Hemp Farmers Characterized as Agricultural Innovators

1/20/2021

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A common misconception of the American farmer is they have an ingrained stubbornness to resist change. That misconception couldn’t be further from the truth. American agriculture has rapidly transformed in the last century to be complex and remarkably efficient. The progression shows no signs of slowing down. Change is not isolated to urban food hubs and hydroponic grow rooms, but rather change is persistent even in our most rural agricultural communities. For most farmers, change is not a bad thing. Change is self-induced and offers farmers a way to increase their economic stability. Higher yields can be achieved by switching to crop varieties with improved genetics. Crop diversification allows farmers to minimize risk from underperforming markets, and input costs, like fertilizers and pesticides, can be reduced through the adoption of precision agriculture. Recent outcomes of change have also focused on improving agricultural sustainability and reducing environmental damage.

So how does change disperse through the agriculture industry? After a new product becomes available or a new practice discovered, it takes time for it to become widely implemented. Some farmers are eager to adopt the new practice, while others wait and closely watch those who have adopted it. As adopters experience success and that success is seen by others, the adoption spreads to more and more individuals. Social scientists define this process as the diffusion of innovations and characterize the first 2.5% of a population to adopt a new practice as innovators.

Diffusion of innovations can be applied to hemp cultivation in the United States. The legalization of hemp has provided American farmers an opportunity to adopt hemp as a new crop in their farming operations. The speed of hemp adoption among the greater agricultural community largely depends upon the success and fortitude of the innovators, the first 2.5% of farmers to incorporate hemp in their farming operations.

A research study conducted at Doane University in 2020 interviewed fourteen first-year hemp farmers to find common themes related to their motives to grow hemp, source of knowledge on hemp cultivation, growing challenges, growing success, and plans to continue growing the crop in the future. The results of this study inform support systems that can accelerate hemp adoption in the greater agriculture community.

It is no surprise that farmers reported economic incentives as a leading motive to grow hemp. However, other motives, such as a desire to increase crop diversification and improving environmental sustainability were seen. Farmers also had personal characteristics that aligned with their classification of being an innovator. The hemp farmers appreciated a good challenge, were attracted to the “newness” of the crop, and desired to be leaders within the agriculture industry.

A gap in knowledge and resources to guide farmers in their hemp operations was evident. Farmers turned to trusted resources from the state University Extension program, only to find limited resources, many of which were in the research and development phase. Extension programs from outside states with a more prolonged history of hemp cultivation were cited by farmers as a relied-upon resource. Yet, a large portion of farmers found themselves searching YouTube videos for assistance. The presence of networking with other like-minded hemp adopters allowed for the transfer of knowledge between a newfound and close-knit community.

Once again, showing characteristics of being an innovator, most farmers expected significant challenges during their first growing season. They were prepared for these challenges by implementing hemp in their operation on a minimal scale. They had a mindset that their first year was a learning opportunity to see what worked well and what didn’t work. Farmers described their most significant challenges as weed pressure, insect damage, lack of approved pesticides, stringent regulations, lack of infrastructure, and pollination from feral hemp. Several Nebraska farmers mentioned challenges stemming from the public’s stigma and misconception of hemp, including the inability to obtain funding from their banking institution, entanglement with local law enforcement, and frustration with state political leaders’ lack of support for hemp, despite the state’s agriculture-based economy.

Despite these challenges, a majority of farmers described their first year growing hemp as successful. They learned new techniques, became well-versed in hemp terminology, built strong networks with other growers, and learned what works and doesn’t work for them and their operation. While one farmer decided that growing hemp was simply not for them, a majority of farmers planned to continue growing hemp, and several anticipated expanding their operations.

The only thing consistent in agriculture is change. Hemp innovators are paving the way for the adoption of hemp in the greater agricultural community. We owe it to these leaders to listen to their voices, to understand and learn from their challenges, and to provide the support and resources needed for them to be successful. The potential for hemp to bring positive economic, social, and environmental change in agriculture is evident. What remains to be seen is the rate of wide-spread hemp adoption in diversified farming operations, and this rate is dependent upon the success of our innovators and early adopters.

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Trump Grants Clemency to 11 Federal Cannabis Prisoners, Including 6 Sentenced to Life

1/20/2021

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Among the pardons granted in the waning hours of his term, outgoing President Donald Trump (R) granted clemency to 11 federal cannabis prisoners, including six who were serving life sentences, the White House announced early this morning.

The pardons also include clemency for Lynn Barney who had served 35 months for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon after having previously been convicted for distributing a small amount of marijuana. Barney’s commutation was supported by Utah Sen. Mike Lee (R) and notable members of Utah’s business community, the White House said.

The life sentence of Ferrell Damon Scott commuted by Trump was supported by former Acting United States Attorney Sam Sheldon, who prosecuted the case. Sheldon wrote that he “strongly does not believe that [Scott] deserves a mandatory life sentence.” Scott had served nine years of his sentence for intent to distribute marijuana.

John Knock has served 24 years of a life sentence – which was imposed despite Knock being a first-time, non-violent, cannabis-only offender. Knock is now 73-years-old and completed college accounting classes during his incarceration. The press release notes that Knock “has an exemplary prison history …  and has had zero incident reports.”

Anthony DeJohn had served 13 years of his life term for conspiracy to distribute marijuana. DeJohn “has maintained a clear disciplinary record and has been recognized for his outstanding work ethic while incarcerated,” the White House briefing said.

Corvain Cooper served more than seven years of his imposed life term for “non-violent participation in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana,” the White House said. The statement notes that Cooper is now 41-years-old and a father of two girls.

Way Quoe Long, 58, had served nearly half of his 50-year sentence for a non-violent conviction for conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana, the press release said, adding that “Long has spent his incarceration striving to better himself through English proficiency classes and by obtaining his GED.”

Michael Pelletier served 12 years of a 30-year sentence for conspiracy to distribute cannabis. The White House said, “Pelletier has maintained a clear disciplinary record, has thrived as an artist working with oil paints on canvas, and has taken several courses to perfect his skill while incarcerated.”

Craig Cesal was serving a life sentence for drug conspiracy related to his role in leasing tractor-trailers to cannabis smugglers nearly 20 years ago.

“Mr. Cesal has had an exemplary disciplinary record and has become a paralegal assistant and a Eucharistic Minister in the Catholic Church to assist and guide other prisoners. Upon his release, Mr. Cesal looks forward to reintegrating back into society and to contributing to his community while living with his daughter with whom he has remained close. Mr. Cesal hopes to be a part of her upcoming wedding.” – The White House in a press release

Brian Simmons had served a third of his 15-year sentence for conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana. Simmons “has had an exemplary prison record and upon release will have strong support from his fiancée and his community,” the statement said.

James Romans was sentenced to life without parole for his role in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana – for which he had served more than a decade in prison. The White House said he had “an exemplary disciplinary record” and completed “a long list” of courses while incarcerated.

Jonathon Braun was pardoned after serving half of his 10-year term for conspiracy to import marijuana and commit money laundering.

Noah Kleinman, 45, had served about six of his 20-year sentence for a non-violent crime to distribute cannabis, the release stated. Kleinman has an “exemplary prison history,” the White House noted.

In all, Trump pardoned 73 individuals and commuted another 70 sentences during the early Wednesday flurry of executive clemency grants.

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California Cannabis Industry Association Announces Banking Deal for Members

1/20/2021

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The California Cannabis Industry Association (CCIA) on Tuesday announced a landmark partnership with North Bay Credit Union that will allow the 400 CCIA members access to banking services through the financial institution.

The partnership will qualify CCIA-linked cannabusinesses for membership in the credit union and access to services such as checking accounts, online bill payment, wire transfers, and ACH processing.

North Bay Credit Union’s CEO Chris Call said in a statement that the institution has “been impressed with CCIA’s commitment to help California cannabis operators thrive through lobbying efforts and educational resources which aligns with our own mission of promoting local economic growth.”

California’s cannabis market generates $5.6 billion in annual revenues, the CCIA said in a press release, noting the state’s revenues account for more than 10% of the entire $52 billion cannabis market nationwide. Sales in the Golden State are projected to reach $7.2 billion by 2024, while the industry employs nearly 40,000 people at some 7,400 cannabis businesses, the cannabusiness organization said.

CCIA Executive Director Lindsay Robinson said that the goal of the partnership “is to alleviate the challenges that small businesses in the cannabis space face when it comes to banking.”

In legal markets throughout the U.S., most businesses are shut out of banking services due to federal cannabis prohibition and must operate on a cash basis. In 2019, the House of Representatives approved the SAFE Banking Act, which aims to normalize banking for state-legal cannabusinesses; however, that measure was never taken up by the Senate which, at the time, was led by Republicans.

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Florida Protestors Rally In Support of Smoke Shop Owner Arrested for CBD Shipment

1/20/2021

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Community members in Pensacola, Florida rallied behind a local smoke shop owner on January 16 to protest his arrest on “marijuana trafficking” charges. According to WEAR-TV, Nedal Abdel Mohammad was arrested in 2019 when FedEx called police to investigate a package. However, according to Mohammad’s smoke shop manager Honney Peterson, the package contained hemp-derived CBD products, not the “marijuana” or THC-rich products that were alleged by authorities.

“We had a shipment of CBD come in. When the package was at Fed-Ex, law enforcement was called to check out the box. They claimed it was marijuana even though we had all the proper paperwork with the proper testing levels on THC in it.” — Honney Peterson, in a WEAR-TV interview

Further details from authorities about Mohammad’s case were not publicly available but Peterson said, “they’re trying to give him 15 years to life.”

“He’s an innocent man. He’s a good man. He’s done a lot for this community and helps a lot of people,” he said.

Protestors said that Mohammad helped many of them to pay bills and with medical expenses. “We want people to be aware of what’s happening to an innocent man. We need to clean this up because our community deserves better than this,” Peterson said.

Since the 2018 legalization of hemp, there have been reports of hemp-based CBD product shipments being mistaken for cannabis products all over the United States.

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South Carolina’s Medical Cannabis Act Garners New Support

1/20/2021

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Support is building in South Carolina for medical cannabis reform. The Compassionate Care Act has consistently passed the state Senate in recent years but has failed to make it to the Governor’s desk. This year, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and an ongoing opioid crisis, some powerful state Senators are putting their names on the bill, WPDE reports.

“Ten years ago I would have said never, five years ago I would have said ‘yeah maybe ten years from now’, and last year I would have said, ‘Yeah I think we’re going to get it next year.’ The opioid crisis has really brought to light the idea to bring an alternative to opioid and legal heroin as I call it.” — Sen. Goldfinch Jr., in a statement to WPDE

Joining previous sponsors Sens. Tom Davis and Brad Hutto, Finance Committee Chair Sen. Hugh Leatherman and Sens. Luke Rankin, Dick Harpootlian, Gerald Malloy, and Katrina Shealy all added their names to the bill this year.

Sen. Davis introduced the Compassionate Care Act in late 2020. Although the bill does not allow for the smoking of medical cannabis, it does name ten qualifying conditions and open the door for terminal patients with less than one year to live to use medical cannabis. Addressing the opioid crisis directly, the bill says doctors can recommend medical cannabis for conditions opiates could be used to treat.

According to the CDC, 8,835 South Carolinians died from an opioid-related overdose in 2018 — a rate of 17.1 — which was a significant increase from the 628 opioid-related deaths in 2016. Synthetic opioid overdose from fentanyl or fentanyl analogs saw the greatest increase.

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StashStock: Touchless Plant Management for Cannabis Cultivators

1/19/2021

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The StashStock plant inventory management system solves cannabis cultivation problems using the company founders’ combined experience in tech and cannabis cultivation. Co-founders Mike Pavlak and Scott Moazzen watched as legalization swept through the States, and they knew it would eventually reach their home state of Michigan. In response, the partners decided to build a product that could solve common problems in the cultivation sector. Eventually, they created a system to manage compliance so that growers could focus on other crucial operations. StashStock uses integrated RFID software (CannaScanner), CannaScale, and METRC integration to provide a no-touch solution to plant management.

The team founded StashStock in 2015 and they currently operate in six states. Their team of ten employees works hard to provide superior customer service and amazing products. They continue to simplify the compliance aspect of a regulated grow operation year after year. While there were opportunities to cut corners in the development process, the StashStock team emphasized taking their time to build a product that truly works.

“Innovation is really what we want to do. We’re not just about competing, we want to shine,” said Scott Moazzen, Co-Founder and VP of Sales. “We’re always looking for how to do it better, faster, bigger. When that is the soul of your company nothing is ever good enough, and that is how we’ve gotten to where we’ve gotten… we wanted to do it right.”

The StashStock team set out to make high-tech and functioning workflows for cultivation teams — their service now lets cannabis cultivators access their entire garden from the palm of their hand. The RFID-based system includes a no-touch solution for managing multiple strains in multiple rooms, in multiple different growing phases. When locked onto a tag, the system acts similar to a metal detector and can tell you how physically close you are to the plant itself. The same RFID Metrc tags are also used for auditing packages and double checking manifests. The handheld RFID device can print labels (internal and shipping) as well. Since all tags have RFID, they are trackable, which allows the team to locate plants or packages that are not where they should be. In the regulated cannabis market, a single missing plant or misplaced package can lead to weeks of compliance issues — StashStock helps cultivation teams avoid such headaches altogether.

The service also includes the CannaScale, which is fully integrated with Metrc. The scale weighs plants in the drying position, reducing the potential for contamination and trichome damage. The scale comes with manual overrides so the cultivation team can decide if they would like to scan the harvest into the system using barcodes or manually key the weights in, giving the team full control over the process. The results from each harvest upload directly to METRC, which removes the possibility of double-entry and the task of data entry. Other features on the CannaScale include recording room and harvest waste.

The scale is built with many capabilities to help manage a cultivation site. If there is a tag for one Blueberry strain getting weighed in an OG harvest, the scale software is smart enough to recognize the new strain and will “bucket” it appropriately for the grow manager. Through system integration, the scale knows which strains are in harvest and flags the plants that shouldn’t be pulled, yet. Clients who used the integrated scale reported higher yields, increased harvest speeds, and found it easier to audit harvested rooms.

“It ties a cultivation operation together, we don’t just give you an RFID scanner and say good luck. It’s a whole system that brings it all together,” said Mike Pavlak, CEO and Co-Founder.

Much of StashStock’s focus is on building technology that works for a cultivation team, but they also prioritize stellar customer service. A majority of customer feedback showed that clients had trouble working within the METRC guidelines, so the StashStock customer care team takes their role as an integrator of METRC seriously. If a client identifies a possible hurdle, the StashStock team will work with the compliance officer to ensure they follow the correct processes and always remain compliant.

“Our tool suite is an inventory management system centered on compliance. It simplifies and streamlines the compliance process, so it’s more of an afterthought and you can rest assured that we’ve got it so you can focus on the plants,” Moazzen said.

The platform works hard during day-to-day operations, but it also collects data. Many growers mentioned that pulling data out of METRC was difficult, so StashStock built a platform where growers can compare strains, look at testing data, and tie all of the gathered information together. Using data from the system, a cultivation team can get a birds-eye view of where their plants are, what growth phases certain strains are in, what is coming up in the work pipeline, and statistics on specific strains.

As a tech-driven cannabis company, the team at StashStock is always forward looking for new ways their RFID-centered plant inventory management system can work in the space. They are focused on ensuring their cultivation tools are best in class. Much of their work is understanding compliance, speeding up processes and building out the platform to work within METRC’s guidelines, meaning their clients can focus solely on growing the best cannabis they can.

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Dispensary Offering Pre-Roll to Those Who Get COVID Vaccine

1/19/2021

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A Michigan dispensary is offering a pre-rolled joint for anyone who provides proof they received a COVID-19 vaccine – dubbed the “Pot for Shots” promotion, the Detroit Metro Times reports. In a statement, Greenhouse of Walled Lake Owner Jerry Millen said the goal of the program “is to raise awareness of the importance” of getting vaccinated “as we as a community battle this horrible pandemic.”

“‘Pot for Shots’ is our way of showing our commitment in assisting helping the community get back to normalcy. We support the safe and responsible use of cannabis and hope this is the beginning of the end of this insidious pandemic.” – Millen, in a statement, via the Metro News

The promotion runs from January 22 through February 28.

Last week, cannabis activists D.C. Marijuana Justice (DCMJ) announced their own plan – “Joints for Jabs” – to give away cannabis at vaccination centers throughout the city as they come online. DCMJ Co-founder Adam Eidinger said he hopes giving away cannabis will help bring people to the vaccination sites. However, instead of pre-rolls, he said the group would hand out individual bags.

DCMJ also plans to hand out cannabis seeds during the action.

“We are looking for ways to safely celebrate the end of the pandemic and we know nothing brings people together like cannabis,” DCMJ co-founder Nikolas Schiller said in a press release. “DCMJ believes that cannabis should be consumed safely and responsibly, and the pandemic has made this incredibly difficult for many adults to share their homegrown cannabis.”

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Illinois Has Yet to Award $62M in Cannabis-Derived Revenues for Social Programs

1/19/2021

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Illinois is sitting on $62 million in cannabis revenue earmarked for minority businesses and improvements to the neighborhoods most harmed by poverty and violence, the Chicago Tribune reports. Officials say the delay in awarding the funds is due to problems with the state system to award new cannabusiness licenses and an outsized request for funding.

The funds are directed to be divided between the Cannabis Business Development Fund and the Restore, Reinvest, and Renew Program (R3). Half of the money sent to the fund comes from fees paid by existing cannabis businesses.

State Sen. Heather Steans (D), co-sponsor of the legalization law, told the Tribune that she hopes the funding is disbursed “as soon as possible.”

“We did a lot to make this the most equitable cannabis system in the country. … We haven’t seen the results yet we wanted in any of those areas, so we obviously need to stay on it.” – Steans to the Tribune

Despite having legalized cannabis more than a year ago, none of the state’s licensed cannabis businesses are majority-owned by a person of color.

The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority began accepting applications for the R3 program last May. It said it usually received less than 100 applications for the program, but this round the agency received about 400, the most ever.

Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority Spokeswoman Yolanda Joe explained in an email to the Tribune that reviewing the applications “takes time to be thorough and to give each and every application the considerable care it deserves, particular through an equity lens – and that is what we are doing.”

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Idaho May Block Future Legalization With Constitutional Amendment

1/19/2021

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Idaho Republican state Sen. Scott Grow on Monday introduced a constitutional amendment to prohibit psychoactive drugs – including cannabis – which would make it harder to legalize them in the future, the Idaho Statesman reports.

The constitutionally-mandated ban would include “the production, manufacture, transportation, sale, delivery, dispensing, distribution, possession, or use of a psychoactive drug” unless approved by the Food and Drug Administration and prescribed by a doctor.

“The Idaho Constitution affirms that the ‘first concern of all good government is the virtue and sobriety of the people.’ Neighboring states have legalized controlled substances to the detriment of their children, families and communities. This constitutional amendment prevents the erosion of Idaho statutes which currently control these substances. It protects and preserves Idaho’s values and quality of life, protects the environment, provides requirements for lawful use of these substances, promotes freedom from addiction, and seeks to avoid economic and social costs to our citizens.” – Grow in the Statement of Purpose accompanying the measure

Russ Belville, spokesperson for the Idaho Citizens Coalition for Cannabis, which is seeking to legalize cannabis for recreational use in the state, described the bill as a “‘Hail Mary’ pass by the Idaho Legislature to stop the changes in marijuana laws they know are inevitable.”

“It’s not just desperate legislation, it’s also flawed legislation,” he said in a statement to the Statesman.

Democratic state Sen. Grant Burgoyne said the legislation has a serious technical flaw – the inclusion of state code references in the state constitution. State code, he explained, is often revised and changes over time which would revise and change the constitution along with it.

Idaho is bordered by Washington state, Oregon, Montana, and Nevada which have all legalized cannabis for adult use. The state has yet to even legalize hemp, and, on several occasions, state authorities have made arrests and confiscated hemp being hauled through the Gem State. In 2019, Gov. Brad Little (R) signed an executive order allowing interstate hemp transport through Idaho.

Constitutional amendments in Idaho require two-thirds approval from both legislative chambers before being put to voters as a ballot initiative.

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Indiana Senator Introduces Pair of Cannabis Reform Bills

1/19/2021

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An Indiana state senator has proposed two bills aimed at enacting cannabis reforms including the legalization of adult-use cannabis. Introduced by Sen. Karen Tallian (D), bills SB 87 and SB 223 would set up a “Cannabis Compliance Commission” that would regulate all forms of legal cannabis in Indiana and decriminalize up to two ounces, Cincinnati’s Fox 19 reports.

Citing inequitable drug laws and how neighboring states have addressed the issue, Sen. Tallian said in a Facebook post, “I will be fighting for these bills because legalizing marijuana is the right thing to do. ” According to Sen. Tallian, 45 percent of drug arrests in Indiana are for cannabis and Black Hoosiers are 3.5 times more likely to get arrested for cannabis than their white counterparts.

“Our neighboring states have made efforts to address unjust marijuana laws, and it’s time for us to do the same. That’s why I authored SB 87 and 223 this session, to allow for the regulation and legalization of marijuana in our state.” — Indiana Sen. Karen Tallian, in a post

Although several surrounding states have taken steps to relax their cannabis laws, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb seems unwilling to pass significant reforms due to the plant’s federal designation as a Schedule I narcotic. “I’m just not willing to look at that, especially since it is illegal right now according to the federal government,” he said in 2018. “Right now, it’s a crime. I’m just simply not willing to look the other way.”

This stance comes despite the governor admitting in a 2019 press conference that he “smoked weed” in college, according to an Indianapolis Star report.

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Cannabis Brand Facing Steep Fines Over Cartoon Mermaid Logo

1/18/2021

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Maine officials say that the mermaid logo used by South Portland-based SeaWeed Co. violates a state law that prohibits cannabis packaging or labeling from depicting humans or animals or any images that might “reasonably” appeal to someone under the age of 21, the Portland Press Herald reports.

Scott Howard, owner of SeaWeed, said the logo emphasizes the company’s roots and harkens to the state’s seaside. The Office of Marijuana Policy contends that the logo depicts both a human and animal and it “is generally known that mermaids are featured in a number of stories, movies, toys, costumes and other popular culture items and marketing aimed at young children and teenagers, and so images of mermaids have inherent and particular appeal to individuals under 21 years of age.”

During an October inspection, Vernon Malloch, compliance director for the Office of Marijuana Policy, noted that the logo ran afoul of the rules and said all of the products with the logo would be placed on an administrative hold but officials reached an agreement with SeaWeed to allow them to continue sales of products with the logo “for a short period of time.”

Regulators ultimately denied the request to use the logo and now Howard faces a $10,000 fine and an order to “immediately halt” use of the mermaid logo, which is already in use on the company’s merchandise. Howard argues that the rules are “vague and open to interpretation.”

The state Attorney General’s office told the Press Herald that the case is currently the only one pertaining to cannabis industry violations of labeling or advertising.

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France Asks for Citizen Input on Cannabis Legalization & Related Policies

1/18/2021

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France has launched a public consultation about cannabis legalization asking citizens about their views on cannabis and what government policies people would prefer, France24 reports. While the comment period is open until February 28, more than 175,000 people have already responded on the website since January 13. Normally such consultations get about 30,000 responses, the report says.

France has the highest rates of cannabis use in Europe.

Questions posed by the consultation include: “Do you think current policies on cannabis are effective in fighting against drug trafficking?” and “Do you think the risks associated with cannabis are the same as, more serious than or less serious than those associated with alcohol consumption?”

MP Caroline Janvier, a member of the parliamentary committee on cannabis and member of the centrist La République En Marche, said the survey would give lawmakers “more data” than opinion polls.

“Perhaps it will confirm our belief that France’s political class is less sympathetic to the use of recreational cannabis than the public. … Our primary goal is to change the terms of the debate. Many politicians don’t think of it as much of an issue, but France spends €568 million per year on the fight against cannabis trafficking.” – Janvier to France24

In October 2020, the government finally gave the green light for implementing an experimental medical cannabis program but MP Robin Reda, the chairman of the parliamentary committee on cannabis from the right-wing party Les Républicains, said he was convinced “the government will do everything it can to drag its feet and ensure that as few people as possible get to use marijuana on this experimental basis.”

The program only allows products with THC levels up to 0.2%.

“Cannabis use is so widespread in society; we have to respond to that at a political level,” Reda said. “No one should be happy with our current policy when this repressive stance is clearly not working.”

The results of the consultation are expected to be published in April.

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What Is CBN and What Does It Do?

1/18/2021

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When it comes to cannabis, there are hundreds of different cannabinoids and terpenes that produce the effects felt from consumption. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the compound responsible for getting us high, and cannabidiol (CBD), a compound known for providing relief for certain physical and mental ailments, are the two major cannabinoids we are all most familiar with. As the industry evolves, however, so does the science, and with that comes a growing interest in the other minor cannabinoids and their potential effects. Why? Because if consumers can figure out precisely which chemicals they want in cannabis, growers and breeders will know which cannabis to give us.

Right now, one of the most sought-after cannabinoids is cannabinol (CBN), which is a compound believed to have many of the same benefits as CBD.

What is CBN?

Cannabinol (CBN) is a minor cannabinoid created as THCA degrades and oxidizes. It is actually the first cannabinoid ever discovered and isolated from cannabis. Though scientists have been aware of it since as early as the 19th century, the first thing you know about CBN is that there has never been enough research on the compound’s effects on the human body to come to any true conclusion. Most of the information we know about CBN derives from research on mice, and from there, researchers have formed educated guesses on how it may affect you and me. That said, here are some of CBN’s potential benefits:

CBN as a sedative/sleep aid

Currently, cannabinol is thought to be the sedative cannabinoid that makes us sleepy. We don’t know that for sure though. And in fact, there are studies that suggest it is not CBN alone that makes us sleepy, but CBN in combination with THC that sends us to bed. In a conversation with Leafly, Dr. Ethan Russo, who is credited with discovering the entourage effect, said that “Pure CBN is not particularly sedating, but it is typically found in aged cannabis in which the monoterpenoids have evaporated, leaving the more sedating oxygenated sesquiterpenoids.”

CBN as a pain reliever

Research has shown that cannabinol has potential analgesic properties that could help with the treatment of physical ailments like arthritis, migraines, nerve damage, inflammation, and even burns.

CBN as an antibiotic

In addition to being a sleep aid and pain reliever, cannabinol may have certain antimicrobial properties. A 2020 study suggests CBN could help combat MRSA. According to Mayo Clinic, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an infection caused by a type of staph bacteria that’s become resistant to many of the antibiotics used to treat ordinary staph infections.

CBN as an anti-inflammatory

Cannabinol (CBN) may also have anti-inflammatory qualities. Studies have shown to decrease allergen-induced mucus production in mice, “indicating that cannabinoid-based compounds may represent a novel class of therapeutic agents for the treatment of allergic airway diseases.”

CBN as an anticonvulsant

Cannabis has been thought to provide relief for people that suffer from epileptic seizures. A study on CBN using mice suggests that CBN may be a powerful anticonvulsant, especially in conjunction with the other cannabinoids.

CBN as glaucoma therapy

Multiple studies have shown that cannabinol may help combat glaucoma. A scientific study in 1984 that tested the effects of CBN, as well as CBG, on cats. It concluded that cannabinol in high doses had a significant effect in reducing ocular tension, indicating that chronic administration of these cannabinoids lowers ocular tension considerably.

In addition to the treatments listed above, some studies have shown that CBN can be an appetite stimulant, can help with bone marrow growth, and can assist in the treatment of certain cancers. Still, there is much more clinical research needed on CBN as it relates to the human endocannabinoid system before we can come to any true conclusions.

A testing lab worker grips a container of medical cannabis.

Which cannabis strains and products are high in CBN?

If you’re seeking to explore the many potential benefits of CBN, unfortunately, there have not been many cannabis strains that have tested high in CBN. Multiple online sources suggest strains like Death Star, Animal Cookies, Kosher Kush may be high in cannabinol, but there still remains much research (and lab testing) before that can be confirmed. While it remains difficult to tell you which cannabis strains have CBN, many companies have created hemp-derived CBN now that the crop has been federally legalized.

With industrial hemp containing many of the same cannabinoids as cannabis sativa, processors are able to extract CBN from hemp plants and isolate the compound in oils. Because of this, you can find a plethora of oils, tinctures, topicals, vape pens, and even edibles that contain high concentrations of CBN. Should you choose to explore these products, make sure to only purchase from a reputable source who can provide lab testing data and a complete list of their products’ ingredients.

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UFC Allows Cannabis Use By Fighters

1/15/2021

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Positive THC tests are no longer grounds for a violation under the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s anti-doping policy, “unless additional evidence exists that an athlete used it intentionally for performance-enhancing purposes,” the company announced on Thursday.

Jeff Novitzky, UFC senior vice president of athlete health and performance, said that while league officials “want to continue to prevent athletes from competing under the influence” of cannabis, they “have learned that urinary levels of carboxy-THC are highly variable after out-of-competition use and have poor scientific correlation to in-competition impairment.”

“THC is fat soluble, meaning that once ingested, it is stored in fatty tissues and organs in the body and can be released back into the circulation, and consequently carboxy-THC appears in the urine, sometimes long after ingestion. It is therefore not an ideal marker in athletes to indicate in-competition impairment.” – Novitzky in a press release

“The bottom line is that in regard to marijuana, we care about what an athlete consumed the day of a fight, not days or weeks before a fight, which has often been the case in our historic positive THC cases,” Novitzky added. “UFC Athletes will still be subject to marijuana rules under various Athletic Commission regulations, but we hope this is a start to a broader discussion and changes on this issue with that group.”

The changes also remove all other naturally-occurring cannabinoids from the anti-doping list, such as CBD. The UFC said such cannabinoids “are often found in various CBD products used widely by UFC athletes, and no evidence exists that they would provide any significant performance advantage, the laboratories do not test for these compounds, nor have any health and safety consequences for competing UFC athletes.”

The World Anti-Doping Agency removed CBD from its prohibited substance list in 2018.

The UFC has a partnership with Aurora Cannabis for clinical trials to study the efficacy of CBD on wound care, recovery, injury, pain, and inflammation.

Nate Diaz, a UFC fighter, has come under fire in the past for his, very public, cannabis use including a U.S. Anti-Doping Agency investigation into his use of a CBD vape pen during a press conference in 2016. Diaz has been suspended three times for cannabis use.

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Despite Losses, Canadian Cannabis CEOs Among Nation’s Highest-Paid Executives

1/15/2021

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Several Canadian cannabis company CEOs were among the highest paid corporate executives in the nation in 2019, according to a Centre for Policy Alternatives’ analysis titled “The Golden Cushion: CEO compensation in Canada.”

Aphria Inc. CEO Irwin D. Simon was the seventh-highest-compensated executive earning more than $18.4 million in 2019. The company reported a $16.5 million net loss in fiscal year 2019.

Former Cronos Group CEO Michael Gorenstein earned about $15 million in 2019, making him the 14th-highest-paid executive on the list. Cronos reported a $121 million operating loss during the 2019 fiscal year.

Bruce Linton, former Canopy Growth CEO, was the 50th highest earner in the analysis making about $9.3 million in 2019 – the year he was ousted from the company while it reported a $670 million loss.

Hexo Corp. CEO Sebastien St. Louis was Canada’s 62nd highest-paid executive, earning about $8.8 million in 2019 while the firm reported an $81.6 million loss.

The CEO compensation totals include salary, share-based and option-based awards, non-equity incentive plan compensation, pension value, and other types of compensation. Overall, the report found that in Canada, the ratio of average CEO compensation to average worker compensation in 2019 was 202-to-1 and that the average top-100 CEO makes as much money as the average Canadian worker will in a year by 11:17 a.m. on January 4.

The report points out that average CEO pay in 2019 – $10.8 million – was a million less than it was in 2018.

Note: All figures in Canadian dollars

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Cresco Labs to Acquire Bluma Wellness in $213M Deal

1/15/2021

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Cresco Labs has reached an agreement to acquire Bluma Wellness Inc. in an all-share deal that values Bluma at $213 million. The move is the Chicago, Illinois-based firm’s first foray into Florida and Cresco CEO Charles Bachtell, said it gives the company “a meaningful presence in all seven of the 10 most populated states in the country with cannabis programs.”

“We recognize the importance of the Florida market and the importance of entering Florida in a thoughtful way – we identified Bluma as having the right tools and key advantages for growth. Bluma is known for having best-in-class cultivation in the state of Florida, a differentiated retail experience and omnichannel offering with effective delivery, a clear pathway to scale and an incredible management team. We have a proven track record of integrating assets in strategic states, improving fundamentals, and amplifying operations to take share in the most competitive cannabis markets.” – Bachtell in a statement

Bluma operates seven dispensaries under its operating subsidiary One Plant Florida and another eight under legal control or planned to open, the company said. The One Plant shops ranks second in Florida for store sales of flower; 15% of the company’s revenue is from home delivery as the dispensaries act as delivery hubs and support a fleet of 15 vehicles that offer 24-to-48 hour service statewide.

Under the terms of the transaction, Bluma shareholders will receive 0.0859 of a subordinate voting share of Cresco Labs for each Bluma Share held. It is anticipated that, subject to required approvals, the transaction will be completed by the beginning of the second quarter.

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Jonathon Goldrath: Providing Foundational Support to Cannabis Entrepreneurs

1/14/2021

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In any industry, launching your business is often the most difficult and daunting step of entrepreneurship. For people in the cannabis industry, added bureaucracy, regulatory requirements, and constantly changing rules can make that process even more difficult. Enter Jonathon Goldrath, an investor and serial entrepreneur whose firm 317 Opportunities leverages the expertise of its founders to help entrepreneurs break into and succeed in the cannabis industry.

In this Q&A, Jonathon discusses the values that he prioritizes when partnering with a new company, shares stories from launching medical cannabis businesses during the early days of a new market, offers his advice for entrepreneurs who are seeking investors and/or considering a new career in cannabis, and more!

Ganjapreneur: What does 317 Opportunities bring to the cannabis space?

Jonathon Goldrath: We bring expertise that spans the entire spectrum of starting and managing a “plant touching” business in limited-license cannabis programs. My partner Peter and I took 3 businesses from license application to ramp-up to exit in some of the most competitive and highly-regulated medical marijuana markets in the United States including Pennsylvania and Ohio. We did all of this with no existing markets on which to base our business model. Our businesses were often the first of their kind in these states. 317 Opportunities now shares this perspective with local partners in states that are launching or expanding their cannabis programs.

How has your experience in the world of traditional finance shaped your experience in the cannabis industry?

My experience in traditional finance ended up proving invaluable for emphasizing the importance of two things – Process and Compliance.

Creating defined and detailed processes is key to building a scalable business in the cannabis industry. It starts with the license application where you have a very short amount of time to put together what ultimately becomes a several hundred page technical document. This drafting process takes discipline and organization. It reminds me of my investment memo drafting experiences in traditional finance. The same importance of process applies to the actual operations of a cannabis business. When you figure out what works you want to be able to replicate it and capitalize on it. As such, you have to design processes (Standard Operating Procedures) that are comprehensive, measure and utilize data, and are easy to implement. This is akin to the importance of process in underwriting investments in traditional finance. Without a replicable process for investment underwriting any success that you experience is probably more attributable to luck than skill. With Process we utilize data to find out what works and why it works – rinse, wash, and repeat.

The importance of Compliance was constantly emphasized to us in traditional finance. Our day-to-day work was under the purview of half a dozen regulatory agencies and cannabis is no different. Perhaps the cannabis industry faces even more regulatory scrutiny given the fact that it is still federally illegal. A focus on compliance is not just important to stay out of trouble but also to grow your business. Making sure that you are ahead of the curve will help with regulatory approvals and your path to market.

Unsurprisingly, Process works hand-in-glove with Compliance as you need to design all of your processes with regulatory compliance front of mind.

When considering new projects and partnerships, what do you look for most?

First, we analyze the market. Each state’s cannabis program is its own ecosystem and we look for certain characteristics that we find attractive to operate in including total addressable market, barriers to entry, level of regulation, market fragmentation, etc.

Assuming the market is one we that find attractive, the most important thing we look for in our new projects is good local partners – people with the character, integrity and drive that is required for a successful cannabis business. Human Resources is the hardest of the cannabis business from both an investment and operational standpoint. Good talent is hard to come by. We are often competing with much larger and better capitalized industries for talent. Additionally, cannabis is still filled with people who were illicit market operators that have carried those practices over into the legal markets. When we find the right partners this makes us all the more excited.

Do you limit how many projects you will take on at once?

Yes, we do. We typically do not take on more than two projects at once given the amount of time and effort they take. The industry got itself in a lot of trouble a few years ago with people going on flag planting exercises and spreading themselves too thin. We would rather see one or two projects do extremely well than six do just ok.

What role do you take on personally with new 317 Opportunities projects?

We run a very lean shop, it’s just two people. Both of our responsibilities are really soup to nuts — business development, advisory work, portfolio management, etc.

Having gone through the process of applying for and successfully being awarded a state cannabis license, what advice do you have for others who plan to apply?

I would give people three pieces of advice; 1. start early; 2. stay organized; and 3. be original. When an application comes out you will have a very limited window to get your ducks in a row for submission so to the extent that there is any ground work you can do a head of time I would strongly recommend it. Once the application process is underway it is easy to get lost in it. For that reason, it is important to have a clear process for drafting and staying organized. Finally, its important to be original and authentic in your responses. At this point in the industry, a lot of people use application consultants that have been recycling the same application content for multiple clients for multiple years. It’s important to show what differentiates you versus the competition through unique content. Lowest common denominator is not enough in these extremely competitive processes.

How does 317 Opportunities assist clients in the acquisition of licenses?

We form a true partnership with local teams. A partnership not just to create the best application but to create the foundation for an incredible business should we win a license. This is comprised of a wide range of activities including; market analysis, team recruitment, writing Standard Operating Procedures based on real world experience, capital formation, site design, Board of Directors roles, and M&A advisory.

As Deseret Wellness establishes two medical cannabis pharmacies in Utah, are you involved in the planning and execution, and if so what is your role?

As a Board Director, I am very involved in the high-level strategic direction of the business. Our Market President and his staff handle the day-to-day operations. We found and hired him and the other key employees as part of launching the business. My current responsibilities are primarily capital raising, brand development, and regulatory affairs.

What is one piece of advice you would offer entrepreneurs seeking to raise capital in the cannabis industry?

Find investors that can be value-add. Sometimes this is someone who is local and knows a lot of the key stakeholders in the area in which your business will be located. Sometimes it is a person with specific industry expertise that you can use. I would also consider the use of a modest amount of debt in order to minimize dilution of your hard earned equity. Whereas debt was unheard of in the industry a year or two ago it is becoming more and more available today. We actually launched a fund called FocusGrowth Asset Management to capitalize on this opportunity.

Is it harder to know when to exit a project in a volatile industry like cannabis?

It is extremely hard given the regulatory uncertainty and capital markets volatility that we see in cannabis. I have seen this industry go from feast to famine several times over the last five years. You will never be able to time the market perfectly but there are a few things you can do to help your decision making process. Maintain patience and discipline. Write down your goals and model your financial projections from the beginning. It is fine to reassess these things with new information from time to time but I would measure your decision to exit against these goals on a regular basis. More generally, I still think we are early innings in cannabis and if you can hold onto your business in a limited-license state I think it is well worth doing so.

How should cannabis entrepreneurs be thinking about their exit strategy in the context of the prospect of federal legalization?

It depends on where in the supply chain your business lies. I think federal legalization is still a little ways out and once it is passed it is going to take a while to work itself out with respect to the patchwork of state and municipal regulation that we currently find ourselves in. The businesses that are most at risk from federal legalization should be thinking about a medium term exit. These are cultivation businesses in places where it does not necessarily make sense to grow cannabis (i.e. cold climates in the northeast).

What are you most excited about in the cannabis industry right now?

Adult-use legalization coming to my home state of New York!

Where can people go to learn more about you or to get in touch?

You can learn more about me and get in contact with me through https://jonathongoldrath.com/ or at https://www.focusgrowth.com/jonathon-goldrath.

Thank you, Jonathon, for answering all of our questions! Click the links above to learn more.

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What We Know About Biden’s Cabinet on Cannabis

1/14/2021

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With Democratic President-Elect Joe Biden set for inauguration next week – and with his party in control of both chambers of Congress (albeit the narrowest of majorities in the Senate) – cannabis legalization could, finally, get at least a debate in both houses.

There are three measures that the 117th U.S. Congress could consider during Biden’s first term: the SAFE Banking and MORE Acts – which were approved by the Democrat-controlled House in 2019 and 2020, respectively, and the STATES Act, a measure which would give states control over cannabis laws without federal interference that never made it to the House floor.

Were any of the reforms approved by Congress, responsibility for enacting and enforcing provisions of the law would be the responsibility of several government agencies led by Biden’s Cabinet picks. The SAFE Act, for example, would require regulation (and buy-in) from the Treasury Department; the MORE Act would likely involve a host of agencies, including but not limited to Health and Human Services, and the departments of Labor, Commerce, and Justice. The STATES Act would also likely hinge on support from the Justice Department and perhaps Commerce.

Many of Biden’s picks are veterans of the Obama Administration – for which the former Senator from Delaware served as vice president – such as Agriculture Secretary nominee Tom Vilsack, former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, and Domestic Policy Council Chair Susan Rice. Others, including Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris, HHS Secretary nominee Xavier Becerra (California), and Labor Secretary nominee Marty Walsh (Massachusetts), come from states that have legalized cannabis for adult use.

A host of nominees that could play a role were Congress to end federal cannabis prohibition simply have made no public statements on the issue. For example, Veterans Administration secretary pick Denis McDonough, former President Barack Obama’s chief of staff who would be responsible for implementing directives for medical cannabis use for veterans in VA care, has never indicated support or opposition for the reforms. Neither have Council of Economic Advisors Chair nominee Cecilia Rouse, a Harvard-educated economist who serves as dean of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs; Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who served as assistant secretary of state for African affairs in the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs from 2013 to 2017 who was tabbed as ambassador to the United Nations which has said cannabis legalization violates international drug treaties; Environmental Protection Agency Secretary nominee and current Secretary of North Carolina’s Department of Environmental Quality Michael S. Regan; nor Isabel Guzman, California’s Small Business Association Advocate nominated to lead the Small Business Administration.

In an interview discussing Biden’s cabinet picks – which still require Senate confirmation – NORML Political Director Justin Strekal explained that cannabis legalization might not be at the forefront of the new administration’s policy agenda as the nation continues to grapple with the coronavirus and the fallout from the waning days of the Trump Administration – including a possible impeachment trial in the first 100 days of the new Congress.

“Remember, there is no such thing as federal legalization, just ending federal prohibition,” Strekal said in a phone interview with Ganjapreneur. “I’d be hard-pressed to believe it will be a priority [for the administration] but I am convinced it will be a priority for the new Congress.”

Attorney General

Attorney General nominee Merrick Garland is likely the cabinet pick that would have the most outsized role on driving the administration’s policy on cannabis and cannabis law enforcement. Garland, who has served as a circuit judge for the Court of Appeals District of Columbia circuit since 1997, has never made public comments on broad legalization leaving us to rely on just one case to gauge how he has approached the issue.

In the 2012 case, Americans For Safe Access v Drug Enforcement Administration which examined whether the DEA had meaningfully considered the potential use for cannabis as a medical therapy, Garland joined the majority opinion which sided with the DEA.

“…because the agency’s factual findings in this case are supported by substantial evidence and because those factual findings reasonably support the agency’s final decision not to reschedule marijuana, we must uphold the agency action,” the opinion concludes.

But in all likelihood, we can expect Garland to be better for cannabis policy than, say Jeff Sessions, who rescinded the Obama-era Cole Memo shortly after assuming the AG role in the Trump Administration. Or a Bill Barr, who allegedly directed the agency’s Antitrust Division merger investigations to target cannabis businesses because of his personal distaste for the industry.

Treasury Secretary

If confirmed as head of Treasury, Yellen, Strekal explained, would set the “dynamics of safe harbor” for cannabis businesses as it relates to industry’s financial rules and “to what scope they are allowed to handle money.”

Yellen has also made no overt public statements related to cannabis reforms; however, she was chair of the Federal Reserve from 2014 to 2018, during which the agency denied Denver, Colorado’s Fourth Corner Credit Union – a non-profit cooperative formed by state-licensed cannabusiness – its application for a master account, Alt-M reported at the time of the decision. That decision forced the state’s cannabis operators to continue doing business on a cash-only basis.

Secretary of Labor

Strekal had a mixed opinion on Boston, Massachusetts Mayor Marty Walsh, who is tabbed to lead the Labor Department. On one hand, Strekal said, Walsh did oppose the 2016 ballot initiative to legalize cannabis in the state but, Strekal admitted, he is “much better [on cannabis] than four years ago.”

The mayor is “very pro-union,” Strekal explained, adding that broad unionization would add “legitimacy” to the industry and help with “buy-in from local communities.” Prior to his election as Mayor of Bean Town, Walsh served as the president of the Laborer’s Union Local 223 and in 2010 was elected as secretary-treasurer and general agent of the Boston Metropolitan District Building Trades Council, a union umbrella group. In 2011, Walsh was named head of the Boston Building Trades.

It should be noted that in a 2019 interview with One37PM, Walsh said his opinions on cannabis “have not changed.”

“I will say though that the legalization has reaffirmed my commitment to making sure that we’re taking proactive steps to create a strong regulatory process that also brings much-needed equity to this new industry. Cities in other states with recreational marijuana have run into serious equity problems, both in who is profiting from the sales and where the stores are located.” – Walsh to One37PM

Agriculture Secretary

Following Vilsack’s nomination to lead the Agriculture Department, Jonathan Miller, the general counsel to the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, described the former Iowa governor as “a long-time champion of hemp” in an interview with Hemp Grower.

“The USDA under Vilsack recognized that ‘market research’ under the 2014 Farm Bill included product sales … and facilitate[ed] the initial growth of the program, setting the table for the 2018 Farm Bill,” Miller said in the report.

“Throughout the administration, senior aides to Vilsack and other USDA officials were always responsive to industry needs, and the U.S. Hemp Roundtable developed a strong relationship and rapport with the Vilsack team. We look forward to renewing that in January.”

In 2016, during an on-stage conversation with former President Bill Clinton at the Clinton Global Initiative, the former president remarked that he had seen a hemp crop in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that he was told sold for $1 million an acre. Vilsack remarked, “With the exception of the state of Colorado and a few other states that have legalized another product, there are not very many commodities that you can plant, Mr. President, and then grow up to get a million bucks.”

However, during his time as governor, Vilsack did adopt the National Governors Association policies on illegal drugs, which included an anti-legalization platform stating the reforms were “not a viable alternative [to enforcement], either as a philosophy or as a practical reality.”

Biden’s Pro-Cannabis Nominees Cover Commerce, Interior, and HHS

Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo, nominated to lead the Commerce Department, actively pushed for legalization in her state and included adult-use legalization in her 2020 budget. The plan would have included provisions opposed by many industry activists – such as the prohibition of home cultivation, a cap on THC, and putting sales in the hand of the state like some states have in place for alcohol.

In an interview last year with the Providence Journal, Raimondo said she supported the state-run model because it is “the most controlled way to do it, arguably the safest, and the way to maximize state revenue.”

The Commerce Department is responsible for promoting economic growth, job creation, and balanced economic development – which would all be enhanced by federal legalization. A 2016 Tax Foundation report suggests a mature cannabis industry could generate up to $28 billion in tax revenues for federal, state, and local governments, including $7 billion in federal revenue: $5.5 billion from business taxes and $1.5 billion from income and payroll taxes. A Leafly report from February found that the legal U.S. cannabis market supports 243,700 jobs – and that’s without any federal changes.

Biden’s Department of Interior nominee Deb Haaland – the first Native American to hold the post – would be charged with managing and sustaining America’s lands, water, wildlife, and energy resources, in addition to upholding treaties with tribal nations. It’s a post that could have a larger role in legalization than many realize, working with the USDA to develop some cultivation rules and overseeing legalization on Tribal lands.

Haaland, who currently serves as Representative of New Mexico in Congress and is a member of the House Cannabis Caucus, voted in favor of the MORE Act last year.

“Minor drug offenses shouldn’t ruin people’s lives, but the failed drug policies in this country tear families apart and target communities of color. I’ve seen the damage done. The MORE Act is the first step to addressing policies that criminalize people of color. As a co-sponsor of this bill, I’m proud to take this step and I hope my colleagues in the Senate will take a stand for justice so it goes to the President’s desk.” – Haaland in a statement

During her first term, she introduced an amendment to protect tribal cannabis programs as part of the Fiscal Year ’20 DOJ funding package, preventing the agency from using funds to interfere with Tribe-approved cannabis reforms. The amendment was the first tribal cannabis amendment ever offered and passed on the House floor.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has defended his state’s legalization and, as head of HHS could oversee orders necessary to reclassify cannabis under the Controlled Substances Act. In a Los Angeles Times interview in 2017, Becerra remarked that the “federal government has to catch up and get into the 21st century” regarding cannabis law – a Secretary Bacerra could help the feds catch up.

“We have to make sure the federal government is helping us, not hindering us, when it comes to coming up with a good way to regulate it. So it behooves the federal government to pull its head from underneath the sand and start to figure out how to do this the right way. There are far more important things to worry about than whether someone’s smoking marijuana for medicinal purposes or not.” – Bacerra to the L.A. Times

On the flipside, in his role as California AG, Becerra’s office prosecuted a number of illegal cultivation cases, saying the illicit cultivation sites damage wildlife habitats, poison water, and hurt communities. In October, Becerra said the office’s Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP) program eradicated 1.1 million illegally cultivated plants across 455 sites over 13 weeks.

Bercerra also served in the U.S. House from 1993 to 2017 and during his tenure voted in favor of several cannabis-related spending bill amendments, including a 2015 provision preventing the Justice Department from using funds to enforce federal law in states that had approved cannabis reforms.

According to a Marijuana Moment analysis, Becerra voted for a rider to protect state medical cannabis programs each time it came up for a vote while he was in office. He also approved amendments to let the VA recommend medical cannabis to veterans, protect state-approved industrial hemp and CBD programs, give cannabusinesses access to traditional financial services, and boost federal hemp research.

If approved by the Senate, Biden’s cabinet would be the most diverse in the history of the U.S. and that diversity could be advantageous – rather than obstructionist – if Congress passes all (or some) of the major cannabis proposals.

When asked to grade Biden’s proposed cabinet on their cannabis positions, Strekal responded, “The burden is on them to prove themselves.”

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Maryland Cannabis Workers Eligible for Coronavirus Vaccine

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Maryland medical cannabis industry workers are eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine under a directive issued by the Medical Cannabis Commission (MCC) on Monday. According to the document, industry employees fall under the 1A priority group which includes “licensed, registered and certified health care providers.”

Only industry workers who hold active registrations with the MCC are eligible, but the order covers cultivation, dispensary, processing, and testing laboratory employees.

The medical cannabis industry is considered an essential service in Maryland and businesses remained open during government-mandated closures related to the pandemic.

The activist group D.C. Marijuana Justice (DCMJ) said on Tuesday that they planned to give away cannabis at vaccination centers throughout the city as they come online, according to a DCist report.

Organization Co-founder Adam Eidinger said he hopes the plan brings more people into the Capitol City’s vaccination centers.

“If you believe in the science that supports medical cannabis, you should believe the science that supports the efficacy of the vaccine.” – Eidinger to DCist

In 2017, DCMJ handed out more than 10,000 joints at an event, but Eidinger noted that those were hand-rolled and licked which, he said, is an issue during this pandemic. Instead of pre-rolled joints, the group will be handing out individual bags while wearing masks and gloves, from a safe distance outdoors.

The group also plans to give away seeds named “Grasso’s Green” after former D.C. Councilman David Grosso who left his post at the end of last year.

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Cannabis Testing Lab Penalized for Operating Without License

1/14/2021

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A Portland, Maine medical cannabis testing lab has been shut down due to operating without proper city permits and licenses. According to the Portland Press Herald, ProVerde Laboratories was operating without a certificate of occupancy or business license and was open absent a cannabis license from the city.

After citations were issued by the city’s licensing and permitting and fire departments in December, Christopher Hudalla — the Massachusetts-based testing lab’s founder and chief scientist — said he was unaware medical cannabis laboratories needed a license, only labs testing adult-use cannabis. Although he is correct, the state does not require medical cannabis testing and therefore does not register medical cannabis product testing labs, the city of Portland does, the Press Herald reports.

“No individual or entity may operate a marijuana business within the City without first obtaining a license from the City.” — City ordinance excerpt, via the report

Currently in the process of updating its building permit, ProVerde was granted a six-month temporary adult-use cannabis testing license in April but that has expired, Hudalla said. He said the company plans to apply for a new license and has not laid off its Portland staff, but the licensure process is complicated and continues to be hampered by COVID-19.

ProVerde must remove all THC-rich cannabis from the business and is not allowed to test THC-rich cannabis until a new permit is issued by the city. However, the lab can continue to test CBD  and hemp products without a license. A new inspection is scheduled for February 2.

Hudalla insists his lab is necessary and says they have detected “substantial contamination” from pesticides in Maine medical cannabis samples. Despite outlawing “high-risk” pesticides for medical cannabis cultivation, Maine does not require pesticide tests for products destined for medical cannabis patients.

That may change this year, however, with the introduction of a new bill by Rep. Patricia Hymanson that requires more thorough testing for medical cannabis products similar to the state’s adult-use inventory.

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Study: Cannabis Legalization Increases Junk Food Sales

1/14/2021

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Adult-use cannabis legalization leads to increased junk food sales, according to a study published in the December 2020 issue of Economics & Human Biology journal. The study found junk food sales rose 6.3% in terms of sales and 5.1% by volume following adult-use reforms.

Georgia State University economist Alberto Chong, one of the study’s authors, said that while the “consensus today” is that cannabis “does no harm,” there are “unintended consequences” to the reforms “and one of them is the fact that you really get very hungry and you start eating crap,” he said in an interview with the Academic Times.

Chong, along with co-author Michele Baggio of the University of Connecticut, used county-by-county population data from Colorado, Oregon, and Washington – the first states to legalize cannabis for adult use – as well as Nielsen Retail Scanner data from 2006 to 2016 for convenience store, drugstore, and grocery store junk food sales. The researchers controlled for demographic factors such as race, the average age of the population, unemployment rate, and education.

“Specifically, in counties located in [recreational marijuana legal] states monthly sales of high calorie food increased by 3.2% when measured by sales and 4.5% when measured by volume when using our preferred identification strategy.” – “Recreational marijuana laws and junk food consumption,” Economics & Human Biology, Dec. 2020

A 2019 working paper of the study found legal cannabis increased ice cream sales by 3.1%, cookies by 4.1%, and potato chips by 5.3%, according to the report.

Chong and Baggio are also the authors of a 2017 report – again using retail scanner data – that found monthly alcohol sales in counties where cannabis is legalized fell, cumulatively, 15%.

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Illinois Senate Approves Bill to Improve Cannabis Social-Equity Licensing

1/14/2021

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The Illinois Senate on Wednesday advanced a measure to improve the state’s social equity cannabis licensing process, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. The approval comes just over a year after adult-use sales launched in the state with regulators yet to issue a single license to a firm majority-owned by a person of color.

The proposal would create two licensing lottery systems – tiered and qualified – to decide who might receive a dispensary license. The bill would also create a new lottery for 75 additional adult-use dispensary licenses for those who scored high in the first round of licensing but didn’t receive one of the first 75 licenses.

State Sen. Cristina Castro (D) told the Sun-Times that the “main goal…is to get more licenses out the door and into the hands of socially equitable applicants.”

“This plan adds more validity to Illinois’ already strong claim to being the industry leader in cannabis legalization that other states can seek to model their programs after.” – Castro to the Sun-Times

In April, Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) pushed back the date for awarding the state’s social-equity cannabis licenses amid the coronavirus pandemic. In June, officials indicated that the licenses could be awarded in July but they have yet to materialize.

The state has announced that $31 million from cannabis-derived taxes would be used for its Restore, Reinvest and Renew Program, a grant program aimed at small businesses and non-profits in disadvantaged communities.

The measure to improve the social equity licensing regime next moves to the House for a concurrence vote.

The Senate also approved criminal justice legislation that would end cash bail and require the use of body cameras statewide by 2025.

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UK Awards 2nd Medical Cannabis Cultivation Permit

1/14/2021

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The UK has awarded its second permit to cultivate “medical-grade” cannabis after more than 20 years since the first was issued to GW Pharmaceuticals in 1998. The new license was granted to Jersey-based Northern Leaf, according to a Yahoo report.

Northern Leaf plans on supplying THC-rich cannabis to Britain, Germany, Denmark, Spain, and Portugal. The company’s first shipment

Planning to supply THC cannabis to Britain, Germany, Denmark, Spain, and Portugal, the first shipment grown in their 75,000-square-ft. greenhouse — the license covers a total of 400,000-square-ft. — is expected to be a half-ton, according to Northern Leaf’s Chief Executive Campbell Dunlop.

“Demand is increasing globally and the market is currently undersupplied,” Dunlop said.

International cannabis market research firm Brightfield Group says the European cannabis market could reach as high as €330m ($403m, £297m) in 2020. They expect the UK cannabis industry to see a compound annual growth rate of 98 percent between 2020 and 2025. Germany has the largest medical cannabis market in Europe at the moment with 2020 sales reaching $267 million — by 2025, however, the German market is expected to sell $2.1 billion in cannabis annually.

Although the numbers may seem high, they pale in comparison to the United States market, where annual adult-use and medical cannabis sales are expected to reach $30 billion by 2025, according to the report.

The UK is only one of a handful of countries that allows the export of THC-rich cannabis and has a national medical cannabis system. In the UK, medical cannabis is legal with a prescription from a “specialized” doctor such as a neurologist or pediatrician. Adult-use cannabis, however, is categorized as a Class I substance under the “Misuse of Drugs Act 2001” in the UK. For small possession, police may issue a £90 fine or a warning, but distribution or cultivation carries up to a 14-year prison sentence and an unlimited fine.

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Using Cannabis to Aid Physical Recovery

1/13/2021

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Jointly is a new cannabis wellness app that launched in April 2020. Jointly’s mission is to help people discover purposeful cannabis consumption. Purposeful cannabis consumption starts with the question: why do you use cannabis?

For example, many athletes and active adults use cannabis or CBD to help them recover. What does that look like?

It could be an ICU nurse finishing a shift and taking a puff from a CBD cartridge to ease her aching feet. Or a martial artist massaging a 1:1 salve into his battered joints to reduce inflammation and get back to the dojo as soon as possible. Or an active mother juggling workouts, kids and a new business who uses cannabis tinctures to relax, improve her appetite, and sleep soundly through the night.

Can cannabis or CBD help you recover? Jointly can help you find out! But first let’s review what is known about cannabis and physical recovery.

Does Cannabis Speed Up Recovery?

We all know exercise is good for us. But sometimes we forget recovery is just as important. To get back to the activity you love, you need to recover in an optimal amount of time.

The body has natural mechanisms of recovery, but with work, kids and social obligations, sometimes life gets in the way and recovery takes a backseat to training. But if you repeatedly exercise without letting your body recover, you can put yourself in a state of overreaching that can negatively affect your mood and energy levels.

Cannabis is such an effective recovery aid that many professional athletes have secretly used cannabis to help them recover, even when it might have cost them their career. Why? Because cannabis has pain relieving, appetite enhancing, stress relieving, sleep enhancing and mood boosting effects—all factors that contribute to a timely recovery.

Unfortunately, due to federal prohibition on cannabis, researchers have not done controlled studies looking at how cannabis affects physical recovery. However, there are various mechanisms by which cannabis or CBD could aid recovery.

What is Recovery?

Exercise, particularly high-intensity and resistance exercise, creates damage in the form of “perturbations of the skeletal muscle,” which results in a loss of strength that continues until your body repairs itself.

This damage is called exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD), and is characterized by a complex process involving delayed onset muscle soreness, swelling and inflammation. These symptoms generally peak around 24-48 hours after exercise, and are recovered in about 7 days.

Researchers have stated, “Precisely defining ‘recovery from exercise’ is a challenging task due to the varied means of recovery.” For example, are you recovered when you are fully healed back to baseline, or simply ready for additional training stress?

Despite the debate over the term, recovery is generally considered to be the resolution of pain, soreness, swelling and inflammation, paired with the adaption of the tissue and a return to normal strength.

What Does the Science Say?

The body has natural mechanisms of recovery, so what gets in the way? Time seems to be a limiting factor, but no one can get more hours in the day, so sports medicine scientists have indicated that using additional therapies to alleviate symptoms of muscle damage “may be advantageous to individuals who require rapid recovery between bouts of physical activity.”

And there is ample anecdotal evidence that cannabis is one of the most effective natural therapies for accelerating physical recovery.

Why might cannabis and CBD help people recover?

Dr. Michael Gleeson, a professor of exercise biochemistry at Loughborough University, discussed six factors that can decrease recovery from exercise: muscle soreness; poor exercise performance; decrease in appetite; infection; quality and quantity of sleep; gastrointestinal abnormalities.

One factor that Dr. Gleeson does not mention is psychological stress, which research has shown adversely affects muscle recovery in the short term after exercise-induced damage.

Cannabis and CBD can benefit several of the conditions that inhibit recovery, specifically prolonged inflammation, muscle soreness/pain, appetite, sleep and psychological stress.

Inflammation

Intense exercise “triggers a flood of chemicals known as cytokines, some of which inflame muscles, that manifests as soreness the next day.” Numerous studies have demonstrated that CBD exerts an anti-inflammatory effect. In preclinical trials, CBD inhibited production of “pro-inflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species” and stimulated production of anti-inflammatory cytokines.

In the context of physical recovery, inflammation is not the enemy, but rather “a key process underlying muscular repair and regeneration.” When you use cannabis or CBD to recover, the goal is not to completely eliminate inflammation, but rather to aid and accelerate your body’s natural repair mechanisms with cannabis or CBD to get you back on the trail, the court or the slopes.

Pain and Soreness

Exercise-induced muscle damage is associated with significant muscle pain and soreness.

Specifically for exercise induced muscle damage, the conventional methods of treating pain seem to negatively affect muscle adaption.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are usually the first-line of defense against pain and soreness after a vigorous workout, but these drugs “have been reported to attenuate exercise-induced skeletal muscle adaption.” That means that Ibuprofen may actually limit the ability of your muscle to recover from training.

Many people have found great success in treating their muscle pain and soreness with CBD or cannabis. The endocannabinoid system “has been shown to play an important role in the modulation of a wide range of physiological processes including neurotransmission, pain perception and inflammation.”

According to researchers who study cannabis and pain, “it is not an exaggeration to state that all experimentation using animal models of pain” have suggested that cannabis exerts a significant analgesic effect.

Eating

With all of the stress of modern life, sometimes it can be challenging to work up an appetite even if you have worked out. However, eating is one of the most important parts of recovery.

In the sports science world, it is well known that “negative energy balance will interfere with wound healing,” which means that if you eat too few calories, your body will not have the building blocks to recover.

Cannabis makes most people want to eat, which is great in the context of physical recovery. As far back as 300 C.E., physicians in India recommended cannabis “to treat loss of appetite.” As a result, many athletes and active individuals use the appetite enhancing aspect of cannabis to boost their recovery.

CBD seems to have the opposite effect at high doses. Low doses of CBD have been shown to have no influence on food intake, but high doses of CBD or chronic CBD treatment seem to suppress appetite in both humans and rodents.

Sleep

Whether it is work stress, caffeine, kids, light pollution or your downstairs neighbor, sometimes you just can’t get the sleep you need to recover. Many people use cannabis and CBD to fall asleep and stay asleep longer.

According to strength coach Anthony Ricciuto, “Muscle damage from a workout gets repaired during the sleep cycle—the body’s cells are recycled and a cascade of different hormones is activated to produce muscle growth.”

Researchers have found that daily cannabis use led to greater total sleep time in older adults.

CBD has shown mixed results. The first placebo-controlled, double-blinded crossover trial found that the sleep improving effects of CBD were dose dependent. The researchers found that 160mg of CBD—but not 40mg or 80mg of CBD—increased self-reported sleep duration in individuals with insomnia.

Psychological Stress

While Gleeson et al. does not discuss psychological stress as a factor that can inhibit recovery, there is evidence that “life event stress” decreases short term muscle recovery, even when controlling for physical fitness, workload and training experience.

A 2019 study out of Washington State University found that one puff of high CBD, low THC weed dramatically reduced symptoms of depression, two puffs of any type of cannabis was enough to reduce anxiety, and ten or more puffs of cannabis high in THC and CBD produced the most dramatic reductions in stress.

A small number of clinical trials have explored the effects of CBD on subjective anxiety in healthy individuals and individuals with social anxiety disorder. The evidence suggests that moderate doses of CBD may reduce anxiety in stressful situations.

Perhaps the stress-relieving benefits of cannabis or CBD contribute to their usefulness as recovery aids.

There are many ways cannabis and CBD can help you recover, so how can you find out if cannabis or CBD is the right choice for you?

Use Jointly to Recover Faster with Cannabis or CBD

With Jointly, you measure how well a cannabis product helps you recover.

As you record how well each product works for you, Jointly helps you track the 15 factors that can impact your individual cannabis experience so that you can minimize side effects and enjoy your ideal experience every time. You can also use Jointly to find products that might work better for you to aid in recovery.

Jointly users who have optimized their cannabis consumption by reporting at least 10 cannabis sessions are feeling 38% better.

Download the Jointly app today and start accomplishing your wellness goals with cannabis and CBD!

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