Jamaican university plants first marijuana plant, poised to start weed studies program

Mom, I found my new study abroad program.

The University of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica, planted its first legal marijuana plant on Tuesday as part of a new research program looking at the medicinal and commercial value of the drug, The Jamaica Gleaner reports.

A law to decriminalize marijuana went into effect earlier this month, paving the way for scientific studies of cannabis. Under the new policy, the drug is permitted for religious, medicinal and therapeutic uses, but possession of small amounts of marijuana is punishable by a fine.

The University of the West Indies is considering plans to create a cannabis research institute to specialize in weed studies.

Workers at a South Jersey medical marijuana dispensary want a union

The workers at the only medical marijuana dispensary in South Jersey are still trying to unionize, despite being rebuffed by their employer during previous attempts.

Eleven workers at the non-profit Compassionate Care Foundation in Egg Harbor Township said this week that they would re-file a petition with National Labor Relations Board, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The growers and dispensary workers, who earn $12 to $25, claim that management has altered their hours and reduced their salaries.

David Knowlton, the chairman of the non-profit, told the Inquirer he isn’t against unions, but that the time isn’t right.

“We are waiting to stabilize our finances first,” he said.

Colorado shoots down proposal to warn pregnant women about weed

A Colorado State Senate committee nixed legislation on Wednesday that would have required marijuana dispensaries to post warning signs for pregnant women, The Associated Press reported.

The reason: lawmakers say it’s not fair to ask weed stores to carry a warning that isn’t mandated in liquor stores or drug stores. The products themselves carry a warning label akin to alcohol or tobacco.

Backers of the measure thought it would have helped encourage pregnant consumers to think carefully about their marijuana use.

“It just encourages women to get more knowledge about the potential risks,” Susan Koontz, lawyer for the Colorado Medical Society, told the AP.

Ted Hesson was formerly the immigration editor at Fusion, covering the issue from Washington, D.C. He also writes about drug laws and (occasionally) baseball. On the side: guitars, urban biking, and fiction.