Mississippi Gov. Signs Medical Cannabis Legalization Bill

2/03/2022

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Mississippi became the 37th state to legalize medical cannabis after Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed the state’s new marijuana bill into law yesterday, NPR reports. The new law takes effect immediately.

The signing comes after a months-long back-and-forth between lawmakers and the governor, who in December ultimately threatened to veto the bill if the program’s daily cannabis purchasing limits were not reduced.

“There is no doubt that there are individuals in our state who could do significantly better if they had access to medically prescribed doses of cannabis. There are also those who really want a recreational marijuana program that could lead to more people smoking and less people working, with all the societal and family ills that that brings.” — Gov. Reeves, in a statement posted on Twitter

Under the program, patients will be allowed to purchase up to 3.5 grams of cannabis per day, or about three ounces per month. Cannabis products will be taxed at both production and sale, and all products must be grown indoors.

“For all the people who are touched in some way by a loved one or someone they know who benefits from medical cannabis, this brings their quality of life back,” Ken Newburger, Executive Director of the Mississippi Medical Marijuana Association, said in the report.

Mississippi voters passed a medical cannabis legalization initiative during the November 2020 elections but that initiative was invalidated by the state Supreme Court in May, which ruled that the effort had been assembled under an outdated signature-gathering process. The delayed rollout has also stalled millions of dollars in cannabis industry investments for the state.

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Montana’s First-Month Cannabis Sales Total $22.6M

2/03/2022

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After launching its adult-use cannabis market on January 1, Montana closed out the month with $22.6 million in total cannabis sales, including nearly $12.9 million in recreational sales, according to Department of Revenue data outlined by KULR-8. Medical cannabis sales in the state totaled nearly $9.8 million during the same timeframe.

With a 20% tax rate for adult-use products and a 4% tax on medical products, cannabis sales throughout the month generated a combined $2.9 million in taxes for the state.

Montana voters approved an adult-use initiative in 2020 to legalize the possession of up to an ounce of cannabis flower and the home cultivation of up to four plants for adults aged 21 or older. That initiative took effect on January 1, 2021.

The state’s Republican-controlled Legislature later approved rules for the plant’s commercial distribution, which were signed into law by Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) last May, and the program launched on January 1, 2022. Under the rules, only medical cannabis companies can be licensed for adult-use operations for the first 18 months. Additionally, adult-use sales will not be available in counties where voters initially rejected the reforms — instead, localities will have to opt into the industry through local elections.

Montana’s cannabis legalization language also included a clause for people with cannabis-related criminal convictions to get them stripped from their record but the courts have reported relatively low interest in the expungement possibilities.

 

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NFL Donates $1M to Cannabinoids Pain Management Study 

2/02/2022

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The National Football League (NFL) is donating $1 million to University of California San Diego and University of Regina (Canada) researchers to investigate the effects of cannabinoids on pain management, and neuroprotection from concussion in elite football players, respectively. The awards are part of the NFL-NFL Player’s Association (NFLPA) Joint Pain Management Committee, which aims to facilitate research to better understand and improve potential alternative pain management treatments for NFL players.

Dr. Kevin Hill — the co-chair of the committee, director of Addiction Psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School — said the committee received over 100 research proposals from clinicians and researchers around the world as part of the program.

Dr. Mark Wallace, co-principal investigator and director of the Center for Pain Medicine at UC San Diego Health, said the researchers will “conduct a systematic, ‘real-world, real-time’ study with professional athletes … which should shed further light upon the many anecdotal reports that cannabis is helpful in reducing post-competition pain.”

“The primary aim of this clinical trial is to assess the therapeutic efficacy and adverse effects of [delta-9 THC], cannabidiol (CBD), and combined THC/CBD, compared to placebo, for relief of post-competition soft-tissue injury pain in elite athletes. Elite athletes will vaporize treatments following game-related injuries, with outcomes monitored via remote phone apps.” – UC San Diego research abstract via the NFL

Dr. Patrick Neary, an exercise physiologist and professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies at the University of Regina, said his team “believes that different cannabinoid formulations found in medical cannabis have the potential to benefit athletes suffering from the acute and long-term chronic effects of concussions.”

“The specific goal of this project is to determine whether cannabis/hemp-based cannabinoids, i.e., [CBD] and [THC], can be used safely and effectively for pain management and to reduce the use of prescription medications including opioids in post-concussion syndrome athletes,” the research proposal says. “An additional goal is to assess the neuroprotective properties of cannabinoids to reduce the incidence or severity of acute and chronic concussion in professional football players.”

Notably, NFL players will not participate in the study as cannabis use remains barred under the collective bargaining agreement. Instead, the studies will be conducted using “elite professional athletes outside of the NFL.”

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David C. Holland: Advocating for Cannabis Clemency & Anticipating the New York Market

2/02/2022

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Between steep compliance requirements and a misplaced stigma still lingering from the prohibition era, the cannabis industry is inherently intertwined with the law. In this interview, we ask New York City lawyer David C. Holland about his efforts to forward legalization and clemency efforts, the upcoming launch of New York’s adult-use cannabis market, the important role of cannabis advocacy and lobbyist groups, and more!

David serves as the Executive and Legal Director of Empire State NORML, is Co-Founder and President of NYC Cannabis Industry Association (NYCCIA), Co-Founder and Vice President of the Hudson Valley Cannabis Industry Association (HVCIA), and Legal Advisor for the Last Prisoner Project.

Read the full interview below:

Ganjapreneur: What inspired you to become a lawyer?

David C. Holland: As far back as I can remember, I have always been intrigued by the interplay between freedom of speech and the criminal justice system. Reading about the trial of Socrates for his teachings and the criminal consequences for questioning the beliefs and values of society fascinated me. We have seen that theme play out in religious contexts and even in the modern day, where media reporters in the United States can run articles that may lead to interactions with the criminal justice system.

My fascination started as a 7-year-old when my family was involved in a medical exchange program and moved to Moscow during the height of the “Cold War” with the Soviet Union in 1972-73. This exchange program was seen as a way to build cultural relations without diplomatic affiliation. At that time, we were the only westerners living behind the Iron Curtain with no diplomatic affiliation of any kind. All five of us kids were enrolled in Soviet schools and became part of the community.

The scientific world and hospital systems of the Soviet Union were decades behind the U.S., which in some part was due to censorship of prevailing research from reaching the Soviet scientific world. I remember overhearing my parents express fascination and exasperation about some of the impact of censorship on the scientific community. I later learned that they would often entertain whispered questions from the Soviet scientists about democracy in the United States and what freedom of thought was like in politics and science. These were dangerous questions for many Moscovites as KGB monitoring and surveillance of Soviet citizens was painfully real, and engaging in more than basic inquiries about western democracy that might challenge the rationalization of authoritarian rule could result in serious repercussions or even exile. That early experience of seeing a system where human inquiry/freedom of thought could be punished just for the potential to challenge the status quo never left me and shaped my future career as an attorney.

So, I was beyond excited at the opportunity to spend more than a decade working with High Times Magazine – the world’s Bible on cannabis cultivation and culture. Fascinating to me was the history of the magazine and the motto of the Founder, Tom Forcade, who, fearing federal efforts to eradicate the plant, said, “If you can’t overthrow the government then teach the people to overgrow it,” so that cannabis could not be eliminated from American culture. This interplay of radicalism and freedom of the press in teaching readers how to cultivate cannabis despite the prohibition under state and federal law was the elixir for me of a dream job. I got to explore and advance the legal issues of counter-culture in America and watch the role that the advocacy of many played in legalizing cannabis in the vast majority of the United States. It won’t be long now before national legalization takes place and the once counter-culture is the mainstream.

How do you assist clients in licensing, compliance, and communications with local and state municipalities?

I consult with existing operators (both from the legacy market and legalized market) and aspiring market entrants on how best to position their operation for the licensing application process. This includes doing corporate formation, business planning, branding, pitch decks for investors, equity and diversity planning, and providing comprehensive analyses of how the applying licensee’s business will uplift impacted communities and create meaningful jobs and generational wealth through the direct and ancillary ripple effect of that applicant receiving a license. My colleagues and I also engage with the municipal leaders to discuss their concerns about the implications of a licensed cannabis operator in their jurisdiction. Helping communities and their leaders overcome those concerns is an essential part of the license application process.

Why do you focus your energy on cannabis legalization and clemency?

Dostoevsky wrote, “The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons.” This statement has factored largely in my professional life as I have had the fortunate opportunity to work within the criminal justice system from nearly every vantage point and have come to some conclusions about it.

For decades, American prisons served as mass incarceration warehouses of cannabis prisoners despite the fact that marijuana is now legal in some form in most of the United States. Millions have been arrested and convicted for cannabis, with a large number for simple possession. In some states, 87.5% of those arrests were people of color, which is abhorrent given that Caucasians and other demographics possess and consume at roughly the same rate for the same conduct. The draconian collateral consequences of those arrests and convictions, which at one time resulted in life imprisonment, were devastating not just to the accused but also to the family members and communities from whence they came. So Dostoevsky’s yardstick to measure our civilization ought to include the lives and opportunities destroyed by cannabis prosecutions and the collapse of communities as a direct result of that over the persecution of cannabis.

Those staggering realities resulting from the war on cannabis cannot be justified by the assertion of any credible scientific foundation or evidence. That is because the prohibition of marijuana was spawned from the insidious and rabid racist and xenophobic prohibition campaigns of the 1930s designed to criminalize and eradicate the plant. Those prohibition campaigns started by Harry Anslinger and others served the economic and political interests of an elite group of Americans who greatly benefitted from the plant’s eradication.

The true motivation of the war on cannabis was best summed up by John Ehrlichman, former domestic policy advisor to Richard Nixon. In a 1996 interview with Harpers, he made clear that weaponizing marijuana prosecutions in 1970 by classifying it as a Schedule I drug under the federal Controlled Substances Act served as a means of societal and thought control. As Ehrlichman made clear, Nixon had marijuana put in Schedule I, the most restricted drug classification, to punish the counter-culture by vilifying “Black people” and “hippies” night after night on the news, arresting their leaders, breaking up their meetings, and disabling their movements. Ehrlichman concluded the interview by stating, “Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course, we did.”

Correspondingly, over the ensuing decades, there was a rise in the prison-industrial complex where we have warehoused criminalized cannabis prisoners for reasons far removed from science or legitimate public health and safety reasons. If our prison system is the metric by which to measure our civilization, then we are in abject poverty of humanity. Despite 38 states legalizing cannabis in some form, we still have people serving excessive and life sentences for non-violent cannabis offenses. The continued imprisonment of those is not only unfathomable; it is indefensible.

I have had the great honor of assisting John Knock and five others who were each serving at least one federal life sentence without the opportunity of parole for non-violent cannabis offenses. Through the advocacy by myself and others, each received clemency from Presidents Obama and Trump and had their sentences commuted to time served.

Until the incarceration of legions of cannabis offenders ends, I will continue to assist in the battle against this injustice. One such means is the privilege to serve as a Legal Advisor to the Last Prisoner Project, which seeks clemency and relief for prisoners who are still languishing for conduct that is now legal in most of the United States. I will also be advocating for the creation of an amnesty program for legacy operators in order to prioritize them as first entrants into the legalized marketplace. Without that, there will be a two-market system that defeats the goals of justice and equity, which are at the heart of legalization programs in New York State and elsewhere.

Why did you co-found the NYC Cannabis Industry Association (NYCCIA) and Hudson Valley Cannabis Industry Association (HVCIA)?

Some of the major issues of a legalized cannabis industry are not uniform across the state and therefore not readily addressed on a macro level. With that in mind, I co-founded the NYCCIA (NYCCIA.org) and HVCIA (HVCIA.org) to take up regional approaches to those issues.

For instance, New York City is considered the world’s largest cannabis marketplace. However, being a densely packed metropolis, it is not well disposed to cultivate enough supply to meet that market demand. That role may be served better by other regions in the Empire State like the Hudson Valley, 20 miles to the north, which could play a significant role in facilitating that market demand. As you can see, the geographic, economic, and political issues around establishing that greater marketplace and supply chain become complex because not every region will be the same. That’s why we decided to start at a regional level before putting in an overarching state structure that we may form in the not-too-distant future.

What makes the NYCCIA and HVCIA unique is that they create the dialogue and develop policy recommendations and regulatory suggestions through member-driven discussions and committee analysis of pressing issues in both the illicit and the legalized cannabis spaces. Those committees are comprised of existing and aspiring industry participants to create a smooth, orderly, and predictable marketplace that is diverse and inclusionary. Our policies papers have gained significant traction in Albany as well as in the existing and emerging cannabis communities.

How does your role at Empire State NORML work towards your goals of cannabis legalization and clemency for cannabis prisoners?

I take great pride in being the Executive and Legal Director of Empire State NORML and its role in the longstanding 50 plus year campaign of national NORML to legalize cannabis across the United States. Empire State NORML and its local and regional affiliates are well known to thought leaders and legislators of New York.

While the passage of the MRTA came with the expungement of convictions and records for what was once deemed cannabis offenses, that is not enough. There are still inmates languishing in prison, having had draconian lengthy sentences imposed upon them for conduct that is now legal in most of the United States.

Empire State NORML has a significant recognizable advocacy voice across New York State and in Albany to call for legislative creation of mass clemency for those that were locked up and left behind.

Is New York City cooperative with cannabis events? What kind of licensing, permitting, and approvals are necessary before hosting an above-board cannabis event in NYC?

As the rules and regulations roll out in the coming weeks, New York City should be a very willing and cooperative partner in cannabis events. I hope to see a newly created class of “pop up” licenses that would allow for mobile retail sites, secure temporary facilities for events, concerts, boat cruises and the like. This is not a pipe dream; this is just replicating what the sale and service of alcohol have been permitted to do.

As the NYCCIA, we have been and are continuing to forge alliances and engage in dialogues with New York City municipal and community leaders to ensure that practical and low-cost entry points into the cannabis market are created, which will cause a fair, equitable, diverse, and sustainable industry to be built up through the provision of pop up and other temporary and mobile licenses.

Cannabis tourism hasn’t yet taken off in states like California or Nevada, is it possible that the beloved tourist destination NYC could be a spark point for cannabis tourism in the states?

Absolutely! The vast wonders of New York State and the cultural mecca that is New York City are tourist attractions in and of themselves. Cannabis may play a role in that attraction as well because the Big Apple is considered the world’s largest marketplace for it. I expect that we will see retail shops, social consumption sites, museums, and festivals that are canna-centric. In the vast agrarian regions of New York, canna-tourism may take root where enthusiasts can take in those natural wonders and sample high-quality cannabis along their travels like they do in the wine country of California.

Where do you think New York has excelled in establishing cannabis policy compared to other states?

New York has the most insightful and progressive cannabis legalization program in the country. Further, the MRTA, which legalized cannabis, has a demonstrable commitment to social equity and economic reinvestment into those communities which were adversely impacted by the War on Drugs.

In the coming weeks, the NYCCIA/HVCIA organizations will be holding public accessible membership meetings and events where our committees will be presenting on critical policy issues and recommendations directed to the Legislature with regard to the much-anticipated release of the Rules and Regulations for the legalized industry. We are scheduling a mid-February presentation to our members with a notable member of the Office of Cannabis Management, which oversees the entire program for New York State.

We expect that official to detail how the State Cannabis Fund will be implemented and, importantly, how equity candidates may receive more immediate funding and be prioritized as first and early market entrants rather than waiting for years for the Fund coffers to fill before they even get a chance to apply for a license.

Could the policy be implemented in any sector that would better serve the people over profits?

Speaking solely for myself, and not as the representative of any organization, I think the program could be implemented with greater long-range effectiveness if we found a comprehensive and meaningful vehicle to transition the existing legacy market operators to the legal market as the FIRST ENTRANTS rather than the last. In that regard, I have been developing a clemency model and proposal where legacy operators could be rapidly transitioned into the market ahead of others while simultaneously learning from their pedagogical information about how the world’s largest and most sophisticated marketplace has operated. The benefit of such information is that it will allow New York to continue to be the world’s leading market by implementing some of the business structures and drawing upon some of the expertise and logistical solutions that have allowed it to be so successful. To me, making legacy operators the first entrants and building upon their expertise will continue to keep New York as the world’s largest market without fear of competition from any illicit operators because they have been assimilated from the start.

To learn more about the Law Office of David Clifford Holland check out the firm’s website. For more information about upcoming meetings and presentations, please go to NYCCIA.org or HVCIA.org.

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MedMen Seeking to Subpoena New York Governor’s Office

2/02/2022

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Cannabis retailer MedMen is seeking to subpoena New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) office in a lawsuit that alleges the administration used its influence to help Ascend Wellness purchase MedMen for $75 million as MedMen was set to end the deal, the New York Post reports.

In the state Supreme Court documents outlined by the Post, MedMen claims that Hochul and her office forced MedMen to sell its New York operations as a favor to political contributors. Specifically, the lawsuit alleges that Hochul and members of her administration pushed the Cannabis Control Board to approve the deal after failing to do so for nearly a year – just one day after Ascend executives allegedly attended a fundraiser for the governor’s reelection campaign. The fundraiser was hosted by Feuerstein Kulick, who is described in the lawsuit as “a major player in the field of cannabis law” who “advises companies on winning licenses from state governments,” the report says. A spokesman for Feuerstein Kulick denied to the Post that Ascend representatives were at that fundraiser.

MedMen had agreed to the deal a year ago but had sought not to move forward in the last few months as the state started the licensing process – with Hochul including $1.25 billion in cannabis-derived revenues over the next five years in her executive budget. MedMen likely wanted the deal to expire on the January 1 deadline as they now believed the $75 million was too low, the report says.

On October 28, Ascend made three donations to Friends of Kathy Hochul totaling $15,000, according to state Board of Elections data outlined by the Post. Two days after the fundraising event, Hochul’s secretary Karen Persichilli Keogh and two other aides met with Ascend CEO Abner Kurtin and other company representatives, the report says. State cannabis regulators ultimately approved the deal on December 28.

A spokesperson for the governor told the Post that the “allegations are full of falsehoods, including a meeting that never took place.”

“None of the governor’s senior team members names have ever met with these individuals,” the spokesperson said in the statement.

In a statement, Ascend said, “MedMen is essentially challenging the regulators’ authority and ignoring the regulations of the state’s medical program.”

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Study: Legal Cannabis Boosted Canadian GDP by $43.5B

2/02/2022

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A recent study by Deloitte Canada and provincial cannabis distributor, the Ontario Cannabis Store, suggests that cannabis has boosted Canada’s gross domestic product by $43.5 billion since it was legalized in October 2018, the Canadian Press reports. The report professes that for every dollar in revenue or capital expenditures, the industry adds about $1.09 to Canada’s GDP.

The study suggests that the legal cannabis industry has had more than a ten-fold greater impact on the GDP than the $3.96 billion estimated by Statistics Canada in their May report.

“In the span of three years, the Canadian cannabis sector has found its footing and emerged as a thriving new source of economic growth, creating and supporting tens of thousands of jobs in communities countrywide. As the sector grows and matures, realizing the return on its significant capital investments to date, we should expect it to make an increasingly strong and positive impact on national and provincial economies.” – Deloitte Canada, Ontario Cannabis Store, “Insights into the recreational marijuana market,” via the Press

The report found that the legal cannabis industry is responsible for 151,000 jobs and that for every million dollars in revenue or capital expenditure, the sector sustains about four jobs in Canada. The report also found that consumer purchases alone generated $2.9 billion in sales and excise taxes for government coffers.

The report does outline the staggering lack of diversity in the nation’s cannabis industry, finding that 72% of cannabis industry executives and directors in Canada were Caucasian men, 12% were Caucasian women, while 14 % were racialized men and just 2% were racialized women. Among that portion of cannabis industry leadership in Canada, 40% were of South Asian descent, 15% were Indigenous, 12% Arab, and 7% each for those identifying as Black and Hispanic.

“Before legalization in October 2018, nearly all the 45 federally licensed cannabis producers were run by Caucasian men, some of whom had prior experience in the cannabis ‘grey market,'” the report says. “The situation hasn’t changed much in the years since legalization.”

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Illinois Supreme Court Maintains Hold on Issuing New Cannabis Licenses

2/02/2022

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The Illinois Supreme Court has blocked an appeal by a prospective craft cannabis licensee asking the court to lift the state’s hold on issuing a batch of new licenses, the Chicago Tribune reports.

The Illinois cannabis licensing issues stem from the round of licenses awarded by the state via lottery in the summer of 2021 — after the state awarded 40 licenses, 13 applicants filed lawsuits contesting the results due to concerns about the state’s social equity requirements. In response to the lawsuits, the court ordered the state to stop issuing more licenses; however, the 40 licenses granted over the summer have gotten the go-ahead to move forward, the Tribune noted.

Filed by 1837 Craft Grow LLC, the appeal sought to allow another 47 licenses to move forward with 13 remaining on hold. Applicants testified at the appeal that the pause was costing them tens of thousands of dollars to keep employees, landlords, and investors happy. The court neither elaborated on why it blocked the request nor gave insight on how long the pause would be maintained, according to the report.

Ryan Holz, who filed the appeal and previously criticized the state for its secrecy around the licensing process, said the court action will harm dozens of licensees waiting to start their businesses.

“Unfortunately, this is the current reality for craft grow applicants in Illinois, No one with the ability to help them is willing to do so.” — Holz, via the Tribune

Illinois’ adult-use cannabis market is largely dominated by a handful of multi-state operators who made the leap from medical cannabis to the adult-use market. Recognizing the lack of diversity in the industry, Illinois created new social equity licenses and held the 2021 lottery to issue 60 more licenses. In addition to the licenses currently on hold, another 185 licenses have been pushed back while the case makes its way through the courts.

“From the very beginning of the cannabis legalization and licensing process, the administration has prioritized clarity and an ongoing commitment to establishing an industry that is accessible to Illinoisans of all backgrounds,” Charity Greene, a spokeswoman for Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s (D) administration, said in the report. “We will continue to work with applicants, stakeholders, and our partners in the judicial system to achieve that goal.”

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Social Equity is ‘The Hunger Games’ for BIPOC & Formerly Incarcerated Cannabis Founders

2/01/2022

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You know that old saying, “I am sick and tired of being sick and tired” — that is how I feel about the term social equity (SE) as it is used in the cannabis space. I am sick of social equity not being social equity.

According to the National Association of Cannabis Businesses, “The goal of social equity laws is to ensure that people from communities disproportionately harmed by marijuana prohibition and discriminatory law enforcement are included in the new legal marijuana industry.”

When social equity first started back in 2016 in Oakland, it was truly intended to make the upcoming California adult-use cannabis licenses accessible to the population most affected by the War on Drugs. This included those currently incarcerated (to be swiftly expunged upon legalization in each state), the formerly incarcerated, and the communities (mostly Black and LatinX) that were over-policed (terrorized) during that same time period. It was a beautiful dream that turned into a nightmare for many of the people it was intended to assist with the creation of jobs, ownership, and generational wealth.

Who does social equity work for?

Honestly, with a few exceptions, no one. Social equity has been an abject failure across all states where cannabis is currently regulated.

Who is profiting from social equity initiatives?

As far as I can tell, the lawyers and consulting firms that are writing the applications. Lobbyists, activists, advocates, and policy wonks who charge fees to governments and private companies to “consult” on their social equity initiatives, often with very little or no connection to the needs and wants of the SE operators they are supposed to be championing in the cannabis industry.

Who is not profiting from any state social equity initiatives or legislation?

The SE operators and prospective operators. For the most part, they bear the financial burden of the initiatives and legislation influenced and in some cases written by lobbyists, activists, advocates, and policy wonks. I want to believe that this is just about not knowing better but regardless of intent, harm is being done. For example:

  • Instead of advocating for access to capital, they advocated for business loans and high taxes.
  • Instead of advocating for entrepreneurship classes, they advocated for job training classes.
  • Instead of advocating for transition programs to assist legacy operators, they advocated for fee waivers.

None of these are inherently bad, but they are not helpful in creating an equitable cannabis industry. We can see their failures right now, in real-time. Too little too late, without meaningful impact.

Social equity failures

Saying you have a social equity program is not the same as actually having social equity.

California

  • Fresno gave out four SE dispensary licenses and none of those licenses went to BIPOC operators.
  • Oakland gave out loans, not grants, to SE operators who were never able to realize the full potential of their license due to not having access to capital, and in late 2021 sent those operators to collections.
  • San Francisco gave out grants but initially required the SE operators to come out of pocket for their startup expenses and then submit receipts to the city for reimbursement.
  • Los Angeles did a lottery in 2019 that was tied up in litigation for two years and has had very few of the 300 SE dispensary licenses actualized.

Illinois

  • Did not learn from LA’s failure and did a lottery.
  • Two years later and after multiple lawsuits, there are zero social equity dispensaries open in spite of the fact that they were the first state to include social equity language in their legalization legislation.
  • Illinois had a $1.2+ billion-dollar industry as of November 2021; none of that revenue was generated by a BIPOC or formerly incarcerated SE operator — that’s because as of this Op-Ed, no SE operators exist.

Colorado

  • In 2021 Colorado reserved the delivery licenses to be awarded to SE operators exclusively for three years. The catch? They can’t own inventory; they have to work with an existing dispensary. Dispensaries can wait and let the SE operators be the canaries in the coal mine, see if it works, and wait to potentially pick up distressed SE delivery licenses after 3 years.
  • December 2021 license demographic data shows 83.4% of owner licenses are held by Caucasians, compared to 2.8% by Black and 7.9% by Hispanic/Latino.

The list of social equity’s many failures to materialize at scale goes on and on.

Will New York be the new Illinois?

Now all eyes are on New York, the state and the city. So what are the potholes in their road ahead? And will they end up like Illinois who started with the best of intentions but is for all intents and purposes a failed cannabis state?

Microbusiness licenses appear to be the most cost-effective option for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous People of Color) and formerly incarcerated communities to participate in the industry, except there are limits on how much these license-holders can cultivate and what they can sell. Why are there limits on the very people who were harmed the most? Seriously, sit with that. Policymakers seem to be saying, “We harmed you and your communities, and now we will allow you to participate in the billion- and soon to be trillion-dollar industry, but only a little bit.”

But microbusinesses can only sell the product they make. Under New York’s current legislation, microbusinesses are not allowed to sell anyone else’s products. This means smaller operators can’t support each other and larger operators are not incentivized to work with microbusinesses.

Investors can’t invest in more than three companies in New York. Raise your hand if you think there is going to be a stampede to invest in BIPOC, legacy, and companies run by formerly incarcerated founders. I can tell you from experience there will not be.

New York has threatened heavy fines for those operating in the legacy market. What do you think will happen to those who can’t afford to cover those fines? Which racial/ethnic groups do you think will be most impacted? This is a repurposing of harm: a new, buttoned-up drug war.

New York, like many states before them, is set to enter into a Hunger Games-like competition and may the odds be ever in your favor.

How we fix it

First, we stop calling it social equity because the process, initiatives, and legislation have not been equitable for any of us. Social equity has been co-opted as a catchphrase, and we deserve more than that.

Second, we need to solve the problems facing SE operators. We are four years into the use of the term social equity — what we didn’t know then, we absolutely know now. It is not working to undo the harm, it is not adding SE operators to the industry, we have no wins, at scale, to celebrate. Not only do qualified SE operators need access to capital, but they also need to learn how to access capital. Access to capital includes how to build a data room, understanding what a capital stack is, knowing when to use debt financing, equity financing, or a combination of both.

We must advocate for amnesty for community members still in the legacy market so they can transition to the legal market without fear of repercussions. We need our federal, state, and municipal governments, who invested TRILLIONS into the War on Drugs, to reroute those funds to provide startup capital for founders who were harmed by the ongoing war. Policymakers must stop using taxes as an incentive to regulate. This might be my most controversial statement but hear me out: for decades, we paid taxes that were spent on the War on Drugs that harmed our communities. Now, we are told that we need to pay high taxes on our cannabis products to repair the harm done to our communities. We paid for the harm, and now we are expected to pay for the repair? That is absurd, and it doesn’t work, but that’s another op-ed.

Social equity isn’t working. We must acknowledge this and stop what we are doing, make it right, assess, fix, and do it again, marking our success with metrics that prove it is working as represented by the numbers and success of people who have paved the way for the entire industry. We need to be creative. We need to be brave. We must create a new system that is equitable with the operators’ needs in mind. The one-size-fits-all model does not work. We, as an industry, have the opportunity to create a truly equitable cannabis market if we learn from the mistakes of our past and aim for equity until we have reached it. Then we celebrate.

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Federal Appeals Court Dismisses ‘Right-To-Try’ Psilocybin Lawsuit by Cancer Patients

2/01/2022

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The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has dismissed a lawsuit by cancer patients seeking to use psilocybin to treat end-of-life depression and anxiety, Marijuana Moment reports. The lawsuit was filed against the DEA by three Seattle-based patients and their doctor, Dr. Sunil Aggarwal of the Advanced Integrative Medical Sciences (AIMS) Institute, after the agency denied their written request to distribute a synthetic form of psilocybin.

The request had been filed under state and federal right-to-try laws, which allow patients with a terminal illness to access experimental therapies that have completed Phase 1 testing but have not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The three-judge panel on Monday dismissed the case on procedural grounds and said that, because DEA‘s denial was in the form of an informal letter, the court lacked jurisdiction over the matter.

“In short, AIMS’s issue is not with the DEA’s letter, but with the [Controlled Substances Act]’s criminalization of psilocybin use, subject to narrow exemptions. An advice letter recognizing that Congress has not yet made an exception to the CSA to allow for the legal use of psilocybin for therapeutic purposes is not an agency decision.” — Judicial opinion excerpt

The plaintiffs argue that DEA’s position leaves no path forward for accessing psilocybin as an end-of-life treatment.

Attorney Kathryn Tucker, who represents AIMS and other plaintiffs, told Marijuana Moment the team will continue to push for the patients’ right to try psilocybin through other means, starting with a petition to the DEA for rescheduling and waiver request. This should at least push the agency to issue a formal decision, which could then be reviewed in court.

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New York Expands Medical Cannabis Program Eligibility

2/01/2022

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New York has a new medical cannabis patient certification and registration process that should make the program significantly more inclusive, according to a Rochester First report.

Under the changes, New Yorkers can now be registered for the state’s medical cannabis program by a practitioner for any condition they see fit. Additionally, New York’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) expanded the types of medical practitioners who can make recommendations for the program to include dentists, podiatrists, and midwives. Previously, New York’s medical cannabis program had been restricted to patients with severe conditions such as epilepsy and cancer.

Patients, doctors, and medical cannabis operators praised the decision.

“I think it’s great that they have taken the control of this substance away from the government and give it to the practitioners who are trained to know how to dispense any drug and to treat anything.” — Dr. James Saperstone, via Rochester First

Vireo Health, a multi-state medical cannabis operator with businesses in New York, said in a statement: “Yesterday’s decision to allow doctors to recommend medical marijuana to patients for any condition they see fit is a common sense advancement that will help the program reach countless new patients.”

Other recent OCM changes to the program have included waiving new cannabis patient registration fees, increasing the amount of medical cannabis available to patients from a 30-day to a 60-day supply, and allowing for the sale of whole flower cannabis products under the program.

New York first legalized medical cannabis in 2014 under a highly restrictive program; more recently, The Empire State approved adult-use cannabis legalization in March 2021. Recreational cannabis business licenses are not expected in the state until at least 2023.

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Hemp Licensees Set to Launch In Idaho

2/01/2022

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Idaho — which was the very last U.S. state to legalize industrial hemp — has issued eight hemp producer and handler licenses, the Kokomo Perspective reports.

Chanel Tewalt, deputy director of the Idaho Department of Agriculture, said 60 applications have been started with the state and officials have approved three handler licenses, four producer licenses, and one handler and producer license.

Under Idaho’s hemp program, which was passed in the 2021 session and approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in October, handlers can process seeds and other hemp products, while producers can grow hemp and market seeds, according to the report.

“Idaho took a very methodical and diligent approach, really investigating and understanding what it would mean to open this industry to growers in the state and really go in with our eyes wide open.” — Braden Jensen, Deputy Government Affairs Director for the Idaho Farm Bureau, via the Perspective

Lawmakers included an emergency clause that put the law into effect immediately following its passage. Tewalt said this led to a “busy summer” and the expedited process would not have been possible without the help of law enforcement, who have authority to stop hemp shipments to check for THC compliance (under 0.3%).

“We’ll pull samples from every single lot that is grown, and our sample size is determined on how big the lot is, the acreage,” Tewalt said. “The hemp can’t go anywhere. It cannot leave their farm until they receive an acceptable lab result.” Hemp lot’s that test over 0.3% can be mixed with other hemp to create a compliant mix, the piece notes.

The first hemp license awarded in Idaho was to Hempitecture Inc, a processor that creates hemp “wool” to be used for insulation.

“We view industrial hemp as an economic opportunity for Idaho, and we envision a future where industrial hemp can come from 10 miles from our facility versus 10 hours away,” remarked Mattie Mead, founder of Hempitecture Inc.

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SAFE Banking Act Revived for Domestic Spending Bill

1/31/2022

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The SAFE Banking Act, a bipartisan proposal to give the cannabis industry access to traditional banking services, was revived last week as a new attachment to a domestic spending bill.

Colorado Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D), the original sponsor of the SAFE Banking Act, announced in a press release on Friday that the cannabis banking bill was now part of the America COMPETES (Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology) Act of 2022.

“The SAFE Banking Act is the best opportunity to enact some type of federal cannabis reform this year and will serve as the first of many steps to help ensure cannabis businesses are treated the same as any other legal, legitimate business.” — Rep. Perlmutter, in a statement

The SAFE Banking Act, which was stripped from a national defense bill at the close of last year, has repeatedly passed the full House chamber only to fail in the Senate, even after Democrats took control of both chambers of the Legislature.

The America COMPETES Act of 2022 contains provisions to boost U.S. manufacturing of semiconductors and competition with China, including a $52 billion cash infusion. The proposal is the House’s response to a $250 billion spending bill passed by the Senate last year and its passage would trigger a reconciliation process between the two bills, during which the SAFE Banking Language could very well be removed once more.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who is sponsoring his own federal cannabis bill and — much to the frustration of some advocates and industry stakeholders — opposes the passage of incremental reforms like the SAFE Banking Act, said on Friday he would be open to advancing the banking language if it included certain equity provisions, Marijuana Moment reports.

Rep. Perlmutter announced earlier this month that he will not be running for re-election.

Congressional Democrats, meanwhile, have pledged to take action on federal cannabis reforms sometime this spring.

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Lawsuit: Cannabis Cash Illegally Seized by FBI and California Sheriffs

1/31/2022

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A lawsuit by an armored car company accuses the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and San Bernardino County Sheriff’s department of illegally seizing cash it was transporting for licensed cannabis companies in California, the Los Angeles Times reports. Empyreal Logistics alleges the sheriff’s department seized more than $1.1 million in cash over two stops and the FBI is trying to confiscate the cash, claiming it is tied to federal drug or money laundering crimes, but the agency has specified no unlawful conduct and hasn’t charged anyone with a crime.

Dan Alban, a senior attorney at the Institute for Justice, a group that fights forfeiture excesses in the U.S. and is representing Empyreal in its lawsuit, called the case “among the more egregious” the organization has ever seen adding that the seizures are a “very cynical attempt to exploit the differences between federal and state law.”

During the first stop on a Mojave Desert freeway in November, the driver of an armored car was carrying $712,000 in cash from licensed cannabis companies when San Bernadino Sheriff’s deputies pulled him over, interrogated him, seized the cash, and turned it over to the FBI. A few weeks later, the same department stopped the same driver in Rancho Cucamonga and seized another $350,000 that was being transported for state-approved cannabusinesses.

Empyreal contends that it follows policies outlined by the U.S. Treasury Department and that the cash it transports comes from businesses that are in good standing under California law. California’s law also includes protections for banks serving licensed cannabis industry operators.

San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus argues that more than 80% of cannabis sold in the state is cultivated illegally but did not provide evidence that the cash was linked to any illegal operations.

“My deputies are professional, and I am confident we will prevail,” Dicus told the Times.

Video footage from the van captured the deputies counting the cash from the $350,000 seizure and voicing disappointment that it wasn’t more.

In the lawsuit, Empyreal describes the stops as “highway robberies” by government agents seeking to bolster their budgets with forfeiture cash.

The case is in U.S. District Court in Riverside, California.

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Ohio Lawmakers Must Consider Cannabis Legalization Bill

1/31/2022

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Ohio lawmakers must consider a proposal to legalize cannabis for adult use after advocates successfully submitted enough signatures as part of the state’s initiated statute process, the Columbus Dispatch reports. The Legislature has four months to pass the bill, or an amended version, and if they fail to do so, the campaign – the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol — can collect another 132,887 valid signatures to put the issue to voters.

In a statement, campaign spokesman Tom Haren said the group is “ready and eager to work” with lawmakers to pass the reforms, which would allow individuals 21-and-older to buy and possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis, 15 grams of concentrates, and grow up to six plants per adult, with no more than 12 per household. The proposal includes a 10% tax, with the revenues earmarked for administrative costs, addiction treatment programs, municipalities with dispensaries, and a social equity and jobs program.

“We are also fully prepared to collect additional signatures and take this issue directly to voters on November 8, 2022, if legislators fail to act.” — Haren, in a statement, via the Dispatch

In a 2015 legalization effort, Ohio voters rejected a cannabis legalization initiative over concerns that the law would create a monopoly in the state.

The bill faces an uphill battle with the state’s Republican-controlled Legislature and Gov. Mike DeWine (R) who, in an interview earlier this month, reiterated his opposition to the reforms. The governor said his two main objections to cannabis legalization are that it would result in more children consuming infused edibles and that there would be an increase in traffic accidents caused by people driving under the influence of cannabis.

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Vermont House Committee Considers Sweeping Drug Law Reforms

1/31/2022

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Vermont’s House Judiciary Committee is considering three drug reform bills, including one that would decriminalize possession of personal amounts of controlled substances, VT Digger reports. The bill to make low-level possession a civil offense carrying a $50 fine — and allowing offenders to be screened for a substance abuse disorder and waive the fee — carries more than 40 sponsors, making it the most supported piece of drug decriminalization legislation in the country, Kassandra Frederique, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, told Digger.

The bill would create a Drug Use Standard Advisory Board, which would include harm reduction, substance use disorder, and treatment and drug law experts, as well as three consumer representatives “who have lived experience in drug use and consumption practices,” the report says. The board would be tasked with determining what constitutes a personal use supply of each decriminalized drug.

Another bill being considered by the committee would decriminalize psychedelic fungi and cacti, while a third bill would reduce many felony drug charges to misdemeanors.

Andrew Seaman, the Vermont medical director for Better Life Partners, an addiction treatment organization, told Digger that Vermont is “probably one of the best candidates” for launching such a program “without additional resources,” pointing to the state’s success in treating substance abuse disorders with its hub and spoke program.

“The Hub & Spoke system is a statewide partnership of clinicians and treatment centers that provide medication-assisted therapy to Vermonters who are addicted to opioids,” according to the Vermont Department of Health website outlining the program. “The Hub (treatment facility) & Spoke (physician-led team) ensures that each patient’s care is effective and coordinated, and is supported by the nurses and counselors who work to connect each person with community-based support services.”

There are currently nine Hub treatment facilities throughout the Green Mountain State, according to the Health Department.

All three bills are still awaiting a committee vote.

Only one state, Oregon, has decriminalized low-level drug possession; however, those reforms were approved by voters and not the Legislature.

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Costa Rica President Vetoes Medical Cannabis and Hemp Bill

1/28/2022

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Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado on Thursday partially vetoed a bill to legalize medical cannabis and industrial hemp, citing “technical criteria” such as personal use and cultivation, the Tico Times reports.

“I want to say categorically that I support medical cannabis. This is to alleviate people with various diseases, and I even have close and very dear people who need it. And I also support industrial hemp because it will help agricultural production and economic revival. Let’s make this very clear: I agree with all these objectives, and I want to be able to sign this law.” – Alvarado, in a statement, via the Times

Alvarado indicated that the personal use and consumption provisions included in the bill could undermine the “legitimate” objectives of the bill and put public health and safety at risk, the report says.

Lawmakers had passed the legislation in October despite Alvarado’s known opposition to some of the bill’s details. The bill is also opposed by the Bishops of Costa Rica, who said in a statement the day prior to Alvarado’s veto that the law includes provisions that involve risks to public health and safety, and inconsistencies.

“There are no guarantees that such crops can contribute to promoting the distribution of wealth in rural areas [since] no measures are foreseen that will bring sufficient benefits to smallholders received to change the type of cultivation,” the bishops said in a statement. “Furthermore, monocultures are involved in environmental degradation … [and it will also be] extremely difficult to control illegal cannabis plantations”

The veto comes as Costa Rica is set to hold its elections on February 6, which means the bill will not be reconsidered by the Legislature until after the election, which the Times notes “one might think is not a coincidence.”

Alvarado, whose term ends in May, said that he trusts lawmakers would accept his proposed changes to the law and that it would “be in force soon,” according to a Reuters report.

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‘The Don’ Portable E-Rig Review

1/28/2022

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The Don is the latest dabbing device offered by The Kind Pen, a New Jersey-based personal vaporizer company known for high-tech dab pens, dry herb vapes, e-rigs, and more.

I was excited to try out The Don because it’s the first portable dabbing rig I’ve tried that has adjustable temperature settings so you can fine-tune your experience depending on the specific wax or concentrate you’re putting in. The available temperatures range from 320 to up to 800 degrees Fahrenheit, which affords the user a significant amount of control over their dabbing experience.

Physically, The Don feels like an intelligently compact electronic dabbing rig — the device fits comfortably in one hand with an ergonomic shape that makes it easy to carry and take pulls from. The mouthpiece feels sturdy but can still be twisted around on itself to fit better in one’s pocket and improve overall portability. When holding The Don in your hand, the power button and temperature control buttons are easy to press with your thumb and index finger, respectively. The dab rig has a small water compartment for cooler hits and utilizes a coilless atomizer to prevent overheating or burned product, while an attached carb cap further helps to facilitate a smooth dabbing experience.

The Don’s product description page suggests that the e-rig “lasts for days” and this reviewer can happily attest to that fact. Located underneath the temperature controls, The Don has a battery life indicator that makes it easy to monitor your charge. At the time of this writing, it’s been about a week since I first plugged in the e-rig to charge and the battery is still going strong at well over 50% charged (note: your mileage may vary — I have only used the rig about a dozen times since then and battery life would certainly be changed by more heavy use).

Lastly — and as is probably the case with any dab rig — the most difficult part for me was the cleaning process. But thankfully, The Kind Pen considered cleanliness and maintenance during The Don’s design process and have manufactured their latest e-rig to be easily disassembled, meaning you can detach and clean each piece individually. The product comes with a specially designed tool for removing the cup/banger for cleaning purposes.

Overall, The Don makes for a delightful addition to any dab rig collection and would be a smart investment for dabbers who desire a truly portable dabbing solution. Visit the product page at TheKindPen.com to learn more and/or make a purchase.

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New Jersey Adult-Use Sales Unlikely to Start in February

1/28/2022

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New Jersey’s top cannabis regulator signaled that adult-use sales in the state are unlikely to begin next month, NJ.com reports. Jeff Brown, the executive director of the state Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) told NJ.com that there “is still a lot to be done” before sales can commence and that the February 22 self-imposed deadline “is not concrete,” adding that “there is no firm commitment” on when sales would begin.

Brown said that “one of the biggest deficiencies” regulators are seeing is the lack of municipal approval for cannabis industry operations. A report from last August found as many as half of New Jersey towns and cities had opted out of allowing cannabis businesses within their borders, and the following month regulators missed a statutory deadline to begin accepting industry applications.

Brown told NJ.com that the agency is “going to keep pushing to move as fast as we can” to launch legal sales to adults but “that requires approval and industry readiness, and the readiness is uneven.”

“That’s an issue, and supply continues to be issue. It’s the priority of the CRC to get recreational sales started as soon as we can, but we have to do it in a way that’s compliant with the law. We need the industry to get there.” — Brown to NJ.com

There is no way to enforce the February deadline and there is no penalty for missing it, the report says.

Patrik Jonsson, regional president of the northeast for Curaleaf, which already holds a medical cannabis license in the state, told NJ.com that the company could “do pretty much whatever the state wants” within 48 hours and begin selling to adults.

“We have product, the people, and the facilities,” he said in the report. “There are a few minor things we need to be clarified around the product. But we are very much ready for turning it on as soon as the state lets us.”

New Jersey Senate President Nicholas Scutari told NJ.com that he was “disappointed” that the CRC wouldn’t meet the February target but in remarks during a New Jersey CannaBusiness Association luncheon last month he said he knew the process is “complicated.”

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Delaware House Committee Approves Cannabis Legalization Bill

1/28/2022

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An adult-use cannabis bill passed out of the Delaware House Health and Human Development Committee on a mostly-party line vote, the Associated Press reports. Just one Republican voted with Democrats to move the proposal out of its first House committee.

Expected to move on to the Appropriations Committee next, the legislation would permit the possession of one ounce of cannabis for those over 21 but would not allow home cultivation. The bill would set up a manufacturing and distribution system and a 15% tax on retail sales, the report says.

State Rep. Ed Osienski (D) said the bill, “will create good-paying jobs for Delawareans while striking a blow against the criminal element which profits from the thriving illegal market” in the state.

Looking to nullify concerns around three previous versions of his bill, Osienski added a comprehensive business plan to cannabis license scoring and the creation of a “marijuana Justice Fund” that will be used to reinvest in communities most affected by the war on drugs. He also dropped a requirement that union labor be used in the building and operation of cannabis facilities. However, the bill includes an agreement where unions would not disrupt cannabis business operations with strikes or picketing but would be allowed to organize workers within a business.

Despite the changes, Democratic Gov. John Carney’s administration has concerns that lower license fees for adult-use businesses – when compared to medical cannabis licenses — will attract operators from the medical cannabis sector which could possibly have an adverse impact on patients.

Agriculture officials have other concerns, including security for outdoor grows and questions about agency jurisdiction when it comes to crop production. Republicans in the Legislature also have concerns, with state Rep. Charles Postles (R), raising questions about teen access and brain development.

“Why would we want to saddle our kids and our grandkids and limit their potential, their lifelong earnings even, by exposing them to this harmful drug that would impair their brain development?” Postles said.

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Connecticut to Start Accepting Adult-Use Cannabis Applications in February

1/28/2022

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The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) is set to begin accepting some adult-use cannabis license applications next month, starting first with would-be cultivators and retailers seeking social equity licenses. Social-equity applicants pursuing packaging and transport licenses will be able to submit their applications beginning in March.

Application periods for the first round of licenses will be open for 90 days, and according to the DCP, licenses will be split evenly between social equity applicants and general applicants. The state will use a lottery process for most industry licenses, except for social equity cultivators, current medical cannabis operators, and those issued for its social equity micro-cultivator program.

In a press release, DCP Commissioner Michelle H. Seagull described the initial number of licenses as “not a cap but a starting point for “opening the adult-use cannabis market in an effective, measured and thoughtful way.”

DCP Drug Control Director Rod Marriott cautioned applicants to “prioritize submitting the best application they can” rather than trying to be first to submit their application, noting that “there is no advantage for applicants who submit their lottery applications first.”

The agency will hold two lotteries for each license type: a social equity lottery and a general lottery. Applicants selected in the social equity lottery are subject to review by the Social Equity Council to confirm their social equity status. To qualify as a social equity applicant in Connecticut, at least 65% of the ownership or control of the business must be held by individuals who meet the income and residency requirements for a social equity applicant outlined in the law. The state-approved those social equity rules on January 5.

“This work by the Social Equity Council is a critical step in the licensure process for the emerging Adult-Use cannabis market in Connecticut and will be instrumental in ensuring the equity goals established in the law are met,” Seagull said in a statement.

Last September, Seagull indicated that while regulators had suggested adult-use sales would begin by the end of this year, she warned that officials “have to see how things play out in the next few months.”

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Amazon Endorses GOP-Backed Legalization Bill

1/27/2022

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Amazon has endorsed a Republican-sponsored federal cannabis legalization bill, the New York Post reports.

First introduced by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), the legislation seeks to remove cannabis as a Schedule I narcotic, leaving cannabis policy to the states while imposing a 3% federal sales tax on cannabis transactions which would be spent on law enforcement and help military veteran groups. Under the proposal, cannabis would remain illegal for people under 21.

On Twitter, Amazon wrote that it was “pleased to endorse” Mace’s bill.

“Like so many in this country, we believe it’s time to reform the nation’s cannabis policy, and Amazon is committed to helping lead the effort,” Amazon said via Twitter.

Mace, a freshman House member from South Carolina and a Trump campaign staffer in 2016, said Amazon contacted her after she introduced her bill. She said they indicated “right off the bat” their intention was not to sell cannabis on their platform, but that they were looking at it from a “workers perspective,” noting federal prohibition has an effect on their workforce.

“Every state is different and every state should be able to dictate their cannabis laws,” Mace said to the Post. “This bill would get the federal government out of the way.”

She said that she believes Republicans should have a “seat at the table” as cannabis legalization moves through Congress and she expects some Democrats who have supported cannabis legalization in the past to back the legislation, predicting that Amazon’s endorsement would bring other large corporations like Wal-Mart or FedEx to the negotiations, the Post reports.

“With Amazon coming out in support, we’ll see more businesses doing the same,” the congresswoman said.

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Minnesota Governor Calls for Cannabis Legalization in Budget

1/27/2022

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) is calling on lawmakers to approve adult-use cannabis reforms and has included $25 million in his supplemental budget to create a Cannabis Management Office to oversee the program, FOX 9 reports.

“Prohibiting the use of cannabis in Minnesota hasn’t worked. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor know that Minnesota needs modernized solutions to harness the benefits of legalizing cannabis, including expanding our economy, creating jobs across the state, allowing law enforcement to focus on violent crime, and regulating the industry in order to keep our kids safe.” – Gov. Walz’s Executive Budget

On Wednesday, Republican Senate Majority Leader Jeremy Miller told FOX 9 that he didn’t “see a path” to passing legalization legislation in the chamber.

The Democratic-led House last year passed the reforms, but they were never taken up by the Senate.

Leili Fatehi, the campaign manager for Minnesotans for Responsible Marijuana Regulation, told FOX 9 that the majority of Minnesotans support the reforms and that the final hurdle is in the Senate.

“We trust that [voters] will hold accountable those legislators that stand in its way,” Fatehi said in the interview.

Ryan Hamilton, who launched Minnesotans Against Marijuana Legalization, said that the organization is against “a for-profit drug industry that’s pedaling a highly addictive highly potent substance,” contending that legalization has negative impacts on “road safety” and “the impact on adolescent brain development.”

“It’s chemically manipulated and used for profit and addiction,” he said.

The governor is calling for a provision in the law to allow for the expungement of prior non-violent cannabis offenses and state taxes and his budget factors in cannabis tax revenue in 2024 and 2025.

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Analysis Finds 5,100% Difference Between Cheapest and Most Expensive CBD Products

1/27/2022

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A new analysis from Leafreport found a 5,100% difference between the cheapest and most expensive CBD products on the market but found a 1.96% price decrease per milligram of CBD since last April.

The report shows the cheapest CBD category is CBD isolate, which Leafreport found was 19% cheaper on average compared to April 2021, while capsules have increased the most over the same period — by 2.55%.

Laura Fuentes, chief officer of science and innovation at Green Roads CBD, told Leafreport that when the pricing of the top industry players is considered, “the pricing gap isn’t that big because most follow the same production process and have similar costs.”

“The gap starts showing when companies who fly under the radar and don’t follow generally accepted manufacturing procedures turn up with lower prices – consumers should be wary of pricing that seems too good to be true.” — Fuentes to Leafreport

According to Leafreport, the most expensive CBD brand on the market is Kushly, while Industrial Hemp Farms had the most affordable products. The analysis suggests “a massive chasm” separating the most expensive and cheapest CBD products.

The report found that the average price for gummies, capsules, and full and broad-spectrum tinctures was $0.09 per milligram, while the average price for topicals was $0.20 per milligram. Isolates carried an average price of $0.02 per milligram while isolate tinctures cost $0.08 per milligram. According to the report, the average price per milligram of CBD for liquids and vapes ran $0.12 per milligram, and edibles cost $0.17 per milligram.

Edibles designed for pets tracked by Leafreport averaged $0.21 per milligram of CBD, while tinctures designed for pets cost $0.12 per milligram. The difference between product pricing was 1,483% for pet edibles, and 858% for pet tinctures, the report says.

The widest product price gap was in the topicals category, where the price gap per milligram was 11,142%, with a $0.015 per milligram lowest price point and a $1.68625 peak.

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Jim Belushi Calls for Release of Cannabis Prisoners on ‘Late Night with Seth Meyers’

1/27/2022

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Actor and cannabis entrepreneur Jim Belushi appeared on NBC’s “Late Nate with Seth Meyers” last night for an interview about cannabis farming, advocacy efforts, and the launch of the second season of “Growing Belushi,” a Discovery show about Belushi’s cannabis farm in southern Oregon.

During the interview, Belushi said that while he doesn’t get stoned, he microdoses with cannabis edibles and his own flower during evenings to help get to sleep. At one point, Meyers asked Belushi if he could share any advice for people considering becoming a professional cannabis grower — “Don’t do it,” Belushi answered. “They make it seem like a gold rush, but it is not. This is farming, Seth. I am a farmer, I am in the soil.”

“The farmer man has a tough life, let me tell you. But it’s fun, I love it,” he said.

Belushi also highlighted the importance of cannabis advocacy efforts and discussed his partnership with The Last Prisoner Project, an organization that works to get cannabis prisoners released from prison and provides re-entry assistance to formerly incarcerated cannabis prisoners.

“They (the cannabis prisoners) were the pioneers for the cannabis industry. They’re the ones that took the arrows, they’re the ones that went to jail for nonviolent cannabis crimes. Whether they had an ounce or three pounds on them, they were trying to make a living for their family. When they get thrown into prison, it collapses that family, creates more trauma. There are 40,000 men and women incarcerated right now for nonviolent cannabis crimes.” — Jim Belushi, via “Late Night with Seth Meyers”

The interview marked the second time Belushi has come on Meyer’s show to discuss his new life as a cannabis farmer. New episodes of the second season of “Growing Belushi” air Wednesday nights on Discovery.

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