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National Marijuana Legislation

At Fork In The Legislative Road

The dream of marijuana advocates is that Congress will pass a marijuana bill that will make pot instantly legal throughout America. But even though the midterm elections brought more people to Congress who support marijuana reform, it looks like that dream may have to wait.

In the meantime, several bills have been filed in the new Democrat-controlled House of Representatives that take different approaches to the issue. The most important differences concern how these bills handle the Controlled Substances Act, which classifies marijuana as similar to heroin and cocaine.

Just like its name implies, HB 420 – the “Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act” – would regulate marijuana just like alcohol is across the country. The second bill, “Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) Act,” would not. A third bill, the “Compassionate Access, Research Expansion, and Respect States Act (“CARERS Act”) would essentially nullify application of the Controlled Substances Act as to medical marijuana in compliance with state law. The CARERS Act also would authorize physicians at the Department of Veterans Affairs to recommend medical marijuana to veterans who live in states with medical marijuana programs.

“It will be interesting to see which of these bills garners the most support,” says Sarah Lee Gossett Parrish (www.sarahleegossettparrish.com), a cannabis industry lawyer.   “HB 420 is certainly more sweeping, but the STATES Act may obtain more bipartisan support, and the CARERS Act likely will be popular with those who believe marijuana should be legalized only when its usage is indicated for medicinal value”

The STATES Act is narrower and relies more on the argument that states should decide how to handle marijuana reform instead of Washington. Supporters of the bill think that approach would also allow a defense for conservative members of Congress who vote for the bill.

“Congress members with conservative constituencies could rest on the tenet that states’ rights issues carry the day, without wading too deeply into the issues concerning legalization of marijuana at the federal level,” says Parrish. “It would also give them a defense against conservative critics who might call them soft on crime or soft on drugs if they support the bill.”

The STATES Act would allow states to legalize marijuana without the threat of federal interference. Unlike HB 420, it would not legalize marijuana at the federal level.  

However, it gives each state the freedom to decide how to handle cannabis within its own borders, and more importantly, it would make it unlawful for the Department of Justice to enforce provisions of the Controlled Substances Act against state-legal marijuana users and cannabis businesses.

The Cannabis Trade Federation (“CTA”) supports the STATES Act because it believes this bill has the best chance of passage. Senator Elizabeth Warren and Corey Gardner have championed the bill in the Senate.

Many pot supporters think the CTA should be pressuring lawmakers to sign on with Blumenauer’s 420 bill instead of supporting the STATES Act. HB 420 would allow for the interstate transportation of marijuana, while the STATES Act would not.

A Gallup poll recently found that:

• Two out of three Americans favor national legalization.
• More than 93 percent favor allowing a physician to prescribe medical cannabis to patients.
• Only 13 percent of respondents said they would vote for a candidate based on that candidate’s position on marijuana legalization.

Parrish says regardless of which bill makes it through Congress, it will have a positive impact and will clarify the issue for everybody who involved in the cannabis legalization movement.

About Sarah Lee Gossett Parrish

Sarah Lee Gossett Parrish  (www.sarahleegossettparrish.com) is a cannabis industry attorney and is admitted to practice in Oklahoma and in Texas. She is a member of the National Cannabis Bar Association, National Cannabis Industry Association, and NORML. She is admitted to practice in all state and federal District Courts in Oklahoma; the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. Ms. Parrish received her B.A. in Letters from the University of Oklahoma, Phi Beta Kappa, Summa Cum Laude. She also served as Chairman of the Governor's Commission on the Status of Women for the State of Oklahoma and was instrumental in starting the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame. She received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma College of Law.  Her legal thriller, Guilt of Innocence, placed second in the New York Law Journal's national fiction writing contest.

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Virtus Nutrition Welcomes Northeastern Sales Manager

 CORCORAN, Calif- Steven Smith was named Northeastern Sales Manager for Virtus Nutrition, a California based feed ingredient company, specializing in fatty acid nutrition.

“I am excited that Steven has joined the Virtus Nutrition team,” explains Dan Andreasen, Director of Business Development for Virtus Nutrition. “Steven has experience with many facets of the dairy industry which includes dairy herd management, dairy consultant/ration formulation, and most recently with his sales position with a major ingredient supplier.”   

Steven Smith began his sales role with Virtus Nutrition in November covering the Northeastern territory of New York, Vermont, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, and Eastern Canada. Smith, who has been working in the dairy industry for over 25 years, brings a strong educational background with him to Virtus with a M.S. degree in Agriculture Education from State University of New York, as well as a B.S. degree in Animal Science from Cornell University. 

“I am looking forward to sharing some of the latest information in the fatty acid discussion,” Smith explained “as this is an aspect of dairy cattle nutrition that is just now becoming a nutrient level discussion topic.” Smith’s other goals with current and future Virtus Nutrition customers include providing emphasis on the improvement of dairy cattle breeding program efficiency, and to focus on transition cow success, as Smith believes this is a key margin opportunity for dairies.

Previously, Smith worked as a Technical Sales Manager for a feed manufacturer, as well as a Dairy Nutrition Advisor. Along with his strong work background, Steven is very active in his community involvement with Fusion Community Church as a men’s ministry leader, dairy cattle judging, and a lifetime member of the National FFA Alumni. 

Smith may be contacted by email at ssmith@omegabalancer.com or by phone at (518) 207-7112.

Company Overview:  As the industry leader in fatty acid nutrition for dairy cattle, Virtus Nutrition precisely formulates and manufactures innovative dairy feed ingredients that are proven to drive significant improvements in production efficiency and reproductive performance.  Virtus Nutrition collaborates with leading industry researchers to improve the understanding of fatty acids in the diet, develops innovative products, and manufactures them to the tightest specifications to optimize their powerful results.  For more information about Virtus Nutrition, please visit the website at virtusnutrition.com and fattyacidforum.com

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3 Strategies For Helping Distressed

Young People Become More Resilient

Is the United States facing an epidemic of lost and distressed youth who struggle to handle the daily challenges of life?

Statistics say yes. The suicide rate for young people is on the rise, and suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 15 to 24, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Despite such troubling statistics, there are ways to better prepare young people so they can bounce back from the trials that life throws at them, says Dr. Kim Metcalfe, a retired professor of early childhood education and psychology, and author of Let’s Build ExtraOrdinary Youth Together (www.xtraordinaryyouth.com).

“Children need much more than love, food, clothing, shelter and electronic devices,” Metcalfe says. “They need to be armed with the ability to be resilient so they can navigate through childhood and into adulthood, dealing with adversity, trauma, tragedy and other significant sources of stress. We know the traits of emotionally resilient people and we know the types of experiences and opportunities that youth need to develop these traits.”

Resilient individuals don’t see themselves as victims, even though sometimes they are, she says. They refuse to play the blame game, and they know how to intercede on their own best behalf. Resilient individuals view setbacks as challenges that they are capable of addressing successfully. They feel hopeful rather than helpless.

For Metcalfe, helping distressed young people is a mission. Her daughter committed suicide in 2012, so Metcalfe speaks both as a professional and as a mother who has suffered a loss.

Metcalfe offers suggestions for parents and others on ways they can help build resilience in young people so they know they can handle the situation when life becomes difficult:

• Give them opportunities to self-regulate. Self-regulation is when you are able to take control of your thinking, your decisions and your behavior. If you want your children to develop the skill of self-regulation, Metcalfe says, you must provide them opportunities where they are required to stop and think about the consequences of those decisions and behaviors. That means you can’t make all their decisions for them.
• Use missteps, mistakes and disappointments as learning opportunities. The next time your adolescent does something you aren’t thrilled about, Metcalfe says, try asking them questions such as, “What other choice could you have made?” Use follow-up questions, such as: “If you made that choice what do you think might have happened?” “Is there another choice or option you could have considered?”
• Model the resilience you want to see in them. One way to build more resilience in a teenager is to make certain you are modeling the behavior you want to see. They notice how you handle challenging situations. “If you have a difficult time bouncing back from setbacks, then it makes sense that your teens will have difficulty, too,” Metcalfe says. “Modeling for our youth what we want to develop in them is very powerful. Resilient people are able to cope with challenges, weather the storms in life, and work successfully through setbacks to reach their goals and make their dreams come true.”

“People like to say that kids are resilient,” Metcalfe says. “That’s not always true. In fact, it’s often not true. But they can develop the thinking habits and skills to live through adversity and recover in ways that allow them to live the lives they were born to live and do in life what they were born to do.”

About Kim Metcalfe

Dr. Kim Metcalfe, a retired professor of early childhood education and psychology, is the author of Let’s Build ExtraOrdinary Youth Together (www.xtraordinaryyouth.com). She is a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the California Association for the Education of Young Children, and the American Psychological Association. Dr. Metcalfe has a doctorate degree in Educational Developmental Psychology. To honor her late daughter, Abigail Elise Metcalfe, Dr. Metcalfe founded Abbey’s Purple Winged Angels Foundation – a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization