MMJ: BuMMR for CBD

I hear there is a new Weed Czar in town. I would like to know more. - Tab U. LaRasa

Gov. Jerry Brown (by the way, he signed AB 21, so that March 1 deadline is a thing of the past) has appointed Lori Ajax, currently the chief deputy director of the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, to head the new Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation. Ajax (A Republican, if you care about those things; I know plenty of folks on all sides of every aisle that want clear and fair statewide regulations) will have to be approved by the state Senate, and if she gains approval, she will be in charge of creating an entirely new state agency. Aside from the unfortunate acronym (BuMMR, which is the opposite of what cannabis does), this new agency will have to deal with a ton of B.S. from all sides. All will clamor to make sure they receive their fair share of unfair advantages. To call her new job a gigantic undertaking is perhaps the understatement of the year.

Can you tell me more about CBD? - LFM

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the many therapeutic substances found in the marijuana plant. CBD is known for its anti-inflammatory effects, and is known to be an effective treatment for certain forms of epilepsy. Many states have passed laws that allow for cannabis-based medicines made with CBD, but not THC. I have no idea why that is. I guess it’s mostly because people still think of cannabis as a dangerous narcotic.

I am not a doctor, but my understanding of the cannabis plant is that it works best because of what they call the “entourage effect.” So the THC works in conjunction with the CBD and the CBG and the myrcene and the pinene and the beta-carotene to make a happier, healthier person. Of course some people need more CBD, some like more myrcene, what have you. I personally think pinene is the bee’s knees. My point is, if a state is going to allow people that need medical cannabis to use CBD, why not let them use the whole plant? No one will die from a marijuana overdose, unlike the current spike in opioid-related deaths. In fact, states with medical marijuana laws have lower rates of narcotic use and fewer overdoses. Cannabis has be proven to be a safe effective medicine for hundreds of years. All this selective prohibition is nonproductive. Learn more at www.projectcbd.org.