Minnesota says "Fuck Combustion", strips smoking from medical pot bill, allows vaping and edibles

[Nytron]

MN is set to become the only state to specifically ban smoking in their medical marijuana bill, but allow vaping & edibles.

Sen. Scott Dibble, DFL-Minneapolis, says he reluctantly included the smoking prohibition to appease opponents of his measure.

The legislation would allow using a vaporizer in non-public places to inhale marijuana.

Friday's changes came the day after Rep. Carly Melin, DFL-Hibbing, and House leaders introduced a bill for a limited clinical trial for medical marijuana. Law enforcement says it won't oppose that proposal. But the House attempt at a compromise has caused a rift among medical marijuana supporters, some of whom say they feel betrayed. Like the version that passed the Senate committee Friday, the latest House version would also prohibit smoking marijuana.

Here's an even better article by MN largest newspaper: http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/health/258188871.html. My favorite part:

"A vaporizer is cumbersome," said Pat McClellan, 47, a Burnsville resident who uses one to treat his mitochondrial myopathy, a type of muscular dystrophy. "It takes both hands to use and the high-end ones, which don't break like the other ones, can cost $500 to $700."

My take: MN is set to become the only state to specifically ban smoking, but allow vaping and edibles. MN has said "Fuck Combustion". The reality of second hand smoke is, depending on proximity and wind direction, a total stranger is able to control the mixture of the air I'm breathing. I guess looking at it through that lens, I kind of agree with the smoking ban.

The vape market has just opened up big time.

 

[PoisonousHydra]

Thank the Lords of Light and Darkness for this! Here in Canada, they still haven't ratified our medicinal laws to include any mention of consumption in public. Everyone mostly turns a blind eye to non-medicinal use up here regardless, and precedent has shown that the RCMP (our federal police) have had to apologize to patients for cashing out their product, and stopping them from using in public.

Still, there is no official information in the books, and I have personally witnessed police crushing a fellow's e-cig vial and handing him a ticket at a bus station.

This means that I am still reluctant to vapourize in public in spite of my green card. I hope that this sweeps across your country and ours in a wave of legal precedent.

Many thanks for this information!

 

[Gunky]

That seems stupid to me. If you allow that this is useful as a medicine, why quibble over the delivery mechanism?

 

[FlyingLow]

I agree with you Gunky, but at the same time I am all about any small step towards MJ acceptance and this is a step in the right direction.

 

[tuk]

That seems stupid to me. If you allow that this is useful as a medicine, why quibble over the delivery mechanism?

Using a carcinogenic delivery mechanism to administer a non-carcinogenic medicine to already ill people?

 

[420democrat]

Lines will get blurred with vaping allowed smoking not. ... What about vapes that accidently combust or "vapes" like the atmos raw?... It's silly.

 

[PoisonousHydra]

That seems stupid to me. If you allow that this is useful as a medicine, why quibble over the delivery mechanism?

For the same reason that most places are now in the process of banning smoking cigarettes in public. My exhaled vapour can't give you cancer. My exhaled joint smoke can, and will.

 

[420democrat]

For the same reason that most places are now in the process of banning smoking cigarettes in public. My exhaled vapour can't give you cancer. My exhaled joint smoke can, and will.

What if your in public and combust in your hammer, Lotus, mflb, use a ecig like portable like atmos do you deserve to get in trouble cuz your vape isn't 100% perfect.... There's always smoke zones abs smoke free.... That's as far as it should go. ... Not you can't smoke but you can vape. ... Go tell some older folk I know they have to drop 200$+ to consume their cannabis

 

[PoisonousHydra]

No, you do not deserve to get in trouble, and you will not. People are just being silly about this: if your intention is to respect others by not blowing hot, carcinogenic smoke into their faces, and your MFLB catches on fire in your hands, the police are more likely to charge Magic Flight than you, personally. If, however, you have no respect for others and walk around, joint in hand, blowing hot, carginogenic pollutants into peoples' faces / the atmosphere / all over a duck, you can, will and absolutely deserve to face a fine.

I don't care if you're smoking tobacco, cannabis, wormwood, or chamomile: smoke is smoke, and where there is smoke, there is death.

 

[Gunky]

If I read that right, this only refers to consumption in private, so there is no second hand smoke issue at all. (Never mind that there is no evidence cannabis smoke causes cancer).

 

[tuk]

If I read that right, this only refers to consumption in private, so there is no second hand smoke issue at all.

I think you are missing the point, this is a medical bill regarding how cannabis can be ingested safely by patients.

If this was a bill regarding recreational cannabis use you might have a case, but even so, the science says inhaling any kind of smoke is a bad idea, why not back this bill and others like so the anti-canna pressure groups have less ammo to fire in our direction.

(Never mind that there is no evidence cannabis smoke causes cancer).

That is quite wrong, all smoke is carcinogenic when inhaled.

Lines will get blurred with vaping allowed smoking not. ... What about vapes that accidently combust or "vapes" like the atmos raw?... It's silly.

Yes, there will be times when a vape might combust, but that doesn't necessarily mean making a law against smoking is silly.

It's also possible to find yourself at the wheel of an out of control car on the freeway due to some technical fault ...does that mean creating laws on dangerous driving is silly?

 

[SD_haze]

Seems like you can still take fat high-temp dabs of "oil", just can't smoke a joint.
Sounds bizarre but interesting nonetheless. Wonder how the whole situation will unfold

"would allow patients to use marijuana in the form of pills, oil and vapor to ease their symptoms but would prohibit them from smoking "

 

[KidFated.]

Just so you guys know, plant matter will NOT be allowed. Limited amount of companies allowed to set up for CONCENTRATES. Not even gunna be able to use my flowers to medicate? Sad.. I'm not for concentrates. Nature gives us flowers.
Humans process them

I bet Minnesota government will make lots from these concentrate companies, while no one will be allowed to SAFELY grow their own medicine? Really? Good job government. Looking out for the citizens as usual.

 

[Gunky]

Just so you guys know, plant matter will NOT be allowed. Limited amount of companies allowed to set up for CONCENTRATES. Not even gunna be able to use my flowers to medicate? Sad.. I'm not for concentrates. Nature gives us flowers.
Humans process them

I bet Minnesota government will make lots from these concentrate companies, while no one will be allowed to SAFELY grow their own medicine? Really? Good job government. Looking out for the citizens as usual.

Not all concentrates are created equal. Good old fashioned sieved hash and ice water hash (bubble hash) can be excellent, pure, worthy and good, not to mention highly potent.


Good quality is possible with solvents too but in today's standard-less, wild west market there are quality control issues. Caveat emptor.

I am with you that it is shitty to restrict forms of cannabis available or growing. There should be a fundamental right to grow your own and let commerce and big pharma be damned.

 

[grokit]

Are they going to authorize grow-ops/plants to make the concentrates from,
or will they import the concentrates from washington and colorado, or...?

 

[KidFated.]

Limited companies will set up shop and open up a limited amount of "alernative care centers"

@Gunky is correct about the good old classics though.. I'm still a flower type of guy.

 

[JJ420]

This is really big news for folks in MN! One thing I can see is , because of the explicit way the law is written, is Minnesota becoming the highest end market of canna here in America, perhaps even the world. Dabs and vaping only? That'll mean only the best of the best concentrates and delivery devices will suffice up here.

 

[KidFated.]

But that also means we can't grow our own medicine!! No plant matter allowed besides concentrates? Another way for the government to make money off of big companies.

 

[C No Ego]

But that also means we can't grow our own medicine!! No plant matter allowed besides concentrates? Another way for the government to make money off of big companies.

the concentrates will probably be sourced through one supplier and high cbd only, no fun thc in the mix for feeling good. the best part about cannabis is diversity, plants and people are constantly evolving and allowing only ( one ) for everyone will come up short every time. We need diversity!!

 

[KidFated.]

I'm looking forward to seeing what they offer us. Maybe they thought the west got out of control? I dunno.. I'm just sitting here shaking my head wondering how they can make a plant illegal, but strip all the oils out and concentrate them, and make those legal. Maybe I can rent out a pool house, eh @ataxian ?

 

[aesthyrian]

Interesting. I for one, think it's pretty silly to consume your medicine in the form of combusted plant matter. We know that by combusting you are introducing many new "actives" that are not necessarily a product of any cannabinoicds, but more so a product of combusting.

I'm surprised the MMJ movement didn't jump on vaporizers way sooner. I think that the smoking aspect was one of the largest hurdles in in making MMJ seems authentic and not just a scapegoat for people with headaches to rip bongs.

While I am against overly restrictive bills such as these, I personally think it's cool that one state has finally said fuck your combustion, we will let you have your medicine, but we will not let you further hurt yourself by doing so. It would be much nicer if humans could just use their own self control and just not smoke.

I think of smoking weed like smoking cigs, its gross and it's quickly becoming out-dated and seen as archaic by many in today's society. This is a good thing, for too long many people have associated the "high" of tar and other nasties with the high of Cannabis. That's why vaping doesn't get those people "high".

Plus, smoking is just gross and dumb. Time to evolve. Looks like MN is leading the way.

 

[Gunky]

Making growing illegal and saying this concentrate supplied by a monopoly is the only legal cannabis is not 'leading the way'. Colorado is leading the way.

 

[Enchantre]

Using a carcinogenic delivery mechanism to administer a non-carcinogenic medicine to already ill people?

Except, NO, smoking pot does NOT lead to cancer, in fact, studies in Europe show that pot smokers have less lung cancer than non-pot smokers (both groups also smoke tobacco). Smoking pot (it is icky, and I don't want to, but...) is protective.

Yes, vaporizing is better, per se, HOWEVER, stop spreading lies, damned lies, and propaganda.

I'll go find the link to that study, okay? I'll be back

EDIT: Back. Here's one

 

[KidFated.]

I only vaporize my plant material? Never said I was fr combustion at all.

 

[Enchantre]

Not you, KidFated. the OP, plus a side swipe at the mindset of MN itself.

Remember, I used to live there, too. I expect a ban on public smoking altogether, any time, not just mj. However, the utter scare-mongering of claiming that smoking pot CAUSES cancer (that's what "carcinogen" means) is WRONG.

Especially here at FC. Stop spreading lies.