If you drove along Highway 31 this afternoon in Vestavia Hills, you might have seen a crowd gathered in front of City Hall.

Members of the Alabama Safe Access Project held a rally around 1 p.m. on Saturday in support of Senate Bill 326.

That bill would legalize medical marijuana in the state of Alabama.

The legislation would allow patients who suffer from 25 specific conditions to use a limited amount of marijuana, a maximum of 10 ounces per month.

Supporters want to see the bill make it to the Senate floor for debate before the end of the regular legislative session.

A new study published by the journalPsychopharmacology, and conducted by researchers at the Universitat de València in Spain, has found that the body’s cannabinoid receptors play a vital role in the management of social interactions and aggressive behavior, and that administration of a cannabinoid receptor agonist significantly reduces aggression in animal models.

The study’s abstract explains that “This study was designed to examine the role of cannabinoid CB2r in social and aggressive behavior.”

Marijuana advocates meet at Des Moines City Hall on Saturday and march down Locust Street to the Iowa Capitol.(Photo: Linh Ta/The Register)Buy Photo

The daily pills 39-year-old Angel Francis-Kline has to take makes it hard for her to handle everyday life.

In a day, she can take between 12 to 16 pills to deal with her fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, post-traumatic stress disorder, insomnia and early on-set menopause. The combination of her pills, like Cymbalta and Hydrocodone make her uncontrollably shake and have seizures, causing dangerous situations, especially when she's driving.

"It's living everyday in pain," Francis-Kline. said. "What they're making me take is poison."

Cannabis Landscape Overview

What an interesting and exciting time for cannabis this is. With four states and D.C. legalizing cannabis for adult use and dozens of states working to implement medical cannabis programs, cannabis is becoming more widely accepted in our society. Every day new opportunities arise and new challenges are faced. As cannabis returns to the mainstream of society there are both external and internal forces at work to consider.

Cannabis Landscape Overview

What an interesting and exciting time for cannabis this is. With four states and D.C. legalizing cannabis for adult use and dozens of states working to implement medical cannabis programs, cannabis is becoming more widely accepted in our society. Every day new opportunities arise and new challenges are faced. As cannabis returns to the mainstream of society there are both external and internal forces at work to consider.

For the reason that the marijuana plant contains chemicals that may help treat range of illnesses or symptoms, many people argue that it should be legal for medical purposes. In fact, a growing number of states have already legalized marijuana for medical use.

Cities and the people who live within them, should be able to have a say in where medical marijuana operations set up within their boundaries, says the mayor of Maple Ridge.

"It should be a formal requirement that Health Canada make the location of these potential sites known to the public and hold a public meeting and consider the comments of our citizens in determining if such a facility should be considered for licensing in our city," Nicole Read said in a release Friday.

The mayor wrote to federal Health Minister Rona Ambrose pointing out there's no formal public process relating to locations of medical marijuana facilities in Maple Ridge.

HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii lawmakers are saying they might revive a bill to create a system of medical marijuana dispensaries.

The bill died late Friday when it failed to pass out of a committee before a deadline. But Senate President Donna Mercado Kim now says the Legislature may revive the bill on Monday.

Hawaii was among the first states to legalize medical marijuana nearly 15 years ago. But the estimated 13,000 patients approved for the drug statewide have generally been left to buy it on the black market or grow it on their own.

Advocates say they're glad the Legislature is reconsidering the bill, but they wish there was a more definitive outcome.

Three proposals aiming to reduce the penalties for possessing small amounts of marijuana were voted down in a House committee Friday.

The committee chairman, Rep. Abel Herrero, D-Robstown, said the proposals, all brought by Democratic lawmakers, did not have the support to move on.

Herrero voted against the proposal with the most widespread support among pot-backers. It would make possession of less than one ounce punishable by a fine rather than jail time. The bill’s author Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, couldn’t be reached for comment Friday afternoon.

Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that can affect various parts of the body, primarily the skin, joints, kidney, and brain. The disease affects the immune system, causing it to become hyperactive. Normally the system makes proteins (antibodies) in order to fight antigens (viruses & bacteria). Lupus causes the immune system to confuse the antigens and healthy tissue, attacking and killing both. This leads to chronic pain, swelling, and long-term tissue damage.