Off-Duty Ottawa Police Can Smoke Cannabis, Officials Announce

10/11/2018

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Off-duty police officers in Ottawa, Ontario will be allowed to smoke cannabis as long as they are “fit for duty” by their shift, OttawaMatters reports.

“We feel that this is the best approach … respecting the fact that it’s a legal product. [But] an officer needs to be fit for duty, regardless of what he or she may be doing off-duty that is legal.” — Police Chief Charles Bordeleau, via OttawaMatters

Chief Bordeleau said department policy doesn’t specify a minimum amount of time between an officer’s cannabis use and when they’re allowed to show up for work, but he said “fit for duty” is a defined term. Many other police departments in Ontario — and police in Vancouver, British Columbia, as well — will mirror the capital’s policy, Bordeleau said.

Some departments, however, have opted for a hard line approach. Both Toronto police and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), for example, are considering a ban on cannabis use for officers within 28 days of their next shift, the National Post reports. In Calgary, nearly all law enforcement officers will be forbidden from using cannabis, even during off-duty downtime.

Workplaces throughout the country are grappling with updated cannabis use policies as Legalization Day approaches. Adult-use cannabis becomes legal in Canada on Wednesday, October 17.

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Oklahoma City

Oklahoma Approves MMJ Testing Standards

10/11/2018

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Lawmakers in an Oklahoma legislative working group focused on regulations for the state’s voter-approved medical cannabis program have come to an agreement on testing standards for cannabis, according to an Oklahoma News 4 report.

The latest testing standards include tests for THC and CBD potency, moisture content, residual pesticides, and heavy metals. All products sold in the state must be labeled with the strain and test results. The new requirements will go into effect May 15, 2019.

Products, however, may reach dispensary shelves before that time.

“Before these lab tests are put in place, any marijuana you buy in the state of Oklahoma is very much ‘use at your own risk’. It very easily could have contaminants. It could have heavy metals. It could really harm you.” — State Sen. Greg McCortney, via Oklahoma News 4

Oklahoma has struggled to reach a consensus on many medical cannabis issues after a successful ballot initiative pushed the state government into developing a program. At first, there was interference from both Gov. Mary Fallin and the state Board of Health — ultimately, their efforts were thwarted by the state Attorney General.

Medical cannabis advocates say they are satisfied with the rules and progress. Next, the rules will require approval from the state Board of Health.

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FDA Calls for Public Comment on Cannabis Rescheduling

10/10/2018

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FDA officials have put out a call for public comment about the potential rescheduling of cannabis and several other substances.

The feds want specifically to hear about the substances’ “abuse potential, actual abuse, medical usefulness, trafficking, and impact of scheduling changes on availability for medical use.”

First reported for Forbes by cannabis reporter Tom Angell, the notice was posted early Wednesday morning.

All comment submissions are due by October 31 — submissions can be made online via the FDA website or written statements can be mailed to the agency. 

The comment period was prompted by a call from the World Health Organization (WHO) for input regarding drug laws and potentially updating international drug treaties that bar nations from legalizing certain drugs — treaties that were championed by the U.S. government during the heyday of the drug war. Uruguay and Canada have both taken steps to federally legalize cannabis but, so far, the international community has not taken significant action against them.

Last week, reports surfaced that the FDA had called for the complete descheduling of CBD — the non-psychoactive cannabinoid most commonly associated with pain relief and epilepsy medication — but DEA pushback resulted in a Schedule 5 classification for only FDA-approved drugs.

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Walmart Eyes Entry Into Canada’s Legal Cannabis Market

10/10/2018

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The Canadian branch of Walmart Inc. is considering the pending national cannabis market as a potential new revenue source, Bloomberg reports.

Specifically, Walmart — similar to Coca-Cola and several large beer manufacturers — is attracted to the industry by the proliferation of CBD products. Spokesperson Diane Medeiros said the company was looking at the CBD market but has not yet committed to carrying any CBD products and has no plans to dispense medical cannabis out of Walmart pharmacies.

“As we would for any new industry, Walmart Canada has done some preliminary fact-finding on this issue, but we do not have plans to carry CBD products at this time.” — Diane Medeiros, spokesperson for Walmart Inc., in an email to Bloomberg

The corporate interest in CBD has boomed since Canada announced its path to a fully legal market, but Walmart is not the first corporate retailer to eye the cannabis space.

Canada’s Shoppers Drug Mart, a retail pharmacy chain headquartered in Toronto that has gone all-in on the cannabis space, has already received a license from Health Canada to distribute medical cannabis products and has inked deals to stock their shelves with cannabis products from three different licensed producers.

Legalization takes effect across the country next Wednesday, October 17. Shoppers who want to visit a cannabis dispensary on Day 1, however, should expect long lines and limited product availability until the marketplace matures.

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Pennsylvania Capital

Pennsylvania Decriminalization Bill Passes Committee

10/10/2018

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A bill to decriminalize small amounts of cannabis has passed the Pennsylvania state House Judiciary Committee, CBS reports.

The bill changes the penalties for those caught with under 30 grams of cannabis. Currently, such possession is a low-grade misdemeanor that would be a nearly permanent fixture on someone’s criminal record. The decriminalization bill would change that penalty to a summary offense similar to a traffic ticket, which carries a fine of up to $300.

The next milestone for the bill will be passing the state House and Senate. The good news is that — if the bill reaches Gov. Tom Wolf’s (D) desk to be signed or vetoed — Gov. Wolf has previously come out in favor of decriminalizing cannabis on Twitter.

Both Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania have decriminalized possession within city limits — Philadelphia in 2014 and Pittsburgh in 2015. Through 2017, cannabis arrests in Philadelphia declined 75 percent.

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Vancouver, Canada

British Columbia Finalizes Legal Cannabis Rules

10/10/2018

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British Columbia, Canada has established rules for the licensing of private cannabis stores, determined places to consume the plant, and set fines for cannabis-related infractions to prepare for next week’s Legalization Day, according to a Times Colonist report.

The province’s new rules ban the smoking or vaping of cannabis in parks, near schools, in vehicles (including boats), inside public buildings, and fewer than six meters from any doorway, window, or air intake.

Exceptions to these rules are allowed for people with medical prescriptions requiring consumption in a place like a school, with permission from the administration and proof of prescription. Mobile homes have been given a loophole, as well.

Officials set the fine for smoking in a forbidden location at $230, but it’s just $58 if you’re vaping.

Fines for breaking any cannabis marketing rules carry a $100,000 penalty for corporations and up to 12 months in jail for individuals. Retailing cannabis without a license — or selling improperly sourced cannabis — could cost violators $15,000 and a possible 15-day retail license suspension.

B.C. will also feature privately owned stores with strict record-keeping rules. The approval process for the first private stores is still underway. The only place to buy retail cannabis in B.C. on Legalization Day will be a single government-run store in Kamloops. More than 100 private retailers have applied for licenses but bureaucrats with the province said they’re not likely to approve any until after the next municipal election on Oct. 20.

B.C. will take a 15 percent cut of cannabis sales in the province. This stacks on top of other government taxes — a five percent federal tax, a seven percent provincial sales tax, and a 2.3 percent regulatory fee from Health Canada. Making the markup on cannabis nearly 30% just for taxes.

The provincial government is looking at legalization as a work in progress and expects changes and hiccups. For example, the province has not yet addressed issues like social consumption spaces and workplace impairment rules for civil servants.

Former B.C. health minister and now cannabis company V.P. Terry Lake said he expects a maturation process of three to five years.

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Canadian flag

Limited Places to Buy Cannabis On Legalization Day in Canada

10/09/2018

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There will be few places to buy cannabis in Canada on the first day of legal sales on October 17, as well as shortages of cannabis itself, Bloomberg reports.

There are few retail dispensaries across Canada that have been approved and completed the final steps necessary to open — there will be just one shop in British Columbia at launch, for instance; none in Ontario, Canada’s most populous province; and only a few dozen across the great expanses of Quebec, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

There will also be product shortages, experts predict. Demand for cannabis flower at launch was estimated by the University of Waterloo at 610 metric tons, but there is currently only 210 tons worth of production means. Some speculate the lax pace at which provinces have licensed dispensaries is due to this shortfall, which removes any hurry to provide locations to purchase cannabis products.

But many have placed the roll-out issues squarely on the government. Canada didn’t announce formally the date of first sales until mid-summer, leaving business owners scrambling to meet the necessary licensing steps, fund operations, and train employees. Ontario Premier Doug Ford even delayed the rollout of retail stores completely until next year, only providing cannabis for the province via the government-run, online store.

Mike Gorenstein, CEO of Cronos Group Inc. — one of the largest cannabis producers in Canada — called the first year of sales a “soft launch.” Newcomers to cannabis will probably have to wait until spring of next year before there is a smoothly-operating supply chain.

In the meantime, the illicit market is expected to satisfy the remaining demand.

End

New York Stock Exchange

Aurora Cannabis Applies to List on NYSE

10/09/2018

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Canadian cannabis producer Aurora Cannabis Inc. has applied to list shares of the company on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), according to Forbes.

Aurora Cannabis is the third largest cannabis producer in Canada with a market cap of over $10 billion, behind Tilray and Canopy Growth. Shares of Aurora are currently traded over-the-counter in the U.S. and on the Toronto Stock Exchange and will trade with the existing ticker symbol ACB.

“Through our NYSE listing, Aurora joins an established group of mature global brands with improved access and exposure to an engaged international institutional investor audience. Aurora’s high-paced execution has made it one of the world’s leading cannabis companies. We have grown from being a licensed producer with a single facility, to a horizontality differentiated and vertically integrated global organization with a funded production capacity in excess of 500,000 kg a year, sales and operations on five continents, and a team of more than 1,500 employees.” —Terry Booth, CEO of Aurora via press release

Aurora expects the stock to list by the end of October, should the NYSE approve the company’s application.

Aurora and other cannabis companies in Canada have grown explosively in the last quarter as the date of federal legalization in Canada, October 17, approaches. Only time in the market will reveal whether or not Aurora stock — and the stocks of other cannabis companies — is overvalued due to hype or if it has room for growth yet.

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All Natural Way Develops Revolutionary New Line of CBD Sprays

10/09/2018

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The company’s new line of sprays are designed to supplement every aspect of your daily routine

Weston, Florida Oct. 2, 2018 — All Natural Way, a leading distributor of CBD oil and CBD products, has announced the launch of its new line of CBD sprays.

All Natural Way’s sprays have been specifically formulated to provide quick relief to common ailments such as stress, aches and pains, and insomnia. All ANW products are pharmacist formulated and contain only natural ingredients. Their tincture sprays have been designed to be effective for users struggling with daily ailments as well as those looking for a burst of energy and fine-tuned focus during their busy days.

“After being in the CBD industry for years and listening to the stories of consumers, we wanted to develop products that specifically targeted some of the most common symptoms of our customers,” said CEO German Espita.

All Natural Way’s new line of CBD sprays includes:

  • CBD Anti-Stress Spray: Made from natural ingredients including hemp-derived CBD oil, ashwagandha, and coconut oil. The Anti-Stress Spray targets anxiousness by calming the senses and mind. The 500 MG spray fits in any bag or purse so it can be used at work or wherever one may find themselves in need of stress relief.
  • CBD Energy Spray: All Natural Way’s Daily Energy Boost Nutrition Spray is made with hemp-derived CBD oil, Vitamin B-12, and natural caffeine. It was designed to fight fatigue, improve mental alertness, and increase productivity levels without the crash and jitters typically associated with caffeine.
  • CBD Pain Relief Spray: Formulated specifically to relieve discomfort and minor aches, Natural Way Pain Relief Spray is a feel-good fusion of the pain-relieving properties of CBD and Turmacin.
  • CBD Sleep Spray: Composed of hemp-derived CBD oil, valerian root, GABA, and the hormone melatonin which is responsible for regulating the sleep cycle in humans. The peppermint-flavored CBD Sleep Spray has been formulated to combat the effects of insomnia and nighttime anxiety.
  • CBD Weight Loss Spray: All Natural Way CBD Weight Loss Nutrition Spray contains hemp-derived CBD oil and garcinia cambogia, a combination of ingredients proven to help curb appetite, decrease cravings, and reduce bloating. The spray is ideal for busy professionals who find their weight loss goals eluding them due to hectic schedules and difficulties in sticking to stringent diets and workout regimes.

About All Natural Way
All Natural Way prides itself on offering effective natural alternatives to promote a better life in an all natural way. Their products are pharmacist-formulated inside an ISO 6 clean room. Independent lab results verify by All Natural Way utilizes agricultural hemp which contains 0% THC ensuring clients will not test positive while benefiting from their products. The company is headquartered in Weston, Florida. For more information about All Natural Way products and what their products can do for you, visit allnaturalway.com.

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Outdoor CBD-rich cannabis plants on a farm in Oregon.

Canadian Companies Sun Pharm and Bevo Merge to Form Zenabis

10/09/2018

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Two Canadian cannabis companies are merging to create Zenabis, which will be one of the world’s largest cannabis producers, according to a joint press release issued by Sun Pharm Investments Ltd. and Bevo Agro Inc.

The final corporate entity will boast 3.5 million square feet of cannabis production space, including 660,000 square feet of indoor space and 2.8 million square feet of greenhouse space across British Columbia, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. It will be enough to produce cannabis for both domestic and international markets with ease, executives predict.

“Our primary goal with this merger is to expand Zenabis’ capacity to supply high-quality cannabis for worldwide distribution. We will achieve this by taking advantage of Bevo’s greenhouse growing expertise to cultivate high-quality cannabis. This is a unique partnership that gives Zenabis a significant advantage among Canadian producers as we continue to grow our business to meet Canadian and international demand.” — Rick Brar, Chief Executive Officer for Zenabis, in the release

Under the agreement, Sun Pharm will be amalgamated into Bevo via a reverse takeover; Bevo, however, will change its name to Zenabis, adopting and expanding upon a popular brand already established under the Sun Pharm portfolio.

Shareholders in Bevo and Sun Pharm will receive adjusted stock in the newly named Zenabis.

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San Francisco Plans New Cannabis Oversight Committee

10/08/2018

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San Francisco city officials plan to create a committee that would oversee and assess cannabis industry regulations throughout the city, reports the San Francisco Examiner.

The San Francisco Cannabis Oversight Committee was proposed by city Supervisor Sandra Fewer to oversee the Office of Cannabis, investigate the successfulness of current regulations, and gauge whether or not the city’s cannabis equity laws — which are supposed to afford people who were most affected by prohibition more opportunities in the cannabis space — are effective.

“We really want to hear on the ground, is it working?” Fewer said. “Does it need amendments? How should we amend this? How should we meet the needs of our equity applicants?”

Currently, the only licensed cannabis businesses in San Francisco existed previously as medical cannabis entities; these companies have continued to operate under temporary permits. The city has yet to issue new licenses under the adult-use framework.

City Administrator Naomi Kelly — who oversees the Office of Cannabis — at first opposed the creation of a Cannabis Oversight Committee, arguing that the proposal would increase the responsibilities of her team without adding any funds to pay for the extra work. When those concerns were subsequently addressed, however, Kelly shifted her support.

If established, the committee would oversee the Office of Cannabis, make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors and Mayor London Breed regarding cannabis regulations, and provide basic tracking details to the city for cannabis licensees.

The committee would also evaluate the equity program’s ability to “[foster] equitable access to participation in the cannabis industry and [provide] assistance to communities unfairly burdened by the War on Drugs” and recommend changes for maximizing the effectiveness of the city’s cannabis equity laws.

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Texas Gov. Wants to Reduce Cannabis Penalties

10/08/2018

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Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced last Friday that he is in favor of reducing cannabis possession penalties throughout the state, the Texas Observer reports.

In a debate for the upcoming gubernatorial elections, Gov. Abbott proposed reducing the maximum punishment for possessing less than two ounces of cannabis from 180 days in jail and a maximum $2,000 fine to no jail time and a maximum fine of $500.

Specifically, he suggested speaking with the legislature about “reducing the penalty … from a Class B misdemeanor to a Class C misdemeanor.”

The governor’s statement was prompted by a caller who posed a question about cannabis reforms during last week’s gubernatorial debate. Gov. Abbott’s opponent, Democratic candidate and former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez, said she was in favor of legalizing medical cannabis and letting citizens vote to decide on the issue of adult-use cannabis.

Gov. Abbott has been seen as a major obstacle to cannabis reforms in the Lone Star State for a long time. Advocates say that, while the apparent ideological shift is an important development for the longtime Republican, it would do little to prevent the serious consequences that follow a cannabis possession conviction.

“Setting aside the details of what the governor said, the fact that he’s moving on this is itself huge. But that still wouldn’t remove all the collateral consequences for possessing a plant that many other states have decriminalized.” — Heather Fazio, Coalition Coordinator for Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy, via The Texas Observer

What I would be open to talking to the legislature about would be reducing the penalty for possession of two ounces or less from a Class B misdemeanor to a Class C misdemeanor.

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Cannabis Buds

High Demand for Low-Potency Cannabis Expected in Canada

10/08/2018

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A report by market analysts at Deloitte indicates that federal legalization in Canada on Oct 17. is expected to create older, more risk-averse customers who will prefer lower-THC cannabis, according to the CBC.

New consumers are expected to be 35 to 54 years old and, while 75 percent will have had experience with cannabis use, only 41 percent will have used cannabis in the last five years.

“Today’s consumer is what we describe as a risk taker. They’re young, typically with a high school or college education. In their quest to live life to the fullest, they’re more likely to put their health or safety at risk, even going so far as to skirt or break the law. [The new] consumer is more of a conservative experimenter — typically middle-aged, with a university or graduate school education. They don’t tend to put their personal interests before family needs or other responsibilities.” — Excerpt from Deloitte’s report

VP of Marketing for The Green Organic Dutchman, Andrew Pollock, said many consumers are now asking for products with more of the non-psychoactive component of cannabis, CBD.

“What most consumers are looking for in this day and age is calm,” said Pollock.

The same is true of maturing legal markets in U.S. states. Some industry members refer to the trend towards lower-potency and higher-CBD products as the “Maureen Dowd Effect,” referencing the New York Times columnist who wrote a piece about her experience in Colorado just after legalization in 2014. She described the outcome of the edible as leaving her, “curled in a hallucinatory state,” for eight hours in her hotel room.

Many new cannabis users would instead prefer to “start low and go slow.”

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Harvest

Federal Legalization of Industrial Hemp Expected to Drop Prices

10/08/2018

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Farmers in Oregon are expecting the 2018 Farm Bill, which includes hemp legalization, to drive the market price of hemp lower through commoditization, reports the Mail Tribune.

Hemp farming is on the rise. Currently, the limited number of producers has created a market where growing is very profitable. Some, however, expect a major shift in the marketplace sometime soon.

Farmers are expecting the 2018 Farm Bill, currently stalled in committee but expected to eventually be passed, to create a national market for hemp that will turn the crop into a commodity. Commodity prices are often much closer to the cost of production due to a large supply. Though Oregon has a mature internal hemp market — one of the most developed in the country — farmers there will not be immune to the effects of the market’s nationalization.

Some farmers believe the way to beat the coming reduction in prices is to grow craft hemp instead. “I think there’s some opportunities there where there’s perhaps smaller business deals but those would match up with the smaller farms in the area,” said Cedar Grey, founder of a hemp farm near Grants Pass.

While Oregon may have an edge over other states in the coming national market due to decades of experience growing hemp, big corporate money may be able to equalize the playing field in other states. While U.S. consumers may get their affordable hemp products, either way, the casualty is likely to be the small, family-owned hemp farm.

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Canna Cribs Releases Episode 3 Featuring Copperstate Farms

10/08/2018

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Episode three of Canna Cribs — the viral mini-documentary series presented by GrowersNetwork.org that features cannabis entrepreneurs and expert growers from around the country — is now available.

The third episode of Canna Cribs’ first season features Copperstate Farms: a massive 40-acre greenhouse grow in Snowflake, Arizona.

In this episode, follow along with host Nate Lipton and the rest of the Growers Network team as they tour the Copperstate Farms facility, speak with owner Fife Symington, and witness the high-velocity efficiency of their professional medical cannabis cultivation team.

In his tour of the facility, Lipton learns the history of Copperstate’s greenhouse location, gets a detailed run-down of the state-of-the-art gear used by Copperstate’s cultivation, extraction, and packaging teams, and gets to witness the inside of a 55,000 square foot “Mothers Room” with over 100 active strains.

As we learn throughout Episode 3 of Canna Cribs, Copperstate Farms is afforded some unique opportunities by having such a massive facility — and it’s not just their ability to pump out 4,500 pounds of packaged cannabis materials (including bud, trim, and popcorn nugs) per week. In fact, the Copperstate campus is shared by several other commercial entities, including an independent cannabis terpene analytics lab and the chef-driven edibles brand Good Things Coming.

Join Lipton and the rest of the Growers Network team on their adventure to Arizona via the media player below.

Canna Cribs is an ongoing documentary series produced by Growers Network that covers entrepreneurs and pioneers in the burgeoning cannabis industry. Canna Cribs Episode 1 was spent exploring the 350,000 square foot “Glass House” greenhouse in California; Episode 2 took a deep dive into Phat Panda’s cultivation facility in Spokane, Washington. Stay tuned for Episode 4, coming soon!

Growers Network is a private online community for cannabis cultivators and entrepreneurs to share their experiences, discuss the industry, and work together to overcome the many obstacles facing modern cannabis professionals.

To learn more about Canna Cribs or the Growers Network platform, visit GrowersNetwork.org.

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California Updates, Expands Industrial Hemp Rules

10/05/2018

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California Gov. Jerry Brown has signed into law State Bill 1409 which updates California’s industrial hemp laws to be in line with federal rules and allows farmers in the state to produce seed, oil, fiber, and extract, according to The Signal.

SB 1409 updates the definition of “industrial hemp” in the state to differentiate it from cannabis and allow farmers to also produce non-intoxicating extracts from the plant. The law is designed to complement the expected federal legalization of industrial hemp, though that change is currently stalled in committee with the 2018 Farm Bill.

“This is a big win for our local farmers, and it’s going to revolutionize agriculture. Just last night, I got a text from a local farmer who is converting his fields to local hemp. I heard from a battery manufacturer (who uses hemp fiber in battery production) who secured a 15,000-square-foot building, thanks to the bill.” — State Sen. Scott Wilk, bill author, via The Signal

California’s expanded hemp laws will go into effect January 1, 2019. Proponents of industrial hemp also hope to see the 2018 Farm Bill finally out of committee by that point as well, allowing California’s new hemp economy to become interstate.

Currently, work requirements for federal food assistance in the U.S. House version of the farm bill are most contentious, holding the bill back in this contentious environment that is the run-up to the interim elections.

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Washington to End Sales of Cannabis Gummies, Hard Candies

10/05/2018

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Washington regulators will ban the production and sale of cannabis-infused gummies and hard candies, according to an online presentation from the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB).

The change was made in response to complaints the Board received about the products in question for being too appealing to children.

The Board listed the rule update:

“WAC 314-55-077(7): A marijuana processor is limited in the types of food or drinks they may infuse with marijuana. Marijuana-infused products that are especially appealing to children are prohibited. Products such as, but not limited to, gummy candies, lollipops, cotton candy, or brightly colored products, are prohibited.” — Excerpt from the WSLCB presentation

The rule change takes effect on January 1, 2019, but retailers have until April 3, 2019 to offload any remaining infused gummy or hard candy products.

While gummies and hard candies make up a tiny fraction of Washington’s adult-use cannabis market, for some companies they are a whole lot more. Jamie Hoffman, the owner of Craft Elixirs, told the Yakima Herald that her company’s popular Pioneer Square products — which are described as a “candied artisan fruit chew” — make up 84 percent of her company’s bottom line.

Hoffman said she’s not yet sure whether or not her product will fall victim to the rule change. “We’re hoping we’re not going to be collateral damage because of mistakes by others,” she said.

The WSLCB reminded its followers of the state’s “allowable” infused edible products, which now include just:

  • Beverages
  • Baked Goods
  • Capsules
  • Chips and Crackers
  • Sauces and Spices
  • Tinctures

The WSLCB announced a webinar on October 16 to address questions and concerns about this new development.

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Utah

Mormons, Lawmakers, and Cannabis Advocates Reach MMJ Compromise in Utah

10/05/2018

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Medical cannabis advocates and the Church of Latter-day Saints have come to an agreement over medical cannabis in Utah, no matter what happens with the state’s upcoming “Proposition 2” ballot initiative, according to a Deseret News report.

In the compromise agreement, which has yet to be fully disclosed, the most contentious provisions of Proposition 2 have been modified. For instance, a provision allowing home grows for those who live more than 100 miles from the nearest dispensary has been removed. Language in Prop. 2 that would have allowed someone charged with cannabis possession without a medical card to defend themselves in court if they could demonstrate they would have been eligible for a medical card has also been changed.

The compromise will also update the program’s dispensary model. While those involved couldn’t disclose the exact details, head of the Utah Patients Coalition DJ Schanz said that the model would now be a hybrid of the ideas from his coalition and state Sen. Evan Vickers’ centralized fill pharmacy model.

However, Prop. 2 is still on the table. Schanz has said he would “absolutely not” be walking away from Prop. 2 and the ballot initiative will be voted on in November despite any new developments. He said the compromise agreement was simply a collection of “modifications that are palatable” to whom he represents.

Michelle McOmber, who heads the initiative’s primary opponent, the Utah Medical Association, also said her organization would not stop campaigning against Prop. 2 either.

“There were only so many people around the table, right? So others will take a look at it at this point and they’ll have input. It’s not like it’s in a vacuum. You have two sides that are polar opposites and they come together and they negotiate, but it still goes through the (legislative) process that it goes through at that point.” — Michelle McOmber via the Deseret News

DJ Schanz cautioned that the agreement was still tentative and some kinks have to be worked out. However, legislator support for medical cannabis is a “huge step in the right direction,” he said.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert has promised to call a special session to legislate medical cannabis after the ballots are cast in November.

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Massachusetts Issues First Cannabis Retailer Licenses

10/05/2018

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The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission has issued the first set of licenses for cannabis retailers since the state voted to legalize in 2016, WGBH reports.

Retail licenses were awarded to New England Treatment Access (NETA) in Northampton and to Cultivate Holdings in Leicester; Cultivate Holdings has also received cultivation and product manufacturing licenses.

Some have accused the Commission of dragging its feet during the licensing process; Commission Chair Steven Hoffman responded:

“We’re doing it right. I’m very proud of the way we’re doing it. We’re being careful, we’re being thorough. In the long term, this is going to be in the best interest, I believe, of the citizens of the state of Massachusetts.” — Cannabis Control Commission Chair Steven Hoffman, via WGBH

While this is an important development, the bigger milestone will be when stores officially open — but regulators say that could take several more weeks, as Massachusetts still lacks a licensed testing lab to guarantee that products on the state’s cannabis market do not contain pesticides or other potential contaminants. Hoffman said the Commission may vote to license a testing lab during their next meeting.

One commissioner, Shaleen Title, abstained from voting on the retail licenses because she disagreed with some of the host community agreements the businesses had arranged with municipal governments. “I cannot in good faith affirmatively vote to approve a licensee that has signed a community host agreement that at best is questionable, when it relates to the law, and it has not been reviewed,” said Commissioner Title.

NETA spokesperson Amanda Rositano said the company was happy with their host agreement, however, which required the company to provide a $10,000 donation for cannabis education and prevention programs and three percent of the company’s future gross sale revenues.

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Canadian Lawmaker Calls for Cannabis Expungements

10/04/2018

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Canadian lawmaker Murray Rankin, an MP with the New Democratic Party from Victoria, intends to bring forward a bill that would expunge the minor cannabis convictions of hundreds of thousands of Canadians, Global News reports.

Rankin argues that it’s unfair to legalize cannabis without also amending the criminal status of those who were penalized during the plant’s prohibition.

“I think the government of Canada, when they brought in their legalization of cannabis bill, should have included, as California and other places did, the impact on people who already have a criminal record for what will be by definition no longer a crime after Oct. 17. People tell me they can’t coach their kids’ soccer team or chaperone a school trip all because they have [a] criminal record for possession of a small level of cannabis.” — Victoria MP Murray Rankin (NDP), via Global News

Rankin’s legislation would eliminate criminal records for anyone convicted of nonviolent, personal possession of cannabis. According to advocacy group Cannabis Amnesty, there are at least 500,000 Canadians who live with criminal convictions for simple cannabis possession or use.

Annamaria Enenajor, campaign director for Cannabis Amnesty, appeared with Rankin on Parliament Hill on Wednesday to advocate for the proposal.

“These are Canadians who have been barred from employment of their choice, volunteer opportunities, and from other opportunities where a screening or background check would have identified cannabis possession on their record,” Enenajor told Global News. “We believe these Canadians deserve a second chance.”

According to Rankin, the proposal likely won’t be debated until after October 17 — when Canada’s legalization law takes full effect.

End

Phoenix

Phoenix City Council Kills Steep Tax Hike for MMJ Cultivators

10/04/2018

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Phoenix interim Mayor Thelda Williams attempted to pass a new, high tax on cannabis businesses in a sly move last week but the tax was quickly shot down by the city council, according to a report by the Phoenix New Times.

Phoenix City Council members were stunned and frustrated by how the tax proposal came from nowhere. The proposal was placed on the council agenda last Thursday with little explanation from the interim mayor.

Phoenix City Council has what is called the “eight-hour rule.” It limits how much time city staff can spend on a project that has not been approved by the council. Council members questioned the mayor and City Manager Ed Zuercher exhaustively to determine how much time was spent on the project and whether or not they were in violation of that rule.

Council members decided that the rule had indeed been violated and were frustrated with the mayor for attempting to stuff in the new medical cannabis tax, which would’ve taken another $43 million per year from patients and cultivators.

A cannabis industry representative said that any city passing such a steep new tax would simply drive cultivators to some other city in Arizona “smart enough to keep taxes down.”

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Is THC an Effective Sleep Aid?

10/04/2018

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Even the National Academy of Sciences cannot find enough cannabis studies to determine whether marijuana has therapeutic benefits for sleep disorders.

In an analysis of 10,000 studies on cannabis, the society confirmed that there is “moderate evidence” that marijuana is effective for short-term treatment of sleep disturbances due to chronic conditions, such as sleep apnea and multiple sclerosis. More conclusive evidence exists to demonstrate the therapeutic benefits of cannabis on chronic pain. However, if the average person can improve their sleep quality using marijuana-derived medications, it has still not been demonstrated by science.

Limitations on marijuana research, namely its classification as a Schedule 1 drug by the DEA, inhibit the scope of the studies that can be completed. A small study completed by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago looked at the effects of THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, on 73 adults with sleep apnea. While the study demonstrated that THC shows promise as a short-term treatment for the symptoms of sleep apnea, the small study size has limitations. It only examines the use of a specific cannabinoid, THC, for a particular condition, sleep apnea.

“Cannabis contains dozens of active ingredients, but we tested just purified Delta-9 THC,” said study co-lead David Carley.

This statement implies that there are much more possible “active ingredients” in cannabis that have not been examined thoroughly by the scientific community. While some researchers are looking into the use of CBD oil as a treatment for insomnia and other sleep disorders, other potential active ingredients within cannabis still need more scientific attention.

When a cannabis-derived drug is approved for clinical trials or receives regulatory approval, the amount of knowledge about the effects dramatically increases. Sativex, a cannabis-derived drug that has a 1:1 ratio of THC to CBD, has regulatory approval in 30 countries for the treatment of muscle spasms and chronic pain.

The drug is still in clinical trials in the United States. However, even clinical trials give researchers access to more patients. Researchers that complete larger studies are often better able to back their claims. With a patient size of 1000 and over 2000 patient-years of analysis, researchers can claim that Sativex improves sleep quality in 40-50% of people who have chronic pain conditions. In these trials, there is only one drug examined, but it’s analyzed for many different issues.

Since Sativex is available in some countries, researchers can examine its effects on other conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis. A UK team administered the drug as a treatment for arthritis pain and had promising results.

Dr. Ronald Jubb, Consultant Rheumatologist, at the University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, said, “the results from the first controlled study of CBM in rheumatoid arthritis are encouraging, overall improvements in pain on movement and at rest, improvement in the quality of sleep and improvement in the overall condition of the patients’ arthritis.”

It’s studies like these that allow the National Academy of Sciences to say there is “conclusive evidence” that cannabis treats pain. There’s a drug available that can be readily studied outside the US.

Conversely, the team studying sleep apnea is working more slowly due to their limitations. They’ve progressed from seventeen study subjects to 73, but it’s taken years.

To truly understand what effects cannabis can have on sleep disorders like sleep apnea, more studies are needed. If the researched cannabinoid for sleep apnea (THC) was as available as Sativex is in Europe, research might accelerate, and a new treatment for sleep apnea might be available soon.

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Hartford, Connecticut

Federal Judge Rules In Favor of Connecticut MMJ Patient

10/04/2018

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Another judge has ruled in favor of medical cannabis for employees despite drug-free workplace laws, this time in a federal case in Connecticut, according to a Time report.

Healthcare worker Katelin Noffsinger disclosed to her potential employer Bride Brook Health & Rehabilitation Center that she used medical cannabis for PTSD related to a car accident. However, when her drug test returned positive for THC, the nursing home rescinded her job offer, citing the federal prohibition of cannabis.

Noffsinger then sued Bride Brook for workplace discrimination. Medical cannabis patients are explicitly protected against job discrimination under Connecticut‘s medical cannabis laws.

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Meyer ruled in favor of Noffsinger, though he denied her request for punitive damages. It was the first decision in favor of a medical cannabis patient in a federal court, though many state-level judges have ruled in favor of cannabis patients in the past.

More importantly, Judge Meyer said in his ruling that the federal Drug Free Workplace Act, which many employers cite when requiring drug testing, does not actually require drug testing and does not prohibit federal contractors from employing users of medical cannabis if it is used in accordance with state law.

“This is a very significant case that throws the issue in doubt for many of these federal contractors. It’s certainly interesting and may be indicative of where the courts are going with this.” — Fiona Ong, employment attorney for Shawe Rosenthal, via Time

This decision may be foundational for future medical cannabis litigation and lawyers involved in the case expect it to be cited in future decisions. Noffsinger and Bride Brook are now headed for further litigation to determine if Noffsinger is owed missed wages from not receiving the job.

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White House Drug Office Assures Incoming Cannabis Review Is Unbiased

10/03/2018

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An official with the President’s Office of National Drug Control Policy has assured that a pending White House cannabis policy panel report will be completed objectively, the Associated Press reports.

The news comes in response to an inquiry from Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet (D), who asked officials to explain the report in light of alarming headlines about a secret Trump committee that is dedicated to finding and broadcasting the most effective anti-cannabis rhetoric. According to Sen. Bennet, the White House drug office’s deputy director James Carroll told him that the committee’s report was rooted in scientific data.

Specifically, that committee — called the Marijuana Policy Coordination Committee — has been tasked with gathering “data demonstrating the most significant negative trends” to be used in briefing President Trump on “marijuana threats.” The committee is comprised of 14 federal agencies plus the DEA.

“In Colorado, we’ve made a deliberate effort to ensure fact-based data informs our marijuana policies. Government-sponsored propaganda shouldn’t undermine that effort.” — Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colorado), via the Associated Press

On the campaign trail, then-candidate Trump said he would leave cannabis issues up to individual states to decide. However, top officials in his administration — including Attorney General Jeff Sessions — have expressed interest in undermining cannabis policy reforms across the U.S.

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