7 in 10 British Columbia Residents Happy with Legalization

4/18/2019

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British Columbians appear satisfied six months into Canadian cannabis legalization, as 64 percent of survey respondents had a favorable opinion of the reforms while just 29 percent disagree, according to a Research Co. report. Seven out of ten B.C. citizens aged 18-to-34 approved of legalization, including 72 percent of the residents in each Northern B.C. and Vancouver Island.

The majority surveyed, 79 percent, believed 19 to be the appropriate age to purchase cannabis and the same number supported restricting cannabis smoking to areas where tobacco smoking is currently allowed. Sixty-seven percent supported allowing adults to grow four plants per household and 67 percent believed the Liquor Distribution Branch is the right agency to distribute non-medical cannabis.

None of the respondents believed the nation should legalize other illicit substances such as ecstasy, heroin or fentanyl, powder or crack cocaine, or methamphetamine.

According to KamloopsMatters, in 2008 just 53 percent of British Columbians wanted to legalize cannabis for recreational use. Initially, the provincial government had expected to raise $200 million from recreational cannabis sales in the province over three years; however, following a slower-than-expected process to get shops open the government lowered their estimates to $68 million.

The Research Co. survey found 43 percent of respondents had used cannabis prior to legalization and 51 percent have never used cannabis in Canada at all.

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Study: Cannabis Enhances ‘Enjoyment’ and ‘Recovery’ From Exercise

4/17/2019

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A University of Colorado Boulder survey has found 81.7 percent of respondents endorsed using cannabis concurrently with exercise, the majority of which said using cannabis shortly before or after working out “enhances their enjoyment of and recovery from exercise” while about half said cannabis use motivated them to exercise.

The online survey was conducted in states with adult-use cannabis access and hopes to fill research voids regarding cannabis and exercise engagement. The results back up recent cannabis-for-fitness trends such as yoga and events such as the 420 Games; although, most professional sports organizations ban the use of cannabis for medical or recreational purposes, including CBD. In 2017, however, the World Anti-Doping Agency did remove CBD from its prohibited substances list.

The Colorado study surveyed more than 600 cannabis consumers about their workout habits.

“To our knowledge, this is the first study to survey attitudes and behavior regarding the use of cannabis before and after exercise, and to examine differences between cannabis users who engage in co-use, compared to those who do not. Given both the spreading legalization of cannabis and the low rates of physical activity in the US, it behooves public health officials to understand the potential effects—both beneficial and harmful—of cannabis use on exercise behaviors.” – The New Runner’s High? Examining the Relationships Between Cannabis Use and Exercise Behavior in States with Legalized Cannabis, Apr. 8, Frontiers

While the study is in no way conclusive or suggests that cannabis will lead people to exercise more often, it does help dispute the ‘lazy stoner’ stereotype propagated by prohibitionists.

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Medical Cannabis-for-Pets Bill Introduced In California

4/17/2019

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A bill introduced in California would allow veterinarians to recommend cannabis products for pets, VIN News Service reports. The measure first needs to pass a review by the state’s Veterinary Medical Board but, if approved, would be the first of its kind in the U.S.

Last year, state regulators recognized cannabis in veterinary medicine, becoming the first state to provide legal protections for vets who talk to pet owners about cannabis use for their animals. This bill takes those protections a step further.

If the Veterinary Medical Board doesn’t support the measure it will likely see no further action; however, even a neutral stance would enable it to move forward, the report says. The board would also be responsible for developing guidelines for vets to follow by January 1. The board has released draft guidelines which could mirror the adopted guidelines if the bill is passed. That document does warn practitioners that “no federal or state agency oversees standardization of cannabis product concentrations for use on animals” and “research to-date is lacking conclusions regarding dose, toxicity & efficacy.”

Last year, CannPal Animal Therapeutics began a cannabis-for-dogs study in Australia for its leading drug candidate CPAT-01. In the U.S., a Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine study last year found a hemp oil product “efficacious” for dogs with arthritic and geriatric pain. In 2017, Creso Pharma received approval from the European Union to sell CBD products for pets.

A bill similar to the California proposal was introduced in New York last year but gained no traction in the legislature. A measure in Connecticut would provide similar protections for veterinarians as the current California law, while a Tennessee bill would protect vets from professional discipline for recommending industrial hemp-derived products.

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Iowa Senate Passes Hemp Legalization

4/17/2019

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Iowa’s Senate has advanced legislation to legalize industrial hemp production in the state, according to a report from the Neighbor. The measure, which still needs approval in the House, passed the chamber 49-1.

Under the law, the industry would be regulated by the state Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, which would collect fees, appropriations, and other hemp-generated revenues that would be used for regulations and oversight. The first crops wouldn’t be planted until 2020 and would initially limit farmers to just 40 acres of hemp cultivation.

For the first two years, hemp farmers would pay $500 plus $5-per-acre in licensing fees for plots less than 5 acres; $750 plus $5-per-acre for plots between five and 10 acres; and $1,000 plus $5-per-acre for sites more than 10 acres, according to the bill text.

Republican state Sen. Tom Shipley told the Neighbor that the bill approved by the Senate includes amendments to win the approval of the House. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds would also have to sign the measure.

“The Department of Ag and the Department of Public Safety are working hand in hand to make hemp Iowa’s third commodity a safe reality,”. “I have been contacted by future hemp farmers who are ready to start producing and see the market for hemp products.” –  State Sen. Kevin Kinney, a Democrat, to the Neighbor

Iowa, one of just seven states without state-approved hemp cultivation, follows several states – including Texas, Maine, Florida, Idaho, Oklahoma, and Nebraska – in making reforms in the wake of last year’s federal hemp changes included the Farm Bill.

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Washington Senate Votes to Allow Medical Cannabis in Schools

4/16/2019

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Bills allowing medical cannabis use on school grounds and changing the state’s cannabis testing rules have passed the Washington state Senate, according to an Associated Press report. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle described the school bill as one that would provide children enrolled in the state program relief from their chronic illnesses.

The measure, which passed 41-4, would allow parents to administer edible, low-THC, products in school – but the program could be suspended if the federal government were to threaten to pull funding over the issue. Under the law, school officials and nurses would not have to administer medical cannabis due to potential licensing and liability problems.

The testing proposal would move the responsibility of licensing and laboratory certifications to the Department of Ecology who would also issue drafts of new lab standards in 2020 and 2021. In 2018, the Ecology Department found gaps in testing accreditation rules for the cannabis industry.

Last year, the Agriculture Department found 43 percent of cannabis tested by the agency contained high levels of both allowed and banned pesticides. The new law, which passed the Senate 44-1, would require the Ecology Department to set up workgroups to study the issue of pesticides in cannabis consumer products.

Both bills had previously passed the House but must be sent back for final approval of amendments before moving to the governor.

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Tennessee Ag Department Issues 2,600 Hemp Licenses

4/16/2019

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The number of hemp cultivation licenses issued in Tennessee are up 1,100 percent over last year, according to a Tennessean report. For this year, the state Department of Agriculture has issued more than 2,600 licenses, most of which are for farms of fewer than five acres.

In 2015, there were just 44 hemp growers licensed under the state’s pilot program; 64 in 2016; 117 in 2017; and 226 last year when 4,700 acres of hemp were grown in the Volunteer State. This year, five farms are licensed to grow more than 1,000 acres and 37 are licensed to grow 100 acres or more.

Bill Corbin, a licensed farmer in Springfield, called the crop “a new gold rush” but cautioned “that’s not really a good thing.”

“When that many people come into play so quickly, there are so many naive and gullible growers that are going to sign up with people who will promise them the moon,” he told the Tennessean.

Although hemp was legalized federally last year, Tennessee is still operating under a pilot program while federal agencies adopt rules and regulations for the industry. The Food and Drug Administration plans to hold its own public hearing next month on CBD – the demand for which is partly behind the spike in hemp license figures in Tennessee, according to the report.

According to March figures from Kentucky’s Agriculture Department, hemp sales in Tennessee’s northern neighbor jumped from $17 million to $58 million from 2017-2018.

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Medical Cannabis Expansions Introduced to Illinois House

4/16/2019

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A bill to make Illinois’ medical cannabis program permanent and expand the state’s qualifying condition list has been introduced in the House, according to a WIFR report.

The measure would add autism, chronic pain, irritable bowel syndrome, migraines, osteoarthritis, anorexia, Ehlers-Danlos, or elastic skin, Syndrome, Neuro-Behcet’s Autoimmune Disease, neuropathy, and polycystic kidney disease to the program’s conditions list.

Additionally, the law would allow patients under the age of 18 to have an additional caregiver – from two to three – and allow military veterans enrolled in the Opioid Alternative Pilot Program to participate in the medical cannabis program, which under the current law sunsets on July 1, 2021. Last year, the state approved what the sponsor called “an exit ramp for opioid use” allowing individuals suffering from opioid addition to access the medical cannabis program.

Notably, during his inaugural address in January Democratic Gov. J.B Pritzker promised to legalize cannabis throughout the state during his tenure. A month earlier, Pritzker said he wanted the state’s industry to roll out before neighboring Michigan, which legalized cannabis via a voter referendum last year.

The bi-partisan medical cannabis reform measure counts several high-ranking Republicans among its sponsors, including Minority Leader Jim Durkin, Conference Chair Tim Butler, and Assistant Minority Leader Norine Hammond. It’s currently in the Rules Committee.

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Dallas County DA Stops Prosecuting First-Time Cannabis Misdemeanors

4/15/2019

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Dallas County, Texas District Attorney John Creuzot will no longer prosecute low-level cannabis crimes for first-time offenders, he announced in a policy letter to the county’s citizens. The letter also indicates his office is “in the process of dismissing all pending misdemeanor marijuana cases filed” before he took office, noting that as of Apr. 11 he has dismissed more than 1,000 of the cases.

Creuzot points out that African Americans are three times more likely to be prosecuted for misdemeanor possession despite using cannabis at similar rates as other races.

“After arrest, African Americans are assessed money bond at a higher rate for marijuana possession, and are assessed higher bond amounts than other races. African Americans are more likely to be convicted of marijuana possession once charged and are more likely to serve a jail sentence. The District Attorney must take action to end that disparity.” – Creuzot, in the Apr. 11 letter, published by the Texas Observer

In lieu of prosecution, Creuzot, a Democrat, will offer offenders a program that, once completed, will keep their record clear. The reformed guidelines will apply so long as the “offenses do not occur in a drug-free zone, involve the use or exhibition of a deadly weapon, or involve evidence of delivery.”

During his campaign, Creuzot pledged to reduce the number of people in prison and jail in the county by one-fifth during his term.

Texas state law still strictly prohibits cannabis, though both Republicans and Democrats in the state sport planks related to cannabis policy reform and a decriminalization proposal is pending in the state legislature.

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Oklahoma Hemp Bill Heads to Governor’s Desk

4/15/2019

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Oklahoma’s industrial hemp bill has moved to the desk of Gov. Kevin Stitt after it unanimously passed the state House late last week, NewsOn6 reports. The measure expands the current state program, which only allows hemp research by universities or colleges in conjunction with the state Department of Agriculture.

According to state Sen. Lonnie Paxton, a Republican author of the bill, the state’s regulations will mirror those established by the United States Department of Agriculture. By following federal hemp guidelines, the bill prevents another legislative review of rules for the state program, according to the Oklahoman.

“There will be no more lag time. We will be responding as quickly as the federal government will allow. This sets everything up so that everything will be in place for local farmers to have everything ready to go.” – Paxton, to the Oklahoman

Paxton said the bill might also encourage hemp processors to bring their operations into the state. Gov. Stitt is expected to sign the legislation.

Oklahoma is the latest state to pass hemp-related laws following last year’s federal Farm Bill, which effectively legalized hemp at the federal level. In Texas, hemp was removed from the controlled substances list earlier this month. Lawmakers in Maine last month passed emergency legislation to align the state and federal definitions of hemp. Lawmakers in Florida are considering a bill to establish rules and regulations for a hemp industry. The Idaho Senate is expected to take up its own hemp bill before the session’s end.

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Former Vermont Gov. Dean Joins Tilray Board

4/15/2019

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Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean has joined the board of licensed Canadian cannabis company Tilray, according to a VTDigger report.

During his five terms as governor from 1991-2003, Dean was against all forms of legalization but told VTDigger that he changed his position after conversations with his daughter – a public defender in the Bronx – and recent research on CBD.

In 1997, Dean told the New York Times he was against even industrial hemp legalization, claiming that “the principal interest of the advocates is to legalize marijuana.” During his 2003 campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, his website said that decriminalizing drugs sends “a very bad message to young people” and making cannabis legally available alongside alcohol and tobacco was “not a good idea.”

In the report, Dean, a physician, said that his daughter helped change his mind on legalization, pointing to the racial bias in cannabis enforcement.

“Then it became pretty obvious that poor kids of color with bad educations, they already had three strikes against them and the fourth was having a joint. Which after all is probably not as bad as alcohol.” – Dean, to VTDigger

Additionally, Dean said, he found the recent studies on CBD “reasonable” – which he didn’t a decade ago. He said this isn’t the first issue he had “flipped” on, adding that he came around on needle exchanges after seeing the programs in action.

On Tilray, Dean said the company got his attention because it’s run like “a pharmaceutical plant” and “run by Yale graduates.” However, Dean maintained that “black market” cannabis products “[kill] people.”

“There is a lot of really bad stuff going on now,” he said in the interview. “Maybe it would be a good idea if people had a predictable, reliable brand, and not something off the black market.”

Dean does believe Vermont – which legalized cannabis in 2016 for adult use but stopped short of legalizing industry – will move forward with a taxed and regulated regime.

He’s not the first politician to enter the space that was once leery of legalization. Last year, former Speaker of the House of Representatives John Boehner, a Republican, joined the board of Acreage Holdings; in February, he was appointed the honorary chairman of pro-cannabis lobbying group the National Cannabis Roundtable.

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Home Prices Up in Cities With Adult-Use Cannabis

4/12/2019

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Home values in cities with adult-use cannabis markets are up by $6.337 from 2014 prices compared to cities that do not allow recreational cannabis sales, according to a Clever Real Estate study. From 2014, home prices in cities “within close access to legal dispensaries” were up 8.4 percent – an average of $22,888.

Home values in cities with legal medical cannabis access had the same growth as cities with full prohibition.

“States that legalize recreational cannabis see an immediate bump in home values following legalization, even without retail dispensaries opening up,” the study states.

The highest increases in the housing prices were in Colorado and Washington – who became the first states to legalize cannabis for recreational use in 2012. The study does point out that other factors do play a role in statewide house price increases; the West Coast housing market has seen steady growth since 2012 that can’t be attributed to the 2016 voter-approved legalization law, for example.

Post-legalization, some states have seen an increase in industrial property values that are used for cultivation and processing. Last year in Sonoma County, California, industrial properties for cannabis businesses saw a 50 percent increase in price over similar non-cannabis properties.

Many critics of legal cannabis fear potential crime increases following legalization which could lead to a possible reduction in home values related to that crime. A study earlier this year by the School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado Denver did note an initial increase in crime rates after a dispensary opens in a neighborhood but that spike “weakened significantly over time.”

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Tennessee Lawmakers Reject Three Medical Cannabis Bills

4/12/2019

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Three bills to expand Tennessee’s medical cannabis program have failed in the state’s legislature, according to a WTVF report.

The measures, separately, would have expanded the state’s qualifying conditions list, allowed people participating in federal Food and Drug Administration medical cannabis trials to bring products back to the state without penalty, while another would have added cancer and irritable bowel disease to the qualifying conditions list.

The legislation to largely expand access was pushed to next year by the bill sponsor, who hopes to get another bill to a different subcommittee that might be more favorable to the measure. The other two other bills were rejected by the Mental Health and Substance Committee.

State Sen. Steve Dickerson, a Republican, told the station that he hopes to take up the broader expansion next year with a “well thought-out” bill that would be approved by the legislature and the governor. In the meantime, he plans to combine the three bills recently rejected by the legislature and get them in front of a different committee.

Under the state’s current medical cannabis program, licensed physicians can recommend cannabis oil with less than 0.9 percent THC for seizure disorders. The oil can only be produced by a university as part of a clinical trial. The law has been amended twice since it’s 2014 passage but both times the changes have only added more restrictions to the already narrow program.

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Hampden County Massachusetts Approves First Adult-Use Cannabis License

4/12/2019

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Chicopee, Massachusetts is set to host Hampden County’s first recreational cannabis retailer after the Cannabis Control Commission granted a license to Mass Alternative Care, the Reminder reports. The company already sells medical cannabis; adult-use products will be sold in the same building but in a separate area due to different sales systems and tax rates.

Nathan Moreau, spokesperson for Mayor Richard Kos, indicated that recreational sales would not begin for a few weeks, as regulators still need to conduct final inspections of the facility.

Chicopee is also considering approval for Green Meadows Farm, who last week hosted a community outreach presentation on the proposal. Green Meadows, which shifted from organic vegetable farming to cannabis cultivation in 2017, plans to open a dual-use facility for both recreational and medical cannabis.

According to the report, about half of the outreach presentation attendees opposed the dispensary due to public safety, zoning, and traffic concerns.

Green Meadow CEO Robert Patton told residents that the dispensary would be focused on the medical side of the business and they expected to create about 10 to 15 jobs.

The outreach presentation is just the first step for the company. There is no indication of when a decision is expected.

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AG Barr Calls Cannabis Situation “Intolerable,” Would Support STATES Act

4/11/2019

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During a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Wednesday, U.S. Attorney General William Barr said that the current disconnect between state and federal cannabis laws is “intolerable” and that he would prefer policy similar to that outlined in the proposed STATES Act, The Denver Channel reports.

If approved, the STATES Act would protect state-legal cannabis programs established either by local lawmakers or via successful voter initiatives. It is one of several currently pending pieces of legislation that would reform federal policy to protect state-legal cannabis operators and entrepreneurs from federal interference.

Barr’s statements were made in response to questions posed by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), one of many co-sponsors behind the bi-partisan STATES Act.

“Personally, I would still favor one uniform federal rule against marijuana, but if there is no sufficient consensus to obtain that, then I think the way to go is to permit a more federal approach so states can make their own decisions within the framework of federal law, so we’re not just ignoring the enforcement of federal law.” — Barr, during Wednesday’s Senate Appropriations Committee hearing

Barr said he has not looked specifically at the STATES Act but that the proposal has been circulating the Department of Justice for feedback, which he promised to provide lawmakers with further down the line.

The STATES Act was first introduced by Sens. Cory Gardener (D-Colorado) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) last year; when it was introduced, President Trump signaled that he would sign the bill if it reached his desk.

The bill was reintroduced last week with a long list of co-sponsors, including Sens. Michael Bennet (D-Colorado), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-New Mexico), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), and Ron Wyden (D-Oregon); the bill was also introduced to the House by Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) and David Joyce (R-Colorado).

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FDA Sends Warning Letters to Three Online CBD Sellers

4/11/2019

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The federal Food and Drug Administration last month sent letters to three companies selling CBD on the Internet, warning them that their products violate federal laws. The letters, dated Mar. 28, were sent to PotNetwork Holdings which runs DiamondCBD.com; Nutra Pure LLC, which runs CBDPure.com; and Advanced Spine and Pain LLC, which does business as Relievus.

Among its claims, the agency accuses the PotNetwork and Nutra Pure of unsubstantiated advertising claims related to CBD marketing, and Relievus of selling unapproved new and misbranded drugs for humans and animals in addition to unsubstantiated advertising claims.

Each of the companies market their CBD products – salves, gummies, capsules – as a “dietary supplement”; however, the FDA says they have concluded “based on available evidence that CBD products are excluded from the dietary supplement definitions” outlined by federal regulations. The letters point to GW Pharmaceuticals’ CBD product Epidiolex as evidence CBD is a drug, therefore cannot be a dietary supplement.

In the letters, the FDA points out that it’s unlawful to make claims that a product prevents, treats, or cures human, or animal, diseases without “reliable scientific evidence.”

“The FTC is concerned that one or more of the efficacy claims cited above may not be substantiated by competent and reliable scientific evidence,” each letter states.

As of Wednesday, the websites for CDBPure and DiamondCBD – which both feature FDA disclosures that CBD products are not meant to treat or cure any disease – remained online and operational. The website for Relievus had been taken offline.

Last week, the FDA announced they would be holding a hearing in May “to obtain scientific data and information about the safety, manufacturing, product quality, marketing, labeling, and sale of products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds.”

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Canada Sees 17% Price-Per-Gram Increase Post-Legalization

4/11/2019

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Both legal and illegal cannabis prices throughout Canada are up more than 17 percent since legalization, from C$6.85 pre-legalization per gram to C$8.04 post-legalization, according to Statistics Canada figures outlined by Bloomberg.

Online legal market prices have reached as high as C$9.99 per gram since October 17, 2018 – 56.8 percent higher than the C$6.37 average per gram paid in the illicit market, according to the report. Per gram prices at brick-and-mortar retailers hit as high as C$10.73.

Customers in New Brunswick and Manitoba saw the biggest price increases of 30.5 percent and 27.7 percent respectively. British Columbia saw the lowest increases of just 3.7 percent. In the Northwest Territories, post-legalization prices were the highest at C$14.45 per gram – up 13.7 percent. Quebec had the lowest per-gram, post-legalization price of C$6.75, which represents a 15.9 percent increase.

StatsCanada uses self-reported, crowdsourced data to measure the burgeoning post-legalization cannabis economy. According to the report, the agency received 1,129 submissions from consumers via the website between October 17 and March 31 but only 936 passed the editing and screening process.

Since Canada’s federal legalization bill took effect, consumers have been limited in their legal purchases to just flower products. Regulations are under consideration, however, to allow for the manufacturing and sales of THC-infused edibles products. Edibles products are expected to reach store shelves as early as summer’s end and no later than October 17, 2019 – exactly one year after flower products were made legal.

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Massachusetts Bill Would Create Task Force to Curb Illicit Cannabis Sales

4/11/2019

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A bi-partisan bill seeking to curb illegal cannabis sales in Massachusetts was unveiled on Wednesday. The proposal aims to increase legal cannabis market participation, improve public safety, and reduce youth consumption rates.

According to a joint press release from state Sen. Michael Moore (D) and state Rep. Hannah Kane (R) – who co-sponsored the bill – 75 percent of all cannabis sales in the Commonwealth occur in the illicit market.

The measure established a Multi-Agency Illicit Marijuana Task Force that mirrors the state’s anti-tobacco task force. The task force would work with state agencies, law enforcement, and the public to find unlicensed sellers who would be subject to a “foregone tax revenue assessment.” That assessment would bill the illegal operator for the “total estimated forgone tax revenue numerically expressed as the total aggregated percentage of all state and municipal sales and marijuana taxes multiplied by the total value of the identified marijuana or marijuana products illegally cultivated, processed, manufactured or distributed.” Failure to pay would lead to additional fines and interest.

The proposal neither locks out individuals who are subject to the assessment from being awarded a license or participating in the industry nor prevents law enforcement from filing criminal charges.

The measure has the support of the Cannabis Control Commissioner Britte McBride, who urged legalization supporters to support the bill.

“An active illicit cannabis market diverts tax money from the Commonwealth, subverts the public health regulations that the Commission put into place to protect consumers, and undermines public safety. As we strive to establish a safe, responsible industry, the illicit market perpetuates negative stereotypes which can be a barrier to individuals getting a foothold in the legal market.” – McBride, in a statement

The CCC would have a representative on the task force, along with the commissioner of agriculture and representatives from the Department of Public Health, Attorney General’s Office, the State Treasurer’s Office. Two municipal police chiefs appointed by the governor would also serve on the task force, which would be co-chaired by the Colonel of the State Police and Commissioner of the Department of Revenue.

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Connecticut Lawmakers Advance Three Cannabis-Focused Bills

4/10/2019

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A Connecticut bill allowing adults to possess cannabis and expunge low-level possession charges heads to the Senate after passing the Judiciary Committee on a slim 21-19 vote, CT News Junkie reports. Three Democrats crossed party lines and voted against the measure.

The state Legislature’s General Law Committee approved a separate bill to create a taxed and regulated adult-use cannabis industry late last month 10-8, across party lines.

During the hour-long debate, the Republicans and Democrats that opposed the measure said they had concerns about the effect of cannabis legalization on youth and most had adopted the phrase coined by prohibition advocates: “When you legalize you normalize.”

“As the mother of three teenagers, I can’t support legalization. Our kids will say, ‘If it’s legal, how can it be bad?’ Because when you legalize something, you normalize it.” — Sen. Alex Bergstein, the Democratic vice-chair of the committee, during the hearing

Democratic Sen. Dennis Bradley argued that cannabis is already “in every single community” in the state and asserted that the War on Drugs is “a racist initiative” that disproportionately affects minority and poor communities.

The committee also approved bills to ensure that employers have the right to bar cannabis use from the workplace and create a driving under the influence test for cannabis.

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New Mexico Medical Cannabis Changes Spark Confusion for Inmates

4/10/2019

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Registered medical cannabis patients on parole or probation in New Mexico will not face penalties for using their recommended products, according to guidance from the state Corrections Department; however, it is unclear whether that policy also applies to inmates and those awaiting trial.

Legislation signed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham last week included language applying to individuals in state and local supervision which states: “A person who is serving a period of probation or parole or who is in the custody or under the supervision of the state or a local government pending trial as part of a community supervision program shall not be penalized for conduct allowed under the Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act.”

The language, however, begs the question, “who is in custody or under state supervision?”

Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino, the bill sponsor, told NM Political Report that he reads it as those awaiting trial and “would be subject to the same restrictions that anybody would be in jail or prison” after their release.

Duke Rodriguez, CEO of state-licensed medical cannabis producer New Mexico Top Organics Ultra Health, disagrees with the sponsor’s reading, pointing to a section of the new law that reads: “A qualified patient’s use of cannabis pursuant to the Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act shall be considered the equivalent of the use of any other medication.”

“Inmates, by law, must be provided reasonable health care by the state. If medical cannabis is a sanctioned activity by the state, then it seems logical by public policy that these inmates would have reasonable access. I’m not sure why there would be any confusion.” – Rodriguez, to NM Political Report

It’s unclear whether lawmakers will draft or pass new laws to deal with the issue but Rodriguez believes officials will have to fix the issue sooner than later.

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Unilever Announces CBD-Infused Deodorant Product Line

4/10/2019

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Unilever is set to introduce CBD-infused deodorant products later this year under its brand Schmidt’s Naturals, according to a Bloomberg report. Unilever added Schmidt’s to its 400-strong brands in 2017.

Schmidt’s Naturals CEO Michael Cammarata told Bloomberg that he believes CBD “is probably the most powerful ingredient that we’re going to see over the next decade in the personal care market.”

Unilever’s holdings include personal care and beauty products, cleaning agents, and foods and beverages. Schmidt’s does operate independently but Cammarata said the parent company was “definitely part of the [decision-making] process” to market the CBD-infused products.

The deodorant will be sold at Target beginning in September, the report says. Cammarata indicated that CBD-infused deodorants help fight odor and its anti-inflammatory properties helps soothe irritation from shaving.

Unilever did not comment on the report; however, if Schmidt’s deodorants are a success, it is possible that the company could add CBD to many of its other beauty and personal care brands.

Following last year’s legalization of industrial hemp, hemp-derived CBD products are fully expected to permeate the personal care products industry. Already, CVS and Walgreens have pushed CBD products to store shelves in multiple states.

FDA regulations are still awaited, however, for CBD-infused food and beverages; the federal agency has announced a hearing for next month where it will receive public input on the creation of said rules.

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McConnell Supports Legislation to Fix Farm Bill’s Hemp ‘Glitches’

4/09/2019

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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) said he is willing to fix hemp-related “glitches” in the Farm Bill approved by Congress last year, the Associated Press reports. The need for legislative action comes as legal hemp shipments are intercepted by police who can’t differentiate between a legal and illegal crop.

“Some glitches remain to be worked out, and some of it may require legislation … I’m prepared to do my job … all the way into the end zone if it requires additional legislation.” — McConnell to the AP.

Two truck drivers were jailed last February in Oklahoma and Idaho after being stopped by police. In Oklahoma, officials impounded more than 17,000 pounds of legal hemp even after the purchaser provided them with paperwork. In Idaho, law enforcement used a portable THC test and drug-sniffing dogs to levy drug trafficking charges.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Greg Ibach told the AP said the agency is willing to work with other federal agencies to help develop testing protocols. The USDA is responsible for developing and issuing the regulations and guidance for commercial hemp production in the U.S. In February, the agency anticipated to issue those rules “in the fall of 2019 to accommodate the 2020 planting season.”

Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles – from McConnell’s home state – said officials throughout the U.S. need to know “what hemp is and what hemp is not” so hemp shipments can move freely interstate. In Kentucky, about 1,000 farmers will grow hemp in the state this year. Last year, Kentucky’s hemp processors earned $57.75 million; up from $16.7 million the year prior.

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No Hearing, No Vote for Florida Adult-Use Cannabis Bill

4/09/2019

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A recreational cannabis bill in Florida will receive neither hearing nor vote in either legislative chamber this session, the Orlando Sentinel reports. The bill sponsor Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith said, despite the bill’s failure, “it created a lot of discussion and dialogue.”

“It got no hearing, no debate, no vote. Just like they always do,” Smith, a Democrat, told the Sentinel.

Florida House Communications Director Fred Piccolo told the Orlando Business Journal that while no bill is officially dead before the end of the legislative session, bills in the House require a hearing before they can be voted on – and that includes bills attached to other pieces of legislation. The Senate does not require such a hearing.

Smith’s co-sponsor on the measure, Rep. Michael Grieco, said legalization in Florida was coming “one way or another” either next year or by 2022 either via the legislature or ballot initiative.

“With bipartisan efforts in criminal justice reform reaching new levels this year, it is the right time for Florida to start having a real conversation about legalizing marijuana for adult use.” – Greico, to Orlando Weekly in February when announcing the bill’s introduction

In 2016, 71 percent of Floridians voted to add a constitutional amendment legalizing medical cannabis – those amendments require 60 percent support to pass. Lawmakers have proposed a bill requiring 66.3 percent of the vote to change the state constitution. A February poll from the University of North Florida found 62 percent supported a regulated adult-use market.

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Study: Medical Cannabis Cancer Patients See ‘Significant’ Symptom Reduction

4/09/2019

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Researchers at the Minnesota Department of Health found that cancer patients enrolled in the state’s medical cannabis report “significant reduction” in the severity of symptoms in the first four months of cannabis treatment, according to a WCCO report.

The two-year study uses self-reported data from 1,120 cancer patients enrolled in the state’s medical cannabis program before and after cannabis treatment. According to the study, 27 percent of the patients achieved 30 percent or greater symptom reduction of fatigue, while half experienced less vomiting. Just over 10 percent reported side effects such as dry mouth, fatigue, and increased appetite.

“Medical cannabis was well tolerated, and some patients attained clinically meaningful and lasting levels of improvement,” concludes the report, which was published in the Journal of Oncology Practice.

According to Jan. 2019 state health department data 1,300 of the state’s 14,481 enrolled patients have a cancer diagnosis. Separately, the health department found in 2016 that 60 percent of program participants found “a high degree of benefit from medical cannabis.”

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Florida Officials Lay Groundwork for Medical Cannabis Edibles

4/08/2019

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The Florida Department of Agricultural and Consumer Services have finalized rules allowing licensed medical cannabis companies to make and sell infused edibles, according to a report from public radio station WMFE.

Holly Bell, director of the agriculture department’s cannabis program, said that a major concern for regulators is to keep the products safe from allergy contagions and other impurities that could cause adverse effects.

“That’s our concern because a lot of times the people taking the medical marijuana have compromised immune systems, so we want to especially be diligent and make sure they’re safe.” – Bell, to WMFE

The state Department of Health is next to issue their rules on cannabis-infused edibles. Those rules are expected in the coming weeks and the health department will hold a public input tour on those proposals before they are adopted, Bell indicated.

Laying the groundwork to allow edibles in the state’s medical cannabis program follows legislative changes last month to allow enrolled patients access to smokeable flower products. Dispensaries in Florida are expected to begin selling flower this summer; it’s unclear when edible products might reach store shelves.

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