Medical Pot Use Legal, Confusing in Michigan

Worker sacked for using prescribed pot for cancer

(NEWSER) - The ACLU is suing Wal-Mart on behalf of a Michigan man fired for using medical marijuana to ease the symptoms of sinus cancer and an inoperable brain tumor. Joseph Casias, a 30-year-old father of two, was fired after failing a drug test. Casias—a legally registered user of medicinal marijuana who was prescribed the drug by his doctor—says he only used marijuana outside working hours, but Wal-Mart insists that pot use is an issue of safety. More»

(NEWSER) - Instead of hotspots, IPhone users can now find pot spots, thanks to a new app that locates legal medical marijuana outlets, reports Mashable. Apple has approved the $2.99 iPhone app, Canabis, which seeks out legal pot clinics, collectives, advocacy organizations, and prescribing docs throughout the US. The smokin' application also directs travelers to international sites. More»

'Silver Tour' hits Florida retirement communities

(NEWSER) - After serving nearly 30 years in federal prison for his role in a marijuana-smuggling ring, Robert Platshorn is still pushing pot—but this time it's political. The 69-year-old has founded a group called the Silver Tour that aims to convince seniors of the benefits of medical marijuana, the Wall Street Journal finds. "Nobody in the marijuana movement is talking to seniors," who are more likely than other groups to vote against legalization, says Platshorn, but "seniors are the only damn people that go to the polls." More»

Andy Caffrey often lights up on the campaign trail

(NEWSER) - Andy Caffrey is for the most part a pretty standard-issue progressive, but he's got one campaign promise that makes him stand out: He's vowing to smoke pot on the steps of Capitol Hill if he's elected. Caffrey, 54, is running for Congress in California and happens to have a prescription for medical marijuana for his ADD and PTSD. And he isn't shy about lighting up a joint on the campaign trail, which Politico points out he did twice last week. More»

Ruling likely to shut down most storefronts

(NEWSER) - California cities can't simply ban medical marijuana shops—but the dispensaries must grow their own pot, an appeals court in the state has unanimously ruled. The city of Lake Forest had been trying to implement, in the appeals court's words, "a total bar contradicting state law" on dispensaries via a zoning law. It's the first time a court has blocked cities from instituting such pot-related zoning restrictions, but the growing requirement would put most dispensaries out of business, the Los Angeles Times notes. "I don't see how you can grow in a tiny, rented space enough pot for over 1,000 customers," said a lawyer involved in the case. The state Supreme Court has already agreed to consider a number of lower-court rulings. More»