Medical Cannabis Petition Drive Launched In Nebraska

3/04/2020

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Nebraska activists, including state Sen. Anna Wishart (D), are renewing their push to put a medical cannabis legalization question to voters, KOLN reports. Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana – which is co-chaired by Wishart – need 160,000 to 180,000 signatures by July to get the issue on the ballot.

The organization is working with ADOPT, a legalization group headed by former state senator Tom Garret, and 1st Tuesday Campaigns, a national strategy and consulting firm that has a “100 percent success rate of qualifying … signature initiatives,” Wishart told KOLN.

“What we’ve seen with polling is resoundingly over 70 percent of Nebraskans across the state. Across demographics, across age groups, rural and urban support legalizing access to medical marijuana.” – Wishart to KOLN

Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts opposes the initiative campaign and has penned at least three weekly columns in opposition of medical cannabis reforms. In a column last May, Ricketts argued that medical cannabis legalization is a gateway to adult-use. In a January column, the governor claims that cannabis activists “have been trying to circumvent the medical research process that has helped [the] country produce the most safe and effective healthcare in the world” and points out that the Food and Drug Administration has already approved four medications derived from cannabis.

“While attempts to circumvent the FDA review process may be driven by good will, any legalization effort outside this process puts Nebraskans at risk,” Ricketts wrote in a 2015 column titled Marijuana is a Dangerous Drug. “For this reason, marijuana should not receive special treatment.”

In an interview with KOLN, Ricketts said that voters would “hear the truth” about the dangers of medical cannabis and blamed the tobacco and cannabis industries for pushing medical cannabis legalization in the state.

“This is a bunch of outside money that big industry is trying to avoid regulations,” Ricketts said in the report.

The activist coalition has set up 70 locations throughout the state where citizens can sign petitions. If approved, Nebraska would be the 34th state to legalize medical cannabis.

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Federal Prosecutors Subpoena Weedmaps Records

3/03/2020

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Federal prosecutors have subpoenaed records from Ghost Management Group LLC – owners of Weedmaps – seeking documents related to listed businesses, its ordering service, its staff, and its investors and accounting, according to a MarketWatch report.

In a statement to MarketWatch, a Weedmaps representative said the company would not comment “about any specific legal matters or inquiries with respect to the company or any of its customers.”

“Given our role as the largest technology company in the cannabis sector, from time to time, Weedmaps receives requests for information from government agencies. We cooperate with these requests as we do with all lawful inquiries.” – Weedmaps in a statement to Marketwatch

According to the documents outlined by Marketwatch, prosecutors are seeking documents related to Terra Tech Corp, which rebranded as Onyx Group Holdings following a recent merger, and CannnaCraft one of California’s largest cannabis distributors.

Matt Kumin, a civil-rights lawyer, indicated that federal prosecutors employed a similar tactic in Colorado shortly after legalization aimed at “companies that appeared to be violating state regulations in fundamental ways.” In order for any case to proceed, prosecutors would have to prove the companies were violating state regulations.

Medical cannabis programs and medical cannabis businesses in compliance with their state rules are protected from federal law enforcement under provisions included in the federal budget; however, those protections do not include recreational programs and businesses.

According to the report, the prosecutors are also seeking communications with and any payments to local, state, and federal employees, as well as elected officials and any candidates for those offices.

Weedmaps has come under fire by state regulators in California for allowing unlicensed operators to list on their platform but the company indicated last summer that they would no longer allow businesses to list or advertise on the platform without a state identification number. The subpoena includes a demand for records related to Weedmaps’ policy change.

The case is filed in the Eastern District of California and representatives for the court, TerraTech, and CannaCraft have not commented.

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Coronavirus Update: CBD Brands Face Setback After Expo West Cancellation

3/03/2020

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Many CBD brands were dismayed by the announcement yesterday that the Expo West, the largest natural products tradeshow in the world, has been postponed due to concerns about the spreading coronavirus, a.k.a. Covid-19. The event was scheduled to take place this week in Anaheim, California.

This year’s Expo West was initially expected to draw as many as 85,000 attendees from around the globe, although concerns about a possible pandemic had already sparked hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of attendees to cancel their travel plans.

“It is now clear, despite continued advice from local government and health authorities that the city of Anaheim remains open, that the majority of our community want the show, but they do not want it now,” the New Hope Network, which organizes the event, announced Monday evening.

However, the cancellation poses a particular problem for the CBD industry as Expo West “has become the go-to event” for CBD brands, according to Bethany Gomez, Managing Director at the CBD and cannabis market intelligence firm Brightfield Group.

“Many have invested a considerable amount of money, from already tight budgets, to get in front of retailers, distributors and potential partners…. In the future, brands may rethink their strategy here focusing in on smaller buyer-focused events like ECRM to avoid similar challenges.” — Gomez, in a statement

Prior to the event’s official postponement, Michael Harinen — the Chief Brand Officer for Bluebird Botanicals — said that he hoped Expo West would reschedule.

“Many companies have invested a hefty sum of cash for what will only be a shadow of what they were expecting,” Harinen said. “We’re lucky enough to have a healthy, established company but for some smaller startups, this could spell the end.”

The New Hope Network said organizers will announce a new date for the event in the coming weeks. “It is our intention to work with all our exhibitors and attendees on future credits and support, with particular focus on the many entrepreneurs and small businesses who are the heartbeat of this community, for whom we are going to stand up a rebate fund of $5 million targeted at their specific needs,” the company said.

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Ohio Activists Launch Adult-Use Petition Campaign

3/03/2020

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Activists in Ohio have turned in an adult-use petition with summary language and an initial 1,000 signatures to the state attorney general – the first step to getting the measure on November ballots, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. The petition comes nearly four years after lawmakers legalized medical cannabis but about one in three registered patients still have never bought products through the program.

The Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Amendment initiative is backed by a medical cannabis patient, a mother of twins with autism – a condition not covered under the state’s limited program – Pure Ohio Wellness, a licensed cannabis business, and an Akron-based cannabis cultivator.

Tom Haren, an attorney representing supporters, said patients have a hard time participating in the state program which is serving as a catalyst for the petition drive.

“If you’re a patient in Ohio, it’s hard to participate in Ohio’s medical marijuana program. We were promised a program that worked.” – Haren to the Enquirer

Thomas Rosenberger, associate director for the Ohio Medical Cannabis Industry Association, said the organization is not supporting the measure “at this time” as they remain focused on the medical program.

The amendment would set the purchase and possession limit at 1 ounce and 8 grams of concentrates, along with home grow limits of three mature and three immature plants. It would not change the state laws against driving under the influence of cannabis or employers’ rights to prohibit cannabis use by employees. The medical cannabis program would remain in place.

If approved, the state’s medical cannabis operators would have the first crack at recreational cannabis licenses, which would be capped until 2026. The amendment would allow about 200 retail licenses and 1.5 million square feet of cultivation space for all licensees, which would be regulated by the Department of Commerce. The measure also allows municipalities to ban recreational cannabis businesses.

While the amendment does not set a tax rate, it dictates that 25 percent of cannabis-derived tax revenues would be sent to a special fund for a Commission on Expungement, Criminal Justice, Community Investment, and Cannabis Industry Equity and Diversity; another 50 percent would be allocated to the state’s Local Government Fund; while at least 10 percent would be sent to municipalities where the retail sales occurred, proportional to the number of sales, the report says.

The measure’s summary language must be approved by the attorney general within 10 days to ensure it’s “fair and truthful.” If approved, it would next move to a bipartisan panel led by the Secretary of State which would determine whether it is one or more ballot issues. If it passes both of tests, supporters would need to collect 442,958 valid signatures, including a certain percentage in 44 of the state’s 88 counties, by July 1.

Ohio is bordered by Michigan which legalized cannabis adult-use in 2018.

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Connecticut Legalization Hearing Focuses on Social Equity

3/03/2020

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On Monday the Connecticut Judiciary Committee held a public hearing on Senate Bill 16, the governor-backed bill to legalize and regulate cannabis in the state. The hearing was an opportunity for both administrative agencies, state representatives, and stakeholders to testify in support or opposition of the bill.

Among the top officials that testified in support of the bill was senior advisor to the governor Jonathan Harris.

“We can’t stick our heads in the sand. Cannabis will be increasingly available to the residents of Connecticut. We need to come together on how to most effectively protect our children and public health and safety.” — Harris, during the hearing

Along with legalizing adult use and regulating the sale of cannabis, the bill also includes important social equity and criminal justice reform provisions. Under the bill, a nine-member Equity Commission would be created to “encourage” participation in the cannabis industry by persons from communities that have been disproportionately harmed by cannabis prohibition and enforcement.

“In many places equity might have a seat at the table, where this equity commission gives us a whole table,” said Jason Ortiz, President of the Minority Cannabis Business Association which supports SB 16’s prioritization of creating economic opportunities for disproportionately impacted communities.

Criminal justice reform organizations including the Connecticut Defense Lawyers Association and the Last Prisoner Project also testified in support of the bill, which includes mechanisms for the automatic erasure of past cannabis offenses. The governor’s top criminal justice aide, Mark Pelka, noted that the state has identified 558 collateral consequences to having a criminal record in Connecticut and that a criminal conviction remains on your record for 110 years after your date of birth. “

“That means when most people are buried, the work that they’ve done to atone for the wrongs or to rehabilitate or move forward, that conviction remains on their permanent record,” Pelka said. 

Along with erasure, the bill also includes policy proposals to ensure that individuals with cannabis offenses on their records can participate in the legal industry.

Editor’s note: This article is an editorial contribution from the Last Prisoner Project. Learn more at LastPrisonerProject.org.

 

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Curaleaf Enters Colorado Market with Acquisition of BlueKudu

3/03/2020

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Curaleaf Holdings, one of the nation’s largest cannabis companies, is set to acquire Colorado-based edibles company BlueKudu. Neither the price nor terms of the deal were disclosed.

The acquisition marks Curaleaf’s first foray into Colorado, where BlueKudu has operated since 2011. The edibles manufacturer is best known for using ingredients sourced from Rainforest Alliance Fair Trade Certified farms in its, mostly chocolate, line.

Following regulatory approval, Curaleaf will operate BlueKudu’s 8,400-square-foot kitchen in Denver. The company said the move supports its planned expansion of the Select brand throughout Colorado. Curaleaf finalized the deal with Cura Partners – which included Select and 53 dispensaries and wholesale businesses – last month. While that deal was initially worth about $950 million, it closed at about $400 million following declines in cannabis stock prices and lower overall company valuations.

Curaleaf CEO Joe Lusardi noted in a statement that Colorado cannabis sales surpassed $1.7 billion last year and that BlueKudu “has developed a strong brand for customers seeking premium cannabis products” in its eight years in one of the nation’s pioneering cannabis markets.

“BlueKudu’s established production and distribution capabilities will allow Curaleaf to seamlessly enter the market and expand the Select brand presence in the state of Colorado.” – Lusardi in a press release

Once the deal is completed, Curaleaf will operate in 17 states. Currently, BlueKudu products are available in more than 200 retail locations throughout Colorado.

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Coronavirus Likely to Impact Cannabis Industry

3/02/2020

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The coronavirus outbreak is likely to disrupt the legal cannabis industry supply chain, Mugglehead reports. Specifically, the number of cannabis vaporizer cartridge shipments from China plummeted since the country’s quarantine efforts began.

California-based ProVape said their vape coils, batteries, and other hardware shipments from China have dwindled to a “frightening number.”

“We are constantly told that products are on back order, and are encouraged to stock up with vape hardware to avoid any issues in coming months.” — ProVape executive Art Harutyunyan, via Mugglehead

The company said that about 90 percent of vaporizer hardware worldwide is manufactured by just 1,000 Chinese factories. Supply chains are already suffering but, with quarantine efforts only ramping up, the outbreak is beginning to pose a massive problem for U.S. cannabis markets.

“It’s a huge wake-up call,” Nic Easley, CEO of 3C Consulting, told Marijuana Business Daily. “It’s forcing companies to look at their supply chain. ‘Where do my products come from? Do I have multiple options for vendors? Everyone was looking for the cheapest option forever, and that’s China.”

The coronavirus is believed to have originated in Wuhan, China. It has proven particularly contagious and has a much higher fatality rate than the common flu; quarantine efforts have made international headlines but coronavirus cases have regardless been reported throughout Asia, Europe, and North America. Meanwhile, global stock markets have plummeted as travel restrictions and pandemic paranoia take effect.

As of the time of this publishing, there were nearly 90,000 reported coronavirus cases worldwide with more than 80,000 confirmed in Mainland China.

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Bid to Decriminalize All Drugs Launched In Oregon

3/02/2020

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Activists in Oregon this weekend launched a ballot measure campaign that aims to decriminalize low-level drug possession throughout the state, according to a Marijuana Moment report.

Advocates argue that the “Drug Treatment and Recovery Act,” or IP 44, would address Oregon’s addiction crisis better than current prohibition practices, would reduce unfair prison sentencing, and would free up valuable police time.

“This measure expands access to treatment and removes unfairly harsh punishments for minor, nonviolent drug offenses, so people with addiction can more easily recover. People will no longer be arrested and put in jail simply for possession of small amounts of drugs. Instead, they will receive a health assessment and be connected to the right treatment or recovery services, including housing assistance, to help them get their lives back on track.” — Excerpt from the IP 44 campaign website

The initiative would authorize the use of legal cannabis tax revenue to establish Addiction Recovery Centers throughout the state and would increase the availability of beneficial treatment services, peer support, and housing opportunities for people with substance use disorders. The plan would also improve access to naloxone hydrochloride, which can treat deadly narcotic overdoses, and would offer education including overdose prevention.

Oregon schools, however, may ultimately oppose the campaign’s plan to use cannabis tax revenues, as this would put a cap on the amount of cannabis tax money that goes into education each year — some estimates say schools could see their cannabis tax funding reduced by up to two-thirds.

Activists last year also announced an initiative to legalize medical psilocybin in Oregon.

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Louis CK is a Narc, According to Pete Davidson

3/02/2020

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The latest Netflix standup comedy special features SNL cast member Pete Davidson, a comic known for half-baked jokes and semi-stoned rambling humor. In his opening joke, Davidson tells a story about Louis CK that suggests that the famously red-haired comedian is not only guilty of sexual misconduct, he’s also a narc.

The incident took place before numerous allegations of sexual harassment surfaced against Louis CK, and Davidson recalled that Louis was a highly-respected comedian at the time. As the story goes, after smoking a joint in his dressing room at 30 Rock, something Davidson often does to cope with his Crohn’s Disease, he walked out to the main area where Louis CK was “holding court.” To avoid drawing attention to himself, a common desire among stoned people, Davidson pulled up his hoodie and made a bee-line to the elevator without engaging with the crowd surrounding Louis CK.

That is when Louis CK called out Davidson to those crowded around him and, in Davidson’s recollection, called him a “fucking loser” who is “smoking his career away.” Taking it as a heckle rather than a direct insult, Davidson shook it off at the time. But that was just the beginning.

Soon after that experience, Davidson was called into the office of SNL show-runner Lorne Michaels. Apparently, Louis CK had not only called out Davidson in front of the cast and crew for his cannabis use, but he’d also gone in person to the young actor’s boss and told on him. More specifically, Michaels claimed that Louis had insisted that Davidson get a stern talking to. Although Davidson was called in to meet with Michaels, he was not ultimately fired, and he continues to work as a cast member of SNL.

Although the Netflix special just began streaming last week, this is not the first time Pete Davidson has used the story in his stand-up material; Indie Wire covered his bad blood with Louis CK in January of 2019.

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Utah Dispensaries Open Amid Patient Access Issues

3/02/2020

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Utah’s long-embattled medical cannabis program launches today but, even as the first dispensary opens its doors, patients have reported issues getting signed up for the program, FOX 13 reports.

Qualified cannabis patient Mario Enriquez said he spent about an hour trying to access the Department of Health website over the weekend to finish registering for the program; state officials confirmed there were some hiccups but said everything should be working, now.

“I expected it to be busy. We had a feeling the system would be crashing with the excitement… I think they’re doing the best that they can,” Enriquez told FOX 13.

Utah’s first dispensary — or medical marijuana “pharmacy,” according to state law — is Dragonfly Wellness in Salt Lake City. At least one more dispensary is expected to open in March with seven more set to launch in June. In total, 14 dispensary locations have been announced.

Utah’s medical cannabis law requires that patients get a recommendation letter from their doctor to use or possess medical cannabis products. To access one of the state-licensed dispensaries, however, patients must also register with the Department of Health and have a letter from a QMP or “qualifying medical professional” — there is a catch, however, as not all doctors in the state (only 60, to be exact) are considered QMPs and many patients have found that their doctor’s recommendation does not satisfy the state.

Utah voters approved a state medical cannabis program in November 2018. The next month, however, lawmakers there voted to replace the voter-approved program with their own stripped-down version.

 

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CannaCon Detroit Announces Celebrity Appearances For April Event

2/28/2020

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Two cannabis icons are scheduled to appear this year at CannaCon Detroit. Actor turned activist Tommy Chong will host a Meet and Greet with fans of his work. Also, rapper and entrepreneur Berner will be interviewed live on the second day of the convention. Attendees of this exclusive event will have first-hand access to marketing, branding, and market longevity tips from the founder of the famed Cookies brand. Professionals will soak up information on ROI effective marketing from Cannaclusive co-founder Mary Pryor during sessions. Michigan cannabis business professionals will also gain insights from a seminar on Michigan Marijuana Regulation with Andrew Brisbo, executive director of the Marijuana Regulatory Agency, during two days of insightful seminars. 

Along with educational speeches and seminars enjoy an expo floor filled with market innovations tailored to the cannabis industry. Companies like Futurolla, Summit Research, and Precision Extraction will be among the companies in attendance showcasing their new and updated offerings. Professionals can engage with industry leaders in fields like packaging, extraction, inventory management, software, and more. 

“The most fun you can have at a cannabis event. The best networking opportunity in the industry – by leaps and bounds,” said former attendee Thomas Warinner of Mobius Trimmer.

CannaCon is highly regarded as a premier influential event for cannabis professionals. The event series spans multiple states with successful endeavors now in Washington, Michigan, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, and Illinois. From the education on everything from hemp cultivation to legal regulations to the expo floor featuring cannabis businesses to fulfill any entrepreneurs’ needs, CannaCon serves the entire marijuana industry. 

About CannaCon 

CannaCon is dedicated to creating and strengthening lifelong partnerships within the emerging cannabis industry. It is our mission to provide a global B2B venue for cannabis businesses, marijuana entrepreneurs, investors, and community partners to showcase industry products, people, innovations, and technology. We are committed to cultivating business values within the cannabis industry through education and responsible community involvement.

For more information contact 

Angela Grelle

(425)791-4467 x102

Angela@cannacon.org

http://www.cannacon.org

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USDA Removes DEA Testing Requirements for Hemp

2/28/2020

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Drug Enforcement Agency has remove the requirement that hemp crops be tested by DEA-registered laboratories for the upcoming growing season, Hemp Industry Daily reports.

During a meeting of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Greg Ibach, undersecretary for the USDA, said that while the agency had reached an agreement with the DEA for this season, the law enforcement agency still expects states “to work with their laboratories to try to achieve certification for the 2021 crop year. The requirement was included in the USDA’s interim final rules for hemp production last October.

Josh Schneider, CEO of San Diego, California-based Cultivaris Hemp, told Hemp Industry Daily, that getting rid of the “ridiculous DEA testing requirement is a step in the right direction by the USDA.

Ibach also suggested that the USDA would change its guidelines about sampling and disposing of hemp but did not indicate what those changes might be.

“We’re going to provide more options and greater flexibility for states that are working with producers that need to provide more options for disposal or more commonly accepted ways to destroy that crop on the farm. There were a lot of comments about sampling, as well, so we’re open to that discussion to gain greater understanding.” – Ibach to Hemp Industry Daily

However, Seric Seenstra, of the advocacy organization Vote Hemp wrote on Twitter that while the rule change “will hemp for the season” it’s not what the group wanted or needed “for the industry to be successful.”

FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn, also signaled during the meeting that the agency is working on hemp-derived CBD regulations, and said that attempting to ban the products would be “a fool’s errand.”

“We have to be open to the fact that there might be some value to these products, and certainly Americans think that’s the case,” he said in the report. “But we want to get them information to make the right decisions.”

The comments by the federal officials from the agencies responsible for hemp regulations is the latest indicator of normalization for the industry. Since federal hemp legalization in 2018, the USDA has added the crop to several federal crop insurance programs, created pilot programs to serve hemp farmers, and awarded federal funds for hemp research to researchers at Virginia Tech and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

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Lebanon Poised to Legalize Cannabis Cultivation

2/28/2020

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Lawmakers in Lebanon are poised to approve legislation that would legalize cannabis cultivation for medical and industrial purposes, according to an Asharq Al-Awsat report.

The effort is following up on a 2018 plan by global consulting firm McKinsey & Co. to revitalize the economy in Lebanon, which is among the world’s most indebted countries. Lebanon’s medical cannabis and industrial hemp industries would be governed by laws and regulations set forward by lawmakers.

“The Bekaa Valley is considered one of the best lands for cultivating cannabis, which is classified among the finest species in the world, and it does not contain more than 1 percent of narcotic substance.” — Agriculture Minister Abbas Mortada, via Asharq Al-Awsat

According to the McKinsey plan, a legal Lebanese cannabis industry could generate up to $1 billion USD in revenue for the country each year.

“If we sell a kilo for fifty dollars, we would support the Lebanese farmers and secure a great return for the state,” Mortada said. “But if we go towards establishing factories and pharmaceutical plants, then the profits will double, in addition to the possibility that this law would push foreign companies to invest in Lebanon with the aim of manufacturing drugs.”

The plan is not without some controversy: Ismail Sukariyeh, the president of the National Health Authority, has questioned the projected financial returns from legalization and warned against an exploited industry.

“Based on my experience in the medical field, in a worn-out country that does not apply laws, the cannabis cultivation legislation will lead to transgressions from some hospitals and medical agencies, in addition to a monopoly on their export,” Sukariyeh said in the report.

The United Nations currently lists Lebanon as the third-most-common source for hashish in the world.

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State Labs to Refuse Low-Level Cannabis Cases In Texas

2/28/2020

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The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has notified law enforcement agencies that while officials are close to rolling out a lab test to test for THC levels, the state labs won’t conduct the tests in misdemeanor possession cases, the Texas Tribune reports. In Texas, misdemeanor offenses include possession up to 4 ounces and delivery or sale up to 7 grams.

In a February 18 letter to DPS laboratory clients, DPS Director Steve McCraw, said that while lawmakers “added resources to the laboratory to help expedite the analysis” of the state’s 50,000 felony drug cases per year, “additional funding to address misdemeanor cases was not provided because the laboratory does not analyze misdemeanor drug cases.”

“Annually, there are more than 80,000 misdemeanor marijuana arrests made in Texas. DPS will not have the capacity to accept those misdemeanor cases. Additionally, at this time, the Texas testing method is solely for plat material cases. Evaluations for use of this method or alternate methods for testing felonies associated with cannabis derivative (oils, edibles, etc) will be ongoing in 2020.” – McCraw, in the letter

Following the passage of hemp laws in the state, officials in several counties indicated they would no longer prosecute low-level cannabis cases due to their inability to differentiate industrial hemp from THC-rich cannabis products.

Shannon Edmonds, director of governmental relations for the Texas District and County Attorneys Association, called the decision “another hurdle to successfully prosecuting” low-level cannabis cases. Since hemp legalization, cannabis prosecutions in the state have fallen by more than half.

The state lab test for THC levels is expected to be finalized by the end of March but it is expected to take another two months to implement.

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Medical Cannabis Flower and Edibles Approved in West Virginia

2/28/2020

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The West Virginia Senate has approved a medical cannabis reform bill that grants access to flower and edibles for the state’s patients, WV News reports. The measure, approved 30-4, includes the flower and edible provisions despite language allowing such products being stripped from the bill by the chamber’s Judiciary Committee; the amended version passed by the Senate did not include home grow, which was included in the original version of the bill.

The measure also authorizes the Bureau for Public Health commissioner to approve additional forms of medical cannabis available in the state’s medical cannabis program – which has yet to roll out – and additions to the qualifying conditions list based on recommendations of the Medical Cannabis Advisory Board. The measure would also remove the requirement for a training course for physicians, opting instead for an eight-hour training course for industry owners and employees and clarifies that unlawful use of medical cannabis is subject to the criminal code relating to cannabis.

The bill also tasks the Tax Division of the state Department of Revenue with monitoring medical cannabis pricing and sets rules to allow accredited colleges, universities and medical schools to conduct medical cannabis research.

The legislation, which still requires House approval, also bars some public officials and their family members from owning or operating medical cannabis companies.

Medical cannabis was legalized in West Virginia in 2017 but has not been rolled out in earnest yet, partly due to officials’ desire to secure banking options for cannabis businesses in the state. Officials only began accepting applications for industry operators in December.

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Bellingham Budfest Ramps Up for 2nd Annual Cannabis Festival

2/28/2020

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Bellingham Budfest has become a beloved Pacific Northwest cannabis festival after an exceptional inaugural event in 2019. The free all-ages all-day celebration is once again located in blustery Zuanich Point Park on the Bellingham bay featuring live music performances, engaging speakers, and licensed cannabis brands. So many special and unique components merge to make Budfest the Whatcom County cannabis event of the season. 

Like most consumer-driven cannabis events, Bellingham Budfest features entertainment, education, and weed; but that’s not all. Just like last year, attendees will have access to the 21 and over Cannabis Corral featuring booth upon booth of friendly cannabis brands looking to talk about what makes their bud special. Those in attendance will also be able to chill out at the main stage to enjoy local bands. 

Along with entertainment and education, the Budfest team is focused on environmental impact, which is why this is a Toward Zero Waste (TZW) festival. That means event organizers are aimed at reducing the waste that Budfest might create before any styrofoam ever hits a landfill. As a part of this goal, food vendors will be required to use compostable items, sale of single-use plastic water bottles are banned, there will be a dedicated team supervising waste disposal, and swag items made using single-use plastic are heavily discouraged. Attendees are encouraged to bring reusable water bottles. 

Being a family friendly gathering is another reason the all-day celebration is so memorable. One goal of Bellingham Budfest is to destigmatize the plant, those who smoke it, and the industry that provides it; organizers believe it is essential to create a safe, all-ages event to help accomplish these goals. At the first annual Budfest in 2019, attendees included industry insiders, Millenial stoners, senior supporters, moms carrying their babies, and kids playing with bubbles.  

Bellingham Budfest proves that the cannabis industry can be like any other. There isn’t anything nefarious about the plant except its prohibition — and every year Whatcom County celebrates that those shackles have been lifted at Bellingham Budfest. The festival will take place at Zuanich Point Park on July 26, 2020, from 12 to 8 pm, it is a completely free all-ages event. No ticket is required, but bring your reusable water bottle!

Interested in being involved? Applications for live music acts are still open for review. To apply as a music act for Bellingham Budfest or learn more about the event visit https://bellinghambudfest.com/.

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Cannabinoid CBG Has Antibiotic Properties

2/27/2020

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Researchers from McMaster University in Canada say that cannabigerol (CBG), a cannabinoid found in hemp and cannabis plants, has antibacterial properties and has been shown to defeat a family of bacteria known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

The findings, published in the journal American Chemical Society Infectious Diseases, suggest that CBG could become a breakthrough treatment for MRSA, an infamously drug-resistant infection.

“In this study, we investigated 18 commercially available cannabinoids and they all showed antibiotic activity, some much more than others. The one we focused on was a non-psychoactive cannabinoid called CBG, as it had the most promising activity. We synthesized that cannabinoid in mass quantity which gave us sufficient compound to go deep into the research.” — Eric Brown, lead study author and professor of biochemistry and biomedical sciences at McMaster

In the study, researchers managed to cure MRSA infections among mice using CBG, which “proved to be marvelous at tackling pathogenic bacteria,” said Brown. “The findings suggest real therapeutic potential for cannabinoids as antibiotics.”

The research team noted that the toxicity of CBG on host cells pose a hiccup in their findings, but that its antibiotic properties are more than enough to warrant further research.

“It opens a therapeutic window, but a narrow one, to develop this into a drug,” said Brown. “The next steps are to try to make the compound better in that it is more specific to the bacteria and has a lower chance of toxicity.”

McMaster University researchers have been investigating the antibiotic properties of cannabinoids for the two years since Canada legalized cannabis nationwide.

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Lawmakers Approve Adult-Use Sales In Vermont

2/27/2020

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Vermont lawmakers in the House of Representatives have given initial approval to a bill that would legalize adult-use cannabis sales and create a regulated marketplace for the industry, according to a WCAX report.

Lawmakers voted 90-54 in favor of the bill during preliminary voting on Wednesday evening; the House will reconvene Thursday afternoon to debate additional amendments before taking an official, final vote on the issue. If Wednesday’s vote is upheld, the bill will head to a conference committee where amendments to the Senate-approved version will be addressed.

The bill would establish an adult-use cannabis regulatory body called the Cannabis Control Board to oversee the industry. If it becomes law, cannabis products would be taxed at 20 percent under the bill and municipal authorities would not be able to add any additional local taxes; THC potency in commercial cannabis products, meanwhile, would be capped at 30 percent for flower and 60 percent for concentrates.

The bill originated in the Senate and passed through the House Government Operations Committee, the House Ways and Means Committee, and the House Appropriations Committee before reaching a full floor vote.

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R) has said he would support a regulated adult-use industry, so long as law enforcement in the state could rely on saliva-based intoxication tests for cannabis.

In 2018, Vermont was the first state in the U.S. to legalize adult-use cannabis via the legislature, not by a voter ballot initiative. Lawmakers then, however, only legalized the possession and home cultivation of cannabis, although polls suggest that Vermont residents strongly support the creation of an adult-use cannabis marketplace.

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Virginia Legalizes Hemp Cigarettes

2/27/2020

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The Virginia Legislature has approved a bill explicitly legalizing hemp cigarettes, the Virginia Mercury reports. The products were already being sold in the state but Del. Danny Marshall (R), the bill’s sponsor in the House, said the measure clears up any confusion.

Marshall indicated need for such a law after one candidate in a local sheriff’s race accused the other of not enforcing federal law because he allowed smokable hemp flowers to be sold in stores.

The bill sets the legal age to purchase hemp cigarettes at 21 – the same age required to buy tobacco cigarettes.

Sen. John Edwards (D), who sponsored the measure in the Senate, said he had “no idea” who would want to buy hemp cigarettes, but the bill passed the chamber 37-3.

Hemp flower products have created confusion for law enforcement throughout the country since it smells and looks like THC-rich cannabis. Last October, a Hanover County judge dismissed a cannabis possession charge after a state laboratory supervisor testified he couldn’t tell the difference between legal and illegal cannabis. The defendant in that case had purchased the hemp flower from a gas station which provided documentation that the flower tested at .28 percent THC, which is below federal and state thresholds.

Last week, lawmakers approved broad cannabis decriminalization that reduces the penalty for possession up to a half-ounce to $25. The current law calls for a $500 fine and 30 days in jail. Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam is expected to sign both measures.

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Maine Considering Cannabis Crimes Unit for State DEA

2/27/2020

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Officials in Maine are planning a new division of the state Drug Enforcement Agency devoted solely to cannabis crimes, the Portland Press Herald reports. The four-person unit would be funded by $649,000 from cannabis industry-derived taxes.

Michael Sauschuck, commissioner of the Maine Department of Public Safety, said the unit would focus on illegal cultivators, processors, retailers, and sales to children that happen outside of the legal market. A civil compliance unit would focus on regulatory enforcement.

“We legalized a whole bracket of drugs and the vast majority of people are going to absolutely comply with that, but there will be those that push that limit. As other states have seen, there is absolutely a time and place for enforcement.” – Sauschuck, in testimony to lawmakers on Monday, via the Press Herald.

Sauschuck noted that the illicit market “doesn’t just go away overnight” and that 99 out of 100 licensed operators were “doing things the right way.” He said that currently cannabis crimes in the state are a “complete bottom-of-the-rung priority.”

Mark Barnett, a Portland coffee shop owner who is applying for a recreational cannabis license and is currently a medical cannabis caregiver, called the proposal “a move in the wrong direction and counter to the very idea of legalization.”

“We do not want to see one additional person incarcerated for marijuana,” he said during his remarks to lawmakers.

Rep. Kent Ackley, an independent who supports the creation of the unit said his “hope would be” that the state wouldn’t have to jail people “to convince the gray market to participate in the regulated marketplace.”

Recreational cannabis was legalized in Maine on Jan. 1, 2017; however, the rollout of the industry was stalled due to opposition from then-Gov. Paul LePage (R). LePage’s successor, Democrat Janet Mills, signed the adult-use cannabis regulation bill last summer.

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Report: Maryland Has Raised $21.7M from Cannabis Taxes

2/27/2020

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According to a Beacon Economics report, Maryland’s medical cannabis industry has raised about $21.7 million in tax revenue for the state and created more than 4,000 jobs. The firm says that from January 2018 to June 2018, medical cannabis sales in the state topped $34.9 million and reached $106 million over the same period the following year, representing a growth rate of more than 200 percent, according to a WUSA9 outline of the data.

The Beacon report studied the total expenditures, facility investments, operations spending, and fiscal impacts of the state’s 18 licensed cannabis cultivators and 18 processors. It notes that from January 2012 to December 2019, the cannabis space saw $811.56 million in investments; in 2012 that figure was just $35,000 but reached $240 million last year.

The report was conducted on behalf of the Maryland Wholesale Medical Cannabis Trade Association. Mackie Barch, the association’s chairman, said there are more than 85,000 registered patients in the state and that the group plans to “play a leading role in helping the state achieve its goals related to adult use.” Lawmakers in Maryland held the first meeting of the cannabis legalization task force last summer.

In 2018, the state Legislature passed a bill to expand the number of medical cannabis licenses available following a push by members of the legislature to open up licensing to minority-owned firms after some lawmakers criticized the first round of licensing for not approving any minority-owned firms.

In their report, Beacon noted that the state “should be cautious in how it issues licenses in the coming years, focusing on sustained and equitable growth for the industry.”

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Arizona Bill Would Cap THC at 2% for Medical Cannabis

2/26/2020

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Arizona lawmakers last week introduced HCR 2045, which aims to cap the THC potency of medical cannabis products at just two percent, AZMarijuana.com reports; the bill is co-sponsored by 15 lawmakers.

Specifically, the proposal would revise the bill to read as follows:

“A registered nonprofit medical marijuana dispensary may not dispense to a qualifying patient or a designated caregiver medical marijuana with a tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of more than two percent.” — Excerpt from HCR 2045

The way this was written, however, leaves a lot unclear — it’s unknown, for example, whether the 2 percent cap would apply to only cannabis concentrates or if the restrictions would include cannabis flower products as well.

If the changes are passed, Arizona‘s more than 200,000 registered medical cannabis patients would be either shoehorned into either using low-potency medicine or buying from out-of-state dispensaries or on the unregulated marketplace. Voter-approved initiatives in Arizona, however — like the one that established the state’s medical cannabis program — are difficult for lawmakers to change.

Cannabis concentrates were only fully solidified as a part of the state’s medical cannabis program last February.

Last June, meanwhile, state auditors alleged that medical cannabis regulators in Arizona had failed to responsibly regulate the industry. The allegations suggested that officials had inadequately investigated complaints, did not conduct health inspections at edible processing facilities, and misallocated funds.

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Eaze Raises $35M, Sights Set on Retail and Distribution

2/26/2020

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Cannabis tech firm Eaze has raised a total of $35 million in funding as part of its plans to enter the retail and distribution sectors of the cannabis space. The company announced they raised $20 million from a Series D round in addition to the $15 million raised in a bridge round of funding last month.

CEO Ro Choy described the firm’s “verticalization” plan – which would see Eaze touch the plant as a retail operator and wholesale distributor – as its “second act.”

“Until now, we’ve invested in proving our market fit, building an enormous and loyal customer base, and becoming California’s biggest marketplace for legal cannabis delivery. Now, we’re proving we can make this business work in a more sustainable and profitable way, while continuing to grow Eaze’s existing services.” – Choy in a statement

Eaze had been facing a cash shortfall and, after cutting about 30 jobs over the summer, had reportedly planned another round of layoffs. According to TechCrunch, the company had recently lost its chief strategy officer, chief of staff, and several members of its engineering staff in recent months. Eaze yesterday appointed Megan Miller, the company’s former vice president of finance and marketplace, as chief operating officer and named John Curtis as the permanent chief financial officer. Curtis has been acting as the interim CFO since October 2019.

In January, Eaze acquired DionyMed Brand’s rights to retail licensee Hometown Heart’s depots in Oakland and San Francisco, and now has oversight of Hometown Heart’s day-to-day operations.

The company indicated it saw a 97 percent increase in new signups on the platform last year, and a 74 percent increase in first-time deliveries.

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Study: Cannabis Use Among Seniors Increased 75% In 3 Years

2/26/2020

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According to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, the number of U.S. adults over 65 that reported using cannabis increased from 2.4 percent in 2015 to 4.2 percent in 2018, an increase of 75 percent. The study’s respondents were 55.2 percent male and 77.1 percent white.

Joseph J. Palamar, an associate professor of population health at New York University Langone Medical Center and the study’s co-author, suggested that many of those adults surveyed weren’t first-time users but that the increase was likely due to more states legalizing over the three years and “increasing social acceptability in general.”

“I think a lot of older people are hearing more and more about potential medical uses and many of these people are willing to try it out to see how it works.” – Palamar, to UPI

Overall, the researchers found significant increases in cannabis use among women, among those who were college-educated, and those who had a higher income. The study also found cannabis use increased across all races and ethnic groups.

Additionally, the research suggests that cannabis use among older adults with diabetes increased by 180 percent from 2015 to 2018, and 95.8 percent among those with other chronic diseases. Cannabis use also increased by 157.1 percent over the study period among those who received mental health treatment.

Palamar noted that today’s cannabis is much stronger than what was used “back in the day” and that the bodies of older individuals aren’t the same as when they were younger, and that “people need to make sure they’re educated about the drugs they use.”

“Marijuana is by no means the most dangerous drug, but some people do experience adverse effects from use,” he said in an interview with UPI.

The study also suggests simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use among those 50-and-older had also increased, which the researchers say is riskier than using either alone.

The data from the study was derived from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

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