It’s a constant struggle in states where marijuana is legalized for medical uses: the state sanctions the sale and distribution of marijuana and the federal government comes in periodically to investigate and make sure that everything is on the up and up. In California, it was a regular occurrence – until the federal government decided that it was a waste of money to continue the practice. But one California town has decided to pick up where the feds left off. Officials in Vallejo are making unregulated marijuana clubs a priority. They are making sure to let purveyors of the substance know that no infractions of the rules will be permitted under any circumstances.

Currently, it is estimated that there are about 24 unregulated medical marijuana clubs open for business within the city limits of Vallejo. In an effort to crack down, the Vallejo city council has ordered the city’s law enforcement to take measures to begin immediately regulating these dispensaries. Taxation is also in the works as is a plan to limit the number of marijuana dispensaries allowed to operate within the cities.

The Value of Regulation of Medical Marijuana

Though some might resent the intrusion of law enforcement, others appreciate the regulation brought by a continued official presence. Standardization brought to the industry ensures that patients receive a product that will help heal. It’s important for patients to be able to view marijuana dispensaries as similar to pharmacies rather than as a social diversion as implied by the term “marijuana club.”

Scrutiny of medical marijuana dispensaries also assists the community. Many parents and community members worry that a multitude of medical marijuana clubs will mean that access to the drug is easier for teens and those without a medical marijuana card. Increased regulation and security measures will make it harder for those without a prescription to get the drug.

The Problem with Medical Marijuana

No matter how heavily regulated the medical marijuana dispensaries are, there will still be patients who have a marijuana card and abuse it by buying more than they need in order to resell it for profit. Others will serve their own addiction by manipulating a prescription for the drug – it happens with other prescription drugs every day. It might be a good idea to take the regulation a step further, providing patients with prescriptions and dosages rather than just a medical marijuana card and a maximum allowable number of plants and pounds defined by city ordinances rather than personal need. If followed by a statewide marijuana prescription database like the prescription drug databases being implemented across the country, they might have a shot at making sure that medical marijuana doesn’t lead to rampant marijuana addiction.

Two women in California were nicknamed the “marijuana grannies” by prosecutors when they were both arrested on charges of growing hundreds of marijuana plants in their home. Aleen Lam is 72 years old and her roommate, Virginia Chan Pon is 65. Together, the two were recently jailed due to their alleged misconduct. How did they get busted? Apparently, a neighbor called police to report a burglary at the women’s home. When police arrived, they saw the marijuana plants through the front door that had been kicked in, allegedly by burglars.

It didn’t take long for the police to get the search warrant they needed to get inside and get a better look around. It turns out that there were more than 800 marijuana plants plus $3000 in cash and an electrical bypass that let the two elderly women steal all the electricity they needed for grow lights without tipping off law enforcement.

Though illegal marijuana abuse and growers are hardly abnormal in the Northern California area, police were baffled by the sheer number of plants – and the age of the alleged growers. One police officer said: “This has not happened in the 34 years that I’ve been here.”

The charges for the two older women included maintaining a house for the sale of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale, cultivation of marijuana, and theft of electricity. They pled not guilty on all counts, according to police, using court-appointed attorneys to assist them with their case.

Both women had a bail set at $100,000 each – neither were able to come up with that amount as of the latest reports, so both are women are still incarcerated.

What about the burglary that tipped off police to the presence of the home full of marijuana plants in the first place? The two men who were charged with the crime were found nearby and arrested. The men, in their mid- to late 30s, had thousands of dollars in cash in their possession as well as a significant amount of marijuana growing equipment. They, too, pleaded not guilty to their charges, counts of burglary and drug-related charges, and their bail was also set at $100,000 each – both men remain incarcerated as of the latest reports.

What’s the lesson here? So many! First, ignore the stereotypes of what a drug abuser, grower, distributor or dealer looks like. It’s doubtful that anyone is crossing to the other side of the street in fear when these two older women walk by. Second, this house was one of many in a typical, suburban middle class neighborhood – the days of assuming that marijuana is being grown out in the hills or in the inner city are over. Marijuana abuse is everywhere – and in the eyes of the law, no one is immune to prosecution.

What do you think? Should the two women be freed due to their age? Do you think they pose a threat to society? What do you think their sentence should be?

In a recent interview, Whoopi Goldberg has confessed to smoking marijuana – one time, the actress even got high right before going on stage to receive a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in Ghost at the Academy Awards in 1991.

Says Goldberg: “I know you’re not supposed to admit that you smoke pot but I don’t drink alcohol! I learned a great lesson though. Never smoke pot before there’s the possibility of having to talk to one hundred million people. Smoking cigarettes and pot every now and then are one thing that relaxes me and I thought, ‘I’ve got to relax.’ “So I smoked this joint that was the last of my home grown and honey, when he said my name and I popped up, I was like, ‘Oh f**k, oh f**k, up the stairs one two three four five, onto the podium. There’s millions of people, OK grab the statue.’ I knew I should have never had (sic) done it.”

The actress said that she got a phone call from her mother after she saw the awards ceremony and Goldberg’s speech.

Says Goldberg: “My mother called me afterwards and said, ‘You smoked didn’t you? Your eyes were just glistening.’ “So I panicked and got the Oscars tape to see whether you could tell and you just couldn’t.”

It’s not the only drug addiction issue that the actress has had to deal with in her life. In fact, she spent years fighting a drug addiction right around the time of the ’91 Academy Awards. It’s not uncommon for those who are living with an active addiction to take risks by attending important events or even showing up to work functions while under the influence. It’s often these actions that reveal their addiction to others and cause a domino effect of concern among family and friends that ultimately results in an intervention and drug addiction treatment.

Unfortunately, it’s also not uncommon for those who get caught abusing drugs at work or at school to lose their job or get kicked out of school as a result. If you recognize that marijuana addiction or abuse is inhibiting work or school productivity and losing out on opportunities is a risk, do something about it before it becomes a serious problem. Contact us at Orchid today and learn more about our woman-centered drug and alcohol addiction treatment program here in Florida. Call now for more information.

The federal laws on marijuana are very clear: don’t have it, don’t grow it, don’t use it. It’s illegal, according to the Federal Controlled Substances Act. There are more than a few states, though, that beg to differ. Fourteen states, to be exact: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. In these states, medical marijuana is legal, as long as you are a card carrying member  of the pot club (you need a doctor’s note to get one), and because of this, federal drug enforcement agencies and local pot clubs are often at odds.

The issue of medical marijuana is not one that is being ignored. Last fall, the Department of Justice directed federal agents to only target those who use or distribute marijuana (for medical purposes or otherwise) only when the activity conflicted with both federal and state laws. Though this may cut down on pot club raids and unnecessary arrests of medical marijuana card carriers, a few other problems have been cropping up in the last six months.

Marijuana in the Workplace

If you are prescribed medication, there is no reason you can’t take it at work, right? For those prescribed marijuana, this now means that smoking out at work is legally allowable. Try telling that to your boss, though. It’s not an easy thing to translate the current marijuana laws into the workplace, and corporations especially are having a difficult time striking a balance between employee rights and a productive work environment. Most companies have a “zero tolerance” drug policy and those who take drugs, medically or not, are challenged to either take a “don’t ask, don’t tell” stance or smoke their meds on their breaks. The depth and breadth of lawsuits that can come of this scenario have corporate lawyers scrabbling.

Marijuana in the World

Take the workplace issues that arise with medical marijuana use and extrapolate them to the rest of the world. Is it now no longer a problem to have marijuana on or near school grounds if you have a medical marijuana card? What about drug tests for employment or maintained employment? Should you be able to smoke marijuana on long airplane rides? How much can you carry at a time? If you have different types for different purposes, can this be misconstrued as intent to sell if you are stopped?

The potential for abuse of the medical marijuana card and legal usage of the drug is pretty vast, as well, and no one seems to know how to control it or even who is in charge.

Medical Marijuana and Marijuana Addiction

Marijuana addiction is always a possibility when regular marijuana use is a factor. Abuse of the drug by those who access legal prescriptions illegally (i.e., family members, children, friends, et cetera) is always a concern. The development of addiction is a huge issue and when marijuana addiction occurs, it is important that addiction treatment at a marijuana rehab is sought immediately.

If you or someone you love is addicted to marijuana, contact us at Orchid to learn more about the disease as well as the treatment. Start your new life without drug addiction today.