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Are you looking to ‘fly high’? The Oakland International Airport could be the nation’s only airport with a unique policy that allows medical marijuana patients travel with their medication.

This policy has been spelled out in a document implemented in 2008 by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office. Stating if deputies conclude a individual is a qualified medical marijuana patient or primary caregiver, defined by California law and is carrying eight ounces or less of marijuana, the person can keep their medication and board the plane.

Police inform passengers carrying marijuana could be committing a felony upon arrival to a destination where medical marijuana is not recognized. Police officials have said they do not inform authorities at the passengers’ destination.

A quote from police chief: “We never have. We’re certainly within our right to, but we never have,” said Sgt. J.D. Nelson, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office. “Our notification of the passengers is for their own safety and well-being.”

California approved medical marijuana use in 1996 by voters taking action. Though federal law still bans all possession and use.

Robert Raich, an Oakland attorney informs the Code of Federal Regulation states a prohibition of operating a civil aircraft with knowledge of marijuana on board doesn’t apply to carrying marijuana that’s “authorized by or under any Federal or State Statute.”

Regardless, when the federal Transportation Security Administration (TSA) does security screening and if marijuana or suspected contraband is found, sheriff deputies are called upon.

Oakland’s airport policy was enacted in February 2008, though Raich didn’t want to publicize it until recently lest the Bush administration change federal regulations, or lest it become an issue in Obama administration drug officials’ confirmation hearings.

“All other airports in medical cannabis states should have similar policies but they don’t,” he said, noting that San Francisco International and Los Angeles International airports are relatively friendly to medical marijuana patients but airports in Ontario, Burbank and San Diego are not.

Raich, who has had two of his own medical marijuana cases argued in front of the U.S. Supreme Court and has educated Oakland Police officers about medical marijuana issues, saying medical marijuana users generally don’t have much trouble when Oakland Police used to patrol inside the airport terminals,. But this changed when Alameda County Sheriff’s Office took over in mid-2007. That summer TSA security called upon deputies about traveling medical marijuana patient from Washington State.

Raich said: “The sheriff’s deputies so harassed this person, it was heart-wrenching.” “They confiscated his medicine, broke his bong, and took his edibles. They were obviously threatening him.”

Raich discovered the sheriff’s office was unwilling to change the policy. Consulting with various officials including the Port of Oakland, which owns and operates the airport.

Raich said “I felt like a ball in a pinball machine”. “I felt like I’d talked to every single employee at the port and they all seemed sympathetic but told me the same thing: ‘that’s not our policy “… that’s the sheriff doing that on his own.”

Raich approached Alameda County counsel’s office. This office “finally told (Sheriff Greg Ahern) he had to comply with California law whether he liked it or not, and only then did they adopt a policy.”

Raich said, “Greg Ahern is out of sync with the California people who voted for Prop. 215 and medical marijuana in 1996 and have continued to support it by wide margins ever since”.  Sheriff’s spokesman Nelson said the sheriff “neither supports nor opposes the medical marijuana law.

“He’s had no position on that,” Nelson said. “He’s just trying to do the best he can when a state law conflicts with a federal law.”

FAA regulations ban people from carrying marijuana on a plane – unless it is authorized by a Federal or State law.

Inhaling marijuana smoke is the fastest route to the blood stream. Research shows that inhaling marijuana smoke causes more harm to the lungs. Studies conducted in Australia show that 95% of the THC in marijuana is absorbed in the first few seconds of inhaling. Holding the smoke a little longer permits more tar and other harmful chemicals to be absorbed. Irritation of the throat and the lungs is one of the leading adverse effects that a marijuana smoker experiences with such process. Because of this, researches have found a way to turn around things. It is found that through vaporization, adverse effects of smoking marijuana will be reduced if not totally eliminated.

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Marijuana or scientifically known as Cannabis, have been approved for medicinal usage in the US since 1996. Now, 13 years later, California is going further on its efforts to fully legalize the possession and usage of marijuana beyond medicine.

From a recent count, more than a dozen states in the US have granted laws permitting the possession of small amounts of the said drug; Massachusetts is the most recent state that has done so. Because of California’s acceptance of marijuana as a medicinal aid, Oakland has gained a new title in the state being one of the strongest advocates for the consumption of marijuana in the US. The said area has been called Oaksterdam, creating the impression that it is the Amsterdam of the US. Amsterdam has been known to be the world center of marijuana deregulation and Oakland has followed suit. Now there are establishments in Oakland that sell a variety of marijuana-based products. The state is also home to a facility where its residents can get their own ID to establish their right to consume cannabis for medicinal purposes. Now, California is sprawling with establishments, schools, lawmakers that would want the legalization to be approved and migrants that have found California as their new home because of the drug.

School of Marijuana:
Being that Oakland has made a thumbs-up on marijuana usage, it is but fitting to have the academy join in the necessary studies on how to further the drug’s consumption and importance. Richard Lee, a pioneer advocate of the legalization of marijuana has established Oaksterdam University which is a trade school for those who would like to venture to the cannabis commerce. On an interview, Mr. Lee defends that the legalization of marijuana would help uplift the economy and the battle against Mexican drug cartels. In justification, Mr. Lee shares that about 60-70% of profit gained by Mexican drug cartels are all due to cannabis. In the interview with Mr. Lee, he points out that with the legalization of marijuana, there will be a big chance that the income that Mexican cartels get through their operations will be cut down and they will have less money to buy arms and weapons that are aimed for terrorism. Legalization of the drug is the way for this to be all possible.

On the Flight to Legalization:
Along with its economic and anti-terrorism effects, California leaders foresee that the legalization of marijuana could bring in as much as $1.5 Billion a year in taxes. With such a promising future, more state’s voters have nodded on the legalization of the drug. To realize such endeavors, politician Tom Ammiano has introduced a bill in the California state assembly which aims to level marijuana’s legal status with alcohol and tobacco. If it were to be legalized, California will be on top of Amsterdam since the latter only pursues toleration of the drug and not legalization. Ammiano sees that his bill is not far from being approved since more and more of his colleagues in the state assembly have been seeing the benefits of the legalization of the drug. But aside from its benefits, some antagonists also see its bad side. Clearly, the US is divided whether marijuana should be made legal or not.

Two sides of the coin:
Mr. Ammiano believes that with only prohibiting the usage of marijuana, the government is spending instead of saving. “People across the board, whether they’re conservative or liberal, have come to realize that the so-called war on drugs has failed and failed miserably,” Mr. Ammiano discusses. The bill would like to turn marijuana from a liability to an asset to the state, where it would force police efforts on the syndicates because of their violent acts and lighten up on minor offenders. As Mr. Ammiano reiterates, “We like to say prohibition is chaos and regulation is control.” Legalization of the drug is aimed at controlling the situation. But despite of the efforts of those pro-marijuana legalization, there are still opposing forces to this campaign. Those against are throwing statistics on a plate where they point out the adverse long-term effects of the drug. Key opponent to this bill is Ronald Brooks, president of the National Narcotic Officers’ Associations Coalition. Brooks defends that the legalization of marijuana would bring more inconvenience to the taxpayers as there will be a big chance that healthcare and law enforcement costs will increase as well as the frequency of crimes related to people who are under the influence of marijuana.

Let’s Get into Business:
Despite the tension on whether to legalize marijuana or not, it cannot be denied that people are considering this as an entrepreneurial field. In Oakland, patrons and owners of the Bulldog Café, happily indulge in their legally sanctioned privilege to consume marijuana for medicinal purposes. There are also those who are considering of migrating to California in order to join the marijuana trade. In fact, more than 200,000 residents of California have registered to legally consume marijuana for medicinal purposes. Legal or not, it is incontestable that marijuana found its home in California.

On Sunday, July 5th 2009, California state lawmakers passed a bill that would soon require medical marijuana (a common prescription for cancer sufferers) to now carry a label warning consumers of it’s cancer-causing potential.
This developed last month when environmental state regulators decided cannabis should be added to the official list of substances that may cause cancer. This will likely be displayed by warning labels on product packages from medical marijuana dispensaries and clubs.

In 1996, California voted to legalize cannabis for medicinal purposes of ailing patients who suffered from serious diseases such as AIDS, cancer and glaucoma. Various research points to the unique benefit cannabis brings in relieving the pay, nausea and “ill-effects” that are accompanied during the late stages of AIDS and cancer specifically.
This of course has raised arguments on both sides of the effects of medical marijuana. Though it is simply explained as if you were to take a piece of vegetable material, a leaf and burn it, it will contain the compounds that can cause cancer, not a surprise. It is hard to classify the tests that were done as they were performed with individuals who mixed cannabis and tobacco for this study. Making it inconclusive from my view.

This is not saying that medical marijuana is bad for you, but looking into smoke-free options that will prevent any carcinogens from harming you. Medical marijuana infused foods and vaporizers are a great alternative. It is never good to breathe smoke when it can be avoided.

A new federal policy regarding medical marijuana was introduced to the legislation today. Bill “H.R. 2835″ will help change the Controlled Substance Act and protect patients in compassionate states from federal arrest and prosecution. The “Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act” will reschedule marijuana from a schedule one drug to a schedule two drug. Also allowing legislation to protect patients in states that have approved the use of cannabis as a medicine.

Growing numbers of research has confirmed the medical benefits of marijuana and its active compound for treating a number of medical conditions. The New England Journal of Medicine has commented in favor of cannabis medical use. The nation’s second-largest group of physicians, the American College of Physicians, weighed in also for its favor in January, since California’s law for legalizing medical marijuana in 1996, 12 more states have also adapted this and 15 others have organized activists aiming to change the laws.

This is a great movement towards the right direction for those legal states. Rightfully protecting the medicinal marijuana patients, treating as any other individual and not as a criminal. Allowing those patients to not fear law enforcement or be labeled as a potential threat because you are a patient.