Canada Launches Access to Medical Marihuana Card

 

source: Digital Journal

• How Cannabis Works
  
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EXISTING MMAR DONE OTTAWA, Oct. 22, 2013 /CNW/ - National Access Canada is launching the Medical Marihuana Card, Canada's first card to provide patients with safe and clinical access to medical marihuana. Cards will soon be accepted at over 40 in-person locations across Canada. 

"Our focus is on patient safety and to provide treatment options which will ultimately improve patient outcomes. Medical marihuana should be dispensed to Canadians in a safe, convenient environment that provides health awareness and reduces risk factors," said Alex Abellan, C.E.O of National Access Canada. "Our solution, the National Access Medical Marihuana Card will provide patients with safe access to their medicine, on-site pharmaceutical support and is already held by 5000 patients with 15,000 currently being processed."  

Medical marihuana is increasingly accepted as a therapeutic treatment not only in Canada but around the world for a range of conditions including Multiple Sclerosis, glaucoma, asthma, collagen-induced arthritis, HIV-associated sensory neuropathy, chronic pain and depression among other ailments. Currently over 37,000 Canadians are qualified to use medical marihuana by the current Medical Marihuana Access Regulations Program. Health Canada projects an increase to 58,000 patients by 2014 and 450,000 by 2024.  

The National Access Canada Medical Marihuana Card will offer patients access to the first medical marihuana dispensaries that have implemented traditional pharmaceutical software. Patients will have access to an on-site pharmacist who will counsel the patient on correct dosage, drug interactions and also provide contraindication feedback. With the use of pharmaceutical software, these locations will work collaboratively to allow patients safe access to their medicine wherever they are in Canada.

 Over 40 locations spanning all provinces and territories will be open by March 31^st. 

"Our card and our services bridge the gap between the patient and the licensed producer," says Abellan. "By tracking consumption and storing health information with patient consent, we are able to bank patient's supply enabling us to dispense in smaller doses. By working with multiple Health Canada approved licensed producers we will be able to provide patients with more strain varieties resulting in more treatment options. We will take a clinical approach to dispensing this narcotic." 

Over and above the certainty and reassurance that this system provides to patients, the National Access Medical Marihuana Card will be a safe alternative to the existing system. Currently, medical marihuana is distributed through letter carriers and other couriers posing security and privacy risks to patients and carriers.  These benefits and safeguards are what Canadians should expect and demand when it comes to dispensing this narcotic.  

Important Health Canada Medical Marijuana Updates

 Updated Jan 1, 2014 -Please Note* This website's main purpose is to be used as a reference guide. It is this website's intention ONLY to assist individuals with this transition period from the old MMAR system to the 2014 revised MMPR, furthermore DOES NOT participate with ANY political or legal stance on any current actions within any government anywhere.
 Heath Canada's MARR Program Revised - As of Midnight March 31, 2014 all current Canadian MMAR documents, possession licenses, growers permits, as well as designated growing permits will no longer be valid under the new law
 In short there will be three (3) companies that will provide all medical cannabis to all Canadians.

• Cannamed
  
• Mettrum
• Peace Naturals Project

It is very important to remember all clients may only choose ONE producer to supply them with medicine. If dissatisfied they may withdraw their application and apply again to another producer. 

Avoid consulting companies charging any fee for the following information.

Applying for medical marijuana is a free service

U.S.A Medical Marijuana Cards click here

Revised 2014 - Canadian Medical Cannabis License

under the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR).

Questions and Answers: How transition and the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR) affect you

 You may also contact the Marijuana Medical Access Program with any questions at 1-866-337-7705,
or email mmap-pamm@hc-sc.gc.ca
 If you have any other concern, please contact your local member of parliament by clicking here.

For an overview and contact information choose a Canadian medical marijuana supplier below:

• Cannamed
  
• Mettrum
• Peace Naturals Project

What are the requirements to become a licensed producer?

To become a licensed producer, you must meet all requirements of the new Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations, including, but not limited to:

• obtaining the proper personal security clearances;
• meeting the physical security requirements for the cultivation and storage areas;
  and
• submitting a completed licensed producer application.

For further information, please refer to the Becoming a Licensed Producer web page.
If you have any questions about these requirements or the application process, you can send us your questions by email to MMPR-RMFM@hc-sc.gc.ca or call us at 1-866-337-7705.
Once complete, your application must be submitted to the following address:

Controlled Drugs Section
Licences and Permits Division
Office of Controlled Substances
Controlled Substances and Tobacco Directorate
Health Canada
Address Locator: 0300B
Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9

All relevant sections of the application form must be completed and all required documents must be submitted. An incomplete application will not be processed and may be returned to you.

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How To Get A Job In The Booming Legal Marijuana Business

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FDA Approves Trials for Cannabis-Based Epilepsy Medicine

source: O'Shaughnessy's
By Fred Gardner

 

In response to urgent need expressed by parents of children with intractable epilepsy, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is allowing Investigational New Drug studies of purified CBD (cannabidiol) as an anti-seizure medication. The “new drug” is being provided to physician-investigators by GW Pharmaceuticals, which has named its CBD product “Epidiolex™.”

To date FDA has approved intermediate-sized INDs sponsored by Orrin Devinsky, MD, at the NYU School of Medicine, and Roberta Cilio, MD, PhD, at UCSF —each set up to follow 25 patients using Epidiolex™ as a treatment for pediatric epilepsy— plus two individual INDs by Cilio. More INDs await FDA approval. [Style note: the jargon calls for dropping the word "study" after IND, just as the word "proposal" gets dropped when researchers speak of "writing a grant.”] Devinsky and Cilio both made presentations at a conference on “Cannabidiols: potential use in epilepsy and other neurological disorders,” held at NYU October 4.

GW chairman Geoffrey Guy, MD, says, “In the coming months, if the FDA is comfortable about how things are going, there will be a number of senior epileptologists in major university centers throughout the U.S., each treating a couple of dozen patients with various epilepsies.”
Each physician-sponsored, intermediate-sized IND can enroll additional patients, with FDA approval. Given the level of need and the efficiency of the concerned parents’ network, it’s possible that in the year ahead, hundreds of children with various severe forms of epilepsy will be enrolled in INDs and being treated with GW’s Epidiolex™.

GW is the British company that got government approval in 1998 to develop  cannabis-based plant extracts. Their flagship product is Sativex, a highly defined extract containing an approximately 50-50 mix of CBD and THC that has been approved by regulators in the UK and more than 20 other countries for treating pain and spasticity in Multiple Sclerosis. Unlike Sativex, which is formulated for spraying under the tongue, Epidiolex™ is a viscous liquid that comes in a bottle with a syringe dropper. It consists of more than 98 percent CBD, trace quantities of some other cannabinoids, and zero THC. “Our definition of pure,” says Guy, “is no THC.”  The company will provide two strengths to the physician-investigators: 25 milligrams per milliliter, and 100mg/ml.

 In recent years, GW tested several CBD formulations in animals and provided small amounts to investigators who had initiated preclinical studies in various countries.  Ben Whalley and colleagues at the Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, University of Reading, using mouse models of epilepsy, established safety and showed that CBD and another cannabinoid, CBDV, exert anti-seizure and anti-inflammatory effects. This research  came to the attention of families in the US who had loved ones with epilepsy.

“Expanded Access”
The FDA’s informal so-called “compassionate” IND program that made federally-grown cannabis available to a fortunate few in the late 1970s and early ‘80s had been given structure in 1997 when Congress passed the Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act. The FDA then developed regulations covering IND studies for unapproved drugs. These were revised over the years, and in August 2009 FDA issued its “final rule” on “Expanded Access to Investigational Drugs for Treatment Use.”   The summary states:

“Under the final rule, expanded access to investigational drugs for treatment use is available to individual patients, including emergencies; intermediate-size patient populations; and larger populations under a treatment protocol or treatment investigational new drug application (IND). The final rule is intended to improve access to investigational drugs for patients with serious or immediately life-threatening diseases or conditions who lack other therapeutic options and who may benefit from such therapies.”

The regulations spell out criteria for INDs. The would-be investigator must submit, among other things:

“Chemistry, manufacturing, and controls information adequate to ensure proper identification, quality, purity, and strength of the investigational drug.”

In other words, FDA wants to see a highly standardized, tested, Good-Manufacturing-Practices medication —which Epidiolex™ is. The herb provided by NIDA to the four surviving beneficiaries of the old informal program would not be approved as a treatment under the current FDA regs.
Another IND requirement is:

“Pharmacology and toxicology information adequate to conclude that the drug is reasonably safe at the dose and duration proposed for the treatment use.”

When GW was approached by the parents of epilepsy patients in late 2012, the company already possessed extensive preclinical data —five-and-a-half years’ worth— establishing the safety of its CBD product, as well as information the FDA would require concerning its chemistry, manufacturing, controls, pharmacology, and toxicology. The company agreed to provide purified CBD and the requisite data for a single patient IND.

Soon after the first IND got underway, an extremely favorable response was reported. Your correspondent asked about the patient’s age and gender, the level of seizure reduction, and the name of the doctor providing treatment. Guy responded:

 “All these patients remain anonymous and it will be the responsibility of the physician to maintain confidentiality. As a general point, all treatments are and will be for those children and some adults who remain drug-resistant despite having tried a range of standard anti-epilepsy medications. Such drug resistance may be lack of seizure control or intolerable side effects or a combination of both. The frequency of seizures will range from many tens a day to a few per week. Therefore if benefit is to be noted it becomes apparent with days or weeks.
 “One has to be mindful that in such patients there is often an initial ‘honeymoon effect’ when changing to any new drug. What the physicians will want to see is a sustained response over many months, perhaps with withdrawal of other anti-epileptic medicines —at which time it would not be unreasonable to expect to see case reports appearing in the medical literature.”

In early 2013 GW and NYU School of Medicine arranged a meeting in New York of epilepsy specialists interested in conducting clinical research with purified CBD in the United States. Encouraged by the response to CBD treatment by the initial patient, these doctors wanted to sponsor INDs at their various institutions. “We agreed to provide them with CBD so that they could treat their most needy cases,” says Guy.

 The term “epilepsy” applies to more than 40 different seizure disorders, some with specific causes, others more general. Guy expects the physician-sponsored INDs to yield “understanding and experience in what cannabidiol does in these different children groups, what benefit we can see, and how the results can best be measured.”

 The primary purpose of a physician-sponsored IND is treatment of the patient, not research regarding effectiveness. But if investigators see signals of effectiveness —say, reduced seizures in a number of patients— it might expedite FDA approval of a “Treatment IND” by GW, otherwise known as a phase 3 clinical trial.

Will doctors throughout the U.S. be called on to submit INDs on behalf of pediatric epilepsy patients whose families want access to Epidiolex™?  Interested doctors should direct inquiries to GW’s Associate Medical Director at  medicaldirector@gwpharm.com.  The manufacturer has an obvious interest in confirming the doctor’s expertise and assuring that patients treated with Epidiolex will be properly selected and monitored. If the would-be investigator has an affiliation with a medical center, he or she would have to get the approval of an Institutional Review. Then s/he would need to get DEA and the corresponding state agency to license their “site” (office) for dispensing of Epidiolex. They would also need to get an import license.

O’Shaughnessy’s asked Guy why GW hadn’t publicized the anti-seizure effects of CBD back in January, when the initial patient responded so favorably  —leaving it to Sanjay Gupta, MD, to break the news in August.  Guy replied,

“We’re in the business of developing medicines, not headlines. If we had made a big splash about the initial findings, someone in the scientific community would ask, ‘What have you got?’ And we’d say, ‘Well, we’ve got one or two children.’  That wouldn’t be enough evidence to impress them.

 “We wanted to make sure that the pediatric epileptologists were comfortable with the approach being taken and that the FDA would go with it. We’ve been very busy in the US this past year, but we’ve kept our heads down. In the months ahead you’ll see a manifestation of all that work. Then it’s a matter over the next year or two of generating sufficient data of appropriate quality and scope to be able to move towards getting approval.”

Guy expects the physician-sponsored INDs to yield “understanding and experience in what cannabidiol does in these different children groups, what benefit we can see, and how the results can best be measured.”  According to Guy, CBD is exerting

“not just an anti-seizure effect. It’s anti-inflammatory, neuro-modulatory, and has been shown in animals to counter neonatal hypoxic ischemia [oxygen starvation during delivery] —an important problem you see after seizures in these children.
 ‘You’ve got an underlying inflammatory process which is massively exaggerated by excitotoxcity after each seizure, which is setting up the next seizure in a way.  It’s not enough to treat just the seizures without treating the underlying inflammatory encephalitis and the hypoxic ischemia and the damage to neuroplasticity. Children’s brains are very plastic and can usually work around issues, but if you’re having continuing seizures and continuing inflammation, that ability will be dampened. We’re hoping from the preclinical work that cannabidiol will address a number of these different issues, not just one.”

If CBD turns out to be merely equal to conventional medications prescribed for epilepsy (rather than more effective), it may well be superior in terms of side effects. There is evidence that conventional anti-consulvants are detrimental to cognition and longterm development, whereas CBD is likely to prove benign.

 

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Ireland ‘ready for legalisation of cannabis’

source: The Irish Times

by Pamela Duncan 

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Proposed Bill from Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan would allow restricted home cultivation and personal possession 

 Independent TD Luke Ming Flanagan at a press conference in Buswells Hotel, Molesworth Street, Dublin, where he claimed decriminalizing cannabis could save Ireland hundreds of million euro. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Wire 

“Ireland is ready for the legalisation of cannabis,” according to Roscommon TD Luke Ming Flanagan, who today published his Cannabis Regulation Bill 2013.

Mr Flanagan estimated that the legalisation of cannabis could generate up to €300 million through tax revenues and the freeing up of resources. However, he stressed this was an estimate and it was not possible to know for sure what savings might be made. 

“If cannabis is legalised, we can make a shopping list out of the amount of money which legalising cannabis will save this country,” said the TD. 

These savings could, he said, lead to the reversal of the recent Budget cuts including cuts to the bereavement grant, cuts to young people’s social welfare payments and the abolition of the telephone allowance. 

The Bill, which is due to be debated in the Dáil on November 5th and 6th, would, if passed:

- regulate cannabis for recreational and medical use 

- allow for home cultivation up to a maximum of six cannabis plant

- allow for the personal possession of up to one ounce of cannabis

- allow for the setting up of “Cannabis Social Clubs” which would allow up to 50 club members to cultivate up to 300 plants for not-for-profit use

- set up a “cannabis regulation authority” to regulate the cultivation, sale, labeling, advertising and marketing of cannabis

- see tax revenue from cannabis fund drug addiction services, medical research and juvenile education courses on drugs.

- include a requirement that the Minister for Justice and Minister for Agriculture to examine the feasibility of the safe regulation and controlled use of cannabis.

“This Bill will protect our youth from unscrupulous dealers; it will make it, in my opinion, more difficult for them to get it; and in the same way as if a minor uses alcohol, a minor who uses cannabis will also face similar sanctions such as having to go into treatment,” Mr Flanagan said. 

Mr Flanagan also announced the setting up of a new group, Normal Ireland, which aims to “proactively educate the Irish public as to the social, economic and health benefits of legalizing cannabis” and to lobby for a change to the law. 

The board of the new groups includes Stuart Clark, assistant editor of HotPress; Dr Garrett McGovern, a GP specializing in alcohol and substance abuse and Dr Cathal ÓSúiliobháin, a GP working with addiction.

Full text of Cannabis Regulation Bill 2013

5 Amazing Things You Didn't Know About Marijuana

 source: Chicago medical Marijuana
 By Jack Grinspoon

It's no coincidence that marijuana legalization support has surged with the growth of social media. The voices of the Reefer Madness era are silenced daily as studies and testimonials continue pouring in about this often misunderstood plant. Ignorance still remains, however, and this fight won't be won without continued education of the masses.

It takes one fact that hits home to sway someone's opinion. Maybe one of the following will do that for you. Here are five things about marijuana you may not have known:

1.  THC and CBD, marijuana's primary cannabinoids, are both cancer killers.

No, I'm not talking about using marijuana to help manage cancer's effects. It's actually anti-cancer.

Recent research out of Spain suggests that THC, marijuana's psychoactive ingredient, kills brain cancer cells. Study co-author Guillermo Velasco claims that when THC was applied to cancerous brain tissue, the cancer cells were killed while healthy cells were left alone.

CBD apparently does the same; a pair of scientists from California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco demonstrated the cannabinoid's ability to stop metastasis in many kinds of aggressive cancer.

Imagine if this plant were discovered in a jungle two weeks ago. What would the news be saying? The CBD article goes as far as to say the breakthrough could "potentially alter the fatality of the disease forever." The lack of media coverage for this is astounding, but that doesn't diminish the research.

2. Marijuana triggers neurogenesis. Layman's terms: It leads to brain cell growth.

Wait....marijuana is supposed to kill brain cells, right?
Wrong.

The roots of the marijuana-kills-brain-cells myth are deep despite the lack of credible evidence. The original study supporting this notion is questionable at best and recent research suggests exactly the opposite.

In 2005, a study showed cannabinoids' ability to promote neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus, the brain region responsible for many important brain functions including mood and memory. The authors also cited anti-anxiety and anti-depressant effects that accompany the neurogenesis. This explains why people across California, Colorado, Washington and other marijuana-friendly states often turn to the herb for a mood-boost instead of pharmaceutical drugs. It also supports research that marijuana helps improve cognitive function in bipolar disorder patients. This brings us to our next fact....

3. Suicide rates are lower in areas where medical marijuana is available. 

A Denver state-level study analyzed the statistical trend of suicide after introduction of medical marijuana.

From the study:
"Our results suggest that the passage of a medical marijuana law is associated with an almost 5% reduction in total suicide rate, an 11% reduction in the suicide rate of age 20-29 males, and a 9% reduction in the suicide rate of 30-39 males."

It's interesting this hasn't become mainstream data in a country so focused on suicide prevention. Not surprisingly, one of the main reasons cited by the study's authors for the decrease was connected to the at-risk population (20 and 30-something males) replacing alcohol with marijuana. This data makes the strictness of Illinois' new medical marijuana policy even more laughable.
"Don't let usage get out of control! Less people might commit suicide!" 

Speaking of marijuana's effects on well-being, I highly recommend this very personal, heart-wrenching article.

But what about the physical effects?

4. There is zero evidence that marijuana causes significant lung damage. 

While vaporization is always touted as the safest method of marijuana ingestion, the largest study of its kind suggested marijuana-only smoking is harmless as well:

"We hypothesized that there would be a positive association between marijuana use and lung cancer, and that the association would be more positive with heavier use. What we found instead was no association at all, and even some suggestion of a protective effect."

The above words come from UCLA Medical Doctor Donald Tashkin, author of the study and marijuana researcher of more than 30 years.

Considering the tar in marijuana smoke was found to contain as many harmful carcinogens as cigarette smoke, this study actually strengthens the notion that marijuana is anti-cancer. The plant itself seems to have an offsetting effect for the harmful properties of smoke.

5. There are two completely different types of marijuana, both with different effects on the user.

One of the biggest mistakes made by people who first try marijuana is immediately thinking that it's "not for them." It certainly isn't for everyone, but what if they  just tried the wrong kind?

There are hundreds of different strains of marijuana, tagged with names like Blue Dream, OG Kush, Trainwreck or Pineapple. All of these are categorized as "Sativa" or "Indica." Here's a simple-as-possible explanation on the difference:

Sativas are usually day-time strains, used to enhance the experience of social events, time in nature or listening to new music. Caregivers often recommend sativa strains for patients seeking relief from depression, PTSD, fatigue and some types of anxiety and pain. Some patients even report positive effects on ADHD while medicating with sativa strains. Although sativas produce an enjoyable effect, they usually are the culprit for an inexperienced user "tweaking out" during one of their first times smoking.

Indicas are often smoked at night due to their narcotic effect on the user. Indica strains are perfect for users suffering from any type of pain, nausea or anxiety. They're also preferable for novice users as they acclimate themselves to the herb. This variety is popular for meditation or yoga due to its mind-calming qualities.

Here is a more extensive explanation on the two categories if you're interested.
Marijuana isn't for everyone. Nothing is for everyone.

But should we be throwing those it is for in cages?
I dare you to say yes.

How To Get A Job In The Booming Legal Marijuana Business

 

Find a Job in the Medical Cannabis Industry 

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How To Get A Job In The Booming Legal Marijuana Business

Marijuana Job Hunt Shout Box

source: Yahoo Finance
By Walter Hickey

Over the past several months, we've written a lot about the Colorado marijuana business.
We talked about the economic price crash that almost destroyed the industry before it had a chance, we've seen how the science of marijuana is exploding with opportunities in Colorado, and we've looked at the fascinating marijuana production cycle and how, precisely, legalization is going.

But -- until today -- we have not answered the no-holds-barred number one question about the Colorado marijuana industry readers have contacted us about.

"How," they'll ask, "do I get a job in the Colorado marijuana market?"
Well, there are three major ways to do it, based on more than a dozen interviews Business Insider had with entrepreneurs and activists

 Uriel Sinai/Getty Images

1. Have a specific, in-demand skill. 

This is probably the easiest way to do this. Marijuana requires some unique skills that not everybody has. Key to this industry, clearly, is the ability to grow marijuana.

"But," you might say, "I've never grown marijuana." That might actually be a good thing, provided you have the right qualifications.

Colorado marijuana businesses are scooping up grads from top agricultural schools. In fact, many of the newest, state-of-the-art hydroponic grow facilities are designed off of industrial indoor tomato farms.

If anyone has extensive nursery experience or is exiting a top Ag School with a background in indoor farming -- it doesn't matter if that farming is tomatoes or Cannabis indica -- there's demand for your skills in Colorado. Or, even better, in the states about to dive into a medical structure, like Connecticut or Massachusetts, where the competition has yet to grow.

Can't grow for crap? Neither can I. There's still a ton of ways to parlay your talents towards marijuana, as long as you look in the ancillary businesses that provide support services to marijuana businesses.

The marijuana industry requires a lot of back up -- programmers, attorneys, security system installation specialists, designers, chemists, biologists and other scientists, lab technicians, and much more -- so look for fantastic businesses such as Canna Security America or CannLabs that operate in the niche element.
 
But what if you don't have any skills, but still want to get in on the ground floor?

2. Volunteer for marijuana advocacy groups. 

Any employer wants to be able to trust their employees. But let's say you own a business that, technically speaking, is federally illegal. You're going to need some next-level kind of trust with your employees.

According to business owners we spoke to in Colorado, one of the best ways for cannabis businesses to identify capable, successful people who are passionate about marijuana for the right reasons is by looking at who is working in advocacy.

Indeed, the list of cannabis business leaders and top advocates in Colorado is full of people who volunteered their time on the Amendment 64 campaign to legalize marijuana.

Just because you enjoy smoking marijuana doesn't mean you have what it takes to work in the business. If you really want to get in at the ground floor of the business marijuana -- be it in Colorado or any other state working on medicalization or legalization -- the best way, according to the people hiring in Colorado, is to start investing your time and energy in the cause.

It goes back to the central way that people get jobs in any other business: networking.
But what if you want in immediately? Well, for a select few, there is a more direct route.

3. Have a whole bunch of money and buy a slice of a marijuana business. 
 
Right now is about the time that some business owners and license holders may be interested in cashing out of their dispensary and growery businesses, provided investors are willing to pay top dollar.

We spoke to  Kayvan Khalatbari and Ean Seeb of Denver Relief Consulting, a group that advises marijuana businesses. From an earlier article about the economics of marijuana, here's how to buy in:
“If there's somebody just looking to get in here in Colorado,” said Khalatbari, “you need to buy a new system, that's just plain and simple. And, you know, those are from, let's say $50,000 for a slice, to $2 to $10 million to buy out an entire company, just because it's the company that goes along with that license.”

So if you've got some extra cash laying around abd you want to fulfill your lifelong dream of owning a marijuana business, you can always just buy in.

 4. Work Online

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McDonald’s Restraunt Marijuana Distribution Bust

source: marijuana.com
by Katie DeLong and Ben Handelman
Fox 6 News

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Apparently, not satisfied with the income from three North Side Milwaukee McDonald’s restaurants, 38-year-old Edward Patterson of Whitefish Bay is one of six men charged in a case that alleges Patterson intended to distributed marijuana in and around the Milwaukee area. On October 16th the DEA announced that six individuals have been federally charged with drug conspiracy and money laundering.

Through 15 search warrants, officials were able to confiscate several pounds of high-grade marijuana, 11 firearms and approximately $90,000 in U.S. currency.

The charges unsealed on Wednesday were the result of a long-term investigation by the DEA and several agencies in Wisconsin.

Officials say the defendants were involved in a drug trafficking organization that obtained large quantities of marijuana from Northern California within the Milwaukee area. The defendants also used addresses in the Milwaukee area to receive marijuana shipments through U.S. mail — according to officials.

Officials say certain conspirators, including Patterson, are alleged to have used three Milwaukee-area McDonald’s restaurants owned by Patterson to fund their drug trafficking activities, to conceal their drug proceeds and to promote their drug trafficking activities.

If convicted of the drug conspiracy, the defendants face a maximum of 40 years in prison.

Meanwhile, the three McDonald’s locations allegedly connected to this case are operating as usual. McDonald’s Corporate is in charge, and said in a statement they are taking this matter very seriously, and are working with law enforcement.

More from Fox6 News - The DEA on Wednesday, October 16th announced that six individuals have been federally charged with drug conspiracy and money laundering. The defendants are alleged to have distributed marijuana in and around the Milwaukee area. The owner of three North Side McDonald’s restaurants is one of six charged in this case.

The defendants are identified as:

• 38-year-old Edward Patterson of Whitefish Bay (owner of three McDonald’s restaurants)
• 42-year-old Paul Heiniger of of Willits, California
• 29-year-old Kevin Breitzman of Glendale
• 27-year-old Paul Markiewicz of Germantown
• 29-year-old Andrea Marquardt of New Berlin
• 39-year-old John Weber of Milwaukee

Officials say five of the individuals were arrested Wednesday morning. Heiniger has not yet been taken into custody.

Through 15 search warrants, officials were able to confiscate several pounds of high-grade marijuana, 11 firearms and approximately $90,000 in U.S. currency.

The charges unsealed on Wednesday were the result of a long-term investigation by the DEA and several agencies in Wisconsin.

Officials say the defendants were involved in a drug trafficking organization that obtained large quantities of marijuana from Northern California within the Milwaukee area. The defendants also used addresses in the Milwaukee area to receive marijuana shipments through U.S. mail — according to officials.

Officials say certain conspirators, including Patterson, are alleged to have used three Milwaukee-area McDonald’s restaurants owned by Patterson to fund their drug trafficking activities, to conceal their drug proceeds and to promote their drug trafficking activities.

Lance Arnold worked at the McDonald’s restaurant on Port Washington Road in Fox Point on and off for 25 years. He says he wasn’t treated well the last few years, and finally quit this summer.

“McDonald’s stands on principles for the community — good things started by Ray Kroc — what I always lived by.  They don’t need crummy scumbags like him running this place,” Arnold said.
Edward Patterson is Arnold’s former boss. On Wednesday, DEA agents swarmed Patterson’s restaurants in Fox Point, Glendale and Mequon.

“We agonized over this for many months, for years, and finally this means justice,” Arnold said.
On Wednesday night, Patterson’s Whitefish Bay home was dark. Neighbors say they saw DEA agents kicking in the door before 6:00 a.m.

Arnold says at least two of the men indicted Wednesday were McDonald’s managers at the Fox Point location.

If convicted of the drug conspiracy, the defendants face a maximum of 40 years in prison.
Meanwhile, the three McDonald’s locations allegedly connected to this case are operating as usual. McDonald’s Corporate is in charge, and said in a statement they are taking this matter very seriously, and are working with law enforcement.

10 Cannabis Edibles That Could Boost The US Economy

source: HuffPost
By Matt Ferner

 

The legalization of marijuana -- be it medical or recreational -- in more than 20 states across the U.S. has inspired a new industry: marijuana-infused food products.

People choose to eat pot-infused treats for a variety of reasons. For some medical marijuana patients, it can be the simplest or healthiest way for them to benefit from the drug. For the recreational user, it can be a discreet and delicious way to enjoy marijuana.

Marijuana business owners -- or ganjapreneurs -- are nothing if they aren't innovative, and this collection of ten sneaky pot treats disguised as everyday snacks from Marijuana.com show just how clever the industry can be. (all photos via WeedMaps.com)

Krondike Bar

 If people in the '80s were making "monkey sounds" for a Klondike bar, what would they do for a Krondike bar? The Krondike bar is a marijuana-infused ice cream product available in a variety of flavors including: Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry and Mint.

 

 Kif-Kat Bar

 The Kif-Kat bar was a pot-infused candy that attracted people with more than just a sweet tooth. According to WeedMaps.com, in 2007 the DEA cracked down on this edible company, putting an end to this branding rip-off "lawsuit waiting to happen."

 

Benilla Wafers

 A cookie that packs much more than just vanilla flavoring, the Bennilla Wafer has a spicy/earthy flavor.

 

Dixie Chills

A medical marijuana ice cream product, that contains "over 80 mg of active cannabinoids per 3.5 ounce container." The product is lactose-free, gluten-free and vegan. Dixie Chills come in chocolate and vanilla flavors.

Kush Cake Pop

Who doesn't like cake on a stick?! These cakes come with a colorful outer frosting shell covered in sprinkles and are infused with pot. They come in a variety of flavors including, "Blue Dream Purple Haze, Strawberry Cough and Chocolate Thai" and many more, according to HailMaryJane.com

  

Caramel Potcorn

The perfect treat for Fall, Mama Leary's marijuana-infused caramel corn is for adults only.

 

 Oh-Wee-Oh's

 A clever way to avoid a lawsuit and a delicious pot-filled baked treat with 100 mg of THC in every bag.

Jolly Gems

A marijuana take on the classic "Jolly Rancher," just call them the "Stoney Rancher." They come in both hard and chewy form.

Hash Honey

Honey on toast is a breakfast classic, but this honey packed with 1000 mg of high grade hash might make you late for just about everything else the rest of the day (or week).

 BBQ Sauce

 Want your chicken wings to really pop? Sweet with a little tang, Kushtown's triple strength barbecue sauce will take your next backyard cookout to new highs.

Even some of the heavy hitters like AMAZON are jumping on the green gravy train.

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