Anyone who suffers from the physical ravages of Alzheimer’s Disease, HIV/AIDS, Arthritis, Cancer, Crohn’s Disease, Glaucoma, Multiple Sclerosis, or other select disabilities – and uses medical marijuana (or its derivatives) to ease the symptoms of their illnesses – is aware of the ongoing state-to-state battle for the legalization of medical marijuana across the nation.

At present, under the U.S. Controlled Substances Act, the possession of any marijuana or derivatives is classified as a misdemeanor. Marijuana cultivation is a felony. In California, under Proposition 215, patients and their designated primary caregivers are legally allowed to form medical cultivation collectives or cooperatives for the purpose of cultivating and possessing marijuana for personal medical use. This piece of legislation is known as the California Compassionate Use Act of 1996. Right now, during this 2012 voting season, there are seven states with pending legislation to legalize medical marijuana. These states are Arkansas, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, and Ohio. On many of these ballots, the summary of these Acts include the word “compassionate” liberally.

Compassion, by definition, is both empathy and sympathy for the suffering of others. When used, compassion is nothing short of transformative. There is an element of human compassion at the root of almost every religious and spiritual tradition and practice. The most enduring religious and spiritual texts speak at length about the importance and benefits of showing genuine compassion for both your friends and your enemies. As the bearer, the act of compassion strips away our indifference and elevates us to a higher level of human consciousness and development. As the recipient, a compassionate act reaffirms our faith in humanity and soothes some of our greatest, most primal fears.

In the practice of cultivating and distributing medical marijuana to combat the effects of terrible, incurable diseases and illnesses, there is much talk about the balance between compassion and fear. Alzheimer’s Disease, HIV/AIDS, Arthritis, Cancer, Crohn’s Disease, Glaucoma, and Multiple Sclerosis are a variety of afflictions that can produce extended periods of nausea, weakness, pain, spasticity, appetite loss, wasting, or other incapacitating symptoms. Each of these symptoms is also marked by a terrific amount of fear in the individual who struggles against them. In the effort to legalize marijuana and bring about a greater understanding of the benefits of this type of medicine, we are, as a people, seeking to tip the balance in favor of compassion and reduce the pain and fear associated with a host of truly horrific diseases.

As medical marijuana advocates in the state of California, who have seen or experienced the benefits of medical marijuana in combating the physical and mental symptoms of terrible diseases, our hope is to see more compassionate lawmakers and voters helping to cut through the tangled legal web surrounding this issue – and to help transform us as a people as well.

The P.R. Collective Medical Marijuana blog articles are meant for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for actual medical advice. The P.R. Collective is a San Pedro Medical Marijuana collective that serves patients in the Long Beach, South Bay, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills Estates, Harbor City, Wilmington, and Palos Verdes Estates areas.

All new patients are required to call or come in 24 hours in advance of their first visit. You may phone (310) 832-2420 between 9am and 8pm every day to schedule a visit.

Many who have utilized medical marijuana (or even considered the notion) to relieve or lessen the debilitating effects of HIV/AIDS, Crohn’s Disease, Arthritis, Alzheimer’s, Epilepsy, Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis, Glaucoma, and other afflictions know that there are a significant number of medical benefits to be gained from using the herb while undergoing traditional medical treatment for the various disorders. Medical marijuana has proven itself a competent medicinal in the fight against pain, nausea, spasticity, appetite loss, and wasting that is associated with these terrible diseases.

There are, at present, only 18 states (including D.C.) where medical marijuana is legal for possession and use (under many stringent guidelines). In 1996, California was the first U.S. state to create a legal medical marijuana program – followed shortly by Alaska, Oregon, Washington State, and Maine. And although medical marijuana has brought much relief to those who suffer, the use of cannabis as a medicinal is a topic that is marked by much opposition. The issue is gaining strength and credibility by the medical science community – and hope for sufferers in those states without beneficial medical marijuana laws on the books may be soon realized.

A 2007 Harvard University study that resulted in positive findings for the use of medical marijuana is currently making the rounds on the news channels. The study followed the application of Delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol – a primary constituent of the cannabis plant. The findings from the study were prepared in a report and delivered by researchers at the 2007 American Association of Cancer Research Annual Meeting. Many of the resulting headlines read “Medical Marijuana Cuts Cancerous Tumor Growth in Half” or some such variation.

Some of the findings from the study include the following:

• THC activates naturally-produced receptors that fight off lung cancer
• The presence of THC in test animals reduced tumor size and weight by nearly 50%
• THC was attributed to a significant reduction in protein markers associated with cancer progression
• THC significantly reduced the ability of cancerous cells to grow and spread
• The use of THC was primarily beneficial in cases of lung cancer

Although the Harvard University study is one of the more prominent studies in the recent decade – certainly the one receiving much of the positive press for its findings – there are a number of other peer-reviewed medical marijuana studies that have been recently conducted by researchers in the Czech Republic, Wales, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Brazil, Spain, Denmark, Italy, New Zealand, Australia, England, Scotland, and, of course, all across America. The results of these wide-ranging studies are complemented by much the same language: data suggests that cannabis use may have a beneficial effect. Clearly, there is much to be said about the effectiveness of THC in the fight against cancer and, perhaps, a number of other diseases that plague much of the world’s population.

By the way, November 6th marks the 16-year anniversary of California Ballot Proposition 215 (the Compassionate Use Act). The Proposition was approved by 56% of voters.

The P.R. Collective Medical Marijuana blog articles are meant for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for actual medical advice. The P.R. Collective is a San Pedro Medical Marijuana collective that serves patients in the Long Beach, South Bay, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills Estates, Harbor City, Wilmington, and Palos Verdes Estates areas. All new patients are required to call or come in 24 hours in advance of their first visit. You may phone (310) 832-2420 between 9am and 8pm every day.

If you’ve stopped by our Home Page in the last couple of weeks, you may have seen Hanna welcoming you to a tour of our San Pedro medical marijuana collective. The video was shot by a San Francisco-based video production team on-site at our S. Gaffey St. location, and we couldn’t be happier with the quality of the finished video.

For those who have never been to the P.R. Collective medical marijuana dispensary in San Pedro, the video gives you a glimpse of our facility and the various types of marijuana medicinals available to our member-patients in the community.

The P.R. Collective is a San Pedro Medical Marijuana collective that serves patients in the Long Beach, South Bay, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills Estates, Harbor City, Wilmington, and Palos Verdes Estates areas. As Hanna explains in the video, the dispensary is open from 9AM to 8PM every day of the year. We are a membership-based collective and, as Hanna states in the video, we ask all of our patients to go through a 24-hour membership review process. If you are planning to visit our medical marijuana dispensary, you can phone us in advance at (310) 832-2420 and facilitate your membership review.

In the video, you can clearly see our dispensary counter and the big menu board where we list all of our medical marijuana. We offer over 45 different California-grown Indica, Sativa, and Hybrid strains! Also on the board, you can clearly see the donation prices for each medicinal weight. We weigh out our medical marijuana by the gram, 1/8 ounce, 1/4 ounce, 1/2 ounce, and full ounces.

As Hanna also mentions in the video, there are always a number of specials going on at the P.R. Collective. Our marijuana dispensary features daily specials, morning and evening happy hour specials, as well as super-size strains – so you’ll want to check back from time to time and see what’s new and what’s on special. The P.R. Collective also offers a number of medical marijuana concentrates such as Bubble Hash, Keif, and Earwax, as well as an extensive menu of marijuana edibles and consumables for those who do not prefer to use smoke when they medicate. The video shows a number of the edible products we carry including chocolate bars, lemon squares, Canna Butter, and Chronic Tonic drinks.

Also featured in the video is a look at some of the medical marijuana clones we have for our member-patients. For those who prefer to grow their own medicinals, the marijuana clones (cuttings from existing plants) are a great starter with a predetermined strain type and sex. Most of the medical marijuana clones available from P.R. Collective are set in rock wool. Once a member-patient gets home with their clone, it’s always recommended that they transfer the plant to a natural soil or hydroponic system.

Closing out the video, Hanna reminds the viewers that they can find all of the products at the P.R. Collective online in a daily-updated menu right here on our website. So, check back daily!

The P.R. Collective Medical Marijuana blog articles are meant for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for actual medical advice. All new patients are required to call or come in 24 hours in advance of their first visit. You may phone (310) 832-2420 between 9am and 8pm every day.