Feds: Banks, marijuana sellers can do business
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration Friday gave banks a road map for conducting transactions with legal marijuana sellers, so these new businesses can stash away savings, make payroll and pay taxes like any other enterprise. It’s not clear banks will get on board.
Guidance issued by the Justice and Treasury departments is the latest step by the federal government toward enabling a legalized marijuana industry to operate in states that approve it. The intent is to make banks feel more comfortable working with marijuana businesses that are licensed and regulated.
Others have a keen interest, too, in a regulated financial pipeline for an industry that is just emerging from the underground. Marijuana businesses that can’t use banks may have too much cash they can’t safely put away, leaving them vulnerable to criminals. And governments that allow marijuana sales want a channel to receive taxes.
But a leading financial services trade group immediately expressed misgivings and others, too, said the guidelines don’t go far enough in protecting banks.
“After a series of red lights, we expected this guidance to be a yellow one,” said Don Childears, president and CEO of the Colorado Bankers Association. “This isn’t close to that. At best, this amounts to ‘serve these customers at your own risk’ and it emphasizes all of the risks. This light is red.”
Washington and Colorado in 2012 became the first states to approve recreational use of marijuana. A group is hoping to make Alaska the third state in the nation to do so.
Source http://www.dnj.com/viewart/20140216/NEWS/302160023/Feds-Banks-marijuana-sellers-can-do-business
All Eyes on Florida and Alaska
Although cannabis law reform continues to take place across the country, residents of two states in the U.S. have the opportunity this year to drastically change the landscape in the movement to legalize recreational and medicinal cannabis; Alaska and Florida.
In Alaska, voters will have the opportunity this August to legalize cannabis, through a constitutional amendment, for all adults 21 and older. Similar to Colorado’s Amendment 64, the initiative voters will be considering would legalize cannabis possession, private cultivation and state-licensed sales. If approved, Alaska would become the third state in the U.S. to legalize recreational cannabis; it would be a clear, undeniable sign that cannabis legalization is a certain inevitability, and that recent victories have sped up the process.
In Florida, voters will be given the chance to legalize cannabis for medical purposes this November. Although over 20 states have legalized some form of medical cannabis, Florida would be the first state in the south to do so, and one of the last states many expected would make the move. Despite their often conservative values, recent polling has found upward of 80% in the state to be in support of legalizing medical cannabis, a strong sign that the state will do so through a voter-approved initiative this November.
If both of these states are successful in accomplishing their goal, the momentum gained by the victories in Colorado and Washington would explode to new heights, and new levels of mainsteam awareness.
It’s absolutely vital that those who support reforming our failed cannabis laws support these efforts; if you’re in either of these states, get involved with the campaigns (for Florida click here, for Alaska click here), spread awareness and do what you can to help get these proposals approved. If you’re outside of the state, considering donating to the campaigns behind the initiatives; as we all know, for better or worse, money plays a huge role in politics, and everything you can give helps in a big way.
We’ll keep you updated as these, and other proposals, move forward.
Source http://thejointblog.com/eyes-florida-alaska/
Holy Hoppy Hemp!
I had some very interesting buddage laid on me the other day, a local Alaskan Blueberry strain that was soil grown and during the final flushing a small bit of organic honey was added to the watering. The effect was a dramatic increase in the crystals, and I’m thinking a corresponding increase in the high. Another interesting thing that I have not noticed before is a Hops like bud structure.
Hops
It also seems like the buds bulked quite a bit over the previous grow where the organic honey was not used. I’ll be scouring the net to find out what the Hop like structure is all about but if anyone has seen it before I’d love to hear from them.
Strain Reviews – Medical Marijuana Reviews, Cannabis Seeds , Glass Reviews
Blackberry Kush
Lineage: Afghani Mother x DJ Shorts Blue Berry
Pheno type: Short and Stocky – A True Indica
Family: 80% Indica 20% Sativa
Origin: Clone & Seeds
Region: Oregon
Indoor Maturation: 65-75 days
Outdoor Maturation: 60-65
Sex Possibilities: All type
Stature: Bushy with big nug structure
Yield: Medium
Look: Incredible, Dark green, Black, Purple, Yellow
Odor Level: 7 out of 10
Colorado lowers medical marijuana patient fee to $15
The change is mainly due to the fact the registry’s state fund has made more than enough money to cover administrative costs, said Mark Salley, spokesman for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
In fact, there is an excess of $13 million.
Read more at:http://www.strainreviews.com/medical-marijuana/colorado-lowers-medical-marijuana-patient-fee-to-15/
facebook – Hemp for Alaska
Alaska Hemp gives a tip of the hat to
Some of what they had to say recently…
http://thejointblog.com/hemp-is-effective-in-cleaning-nuclear-disasters/
How to Make a Medical Marijuana Oil
The benefits of medical marijuana oil are being debated by some and embraced by others. Whether you’re a curious skeptic or a true believer, you can follow the steps below to make your own medical marijuana oil.
Vape me baby!
OK, you all know I’m a fairly heavy marijuana smoker, some might not know I am also a tobacco smoker, pack a day for 40+ years. Yea, I know people that smoke tobacco AND marijuana are more likely to get COPD, and that’s why I have tried to stop lots of times, the Patch, Nicorette Gum, cold turkey, veggie spears, nail biting, sucking brass…well, welcome to the next phase…Vapeaway.
I bought the iTaste Leo kit, it comes with two battery pens and 5 refillable oil cartridges, a wall/USB charger and a booklet. For less than the cost of one carton of cigarettes. I estimate that with two people smoking in our home we will make back the cost of the unit in under 4 days.
I got some 16% nicotine Coffee Bean flavor oil to put in the iTaste and so far it has drastically cut down my cigarette use in just 24 hours. I should mention that when I bought the iTaste Leo I did not buy any “Juice” to put i it, thinking I would try the “Breathe” essential oil I already had on hand.
DO NOT USE ANY ESSENTIAL OIL WITH CITRUS!
The t
ips plastic cracked and the tip fell apart in under 5 minutes.
Now, about subverting the iTaste Leo to use with alternative oils…RSO*…if you don’t know what that is you should. I’ll make another post about it.
Stay tuned, stay high, stay healthy, stay free.
*Rick Simpson Oil
Let’s Focus On Industrial Hemp
Norris McDonald and Roy Patrick, Contributors
Industrial hemp is a ‘legal weed’ with annual sales in the United States (US) averaging about US$500 million dollars. This is expected to rise because of the push to decriminalize all forms of marijuana (cannabis sativa) especially its non-toxic cousin, the hemp plant. Ganja is merely one of 500 varieties of this hemp plant and there is no reason Jamaica can’t begin a pilot study in industrial hemp production.
Industrial hemp is in the spotlight as many countries race to boost production. Governor Jerry Brown, of California, recently signed a law legalizing industrial hemp production. America is a large consumer of industrial hemp products but, at present, most of it is bought from overseas.
Canada is the biggest supplier of industrial hemp to America, and it may well be possible for Jamaica to become a big exporter to the US and other markets. The US (Hawaii), Canada, Great Britain, Russia, Germany, China, Japan, France are among the roughly 27 countries worldwide which grow industrial Hemp. Unlike ganja, it has lower levels of drug toxicity, hence its risk for being abused is considerably less.
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20131122/cleisure/cleisure4.html