On Monday, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law authored by Assemblyman Marc Levine (D-San Rafael) that prevents state hospitals from denying organ donations to medical marijuana users strictly because of their marijuana use.

Israel’s leading producer of medical marijuana is joining a local group vying for a coveted license to distribute the drug in New York State.

Tikun Olam, which serves about a third of Israeli medical marijuana patients, has joined forces with the Compassionate Care Center of New York (CCCNY) in hopes of winning one of five licenses. If the state grants CCCNY the license, Tikun Olam will ship their products and conduct research through the group starting in January.

Forty-two other companies applied for the licenses, including a handful of health groups with Jewish ties.

“We’re looking for occasions to be involved,” said Tikun Olam’s CEO, Aharon Lutzky. “We found [in] CCC in New York a wonderful team and very serious people.”

HALIFAX – The Arthritis Society has announced it is funding research into medical cannabis at Dalhousie University.

In a media release, the society said Dr. Jason McDougall was awarded a three-year research grant to look into how the drug impacts arthritis pain.

The Arthritis Society previously promised more studies into medical marijuana in September last year.

“People living with arthritis pain are looking for alternatives to improve their quality of life,” Janet Yale, president and CEO of The Arthritis Society said in the release.

“Our goal is to give Canadians the ability to make informed choices about their treatment options … This project is an important step to achieving these goals.”

Endoca.com is increasing production of their essential oil to meet the needs of patients around the world.

Turning to nature to help humans relieve their pain and cure their illnesses is nothing new. What is new is how seriously the medical community is looking at the potential of many underestimated herbs and plants in the battle against serious diseases like cancer. With cancer rates rising around the world, solutions are needed. Endoca is leading the way by making alternative medicinal solutions mainstream. They are encouraging awareness of the many health benefits of cannabis and the hope it may bring to many who feel helpless.

There could be hope in making it to the list of organ transplant hopefuls for those who have been receiving medical marijuana for treatment.

The use of marijuana for medical purposes has already been, for a while, accepted in California.

The Medical Cannabis Organization Act recalls [pdf] that in 1996 the state voted to adopt Proposition 215, also known as the Compassionate Use Act, which legalized the use of marijuana for medical purposes.

More than 75,000 people have registered Medical Cannabis Cards. Comprehensive public programs for medical cannabis are now also allowed in 23 states, according to the National Conference of State Legislators.

Nowadays there’s a lot of buzz going on throughout the world about medical marijuana. Lately there are some improvements about the issue of cannabis having the ability to fight cancer cells, leading to elimination of the federal ban about medical marijuana. Medical marijuana has been moved from schedule I drug (harmful, addictive, bad for health) to a schedule II drug.

It is surprising to see government change their attitude for the use of cannabis, considering the way marijuana has been treated so far and all that thankfully comes from the ability of cannabis to kill cancer.

Evidence is mounting that moderate coffee intake may protect us from a range of diseases, and even increase life span.

So is it OK to be addicted to coffee? 

In March this year, after a project that lasted just shy of two decades, scientists at Japan's National Cancer Centre released some intriguing results.

Their study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, tracked the lives – and sometimes deaths – of more than  90,000 people. Its conclusion was remarkable: "The habitual intake of coffee is associated with lower risk of total mortality and three leading causes of death in Japan."

Whether smoking marijuana contributes to weight gain may depend on how much pot a person smokes, in addition to other factors such the person's gender, according to a new study.

Smoking marijuana often gives people the munchies — a sudden increase in appetite that can make them eat a lot at once — so researchers wanted to examine whether this drive to eat might mean that people who smoke pot put on extra pounds over time.

This is Sam. He’s my son. His epilepsy caused him to have up to 100 seizures a day. After seven years we were out of options. Our last hope: an untested, unproven treatment. The only problem? It was illegal.

The hospital pharmacist slid three bottles of pills across the counter, gave my wife a form to sign, and reminded her that this was not the corner drugstore. The pharmacy knew how many pills had been dispensed, he said; it would know how many had been consumed; and it would expect her to return the unused pills before she left the country. The pharmacist made it clear that he was not only in touch with our doctor but with the company supplying the medication. They would know if she broke the rules.

A public panel discussion on the benefits of medical cannabis legalization was held at Provo City Library June 16. The event, sponsored by Libertas Institute and the Drug Policy Project of Utah, was part of a community outreach initiative to foster public awareness and gain support for the S.B. 259 Fourth Substitute Medical Cannabis Amendment, sponsored by Sen. Mark Madsen, R-Saratoga Springs.

Over 200 attendees showed up to listen to Madsen explain the new amendment and to hear four panel members share their personal stories of how medical cannabis has helped their lives.