I thought it would be fitting to write an article about the growing number of ‘marijuana moms’ in America. 

There were numerous articles last week stating that ‘Pot activists’ are ‘enlisting moms’ for legalization efforts.  I personally don’t think that pot activists are necessarily enlisting moms for legalization efforts; I think that pot activists ARE MOMS that believe in legalization!  Certainly not EVERY MOM is for legalization.   However, I know my mother has long been an advocate of marijuana reform in America, and she is not alone.

I remember when the Marie Claire article hit describing professional women who smoked marijuana as ‘stiletto stoners.’  For some reason, the media was obsessed with this issue for a day or two after the article hit; Matt Lauer of the Today Show even did a story on it.  But to American marijuana consumers of both genders, the Marie Claire article only stated what we already knew – women like to consume marijuana too.  Women are wrongly arrested and harassed by law enforcement in the same fashion that men are, so it is only natural that they would want to affect the democratic process to make a positive change.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The lawyer for Canada's so-called Prince of Pot said Monday that his client has been ordered extradited to the United States.

Marc Emery has sold millions of marijuana seeds around the world by mail over the past decade, drawing the attention of U.S. drug officials, who want him extradited to Seattle.

Emery's lawyer, Kirk Tousaw, said Canada's Minister of Justice Rob Nicholson signed off on his extradition shortly after the marijuana advocate turned himself in on Monday to authorities.

The justice minister's spokeswoman, Carole Saindon, would not comment on the order or the timing of his surrender, saying only that Emery has the option of a court appeal of the order.

The department said Emery's extradition was sought on charges of conspiracy to manufacture marijuana, conspiracy to distribute marijuana and conspiracy to engage in money laundering.

California — Los Angeles city prosecutors began notifying 439 medical marijuana dispensaries Tuesday that they must shut down by June 7, when the city’s ordinance to regulate the stores takes effect. It’s the first step in what could be a lengthy and expensive legal battle to regain control over pot sales.

The letters, which were sent to both dispensary operators and property owners, warn that violations of the city’s laws are a misdemeanor and could lead to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. Collectives that stay open after the deadline could also face civil penalties of $2,500 a day.

“We’re hopeful that the fact that we’ve given them more than 30 days to comply that a significant number of them will cease operating,” said Asha Greenberg, the assistant city attorney who has handled most of the efforts to close dispensaries.

USA — In about a dozen states, you can smoke a joint if you have cancer or HIV and meet certain conditions, like having a doctor’s note. In California, you can light up if you have just about anything — headaches, anxiety, epilepsy — and a physician’s OK.

Illinois could join these states as legislators consider a bill that would allow patients to use marijuana as medicine as long as they have one of 14 conditions and illnesses, including cancer and Crohn’s disease.

But interviews with scientists and physicians and a review of medical literature reveal scant evidence that marijuana is a safe and effective treatment for most of those 14.

A handful of uses in the bill — such as pain suffered by people with HIV and cancer — are supported by some solid scientific evidence. But none meet the standards, such as multiple large, well-designed clinical trials, required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in approving new drugs.

Our last issue featured an interview with Dr Melanie Dreher, a highly-respected academician and researcher who is probably the world's foremost authority on ganja use in Jamaica.

That interview contained a general overview of Dreher's 25 years of Jamaican research, while this article will explore what she found out about uses of ganja by Jamaican women and children.

Dreher's research is interesting and relevant because it challenges the prevailing notion that all drug use during pregnancy is bad for children. Ironically, some of Dreher's findings suggest that ganja use by mothers during pregnancy, and by their children after birth, might actually be good for children.