Does CBD Help Promote Homeostasis?

4/09/2020

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The Importance of Homeostasis (The Milieu Interieur)

The importance of maintaining your milieu interieur, what is now referred to as homeostasis, was pointed out in the 19th century by Claude Bernard. It was his view that all living organisms, from plants to humans, to insects must maintain a specific internal environment in order to survive, function and thrive. Modern research now supports this perspective and establishes homeostasis as a critical element of health and wellness.

What is Homeostasis?

In simple terms, homeostasis is your body’s ability to maintain internal balance when confronted with external stress. Just like a car uses internal signals to make sure that it doesn’t overheat or run out of gas, your body uses internal signals to make sure your not too hot, too cold, or running out of fuel. When these signals are functioning optimally, so are you.

In the absence of homeostasis, your body is unable to overcome challenges and prevent damage from occurring: resulting in what we recognize as inflammatory disease. However, when your body is in a state of equilibrium, or homeostasis, it is able to properly mitigate the challenges that arise.

Homeostasis & The Endocannabinoid System

The endocannabinoid system, or ECS, plays a significant role in helping your body maintain homeostasis. Via cannabinoid receptors (CB1 in the central nervous system and CB2 in the peripheral nervous system), the ECS helps to regulate bodily functions such as immunity, mood, appetite, sleep, memory, digestion and inflammation.

Are you too hot or too cold? Do you need energy or rest? Are your hormones levels where they should be? If something is off-balance, the ECS jumps in to mitigate it.

How CBD supports the Endocannabinoid System

Recent research shows that CBD may support the biological activity of the endocannabinoid system by supporting cannabinoids signaling and their interaction with cannabinoid receptors. Depending on the concentration, CBD can activate, antagonize or inhibit cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2). This is significant because CB2 activation can reduce oxidative stress and inflammation – internal conditions that can negatively impact cell function and survival.

Homeostasis & CBD

While our bodies naturally produce a compound similar to CBD called endocannabinoids, supplementing your natural reserves with CBD may help to keep your endocannabinoid system functioning optimally. Just as you would take an iron supplement if you were iron deficient, you can take a CBD supplement to boost your natural reserves of endocannabinoids.

How To Take CBD

There are multiple ways to consume CBD. Because our bodies absorb and process CBD in different ways, it’s mostly a matter of personal preference.

Sublingual (Tinctures & Oils):

CBD Tinctures & CBD Oils come with measured droppers and thus allow for a very consistent dose. While CBD tinctures are generally alcohol-based, CBD Oils are generally oil-based as their name suggests. To use either an oil or a tincture, you simply squeeze the desired amount under your tongue. For optimal absorption, try to hold the liquid under your tongue for 60 seconds. While both tinctures and oils can also be used topically, CBD oil is generally easier to apply and less irritating. 

Topical (roll-ons or balms):

To use a CBD topically, apply the rollerball or balm on the desired area of application. Used topically, CBD operates as a local anti-inflammatory, rather than being absorbed into the bloodstream. Many topical products contain additional therapeutic oils that work together for an optimal soothing experience.

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Charlotte Figi, Inspiration for ‘Charlotte’s Web’ Strain, Dies from COVID-Like Symptoms

4/08/2020

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Editor’s note: A previous version of this article stated that Charlotte Figi had passed away from coronavirus complications. She was treated for coronavirus-like symptoms in a hospital ward for coronavirus patients, but she ultimately tested negative for the virus.

Charlotte Figi, the child who inspired the medical cannabis strain “Charlotte’s Web,” has died from coronavirus-like complications. She was 13-years-old.

Figi suffered throughout her life from Dravet Syndrome, which caused her to have grand mal seizures. Her parents sought the help of the Stanley Brothers, who would eventually create the low-THC Charlotte’s Web strain in 2011 to help treat her seizures. Figi’s illness and success story would be re-told throughout state legislatures during debates on medical cannabis legalization and in academic literature. Figi was also featured in a 2013 CNN documentary about medical cannabis.

The teenager’s death was announced last night on the Facebook page of her mother, Paige Figi, by a family friend.

The suggestion that her death could have been caused by COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, was posted to the Realm of Caring Facebook page. The Realm of Caring is a charitable organization started by Paige Figi.

“Some journeys are long and bland and others are short and poignant and meant to revolutionize the world. Such was the path chosen by this little girl with a catastrophic form of epilepsy called Dravet Syndrome. Charlotte’s mom, Paige, helped pave the path for thousands of sick children with little hope for a future. A life that created a revolutionary movement in legitimizing cannabis as a therapeutic option. Your work is done Charlotte, the world is changed, and you can now rest knowing that you leave the world a better place.” – the Realm of Caring Facebook update, April 8, 2020

The Stanley family also posted a tribute to Figi on their website, describing her as “divine.”

“She grew, cultivated by a community, protected by love, demanding that the world witness her suffering so that they might find a solution,” the post says. “She rose every day, awakening others with her courage, and with that smile that infected your spirit at the cellular level.”

“Charlotte, then, became everyone’s daughter or sister or friend and enlivened empathy and love from anyone who had the privilege of hearing her story, as millions did. Her story built communities, her need built hope, and her legacy will continue to build harmony.” – The Stanley family

As of Tuesday, Colorado had reported 5,429 coronavirus cases and 179 deaths, according to state Department of Public Health and Environment data.

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Cannabis-Adjacent Businesses Ineligible for Federal Coronavirus Loans

4/08/2020

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Cannabis-adjacent businesses will be ineligible for loan assistance under the $2 trillion stimulus plan approved by federal lawmakers and signed into law by President Trump last month, Marijuana Moment reports.

The plan, called The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, aims in part to assist American companies with 500 or fewer employees via a Paycheck Protection Program. The federal Small Business Administration (SBA) already confirmed, however, that cannabis businesses will not receive federal financial assistance because the industry remains federally prohibited. Additionally, under SBA rules, ancillary firms that work directly with or help to benefit federally illegal operations cannot receive loans from the administration, meaning these businesses will also be omitted from the coronavirus relief stimulus plan.

The type of businesses that fall under SBA’s category of “indirect marijuana businesses” include: “businesses that provide testing services, or sell or install grow lights, hydroponic or other specialized equipment, to one or more Direct Marijuana Businesses; and businesses that advise or counsel Direct Marijuana Businesses on the specific legal, financial/accounting, policy, regulatory or other issues associated with establishing, promoting, or operating a Direct Marijuana Business.”

The rule essentially sections off the entire cannabis space, including ancillary companies who have cropped up to support the budding industry, from receiving any of the federal government’s coronavirus loan assistance.

Josh Kappel, a founding partner at Colorado’s Vicente Sederberg, a cannabis industry law firm, called the restrictions “egregious” and “incredibly unfair.”

“These companies pay Social Security and Medicare taxes, unemployment taxes, and, of course, federal corporate taxes. In every way, they deserve to be treated like any other business when it comes to these emergency loans.” — Kappel, in a statement to Marijuana Moment

Hemp industry operators will have access to the federal assistance because the industry has been federally legalized.

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Oregon Sets Cannabis Sales Record In March

4/08/2020

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March cannabis sales in Oregon set a new monthly record with $84.5 million – a 37 percent increase from the same time last year, Willamette Week reports. The previous record, set in July 2019, was just about $80 million.

The record-breaking month comes amid the state’s coronavirus response, which includes a stay-at-home order issued on March 23. On average, sales per cannabis retailer were about $135,000 – a 30 percent increase from March 2019.

According to the report, flower comprised more than half of total sales, while concentrates and extracts accounted for the second-highest market share.

Matt VanSickle, an Oregon Liquor Control Commission spokesperson said the sales appeared to be “stocking up type of activity” adding that “the next two weeks returned to slightly below their early March sales levels.”

VanSickle told KOIN that February’s sales were also 20 percent higher from February 2019 and that there was a 21 percent increase in March’s sales over February’s.

Despite the record-breaking month, Bridge City Collective owner Dave Alport told the Bend Bulletin that while the “average purchase is higher, the impact on sales is negligible.” He also said his payroll and cleaning costs have gone up after hiring delivery drivers and implemented enhanced sanitation practices.

“From what I can gather, there’s no increase in consumption tied to the pandemic or people staying home. But people’s shopping and spending habits have changed.” – Alport to the Bulletin

Tyson Haworth, owner of Oregon’s Finest, told the Bulletin that his sales have dipped since the stay-at-home order but he has hopes that the 4/20 “season” will help the company see pre-pandemic levels.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown’s stay-at-home order does not have an end date.

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Organigram Temporarily Lays Off 45% of Workforce

4/08/2020

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Canadian licensed cannabis company Organigram Holdings Inc. is temporarily laying off about 45 percent of its workforce as part of its coronavirus response. The company said the move is an attempt to “help boost COVID-19 containment efforts representing approximately 400 employees.”

CEO Greg Engel said in a statement that the company’s “priority right now is to make sound strategic decisions that are in the best interests” of the company’s employees “which will contribute to the long-term sustainability of the company.”

“This is a new and evolving situation demanding strong leadership and smart decision-making across all industries and sectors. We continue to monitor this rapidly changing situation and will make the decisions necessary to ensure the safest environment for our employees as well as insulating our business as best we can under the circumstances.” – Engel in a statement

The company had alluded to the cuts last month and said “the majority” of the layoffs were voluntary. They indicated that affected employees would receive lump-sum payments “to help bridge the gap to available government programs.” Additionally, the company said it will absorb the paid health, dental, and short-term disability premiums for all of its employees.

Organigram said they expect to reduce their cultivation, harvest, production, and packaging operations but plan to “supplement with inventories on hand to meet anticipated demand.”

“Specifically, the company will be focused on leveraging automated and the most efficient lines of production and will deprioritize lower value products requiring higher manual labor,” Organigram said in a press release.

The firm said it had already taken coronavirus mitigation actions at its facilities and offices as recommended by Health Canada, including work-from-home policies, the establishment of an Emergency Response Team, restrictions on work-related travel, social distancing, and enhanced sanitation practices.

Last week Canopy Growth announced temporary layoffs of 200 employees amid the outbreak, but also said they were re-opening some of the stores they shuttered last month. Canopy CEO Jordan Sinclair told Bloomberg that the temporary layoffs were retail employees and that the stores would operate under a “click and collect model” and reduced hours.

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DEA Deschedules Cannabis-Based CBD Medication

4/07/2020

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The Drug Enforcement Administration has given up its influence over Epidiolex, the cannabis-based CBD epilepsy medication from UK-based GW Pharmaceuticals.

Epidiolex is currently the only FDA-approved CBD medication; it was approved in 2018 to treat cases of severe epilepsy and DEA had originally scheduled the drug as a Schedule V substance, the lowest restriction possible under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).

“This notification from DEA fully establishes that EPIDIOLEX, the only CBD medicine approved by FDA, is no longer a controlled substance under the federal Controlled Substances Act. We would like to thank DEA for confirming the non-controlled status of this medicine.” — Justin Gover, CEO of GW Pharmaceuticals, in a press release

The scheduling shift removes many of the barriers to access Epidiolex. Patients, for example, will still require a doctor’s prescription to access the drug but the prescription will now last up to a year and patients will be allowed to change pharmacies and still have access to their medication.

Early reports on the drug suggested that a year’s worth of the CBD-based medication would cost about $32,500.

While Epidiolex has been removed entirely from the CSA, the cannabis plant itself hypocritically remains a Schedule I substance, which designates an extremely dangerous substance with no accepted medical value.

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Cannabis Industry Feeling Effects of Coronavirus Financial Fallout

4/07/2020

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The financial effects of the coronavirus pandemic on cannabis companies are beginning to manifest as two licensed Canadian firms filed for bankruptcy protection amid the pandemic and the industry saw just two capital raises in the week that ended March 27, Bloomberg News reports.

According to Viridian Capital Advisors data outlined by Bloomberg, the two capital raises were worth just $5.6 million – the lowest level of activity this year. Over the same period last year, there were 17 capital raises in the cannabis space totaling $169 million.

Last week, Canadian firms CannTrust Holdings Inc. and James E. Wagner Cultivation Corp. both filed for bankruptcy protection. CannTrust’s filing can’t necessarily be linked directly to the global pandemic, though, as the company has been beleaguered by violations since last summer, which ultimately culminated in their license suspension in September. The New York Stock Exchange subsequently said it would de-list the firm.

“The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated what were already difficult circumstances making it even more challenging for CannTrust to attract new financing or a strategic partner.” — CannTrust in a statement

James E. Wagner Cultivation announced a deal last Wednesday that will see it undergo a “consensual restructuring” and pursue creditor protection with cannabis industry lender Trichome Financial Corp. Under the terms of the deal, Trichome will provide JWC with a debtor-in-possession loan of up to $2.8 million during the restructuring and Trichome will submit a “stalking-horse” bid.

Moreover, well-capitalized Cronos Group Inc. delayed its fourth-quarter results and restated three previous quarters due to the way it reported bulk resin purchases, according to Bloomberg. Those resin purchases also led to an investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Hexo Corp., which is also considered well-capitalized, missed its quarterly filing deadline, announced $266 million of writedowns and impairment charges when it did report, and its revived debt covenants require the firm to raise $40 million in equity by the end of the month, the Bloomberg report says.

In Canada, cannabis companies are eligible for government-backed loans made available as part of the pandemic response. In the U.S., hemp companies can apply for government assistance but not medical or recreational businesses since the cannabis plant remains federally prohibited.

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High Times Suspends Publication of DOPE and Culture Magazine

4/07/2020

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Hightimes Holding Corp. announced on Monday that the company will suspend the publication of DOPE and Culture magazines due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The novel coronavirus has caused a mass shut down of in-store dispensary shopping as many states move to curbside pickup and online ordering only. DOPE and Culture are primarily print publications that are distributed to dispensaries monthly and, without waiting rooms full of patients and adult-use customers to read or pick up their latest issues, High Times has chosen to shut down both magazines for the time being.

In a statement to Marijuana Moment, Hightimes Holding Corp. Executive Chairman Adam Levin said the publications were on pause amid the pandemic.

“We furloughed the print publishing staff of Dope and Culture till the virus passes. Since both mags are distributed through walk up distribution methods (retailers, pharmacies, etc), we made the decision to suspend publishing till then.” — Levin, via Marijuana Moment

With stay-at-home orders in place and the possibility that the virus could persist for some time, High Times also laid off six workers from the canonical cannabis magazines. Among those furloughed was 18-year employee and long-time editor for High Times Danny Danko, confirmed by his own announcement on Twitter.

This follows a less graceful downsizing at the Seattle DOPE offices when the majority of the magazine’s employees were abruptly fired. This time, however, the company says their plan is to return all furloughed employees once the outbreak has been contained and the world returns to the new normal.

In the last year, High Times announced it would shift to becoming a plant-touching business with plans to open flagship retail dispensaries in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Despite having disclosed financial hardships with the release of each quarterly statement, the corporation persists and recently acquired the cultivation firm Humboldt Heritage.

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California Officials Urge Santa Clara to Allow In-Person Cannabis Sales

4/07/2020

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San Jose, California and state lawmakers are urging Santa Clara County public health officials to allow in-person recreational cannabis sales after they were shut down last week in favor of delivery-only options, the Mercury News reports.

In a letter to county Public Health Officer Sara Cody, San Jose council members Pam Foley, Magdalena Carrasco, and Maya Esparza requested that the agency “reconsider only allowing medicinal cannabis to be purchased within a store, curbside, or by delivery.”

“Today, a resident can walk out of a grocery store with a bottle of Tylenol, but that same person is unable to pull up curbside for pain relief from CBD oil. These individuals in need of relief should not be denied safe access to cannabis during this critical time.” – Foley, Carrasco, and Esparza in the letter, via the News

State lawmakers Assemblyman Ash Kalra and Senator Jim Beall also wrote a letter to county officials, pointing out that the order “has unintentionally led to confusion and places additional requirements on already thinly deployed law enforcement and licensing enforcement personnel.”

Santa Clara County Counsel James Williams told the News that the order aligns with the county’s overall goal of reducing the gathering of groups.

“Of note, many letters note the large numbers of people who may be seeking in-person access to dispensaries,” Williams said in an email to the News. “Even for essential services, everyone is strongly urged to stay at home as much as possible and to reduce and consolidate trips in order to minimize contacts to the greatest degree possible.”

Kalra and Beall echoed the sentiments of San Jose Police Department Cannabis Division Manager Wendy Sollazzi that shutting down in-person recreational cannabis sales would just move consumers into the illicit market.

Williams argues that the order doesn’t require medical cannabis customers to, necessarily, have a medical cannabis card but that some law enforcement agencies are choosing to use the card “as a proxy” for whether the person is seeking cannabis for medical purposes.

Santa Clara County’s stay-at-home order is in effect until May 3.

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Delaware Approves Emergency Dispensary Delivery Rules

4/07/2020

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Delaware medical cannabis dispensaries will soon be able to deliver to patients amid the coronavirus outbreak as regulators are crafting emergency rules to allow the service.

The Delaware chapter of NORML broke the news last week and licensed provider Columbia Care said they would be the first in the state to offer the service to patients and designated caregivers who are registered with the company and live within a 30-mile radius from the dispensary.

Columbia Care said the company is following U.S. Centers for Disease Control guidelines to protect patients and staff to limit the spread of the virus, including sanitation of the stores and equipment, a heightened focus on staff hygiene and the use of protective gear, and a requirement that staff displaying or reporting symptoms must stay home.

NORML said the changes were needed as some patients may not drive and many don’t have an authorized caregiver to pick up their medicine for them.

“Ordering online with pick up options isn’t enough when a vast majority of patients are now homebound with little resources to facilitate those services. Medical patients are the most at risk and we should be doing everything we can to ensure their safety.” – Delaware NORML blog post, April 3, 2020

The state Department of Health and Social Services is also accepting patient and caregiver applications by mail during the pandemic.

According to Delaware Emergency Management Agency data, the state has reported 783 confirmed coronavirus cases and 15 deaths.

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Profile: Ram Dass, Medicinal Psychedelics Pioneer

4/06/2020

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On December 22, 2019, Baba Ram Dass passed away peacefully at his garden home in Maui. Today — April 6, 2020 — marks the 89th anniversary of his birth, and as a father of the American psychedelic revolution, we want to honor him to celebrate.

The spiritual teacher first became Baba Ram Dass in the late ‘60s after a search for more led him to India. Then Richard Alpert Ram Dass embarked on a journey with Bhagawan Das through the temples of India. It was in the last temple where they traveled that he met Neem Karoli Baba, or Maharajji, the enlightened man who gave him his name.

Ram Dass means “servant of Lord Rama.” In the Hindu religion, Lord Rama is the seventh incarnation of Vishnu, a god of purity and marital devotion. However impactful this particular meeting was for him going forward, his whole life played a part in the lessons he taught. In his life, Ram Dass says he had three parts. He was an overachiever, he played a huge role in the psychedelic revolution of the 1960s, and finally, he became an Ashtangi; each part was essential in creating the Ram Dass cherished by the world.

Early Days

The psychologist was born Richard Alpert in Newton, Massachusetts. In his spare time, young Alpert was an amateur cellist and didn’t think much of the Jewish religion he was born into. His self-described achiever addiction inspired him to attend medical school at Tufts University. Soon he shifted his studies to focus on psychology, eventually earning his PhD. from Stanford University on the topic.

While studying at Stanford, Alpert developed severe anxiety, which would manifest physically as stomach cramps, diarrhea, and a severe rash between his fingers. During this time he committed himself to five years of psychoanalysis focused on the causes of his homosexuality. At Stanford Alpert learned from mentor David McClelland, and eventually accepted a tenure-track position working underneath him across the country at Harvard University. Before leaving, his psychiatrist informed him that because of his homosexuality he was too sick to function in modern society. But still, he persisted.

At Harvard, McClelland was the head of the Center for Research and Personality with Dr. Alpert serving as his deputy. It was in this research position that Alpert first met Dr. Timothy Leary. On a whirlwind trip to South America, Leary was fated to have his first experience with psilocybin and would bring it with him back to the States. A few months later, back in Massachusetts, Alpert walked from his childhood home over to Leary’s house to ‘turn on’ for the very first time.

The Age of Expanded Consciousness

This first experience with any psychedelic was pivotal for the young doctor: he described seeing the various social ‘masks’ he wore, like scholar and playboy, separate from him. He claimed he learned more in those few hours than he had in a lifetime of scholarly endeavors. This fact alone changed his world forever.

By this point, both Harvard Doctors were focused only on researching the therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs. They were granted permission to research using graduate students, but rumors flew and the dean caught wind that their studies weren’t blind nor were they conducted only with graduate students. By 1963, both Leary and Alpert had been let go from Harvard.

Alpert, Leary, and their followers began living in houses rented out by Leary until their owners returned from academic leave. They conducted group LSD studies with the goal of cultivating divinity in every person. Their findings were published in the Psychedelic Review. This work culminated in the publishing of a 1964 book written by both Alpert and Leary alongside Ralph Metzger entitled The Psychedelic Experience. In 1966 Alpert co-authored LSD with Sidney Cohen and Lawrence Schiller.

The Psychedelic Experience, published 1966.

But the age of free hallucinogenics was destined to end sooner or later, and things became much more complicated in 1966 with the passing of the Staggers-Dodd Bill which made LSD illegal nationwide. By the end of 1967, Leary was on his own trip, and Alpert wanted to search for how this innate knowledge could be accessed without psychotropic medicines.

Pursuit of Enlightenment

According to a 1976 ‘Gonzo-style’ Rolling Stone article, Alpert’s final test was to take 400 micrograms of LSD every four hours for three weeks, and after finally coming down he remained unchanged. The Harvard-professor-turned-black-market-psychedelic-dealer knew that there had to be more. He set out to India on an opulent vacation, spending three weeks parading around the Southeastern Asian country in a Land Rover. This luxury halted when he met Maharajji, who gave Alpert his first task: present the guru with the Land Rover as a gift.

In Be Here Now Ram Dass describes how he felt after this meeting, “I cried and I cried and I cried… I felt like I was home. Like the journey was over. Like I had finished.”

After his initial meeting with Maharajji, Ram Dass spent another seven months at the temple. He rose at 4 am daily to work on meditating and deep breathing exercises, practicing raja yoga, reading Hindu texts, eating strictly vegetarian, and abstaining from all sex. He arrived home to Massachusetts barefoot and blissed out in his yoga whites. From that moment forward, Ram Dass could not function within society as it existed, and people noticed. His energy somehow was both enigmatic and transparent which prescribed him a magnetic quality. People were drawn to him, to his understanding, to his main mission: presence and love.

The Legacy of Ram Dass

From this point, his day to day is history, recorded in his many lectures, published books, and television appearances. Baba Ram Dass became a beacon of love for people all over the world, and though he was a fallible human like the rest of us, he was beloved.

Ram Dass left behind a reminder to be loving. His mantra may have continued to evolve from the original psychedelic publishing of Be Here Now, but it always centered around being present and living truthfully in love. That legacy will continue to permeate society as we continue to walk through our own challenges.

For anyone interested in learning more about the teachings of Ram Dass a body of his work — including text, videos, and more — can be found on his website, The Love Serve Remember Foundation. 

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First Prisoner Killed By Coronavirus Was Nonviolent Drug Offender

4/06/2020

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The first federal prisoner in the U.S. to die from coronavirus was locked up on nonviolent drug charges, NBC News reports.

Patrick Jones, a 49-year-old inmate in a low-security penitentiary in Oakdale, Louisiana, was serving his 13th year of a 27-year prison sentence when he contracted the coronavirus and died. Jones was sentenced in 2009 on drug charges after police found 9 grams of crack and 21 grams of cocaine in his Temple, Texas home.

In the months before his death, Jones penned a letter to U.S. District Judge Alan Albright requesting a sentence reduction. “I feel that my conviction and sentence was also a punishment that my child has had to endure also and there are no words for how remorseful I am,” Jones wrote. “Years of ‘I am sorry’ don’t seem to justify the absence of a father or the chance of having purpose in life by raising my child.”

His request was denied on February 22 and he died from coronavirus twenty-two days later.

“He spent the last 12 years contesting a sentence that ultimately killed him. Ironically, it seems it is his death that might finally bring his case some attention.” — Alison Looman, a New York lawyer who had represented Jones

Jones was the first prisoner coronavirus casualty in the U.S. but there have been — and will be — others. The Oakdale prison where he was located has been the hardest hit in the country: at least five inmates there have perished from the disease, and there are so many prisoners suffering symptoms of the virus that officials have stopped testing presumed cases.

On Friday, U.S. Attorney General William Barr ordered the expansion of early release practices for federal prisoners in response to the virus’ rapid spread through the U.S. prison system.

Want to help? Cannabis activists at the Last Prisoner Project have been advocating for the early release of elderly and low-risk prisoners amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Visit the LPP resource page now to sign a petition for the emergency release of prisoners, donate to the emergency COVID-19 relief fund, and find resources for contacting your local and state officials.

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Cannabis Industry Spent $11M on Federal Lobbying in 2019

4/06/2020

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Cannabis companies spent almost $11 million in federal lobbying efforts last year, according to a Cannabis Wire report. The spending is nearly three times what the industry spent in 2018.

Greenwich Biosciences, Curaleaf, Parallel, and the Cannabis Trade Federation each spent more than $1 million on lobbying the federal government in 2019. Greenwich — the U.S. subsidiary of U.K.-based GW Pharmaceuticals, makers of the cannabis-based pharmaceutical Epidiolex — spent $1.9 million lobbying Congress, the White House, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Department of Health and Human Services.

The Cannabis Trade Federation spent $1.7 million on more than 20 cannabis-related bills – including the SAFE Banking Act, which was approved by the House last September. Other measures the organization lobbied for did not receive votes in either legislative chamber.

Massachusetts-based Curaleaf’s lobbying spending totaled $1.4 million and Parallel spent $1.04 million, the report says. Other companies and organizations that spent money on lobbying include the National Cannabis Industry Association, the National Cannabis Roundtable, Canopy Growth, Acreage Holdings, and Trulieve. Collectively, cannabis companies also gave more than $200,000 to federal candidates; Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D) raised nearly $30,000 from the industry.

Former TILT Holdings CEO Alex Coleman donated $64,400 to the Republican National Committee. Native Roots Chief Strategies Officer Jonathan Boord, and Lightshade dispensaries owner Steve Brooks, each donated $2,800 to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s committee.

Former Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Corey Booker raised about $12,000 from industry executives – mostly from iAnthus – for his presidential campaign.

In 2014, the cannabis industry spent just $80,000 on lobbying efforts, which increased to $300,000 in 2015, to $430,000 in 2016, and to $1.62 million in 2017.

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Canadian Cannabis Firms Can Access Federal Coronavirus Response Loans

4/06/2020

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Canada’s cannabis companies will have access to $40 billion in new credit from the Business Development Bank of Canada that’s being made available amid the financial fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, the Canadian Press reports. Previously, cannabis firms were told that the bank does not “do business” with the industry.

Michael Denham, BDC president and CEO, told the Press that “any legal business is eligible to be part of the program” and that the bank would formally announce the clarifications today. The bar industry will also be eligible for the credit lines.

Applicants must go through their own banks to access the BDC program. The BDC is a federal corporation with a loan portfolio of about $35 billion; the new credit will be in addition to that. Denham told the Press that institutions seeking the loans would have to show that they would have been able to handle the loan they are seeking before the coronavirus impacted their business. The bank has lowered its interest rates, waived fees, and increased the amount of risk it is willing to take with its loans amid the catastrophe.

“My advice to all entrepreneurs: Understand the programs, talk to your bank, see what’s right for you, and take advantage.”- Denham to the Press

There are more than 300 cannabis businesses licensed throughout Canada and the industry has contributed about $8 billion for the nation’s gross domestic product, according to George Smitherman, president and CEO of the Cannabis Council of Canada.

Last month, after it was reported that cannabis companies would be shut out of BDC assistance, bank spokesperson Jean Philippe Nadeau said the firm was “evaluating the situation as it evolves.” According to Denham, the BDC received as many applications that normally come in in a full year via its online financing platform since the start of the crisis in mid-March.

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Massachusetts Allows Telehealth Medical Cannabis Recommendations

4/06/2020

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Prospective medical cannabis patients in Massachusetts can use telehealth services to receive a program recommendation, according to a Mondaq report. The new, emergency rules come after the state imposed a stay-at-home order and closed non-essential businesses amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In order to provide telehealth services, medical providers must submit a waiver request form to the Cannabis Control Commission and receive the agency’s approval. Initially, the agency was only allowing telehealth options for medical cannabis recertification.

Additionally, the CCC is urging medical cannabis dispensaries to promote their delivery services and “remind patients of the ability to acquire up to a 60-day supply” of medical cannabis.

“The Commission urges licensees to consider, evaluate, and appropriately publicize protocols relative to agent interactions with patients and customers. Relevant procedures include how establishments manage lines and queues, the utilization of mobile or order-ahead features that may reduce the risk of exposure, considering appointment-only operations, and the increased frequency of cleaning and sterilization efforts.” – Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission, bulletin, March 13, 2020

Massachusetts is the only state with cannabis legalization that has ordered the closure of adult-use cannabis shops amid a statewide stay-at-home order. Republican Gov. Charlie Baker has refused to reopen the shops, saying he is concerned about the possibility of people from outside of the state coming into the state to buy cannabis products. Medical cannabis sales are still permitted and the state has imposed safety measures on those “essential” businesses, including increased social distancing and enhanced sanitation practices.

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Senate Democrats Call for Federal Loan Assistance for Cannabis Industry

4/03/2020

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Eleven Democratic U.S. senators are calling on the Small Business Administration to open up loans and other financial assistance to state-legal cannabis companies. The letter asks the agency to make cannabusinesses eligible for relief being offered to businesses throughout the county that are impacted by the coronavirus fallout.

“States collected an estimated $1.3 billion in tax revenue from legal cannabis sales in 2018. However, SBA’s current policy excludes small businesses with ‘direct’ or ‘indirect’ products or services that aid the use, growth, enhancement, or other development of cannabis from SBA-backed financing. Consequently, small businesses in states with some form of legal cannabis must choose between remaining eligible for SBA loan programs, or doing business with a rapidly-growing and legal industry.” — U.S. Senators in the letter

The letter says that the SBA loans would be “especially helpful to cannabis small businesses because they would fill gaps” left by financial institutions who the senators describe as “reluctant” to serve the industry due to federal cannabis prohibition.

“Access to these SBA loan programs could ensure that small businesses – especially those led by our minority, women, and veteran entrepreneurs – can raise money for their ventures and support job creation,” the letter says.

The signatories include Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Edward Markey (D-MA), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Jeffrey Merkley (D-OR), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I/D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

The letter is addressed to Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) and Vice Chair Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Financial Services and General Government Financial Services Chairman John Kennedy (R-LA) and Vice-Chair Chris Coons (D-DE).

Under the CARES Act passed earlier this week, state-compliant hemp businesses can access funds available under the stimulus package but cannabis companies are not eligible.

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USDA Approves Georgia & South Carolina Hemp Plans

4/03/2020

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture approved hemp programs for South Carolina and Georgia this week, bringing the total of approved plans by the agency to 14.

Georgia‘s program had been placed on hold by the USDA last year but the federal agency signed off on the plan after state lawmakers approved $200,000 to regulate the program for the coming season and approved additional funding for the next fiscal year, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Following the approval, the Georgia Department of Agriculture immediately received 57 cultivation license and five processing license requests.

Georgia will allow in-state CBD production; currently, CBD products are legally available but all products come from out-of-state.

Hemp farmers in the state will pay $50 per acre – up to $5,000 – annually, while processors will pay an initial $25,000 fee and another $10,000 annually. Julie McPeake, a state Agriculture Department spokeswoman, told the AJC that the department is about 20 days behind in issuing licenses because the agency is stretched thin helping farmers respond to the fallout from the coronavirus.

In South Carolina, the hemp farming application period for the upcoming season has already closed but the state Agriculture Department is accepting applications for next year throughout the rest of 2020, the agency said in a press release, noting that 350 people applied to farm hemp this season.

“The State Plan, authorized by the South Carolina General Assembly and the 2018 federal Farm Bill, will end an era of regulatory flux for South Carolina’s hemp industry, bringing the state’s three-year-old Hemp Farming Program into line with other states and establishing more permanent regulations.” – South Carolina Department of Agriculture, in a press release

Under the federally-approved rules, the state program now includes new laboratory testing methods and “stricter adherence to the 0.3 percent THC threshold” that delineates hemp from THC-rich cannabis. The rules also mandate that the state Agriculture Department must sample every hemp field prior to harvest.

In all, 17 states are still operating under their 2014 pilot hemp programs, and six state programs are still pending USDA review. Connecticut and Tennessee are listed as having submitted a plan to the agency that required resubmission. Other states not pending review are currently drafting plans, according to agency data. Regulators have also approved 14 tribal hemp production plans and list another 16 as under review.

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Last Prisoner Project Launches “Roll It Up” Donation Program for Dispensaries

4/03/2020

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The Last Prisoner Project (LPP), a cannabis advocacy group fighting to free all prisoners who are incarcerated on cannabis charges, has launched its new “Roll It Up for Freedom” program for dispensaries. The fundraising push encourages cannabis buyers at participating dispensaries to round up their purchases to the nearest dollar as a donation to LPP, who will use the money in their push to set cannabis prisoners free and help them rebuild their lives after incarceration.

There are currently more than 40,000 prisoners locked up in the U.S. on cannabis charges. LPP has been scrambling to pressure lawmakers and government officials in anticipation of the immediate and potentially lethal danger for prisoners posed by the novel coronavirus.

LPP founder Steve DeAngelo described the program in a video statement posted to LinkedIn:

“Delivery, brick-and-mortar, it doesn’t matter — if you retail cannabis, this message is for you. … It’s really a matter of life and death now. We need to do everything we can to take care of [cannabis prisoners] and get them home.” — Steve DeAngelo, in a statement

“Last Prisoner Project has been working around the clock to provide assistance to cannabis prisoners during the COVID-19 crisis,” said LPP’s Managing Director Mary Bailey. “The Roll It Up program will bring in much-needed donations so that we can continue to assist prisoners with their release and help them to rebuild their lives.”

Want to help? Dispensaries and other cannabis retailers who want to participate in the Roll It Up for Freedom program should contact LPP’s Managing Director Mary Bailey at mary@lastprisonerproject.org. You can also go to the Last Prisoner Project resource page now to sign a petition for the emergency release of prisoners or find resources for contacting your local and state officials.

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Is It Safe to Use Cannabis During Pregnancy? Here’s What We Know

4/03/2020

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Cannabis use has been historically beneficial for women’s health. I can vouch firsthand that suppositories are fantastic for obliterating menstrual cramps (and my sciatic pain). Inhalation or ingesting cannabis can be an instant mitigator for hormone surges that often leads to a poor mood. These facts, paired with sweeping legalization, have many pregnant women asking their doctors about the effects of using cannabis rather than prescription drugs for symptoms like nausea and mood swings.

Physicians most frequently ask that women don’t use cannabis during pregnancy. This could be based on the fact that it is still a Schedule I drug. Schedule I drugs are deemed to have no potential for medical use and are considered highly addictive. For this reason, it takes quite a bit of financial backing and regulatory oversight to research cannabis medicine.

Due to these barriers, there are not many in-depth studies on the effects of cannabis use during pregnancy but we do have access to some relevant data. 

Are Pregnant Women Smoking Weed?

In the Summer of 2019, Kaiser Permanente released a study based on data gathered at their facility over 9 years, documenting 367,403 pregnancies in Northern California. The data comes from an interview taken at the 8-week gestation mark during women’s initial prenatal visit. Of those people, 276,991 admitted to cannabis use during their pregnancy thus far. Another stat from 2009 to 2017 showed that the number of women who have used cannabis in the year before their pregnancy doubled from 6.8% to 12.5%, while self-reported cannabis use during pregnancy increased from 1.9% to 3.4%. 

Another study released in February 2020 showed that women who were younger with lower annual household incomes were more likely to use cannabis while pregnant. Also, women with anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, depression symptoms, a trauma diagnosis, or self-reported intimate partner violence were more likely to use cannabis during pregnancy. These results show that despite warnings women are using cannabis during pregnancy to mitigate mood imbalances and stress as well as nausea, an indicator that research on efficacy and safety is needed. 

Does Cannabis Use During Pregnancy Hurt Babies?

A 2014 study out of Arizona reviewed 24 studies of maternal, fetal, and neonatal outcomes up to six weeks postpartum. In comparison with those who hadn’t used cannabis, mothers who did partake were more likely to be anemic. Babies born to the mothers who used cannabis did have a lower birth rate and were more likely to end up in the NICU after birth. 

Research analysts did note, however, that most cannabis users in this study were also tobacco users so it is hard to know which substance was responsible for the outcomes. These outcomes also combat data from a 1991 study on babies born to cannabis-using mothers. A researcher followed 59 Jamaican children from birth to age 5, all of which had mothers who used cannabis during pregnancy. There were no differences in women as compared to non-using mothers. 

Though there are studies on cannabis use during pregnancy, it’s very hard to come to a conclusive result without a controlled study. For now, we can conclusively state that mothers who are dealing with depression will be more likely to use cannabis while pregnant. It’s also been shown that mothers who used cannabis while pregnant have experienced complications with low birth rates and issues that landed babies in the NICU.

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40% of Iowa Dispensaries Abruptly Close, Reducing Patient Access

4/03/2020

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Two of Iowa’s five medical cannabis dispensaries have closed and neither their operator nor state health officials have indicated the reason, according to the Associated Press. The dispensaries in Council Bluffs and Davenport were both owned by Have A Heart Compassionate Care.

In a statement, public health officials indicated they would work to license two new dispensaries “as soon as possible.”

“Providing patient access to medical cannabidiol products is important to the department, and we understand the difficulties that these closures may cause for patients and caregivers in the Council Bluffs and Davenport areas.” – Iowa Department of Public Health in a press release via the AP

According to agency data, there are 4,327 registered medical cannabis patients in the state as of February 20, along with 691 caregivers and 945 physicians allowed to certify patients for the program. The state program currently only allows patients to access cannabis products that contain no more than 3 percent THC; however, last month the state House Public Safety Committee passed a measure to remove those limitations. That proposal – which came directly from the state’s medical cannabis board last year – would also limit patients to 4.5 grams of cannabis above 3 percent THC over 90 days.

Iowa‘s strict medical cannabis law only allows two companies to grow and process the products. The state has approved 15 qualifying conditions for the program, and the average patient age is about 57-years-old. A poll last month found 81 percent of Iowans supported expanding the conditions that qualify for the program.

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Pharma Startup Investigating LSD as Anxiety Treatment

4/02/2020

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Mind Medicine, a New York-based pharmaceutical startup that focuses on the potential medical application of psychedelics, announced it had partnered with the world-leading psychedelics pharmacology and clinical research laboratory headed by Professor Dr. Matthias Liechti at University Hospital Basel in Switzerland.

According to a company press release, MindMed — a publicly-traded company on the NEO exchange — is contemplating a new drug development program using hallucinogenic doses of LSD in the treatment of anxiety disorders.

The exclusive partnership will grant MindMed exclusive access to Dr. Liechti’s laboratory’s research. The company, however, said it is specifically interested in an ongoing placebo-controlled Phase 2 trial of high dose LSD as a potential treatment for anxiety.

“It’s a wonderful moment for our company to be recognized by Professor Dr. Liechti, the leading expert of LSD research in the world, as the right team to partner with in continuing our development of psychedelic inspired medicines,” MindMed Co-Founder & Co-CEO JR Rahn said in a press release.

“Over the past decade we have amassed the largest collection of clinical trials around LSD. We have been studying the pharmacology and potential medical uses of LSD and other psychedelics for many years in the laboratory, in patients, and in healthy volunteers.” — Dr. Matthias Liecthi of University Hospital Basel, in a statement

Dr. Liechti said MindMed is “the leading company with a similar mission to ours,” and that the collaboration will allow the lab to “greatly accelerate our groundbreaking research.”

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Andrew Cuomo Says New York Cannabis Legalization Has Stalled

4/02/2020

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As expected, adult-use cannabis legalization will not be included in New York’s budget as the state reels from the coronavirus pandemic. When asked during a press briefing on Tuesday whether the reforms would make the final budget, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) responded it was “not likely.”

“Too much, too little time,” he said.

Legislative leaders last week said legalization was likely no longer on the table after the governor said the state would only be able to pass a “bare-bones” budget. New York is staring down an estimated $10 million revenue loss after the state issued a stay-at-home order last month to stem the spread of the coronavirus that, effectively, shut down the state’s economy.

State Sen. Liz Krueger (D), the champion of the legalization bill in the Senate, said last week that Cuomo’s staff “essentially took marijuana off the table weeks ago.” Krueger, however, agreed that if legalization “cannot be achieved in the midst of a public health crisis” then policymakers, stakeholders, and citizens are all “better off waiting.”

As of this morning, New York reported 83,889 total coronavirus cases and 1,941 deaths.

The plan to legalize cannabis using the state budget as a vehicle was not a slam dunk for Cuomo anyway prior to the pandemic. The governor and lawmakers reportedly had disagreements over how the revenues would be disbursed and whether or not to even include it in the budget – a sticking point that ultimately doomed legalization during budget negotiations in 2019 when Cuomo had also included the reforms in his executive budget proposal. Last year, the reforms were pulled after legislative leaders protested they should be debated as stand-alone legislation.

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Oklahoma Lawmaker Eyeing Cannabis Legalization to Fill Budget Hole

4/02/2020

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At least one Oklahoma lawmaker is floating the idea of legalizing cannabis for adults as the state faces a $220 million budget hole this year, and a $250 million deficit next year, News9 reports. The massive deficits are due to low oil prices and coronavirus pandemic related job losses.

State Rep. Scott Fetgatter (R) said the state could “legitimately” see $100 million annually added to state budget coffers from broad cannabis legalization.

“It’s very early in the conversation. What’s important to me is to make sure we have a program that functions. A lot of people didn’t like medical marijuana, and they may not like marijuana, period. I understand that. But it is here and is not going anywhere.” – Fetgatter to the Tulsa World

Activists had been circulating a petition to get cannabis legalization on November general election ballots; however, the secretary of state shut down all ballot initiative efforts after the governor declared a state of emergency on March 15.

Ryan Kiesel, a proponent of SQ 807, told the Oklahoman earlier this week that even after the order is withdrawn it would be “really difficult, if not impossible” for an initiative petition campaign to “responsibly and feasibly” collect the necessary signatures to make the 2020 ballot unless the campaign already has the signatures on hand.

Tulsa attorney Ron Durbin, who worked with Fetgatter on implementing the voter-approved medical cannabis law, said the question remains whether there is enough support in the state Senate to legalize cannabis.

Senator Ron Sharp (R) told News9 that legalization is “not a very feasible idea.”

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Santa Clara County Shuts Down In-Person Adult-Use Sales

4/02/2020

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Santa Clara County, California officials are shutting down in-person adult-use cannabis purchases amid a new stay-at-home order issued on Tuesday, the San Jose Spotlight reports. Registered medical cannabis patients may still make purchases either in-store or curbside but adult-use products can only be bought and sold via delivery services.

Sean Kali-rai, founder of the Silicon Valley Cannabis Alliance, accused officials of “imposing their moral will” on citizens while “disguising it as a public health concern.” Kali-rai told the Spotlight that just 3 to 5 percent of South Bay cannabis consumers have a physician’s recommendation.

“The county is playing politics with cannabis and using the public health order as cover to do it. There’s no logic behind this at all, it is going to endanger public health, not protect it,” Kali-rai said.

“Medical dispensaries can dispense under healthcare industry exemptions. Suppliers to medical dispensaries and licensed medical growers can operate as well. Non-medical cultivation, supply, and dispensing of cannabis are prohibited, with the exception of deliveries directly to residences. Dispensaries with a mixed clientele of both medical and non-medical customers can do in-person business only with medical customers.” – Santa Clara County Public Health Order, April 1, 2020

San Jose Police Department Cannabis Division Manager Wendy Sollazzi said city officials are concerned that consumers are just going to turn to the unregulated market, “where they sell products and don’t verify age” but noted there “are still avenues for dispensaries to continue making sales for both medical and recreational cannabis.”

Just last week, county officials had deemed both medical and recreational cannabis dispensaries as “essential” and set social distancing rules to allow sales to continue. In all, six California counties, including Santa Clara, have extended their stay-at-home orders to May 3.

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