco company archives reveal a hope and a plan to sell marijuana as soon as legally possible

Tobacco executives anticipated the legalization of marijuana as early as the 1970′s — and they wanted a piece of the action, according to newly discovered documents from tobacco company archives.

Public health researchers scanned 80 million pages of digitized company documents for keywords such as, “marijuana,” “cannabis,” “reefer,” “weed,” “spliffs,” and “blunts.” The results, published Tuesday in the Milbank Quarterly, reveal a long history of maneuvers toward marijuana-laced products.

“The starting point must be to learn how to produce in quantity cigarettes loaded uniformly with a known amount of either ground cannabis or dried and cut cannabis rag,” read one memorandum from British American Tobacco’s adviser on technical research, Charles Ellis.

A hand-written letter from Philip Morris president George Weissman read, “While I am opposed to its use, I recognize that it may be legalized in the near future…Thus, with these great auspices, we should be in a position to examine: 1. A potential competition, 2. A possible product, 3. At this time, cooperate with the government.”

Philip Morris even went so far as to request a marijuana sample from the Department of Justice for research purposes, promising to share its findings with the government so long as the company’s involvement remained strictly confidential. “We request that there be no publicity whatsoever,” wrote a Philip Morris executive. The Justice Department drug science’s chief Milton Joffee obliged with a promise to deliver “good quality” marijuana.

While tobacco executives missed the mark on legalization by several decades, they did lay out a persuasive case for vigilance. In early 1970, an unsigned memorandum distributed to Philip Morris’ top management read, “We are in the business of relaxing people who are tense and providing a pick up for people who are bored or depressed. The human needs that our product fills will not go away. Thus, the only real threat to our business is that society will find other means of satisfying these needs.”

The study authors said the documents provide proof of tobacco companies’ intent to enter the marijuana trade, despite their claims to the contrary. They urged policymakers to prevent tobacco makers from entering the nascent market for legal marijuana “in a way that would replicate the smoking epidemic, which kills 480,000 Americans each year.”

CONTINUE READING…

Pot Push in D.C. May Spur Congress to Weigh Legalizing

By Michael C. Bender - Nov 1, 2013 10:10 AM CT

A proposal backed by most District of Columbia council members to decriminalize small amounts of pot may spur federal lawmakers to consider marijuana regulation for the first time since two states legalized recreational sales.

Congress has the power to block legislation approved by the Washington council. U.S. lawmakers can also stop local initiatives in the nation’s capital through the federal budget, which authorizes the city’s spending, as they did to stall the use of medical marijuana there for a decade.

 

Alliance, say the effects of pot are less harmful than alcohol or tobacco, the U.S. government maintains that marijuana can lead to serious mental-health issues. Photographer: Andrew Hetherington/Redux

Aug. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Bruce Bedrick, chief executive officer of Medbox Inc., talks about the outlook for the medical marijuana market and prospects for legalization of the drug in the U.S. Bedrick speaks with Betty Liu on Bloomberg Television's "In the Loop." (Source: Bloomberg)

The push to loosen local pot penalties, which few expect Congress to block, would set up what supporters say is the next step: legalizing recreational use. Growing support for legal pot and the billions in tax revenue and prison savings the change may bring has convinced some that Congress will ease laws.

“This is where you’re going to see federal movement coming in the next year or two,” said Erik Altieri, a spokesman for the Washington-based National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, which was founded in 1970.

Groups such as Norml and the DC Cannabis Campaign are considering a ballot initiative next year to legalize pot sales in the district. If approved, it would force Congress to consider an issue the federal government has mostly left to states. The hands-off approach has created a patchwork of laws ranging from Missouri, where possession of 35 grams, about 1.25 ounces, can mean seven years in prison, to Colorado and Washington state, which legalized recreational sales last year.

Gaining Support

In Oregon, activists submitted a statewide ballot proposal last week that would legalize possession of as much as eight ounces of pot, while proponents are gathering signatures for measures in Alaska and Florida. Three Maine lawmakers from Portland today endorsed a question on the city’s Nov. 5 election ballot to decriminalize possession of 2.5 ounces or less.

For the first time, a majority of Americans now favor legalization, according to a Gallup Poll last week showing that support has increased 10 percentage points in one year.

Seventy-six percent of doctors worldwide favor using pot for medicinal purposes, according to a May poll published by the New England Journal of Medicine. Forty-eight percent of U.S. adults reported using it, according to a Pew Research Center survey.

Federal Opposition

While advocates, including the Washington-based Drug Policy Alliance, say the effects of pot are less harmful than alcohol or tobacco, the U.S. government maintains that marijuana can lead to serious mental-health issues.

“Legalization of marijuana, no matter how it begins, will come at the expense of our children and public safety,” said an April report from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. “It will create dependency and treatment issues, and open the door to use of other drugs, impaired health, delinquent behavior and drugged drivers.”

Sale or possession of marijuana accounted for 48 percent of the 1.55 million drug arrests in the U.S. in 2012, Federal Bureau of Investigation data show. While drug busts have dropped, those for marijuana have risen by 18 percent since 2001, according a June report from the American Civil Liberties Union.

Racial Gap

At the same time, racial disparities have increased, according to the report. In the U.S., pot use among whites and blacks is about the same, yet blacks are arrested for possession almost four times as often. In Washington, blacks accounted for 91 percent of marijuana arrests in 2010, even though they account for about half of the population of 632,000.

“We’re saving thousands of black boys and a few girls from having a criminal record for small amounts of marijuana, and that’s important because most employers won’t consider you if they see an arrest record,” said council member Marion Barry, referring to the proposal.

Barry is no stranger to drug laws. He was sentenced to six months in prison in 1990 for possession of crack cocaine while he was mayor. He said that experience hasn’t informed his support for the pot proposal.

Barry wouldn’t say whether he supported legalization. Asked whether that was the next step in D.C., he said, “Yes.”

Big Business

Estimates on a potential national marijuana market vary from $10 billion to $120 billion a year, with $35 billion to $45 billion being likely, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Tax collections from such sales could reach as much as $20 billion, according to a March report by Brad Barker, a Bloomberg Industries analyst, who cited projections by the Cato Institute, a nonprofit research group, and the Congressional Research Service.

When voters in Washington and Colorado legalized pot a year ago, they forced the federal government’s hand. In an Aug. 29 memo, U.S. Deputy Attorney General James Cole said the Justice Department wouldn’t intervene in the states’ pot regulations, so long as they prevented out-of-state distribution, access to minors, impaired driving and kept revenue from going to gangs and cartels.

In Congress, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, said in an Aug. 26 statement that “these state laws should be respected.”

The Tea Party movement that helped restore Republican control in the House in 2010 included a wave of libertarian lawmakers who are more receptive to loosening marijuana regulation.

A House bill from California Republican Dana Rohrabacher to give state marijuana laws priority over the U.S. Controlled Substances Act has 20 co-sponsors, ranging from Arizona Democrat Raul Grijalva, among the most liberal members of Congress, to Justin Amash of Michigan and Steve Stockman of Texas, both Republicans aligned with the Tea Party movement.

Kentucky Grass

A triumvirate of Kentucky Republicans is backing proposals to allow farming of hemp, which U.S. law classifies the same as marijuana even though it has a non-intoxicating amount of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in the cannabis plant.

In the Senate, the measure has support from Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senator Rand Paul, a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2016. A third Kentucky lawmaker, Representative Thomas Massie, has 48 co-sponsors for the same bill in the House.

“We’re seeing Congress move this way,” Norml’s Altieri said. “It’s hard to see them really rolling back.”

Rohrabacher said he doesn’t expect his bill to pass until the Republican Party nominates a presidential candidate who supports marijuana legislation. The limited-government Tea Party movement increases the chances, he said.

“It all depends on whether or not, with this Tea Party group, we end up with a Republican that has courage enough to be more libertarian on the marijuana issue,” Rohrabacher said.

Parking Ticket

The District of Columbia proposal to decriminalize possession of less than one ounce of marijuana has support from 10 of 12 local lawmakers and may get final approval in January, said council member Tommy Wells, who is sponsoring the measure.

Wells’s plan would mean fines of $100 for small amounts of pot, instead of a maximum six months in prison. Wells said in an interview that he’ll probably change his bill at a December hearing to reduce the fine to $25 -- the same as the punishment for parking at an expired meter.

Sixteen states have decriminalized first-time possession of small amounts of marijuana, according to Norml.

Mayor’s Support

Once it passes the council and gets a signature from Mayor Vincent Gray, who supports it, Congress has 60 days to object with a disapproval resolution. Congress hasn’t used that method since 1991, when lawmakers overturned a proposal to exceed a 110-foot height limit for downtown buildings.

When voters in the nation’s capital were among the first in the U.S. to legalize medicinal marijuana in 1998, Congress prevented the district from spending money on the program for a decade with a budget rider.

There are now three dispensaries and three cultivation centers in the district, said Najma Roberts, a D.C. health department spokeswoman.

Both Wells and council member David Grosso said they’d back legalization in Washington, a question that two-thirds of district votes said they’d support, according to an April poll by Public Policy Polling. Neither Wells nor Grosso would venture a guess as to how Congress might respond.

“That fight would have national repercussions,” Rohrabacher said.

To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Michael C. Bender in Washington at mbender10@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Jodi Schneider at jschneider50@bloomberg.net

CONTINUE READING…

Huge Google Grant to Michigan Marijuana Group Could Usher in New Era for Cannabis Industry

The medical cannabis movement is getting some major help from one of the most well-known corporate names in the world: Google.

Michigan Compassion, a nonprofit organization that seeks to increase awareness of the health benefits of marijuana, has received a massive in-kind grant from the Internet search giant’s donation program, Google Grants.

The cannabis organization will receive $250,000 in annual credits for AdWords – Google’s main advertising offering for businesses – and other related services. The continue for the life of Michigan Compassion, meaning its value could easily soar into the tens of millions of dollars over time.

Aside from the dollar amount, the grant is very significant in other ways. For one, it signals the entrance of a major company into the medical marijuana debate, giving cannabis some additional legitimacy and clout. It also moves marijuana into the mainstream business world, opening the door for other major companies to dabble in cannabis – from a philanthropic, investment or product sense.

Perhaps most importantly, it shows that corporate attitudes towards cannabis are shifting: Google has traditionally blocked many marijuana-related businesses and organizations from using its AdWords service. The grant, therefore, signals that Google is becoming more accepting of cannabis.

“This is huge, this is really huge,” said Heidi Parikh, executive director of Michigan Compassion. “For a corporation that has prohibited ads with marijuana or cannabis in them to utilize this service and accept our organization opens a bridge for everybody. At one point Google even had a lock on us because of the keywords we used on our website.”

The award letter even states that this is the first medical marijuana nonprofit to receive an AdWords grant from Google, Parikh said.

Michigan Compassion will use the grant to boost its presence on the Internet – ideally by moving its website and projects up high in search results – and further its overall outreach efforts.

CONTINUE READING HERE….

Steve DeAngelo: Cannabis Industry Professionalism ‘Critically, Critically Important’

 

 

The cannabis industry is at a pivotal point in its history and must quickly mature to take advantage of new opportunities and while beating back unprecedented challenges, Steve DeAngelo, director of Harborside Health Center, said this morning at the National Marijuana Business Conference.

“It’s critically, critically important that we bring professionalism to the cannabis industry,” said DeAngelo, who received a sustained standing ovation for his keynote speech.

DeAngelo praised the successful marijuana legalization campaigns in Colorado and Washington and spoke about the difficulties facing cannabis businesses.

Here are his top seven pieces of advice for cannabis entrepreneurs:

1. Mass Marketplace

Focus your marketing and product development to serve the broader population now emerging for cannabis wellness products, instead of positioning yourself for the “intoxication” demographic of males 21-30. The former is a much larger potential market and helps legitimize the industry’s image, which will lead in turn to tremendous growth.

2. Careful Investment

Don’t invest in the still-volatile cannabis industry if you’re hoping to make millions quickly and you are risk-averse.  There are other, safer ways to make money. This is an industry that requires cautious, intelligent investors who care as much about the industry itself as they do about making money.

3. Cash Management

To safeguard your business investment, don’t depend on just one single sales channel – such as dispensaries – to the exclusion of others. Manage your cash flow carefully and keep a cash reserve for emergencies. Partner with other cannabis entrepreneurs, when possible, instead of launching new offerings entirely on your own.

4. Public Involvement

Don’t operate in the shadows. Mitigate risks by engaging with your local community, especially local politicians and regulators. Harborside’s outreach efforts to senior centers and veterans groups have been particularly effective.

5. Licensing & Regulations

“Gray” operators are one of the biggest risks to the success of the industry. Increase pressure on state officials to enact and enforce regulations and licensing around cannabis businesses. This is particularly critical in California but also elsewhere because the publicity from Tuesday’s votes in WA and CO will inevitably lead to a new crop of eager, but less-than-professional, entrepreneurs.

6. European Competition

Watch out for the European brands now eyeing the US marketplace.  “They have a 10-20 year lead on us and they are very sophisticated.”

7. For-profit Status

Although some in the cannabis industry have been critical of the profit motive, DeAngelo, who is known for leading the largest non-profit dispensary in the nation, made it clear that the industry needs outside investors to grow. “Investment capital will not come into non-profits,” he said. His suggestion: The industry should move to for-profit status legally when possible, while keeping the best lessons of its “non-profit culture” alive in terms of truly caring about and serving patients’ needs.

Note: MMJ Business Daily will bring our readers a series of conference wrap-up reports next week. Sign up for our free email newsletter to receive these, if you’re not already on the list.  Your email privacy is respected.

In the meantime, for more news, photos and quotes from the 40+ speakers at the National Marijuana Business Conference, check the live Twitter feed at hashtag #mmjbizcon.

CONTINUE READING

 

<div id="change_BottomBar"><span id="change_Powered"><a href="http://www.change.org/" target="_blank">Change.org</a></span><a>|</a><span id="change_Start"><a href='http://www.change.org/'>The Proven Petition Site</a></span></div>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://e.change.org:80/flash_petitions_widget.js?width=300&petition_id=329509&color=1A3563"></script>

IRS seizes California medical marijuana provider's bank account

By Peter Hecht
The Sacramento Bee

Published: Friday, Jun. 15, 2012

 

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Internal Revenue Service has seized bank accounts it says took in more than $870,000 in cumulative deposits in recent months, part of a federal probe into alleged money laundering involving a Sacramento marijuana dispensary.

Agents of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and the IRS presented search warrants earlier this week on the El Camino Wellness Center, considered the largest medical marijuana provider in Sacramento.

The seizure of bank accounts, detailed in a sealed affidavit obtained by The Bee, underscores an effort by federal authorities to crack down on California medical marijuana dispensaries by employing laws traditionally used to target money transfers by narcotics traffickers.

A June 8 IRS seizure warrant cited federal money-laundering statutes and laws against improper reporting of income to seize bank accounts of the El Camino Wellness Center and its officers, Nicholas Street and Suneet Agarwal. No charges have been filed in the case.

IRS Special Agent SoEun Park said in the affidavit that Street and Agarwal, who goes by the name Sunny Kumar, distributed "illegal drugs" from "their illegal marijuana store" and conspired with "co-schemers" to hide profits from a purportedly nonprofit dispensary.

Park alleges that the men registered their dispensary with the state as a nonprofit corporation – the Sacramento Nonprofit Collective – then "concealed the proceeds from their marijuana store."

"The concealment and deposit of drug proceeds was primarily facilitated by false statements to financial institutions to disguise the true nature of their marijuana business," Park wrote.

He alleged that the dispensary operators were "commingling drug proceeds with legitimate funds, utilizing different entity names and bank accounts and frequently transferring funds between accounts to obfuscate the paper trail."

Former Sacramento federal prosecutor Donald Heller said authorities are sending a message that they will use federal drug money-laundering laws to target dispensaries that handle hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical marijuana transactions.

"I don't think it matters if they're nonprofit or not" under California law, Heller said "What the government sees is big commercial enterprises and they're going after them."

James Anthony, an Oakland attorney specializing in medical marijuana regulation, blasted the account seizures as an assault on a legal California business.

"Did that (IRS) affidavit say a darn thing about these being medical marijuana collectives in compliance with state law? No," Anthony said. "There is a total disconnect."

El Camino Wellness Center opened in 2008 and last year became the first Sacramento dispensary issued a permit under a city regulatory program for medical marijuana outlets. The city is still collecting voter-approved taxes on local dispensaries, amounting to $1.1 million between July 2011 and March of this year.

Mark Reichel, the attorney representing Street and Agarwal, said El Camino Wellness Center was "a flagship for compliance" as a city-regulated medical marijuana provider.

Reichel said federal authorities raided the dispensary and the homes of both men, taking computers, cellphones and business records. In addition to the money-laundering probe, a DEA search warrant affidavit said Street and Agarwal are being investigated for conspiracy to distribute marijuana and maintaining a place for distribution.

"We're going to try to talk to the government and see if we can work things out and explain that these guys were in compliance with state law," Reichel said.

U.S. Magistrate Dale A. Drozd approved the request to seize up to $827,435 from a Wells Fargo business account for the dispensary. The figure was based on IRS accounting of cumulative deposits made between January 2006 and August 2011.

Max Del Real, a spokesman for the dispensary, said the actual account balance was "a minute fraction" of the deposits it had received over time. Park wrote that any deposits from "sale of controlled substances" are subject to seizure.

The IRS also said it would seize up to $44,271 from a Wells Fargo account for Agarwal and deposits from two Golden One Credit Union accounts in Street's name.

The affidavit includes allegations that El Camino Wellness misleadingly listed its services as "health" – but not marijuana – when it set up merchant services accounts for credit and debit card transactions. It said one credit card company, JPMorgan Chase, stopped doing business with El Camino Wellness upon learning it was a medical marijuana provider.

Joe Elford, legal counsel for Americans for Safe Access, an advocacy group for medical marijuana patients, said the investigation stirs questions over banking rights for dispensaries. He said just because a dispensary has money in the bank doesn't signal a crime.

"When you deposit money into a bank, you don't have to explain to the bank where that money came from, typically," Elford said. "And every nonprofit I know of has a bank account."

Last year, a U.S. Treasury Department criminal task force seized more than $80,000 from accounts of another Sacramento dispensary, One Love Wellness Center. The establishment closed on New Year's Eve with no charges filed.

The latest raid worries Lanette Davies, co-operator of Sacramento's Canna Care, one of 20 dispensaries still operating in city limits, down from the original 38.

Davies said that in recent years three different financial institutions, all aware Canna Care was a dispensary, initially agreed to service accounts for Canna Care but closed the accounts after deciding not to service medical marijuana businesses. The dispensary has another banking partner, but Davies worries she could be targeted by the government.

"It's almost like the federal government sets you up to fail," she said. "We are not Mexican drug cartels."

U.S. prosecutors have said they are targeting marijuana businesses "hijacked by profiteers" that they contend are operating in violation of both federal and state laws – though warrants in the El Camino Wellness case make no mention of California's medical marijuana law.

So far, federal courts have rejected legal challenges by medical marijuana advocates to the crackdown on California dispensaries.

Last year, El Camino Wellness sued U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Sacramento U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner, charging that federal property forfeiture notices – including one sent to the dispensary's landlord – violated rights of medical marijuana users and threatened to shut down the "supply chain of medical cannabis."

A federal judge threw out the complaint.

Read more here:

National Medical Marijuana Business Conference Announced for 2012

National Medical Marijuana Business Conference Announced for 2012: More Than 200 of America's Cannabis Dispensaries, Infused Product Makers & MMJ Entrepreneurs to Attend

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

More than 200 medical marijuana industry professionals from across America are expected to gather in Denver CO this November for the National Marijuana Business Conference 2012, featuring keynotes from Steve DeAngelo of Harborside Health Center and Rob Kampia of Marijuana Policy Project. The Conference is being produced by MMJ Business Daily and sponsored by the National Cannabis Industry Association. Reservations and more info available at http://NationalMarijuanaBusinessConference.com

Denver CO (PRWEB) June 06, 2012

More than 200 medical marijuana industry professionals, including dispensaries, infused product makers, investors, lawyers, and related entrepreneurs from around America are expected to gather in Denver CO for the first annual National Marijuana Conference on November 8-9, 2012. Produced by MMJ Business Daily and sponsored by the National Cannabis Industry Association, the Conference is 100% dedicated to the business, financial, and legal aspects of the industry. Information and reservations are available at http://NationalMarijuanaBusinessConference.com

Confirmed speakers include Steve DeAngelo of Harborside Health Center, Rob Kampia of the Marijuana Policy Project, Troy Dayton of The ArcView Group, Tripp Keber of Dixie Elixirs & Edibles, Genifer Murray of CannLabs, Kayvan Khalatbari of Denver Relief, and Betty Aldworth of Evolution Consulting.

In addition to marijuana business management workshops, legal advisory sessions, and "lessons learned" case studies presented by MMJ entrepreneurs from around America, the Conference will feature an Expo Hall with exhibits of the latest infused products, technology, and related products and services for dispensaries.

The Conference will be held at the Sherman Street Event Center in Denver CO two days after the national elections. Legal advisors, regulators, and professional lobbyists will be on hand to analyze how election results will affect the MMJ industry moving forward.

About MMJ Business Daily:
Producer of the National Marijuana Business Conference, Medical Marijuana Business Daily is the top trade publication to America's legal cannabis industry. Its coverage focuses on legal, financial, dispensary and related vendor news. The editorial team is based in Denver CO, with business offices in Newport RI. Subscriptions are free at http://mmjbusinessdaily.com.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/6/prweb9572229.htm

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2012/06/06/prweb9572229.DTL#ixzz1x6NAmbYU

Cannabis Science Makes Medical Moves at The 7th Patients Out of Time medical cannabis conference in Tucson at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort

press release April 30, 2012, 8:44 a.m. EDT

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Apr 30, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Cannabis Science, Inc. a pioneering U.S. biotech company developing pharmaceutical cannabis (marijuana) products, was honored to be the Sponsor and an Exhibitor at the 7th national Patients Out of Time, medical cannabis conference in Tucson, Arizona. The conference was attended by patients, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, professors, supporters, and entrepreneurs of the medical cannabis industry. Our own Dr. Melamede presented patient's results that we have documented at www.cannabisscience.com .

The University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine (UCSF) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Patients Out of Time is the only accredited CME program to educate medical professionals about cannabis as a medicine. There were over 25 world-renowned doctors and scientists sharing and presenting the latest research advances as the complexity of the endo-cannabinoid system continues to unfold. Please see the previous news release from April 17, 2012 at http://finance.yahoo.com/news/dr-robert-melamede-scheduled-speak-182800051.html

Speakers at the conference focused on the science and medicine of cannabinoids. Cannabis Science was overwhelmed, with great feedback by various representatives in the medical community. Prominent speakers included Dr. Robert Melamede, CEO and president of Cannabis Science; Dr. William Courtney of Cannabis Science's scientific advisory board, and Dr. Andrew Weil, best selling author, speaker, and Integrative Medicine thought-leader. Talks covered specific ailments such as PTSD, cancer, and even drug addiction; research on cannabinoid science and medical applications, and law. Dr. Robert Melamede shared pictures show on our website. Cannabis Science helps cancer patients make informed choices regarding treatments. He also spoke as to the holistic nature by which the endocannabinoid system regulated homeostasis in all vertebrates from conception till death and therefore, why cannabis-based medicines are different from all others in their ability to help with so many illnesses.

Cannabis Science demonstrated a pre-release our multi-tiered, digital educational platform to be announced in more detail later this week. Our novel platform will help to meet the ever-expanding interest in cannabis that is coming from the medical communities as the almost miraculous medical benefits of cannabis emerge from the states that support medical marijuana. Our new educational platform (see below) will bring in revenues as we fill the emerging educational need of the medical community. Realistic cannabis education programs are not currently available in the professional schools that need them to end the disconnect between medical cannabis patients an their physicians.

At the conference the Cannabis Science booth collected data from attendees interested in Cannabis Science Stock and there was a lot of interest in our new branding platform.. Attendees were given PR Packets with CBIS information on cancer, Alzheimer's, PTSD, aging, and heart disease. CBIS had attendees fill out a questionnaire to enter into a drawing for an iPad 3, a symbolic prize since Cannabis Science will launce our new digital education platform for Physicians, on the Apple iPad platform. Our congratulations to our conference iPad winner.

Andrew Pitsicalis, the Branding and Licensing Director for Cannabis Science, revealed the new digital platform and demonstrated the technology at the CBIS booth. Pitsicalis coordinated many interviews with Cannabis Planet TV, Arizona Clinics TV, The Phoenix Arizona Times, and local news and media. As a result, we had the honor to meet with a brain cancer survivor of an extremely dangerous surgery. In December of last year, he had a second operation to try to reduce the large mass in his brain. With stage 4 cancer, he came to Cannabis Science to help us create awareness for other cancer patients worldwide so that they too might understand there is hope with cannabis. The patient had not been a previous cannabis user, and was amazed at the impact the plant had on him. In fact, it prevented him from taking his own life, when he was no longer able to cope with having multiple grand mal seizures daily. The patients close friend begged him to smoke cannabis. When he did, he stopped having seizures. He told us he drove 7 hours to meet Dr. Robert Melamede because he was watching his videos our website and YouTube and found hope. The patient wanted to go to the conference to meet him and other doctors and scientists attending the conference.

The Patients Out of Time charity benefit dinner included entertainment by Greta Gaines from her upcoming album "Grassy Girl;" a live and silent auction, and a guest appearance by Gigi Ganjay. Greta's information may be found at www.gretagaines.com , www.cannibuzz.com , and her reel at http://www.conlincasting.net/Gretareel/Greta_Gaines/Reel.html Greta Gaines is a client of Kaneabis (a Cannabis Science company).

If you would like to view information that Cannabis Science provided to the attendees of the conference, please visit our website.

Dr. Robert Melamede stated, "Things have never been better for Cannabis Science and this was confirmed at the conference this past weekend. Not only were we part of an historic event with Patients Out of Time, the amount of consciousness and knowledge gained by everyone attending will shape the medicinal science of the industry going forward. Furthermore, our network of professionals increased substantially as we continue to grow the Cannabis Science business model. Most importantly, this conference was a success because it was about the patients, and we heard dramatic testimonials from them, It was all about doing the right things, with the right people, for the right reasons."

About Cannabis Science, Inc.

Cannabis Science, Inc. is at the forefront of pharmaceutical grade medical marijuana research and development. The second formulations will address the needs of patients choosing to use concentrated cannabis extracts to treat their ailments. Eventually, all Americans will have access to a safe and effective FDA approved medicine regardless of which state they live in. To maintain that marijuana is a dangerous, addictive drug with no medical value is scientifically absurd. Cannabis medicines, with no effective lethal dose, are far safer than aspirin, acetaminophen, and most other OTC drugs that kill thousands of Americans every year.

The Company works with world authorities on phytocannabinoid science targeting critical illnesses, and adheres to scientific methodologies to develop, produce and commercialize phytocannabinoid-based pharmaceutical products. In sum, we are dedicated to the creation of cannabis-based medicines, both with and without psychoactive properties, to treat disease and the symptoms of disease, as well as for general health maintenance.

Forward Looking Statements

This Press Release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934. A statement containing works such as "anticipate," "seek," intend," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "project," "plan," or similar phrases may be deemed "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Some or all of the events or results anticipated by these forward-looking statements may not occur. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include the future U.S. and global economies, the impact of competition, and the Company's reliance on existing regulations regarding the use and development of cannabis-based drugs. Cannabis Science, Inc. does not undertake any duty nor does it intend to update the results of these forward-looking statements.

SOURCE: Cannabis Science, Inc.

        
        Cannabis Science Inc. 
        Dr. Robert J. Melamede 
        President & CEO 
        888-889-0888 
        info@cannabisscience.com 
 
www.cannabisscience.com            or 
        Robert Kane 
        Vice President of Investor Relations 
        561-234-6929 
        rkane@cannabisscience.com 
 
www.cannabisscience.com            


CONTINUE READING...