Lancaster County, Nebraska Sheriff Terry Wagner – the plaintiff in the Nebraska Supreme Court case that blocked the state’s medical cannabis ballot initiative for the general election – said he doesn’t know who paid for the legal work to get the issue in front of the court, the Lincoln Journal-Star reports.
Wagner said Lincoln attorney Mark Fahleson brought it to his attention “that it didn’t appear that the ballot language met the constitutional muster for single issues,” he told the Journal-Star, noting that “no tax dollars were used in the litigation.” Wagner said the attorney wanted to use his name as the challenger on the lawsuit since it was no secret he opposed medical cannabis legalization.
Fahleson, who served as the chairman of the Nebraska Republican Party from 2009 to 2013, told the Journal-Star that the question of who funded the challenge was attorney-client privilege.
Wagner said that since he is a public servant whose job is to enforce existing laws, he can express his opinions about cannabis legalization during work time – which is paid for with tax dollars. He said medical cannabis legalization is “just a foot in the door for the marijuana industry to get into the state and then desensitize the population to the use of marijuana.” He added that he doesn’t believe cannabis is medicine.
Fahleson said why he chose Wagner was also a matter of attorney-client privilege.
Ultimately, the state Supreme Court ruled that the initiative proposal violated the single-issue clause for ballot questions, determining there were at leasteight issues wrapped into the question.
Former New York Police Department officer Robert Cascalenda — who retired from the department on September 17 — filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit against the City of New York on Wednesday, alleging that his former employer discriminated against and harassed him because of his use of doctor-prescribed medical cannabis.
The lawsuit alleges multiple counts of disability discrimination, hostile work environment, and retaliation in violation of both New York state and New York City laws. The suit also contains allegations of negligent hiring practices; negligent failure to train, supervise, and discipline employees; and, lastly, discrimination in violation of New York Health Law §3369, the statewide medical cannabis statute which includes employee protections for registered patients.
The former police officer is pursuing compensatory, emotional distress, and punitive damages from the city as a result of his nightmarish experience.
A downward spiral of opioids and prescription meds
According to the suit, Cascalenda suffered a series of work-related injuries after starting on the force in 2008, including a sprained shoulder in 2010 while working with the School Safety Task Force, followed later that year by fractures in both of his shin bones — the result of wrestling a student who had assaulted a teacher.
Around early 2012, the plaintiff began taking medication for anxiety. Later that year, he was involved in a Line-of-Duty vehicle accident that injured his neck and back. In 2014, he was diagnosed with anxiety disorder and chronic insomnia.
Through it all, Cascalenda was prescribed a hefty regimen of medications including opioids for his pain (including Percocet, OxyContin, Hydrocodone, Tramadol, and Morphine) as well as anxiety and sleeping medications. The plaintiff, however, also suffers from a birth defect that makes him prone to pancreatitis, and the many prescription drugs he was taking exacerbated the issue and he began experiencing regular bouts of pancreatitis.
In 2017, Cascalenda was diagnosed with depression. In 2018, he was placed on restricted duty and his gun and shield were removed. He was also treated for Lyme Disease in 2018 but was not diagnosed — he was, however, diagnosed with chronic pain.
In 2019, he was hospitalized for several days in a coma. During this time, he was given a spinal tap and officially diagnosed with Lyme Disease; he was also diagnosed with fibromyalgia. After the hospitalization, Cascalenda spoke to his private doctor, who warned that he had reached dangerous levels of prescription medication and that he needed to immediately begin weaning himself off the opioids, in particular. His doctor discussed the option of and ultimately recommended medical cannabis as an alternative. Cascalenda, despite suffering from multiple conditions that would qualify him for the New York medical cannabis program, continued with his prescription medications.
In 2019, he began to suffer more severely from anxiety and insomnia. He was later referred for psychiatric evaluation within the NYPD.
Eventually, the plaintiff met with Dr. Joseph Hederman, a doctor with the NYPD Medical Division, who said that he had reached deadly levels of medication and needed to immediately begin decreasing his opioid intake. Cascalenda said he knew this, and that his private doctor had recommended medical cannabis. According to the suit, Dr. Hederman reiterated that Cascalenda needed to reduce his intake of prescription drugs if he wanted to live, and he approved the medical cannabis recommendation given to him by his private doctor.
Cascalenda followed through and began to use medical cannabis, but that was where his coworkers and supervisors took issue.
Internal Affairs Bureau involvement
Following the appointment with NYPD Medical Division, the plaintiff was suddenly being surveilled by the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB), according to the suit.
The plaintiff was given a “random” drug test on September 5, 2019. On September 11, 2019, he was hospitalized for pancreatitis due to stress and pills. When he was released from the hospital on September 15, IAB told him he was being suspended for 30 days without pay because he had tested positive for cannabis. He tried showing the IAB Seargent his medical cannabis ID card and explained that Dr. Hederman with the NYPD Medical Division had approved his cannabis use.
IAB then took Cascalenda into custody and held him unlawfully overnight in their office. The plaintiff says he was belittled and harassed by members of IAB who accused him of being a hypochondriac and of faking his many illnesses. At one point, an IAB officer allegedly opened the door on Cascalenda while he was using the restroom; the remaining officers (about five, according to the suit) pointed and laughed at him while he was on the toilet. The harassment occurred in front of an IAB Seargent, who “took no steps to intervene,” the suit alleges.
One IAB agent told Cascalenda’s sister — who is also a police officer with the NYPD — that the “job would never approve of an officer using marijuana,” according to the suit.
Following the incident, Cascalenda’s NYPD identification was taken from him but he was allowed to continue using cannabis, as per mandatory appointments with the NYPD Medical Division. At this point, he was still taking pharmaceuticals in addition to his medical cannabis prescription. Stress from the IAB’s harassment was mounting, however, and after failing another “random” drug test in October 2019, IAB told him to stop his medical cannabis use altogether.
At this point, Cascalenda began suffering regular panic attacks. On October 30, 2019, in the midst of a panic attack, Cascalenda suffered a severe asthma attack. He called 911 and communicated that he was suicidal and needed assistance. He was taken to a hospital and placed on a ventilator. He remained in a coma there for seven days, the first three of which he spent handcuffed to his hospital bed. He was also intubated during his hospital stay, which caused vomiting, which caused aspiration in his lungs, which ultimately led to pneumonia.
Cascalenda lies in a coma in the hospital, where he was handcuffed to his bed for three days. Photo courtesy of the Cascalenda family.
Cascalenda left the hospital on November 21, 2019. Prior to his discharge, he was also diagnosed as bi-polar.
The following months contained a series of professional retaliation in the form of unwarranted surveillance and purposefully cruel assignments. According to the suit, Cascalenda was told he could continue to do his work if he stopped using medical cannabis and switched back to his prescription medications.
In February 2020, Cascalenda put in his retirement papers for psychological disability pension. His last day at the NYPD was September 17, 2020.
The law is clear
New York lawmakers legalized medical cannabis in 2014 with what was — and still is — considered one of the country’s most restrictive medical cannabis laws. According to Cascalenda’s attorney John Scola, however, New York law clearly states that medical cannabis patients are considered disabled under the state’s employment protections for people with disabilities, and there are strict employment protection rules in place to benefit such people.
As for federal law, which still considers cannabis illegal as a Schedule 1 substance, “The [Controlled Substances Act] makes marijuana illegal, but it doesn’t make hiring marijuana users illegal,” Scola told Ganjapreneur.
For his part, Cascalenda — who is still using medical cannabis as per his prescription — says he feels betrayed by the department.
“I thought the job would be there after I almost died,” he told Ganjapreneur.
“I only filled the prescription for medical marijuana after it was expressly approved by the Medical Division. When I needed the NYPD most, they suspended and stripped me of my health insurance simply because I was prescribed a non-fatal alternative to opioids.” — Robert Cascalenda, former NYPD officer, in a statement
The lawsuit demands a trial by jury.
A representative for the NYPD told Ganjapreneur that the department will review the lawsuit when they are served.
Members of Congress from Oregon have introduced a measure to give state-legal cannabis businesses access to federal disaster relief programs.The proposal comes as wildfires ravage the West, and are having a devastating impact on the cannabis industry.
The effort is being led by Democratic Rep. Peter DeFazio, Rep. Earl Blumenauer and Democratic Sens. Ron Wydenand Jeff Merkley.
In a statement, Merkley said regardless of someone’s stance on legal cannabis, “we can all agree that families in all of our communities are struggling to keep the lights on and stay afloat during this turbulent time — and that they need and deserve support.”
“That includes thousands of small business owners, workers and their families who rely on state-legal cannabis businesses for their livelihoods. We have to make sure those families won’t be shut out from critical assistance that can make a real difference.” — Merkley in a press release
The Small Business Disaster Relief Equity Act would allow cannabis businesses to be eligible for relief pursuant to any federal disaster declaration issued beginning January 1, 2020, the Congressmen said in the joint release. The legislation would require the head of each individual agency to allow state-legal cannabis businesses to apply for assistance retroactively.
DeFazio called it “ridiculous” that affected cannabusinesses “are being denied critical wildfire aid because of outdated policies.”
“Cannabis businesses employ thousands across Oregon and are a vital economic engine for our state,” he said in a statement. “This important legislation will ensure that these businesses are eligible for the same aid as every other business impacted by the 2020 wildfires.”
The King County, Washington City Council is considering shifting cannabis-derived funds from thecounty Sheriff’s Office and instead using the $4.6 million forcommunity programs and a program to help individuals vacate cannabis-related convictions and settle court fees, fines, and restitution, Marijuana Moment reports.
Under King County Executive Dow Constantine’s (D) plan, $2.8 million of the county’s cannabis-derived funds would be earmarked for “a program to help individuals vacate convictions of marijuana-related offenses that are no longer illegal, and settle unpaid court fines, fees, and restitution that could lead to incarceration,” according to the report. The remaining $1.8 million would be used for community programs aimed at employment and youth cannabis prevention.
“It is a fact that Black communities have suffered and continue to be disproportionately harmed by our nation’s ‘war on drugs,’ and this begins to undo some of that harm.” – Constantine via Marijuana Moment
The county’s budget includes a section titled “Becoming an Anti-Racist County” and includes reforms “to shift the County’s focus from a system of criminal justice to one of racial and social justice.”
In a statement, Republican King County Council member Reagan Dunnsaid the proposal “neglects what is possibly the most important and basic job of government: to provide for the safety of our residents who rely on law enforcement during times of crisis.”
“By cutting law enforcement funding by $6.2 million, County leadership would completely eliminate key services such as the [King County Special Operations] gang unit, while simultaneously emptying an entire floor of the jail onto the streets of King County,” he said.“This is a dangerous approach to public safety and all county residents should be very concerned.”
The county’s next budget meeting is September 30. The budget enactment process is expected to run into next month.
PAX Labs have been leaders in vaporizer technology since the release of their first PAX dry herb vape. The company was started in 2012 by two Stanford scholars who were looking to improve the scant technology offered then to cannabis connoisseurs. At the time, the most well-known convection vape was a Volcano, and none of the portable pieces could deliver a pure flavor without burning the herb. When the PAX portable dry herb vape was released, it changed the market for the better. There are now three generations of PAX dry herb vapes along with two generations of the PAX Era, a battery compatible with pre-filled cannabis oil pods that are available at many adult-use dispensaries.
Recently, PAX released a new line of its third-generation product. “Our new color palette is a beautiful range of modern, refined colors, hand-selected to reflect a sophisticated, yet still discreet, design,” said Jesse Silver, PAX Labs’ Senior Vice President of Product.
Along with updated color releases, the PAX 3 is the very first device from PAX Labs that can switch between vaping dry herb and concentrates. It also introduces Bluetooth connectivity to the line. Both products connect to the PAX Companion app for customization, device locking, updates, and precise temperature control down to the degree. There are also some other notable differences when vaping with the PAX 3 that may sway the user from other pieces.
The PAX 3 session is intuitive — turn it on, set the temp, wait for the piece to heat up and vibrate, and then inhale. Turn the lightweight piece on by pushing the button in the middle of the silicone mouthpiece. When activated, the LED logo on the front will light up and then begin heating. The carefully crafted machine is so technical that it makes the user experience simple. To vaporize dry flower just grind the herb, fill the chamber, and you’re ready. The concentrate vaping process using the insert isn’t that much more complicated. Just load the concentrates, plug in the insert, and set the temperature.
There are a few ways to set the temperature. One simple way is to hold the activation button down while the piece is on until the logo lights up. In this mode, each of the four lights that make up the PAX logo represents a temperature. Cycle through each heat setting by clicking the button once, then hold down to go back to the vape setting. It’s also easy to set the temperature using the companion app, which allows the temp to be set either down to the degree or to one of five perceptive settings, Standard, Stealth, Efficiency, Flavor, and Boost.
The Standard setting is the default setting for the PAX, boosting temps while you draw and auto-cooling when you’re not. Stealth mode dims the LEDs and auto-cools quickly to reduce the odor. Efficiency ramps up gradually during a session along with the standard boost and auto-cooling to get the most out of the herb or oil. Flavor mode is optimized for the best terpene and flavonoid profile with on-demand heating. Boost temps aggressively and auto-cool slower to heat the chamber efficiently.
Vaping with the PAX 3 is an excellent experience, and the piece works best when the chamber is somewhat full and the battery is completely charged. One fully tamped chamber of dry herb can easily be shared with up to 3-5 light smokers or provide a big session for one person. There are some reasons that the PAX 3 is a step ahead. The device heats quickly, which is a major plus compared to similar portable dry herb vapes. When it comes to flavor, the vapor matches the strain profile which is an indication that flavonoids and terpenes aren’t being burnt off by the applied heat. When using the piece to vape concentrates, it works best at the highest temperature, lightly loaded, and held upright. It is also imperative to clean the chamber after each session.
Playboy Enterprises, the owners of the adult magazine, is joining cannabis and social justice advocates on a cannabis law and advocacy campaign “to push for legalization, decriminalization and destigmatization of cannabis,” the company announced on Thursday.
Initial partners for the campaign include the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), Last Prisoner Project, Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), the Veterans Cannabis Project, and the Eaze Momentum Program.
Rachel Webber, chief marketing officer of Playboy Enterprises, said the company feels the campaign is its duty “as stewards of an iconic champion of progress,” noting that Playboy has advocated for social reforms – including cannabis legalization – for more than 50 years.
“Since its inception, Playboy has fought for cultural progress rooted in the core values of equality, freedom of expression, and the idea that pleasure is a fundamental human right. For far too long, our nation’s policy toward cannabis has been backward and punitive, leading to decades of injustice in our legal system and to social stigma and shame.” — Webber in a statement
The three-pronged campaign will focus on public policy, people, and culture. CEO Ben Cohen published an op-ed in conjunction with the campaign’s announcement calling on Congress to pass the MORE Act.
The company is also donating $25,000 to both the Last Prisoner Project and the Eaze Momentum accelerator program to help bolster their social justice and equity initiatives. The social media platforms of some of its prominent Playmates – which boast tens of millions of followers – will be loaned to representatives of MPP, Veterans Cannabis Project, Eaze, and the Last Prisoner Project, to spread art from seven artists inspired by the federal inequities of cannabis prohibitionand to raise awareness of the inequities and stigma around cannabis.
In June, the company re-launched the Playboy Foundation and established an initial $250,000 fund to support organizations fighting injustice, and immediately donated $150,000 to organizations committed to Black liberation.
Michigan’s Senate has passed legislation that would allow thousands of state residents to expunge criminal records for low-level criminal offenses and some felonies, MLive reports. Current state law allows for expungement; however, according to the Alliance for Safety and Justice, just 6.5 percent of people eligible for expungements actually get their records cleared.
The measure would automate the expungement process for many criminal offenses. The bill includes language allowing a court could reinstate a conviction if the record was expunged in error or if the person didn’t meet court-mandated requirements, the report says.
Under the bill, the expungement process would begin seven years after an eligible misdemeanor conviction or 10 years after an eligible felony conviction, so long as the offender has not been convicted of a crime since. Automatic expungement would be capped at two felony and four misdemeanor convictions total.Violent crimes, serious misdemeanors, crimes of dishonesty, driving while intoxicated,and convictions involving minors or vulnerable adults would not be eligible under the program.
Other bills included in the reforms would open up the expungement process to low-level cannabis convictions and many traffic offenses, increase the overall number of expungements a person can receive, and multiple convictions that occurred in the same 24-hour time period to be consolidated.
The main bills in the package passed the House last November and the chamber still needs to approve the changes made by the Senate before heading to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) for final approval.
Illinois cannabis sales to out-of-state residents have nearly doubled since sales began in January from $8.6 million to $17.2 million in August, the Center Square reports. Under state law, non-Illinoisans can purchase 15 grams of flower per dispensary visit while residents can purchase up to 30 grams.
Sales in the state seem to set new records every month climbing from $44.3 million in May to $47.6 million in June, $61 million in July, and $64 million in August. The state sold $39.2 million in cannabis during January and $30.6 million of those sales were to in-state residents, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Sales in the state remained strong at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, reaching $37.3 million in April; just $7.6 million of April’s sales were to out-of-staters.
Brandon Costerison, with the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, told Center Square that substance use has increased across the board during the pandemic. He said “it makes sense” that cannabis sales among out-of-state residents were on the rise in Illinois which he described as “kind of an island” in the region. Michigan is the only other Midwestern state with legal cannabis access for adults.
Through August, Illinois cannabis sales have topped $600 million. The state had collected nearly $52.8 million in taxes derived from the industry from January to July. The governor’s office had predicted $28 million in state revenues from the first year of sales.
About eight in 10, or 82 percent, of migraine patients say cannabis has provided them pain relief, according to a study conducted by Migraine Buddy and Healint outlined by Pain News Network.The study gathered data from nearly 10,000 migraine patients from the U.S. and Canada who used the Migraine Buddy app.
The researchers also found that nearly a third of migraine patients have tried medical cannabis or other cannabinoids to relieve migraine-related pain and symptoms.
Healint CEO and co-founder Francois Cadiou said that “cannabis is becoming a prominent treatment option for chronic pain patients, especially for migraineurs.”
“With more and more states across the United States legalizing medical marijuana, migraine patients are becoming acquainted with cannabis as a natural remedy that can help alleviate migraines and even prevent them. Research about the benefits of cannabis use among migraine patients is slowly emerging, but more must be done to properly inform individuals about the use and dosage of medical marijuana to treat migraines.” — Cadiou in a statement via Pain News Network
A study published in 2017 found patients experienced a 40.4 percent reduction in migraines or cluster headaches when using a cannabis oral solution. A study published last year in the Journal of Pain found patients who had used inhaled cannabis self-reported headache and migraine severity reduction by 49.6 percent and 47.3 percent, respectively.
However, neither of these nor the Migraine Buddy/Healint study used a placebo and relied on self-reported data.
A survey by cannabis company Verilife published last month found 13 percent of millennials (22 to 38-years-old) and 8 percent of baby boomers (56 to 76-years-old) said they used cannabis medically to treat migraines.
According to the American Migraine Foundation, about a billion people worldwide suffer from severe headaches or migraines, which affect three times more women than men.
Cheech Marin is partnering with Cannabis10X, global investors, and the quintessential Bruce Linton to judge 15 global cannabis brands competing for the coveted Cannabis Crown.
Maverick Cannabis10X founders, Jason Tropf and Holly A Ford, introduce to the cannabis world the 15 finalists from their Capital Pitch Event: Retail Alchemy! Competing for funds, acquisitions, partnerships and, of course, The Cannabis Crown, these 15 brands have defeated more than 100 rivals to earn their prestigious place in the penultimate showdown on Saturday, September 26.
This is a 5-minute pitch, ‘Shark-Tank’ style to Bruce Linton, Founder & Former CEO of Canopy Growth Corp, Hamish Sutherland, CEO of White Sheep Corp, & Patrick Rea, Founder of Canopy Boulder. And as an added element of alchemy, audience votes decide the early ‘Coin’ round champions.
Speakers for this essay in magic feature Cheech Marin of the original Cheech & Chong, interviewed by founders Jason Tropf and Holly A. Ford, as well as Cy Scott, CEO & Co-Founder of Headset; Kiran Sidhu, Founder and Director of international powerhouse Halo Labs; and Curt Dalton, CEO of Cannabis.net, as he interviews Cannabis10X judge Bruce Linton.
In a recent interview, Ford was asked how the event name, Retail Alchemy, was chosen. “Alchemy is an ancient branch of natural philosophy. Alchemists transmuted base metals into noble metals. They created the elixir of mortality, the panaceas that cured all disease, and perfected the human body and soul from the alchemical Magnum Opus (The Philosopher’s Stone),” said Ford. “Our retail brands are doing the same thing. They are creating gold with their businesses that sell an elixir that cures disease and stabilizes the body chemistry and soul.”
After more than 100 brands submitted their concepts to be considered for the capital pitch event, the Cannabis10X team interviewed and selected 40 semi-finalists. Those 40 brands underwent an excruciating semi-finals where they had a mere two minutes to convince judges Hamish Sutherland, CEO White Sheep Corp, Krishnan Varier, Managing Director Arcadian Fund & Patrick Rea, Founder & CEO Canopy Boulder, that they wielded superiority over their peers.
Fume, House of Saka, Endourage, Hush, Voyager, Halo Cannabis, HANF, Blinc, Dadirri, Sunpath, Nug, Hendrix Farms, Pineapple Express, Tree of Life Seeds, & Herron Family Farms levitated to the top, earning them each a seat at the final showdown on Saturday, September 26.
“We are running with a very eclectic crowd,” Tropf said. “We work with political leaders, multi-billion dollar funds and celebrities, along with a wealth of international cannabis brands all that even include brands launching their seed rounds of funding.”
The Cannabis10X team exudes wealth and professionalism. As a business brokerage, they assist clients primarily in raising capital, franchising their businesses, & creating successful exits and partnerships. The popular Cannabis10X events serve the ultimate purpose of creating wealth for their clients.
“We love the event for its levity and fun,” said Ford. “But in truth, we are all, collectively graced with an unprecedented opportunity to empower humanity to protect their own health and consciousness. We take that opportunity very seriously.”
The last Cannabis10X event — Build a Better Mousetrap — collected a virtual audience from 14 countries, sold out at 1000 attendees, and created wealth for 24 innovative brands. These events are uniquely distinct from all other cannabis events: they encourage brands in all stages of growth to compete, the judges are world-renowned cannabis leaders, and the ‘Shark-Tank’ style Q&A provides an unprecedented learning platform for competitors and spectators alike.
“There is a definite element of levity at these events!” said Tropf. “But there is no mistake that they are creating serious growth in this industry.”
Tickets are priced deliberately low to allow all to participate in the event’s powerful education opportunities — $25 for tickets, and an additional $25 for accredited investors who would like a complete set of decks post-event. Limited sponsorships remaining.
The Ann Arbor, Michigan City Council has passed a resolution decriminalizing all naturally occurring plants and fungi – including psychedelic mushrooms containing psilocybin – becoming the fourth city in the U.S. to approve such reforms, according to a Click on Detroit report. The measure makes enforcing psychedelic laws “the lowest law enforcement priority.”
Ann Arbor City Council member Anne Bannister said that the city’s police department had already considered psychedelics “a very low enforcement priority.”
The plants remain illegal under state law and police can file charges for possessing them if they are committing other crimes, the report says.
The resolution says such plants and fungi “can benefit psychological and physical wellness, support and enhance religious and spiritual practice and can reestablish humans’ inalienable and direct relationship to nature.”
Ann Arbor was one of the first U.S. cities to decriminalize cannabis in the 1970s and it has a far more relaxed approach to drug enforcement than most other Michigan cities.
Oakland and Santa Cruz, California have each passed similar measures. In 2019, Denver, Colorado voters approved an initiative decriminalizing psychedelic mushrooms.
The Vermont Legislature has pending legislation that would decriminalize psilocybin, ayahuasca, peyote, and kratom statewide but that measure has not made it to the floor for a vote.
Voters in Oregon will decide in November whether to legalize psilocybin for medical use. If approved, Oregon would be the first state to legally allow psychedelic use for medical or recreational purposes.
Under new Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance, state-legal cannabis operators can reduce gross business receipts using an accounting method available under Section 471, according to a WeedWeek report. Currently, all cannabis-related businesses that are considered illegal under federal law must file under Section 280E, which does not allow normal businesses expense deductions.
“The Internal Revenue Service takes the position that section 280E-affected taxpayers must calculate their cost of goods sold pursuant to Internal Revenue Code section 471 and the associated Treasury Regulations. Generally, this means taxpayers who sell marijuana may reduce their gross receipts by the cost of acquiring or producing marijuana that they sell, and those costs will depend on the nature of the business.” — IRS update
Attorney James Mann, who is representing California dispensary Harborside in a tax dispute against the IRS, told WeedWeek that the update is a “good thing,” and the agency is “doing what it should be doing which is educating, in particular, the small cannabis business people about how to get into compliance and what the applicable rules are.”
“I know there are cannabis lawyers who say the federal government is constantly trying to crush the cannabis industry, and that may be their experience or may be true,” he said in the report. “But, generally speaking, I think the IRS is just trying to administer the tax law as they see it. Many people disagree with me, but I don’t see that they’re motivated by any special animus toward the cannabis industry. And this guidance proves it. This is the IRS saying, ‘Here are the rules of the game, guys.’”
Section 471, which was enacted under the tax law approved in 2018, allows businesses grossing $25 million or less in revenue to deduct a greater portion of their expenses. The update comes six months after a Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration report indicated that industry tax compliance could improve with further use of Section 471.
An Arizona medical cannabis patient has been charged under federal law with cannabis possession following a stop and search by a Bureau of Land Management ranger, Phoenix New Times reports. Nathan Freddy said he was stopped while hiking near a canyon in Winkleman by the officer who was investigating unauthorized vehicles at the trailhead.
Freddy told the New Times that during the conversation with the officer he had opened his backpack to retrieve something and the officer said he smelled cannabis. Freddy admitted to possessing a pipe but the officer searched the bag and found a bag of cannabis, a grinder, and a vape pen. The officer cited Freddy for cannabis possession under federal law.
During his first court appearance, Freddy said prosecutors offered to drop the charge if he paid half of the associated fine; however, Freddy refused on principle. Freddy said he brought the contraband onto federal land because he felt it was safer to bring it with him than leave it at his campsite or vehicle.
“I would like to be tried in front of my peers and see what they think. … I don’t think it’s right to deal with two sets of rules.” — Freddy to the New Times
Marc Victor, a local attorney and drug legalization advocate, told the New Times that while he doesn’t like Freddy’s chances in a jury trial, he said he might have some room to argue the case because the cannabis was obtained legally under state law.
Voters had approved a constitutional amendment to legalize medical cannabis in 2016. Lawmakers included edibles in their version of the law, but the products had been on hold until regulations were developed. Under the rules, edibles are not allowed to be in shapes that could appeal to children or resemble “commercially available candy.” They also cannot include toppings such as icing or sprinkles.
In a statement, Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers said it was important to get “non-inhalation options” to patients. Trulieve has the most dispensaries in Florida and has started carrying chocolate bars and brownies.
“Immediately after initial approvals came in, we focused on ramping up production to ensure consistent statewide distribution. We’re excited to be expanding access to the types of medications patients have available to them and look forward to broadening our product line over the next few months.” – Rivers in a press release via the Sentinel
In addition to Trulieve, Curaleaf, Surterra, and VidaCann have been awarded licenses by the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to produce edibles for medical cannabis patients.
As of September 11, there were more than 411,000 registered patients in the state, according to Office of Medical Marijuana Use figures outlined by the Sentinel. The total represents a 37 percent increase from around 299,000 patients at the start of the year.
Over the past several years, CBD products have taken the world by storm, and it seems like every week there is a new brand with a new type of infused product on the market. But amid all the excitement about CBD’s therapeutic properties as a wellness supplement, the CBD landscape is severely under-regulated which can often translate into risks for the consumer. In a market so new, how can anyone be sure which CBD products are the safest and most effective? Enter: Remedy Review.
Remedy Review is a publication that was built with the goal of helping consumers navigate the ever-changing and fast-growing CBD industry. The online resource was founded in 2018 and features honest reviews of real CBD products. Before publishing, each review is proofed by medical advisors to ensure accuracy. The company aims to help consumers who are new to CBD overcome the learning curve, as co-founder Marc Lewis said the goal is to “help people feel better and buy smarter.”
The Remedy Review website offers a variety of resources to learn about CBD itself, as well as about specific brands and products.
The team behind Remedy Review has plenty of experience in guiding consumers in making smart choices. Prior to launching the publication, the three-person team worked on educational & honest review platforms in other consumer-focused industries. After watching the explosion of products entering the hemp sector it was clear that their consumer-serving expertise was needed. After the brand became more familiar with the industry, products, and consumers it was clear that keeping up with CBD was a daily learning process. And that is what the Remedy Review team continues to do.
“Millions of people are looking for alternative remedies for pain, sleep and anxiety. We just hope to help them shop smart in a confusing space.” — Marc Lewis, co-founder of Remedy Review
While only three people maintain the day-to-day operations at the publication, there is also a team of writers, nutritionists, and medical doctors on hand to weigh in on reports and help create content. Each advisor was handpicked to cover a wide range of specialties so that the team would always have a specialist to filter specific questions through. As for where they get the products to review, that can vary: sometimes a company will send their line directly to the team for review, and oftentimes readers will suggest specific products or brands they’d like to see subjected to the Remedy Review standards.
Once a product is received, it is sent to a third-party lab to be tested for potency, accuracy, and additives. Before publishing, every review featured on the site is medically reviewed for accuracy by specialized doctors and/or nutritionists. Since the primary concern of Remedy Review is the consumer, they are one of the few CBD-focused sites that will publish negative reviews when a product does not live up to their standards. Their goal is not to take down companies, but to hold them accountable: the publication wants to divert people to brands that they can trust while calling out the bad actors and encouraging better business practices. The team also works with widely distributed health publications like Health to evangelize possible benefits of well-made CBD products.
This multifaceted scientific approach is unique to Remedy Review and through their endeavors, the team has become immersed in the world of supplements and natural wellness. In the future, the site could expand to cover more varieties of products in this category. Lewis hopes to see the publication serve as a place for someone to learn anything they need to know about natural health in one user-friendly, no-nonsense platform. Natural health is often a personal journey to achieving balance in the body, and Remedy Review is focused on helping those who have chosen to embark on that journey.
Cannabis advocates and businesses have launched the Alliance for Sensible Markets with their sights set on cannabis interstate commerce among legalized states. The organization says cannabis commerce between consenting markets “will bring investment, expansion, business formation, and tens of thousands of jobs in the midst of an historic recession.”
According to the group’s website, interstate cannabis commerce would be achieved in two steps: getting the governors “of at least two legal or legalizing states” to agree to an interstate compact for cannabis products, and forwarding the compacts to Congress for approval.
In June, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) signed a bill that would allow cannabis businesses to export their products to other legal states; however, no other state has approved rules for import or export.
Moreover, it’s unclear how suppliers would be able to move cannabis through states that still prohibit cannabis use or sales by adults. All too frequently hemp shipments are seized in states that do not allow for its production and transporting cannabis across state lines – regardless of legality – remains violation of federal law. Last year, Democratic lawmakers from Oregon, Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Earl Blumenauer, introduced legislation to allow interstate cannabis commerce between legalized states but that bill has stalled in the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
About 50 organizations and businesses are listed as campaign partners on the organization’s website, including the Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA), New York City Cannabis Industry Association, Humboldt County Growers Alliance, Soma County Growers Alliance, Craft Cannabis Alliance, and Global Alliance for Cannabis Commerce.
Adam Smith, founder and president of the Alliance for Sensible Markets, told Marijuana Moment that such a policy change would lead to “valuations for thousands of farms and businesses increased by multiples, which will spur an immediate wave of investment expansion and job creation.”
“On the east coast in the consumer states, legalizing cannabis with interstate commerce, will mean that they can get industries up and running and stable in six-to-18 months, rather than three years or five years or seven years, spurring an immediate wave of investment, business formation and tens of thousands of jobs just when the states need them. We are looking to partner with the governors and be their partners in economic recovery.” – Smith to Marijuana Moment
Along with Smith, the organization’s board of directors include Dr. Rachel Knox, president of Cannabis Health Equity Movement; Bill Kelly, general partner at cannabis industry investment fund AgriCascadia; Shanita Penny, CEO Budding Solutions and a past president of the MCBA; Genine Coleman, founder and executive director of the Origins Council, a California-based nonprofit education, research, and cannabis policy advocacy organization; Jesse Peters, CEO of Mantis Growth Investments.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article contained a typo suggesting it was illegal to transport hemp products across state lines. Interstate hemp commerce, however, was made legal under the 2018 Farm Bill.
A CBD café has opened in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong – the first of its kind in the region, the Associated Press reports. The café, named ‘Found,’ is allowed to serve pre-packaged CBD-infused edibles and drinks that contain 0 percent THC in accordance with Hong Kong laws.
According to the report, the owners plan to sell freshly prepared infused products by next month. Fiachra Mullen, co-owner of Altum International, a cannabinoids supplier in Asia that operates Found, said he hopes the endeavor can break the stigma around CBD and separate the cannabinoid from THC and other recreational drugs. “We are trying to create a new conversation here, moving away from stoner culture,” Mullen told CNN.
“Hong Kong is actually one of Asia’s most progressive cannabinoid markets. Unlike other parts of the region — Australia, New Zealand, Singapore — it’s actually quite a progressive cannabinoid law in Hong Kong.” – Mullen to the AP
Mullen plans to host educational workshops and other wellness activities at the café, believing CBD – and other “minor cannabinoids” such as CBC and CBG – “will continue to become a larger trend for health and wellness in Hong Kong, helping individuals bring some balance back to their body and mind,” he said.
“Much of it is driven by the year that Hong Kong has had with the protests and, of course, the COVID 19 pandemic,” he said in a HuffsnPuffs report. “A lot of our customers take CBD first thing in the morning with their coffee before they leave for work; it helps with mindfulness and makes them somewhat more resilient to whatever happens that day.”
Hemp farmers are eligible for expanded U.S. Department of Agriculture coronavirus aid under a $14 billion plan announced by the agency last Friday. The program begins today and runs through December 11.
Under the plan, hemp qualifies as a “flat-rate crop” – defined as either not meeting the 5 percent price decline trigger to participate in the program or lack of data to calculate a price change. Payments to eligible hemp farmers will be based on “eligible 2020 acres multiplied by $15 per acre” the USDA said in a press release.
Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said that while “America’s agriculture communities are resilient,” they “still face many challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“President Trump is once again demonstrating his commitment to ensure America’s farmers and ranchers remain in business to produce the food, fuel, and fiber America needs to thrive. We listened to feedback received from farmers, ranchers and agricultural organizations about the impact of the pandemic on our nations’ farms and ranches, and we developed a program to better meet the needs of those impacted.” – Perdue in a statement
Under the program rules, farmers with an Adjusted Gross Income over $900,000 are ineligible for the funds unless at least 75 percent of their income is from farming, ranching, or forestry-related activities. Payments are also capped at $250,000, although there are some exceptions for corporations, limited liability companies, and limited partnerships “when members actively provide personal labor or personal management for the farming operation,” the agency said.
While the hemp industry was eligible for federal coronavirus relief under a plan rolled out in March, hemp prices had not fallen the required 5 percent from January to April preventing the sector from accessing the aid.
United Kingdom-based medical cannabis companies are eligible for listing on the London Stock Exchange so long as they have the appropriate government licenses, IR Magazine reports. Under the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) guidance, companies that also produce recreational cannabis are banned from the exchange.
The FCA said it will allow overseas cannabis companies on the exchange as long as their operations are not considered criminal under the UK‘s Proceeds of Crime Act (PoCA). The Agency said it will review such businesses to ensure that they don’t run afoul of the law.
“We consider that there remains a risk that the proceeds from overseas medicinal cannabis business may constitute criminal property for the purposes of the PoCA. This includes where the company possesses a license issued by an overseas medicines or pharmaceuticals licensing authority.” – FCA in a statement via IR Magazine
Roby Zomer, co-founder and managing director of MGC Pharmaceuticals, which is already publicly traded in Australia, said the firm had started seeking listing in the UK “more than a year ago.” He said the company would “be one of the first cannabis-related companies to list in the UK” in the wake of the guidance.
The FCA said that while a company might be legally operating outside of the UK, the agency cannot “assume a person who has been licensed in an overseas country would receive a license…in the UK as licensing regimes differ globally.” Cannabis companies outside of the UK that apply for listing will have to show that it would be legal under UK rules and provide information about its business and licenses.
Nebraska activists have turned in 15,000 signatures to establish the Legal Marijuana Now party in the state, four years after falling short due to a lack of valid signatures, the Lincoln Journal-Star reports. The campaign – led by Mark Elworth Jr. – needs 6,800 valid signatures to establish the party, which already has full ballot access in Minnesota and has been off and on the ballot in Iowa.
“We’re marijuana smokers. You can imagine what we’re about. We’re really about the lifestyle. Not just marijuana. We’re a whole culture that is not represented, really, by anybody.” – Elworth to the Journal-Star
Elworth said his focus for turning in the petition, even though it won’t get the party access to 2020 ballots, is to prevent young people from leaving the state. He said young Nebraskans are “hopeless” when it comes to the state’s politics. Elworth is also the Democratic nominee for Congress; however, the party is not supporting him because he failed to fill out an application with the party.
The Legal Marijuana Now party was started in Minnesota more than 30 years ago as an offshoot of the Grassroots Party.
If the signatures are validated, the party would be eligible for ballot access during the 2022 elections. Elworth indicated that if the party is approved, he would spend the next two years getting people registered with the party.
Earlier this month, the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled that the state’s medical cannabis initiative violated the single-issue rule and blocked it from appearing on ballots in November.
A study by researchers at Australia’s Chris O’Brien Lifehouse found a 14-25 percent reduction in chemotherapy side effects, such as nausea and vomiting, in patients who used cannabis capsules containing a 1:1 THC to CBD ratio, 9News reports.
The trial involved 80 patients and Associate Professor Peter Grimison, a medical oncologist at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, said an extra “one in 10” had control over their nausea and vomiting compared to placebo. About one in three cancer patients experience nausea and vomiting, despite anti-nausea medications.
“More than four in five patients said they preferred having cannabis despite some side-effects because they had better control of nausea and vomiting.” – Grimison to 9News
About a third of the patients in the study reported side effects, including drowsiness, dizziness, or disorientation.
Cannabis is approved for cancer patient use under nearly all state-approved medical cannabis programs.
A study published last year by Minnesota Department of Health researchers at found that cancer patients enrolled in the state’s medical cannabis program reported “significant reduction” in the severity of symptoms in the first four months of cannabis treatment, including a 50 percent reduction in the number of patients that experienced vomiting.
A study published in the European Journal of Internal Medicine in 2018 conducted by medical cannabis producer Tikun Olam found 96 percent of cancer patient respondents reported an improvement of their condition through the use of medical cannabis, including reduced nausea.
A Cancer-published study in 2018 also found 24 percent of patients treated at Washington’s Seattle Cancer Care Alliance had used cannabis for both physical and psychological symptoms related to their disease.
Democratic leaders in the U.S. House said they are pushing back the vote on the MORE Act – which would end federal cannabis prohibition – as the chamber needs to focus on the coronavirus relief bill, NJ.com reports. The MORE Act vote had been expected this month.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (MD) indicated the chamber would bring a vote on the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act by the end of the year.
“The MORE Act remains a critical component of House Democrats’ plan for addressing systemic racism and advancing criminal justice reform. Right now, the House is focused relentlessly on securing agreement to stave off a damaging government shutdown and continuing to do its job addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.” – Hoyer to NJ.com
In a statement, Democratic co-chairs of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, Reps. Earl Blumenauer (OR) and Barbara Lee (CA) said “the public deserves this vote.”
“As Americans confront hundreds of years of systemic racial injustice, ending the failed war on drugs that has disproportionately hurt Black and Brown Americans must be front and center,” they said.
In addition to removing cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, the measure requires federal courts to expunge prior cannabis-related convictions and would authorize a 5 percent tax on sales to create an Opportunity Trust Fund. The fund would be administered by the Department of Justice and Small Business Administration to support those who have been adversely affected by the ‘War on Drugs’ by providing assistance to socially and economically disadvantaged small business owners and minimize barriers to cannabis licensing and employment.
State lawmakers would still have to pass legislation to legalize cannabis – and cannabis sales – in their state.
The measure faces strong opposition in the Republican-led Senate.
Lift & Co. Corp, a cannabis-focused events company based in Canada, has filed for bankruptcy after failing to reach an agreement with its secured creditors and inability to sell its consumer marketing and trade marketing divisions. The company said it owes $3.5 million in secured debts.
The company had announced an “asset light strategy” at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, meanwhile, unsuccessfully shopping its marketing division. In a press release, the company said it had received seven non-binding offers for the division and was “on the cusp of signing a definitive agreement” to sell the division but, ultimately, “it would not be possible to come to an agreement” with their creditors that would allow the sale.
“Lift & Co. does not have the working capital necessary to repay the amount owing on the secured convertible debentures or to continue carrying on its business. As a result, Lift & Co. has made a voluntary assignment for the benefit of its creditors under section 49 of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (Canada) and all of its directors and officers have resigned.” – Lift & Co. in a statement
The firm said its debentures matured on Sept. 10 and that it had also missed the Sept. 14 deadline for the filing and delivery of its financial statements.
Lift & Co. said the coronavirus pandemic resulted in its cash flow from events “essentially ceasing.”
According to a LiveDesign survey of live events businesses, 76 percent indicated they had lost 75 percent of their business since March. About 71 percent of respondents said their revenues had fallen 75 percent.
A former state prison in Orange County, New York has been transformed into the Kaycha Labs medical cannabis and hemp testing facility, Mid-Hudson News reports. The medium-security prison was closed in 2011 but previously served as a youth reform farm started by then-Gov. Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
After the state closed the prison, the land was acquired by the Town of Warwick which established the Warwick Valley Office of Technology and Corporate Park.
Mike Sweeton, Town of Warwick supervisor, said officials are hoping to attract other hemp businesses to the area.
“We settled very quickly on a hemp development cluster in Warwick.” – Sweeton to the News
However, New York Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard Ball said last month officials do not intend to submit a state plan for the 2021 hemp growing season unless the U.S. Department of Agriculture changes certain program requirements. New Yorkers are still able to obtain hemp cultivation licenses through the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service but would be beholden to federal, rather than state, rules.
The 9,000-square-foot testing lab boasts a 48-hour turnaround time and is one of the most advanced cannabis and hemp testing labs in the state. Marco Pedone, the lab’s co-founder, said that they will test for potency, pesticides, biotoxins, and heavy metals.
The lab would also test cannabis for recreational sales, which will likely be a legislative priority for New York lawmakers next session after two years of start-and-stop negotiations and an extraordinary budget deficit caused, in part, by the state’s coronavirus shutdown.
