New Mexico Issues Cannabis Industry Rules

12/29/2021

by

New Mexico officials have released the rules for the state’s forthcoming adult-use cannabis industry and they largely mirror the basic guidelines laid out by the Cannabis Control Division (CCD) earlier this year, the Santa Fe New Mexican reports.

In a statement, Cannabis Control Division Director Kristen Thomson said the rules were devised “using best practices and input from stakeholders” and that officials drew on “diverse experience and knowledge to create thoughtful rules that set the highest professional standards and safety guidelines for New Mexico’s medical cannabis program and the adult-use cannabis industry.”

“Every day brings us closer to the first adult-use cannabis sales in New Mexico. Thanks to the Cannabis Control Division’s open and transparent rule-making process over the past six months, businesses and consumers can be confident that all necessary support and protection is in place to ensure a thriving cannabis industry in our state.” — Thomson in a press release

Under the regulations, adult-use cannabis businesses may not provide free samples to customers but under certain circumstances, medical cannabis dispensaries may offer samples for patients.

Other basic guidelines include security measures, proof of water rights, workplace training programs, facility diagrams, and record keeping. Retailers must also destroy tested batches of cannabis that do not meet the state’s health and safety standards. The rules also set guidelines for cannabis couriers. Under New Mexico legalization law, adults 21-and-older may only purchase up to two ounces of flower or 16 grams of concentrates.

The CCD said more than 300 producer and retailer licenses have been submitted so far to regulators, adding that adult-use sales in the state “will be ready” for April 1, 2022, as required by law.

End

Colorado Cannabis Sales Set $2.19B Record in 2020

12/29/2021

by

Total Colorado cannabis sales reached $2.19 billion in 2020, according to state Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED) data outlined by The Center Square. The near $1.75 billion in adult use and $442.5 million in medical cannabis sales mark new sales records in the Centennial State.

The adult-use figures represent a 24% increase over the 2019 total of $1.41 billion.

Colorado cultivators grew about 1.24 million plants in 2020, which equates to 662.3 metric tons of consumer product, the report said. The average price per gram for adult-use cannabis, however, increased 20% from $3.99 in 2019 to $4.80 last year. The price-per-gram for medical cannabis also increased by 26% to $3.80, the report says.

The MED report suggests that the coronavirus pandemic increased demand for both adult-use and medical cannabis “as household spending shifted to food, drink, and entertainment consumed at home.”

Earlier this month, the Colorado Department of Revenue released its Average Market Rate report for retail cannabis and found price decreases across five of seven cannabis categories: flower prices fell $948 per pound, trim fell $354 per pound, bud and trim for extraction dropped $345 per pound and $253 per pound, respectively, and wet whole plant prices decreased $172. The price per seed increased to $4, while the price for an immature plant stayed steady at $10. The state uses the quarterly average market prices for excise tax rates.

Starting in January, new purchase limits for medical cannabis patients will take effect under a bill approved by lawmakers in November.

End

41% of Australians Support Cannabis Legalization

12/29/2021

by

A new survey has found 41.1% of Australians believe cannabis should be legalized, representing a significant rise in support from 2013 when 25.5% of respondents backed the reforms, the Guardian reports. The National Drug Strategy Household Survey also found an increase in the number of Australians who had used cannabis at some point in their lives from 33.5% in 2001 to 38.1% in 2019.

Don Weatherburn, a professor at the University of NSW’s National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre and a co-author of the analysis, suggested that cannabis use in the nation has “gradually become more prevalent, probably because the law has become less draconian.”

“Most states now have some form of cannabis cautioning scheme, which makes the drug somewhat less stigmatized than it had been back in the 80s and 90s. … It’s also partly true that the people who first tried cannabis are now in positions of authority in and around government and major institutions.” — Weatherburn to the Guardian

Weatherburn added that the survey also found that citizens of Australia have shifting attitudes toward criminal justice and drugs, supporting “treatment and education” over “prison and punitive sanctions.”

“Even though people are not supporting the legalization of these drugs,” he said in the report, “they are supporting a different kind of approach to the traditional imprisonment, high fines, [and] supervised orders.”

Separately, a University of South Australia study published in Environmental Science and Technology Letters in August found cannabis use in Australia spiked during coronavirus-related lockdowns last year.

End

Maine Appeals Ruling to Allow Out-of-State Cannabis Business Ownership

12/29/2021

by

The state of Maine and the Maine Cannabis Coalition (MCC), a top cannabis trade group, are appealing a judge’s ruling that opens the door for out-of-state ownership in Maine’s medical cannabis market, the Portland Press Herald reports. Seen as having nationwide significance — there are a number of U.S. cannabis markets that only allow in-city or in-state ownership — the case began with a lawsuit challenging Maine’s residency requirement for cannabis licenses.

The state agreed to drop the residency law for their adult-use system last year but have continued to fight the change within their medical cannabis market, the report says.

The plaintiffs, the Wellness Connection which is owned by three Mainers, and their parent company, High Street Capital Partners of Delaware, filed the lawsuit last year against Commissioner of the Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services Kirsten Figueroa on the grounds the in-state ownership requirement violates the interstate commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution by restricting the flow of investment and interfering with their ability to function. Maine argued that due to federal prohibition, there is no medical cannabis interstate commerce market, therefore, the so-called “dormant commerce clause” does not apply in this case.

The appeal will be heard by the First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, although oral arguments have not yet been scheduled, the report says.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sided with the plaintiffs in August but said Maine’s argument was “not without logic.” However, the judge noted that the state does not prohibit non-Mainers from purchasing medical cannabis or taking it home with them.

“The notion that the medical marijuana industry in Maine is wholly intrastate does not square with reality,” Torresen wrote.

“I recognize that none of the courts that have confronted this specific constitutional issue have rendered final judgments, and it also seems that no circuit court has addressed it,” the judge wrote in August. “But given the Supreme Court’s and First Circuit’s unmistakable antagonism towards state laws that explicitly discriminate against nonresident economic actors, I conclude that the Dispensary Residency Requirement violates the dormant Commerce Clause.”

End

Oregon Dedicates $25M to Combat Illegal Cannabis Grows

12/28/2021

by

Oregon’s Legislature has approved $25 million in funding to combat the illegal cultivation of cannabis in the state, the Associated Press reports. The funds will be used by law enforcement agencies and community organizations to pay for the costs of busting industrial-scale, unlicensed, operations.

The bill approved by lawmakers and signed by the governor establishes the “Illegal Marijuana Market Enforcement Grant Program” which will be administered by the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission. The bill dedicated $5 million for enforcing water rights.

Jackson County Sheriff Nathan Sickler told lawmakers the cartels “have a business model” for the illegal grows:

“Put up more cannabis illegal grows than law enforcement can ever get. They know we’re going to get some, but they know we can’t get it all.” — Sickler via the AP

Democratic state Sen. Jeff Golden described some rural areas in the state as “military-weapons zones, like the ones we usually associate with failed states.”

“Illegal cannabis operations in southern Oregon have been using our limited water supply, abusing local workers, threatening neighbors, and negatively impacting businesses run by legal marijuana growers,” he said in the report.

A farmer in southern Oregon testified that an illegal cannabis farm siphoned water from the creek he uses to irrigate his crops and dried it up. The farmer said that local landowners sell or lease property to bad actors.

“If somebody walks onto your property with a suitcase with $100,000 in $20 bills, you kind of know they’re not on the up and up,” the farmer said in an interview with the AP who chose to remain anonymous because of fear of retribution from cartels. “And if you take that money and allow them to do something on your land, you should probably anticipate that they’re there to break the law.”

Officials claim that many of the illegal cannabis operations are disguised as hemp farms, and an Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) report released last October found that 54% of hemp farms in southern Oregon were actually growing THC-rich cannabis.

End

Cannabis Tax Revenue Eyed for Universal Basic Income In Rochester, NY

12/28/2021

by

The mayor-elect of Rochester, New York wants to use taxes from adult-use cannabis sales to fund a guaranteed basic income program that would give eligible participants monthly cash payments, Business Insider reports. The city has already approved an income program, but it relies on federal dollars and Malik Evans believes using cannabis tax revenues would be a more sustainable source of funding.

“Community folks told me, ‘this is a big source of revenue, and Black and brown people are prosecuted worse than others because of marijuana.’ …  This is an industry with the potential to make millions of dollars. Everyone wants to start a marijuana business in Rochester.” — Evans to Business Insider

In December, the City Council approved a two-year guaranteed basic income pilot program that provides $500 a month to 175 families that live at or below 200% of the federal poverty line. The program will use funds from the American Rescue Plan, according to Spectrum News. Evan has previously said he would approach philanthropists to see whether they could help the city expand the program.

Ithaca, New York, Newark, New Jersey, and Los Angeles, California have approved similar plans, according to the Spectrum report. A similar program is also under consideration in Buffalo, New York’s second-largest city.

Evans’ predecessor, Lovely Warren, had wanted to use cannabis taxes to fund a reparations-oriented universal basic income program.

Earlier this month, Evans launched the Cannabis Preparation Commission, which will set rules and regulations for industry licensing in the city once the state publishes its own policies.

“There are things we can learn that we want to do, and things we want to make sure we absolutely do not do,” he said in a statement to Spectrum News. “We want to make sure that this is available to folks in the community. As it relates to an entrepreneurial perspective. If people are left out especially in the Black and brown communities we will have missed an opportunity.”

End

BC Pilot Program Helps Unlicensed Growers Get Cannabis Licenses

12/28/2021

by

In an effort to slow down unregulated market cannabis sales, officials in British Columbia, Canada have started helping unlicensed producers enter the legal market, the Canadian Press reports. The pilot program, which is based in the Central Kootenay region of B.C. and ended in July, helped illicit market growers interested in making the switch to legal sales with licensing, marketing plans, and security, the report says.

The province said in a press release the pilot program helped 53 unlicensed cultivators, but only 13 received licenses, while 62 jobs were created or moved from the illicit market.

Abra Brynne of the Kootenay Cannabis Economic Development Council said high insurance rates and other economic factors make it difficult to convince unlicensed cultivators to make the transition to the legal market. She said the pilot program saw successes but that there is “a heck of a long way for things to go.”

B.C. Solicitor General Mike Farnworth said in an interview with the Press that less restrictive regulations could help encourage more underground growers to join the legal industry, noting the short time adult-use cannabis has been legal in Canada.

“It’s still very much a work in progress three years in,” he said.

Farnworth added that he has heard many individuals are frustrated with the difficulties in getting cannabis to market and from retailers who are unhappy with security measures like frosted glass in their storefronts. Farnworth pointed to a program expected this spring, called Farm Gate, which would allow producers to have a retail store on their property and deliver directly to retail stores. He thinks this would help unlicensed operators who want to go legal and craft growers alike.

“We’re trying to work with the industry (and) identify some of the challenges we can deal with,” he said.

Todd Veri, president of the Kootenay Outdoor Producer Co-Op, however, believes the B.C. government has backed “the wrong horse,” pointing to the enormous amount of time and effort it has taken his group, and other legal applicants like him, to navigate the provincial and Health Canada regulations. Despite his criticism of the provincial government’s partnership with illicit cannabis producers, he does agree with Farnworth that allowing farms to sell directly to retailers would help craft growers, the report says.

End

Cannabit-Tikun Olam Partners with Teva Israel on International Distribution Deal 

12/28/2021

by

Medical cannabis company Cannabit-Tikun Olam is partnering with pharmaceutical firm Teva Israel to produce cannabis products that will be distributed in Israel, Palestine, and eventually Ukraine. Teva said the products will be produced according to the company’s “instructions and stringent standards” under the 10-year collaboration.

Yossi Ofek, CEO of Teva, said Israel’s medical cannabis market is “developing and being professionalized at a dizzying pace” and “there is more openness to it in Israel and worldwide.”

“Today, it is clear to many in the pharmaceutical industry and in the medical community that use of oils produced from specific cannabis strains may provide additional treatment options and respond to unmet medical needs of patients.” — Ofek in a press release  

Cannabit-Tikun Olam General Manager Avinoam Sapir has previously served as Teva Israel CEO from 2013 and later as cluster head for Africa, the Middle East, and Ukraine, through 2020.

“I believe that this is one of the most important agreements concluded in the industry in recent years in Israel and that it will position Cannbit-Tikun Olam and Teva Israel as leading players in the ever-growing and developing medical cannabis market in Israel and beyond,” he said in a statement.

The oils produced as part of the collaboration are based on strains developed by Cannbit-Tikun Olam and selected by Teva due to their safety profile and strong therapeutic efficacy, the companies said.

The deal includes a provision allowing a 9-year extension to the partnership.

Earlier this year, Tikun Olam announced a partnership with Ambrosia-SupHerb to produce and market nutritional supplements based on cannabis and mushrooms.

End

West Coast Researchers Receive $10M USDA Grant to Study Hemp

12/27/2021

by

Washington State University (WSU) and other partnering universities on the West Coast have received a five-year, $10 million U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant to study hemp in the region.

WSU researchers are partnering with eight institutions across the nation, along with industry partners including the Industrial Hemp Association of Washington, on the research, which addresses the needs of Native Americans and other rural community businesses and farmers in the four-state West Coast region. WSU will receive $1.3 million from the grant.

David Gang, professor in WSU’s Institute of Biological Chemistry, indicated the researchers are “interested in what hemp varieties are best for western growers,” noting that many farmers are interested in growing the crop for fiber and grain.”

“Hemp has a lot of amazing properties and potential, especially in producing building material and feedstock.” – Gang in a statement

Jeffrey Steiner, associate director of the Global Hemp Innovation Center said the involvement in the research by tribal communities and rural communities “is critical to its success.”

“The potential economic opportunities this new commodity may have presents tremendous potential for rural communities,” he said, “and our project has set out to ensure those opportunities are equally available and relevant to all kinds of farmers.”

Additional partners on the project include the University of California, Davis; University of Nevada, Reno Extension; USDA, Agricultural Research Service; United States Department of Transportation, Volpe National Transportation Systems Research Center, the Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program; 7 Generations, a Native American-owned firm that specializes in Indian Country business development; USDA, National Agricultural Library; and the USDA, Western Rural Development Center.

End

Maryland Legalization Referendum Bill Expected Next Month

12/27/2021

by

A bill to place a cannabis legalization referendum on 2022 ballots in Maryland is set to be introduced when the state General Assembly convenes next month, WTOP News reports. The proposal was authored by Democrat Del. Luke Clipper, who is the chairman of the House Cannabis Referendum and Legalization Workgroup, which was formed last summer to study the issue.

If approved by lawmakers, the question put to voters would read:

“Do you favor legalization of adult-use cannabis in Maryland?”

If the question is successful, the state legislature would add an amendment to the state constitution and pass a law allowing adults 21-and-older to use and possess cannabis, with the law expected to take effect as early as July 2023, the report says.

The bill would require approval from three-fifths of members from both chambers of the state legislature and lawmakers would still have to create rules for the cannabis industry.

Maryland House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D) has previously expressed her support for the referendum and announced a plan to create a workgroup to lay the framework if the question is approved by voters.

Senate President Bill Ferguson (D) has indicated that the chamber would also move forward with cannabis legalization legislation.

A Goucher College poll released last March found two-thirds of Marylanders support legalization, including 77% of Democrats, 50% of Republicans, and 60% of independents. Mileah Kromer, director of the Sarah T. Hughes Field Politics Center at Goucher College, said that the poll marked the first time Republican support for cannabis legalization in the state topped 50%.

End

Canadian Human Rights Tribunal to Hear Case of Bank Recalling Cannabis Licensees’ Mortgage

12/27/2021

by

A dispute about whether banks can pull mortgages from cannabis users is heading to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, Western Standard reports. The dispute stems from a 2010 recall of a mortgage by Scotiabank from a homeowner with a federal license to cultivate cannabis.

The bank had told the homeowner that it “does not allow marijuana in their communities” and that it “was very concerned about the environmental issues within residences where cannabis was grown” and that “growing marijuana at a mortgaged home was prohibited by bank policy,” the report says.

Edward Lustig, an adjudicator with the Tribunal, wrote that the bank “engaged in a discriminatory practice contrary to the Canadian Human Rights Act” by treating the homeowners “in an adverse differential manner in the provision of services customarily available to the general public.”

The Canadian Human Rights Commission has twice rejected the homeowner’s complaint and it has been sent to a federal judge three times. In 2019, Federal Court Justice Robert Barnes wrote that “for reasons that have not been expressed it is apparent the Human Rights Commission does not like this complaint and wants to be rid of it.”

“In my view, the Commission has shown itself to be unfit to resolve this matter such that the court must now direct it to act,” he wrote.

The bank has defended its position, saying that the only way they would finance the property would be “if it was completely remediated” and that the ban on financing cannabis-related properties “is very clear” in the bank’s policies.

End

Minnesota Declares Most Hemp-Derived Consumables Illegal

12/23/2021

by

During a meeting last week with the Minnesota Cannabis Association, members of the state Department of Agriculture and the Board of Pharmacy indicated that most hemp-derived products meant for human consumption — whether CBD or Delta-8 THC — run afoul of state law.

Minnesota Cannabis Association board member Steven Brown said that during the meeting, state officials stated that hemp-derived tinctures “are illegal” and an Agriculture Department representative on the call added that “some of the products” Brown brought up in the call “would not be legal food” under the state’s statute definition of hemp.

According to the Minnesota Cannabis Association in a press release, the Board of Pharmacy only considers hemp seed oil and CBD flower legal. The advocacy organization points to a 22-page document from the 901st meeting of the Pharmacy Board that outlines the agency position, basing it on the hemp reforms included in the 2018 update of the 2014 federal Farm Bill. In that document, the board makes its case that since the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved any of the common cannabinoid products — such as gummies — then they cannot be legal. Further, the Pharmacy Board points to a Dec. 18, 2020 statement by former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb:

“Additionally, it’s unlawful under the [Food Drug &Cosmetic Act] to introduce food containing added CBD or THC into interstate commerce, or to market CBD or THC products as, or in, dietary supplements, regardless of whether the substances are hemp-derived. This is because both CBD and THC are active ingredients in FDA-approved drugs and were the subject of substantial clinical investigations before they were marketed as foods or dietary supplements.”

The Pharmacy Board, during that meeting, ultimately determined that “the sale of products containing cannabinoids or [THC], extracted or indirectly derived from any type of cannabis plant, remains illegal under federal and Minnesota state law, with certain exceptions.” Those exceptions are FDA-approved drugs such as Epidiolex.

Brown, who owns a retail hemp shop in Minnesota, said that the association disagrees with the Board of Pharmacy interpretation — and they also hinge their argument on federal guidelines.

“Eighty-five percent of products on the shelves will have to be pulled,” Brown said in a statement. “This affects so many businesses. So many families. Our business will probably have to shut down in Minnesota if we don’t turn this around.”

In October, the state Court of Appeals ruled that the statutory definition of hemp only applies to leafy plant material, and that “as a matter of law” the 0.3% threshold – which delineates legal hemp from outlawed cannabis — “does not apply to a liquid mixture” containing THC. That decision came in the case of an individual arrested for possessing CBD-rich vape cartridges which contained less than 0.3% THC.

End

Survey: 35% of Programmers Used Cannabis While Programming

12/23/2021

by

More than a third – 35% – of programmers have used cannabis while programming or completing another software engineering-related task, with 73% of the cohort using cannabis while programming in the last year, according to an arXiv paper outlined by i Programmer.

In the paper, Hashing It Out: A Survey of Programmers’ Cannabis Usage, Perception, and Motivation, researchers found that 53% of respondents reported using cannabis while programming monthly, 27% used cannabis twice-weekly while programming, and 11% used cannabis on a near-daily basis.

Sixty-three percent of the 280 respondents said they had used cannabis only while working on personal programming projects; 47.8% while performing non-urgent programming tasks; 34.2% while programming for work projects; 27.3% while programming school-related tasks; and 9% while programming deadline-critical tasks, the report found. The researchers also found that the majority of programmers who used cannabis (52%) were somewhat or more likely to use cannabis while working from home, which 5% said they were less likely to use cannabis while performing job-related tasks from home.

“Overall, we found that programmers were more likely to report enjoyment or programming enhancement motivations than wellness motivations: the most common reasons were “to make programming-related tasks more enjoyable” (61%) and “to think of more creative programming solutions” (53%). In fact, all programming enhancement reasons were selected by at least 30% of respondents. On the other hand, general wellness related reasons (such as mitigating pain and anxiety) were all cited by less than 30% of respondents. Thus, while wellness does motivate some cannabis use while programming, it is not the most common motivation.” — Hashing It Out: A Survey of Programmers’ Cannabis Usage, Perception, and Motivation, via i Programming

In all, 29% of respondents indicated that they had to take a drug test for a programming-related job.

The report found that the vast majority of programmers surveyed, 91%, believed that cannabis should be legalized and just 5% found smoking cannabis once or twice a week was a “great risk.” The report notes that dispensaries located around Silicon Valley estimate that 40% of their clientele are tech workers and that a qualitative study of coding boot camps found “lots and lots” of cannabis as one key element of support.

End

New York City Cannabis Apparel Brand Issued Injunction for Altering City’s Logos

12/23/2021

by

A federal judge on Tuesday ruled that apparel brand NYC New York Cannabis cannot use cannabis-themed versions of famous New York City logos, Law360 reports. Robert Lopez, the owner of the brand, had modified several of the city’s logos, such as replacing the broadleaf on the Department of Parks and Recreation logo with a cannabis leaf.

U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken granted the city a preliminary injunction finding that New York City would be “likely to succeed on the merits of its claims” because it proved “that it owns the city trademarks by proffering certificates of registration for the several marks which defendant allegedly copied.” He added that the trademarks are “incontestable” and have “distinctiveness and secondary meaning” and that the alleged copying “gives rise to a presumption of a likelihood of confusion.”

“Defendant’s NYC New York Cannabis marks are virtually identical to, or are substantially indistinguishable from, the city’s registered marks.” — Oetken, City of New York v. Lopez, via Law360

Lopez runs a retail store in Lower Manhattan, two online stores, and sells through social media accounts. According to the complaint outlined by Law360, he also modified the New York City Sanitation Department logo to read “Department of Cultivation” and a Department of Transportation logo that was altered to “New York Cannabis.”

Oetken added that while the city doesn’t currently sell cannabis-themed products, it could “bridge the gap” in the future as agencies get involved in cannabis regulation. The injunction was necessary, according to Oetken, because without it the city would suffer irreparable injury, the decision will serve the public interest, and there is an interest in preventing consumer confusion and protecting federally-registered trademarks.

End

UK Firm Planning World’s First Carbon-Negative Cannabis Cultivation Facility

12/23/2021

by

United Kingdom-based cannabis firm Glass Pharms has announced plans to build the world’s first carbon-negative medical cannabis cultivation facility, the Edmonton Journal reports. The company made the deal with an unnamed infrastructure firm and will have access to 22.5 million Great Britain pounds ($38.5 million) to construct the new campus.

The greenhouse will be 2.5 hectares in size and is planned for an undisclosed location in the South of England. In a statement, Glass Pharms indicated that the project is the first facility that will be “carbon negative by design.”

To accomplish its carbon-negative goal, the company plans to use an anaerobic digestion plant (food waste plant) to produce electricity using steam. Artificial intelligence-influenced growing methods will help Glass Pharms reach the “fine tolerances required by the pharmaceutical sector for medical cannabis flower.”

“It also means that we don’t have to rely on carbon credits to claim we are carbon negative… our business model is intrinsically built that way using the best practices of circular economic design.” — Glass Pharms website

Glass Pharms was the first company to receive a license in the U.K. to supply high-THC cannabis to medical cannabis patients. However, much of the medical cannabis in the U.K. is imported with the inconsistency of quality and supply, Glass Pharms CEO James Duckenfield said in the statement. Many patients have complained about the lack of consistency in the medical cannabis found in the U.K.

“We will underpin a secure supply chain of medical cannabis to U.K., whilst at the same time making a real contribution towards the U.K.’s Net Zero targets,” Duckenfield said.

End

GOP Anti-Opioid Plan Would Streamline Cannabis & Psychedelics Research

12/22/2021

by

A proposal by Congressional Republicans titled the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl would make it simpler for researchers to investigate Schedule I substances like cannabis and psychedelics, Marijuana Moment reports.

The bill’s stated purpose is to curb the illegal distribution of fentanyl — a powerfully addictive and deadly opioid — by permanently placing it in the Schedule I category of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) but the proposal would also align the registration process for researching Schedule I substances with the requirements for Schedule II drugs, which are significantly easier to research.

It would accomplish this through a number of changes, including:

  • Allowing scientists involved in Schedule I drug studies to be encompassed under a DEA registration for the full project (currently, each participating researcher requires their own DEA registration).
  • Letting research institutes conduct Schedule I drug studies in multiple locations with a single DEA registration.
  • Allowing researchers to move forward with their studies more quickly after submitting them to the Department of Justice.
  • Removing some site inspection requirements and, in some cases, allowing researchers to manufacture small amounts of Schedule I drugs.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Bill Cassidy (LA) and Reps. Morgan Griffith (VA) and Bob Latta (OH), “tracks closely” with recommendations to Congress made by the Office of National Drug Control Policy in September, according to a press release.

“Fentanyl and its analogues are fuels that stoke the fire of the opioid crisis devastating families across the country. This bill … would recognize the danger of fentanyl related substances by permanently scheduling them while also allowing researchers to study their effects.” — Rep. Griffith, in a statement

According to the release by Rep. Griffth’s office, fentanyl is currently responsible for about 64% of total U.S. overdose deaths.

End

Missouri’s First Black-Owned Dispensary Set to Open Next Month

12/22/2021

by

Missouri’s first Black-owned medical cannabis dispensary is set to open next month, the St. Louis American reports. Adrienne Scales-Williams, the owner of Luxury Leaf, is also the owner of Document Imaging Systems of St Louis, Inc., which placed number 23 on the 2020 St. Louis Business Journal list of minority-owned businesses. She said that “being a long-term entrepreneur,” she “understands the ups and downs of highly regulated industries.”

The cannabis industry is one that lacks ownership by minorities and women — with barely 10% of cannabusinesses owned by Black people and Hispanic people, according to Marijuana Business Daily figures — but Scales-Williams said that even with her understanding, business, as a whole, “is commonly filled with men” but she doesn’t “focus on that as a negative.”

“I kept my focus and pushed full force throughout all of my endeavors,” she told the American, adding that she wants Luxury Leaf “to be a successful dispensary serving all.”

“I am an advocate for alternative medicines and want to be a part of a culture that promotes plants in healing. I want to invest in something so innovative and great for patients. I want patients to feel healing when they enter the dispensary space. I will also offer virtual classes to keep education at the forefront of this industry. In addition, it was important to have this business in the city of St. Louis, to closely engage the community in a very direct way.” — Scales-Williams to the American

In the first year of sales, Missouri’s medical cannabis industry has created more than $136 million in state tax revenues, according to the state Department of Health and Senior Services Section for Medical Marijuana Regulation data outlined by the American.

Missouri advocacy organization Legal Missouri 2022 is also circulating a petition for broad cannabis legalization in the state. The group must collect 170,000 valid signatures in six of the state’s eight congressional districts to place the initiative on next year’s midterm election ballot. Missouri voters passed the medical cannabis reforms in 2018 with 66% of the vote.

End

Iowa Democrats Propose Cannabis Constitutional Amendment

12/22/2021

by

Three Democratic Iowa state senators are proposing a constitutional amendment to legalize cannabis possession in the state for anyone 21-an-older, Radio Iowa reports. Sen. Joe Bolkcom is also calling for broad reforms for the state to regulate cannabis like alcohol, noting that in 2020, 4,300 Iowans were convicted of cannabis possession, which costs state taxpayers millions of dollars to cover the costs of their incarceration.

“Marijuana prohibition has been a costly failure. It’s ending across America because it’s caused far more harm than good. … A lot of Iowans will see some benefit from essentially eradicating those expenses from our tax bills.” — Bolkcom, during an online news conference, via Radio Iowa

Sen. Janet Petersen cited a March 2020 Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa poll which found, for the first time, a majority of Iowans — 53% — support cannabis legalization in the state.

“Iowans are tired of filling our prisons with nonviolent offenders, traumatizing families with separation, and taking away opportunities for too many young adults for something that is legal in nearly half the states in our country,” she said during her remarks.

The proposal is also supported by state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriot, who said that “the world is changing around us and Iowa is getting left behind.”

Cannabis legalization does not have the support from Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds or Republican lawmakers who control the state Legislature. Reynolds last year vetoed a bill to expand the state’s very limited medical cannabis program.

State Sen. Brad Zaun, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he has “no intentions” of bringing the bill up for a vote, calling it a “gimmick” that does “a better job of illustrating the lack of ideas Senate Democrats have to solve the problems of Iowans than any response” he has.

End

Michigan Judge Denies Request to Reverse Decision on Latest Cannabis Recall

12/22/2021

by

A Michigan judge has denied the state Marijuana Regulation Agency’s (MRA) request to reconsider limiting the scope of the cannabis recall of products tested by Viridis Labs saying that the agency failed to prove that an error misled the court to block part of that recall, the Detroit Free Press reports.

The MRA said it had gathered more testing data in the weeks following Court of Claims Judge Christopher Murray’s decision and found that 26% of Viridis North recalled and retested products failed microbial retesting for total yeast and mold, including for aspergillus and/or total bacteria. The agency suggests that some moldy cannabis could have made its way back to store shelves.

Murray, however, ruled that “the evidence upon which the motion is based does not relate to any testing justification existing before the recall decision … and otherwise would not change the court’s balancing of interests.”

Murray had ruled earlier this month to allow products tested by Viridis North to go back on store shelves because all of the randomly selected retested samples – which had a 60% failure rate – came from Viridis Laboratories, which is based in Lansing, and not Viridis North, which is based in Bay City.

In a statement to the Free Press, Viridis Laboratories CEO Greg Michaud argued that the samples that failed MRA testing had cleared the company’s “point-in-time testing” and that the products go through a variety of uncontrolled environments which could cause the contamination which caused the failed retests.

Viridis has indicated that the recall affected about 64,000 pounds of flower worth about $226 million.

End

What to Consider When Choosing Cannabis Product Packaging

12/21/2021

by

If you use cannabis for medicinal or other reasons, there’s a pretty good chance that you are purchasing products from third-party vendors — and that the items you buy come in some sort of container. While most of us are focused on what’s inside the package, how cannabis is stored can play a significant role in its quality and in the customer experience. As it turns out, there are a lot of factors to consider when packaging cannabis products, ranging from loose flower to pre-rolls, to beverages, to edibles.

Why is packaging important? If you think about it, cannabis is an agricultural product and, as a natural item, it is susceptible to external conditions including cold temperature, moisture, heat, and light. Any one of these factors can negatively affect the quality of cannabis, or even completely ruin it. That’s why it is critical for merchants who sell cannabis to make sure that the items they sell are carefully stored to prevent spoilage and negative user experiences.

Opacity

As a starting point, let’s look at light. While many cannabis retail stores show items in glass, they are almost never directly exposed to sunlight. A little bit of light from LEDs and other sources is usually not a problem, but blasts of direct sun can not only dry product, but also cause THC, terpenes, and other compounds to leech out of the leaves. The last thing you want is for people to purchase cannabis products only to discover that they have lost their effectiveness because they were improperly stored. As a result, most products sold in cannabis stores come in opaque containers, and even glass vessels could be heavily tinted to prevent damage. So why do so many people store cannabis products in clear glass jars and bottles? The simple reason is that it looks really good — it has the classic “apothecary” feel, and it’s also easy to tell how much product is left.

Anti-moisture

Another major source of damage comes from moisture. It takes surprisingly little water to cause a batch of cannabis to get moldy very quickly — and there’s nothing less pleasant than opening a container to discover that one’s supply is unusable because it is spoiled. Keeping cannabis products in airtight containers is extremely important because of the potential for water damage. On an industrial scale, licensed producers keep their picked cannabis in sealed canisters, then eventually this goes into progressively smaller containers that keep moisture out. By the time these products get to the store and are ready for sale, they are generally in small containers that contain only a few grams of cannabis, or a few pre-rolled joints.

Convenience

Not only does the storage type need to protect the cannabis, but it also needs to be convenient for retailers and customers. That’s why there’s been a movement away from clear Ziploc bags to more sophisticated packaging that is durable enough to withstand some jostling of the contents. This is actually where modern packaging pouches are playing a critical role in meeting the needs of everyone in the cannabis supply chain.

Of course, there are plenty of other options for storage. Most Canadian retailers sell cannabis in plastic containers that are approved by the government and are childproof to maximize safety. Tin containers are also sold, although they tend to be less common than they were even a few years ago. They are incredibly convenient and durable, but the problem comes when they are open because it is difficult to fully seal them to protect the contents from heat and moisture. Zipper pouches are also very common, although most of them are sold separately from cannabis. These are unbelievably convenient and are popular among regular cannabis users. One of the biggest problems with zipper packages, however, is that they don’t fully seal and it is easy to detect the smell of cannabis if someone happens to be carrying a zipper pouch. This might be OK at a rock concert, but there are definitely circumstances where you would not want to draw attention to the fact you are carrying cannabis around.

End

Top Illinois Cannabis Official Joins Marijuana Policy Project as President & CEO

12/21/2021

by

Illinois’ top cannabis official, Toi Hutchinson, last week announced her departure as senior advisor to Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) and has joined the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) as its new president and CEO. Hutchinson replaces MPP Executive Director Steven Hawkins, who will focus his efforts on federal cannabis reform as executive director of the United States Cannabis Council (USCC).

MPP will remain a member of the USCC and the organizations will share staff, board members, and resources.

Hutchinson described Hawkins’ work at MPP as “stellar,” adding that she looks forward “to working with him in his new capacity along with legislators and partners across the country to advance the goals and mission of MPP by harnessing our collective power to advocate for changes to federal cannabis policies.”

“I’m pleased to be joining the team at MPP, where I will continue my years-long effort to develop and support cannabis legalization legislation that centers on equity and repairing the harms of the past. We are incredibly proud of the hard work and lessons learned in Illinois, standing up programs to invest in equity entrepreneurs, reinvesting in communities, and clearing hundreds of thousands of arrests and criminal records.” – Hutchinson in a press release

MPP Board Chairman Sal Pace said Hutchinson’s “unique resume is perfectly suited to lead MPP” as the organization finishes their “reform work state-by-state across the country.” He noted that the organization worked alongside Hutchinson in her previous role and as one of the initial authors of Illinois’ adult-use legalization bill. Pace said that collaboration ensured the state’s law “contained a strong social justice framework that included decriminalization in addition to legalization.”

Hawkins described Hutchinson as “an incredible leader.” She is also a member of the Chicago Federation of Women, the Illinois Women’s Institute for Leadership, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Hutchinson also served as an Illinois state senator and an attorney at the law firm of Chapman and Cutler.

End

Ohio Legalization Campaign Submits Signatures Needed to Force Vote

12/21/2021

by

Cannabis legalization advocates in Ohio on Monday submitted 206,943 signatures to the secretary of state in their bid to force lawmakers to pass the reforms in the Buckeye State, the Columbus Dispatch reports. Once the signatures are verified, the Legislature will have four months to act on the legislation and if they don’t pass the bill, or an amended version, the campaign must collect another 132,887 valid signatures to put the measure on ballots in the next general election.

The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol proposal would allow adults 21-and-older to buy and possess 2.5 ounces of cannabis and 15 grams of concentrates and cultivate up to six plants individually or 12 per household. Cannabis products would be taxed 10% with revenues earmarked for program costs, addiction treatment programs, municipalities that allow dispensaries, and social equity and jobs programs.

Tom Haren, the campaign spokesman, noted that 18 states have legalized cannabis for adults, including Ohio’s northern neighbor Michigan.

“Ohio is behind the curve on this issue and can’t afford continued inaction.” – Haren to the Dispatch

Last week, the state Senate approved a bill to expand the state’s medical cannabis program, including letting doctors make program recommendations for any patient, regardless of condition; increasing the number of dispensary licenses; establishing a new cannabis division within the Commerce Department to more efficiently regulate medical cannabis; and award cultivation licenses to businesses that were rejected in the first licensing round, including two companies that sued the state over the denials. The legislation still needs House approval.

The cannabis legalization signatures still require verification by Secretary of State Frank LaRose before lawmakers are required to act.

End

Utah Enacts New Medical Cannabis Rules to Help Patients

12/21/2021

by

The Utah Department of Health has announced plans to speed up some key updates to the state’s medical cannabis program, Fox 13 reports. Known as the “Limited Medical Provider” (LMP) program, the new rule allows physicians, nurse practitioners, and other healthcare providers to recommend medical cannabis to qualifying patients.

The DOH only told the legislature in November they had missed an October deadline to begin the new program, blaming the delays on technological issues and staffing shortages. At the most recent Cannabinoid Product Board meeting, however, the agency said it will have the program live by January, according to Fox 13.

“That’s a critical change to the program we’re excited about to increase patient access,” Rich Oborn, bureau manager of the Department of Commerce, told the board.

The Utah legislature passed the LMP program to address a shortage of qualified medical providers during the 2021 session. Under Utah’s original medical cannabis framework, such providers were required to go through extensive training and be approved by the DOH, which led to a provider shortage.

Predictably, a “pop up” industry of qualified medical providers who overcharge patients for medical cannabis authorizations has flourished as a result of the shortage. The LMP certification requires less training and is expected to increase access for patients, the report says.

Senate Minority Whip Luz Escamilla, (D), who passed the LMP updates and spoke out against the DOH delays, told Fox 13 the new timeline is an improvement and the legislature wants medical cannabis “available as soon as possible.”

Oborn said the DOH plans to require providers to publish their prices on a website in order to monitor any fee gouging and extend a patient’s card renewal deadline from three to six months in addition to the LMP streamlines.

“The LMP program is an important step to educating doctors and keeping patients with their personal medical provider. Extending deadlines allows established patients to spend less time renewing their cards,” said Desiree Hennessy, executive director of the Utah Patients Coalition, in a statement. “These changes are big wins for Utah’s patients, but they are also necessary, and another step toward treating medical cannabis like any other medication.”

End

UArizona Partners with Green Flower on Cannabis Certificate Program

12/21/2021

by

The University of Arizona is partnering with cannabis education company Green Flower to offer three noncredit Cannabis Certificate Programs, including the Business of Cannabis, Cannabis Law and Policy, and Cannabis Healthcare and Medicine.

Each certificate includes three eight-week, online courses which will be taught by Green Flower instructors, which include industry entrepreneurs, board-certified physicians, attorneys, and public policy specialists.

Arizona voters approved a cannabis legalization bill last year and the program has already generated more than $150 million in tax revenues for the state. Arizona is expected to surpass $1 billion in total annual cannabis sales this year, according to state Department of Revenue projections.

Dr. Craig Wilson, vice provost of Online & Distance Education for the university told Arizona Public Media that cannabis industry jobs “require people with these skill sets to really be successful.”

“Understanding multiple viewpoints like business, law and policy, and health care and medicine as it relates to the cannabis industry will help our learners establish a solid foundation.” – Wilson in a press release  

Rebecca Cook, director of UArizona Continuing and Professional Education, said that changing laws nationwide “has created a tremendous need for credible cannabis education, not just for producers and distributors, but also for health professionals, legal professionals, law enforcement, and many others.”

Green Flower now lists 14 partner colleges and universities on its website.

Registration is now open on the UArizona website with the first cohort expected to start March 7.

End