Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed an executive order on Thursday to automatically expunge the cannabis possession convictions of 2,732 Coloradans who were convicted of possessing an ounce or less of cannabis.
The pardons were made possible under H.B. 20-1424, sponsored by state Rep. James Coleman and Sens. Jule Gonzales and Vicki Marble. Specifically, an amendment added by Sen. Gonzales authorized the governor to automatically pardon a whole class of defendants convicted of possessing up to two ounces of cannabis.
“We are finally cleaning up some of the inequities of the past by pardoning 2,732 convictions for Coloradans who simply had an ounce of marijuana or less,” Gov. Polis said before signing. “Too many Coloradans have been followed their entire lives by a conviction for something that is no longer a crime, and these convictions have impacted their job status, housing, and countless other areas of their lives.”
Sarah Gersten, Executive Director for the Last Prisoner Project, said the mass pardoning, however, fell short of expectations.
“While this mass pardon is a step in the right direction, by limiting eligible convictions to possession of less than one ounce Governor Polis is only providing relief for a fraction of those harmed by unjust drug laws,” said Gersten.
“And we know in Colorado, as in the rest of the country, enforcement of these laws disproportionately falls on communities of color. Additionally, by time-barring who is eligible for an automatic pardon, the process will further leave out those (again disproportionately communities of color) who were unable to take advantage of the regulated market post-2012 due to the numerous barriers to entry into the legal industry.” — Gersten, in a statement to Ganjapreneur
Note: click here for help finding out if you received a pardon under the governor’s executive order.
A study published last month in the Journal of the American Heart Association suggests that the vape-associated lung injury (EVALI) condition could be produced by vape products that contain neither THC nor vitamin E acetate, pointing instead to the metals used in the products.
In rodent studies, the researchers “observed an e‐cigarette or vaping product use–associated lung injury‐like condition that occurred acutely after use of a nichrome heating element at high power, without the use of tetrahydrocannabinol, vitamin E, or nicotine.”
The study notes that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 82 percent of EVALI cases included THC use and another 57 percent of cases reported e-cigarette nicotine use.
The researchers said that while their studies are ongoing, e-cigarette users “should be cautioned about the potential danger of operating units at higher than recommended settings and be aware that adverse effects can occur without THC, vitamin E, or nicotine.” They added that the published study was limited since they did not include unflavored vape products and that “vaporization of propylene glycol/vegetable glycerin at a higher temperature may also have contributed,” but was not measured in the study.
“…However, the fact that the e‐liquid and flavoring was the same for both heating elements, but the EVALI‐like syndrome only occurred in the [nickel-chromium alloy] group, makes it unlikely that the tobacco flavoring used in the [e-cigarette] was the sole culprit.” – “E‐cigarette or Vaping Product Use–Associated Lung Injury Produced in an Animal Model From Electronic Cigarette Vapor Exposure Without Tetrahydrocannabinol or Vitamin E Oil,” Sept. 8, 2020, JAHA
The researchers caution that e-cigarette users “should be cautioned about the potential danger of operating electronic cigarette units at high settings; the possibility that certain heating elements may be deleterious; and that E‐cigarette or vaping product use–associated lung injury may not be dependent upon tetrahydrocannabinol, vitamin E, or nicotine.”
An Alabama circuit court judge has denied a motion to release Sean Worsley, a disabled Iraq war veteran and Purple Heart recipient, from jail for cannabis possession citing previous convictions, failure to comply with “any condition of bond or probation,”Fox News reports.
In the denial, Judge Samuel Junkin noted that Worsley had previously “fled this jurisdiction both times he was released.” According to the report, following Worsley’s arrest in Alabama, he and his wife returned to Arizona where they faced homelessness and joblessness due to the case in Alabama.
The judge had received a community supervision agreement for Worsley, who is Black, that included an employment offer from BLOX LLC., an Alabama-based manufacturing, design, and construction company that included a promise from the company to help the Worsleys find stable, local housing. The agreement also included a letter of support from the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs promising to advocate for Worsley to the federal VA. The package to the judge also included receipts showing that Worsley’s court costs and fees had been paid in full.
Pickens County is notorious for its racist history — the city hall is even said to be haunted by the ghost of a Black man who was killed while fleeing a lynch mob. Notably, the father of Judge Junkin was also a Pickens County judge who caused a national outrage over his harsh treatment of two Black women who were registering voters in their neighborhood.
From 2006 to 2007, Worsley served in Iraq as a combat engineer during “the Surge” — considered the most intense days of the war — clearing roadside bombs and improvised explosive devices. He suffered a traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, and a 100 percent disability rating from the VA.
Leah Nelson, a lead researcher with the Alabama Appleseed, said Alabama’s justice system “worked exactly as it was designed to” in Worsley’s case.
“The arresting officer, judge and prosecutor each exercised discretion at various points, but ultimately, what happened to Mr. Worsley is a predictable outcome of Alabama’s grossly punitive drug laws and the United States’ refusal to meet disabled veterans where they are or provide them with the services they need.” — Nelson to Fox News
Beau Armistead, a certified trauma professional who has offered Worsley one free Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy session per week for as long as he needs it, said that prison will likely cause Worsley’s PTSD to worsen.
“When you live with that level of hypervigilance and you’re in an environment that’s already stressful and chaotic and a bit scary, like prison, it just ramps that up and causes an extreme amount of stress,” he told Fox News. “In order to heal from PTSD, you have to be in a safe environment. If you don’t have a sense of felt safety, you can’t heal.”
Worsley’s wife, Eboni, said her husband has been “really, really, depressed” and urged people to “just to write to him if they can.”
He is currently in Pickens County Jail awaiting transport to state prison to begin serving a five-year sentence.
Support for cannabis legalization in New Zealand appears to be dwindling as a recent 1 News/Colmar Brunton poll found 35 percent supported the reforms, down from 40 percent in June, 39 percent in February, and 43 percent in November 2019. The poll found 53 percent oppose legalization in the country, up from 49 percent in June and 51 percent in February.
Another poll conducted by Horizon Poll last month found support split 49.5 percent to 49.5 percent. Previously, the firm found 56 percent support in June (43 percent opposed), 54 percent support in February (45 percent opposed) and 48 percent support in November 2019 with 38 percent opposed. The 49.5percent opposition is the highest level seen by the company since it started asking the question in November 2018 – when support was 60 percent and opposition was just 24 percent, with 16 percent undecided.
New Zealanders will vote on the issue October 17 in a non-binding referendum. If approved, lawmakers will move forward with the legalization planthat would set the consumption age at 20, allow ‘coffee shops,’ permit personal cultivation up to two plants – four per household – and set purchase limits at 14 grams.
As the referendum looms, 60 New Zealanders – including former Prime Minister Helen Clarke – have launched a campaign urging support for the reforms.
“I think there’s everything to play for with this one. If you averaged out all the polls, it’s a tough race but it’s doable.” — Clarke to the Guardian
The opposition group – Smart Approaches to Marijuana NZ – said they will spend the electoral limit of NZ$300,000 plus tax on their campaign to defeat the referendum.
A report commissioned by the Ministry of Justice authored by BRML suggests New Zealand could see NZ$1.4 billion annually from legalized cannabis along with 5,000 new jobs.
During a debate this week, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern admitted to having smoked cannabis “a long time ago.” She stopped short, however, of endorsing legalization reforms.
Many cannabis flowers are dried and cured before going to market, but live products are crafted using flower that is taken fresh off the plant. The flavor and aromatic notes are robust and more closely resemble that of the live cannabis plant than other concentrates. This may be why live resin products are in such high demand in all adult-use cannabis markets. Consumers don’t just dab live resin, they are also buying live vape cartridges. According to statistics from the BDSA Green Edge platform, live resin captures a 22% share of California’s vape market.
Headspace technology
Research-focused terpene company Eybna Technologies noticed the market’s natural preference for live resin and sought to understand why these products were more desirable to the consumer. To do this, the terpene profile of a few cannabis plants were studied at three phases. The data was collected from the plant using the company’s proprietary Headspace technology which can provide insight into the chemical makeup of flowering plants. Headspace technology is a tool traditionally used in the fragrance industry to capture the makeup of plants at their aromatic peak. This is the first time the technology has been used for researching the cannabis plant.
All plants used in this study were grown in controlled conditions in a medical cannabis greenhouse. Researchers used Headspace tech to collect data from multiple top colas on the same plant to cut down the possibility for error. The study was focused on monitoring the patterns of terpene change throughout the cannabis life cycle in hopes of revealing the phytochemical difference between cured and live plant profiles.
The Headspace technology utilizes an adsorbent fiber located within a hollow glass dome to collect various volatile compounds from the live plant. Using this fiber, terpene content was collected at 3 stages: from fresh colas on the live plant, after they had been dried for one week, and again after being dried and cured.
The results
As expected, the results offer insight into which terpenes degraded/evaporated and which preserved at various points of production from the farm to the dispensary shelf. Findings show that at the fresh, planted state, a cultivar has the highest expression of monoterpenes like Beta Myrcene, Alpha Pinene, Beta Pinene, and Limonene. After one week of drying and curing, each of these terpenes decreased significantly — Beta Myrcene content decreased by 55%. While monoterpenes were decreased during the curing process, sesquiterpenes like Alpha Humulene and Beta-Caryophyllene were increased. Sesquiterpenes almost doubled in their ratio from the total terpene content in data taken after the harvest processes were complete, with Alpha-Humulene increasing 100% and Germacrene increasing 154%.
Many compounds in the plant are highly volatile, evaporating from plants with the smallest change in the atmosphere. Monoterpenes have a lower molecular weight and higher evaporation rate, the patterns shown by this research supports our current understanding of the volatile nature of cannabis compounds. The study results also showed the significant evaporation curve of some other highly volatile compounds responsible for the cannabis top aromatic notes.
For the industry, it provides scientific understanding into why many consumers prefer live concentrates to those extracted from dried, cured herb. Based on the data presented by Eybna, the depth of flavor and strong aroma of live resin may be directly related to the percentage of monoterpenes available at this stage in the plant cycle.
“By advancing our research tools to capture every single note the fresh cannabis flower produces, pushing each raw material to the highest level of purity, and the great passion of our team for the diversified cannabis aroma – we were able to make a new category of live botanical terpene profiles.” — Nadav Eyal, Co-Founder & CEO of Eybna Technologies
In response to the demand for complete flavor profiles in vape products, Eybna has used these findings to develop a “Live Line” based on the rare aromatic profiles of live cannabis plants. The company is offering a line of botanical terpenes in Cherry Kush, Sequoia, Forbidden Fruit, Alien OG, Orange Cookies, and Kush Note to assist cannabis brands as they answer the demand for more authentic, whole-plant cannabis products.
In the future, their data may be used to estimate the age of a plant, the date of harvest, and possibly even the length of the curing process.
Eybna’s new terpene formulations have a unique taste and smell profile but are not intended to replace the live resin products available on the market, and the company says it will ensure its products are not made with the aim of misleading consumers. The company intends to continue its research with the Headspace technology into the cannabis plant’s many fascinating and volatile compounds.
Activists in Mexico have planted a cannabis garden right next to the nation’s Senate building following a Supreme Court decision in 2018 that effectively ended prohibition in the nation, Al Día reports. Despite lawmakers not yet passing a broad legalization law, people are permitted to smoke cannabis from the garden for 30 minutes at a time without fear of being arrested or charged by police.
Jose Rivera, a cannabis activist, told Reuters that the garden is a tool to educate and offer “human rights.”
“We want (Mexican lawmakers) to understand that we are smoking quietly and that we are not a risk to anyone. Enough of the mistreatment.” — Rivera to Reuters
Cannabis consumers, generally, can still be charged and prosecuted; however, police do not seem interested in the “Garden of Maria,” those using cannabis in it, or those who take care of it, according to Al Día.
A cannabis legalization bill proposed in Mexico — required by the Supreme Court decision — would permit possession and cultivation for people aged 18-and-older, tax cannabis sales at 12 percent, allow public consumption, cap personal possession at 1 ounce, decriminalize possession up to 200 grams, and allow for the personal cultivation up to 20 plants, which must be registered with the government and cannot exceed 480 grams annually.
Under the proposal, medical patients would be allowed to grow an additional 20 plants, and hemp and CBD would be exempt from regulations that apply to THC products.
Once the legalization law is approved, Mexico will join Canada and Uruguay as the only nations to have ended cannabis prohibition nationally.
A recent survey by Playboy Enterprises and Eaze found that more than two-thirds of respondents said they had paired cannabis and sex during quarantine related to the coronavirus pandemic.
The survey found 32.9 percent said they “very often” paired cannabis and sex, along with 29 percent who said they did so “sometimes,” and 14.4 percent who said they “always” consumed cannabis before having sex.
The survey, part of a recently announced partnership between Playboy and cannabis advocacy groups and businesses, found a 5.6 percent increase in those who reported having more orgasms — versus pre-COVID — while using cannabis.
Sexual satisfaction also improved during shelter-in-place months, according to the survey, with 22 percent of respondents saying they are “extremely satisfied” with solo sessions (up from 18.7 percent pre-COVID) and another 35 percent said they were “extremely satisfied” with partnered sex (up from 33.2 percent pre-COVID).
Post-COVID, the number of people who reported having no sex in a typical month increased by 110 percent, along with a 20.8 percent decrease in sex five or six times a month, and a 27.3 percent decrease in sex seven or eight times a month. Masturbation frequency and duration also decreased in conjunction with cannabis use. The survey founda 16.9 percent decrease in those who masturbated one to four times a month pre- versus post-coronavirus.
The survey also found an increase in cannabis use during lockdown and a decrease in alcohol consumption. Daily cannabis use increased by 3.2 percent, while weekly use decreased by 18.4 percent, and less than once a month cannabis use increased by 7.1 percent.Daily drinking among the survey respondents saw a 15.9 percent decrease pre-COVID versus today,with once-a-week drinkingincreasing by 24 percent. There was a 17.8 percent decrease in people who drink alcoholtwo or three times per week, and a 9.5 percent increase in the number of respondents who said,“I don’t drink.”
The survey found that during quarantine cannabis topical use increase 100 percent, along with edible use (13.8 percent increase), vaping (4.3 percent increase), and joint and preroll use (3 percent increase). Flower use among respondents decreased 10 percent, while usage rates for tinctures, capsules, and concentrates stayed the same.
The American Medical Association (AMA) and Mississippi State Medical Association are circulating a sample ballot encouraging voters to reject the activist-led medical cannabis initiative — Initiative 65 — in favor of Initiative 65A which was approved for ballots by the legislature,Marijuana Moment reports.
I65, which will appear on General Election ballots in November, is the product of a campaign led by Mississippians for Compassionate Care. The activists collected more than 105,000 signatures from each of the state’s five congressional districts in order to put the issue to voters. The proposal, a constitutional amendment, outlines 20 “debilitating conditions” that would qualify a patient for the program.
I65A would require lawmakers to enact a comprehensive medical cannabis program in the state. That plan, according to a Ballotpedia analysis, would only grant access for medical cannabis to terminally ill patients, require pharmaceutical-grade cannabis products, and leave tax rates, possession limits, and other details to the legislature.
Jamie Grantham, communications director for Mississippians for Compassionate Care, told Marijuana Moment that the issue “boils down to patients being able to have access to this through their physician.”
“They need to be able to have that conversation with them. If certain physicians don’t see a benefit to that, that’s fine. But lots of other physicians do, and that’s evidenced undeniably in the 34 other states with medical marijuana programs where patients are receiving relief.” — Grantham to Marijuana Moment
The question on ballots will appear as a two-step process. Mississippi voters who do not want medical cannabis legalized will vote “against both” but can still vote for the initiative they prefer in the event “approval of either” gets more votes than “against both.”
From Ballotpedia:
“Voting ‘either measure’ signals that the voter wants either Initiative 65 or Alternative 65A to pass, thereby allowing the use of medical marijuana by qualified patients. The voter must then proceed to the second question to choose their preferred version.
Voting ‘neither measure’ (against both) signifies that the voter wants neither Initiative 65 nor Alternative 65A to pass. The voter can then proceed to the second question to choose their preferred version in the event the ‘either’ option gets more votes.”
The medical associations are urging voters to vote against both but for I65A.
AMA President Susan Bailey called the advocate-led proposal “the wrong approach,” while MSMA President Mark Horne called the initiative “an effort focused on generating profits for an industry that has no ties to the medical or health care community in Mississippi.”
A recent FM3 poll found 81 percent of Mississippians support the reforms, including 89 percent of Democrats, 82 percent of independents, and 76 percent of Republicans.
With so many different non-intoxicating cannabinoids on the market, it can be hard to determine the differences between CBD and newer cannabinoid contenders like CBG and CBN. In this brief guide, learn the basics of what CBD, CBG, and CBN are, and discover how premier cannabinoid suppliers like GVB Biopharma can help you use each of these hemp compounds to boost your brand.
What is CBD?
Next to delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD) is the world’s most famous cannabinoid. Originally rising to prominence due to the near-religious reverence it received from parents of children with intractable epilepsy, CBD soon became popular with people all around the world suffering from pain, inflammation, or even neurodegenerative diseases.
While THC primarily acts as a powerful agonist at your endocannabinoid system’s CB1 and CB2 receptors, CBD bypasses these intoxicating neuroreceptors altogether to primarily bond with your nervous system’s 5-HT1A and TRPV1 receptors. As a result, CBD doesn’t get you high, but it does provide a feeling of profound relaxation. CBD has been researched for its usefulness for a wide variety of different conditions, and the FDA has approved a CBD-based drug for certain types of epilepsy.
Someone holds a small bottle and dropper full of oily extract next to a CBD-rich hemp plant.
What is CBG?
Cannabigerol (CBG) is the decarboxylated form of cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), which is the chemical precursor for many cannabinoids. If it doesn’t decarboxylate into CBG, CBGA can also transform into THCA or CBDA, the carboxylic acid precursors of THC and CBD respectively. As a result, cannabis scientists have taken to calling CBGA the “stem cell” cannabinoid, and this unique hemp constituent becomes even more fascinating once it stabilizes into CBG.
While CBG is similar to CBD in many ways, this cannabinoid also has unique attributes. CBG has been researched for its potential digestive benefits, for instance, and this cannabinoid has also been researched for its potential antimicrobial qualities. These unique potential attributes have already differentiated CBG from other cannabinoids and carved out an enduring place for this hemp compound within the wider cannabinoid market.
What is CBN?
Both CBD and CBG can now be derived from strains of Cannabis sativa that have been bred to be high in these cannabinoids. At this time, however, there aren’t any hemp strains that are high in cannabinol (CBN), and instead, this cannabinoid is converted from CBD.
As evidenced by the ease of converting CBD into CBN, these cannabinoids are relatively similar. In terms of chemical composition, however, CBN is actually more closely related to THC than it is to CBD. At the same time, CBN does not significantly stimulate the brain’s CB1 and CB2 receptors, so it does not have intoxicating qualities.
Where CBN shows its similarity to THC most strongly is in this cannabinoid’s potential impact on appetite. CBN has been researched for its potential ability to boost appetite and reduce nausea, which has caused scientists to wonder if this cannabinoid might serve as a non-intoxicating alternative to THC for these purposes.
A small amount of research has also been conducted into CBN’s potential sleep benefits, but so far, this potential application of cannabinol is backed more by anecdotal testimony than it is by scientific evidence. As time goes by, we’ll learn more about CBN and its potential usefulness for sleep.
CBD vs. CBG vs. CBN
Now that you have an idea of what CBD, CBG, and CBN are, let’s discuss the differences between these cannabinoids in more detail to help you choose which hemp compounds you want to use in your products. As you’ll discover, however, you might want to use all three of these non-intoxicating cannabinoids instead of sticking with just one.
CBD is considered to be the gold standard among non-intoxicating cannabinoids, and it’s the hemp compound with which consumers are most familiar. Every good brand should offer at least one CBD product since consumers around the world reach for this cannabinoid.
CBG, on the other hand, is gradually gaining traction within the hemp market, and a significant fuss is being made over this cannabinoid’s potential digestive and antimicrobial attributes. Rather than being seen as an alternative to CBD, white label CBG is usually viewed as an add-on to the CBD experience.
Lastly, CBN is becoming popular among people who want to sleep better at night or overcome nausea. CBN isn’t as well-known as CBD or CBG, but the rising popularity of CBG has opened the door to acceptance of non-intoxicating cannabinoids other than CBD.
Cooperation instead of competition
While CBD, CBG, and CBN each have their unique attributes, they work best when used together. Full-spectrum and broad-spectrum extracts are usually only rich in a single cannabinoid, but premium cannabinoid suppliers like GVB Biopharma offer CBD, CBG, and CBN in isolate form as well, which is easy to combine with other types of hemp extract. Take advantage of the entourage effect today by blending all three of these non-intoxicating cannabinoids together.
Cannabis farmers in the communities of Post Mountain and Trinity Pines, California are refusing to evacuate their cultivation sites even as the August Complex wildfires close in and weather forecasters predict more fire-friendly conditions, the Associated Press reports.
The small towns are about 200 miles northwest of Sacramento.
Trinity County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Nate Trujillo told the AP that many of the residents that don’t want to leave the area because the cannabis farms are “their livelihood.” The communities – located in the famed Emerald Triangle – have about 40 legal farms. Authorities estimate there are as many as 400 unlicensed grows.
“There (are) millions of dollars, millions and millions of dollars of marijuana out there. Some of those plants are 16 feet tall, and they are all in the budding stages of growth right now.” — Trujillo to the AP
Mike McMillan, spokesman for the federal incident command team managing the northern section of the August Complex, said that while fire officials plan on going door-to-door to tell residents to evacuate they “are not going to die to save people.”
“…If they choose to stay and if the fire situation becomes, as we say, very dynamic and very dangerous … we are not going to risk our lives,” he said in the report.
At least 15 people have died due to the wildfires and a relative of two of the victims said the deceased chose not to evacuate despite the encroaching fire.
Weather forecasters are warning that the weather pattern this weekend will generate high temperatures and wind gusts that could reverse recent firefighting efforts that were assisted by low winds and normal temperatures.
French law enforcement arrested a group of six men in the Nouvelle-Squitaine region of France after they spent two night stealing plants from an industrial hemp farm, The Connexion reports. The farm — located in Aillas, in the south of the Gironde department — reported that some 2,000 square feet of plants were stolen.
Prosecutors believe that the thieves thought they were stealing cannabis plants, not hemp. The thieves will be charged with aggravated theft and violence with a weapon after having fired a shotgun when they were discovered by farmhands on the second night of their operation. They were arrested the next day, and they will appear in court in November.
While cannabis remains illegal in France and the country established strict rules for CBD products in 2018, hemp grown for industrial purposes was never prohibited there. France, in fact, is the largest grower of industrial hemp in Europe. Hemp in France must contain less than 0.2% THC.
In 2018, France reduced penalties for low-level cannabis possession and a government report recommended replacing cannabis-related criminal charges with fines in order to free up police.
The confusion is not an uncommon occurrence — in the U.S., both thieves and law enforcement have regularly confused industrial hemp for THC-rich cannabis:
In 2018, a Tennessee hemp farmer was involved in a car chase/shootout with a group of thieves who mistook his hemp crop for cannabis.
In Texas, a hemp delivery truck driver was arrested and jailed for a month because police couldn’t tell the difference between hemp and cannabis.
In May, an Oregon hemp farm sued two different sheriff’s offices after law enforcement wrongfully seized and destroyed a crop worth about $2 million.
The Rock County, Wisconsin Board of Supervisors have reduced cannabis possession fined to one dollar, Channel 3000 reports. While the move stops short of decriminalization, it does significantly reduce fines in the county which previously ran from $150 to $500 depending on the offense.
Additionally, the change only applies to those charged by the county sheriffs.
Jacob Taylor, supervisor of the county’s 16th district and sponsor of the ordinance, said that in 2018, 70 percent of county residents voted in favor of a referendum on cannabis legalization. He said reducing the fine says that county officials are “listening to voters.”
“If a county sheriff pulls you over and you have cannabis in your car, you might get that one dollar ticket, but you’re still going to have a record.” — Taylor to Channel 3000
Tom Grieve, a defense attorney based in Wisconsin, said that while the move “wrinkles [him] the wrong way” because people from one county to the next “have radically different outcomes” from a cannabis arrest,“knocking $200 off a fine is real math” for people who don’t make a lot of money.
“Unless or until there is some sort of normalization across the state on this is what it’s going to be, there’s going to be patchwork enforcement,” he said in the report.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) supports cannabis decriminalization statewide and a functional medical cannabis program. Democratic lawmakers have introduced a measure that would decriminalize cannabis possession up to an ounce, expunge criminal records for possessing 28 grams or less, and prohibit police from searching vehicles based on the smell of cannabis.
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania is allowing a medical cannabis patient to move forward with a lawsuit alleging her employer wrongfully terminated her for her cannabis use, Bloomberg Law reports.
Donna Hudnell, a former security analyst for Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals Inc., said she was fired after failing a drug test for cannabis despite being a lawfully registered patient. Her employer had argued that Hudnell’s medical cannabis patient card had expired and they had no way of knowing whether her positive test was fromcannabis use for medical reasons, the report says. Hudnell was drug tested upon returning from work from spinal surgery and was ultimately fired on the same day her medical cannabis card was re-certified.
In his ruling, Judge Gerald J. Pappert said one of the purposes of the state’s medical cannabis was to protect medical cannabis cardholders from job discrimination and that the state Supreme Court would find the legislature intended to give workers that right despite it not expressly outlining such protections in the 2016 law.
Hudnell, a Black woman, also alleges that a white employee who failed a drug test for cannabis without a medical cannabis card was treated more fairly – allowed to seek drug treatment rather than be fired.
Pappert ruled that while her case can move forward, she must wait until the state Human Rights Commission finished investigating the bias claim or fails to do so for one year until she can refile her claims under the state’s Human Relations Act and Philadelphia’s Fair Practices Ordinance.
Delta-8 THC has been growing in popularity for its touted array of benefits similar to our well-known friend Delta-9 THC, but with less intense side effects. Researchers are discovering more about minor cannabinoids in the cannabis plant and their potential role in producing the unique intoxicating sensations from consuming different cannabis strains. Could it be that we have found a molecule with all the good of Delta-9 THC and less potential for the paranoia or anxiety that can come from getting too high?
Delta (∆)-8 THC exists in the cannabis plant alongside other molecules like CBG, CBN, and various aromatic terpenes. Delta-8 THC is more stable than Delta-9 THC, but less potent. Like ∆-9, it binds to CB1 receptors but has a lower affinity for them, which may account for this lessened effect. Also, it does not exist naturally in large quantities in the plant, so it must be extracted from the plant or synthesized.
Hemp-derived cannabinoids were legalized under the 2018 federal farm bill.
This praised cannabinoid has created a market for new product lines claiming to help with anxiety, nausea, or just to provide a nice experience for recreational use. Just like ∆-9, you can purchase edible gummies, vape pens, and extracts from different strains. The company LiftedMade recently released a Delta 8-THC hemp-derived tincture, containing 333mg of the cannabinoid per one-ounce bottle. These “nano drops” can also be enjoyed as a beverage additive, available in three flavors. Despite these exciting findings, because the molecule activates CB1 receptors similar to ∆-9, it is always a good idea to be careful with your consumption habits and to start low and slow if you are worried about anxiety being a possible side effect.
The DEA recently published an addendum to the 2018 Farm bill specifying some of its conditions. Initially, the bill stated hemp products were legal if they contained less than 0.3% Delta-9 THC. This led people to believe that because Delta-8 THC was not specified here, and is considered a minor cannabinoid, it is legal in any concentration. This DEA document now attempts to redefine “tetrahydracannabinols” in the eyes of the law, stating that any synthetically produced THCs are illegal: “For synthetically derived tetrahydrocannabinols, the concentration of Δ-9 THC is not a determining factor in whether the material is a controlled substance. All synthetically derived tetrahydrocannabinols remain schedule I controlled substances.”
We know ∆-8 THC only exists in the cannabis plant in small concentrations and in order to achieve more of an intoxicating effect, it must be extracted. If hemp-derived cannabinoids (remember, “hemp” is just cannabis that contains less than 0.3% ∆-9 THC) are legal because they are “natural,” does this make ∆-8 THC legal because it technically comes from the same plant? Or does the process of extracting it automatically make it synthetic? These are all good questions to be asking, and the consensus seems to be that as long as it is derived from the hemp plant, which follows the bill’s conditions of ∆-9 THC content, it is federally legal. Keep in mind this is always subject to change as policy adapts to changes in our society.
New light shed on ∆-8 THC has reminded us of the many working components of the cannabis plant that interact to create the positive effects we see for so many individuals. This minor molecule holds promise for treating a variety of conditions in ways that do not carry as many intense side effects as Delta 9, and we should keep an eye on policies as they adapt to shifts in demand and legality.
The Nez Perce Tribe has proposed an amendment to its Tribal Code to allow hemp cultivation, processing, and distribution, the Lewiston Tribune reports. The tribe is based in Idaho which currently does not allow hemp production.
Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee Law and Order Subcommittee Chairman Arthur Broncheau said tribal leaders identified hemp as a potential source of revenue for the reservation “due to its versatility and organic nature.” He added that part of the program would be to educate people about the differences between hemp and THC-rich cannabis.
“Because there is tremendous growth in sectors of the economy that rely on hemp, the Tribe believes hemp is an emerging market that can accomplish economic self-sufficiency and increase jobs in our region.” — Broncheau to the Tribune
Tribal Executive Committee Vice Chairwoman Chantel Greene said that the reforms would “help improve the soil that is used for agricultural purposes currently and reconnect with a part of [the tribe’s] culture that has been lost.”
“Our ancestors grew and utilized hemp for several reasons, including the creation of basic supplies, such as clothing and rope, and to support their health and wellbeing,” she said in the report.
The plan would have to be approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as required under the 2018 federal Farm Bill that legalized hemp production nationwide. The agency has approved 35 hemp production plans for tribes, while six more remain under review, according to the USDA website.
The Nez Perce Tribe is accepting community comments about the change prior to turning in a plan for USDA approval.
The death of Legal Marijuana Now Party candidate Adam Charles Weeks is forcing Minnesota to delay its Second Congressional District election until February 9, the Star Tribune reports. Under state law, “if a major party nominee dies within 79 days of Election Day a special election must be held on the second Tuesday of February,” Secretary of State Steve Simon said in a statement following Weeks’ death.
Kevin O’Connor, the Legal Marijuana Now candidate for U.S. Senate, called Weeks’ death at 38-years-old “a sad and sudden thing.” Weeks, an organic farmer from Red Wing, was facing off against Democratic U.S. Rep. Angie Craig and Republican candidate Tyler Kistner in what is expected to be one of the more competitive congressional races in Minnesota.
In a statement, Craig said she was “deeply saddened to hear the tragic news” of Weeks’ passing.
Kistner called Weeks “a passionate advocate for the causes he believed in.”
Simon indicated the Legal Marijuana Now Party has until November 10 to choose a replacement for Weeks. Dennis Schuller, with the Legal Marijuana Now Party, said the party has not determined who would be the candidate on February ballots but that the party would meet in the next couple of weeks to choose a replacement.
Voters in the state can still cast their ballot for the U.S. House race on mail-in ballots or at the polls, but those votes will not count. Craig’s term ends January 3 and the seat will remain vacant until after the winner of the February election is sworn in.
In 2018, the Legal Marijuana Now Party garnered 5 percent of the vote statewide, pushing it to major-party status in the state.
A Minnesota Reformer report in June found that Republican operatives had recruited GOP-leaning candidates for the Legal Marijuana Now Party line – including Weeks who had supported President Donald Trump and Republicans in both the 2016 and 2018 election cycles. In an interview with the Reformer, Weeks walked back his support of Trump, saying he was “wrong” about his support for the president.
Legal Marijuana Now Party candidate for State Senate Robyn Smith, said that while she believes cannabis should be legalized, her social media campaign focuses on supporting Trump and other right-wing causes, according to the Reformer report. Tyler Becvar, who is vying for Democrat Sen. Dan Sparks’ seat under the Legal Marijuana Now Party banner is also a Trump supporter and his Facebook page contains posts attacking Democrats and spreading conspiracies about George Soros, a longtime donor to Democrats, and the party, according to the report.
Marty Super, outgoing chair of Legal Marijuana Now Party, said that the fledgling party was concerned about it being coopted once it achieved major-party status because anyone can file for candidacy under the banner without having to collect signatures to get on the ballot.
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.
