The latest issue of LA JEMM hits the stands tomorrow! Pick up a copy at your favorite local dispensary, or at LA JEMM headquarters located at Rock City Railroad, 5552 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028. 323-461-6600.

Did you know that the federal government holds a patent on medical marijuana? If this comes as a surprise, it’s no wonder — mainstream media sources have all but ignored the story. But do a quick internet search, and you’ll find US Patent 6630507 – titled “Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants” (!) — which is assigned to The United States of America, represented by the Department of Health and Human Services.

The patent claims that:

“Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties … This new found property makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following … stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and HIV dementia.”

Nonetheless, in 2006 an FDA spokesperson  claimed that “smoked marijuana has no currently accepted or proven medical use in the United States and is not an approved medical treatment.” (Presumably, this position hinges on distinguishing weed that is “smoked” from marijuana that is administered in other ways.)

Glaring hypocrisy aside, this patent means many things. First of all, it means that the U.S. government fully intends to legalize and profit from medical marijuana. Most likely Uncle Sam is waiting for more states to pass bills making medical marijuana legal, before officially okaying pot and starting to cash in. But there’s also a trickier aspect to this: because the government has held this patent since 2003, then potentially, anyone who has profited financially from the sale of cannabinoids anytime since 2003 may have to pay damages to the U.S. government – once they make it legal, that is. HOWEVER, under law, you can’t patent naturally-occurring organisms; speaking generally, you can only patent novel and unique processes or methods that lead to new inventions. In other words, the marijuana plant itself can’t be patented – unless it’s a new, genetically-engineered form of the plant. I’ll have to read the patent itself to find out exactly what process or method the feds are claiming a patent on. In any case, take heed – if you sell marijuana products other than the plant itself, Uncle Sam might eventually claim a cut of your profits!

This morning LA JEMM received a press release from the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP). According to MPP, today two Maryland House committees will hear testimony on HB 712, a medical marijuana bill introduced by Del. Dan Morhaim (D-Baltimore County). If passed, HB 712 would make Maryland the 15^th state to permit the medical use of marijuana (with a doctor’s recommendation).

Maryland residents, be sure to contact your state representatives to let them know you support this bill! If the states lead, the feds will have to follow.