| CANNABIS | Magic from p 35 dose for each full day. He doesn’t take any other products using THC or CBD because the concentration in the water is about 1,000 times stronger than typical cannabis or hemp-derived products. That’s consistent with recent statements by Mechoulam that THCA and CBDA are much stronger than their more stable counterparts, THC and CBD. Said Verdone, “Devin also gets the benefits of all the terpenes in the plant, which are just as important as all of the cannabinoids.” This is often referred to as the “entourage effect.” There is simply no way to validate Verdone’s claims. The research isn’t there. Mechoulam talks about how the entourage effect could provide additional benefits because “some of the terpenes are not active by themselves.” Light looks no further than the quality of her son’s life for proof. “To be completely honest, I am not sure my son would be alive today without the C2W,” Light said. “It is giving him a chance to be a kid and have a life. We have made more progress toward seizure freedom than with anything we have tried before. Devin completed kindergarten, first, and second grade with only reading and writing deficits. Mathematically, he is at or beyond his peers. I believe with my whole heart my son is alive today because of this amazing medicine,” she said. Last June 19, Verdone joined the Light family and members of their church at the family home in Cottonwood to celebrate a year of Devin being free of seizures. Devin remains seizure free and continues to thrive. He leads a relatively normal life while feeling none of the usual disorientation, drowsiness, or high a person might feel if they were using THC to treat pain. Verdone never says that he can cure anyone of anything or make promises he can’t keep. But he thinks he’s found something special. The magic is the water. You can put water in anything, which makes the possibilities endless. “What about ice cream?” Verdone asked with a smile. “I could put CBDA into ice cream and everyone would enjoy getting a consistent dose of medicine while eating their favorite flavor.” House of Sparks Congress passes a bill to legalize pot. BY NATASHA YEE I n a 220-204 party-line vote, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill to legalize marijuana in the United States and decriminalize the manufacturing, distribution, and possession of a drug currently listed as a Schedule I substance. The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act would also create a process to expunge cannabis convictions, impose a tax on cannabis products and establish a trust fund to support communities impacted by the nation’s decades-long war on drugs. The federal sales tax would gradually increase from 5 to 8 percent. Proceeds would partially go toward community programs such as legal aid and expungement, youth mentoring, and job training. Historically, Latinos and Blacks have been disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs, with a higher likelihood of federal sentencing and longer drug sentences than their white counterparts. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the legislation “one of the most important criminal justice reform bills in recent history.” Pelosi said the bill (also called the MORE Act) would serve “justice for those harmed by 36 the brutal, unfair consequences of criminalization,” and give people opportunities to participate in the industry and decriminalize marijuana at the federal level “so we do not repeat the grave mistakes of our past.” Now a bigger challenge awaits — passage in the U.S. Senate. All five Democrats in Arizona voted to pass the measure, while all four Republicans rejected it, mirroring the overall party-line vote. Medical marijuana has been legal in Arizona since 2010 and voters approved recreational pot through Proposition 207 in November 2020, with sales starting swiftly in January 2021. Prop 207 also allowed those with cannabis offenses to expunge their records. The Maricopa County Superior Court reported an average of 650 people per week filed expungement requests as of August 2021, resulting in more than 3,600 expungements. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office reported last month that it has filed more than 10,000 expungement petitions, which are expected to be approved. Arizonans have spent an estimated $1.9 billion on medical and recreational marijuana since recreational sales began in the state. Across the country, legal cannabis sales totaled $20 billion in 2020, according to the MORE Act, which projected that sales would reach $40.5 billion by 2025. >>p 41 all your medical marijuana needs in one place. APRIL 14TH– APRIL 20TH, 2022 PHOENIX NEW TIMES phoenixnewtimes.com State Licensed Dispensaries & Doctor Certifications
