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Study: 82% of Migraine Patients Say Cannabis Provides Relief

9/24/2020

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.

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Cheech Marin Partners With Canabis10X

9/23/2020

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.

Reserve Tickets and learn more about the event at https://members.cannabis10x.com/retail.

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Ann Arbor, Michigan Decriminalizes Psychedelics

9/23/2020

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.

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IRS May Allow Cannabis Businesses to Take Tax Deductions

9/23/2020

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.

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Registered Cannabis Patient Cited for Possession While Hiking on Federal Land

9/23/2020

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.

Arizona voters will decide whether to legalize cannabis for recreational use in November. In 2016, voters rejected the reforms 52-48 percent.

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Medical Cannabis Edibles Now Available In Florida

9/22/2020

Medical cannabis edibles are now available in Florida, nearly four years after voters approved the reforms, the Orlando Sentinel reports. State cannabis regulators approved edibles for use in the medical cannabis program last month.

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.

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Remedy Review: Empowering CBD Consumers to Shop Consciously

9/22/2020

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.”

Remedy Review Screenshot — 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.

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Advocates Launch Group Seeking Interstate Cannabis Commerce

9/22/2020

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.

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Hong Kong’s First CBD Cafe Opens in Sheung Wan

9/22/2020

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.”

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Hemp Farmers Eligible for Second Round of USDA Coronavirus Relief

9/21/2020

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.

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UK Cannabis Companies Can List on London Stock Exchange

9/21/2020

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.

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Nebraska Activists Submit 15k Signatures to Establish ‘Legal Marijuana Now’ Party

9/21/2020

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.

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Study: Cannabis Effective for Treating Chemotherapy Side Effects

9/18/2020

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.

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House Delays MORE Act Vote

9/18/2020

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.

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Canadian Cannabis Events Firm Lift & Co Files for Bankruptcy

9/18/2020

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.

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Former New York Prison Turned Into Cannabis Testing Lab

9/17/2020

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.

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Missouri Democrats Allege Foul Play In Medical Cannabis Licensing

9/17/2020

House Democrats in Missouri are claiming that the Department of Health and Senior Services – the agency responsible for regulating the state’s medical cannabis program – obstructed an oversight committee’s investigation of the program, according to a memo by House Democrats’ council outlined by the Kansas City Star.

The memo, written by Casey Millburg, counsel for the Missouri House Democratic Caucus, also contends that Republican Gov. Mike Parson’s office was able to influence how industry applications were scored and a report that was used to limit the number of licenses awarded, the report says. Moreover, Millburg said one of the consultants hired to score the applications had a conflict of interest.

“The allegations of executive branch interference in the committee’s work and the potential implications that raises are disturbing. Unfortunately, a careful and thorough review of the records provided to the committee raises other serious concerns.” – Millburg in the memo via the Star

The memo was filed shortly after more than 800 cannabis companies who had their applications denied filed appeals against the decision. A February review by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch found that about two dozen groups that each won five or more licenses had ties to out-of-state cannabusinesses or the Missouri Medical Cannabis Trade Association (MoCannTrade). The approvals for companies linked to MoCannTrade are part of a broader investigation by the House because of the organization’s ties to Steve Tilley, an advisor to the governor who also serves as a lobbyist for the cannabis trade group.

Parson decried Millburg’s memo as political – a product of the Democrats with an election looming.

“There’s absolutely no interference. I don’t even know why some aide would be able to write a letter and all of a sudden that even becomes newsworthy,” Parson said to reporters on Tuesday. “If we do that, we’ll be chasing stories from here ‘til Election Day on both sides of it. It’s ridiculous even to be repeated.”

The memo contends that the husband and wife co-founders of cannabis company KindBio had direct communication with Chad Westom, the founder of cannabis consultancy firm Veracious Compliance Solutions. The memo alleges that Veracious joined with Oaksterdam University to form Wise Health Solutions (WHS) – the company that scored the applications.

The memo further claims that the wife had spoken to Westom about her industry application.

“At the point Mr. Westom’s conversation with KindBio occurred, all involved in WHS would have been well aware of their obligation to avoid conflicts of interest, such as by simultaneously consulting for a vertically integrated marijuana client in Missouri while scoring marijuana licensure applications,” the memo alleges.

The husband and wife firm were ultimately awarded a license and Westom subsequently offered his company’s consulting services.

Westom has previously denied any potential conflict of interest, telling the Star that the firm was “extremely diligent to prevent even the appearance of a conflict, and all personnel provided the State of Missouri with a signed attestation regarding confidentiality and conflict of interest.”

The House investigation is ongoing.

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Canadian Ads Use Jokes (Not Fear) to Discourage Driving on Edibles

9/17/2020

The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) has launched a public education campaign warning young people about the dangers of consuming cannabis edibles and driving. The Do Anything but Drive campaign’s message is, “if you’re going to do edibles, do anything but drive,” the group said.

The ads, which stop short of preaching full abstinence from cannabis, rely on the tired “stoner” stereotype as a gimmick to persuade teens and young adults against driving after eating edibles.

Jeff Walker, president and CEO of CAA North & East Ontario, said that when it comes to edibles and driving, “there is no gray area or room for debate.”

“Cannabis edibles stay in your system longer and can produce some really varied reactions that can be skewed by a multitude of factors, including how much food is in your stomach. Cannabis consumption delays your reaction time, putting yourself and others on the road at greater risk for collisions, which can be deadly, while cannabis edibles can produce stronger, different and longer reactions. It’s simply not safe to drive after consuming them.” – Walker in a press release

CAA research suggests that 20 percent of Canadian 18-24-year-olds have driven a vehicle while under the influence of cannabis or been in a vehicle with someone intoxicated by cannabis. A poll from the organization earlier this year found 50 percent of young Canadians believe it is safe to drive less than five hours after consuming cannabis, with 12 percent saying that their driving is better or at least the same after consumption.

Notably, while the CAA campaign hinges on the “stoner” stereotype, the vast majority of Canadian cannabis consumers do not relate to that identity, according to a recent survey.

Cannabis edibles were legalized throughout Canada last fall – about a year after cannabis was broadly legalized in the nation and taxed and regulated sales commenced.

CAA was one of the organizations consulted by the government during the legalization debate.

The organization’s U.S. arm, AAA, last month donated more than $100,000 in grants to public safety, health, and law enforcement agencies and organizations in Illinois to stem cannabis-impaired driving.

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Vermont Lawmakers Finalize Bill for Cannabis Marketplace

9/16/2020

Lawmakers in the Vermont House and Senate came to an agreement last night over legislation to legalize and regulate adult-use cannabis sales. The bill S.54 previously passed both legislative bodies but in different forms. Now, those differences have been reconciled and the bill needs final approval from the House and Senate it heads to the governor’s desk.

The bill includes priority licensing for small cultivators, women-owned businesses, and for businesses owned by people of color and other over-policed communities. The bill would also create a new cannabis commission that will regulate the medical and adult-use markets, and would require independent lab testing of all cannabis products sold in the new marketplace.

The bill will also require law enforcement to acquire a search warrant before conducting any saliva-based sobriety tests, and such tests would not be allowed during traffic stops.

Gov. Phil Scott (R) has not yet indicated whether he intends to sign the legislation.

“This final agreement has been a long time coming. Legislators should be applauded for their patience and their persistence. Vermont urgently needs the jobs, business opportunities, and tax revenue that S. 54 will provide. We hope Gov. Scott will see the wisdom in signing this bill into law.” — Matt Simon, Political Director for Marijuana Policy Project New England, via Heady Vermont

The regulations bill is not the only cannabis proposal making its way through Vermont’s legislative process: lawmakers there recently approved cannabis expungement legislation, as well.

In 2018, Vermont lawmakers made history as the first U.S. state legislature to approve cannabis legalization. That bill, however, stopped short of establishing a regulated marketplace.

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Potential Supreme Court Cannabis Case Gets Help from Advocacy Organizations

9/16/2020

A cadre of cannabis advocacy and industry organizations have filed an amicus brief in the case challenging the constitutionality of cannabis prohibition, arguing that the federal government has allowed the nullification of cannabis laws by allowing medical and recreational use programs to exist.

The case was first filed in 2017 but was dismissed by a U.S. Southern District of New York judge in 2018. Attorneys Michael Hiller and Joseph Bondy – who brought the case on behalf of medical cannabis patients – have asked the Supreme Court to hear the case.

The amicus – or friend-of-the-court – brief was filed on behalf of The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), Empire State NORML, the New York City Cannabis Industry Association (NYCCIA), the Hudson Valley Cannabis Industry Association (HVCIA), and the New York City Cannabis Bar by NORML Legal Committee member David Holland, Esq.

In a statement, Holland contends the brief “exposes a fundamental paradox – if cannabis is federally illegal for all purposes, and the three coordinate branches of federal government have acted to allow for cannabis businesses, then the federal government is nullifying its own law.”

“Simply put, under the Constitution, something cannot be illegal and legal at the same time especially when it comes to state laws that conflict with federal laws. The only resolution to this constitutional conflict is for the Supreme Court to invoke the doctrine of estoppel to prevent the federal government from reversing course and retroactively penalizing that which it has protected in fostering state cannabis programs and effectively legalizing it.” – Holland in a statement

The lawsuit – Washington v. Barr – contends that the federal government “does not believe, and upon information and belief never has believed” that cannabis meets Schedule I requirements under the Controlled Substances Act.

In the dismissal, the court had ruled that the plaintiffs had not exhausted administrative options for rescheduling cannabis – namely petitioning the Drug Enforcement Administration. The plaintiffs argue that those current administrative mechanisms are “illusory.”

A decision by the Supreme Court on whether they will hear the case is not expected until next year.

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Wisconsin University Offering State’s First Cannabis Certificate Program

9/16/2020

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Continuing Education Institute is offering the state’s first cannabis industry certificate programs, including Business of Cannabis, Cannabis Law and Policy, and Cannabis Healthcare and Medicine.

The program – a partnership with cannabis education company Green Flower – is set to launch next month.

Kerie Wedige, executive director of the Continuing Education Institute of UW-Platteville, told the Shepard Express that she expects the cannabis industry to “grow very quickly” over the next decade.

“One of the nice parts about the cannabis industry, there’s so many different areas that somebody can be involved with. There is the agricultural aspect from seed to sale, the medical and health care, the business, law and policy… There are so many different places where you can insert yourself into the industry, and these programs give a broad instruction that helps you build your knowledge and see how you’d be a good fit in the industry.” – Wedige to the Express

Max Simon, CEO and founder of Green Flower, said the demand for cannabis education programming “is off the charts.”

“As the industry continues to grow, we are extremely confident that this partnership will be beneficial to the university and to those seeking a way to enter a new career or enhance what they currently do,” he said in a statement.

Each certificate program is non-credit – which means enrollees don’t have to be UW-Platteville students – and contain three eight-week courses. Tuition for each program is $2,500.

According to a Leafly report, the legal cannabis industry supports 243,700 jobs nationwide, which represents a 15 percent growth rate.

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Wildfires Have Devastated the West Coast Cannabis Industry

9/15/2020

It’s wildfire season in the U.S. and cannabis companies up and down the West Coast are feeling the impact. From burned farms and property to potentially contaminated crops from prolonged exposure to smoke, heat, and fire retardant, cannabis businesses in California and Oregon are bracing for yet another difficult fall.

The wildfires, which have reportedly claimed at least 35 lives and burned millions of acres so far, have also sparked camaraderie among cannabis businesses who might otherwise be considered competitors.

Oregon

In Oregon, about 20 percent of the state’s licensed cannabis businesses received evacuation orders as the fires were fueled by an unlikely and dramatic wind storm last week. The fires darkened the sky with smoke, which bathed everything in a persistent, orange-red glow.

Candice Paschal, owner/operator of Paschal Farms in Molalla, Oregon, said their farm was placed under a mandatory evacuation order last Tuesday as three surrounding wildfires — the Riverside fire, the Santiam fire, and the Wilhoit fire — closed in on the region. As firefighters became spread too thin, however, Paschal said that a group of about 40 Molalla locals stayed through the evacuation order to fight the approaching Wilhoit fire. The town, including neighboring cannabis farms, “poured equipment, food, and supplies” into the firefighting camp, she said.

“Young men operating private dozers and tanker trucks stopped the Wilhoit fire in its tracks,” Paschal said. “These people are heroes and the town has been calling them The Molalla 40. They saved us and many others from complete catastrophe. It’s an absolute miracle this happened and shows you the power of community and love.”

Volunteers stayed behind to fight the Wilhoit fire outside of Molalla, Oregon. *Photo provided by Candice Paschal.*

“We have been truly blown away by the Oregon cannabis industry family reaching out to help one another. I don’t think there’s any other community like it in the world.” — Candice Paschal, in an emailed statement

Not all businesses were so lucky, however, and reports indicate that multiple cannabis farms in southern Oregon were lost to the blaze. Dispensary locations also suffered enormous losses, including the Talent Health Club in Talent, Oregon.

View this post on Instagram

As many of you may know, our dispensary was tragically lost in the #almedafire on Tuesday. We are heartbroken for our community and our state. 💔 The staff at THC is fortunate that nobody lost their homes as well. We will rise from these ashes and be back better than ever, ready to serve our fellow friends and neighbors. If you are displaced or need resources, check out @localsmokeradio page and click on his website for all the resources. Stay strong, we’ve got this! 💪🧡 . All of our love Cannafam. . . #staystrong #prayfororegon #roguevalleystrong

A post shared by Talent Health Club (@talent.health.club) on Sep 12, 2020 at 10:13am PDT

Paschal, whose farm and crops were luckily spared, said that some cannabis businesses have been offering storage, supplies, and other assistance to those who were not so lucky.

The industry has also come forward to organize relief for families who lost their homes, including the Benson Arbor Southern Relief Fund, a GoFundMe campaign organized by Benson Arbor owner Noah Levine.

California

In California, evacuation orders were issued last week for parts of The Emerald Triangle — a cannabis-fertile area in northern California comprised of Mendocino, Humboldt, and Trinity counties — as the state’s largest-ever wildfire bore down on the region.

Some local officials expressed concerns about cannabis industry workers there, thousands of whom flock to the region during this time of year as harvest season approaches. The worker migrants are “not familiar with the territory let alone a massive wildland fire knocking at their door,” said state Sen. Mike McGuire.

Farmers had to weigh the risks of an early harvest, which can heighten the risk of microbial contamination due to rush-jobs on storage, Marijuana Business Daily reports, versus waiting it out, which can lead to other complications including other potential contaminants and a distinct, smokey flavor that gets entwined with the buds.

California’s ongoing fire woes, however, are only the latest in what has already been a painful fire season — multiple cannabis farms were lost last month during wildfires around the San Francisco Bay Area.

Last month, Leafly recounted one cannabis grower’s hellish experience as he tried futilely to save his farm in Alameda County from a rampant wildfire.

Looking forward

It’s impossible to know the full extent of damage done to the cannabis industry by the 2020 wildfires — after all, many of the fires are still burning — but it’s expected that total losses will be in the tens of millions of dollars. There are also likely to be ripple effects felt in the supply chain in the coming months to lost and/or contaminated harvests.

David Najera, a cannabis consultant and farmer in Mendocino County, told Marijuana Business Daily that cannabis farmers need to start treating annual wildfires as a “new normal” on the West Coast.

“You’ve got to do a lot of fire prevention,” Najera said. “We’re looking at bringing in livestock to keep all our weeds down and all the brush. You should have weekly fire safety meetings. A lot of people just aren’t prepared. You should have a 5-10-minute drill where you can evacuate at a moment’s notice.”

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Study: States With Legal Cannabis Had Fewer Cases of Vaping Illness

9/15/2020

According to a Yale School of Public Health study, states with legal cannabis had fewer cases of e-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury (EVALI) than states with prohibition, according to a Westword report.

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin accounted for a “high-prevalence cluster” of EVALI cases – 25 to 114 cases per 100,000 residents – while Alaska, California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington, the first five states to legalize cannabis, each had under one recorded case per 100,000 residents, the study found.

Study author and Yale School of Public Health Assistant Professor Abigail Friedman said that if e-cigarette or cannabis use drove the outbreak of the disease, “areas with more engagement in those behaviors should show a higher EVALI prevalence.”

“This study finds the opposite result. Alongside geographic clusters of high EVALI prevalence states, these findings are more consistent with locally available e-liquids or additives driving the EVALI outbreak than a widely used, nationally-available product.” – Friedman in a statement via Westword

A study conducted by the California Department of Public Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that nearly all EVALI patients in the state had purchased unregulated products.

In the CDC’s final update on nationwide case totals in February, the agency counted 2,807 EVALI hospitalizations nationwide and 68 confirmed deaths in 29 states and Washington, D.C. The CDC identified vaping additive vitamin E acetate as the culprit for the illness, which led to bans on the substance in Washington state, Ohio, and Michigan.

The Yale study suggests that markets with established cannabis markets “may have crowded out use of riskier, informally sourced e-liquids” but the use of risky vape products will remain prevalent in states without legal cannabis access.

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Oregon

California

Looking forward

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