Stefana Pecher, MD, the premier Connecticut and Rhode Island-licensed physician specializing in the treatment of patients in need of medical marijuana, today announced the official launch of her websites http://www.medicalmarijuanadocconnecticut.com and http://www.stefanapechermd.comto cater to the growing need of patients in need of treatment with medical cannabis.

Connecticut is encouraging its hospitals, universities and licensed marijuana producers to embark on research that could improve understanding of marijuana's medicinal qualities, something officials hope will also boost the state's biotech industry.

While there's some research already underway in Connecticut and elsewhere, officials here hope the state's initiative, which began Oct. 1, will lead to much greater exploration of medical cannabis. The proposals will be vetted by an institutional review board, approved by the Department of Consumer Protection commissioner and theoretically protected under the legal umbrella of the state's 4-year-old medical marijuana law.

Reforms to the state's medical marijuana program will allow Connecticut hospitals, universities, growers and dispensaries to conduct research into medical cannabis, supplementing the limited federal research available on the drug's palliative effects.

The Department of Consumer Protection will begin accepting research proposals Oct. 1. The move is part of a number of changes to the medical marijuana law, including a provision to allow patients under 18 to use the drug.

Study from: 

Projectknow.com (http://www.projectknow.com/)

original study here :

http://www.projectknow.com/discover/high-school-drug-use/

American teenagers are more likely to smoke marijuana than binge drink, a new report reveals.

Meanwhile in Europe, marijuana consumption is minimal while drinking levels are far higher than in the United States.

The data, published in a recent report by addiction-awareness firm Project Know, will reignite the national debate on marijuana legalization as the election approaches.

The marijuana business in the U.S. is growing like a weed.

Nationwide, legal sales of marijuana reached $5.7 billion in 2015, up from $4.6 billion the previous year, according to a report from ArcView Market Research. For 2016, the market is projected to grow to $7.1 billion. And by 2020, ArcView says, sales of legal marijuana in the U.S. could top $22 billion.

As it stands now, about two-thirds of America’s marijuana crop — the legal and illegal kinds — is grown outdoors, according to Mother Jones magazine.

Science is starting to understand what marijuana smokers have known for years: how marijuana helps sleep. Because of this understanding, doctors are now able to legally prescribe marijuana for sleep disorders in seven states.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the most active marijuana ingredient that affects sleeping patterns. We’ll look into exactly how marijuana aids sleep, delve into how our brains work, and offer insights on this fascinating subject.

Sleep Disorders and Marijuana

Sleep disorders include:

After years campaigning for the right to use a medical-marijuana extract to treat her daughter’s seizures, Dana Haddox-Wright is now planning to wean Ella, her six-year-old, off of the potentially dangerous pharmaceuticals she’s been taking for years. 

At the same time, marijuana producers across the state are making liquified and edible forms of marijuana that children will be able to use. And state officials are creating an expedited application process to help those patients under 18 years old get signed up for the program. 

On April 29, blockchain startup Tierion announced it has raised $1 million in a seed round led by Blockchain Capital and Fenbushi Capital, with participation from Digital Currency Group.

Tierion is using blockchain technology to create a global platform to verify the integrity of any data, file or business process. The Hartford, CT.-based company provides developers with an API and tools for creating apps that connect to the blockchain.

In a reversal of policy, the Connecticut arm of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has reportedly gotten on board with an effort to expand medical marijuana legalization to sick children in the state.

Connecticut legalized medical marijuana for adults with serious illnesses in 2012, just one year after it decriminalized some cannabis possession. But the state is unique among its 22 other legal medical marijuana peers in that children are completely barred from access to medicinal cannabis.

From Maine to Miami, supporters of the cannabis movement are going to pass a torch symbolically shaped as a joint to garner support and show a united front in the fight to legalize marijuana.

It’s organized by the East Coast Cannabis Coalition (ECCC) and the so-called Unity Cypher begins its journey in Portland, Maine on April 14th, making  stops in NH, CT, NY, NJ, PA, DE, ME, DC, VA, NC, SC, GA, and FL. Along the way, organizers promise an appearance (and great photo op) at the United National General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) in New York City on April 19 and the National Cannabis Festival in Washington D.C. on April 23.