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New Jersey Lawmakers Reach Tax Consensus, Legalization Can Advance

2/18/2019

Negotiations regarding cannabis legalization between New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) and state Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D) have completed successfully, according to an App report.

The political disagreements between the two have held up cannabis legalization in New Jersey since last year, despite the fact that a bill was already expected to have been signed into law at this point. Wrangling between medical cannabis bills, full adult legalization, and the potential tax rate on both programs was the primary source of disagreement.

According to sources close to lawmakers, the agreement was reached when both parties agreed to manage cannabis taxes by weight instead of taking a percentage of sales, as most states with legalization have done. Under the agreement, cannabis would be taxed at a flat rate of $42 per ounce. The agreement would also grant the governor’s office additional control over the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission, which would be created under the legalization plan.

With a tentative deal reached, lawmakers now must finalize the legislation and bring it to the full state legislature for approval. First, however, Gov. Murphy said he needs to approach several undecided lawmakers about the issue, as Democrat leaders do not want to bring forward a bill that they don’t expect to pass.

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Vermont Bill Establishing Commercial Cannabis Passes Committee

2/18/2019

A bill that would create a regulated cannabis retail market in Vermont has passed the Vermont Senate Judiciary Committee, Seven Days reports.

The bill passed the committee by a 4-1 vote in favor on Friday. The legislation will still need to pass the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee before being considered on the floor of the state Senate.

The bill would create a state Cannabis Control Board to regulate the market’s retail sales. Cannabis possession and cultivation are already legal in Vermont, but there is no way to legally buy or sell cannabis yet.

If approved, the Cannabis Control Board would be tasked with issuing permits for retail cannabis stores by April 1, 2021. Lawmakers decided not to allow the state’s existing medical cannabis dispensaries to sell to the general public one year earlier than that date, though the House version of the bill contains that provision.

The bill would tax cannabis at 10 percent at the state level and up to 2 percent more by local governments. Cannabis sales would not be subject to Vermont‘s standard retail sales tax.

Chairperson for the Senate Judiciary Committee Dick Sears said that the legislation could make its way to the floor of the state Senate by early March.

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North Carolina Decriminalization Legislation Re-Introduced

2/18/2019

Legislation to allow the possession of up to three ounces of cannabis for personal use was re-introduced to the North Carolina state Senate last week, according to the Winston-Salem Journal.

A similarly worded bill was introduced during last year’s session but failed to receive a hearing with the state Senate Rules and Operations Committee. The previous version would have set the maximum amount allowed for individual possession at four ounces.

The sponsor of both last year’s bill and the newer version, state Sen. Paul Lowe (D-Forsyth) said, “There are new legislators with differing outlooks on a lot of legislation being reintroduced, so now let’s see if the legislation gets a different reception.”

The new bill also moves the bar for felony cannabis possession from 1.5 ounces to an entire pound, among other small changes to the criminal structure of cannabis possession.

The bill is Sen. Lowe’s attempt at a near-term solution for restrictive cannabis laws in the state. For instance, North Carolina currently has no medical cannabis program, due largely to the fact that voter ballot initiatives are not possible in the state. Public pressure is building, however, as more and more states relax their cannabis laws and the stigma of prohibition fades.

According to a May 2017 poll by Elon University, 80 percent of North Carolina voters support legalizing medical cannabis.

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Senate Confirms William Barr as New Attorney General

2/15/2019

William Barr has been confirmed by the Senate as the newest Attorney General, succeeding Jeff Sessions after his departure last year, NBC News reports.

William Barr previously held the post under former president George H.W. Bush. His stance on many issues is not expected to differ greatly from former AG Jeff Sessions, though many elected officials believe he will listen to the needs of lawmakers more than Sessions did.

“There was a dogmatic quality to Jeff Sessions’ approach, and I think Barr will be more open-minded,” said Jon Malcolm, vice president of the Institute for Constitutional Government.

Most of the concern from Barr’s confirmation was centered on protecting the the Mueller probe into possible political ties between Russia and the 2016 Trump presidential campaign. However, Barr has indicated both during his confirmation hearing and also in writing after the hearing that he will not seek to prosecute state-legal cannabis interests.

Unlike Jeff Sessions, Barr has never held elected office or taken any extreme political positions, though he is known to be conservative. Brett Tolman, a former district attorney in Utah and a criminal defense lawyer, told the Denver Post, “I think Barr is being sensitive to states that have legalized marijuana and sees the need to balance it.”

The issue is important as Sessions rescinded the Cole Memo during his tenure, which were the only formal federal protections for state-legal cannabis businesses that are now technically open to prosecution, though no cases have yet been brought. Many seem optimistic that, while the Cole Memo may not be reinstated, Barr will not seek to revive prohibition through litigation.

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House Committee Holds First Cannabis Banking Hearing

2/15/2019

A bipartisan bill to allow cannabis businesses to access banking services in the U.S. got its first-ever committee hearing in the U.S. House of Representatives, The Denver Post reports.

The bills sponsors Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-Colorado) and Rep. Denny Heck (D-Washington) have attempted to get similar bills considered by the House but were unable due to Republican control for nearly six years.

“We’ve had robberies. We’ve had murders. We’ve had violence. We have to stop that. For Colorado and the nation as a whole, this would help resolve access to banking. It provides more certainty. It helps the employees, it helps the banks. It’s going to assist the industry generally by allowing legitimate businesses to get legitimate banking services.” — Rep. Ed Perlmutter, via the Denver Post

The bill is worded to also help landlords, electricians, and others who serve the cannabis industry. Many businesses that serve the cannabis industry but don’t handle cannabis directly, for example, have been having problems. For instance in 2017, many cannabis and ancillary businesses had their accounts closed by major banking institutions due to concerns about federal interference.

Perlmutter expects the bill to be introduced to the House, and likely a companion bill to the Senate, within the next two to three weeks.

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California Gov. Tells National Guard to Eliminate Unlicensed Cannabis Grows

2/15/2019

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the National Guard has been ordered to eliminate all unlicensed cannabis grows in California, according to a Marijuana Business Daily report.

“We applaud [Newsom] for allocating resources to eliminate very destructive and dangerous trespass grows. … These operations are typically on public lands, use extremely harmful pesticides and are run by organized crime.” — Terra Carver, Executive Director of the Humboldt County Growers Alliance, via MJ Biz Daily

Newsom signed an order than will redeploy 360 National Guard soldiers from the Mexico border to several other assignments. Some will be sent to northern California to seek illegal cannabis farms; 150 soldiers will be also assigned to the National Guard Counterdrug Task Force, with 100 more assigned to police smugglers at “existing border checkpoints.”

Newsom has also sought further funding for California’s National Guard Counterdrug Task Force from the Department of Defense. The governor sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, hoping to acquire more funds to fight international cartels.

The mission of these troops is expected to be complete in the near-term and the troops’s duties could be complete as early as March 31.

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Washington Proposal Would Expunge 200,000 Cannabis Crimes

2/15/2019

by Lukas Barfield

The Washington State legislature has proposed House and Senate companion bills that, if passed, would grant clemency for some Washingtonians convicted of misdemeanor cannabis possession since January 1, 1998 — the year Washington passed I-692 to legalize medical cannabis.

If passed, the new law would allow citizens with multiple misdemeanor convictions to apply to the court to have their records expunged; the courts would be required to grant the requests. Unlike Governor Jay Inslee’s widely praised Marijuana Justice Initiative — which only 3,500 people are eligible for due to the requirement that applicants can only have one misdemeanor cannabis conviction — the new proposals would offer relief to over 200,000 Washingtonians, according to The Seattle Times.

Representative Joe Fitzgibbon (D) has introduced similar bills to the House every year since 2013 but feels this year things may turn out differently than in years past. “It just seems like there is a lot more momentum this year than any of the past times I have taken a run at it,” he said.

The primary sponsor of the Senate bill, Senator Joe Nguyen (D), cites widely publicized racial injustices in cannabis law enforcement for his support of the bills. If passed, Washington would join other states like California, Maryland, Colorado, New Hampshire and Oregon in erasing some of the damage done by prior cannabis convictions.

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EU Parliament Follows World Health Organization, Recommends Descheduling Cannabis

2/14/2019

Due to the World Health Organization’s recommendation to deschedule cannabis and all associated chemicals, the European Union has passed a resolution to help member countries do just that, Forbes reports.

The non-binding resolution is designed to create incentives that will encourage the development of medical cannabis programs in the European Union.

“This will help facilitate and expedite the well required safety and efficacy studies on cannabinoid solutions beyond the initial markets such as Canada and Israel. … There is an ongoing concern of the toxic and inefficacious products being offered as medicine that will be limited with the entrance of qualified studies.” — Aras Azadian, CEO of Multi-national Avicanna, via Forbes

The resolution seeks to prioritize scientific and clinical studies. It tasks the Commission on Use of Cannabis for Medicinal Purposes and the EU member states to “address the regulatory, financial and cultural barriers,” preventing the development of medical cannabis programs.

The Parliament also urged equal access to cannabis medicine and research into the correct usage of said medicine. According to the resolution for potential patients, “It is essential that they be provided with comprehensive information about the full spectrum profiles of the plant strains used in the medication provided.”

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Kentucky Gov. Says He Supports Medical Cannabis

2/14/2019

Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin told a community forum that he supports medical cannabis legalization in his state, according to The Associated Press.

Gov. Bevin referenced his experience with a young family member who had died in pain due to cancer when explaining his support for medical cannabis. Bevin said he would be “happy” to sign a medical cannabis bill in the state that would make medical cannabis legal in Kentucky.

Bevin, a Republican, said of potential medical cannabis patients, “They should have the ability to use a natural drug that exists to provide relief … when it is needed, where it can be prescribed and regulated as we would other such drugs.” Bevin went further on the issue, saying that no potential legislation should be developed solely to raise tax revenue for Kentucky.

Bevin, however, said emphatically that he would not support full adult-use legalization in Kentucky. Bevin refused to comment on the several pending medical cannabis bills in the state legislature, saying that he expected them to change before they reached his desk.

Republican support is important in Kentucky, as the GOP has complete control of the government in that state.

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Broadly-Worded Colorado Cannabis DUI Legislation Withdrawn by Sponsor

2/14/2019

A piece of proposed legislation that would have made it easier for police in Colorado to charge people with driving under the influence of cannabis intoxication has been withdrawn by its sponsor, according to a Westword report.

Colorado state Rep. Dylan Roberts (D) introduced House Bill 1146 in the final days of January. However, Roberts pulled the legislation after hearing discussion over the bill.

“We’ve been having a lot of meetings on this bill. We had stakeholder meetings, and met with people from the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar and medical marijuana patient community. I appreciated and really learned a lot from the conversation, and have taken their suggestion and feedback. What we were trying to do with the law wasn’t really workable with this bill, and it would’ve had unintended consequences that I wouldn’t support as a legislator.” — State Rep. Dylan Roberts, via Westword

HB 1146’s language would’ve allowed police to arrest “for the presumption that a driver is under the influence of marijuana” if there is “evidence to believe that a driver had consumed alcohol or drugs, that the driver was substantially incapable of safely operating a vehicle, and that the driver had any measurable amount of a drug in his or her blood or oral fluid.”

The current technology and chemical standards in terms of cannabis intoxication, however, are largely inaccurate. While the Colorado “legal limit” for cannabis intoxication is 5 nanograms of THC per mL of blood, the problem with that is that habitual users may not be impaired at that level, while new users or those with zero tolerance may be intoxicated below that threshold.

Cannabis advocates were happy with the decision to withdraw the legislation. “Dylan Roberts took our concerns into consideration and expressed the same concerns for medical marijuana patients and those on everyday prescription drugs as well,” said Ashley Weber of the Colorado NORML chapter. “It takes a good leader to admit when they’re wrong, instead of moving forward with language that doesn’t please anybody but their own egos.”

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California Legislation Aims to Cut Taxes for Compassionate-Care Cannabis

2/13/2019

A bill introduced to the California state Senate may change the tax law surrounding non-profit distribution of cannabis in the state, lightening the tax burden on some companies, according to a story by Weedmaps.

The 2016 legalization of adult-use cannabis in California caused a change in the state’s legal cannabis tax structure. Previously, non-profit cannabis providers were taxed at a reduced rate. Now, both commercial and non-profit providers are in the same tier, which pays a heavy tax per pound of cannabis.

The change in tax structure caused many non-profit collectives that previously would donate cannabis to patients in need to close. This included the oldest compassionate care collective, the Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana (WAMM) in Santa Cruz.

“In 2017 we gave away thousands of dollars worth of cannabis, serving over 2,000 people. But since we had to close there are many people suffering. There were people in need but WAMM was not able to do anything.” — Valerie Corral, former director of WAMM

Compassionate-care providers, now grouped with commercial providers, are expected to pay up to $1,000 per pound of medical cannabis that they might be trying to give away for free. The new legislation, Senate Bill 34, introduced by state Sen. Scott Wiener, aims to fix that.

The new legislation will create specific requirements for donated cannabis. It must be donated and it must be cannabis that is medical in nature. “Poverty should not be a barrier to getting your medicine. We don’t tax prescription drugs. Why should we tax medical cannabis?” said Sen. Wiener.

The bill has shown bipartisan support and is expected to reach Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk by mid-2019.

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Denver Dispensary Offers One-Cent Eighths to Teachers on Strike

2/13/2019

A dispensary in the Glendale suburb of Denver is offering one-cent eighths to teachers currently on strike in the city, according to a Westword report.

Kind Love will sell an eighth of cannabis to any person with a Denver Public Schools badge for just one penny. Matt LaBrier, Chief Brand Officer for Kind Love, said the move was inspired after witnessing striking teachers outside of North High School on his way to work.

“Technically, we have to charge them something. We figured this was the least we could do. We’ve got quite a few teachers who come in here. … I think they do some of the most important work on earth, and we don’t necessarily treat them the way we should.” — Matt LaBrier, via Westword

Kind Love also offered a similar deal to military veterans on Veteran’s Day. Other dispensaries in the industry have done similar deeds for those deserving of appreciation or who might be short on cash, such as the online cannabis trader BudTrader, who offered free cannabis to furloughed federal workers in California during the government shutdown earlier this year.

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Michigan Proposes Cutting Medical Cannabis Fees

2/13/2019

The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs has proposed several cuts to fees for its medical cannabis program, according to a Detroit Free Press report.

The rules are expected to take effect later this year. Representatives of the state said in a filing that they’re lowering fees because the program is now cheaper to operate than it was at launch.

“The revenue generated based on the current application fee for the past three years is approximately 90-100% more than (the department’s) operational expenses.” — Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs in its filing with the Office of Regulatory Reinvention

The changes lower the cost of a two-year medical card from $60 to $40. Other fees will be completely eliminated, such as a $10 fee for changing address and a $25 background check fee for cannabis caregivers. There is now also a longer window for renewal when a medical card expires.

Tax rates on retail cannabis will also decrease due to the elimination of a 3 percent excise tax.

Fees for Michigan’s medical cannabis program have been declining at two-year intervals since the program launched in 2008. A spokesperson for the department said there is still enough of a cushion built for the program that it is expected to continue getting cheaper for at least the next five years.

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Connecticut Billboard Advertising Legal Cannabis In Massachusetts Draws Protests

2/12/2019

Weedmaps has put up another billboard in a state where cannabis remains prohibited, this time in Connecticut, according to a story by NBC Connecticut.

The billboard, located on the side of Interstate 91 in North Haven, Connecticut, reads: “Weed is legal in 60 miles.” Technically, the billboard is not violating any laws because it is advertising the Weedmaps app. Weedmaps conducted a similar campaign in Arizona, informing people about the availability of cannabis in Colorado and Washington.

Some Connecticut residents, however, are angry about the billboard. Connecticut has a medical cannabis program but not an adult-use program; it is still a crime to bring cannabis across the border from Massachusetts — or any state, for that matter. The billboard attracted enough attention that dissidents came out for a rally in front of the media company that owns the billboard.

Another billboard was placed four exits further down the highway towards Massachusetts that reads, “Treatment is closer.” It was placed there by an addiction treatment center in New Haven called Turnbridge.

The billboard is still posted along Interstate 91 and doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere for the time being.

Some Connecticut lawmakers are working to bring cannabis regulations to their state but opposition in the capital remains. Voters in the state strongly approve of overhauling cannabis laws, but Connecticut is not a state with rules allowing voter ballot initiatives so any significant change will have to come from elected officials.

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New Mexico Adult-Use Legalization Clears Committee

2/12/2019

Legislation to potentially legalize adult-use cannabis in New Mexico has successfully passed the Health and Human Services committee of the New Mexico state legislature, according to the Albuquerque Journal.

House Bill 356 passed the committee on a 5-2 vote in favor.

“Prohibition simply does not work, and the country is coming to the realization of that.” — State Rep. Antonio “Moe” Maestas (D-Albuquerque), via the Albuquerque Journal

The bill is cosponsored by Rep. Maestas and four other New Mexico House Democrats. Some Republicans are expected to oppose the legislation, and some moderate Democrats have historically helped block previous cannabis legislation in the state. A decision will need to be made by mid-March for the bill to have a chance to pass before the end of the legislative session.

Beyond legalization, the legislation stipulates:

Taxation of up to 19 percent on cannabis sales. The taxes would be earmarked for health, law enforcement, and research programs.
Cities and counties will be able to opt out of sales
Prior criminal records for cannabis crimes would be expunged

Before the bill can be considered by the full state House of Representatives, the bill must also clear the House Judiciary Committee. If that happens, and then the bill receives House approval, it would go to the Senate for consideration before eventually landing on the governor’s desk.

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John Boehner Joins Federal Cannabis Lobbying Group

2/12/2019

Former Speaker of the House John Boehner (R) has been appointed an honorary chairman of a newly-formed pro-cannabis lobbying group, The Hill reports.

The National Cannabis Roundtable, formed on Friday, aims to help develop cannabis policy on the federal level. The group aims to solve things such as banking access and roadblocks to cannabis research. The National Cannabis Roundtable was formed by companies including the Liaison Group, HDMK Public Affairs and Square Patton Boggs, and Acreage Holdings — where Boehner is already a board member.

Boehner will not be a lobbyist but will rather serve as an advisor for the group. Since leaving government, Boehner has become strongly supportive of the cannabis industry, saying that his beliefs related to cannabis have “evolved.” He has even started selling advice about making cannabis investments as the industry goes mainstream.

The National Cannabis Roundtable will be one more voice for the end of cannabis prohibition, which already includes groups like the Cannabis Trade Federation.

“As the cannabis industry grows and matures, it’s vital that we work together for a common-sense legal framework for cannabis policy,” Boehner said in a press release.

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California Regulators Shut Down Two Unlicensed Cannabis Companies

2/11/2019

According to an announcement from the Bureau of Cannabis Control, two businesses in Sacramento and Los Angeles County have been subject to search warrants due to operating without a license, according to a press release.

The Bureau of Cannabis Control and the Department of Consumer Affairs’ Division of Investigation served search warrants to two businesses. The unlicensed cannabis delivery service “Nollie Green-Blu Solutions” in Fair Oaks, California and the unlicensed retailer “Smoking Aces” in Los Angeles.

The delivery service crackdown was the result of complaints received by the Bureau of Cannabis Control. Police and regulators seized $250,000 of cannabis and cannabis products from Nollie Green-Blu Solutions and $27,637 from Smoking Aces. Two firearms and six people were also arrested in Los Angeles.

This follows the ending of a grace period on January 9 for unlicensed businesses in California. It’s unclear if more enforcement will follow, but there are still estimated to be hundreds of unlicensed cannabis businesses operating in California and regulators have been clear that those without licenses are taking their changes with law enforcement after the deadline.

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Medicinal Genomics Releases Industry’s First Comprehensive Cannabis Reference Genome

2/11/2019

by Featured Announcement

Woburn, MA — Medicinal Genomics Corporation (MGC), a pioneer in using genomics to improve the transparency, safety and yield of cannabis has today announced the industry’s most comprehensive cannabis reference genome, a high quality de novo genome assembly of the Jamaican Lion cannabis strain. As the first reference genome to break “usability barrier,” the significance of this development cannot be overstated. Having a comprehensive cannabis genome opens the door to a host of industry innovations, including enabling cannabis research in states and countries where cannabis is still illegal, marker-assisted selection (MAS) for genetically-based strain identification, accelerated breeding to improve production yields, reliable seed-to-sale tracking systems, and pathogen identification to ensure cannabis purity and safety.

“For the first time, growers and breeders will have a complete and reliable genome from which to create new strains for increased yields and productivity, while documenting them to protect their work. Cultivators will also be able to embark on a brand new era of intelligent breeding destined to change the way cannabis is grown, sold and consumed,” said Kevin McKernan, chief science officer for Medicinal Genomics. “And this is just the beginning of enhancing cannabis yield with genomics. This plant that has the potential to be more valuable than wheat and corn combined, but with far more varied and diverse uses, including everything from CO2 sequestration to pain relief and medical therapies to complete vegetable proteins, clothing and industrial materials.”

McKernan’s pedigree in genetics dates back to his work as a member of the Human Genome Project at MIT. “The completeness of the human genome that was celebrated at the White House in 2001 is 10-fold lower in quality compared to the cannabis genome we’ve just released. That’s certainly understandable considering the complexity the cannabis genome, but it’s more indicative of just how far the technology has come in almost 20 years,” he said.

MGC was the first to sequence the cannabis genome with its sequencing of the Chemdawg cultivar in 2011. Since then, major breakthroughs in sequencing technology have enabled their reference of the cannabis genome to greatly exceed the standards set by the Human Genome Project in 2001. The company has also steadily applied these improvements by adding more genomes to its Kannapedia knowledge database, and in 2018, in validation of the company’s progress their work was underwritten by the DASH Cryptocurrency.

The subsequent results of these efforts were made public on its blockchain, as will the latest Jamaican Lion reference genome, whose high quality assembly was recently presented and described by MGC senior advisor, Dr. Timothy Harkins, at the 2019 Plant and Animal Genome conference in San Diego. Publishing the “crypto-incentivized, blockchain-recorded peer review” (CIBR)” genome provides a foundation for others to build upon to fully characterize the genome and how it functions. Some of the early descriptions included identifying important locations for seed production and elucidating the complexity surrounding gene families for important cannabinoid production.

Transparency of review will validate the comprehensiveness of the assembly, and thus its repeatability, and when it comes to genetics, repeatability is the key to usability. Other companies have released their own version of the cannabis genome, but these attempts are significantly incomplete, missing at least 1 in every 10 genes. This lack of completeness creates gaps in the sequence information, creating reproducibility issues and ultimately a “usability barrier” for customers and renders these sequences highly compromised for serious commercial work.

In the Jamaican Lion assembly, over 180 billion bases were sequenced with Pacific Biosciences latest Version 6 Chemistry, allowing MGC to select the longest reads as the foundation for the DNA assembly process. These reads are so long and accurate that every base is covered over 15 times with 60,000 base pair reads. This is an order of magnitude more contiguous than anything produced to date and is 1000 times more contiguous than the genomes MGC published with Illumina technology in 2011.

In addition to its partnership with DASH Cryptocurrency, MGC’s collaborated with New England Biolabs, Phase Genomics, and Pacific Biosciences on the project and has set a new standard for the completeness of genetic information. The entire 1.1 Gb cannabis genome, which contains 10 chromosomal pairs, is now made up of just 387 pieces, each containing an average of 7.62 million bases. This genomic length includes the maternal and paternal genomes present in a diploid cell.

In addition to the Pacific Biosciences accurate long read sequencing, 1 billion HiC reads have been generated using Phase Genomics technology. This technology orders and orientates the 387 pieces of the genome into full length chromosomal pictures while assisting in separating the mother and father genomes from one another. New England Biolabs also surveyed the methylome and RNA landscape with their novel EM-Seq method and recently presented their results at the Plant and Animal Genome conference in San Diego, as well.

“We began this work to demonstrate prior art in an effort to help overturn the broad utility patents that have the potential to strangle the entire cannabis industry before it ever gets started. These patents should never have been granted in the first place and we intend to use full power of science to unlock the cannabis plants’ genetics to get these restrictive and predatory patents invalidated,” said Brendan McKernan, Medicinal Genomics’ CEO. “We welcome the participation of other firms working on the genome to join us in this effort.”

About Medicinal Genomics Corporation

Medicinal Genomics Corporation has pioneered the genomics of cannabis to build a stronger scientific foundation for cannabis-based products. Our unmatched expertise in genetic science has helped cultivators, dispensaries and testing laboratories characterize and understand the quality and consistency of cannabis to ensure patients and consumers have access to consistently safe, high quality cannabis.

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New Study Reinforces Effectiveness of Medical Cannabis

2/11/2019

Research into cannabinoids, the cannabis plant, and actual reports of which conditions patients are using it for are lining up neatly in a new analysis, The Associated Press reports.

The analysis was published in the journal Health Affairs. While it did not look at the outcomes of patient use, it attempted to find connections between what conditions patients were treating with medical cannabis and which scientific research suggested they do so. The two aligned fairly well.

“The majority of patients for whom we have data are using cannabis for reasons where the science is the strongest.” — Kevin Boehnke of University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, lead study author, via The Associated Press

About 85 percent of the reasons given by patients for their medical cannabis use were supported by substantial evidence. Nearly two-thirds of the 730,000 reasons analyzed said they use cannabis to treat chronic pain.

The analysis also discovered that Alaska, Colorado, Nevada, and Oregon saw a decline in medical cannabis patients after adult-use legalization. The study determined there were more than 800,000 registered patients in 19 state medical cannabis programs, which doesn’t include either California or Maine, where registration is not required. Some estimates that include those states indicate that there may be more than two million U.S. patients using medical cannabis.

The analysis provides yet further evidence debunking prohibitionist claims that cannabis isn’t medicine.

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Due to Canada’s Roll-Out Issues, Most Cannabis Sales Remain Illicit

2/11/2019

A variety of issues with Canada’s rollout of the legal cannabis market is expected to keep 71 percent of cannabis sales in the illicit market, according to a story by the Motley Fool.

Supply issues have been a problem across the country. Due at least in part to a huge backlog of license applications, it takes Health Canada nearly a year to go from receiving an application to issuing an actual license.

Packaging has also been a problem. Strict regulations about childproof packaging with specific labeling has created a shortage of possible containers.

Ultimately, growers are behind. While many companies who are poised to move into the space would’ve liked to have started constructing facilities much earlier than they did, most producers were not willing to take the risk until the law was definitively passed. It could take two more years before producers are fully up to speed for Canada’s market.

The analysis also reports that by 2020 this figure will have dropped precipitously to 34 percent, however. In the near term, analysts also dropped sales figures for the legal market for a whole, as well made predictions for as for specific companies like Canopy Growth and other market leaders.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has pushed for lowering the excise tax rate to 10 percent to help battle illicit sales.

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Israeli Study Shows CBD Effective for Autism

2/08/2019

A study conducted by researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Soroka University Medical Center in Israel has shown that cannabis oil has a significant effect on the symptoms of autism, The Growth Op reports.

Autism can be difficult to categorize and study because it can exhibit differently in each child. To date, there has been limited evidence that cannabis is an effective remedy for autism; this is likely both because of the difficulty of studying the condition as well as federal prohibition continuing to limit cannabis research funding.

Researchers in Israel gave cannabis oil to 60 children suffering from autism and polled their parents to see if there was a change in the number of tics, depressive episodes, or rage attacks.

“Overall, more than 80% of the parents reported significant or moderate improvement in their child.” — Lihi Bar-Lev Schleider, lead study author, in a statement

Over the six-month study, 30 percent of the children showed “substantial” improvement and 53 percent showed “moderate” improvement. The remaining 15 percent did not seem to respond favorably to the treatment. About 40 percent of the patients who improved with CBD were able to shower and dress themselves after treatment, 30 percent had better sleep, and 10 percent were able to concentrate better.

The study used a cannabis oil with a 30 percent CBD to 1.5 percent THC ratio derived from medical cannabis plants and not industrial hemp. Researchers cautioned that a double-blind, placebo-controlled study needs to be conducted to confirm the results.

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New York City Health Dept. Bans CBD in Food, Drinks

2/08/2019

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene this week announced a ban and resulting crackdown on CBD-infused foods and beverages throughout the city, NBC News reports.

In a statement, the Health Department confirmed that CBD food and drinks are no longer allowed to be sold in the city:

“Restaurants in New York City are not permitted to add anything to food or drink that is not approved as safe to eat. The Health Department takes seriously its responsibility to protect New Yorkers’ health. Until cannabidiol (CBD) is deemed safe as a food additive, the Department is ordering restaurants not to offer products containing CBD.” — New York City Health Department statement, via NBC News

The move is retaliatory to a growing trend of CBD infusions throughout the city.

Ian Ford, the proprietor of the Bushwick-based coffee shop Caffeine Underground, said that business boomed after they started offering CBD-infused brews.

“We were the first ones in New York State to offer drinks with CBD and it became a big deal for us,” he told NBC News.

Now, Ford says he expects a health inspector to come knocking any day to tell him to end his CBD sales or face fines and/or being shut down.

“All of this is very confusing,” said Ford. “It’s legal to buy it and stick it on your tongue, but it’s not legal to buy it and stick it in your coffee? It’s like there’s no rules and too many rules.“

For now, New York City is following in the footsteps of at least one nearby state — earlier this month, Maine issued a ban on selling CBD-infused edible products outside of licensed medical cannabis dispensaries.

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Steve Bannon Floats Building ‘Private’ Border Wall Using Hempcrete

2/08/2019

During a trip with several other high-profile Trump supporters to McAllen, Texas in support of the president’s contentious U.S.-Mexico border wall project, the president’s former chief strategist Steve Bannon floated the idea of building a privately-funded border wall made with hempcrete, Politico reports.

Bannon met with former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, former Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo, and other Trump wall supporters in Texas to discuss a Florida man’s crowdfunding campaign that aimed to generate private funds to help fund the border wall. Erik Prince, who founded the private military company Blackwater, attended the meeting by phone.

According to Bannon, the group is looking seriously at constructing the wall out of hempcrete.

“Do you understand the irony of using hempcrete to keep out marijuana?” — Steve Bannon, via CNN

The endeavor seems unlikely to succeed, though the group plans to hold meetings in several other prominent border towns.

“Do we have a billion dollars right now? No,” said Bannon. “But can we raise one- or two-hundred million dollars? No doubt about it.”

Notably, one- or two-hundred million dollars would still be a drop in the bucket compared to the 2,000-mile wall’s $5.7 billion price tag, according to the president.

An analysis revealed late last year that there is no correlation between miles of border fencing and the amount of cannabis seized by border agents. There is, however, a correlation between state cannabis legalization programs and a reduction in cannabis smuggling. Perhaps we should all crowdfund the federal legalization of cannabis, instead.

End

Idaho Police Seize Legal Hemp Shipment, Jail Truck Driver

2/08/2019

In what is becoming a worrying trend after the seizure of a legal hemp shipment in Oklahoma earlier this month, police have once again seized a completely legal shipment of industrial hemp, this time in Idaho, according to a CNN report.

The hemp was on its way from state-licensed hemp grower Boones Ferry Berry Farms in Hubbard, Oregon to Big Sky Scientific in Colorado, where it was meant to be refined into CBD extract. At a weigh station near Boise, however, an Idaho state trooper stopped the truck, driven by Denis Palamarchuck, for an inspection.

The bill of lading for the cargo said it was industrial hemp but, as the Idaho State Police (ISP) said in a press release, “The trooper’s training and experience made him suspicious that the cargo was in fact marijuana.” A drug-sniffing dog and portable THC test were enough to land Palamarchuck in jail facing felony trafficking of “illicit marijuana” charges.

All told, 6,700 pounds of industrial hemp were confiscated.

Since the 2018 Farm Bill legalized industrial hemp federally, interstate hemp commerce should now be protected by the Commerce clause in the U.S. Constitution, which states that state-legal goods being shipped between two states can’t be interfered with as they pass through other states. According to federal law, industrial hemp can contain up to 0.3 percent THC, which is still enough to make a basic test for THC show positive, even though it would be technically legal.

Big Sky Scientific is now suing for the return of its 6,700 pounds of industrial hemp held by the ISP. The company has test results that show the hemp crop contains about 0.043% THC — an order of magnitude below the legal limit.

According to Idaho State Police, Idaho laws say any substance containing any amount of THC is illegal. “Idaho State Police troopers will continue to aggressively enforce Idaho laws,” said a spokesperson for the ISP.

Palamarchuck has posted $100,000 bail and is awaiting prosecution.

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