Michigan House of Representatives

Poll: Michigan Voters Strongly Favor Adult-Use Legalization

9/12/2018

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A new poll of expected general election voters in Michigan shows that 56.2 percent support Michigan’s upcoming ballot measure to legalize adult-use cannabis, ClickOnDetroit reports.

The poll, conducted by Glengariff Group, Inc., surveyed 600 likely general election voters in the state by live telephone operators during September 5-7. The poll found that 56.2 percent of those surveyed were in favor of cannabis legalization, 38 percent were opposed, and only 5.8 percent of voters were undecided.

In an interesting turn, the poll did not find that opposition was tied to any specific political party. While those that lean strongly or slightly towards the Democratic party were the strongest supporters of the measure, it was a nearly even split between proponents and opponents across the Republican party spectrum and for independents.

The only demographic that showed strong opposition to the measure, in fact, was an age-based demographic: those 65 and older. Even the 65+ category, however, showed only 55.7 percent opposing while 37.1 percent supported the measure. The strongest supporters, unsurprisingly, were the 18-29 demographic. That demographic showed 71.1 percent supporting with just 24.3 percent opposing.

The measure in question was formally added to the ballot after lawmakers in June missed the deadline to act on the proposal, causing an automatic approval. Voters will now decide whether or not Michigan will be the next state to legalize adult-use cannabis on November 6th.

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Racks of curing cannabis nugs hanging from the ceiling at a commercial grow operation.

Massachusetts Growers Could Sue the State’s Cannabis Control Commission

9/12/2018

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Cannabis cultivators in Massachusetts are considering a lawsuit to make the state’s Cannabis Control Commission review the statutorily-required agreements between cannabis businesses and the towns where they exist, according to the State House News Service.

In order to operate in any jurisdiction, a cannabis company must enter a host community agreement with that host town and/or city. The Commission has maintained that it does not have the authority to review the agreements, but cannabis companies are worried that municipalities will take advantage of the situation to extract more money via taxes and other fees than allowed under state law (local governments can only legally take up to three percent of a cannabis business’ gross sales).

“We just want them to review these going forward and strike down offending contractual clauses going backwards.” — Peter Bernard, president of the Massachusetts Grower Advocacy Council, via the State House News Service

Bernard said that his group was meeting with its lawyer on Wednesday to discuss options and that they were leaning towards taking the issue to court.

The Commission had hoped to launch the state’s adult-use cannabis industry by July 1, but that goal fell through and the Commission has yet to give an updated timeline for when consumers can expect to be able to purchase cannabis products.

Some advocates and entrepreneurs argue that the delay has been in part caused by the Commission’s attempts to reconcile the host community agreements.

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Charlo Greene Accepts Plea Deal, Will Not Face Jail

9/12/2018

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Cannabis activist and entrepreneur Charlo Greene has accepted a plea deal tied to felony drug charges from a 2015 police raid on the Alaska Cannabis Club, KTVA reports.

The deal will result in zero jail time for Greene, whose legal name is Charlene Egbe, but it could carry a hefty fine of up to $10,000. Greene pled guilty to a single felony count of misconduct and will not face charges for the 13 other drug-related crimes she was accused of; she will return to court for her sentencing in November.

If she had gone to trial, Greene would have faced a maximum of a 54-year sentence for the charges brought against her.

Greene made national headlines in 2014 when she quit her job as a broadcast journalist for KTVA on live television while giving a report on the Alaska Cannabis Club. During the broadcast, Greene admitted that she was, in fact, the owner of the club and she was quitting her job to fight “for freedom and fairness” by working to legalize marijuana throughout the state.

“Fuck it, I quit,” Greene said then, right before walking off camera.

Alaska voted to legalize adult-use cannabis later that year. The Alaska Cannabis Club was raided after just six months for allegedly illegal cannabis sales.

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Leaf Logix Expands to 27th U.S. Market, Experiences Explosive Growth

9/12/2018

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Seed-to-sale enterprise resource planning solution covers all operational needs for cannabis businesses

September 6, 2018 (New York, NY) — Leaf Logix, a seed-to-sale enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution covering the full vertical of operational needs for cannabis businesses, has expanded to 27 U.S. markets, including 25 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Leaf Logix software solutions range from point-of-sale, business-to-business wholesale distribution, e-commerce, cultivation, processing & manufacturing, reporting, and more.

Oklahoma is the latest U.S. market for Leaf Logix on the heels of the company’s recent global expansion into Africa and South America. The company has expanded rapidly since the start of 2018 as evidenced by continuous double-digit, month-over-month revenue growth.

In addition to integrating with many of the main tech providers in the cannabis space as well as state regulatory compliance software providers, such as Metrc and BioTrack, Leaf Logix has experienced zero platform service disruptions since its inception in 2015. All Leaf Logix products are designed to accommodate multi-license enterprises serving recreational & medical cannabis, hemp, and CBD businesses, and can be run on Apple or Android devices. Leaf Logix cloud-based software is housed on the Microsoft Azure Cloud, offering unparalleled security and convenience.

Leaf Logix founder and CEO, James Minutello, has worked in supply chain logistics for more than 25 years and has a successful track record of building high growth tech and logistics companies which were then purchased in high profile acquisitions by existing public companies such as Priceline and Li & Fung.

“Cannabis facilities face extraordinary challenges when running their businesses, and it is our goal to make compliance and business management needs as seamless as possible,” explains James Minutello, CEO of Leaf Logix. “Our team has been hard at work and we are grateful for the opportunity to help cannabis businesses as they prosper and grow, often into multi-license and multi-state operations.”

To learn more about Leaf Logix, visit www.leaflogix.com.

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About Leaf Logix
Leaf Logix is a seed-to-sale enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution supporting growers, distributors, processors, and retailers in recreational cannabis, medical cannabis, hemp and CBD. Leaf Logix has experienced zero service disruptions and integrates with all regulatory compliance software providers, allowing clients to grow intelligent and compliant operations. With a service footprint spanning three continents and 25 states as well as D.C. and Puerto Rico, Leaf Logix products cover the full vertical of operational needs ranging from POS, B2B wholesale distribution, e-commerce, cultivation, processing, reporting, and more. Leaf Logix cloud-based software is housed on the Microsoft Azure Cloud, offering unparalleled security and convenience. Leaf Logix has offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Denver. To learn more about Leaf Logix, visit www.leaflogix.com, call 800-771-1984 or email sales@leaflogix.com.

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What is CBD?

What is CBD?

9/11/2018

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Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a chemical compound in the same family as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Both of these two major compounds are members of the Cannabinoid family. Derived from the Cannabis or Marijuana plant, “phytocannabinoids” (phyto meaning plant in Greek) are a diverse group of neurotransmitters that interact with related chemical pathways in animals called the “Endocannabinoid system.”

Unlike THC however, CBD does not produce the classic psychoactive marijuana high. CBD instead enhances and balances THC’s effect and helps control things like anxiety, epilepsy, inflammation, pain, depression and addiction. During the prohibition of Cannabis, most strains were bred to be high-THC and low-CBD for the recreational user looking for the “high.” Since the medical marijuana movement began to gain steam, many producers are now producing high-CBD medical strains once again.

Cannabidiol Molecule

Is CBD Legal?

 

This cannabinoid’s legal status is in a confusing gray area. The DEA has issued statements effectively clarifying that CBD is one of the illegal substances banned under the heading of the marijuana plant. However, state-level medical or recreational marijuana laws in 44 states protect and allow for the distribution of the cannabinoid. A federal court in California has even ordered the DEA to stop harassing medical marijuana providers who were operating legally under state law. The clash between federal and state laws is an ongoing issue with the movement to end the prohibition of cannabis in the United States, and increased awareness of this cannabinoid as a non-psychoactive substance with numerous medical applications seems to be a catalyst for change.

Just recently, the DEA officially moved some CBD-derived medicines to Schedule 5 from Schedule 1 on the Controlled Substances Act, however this ruling only applies to FDA-approved medicines. Currently, the GW Pharmaceuticals drug Epidiolex is the only CBD medicine approved by the FDA.

CBD and the FDA

Its medicinal legal status in many states and the current climate of changing opinions about Cannabis’s medicinal powers has resulted in a rush of products to market that are capitalizing on the hype. Under its mission statement of “protecting the public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy and security of human and veterinary drugs” the FDA has become involved in the struggle.

Since 2015 the FDA has sent 44 warning letters to various producers of CBD medicines, ordering them to stop marketing and advertising unapproved uses of cannabinoid medicine and in some cases revealing the products did not even include the advertised levels of CBD, occasionally none at all. As a federal agency, the involvement of the FDA further confuses the legal space of medicinal cannabis, especially after they argued for the de-scheduling of CBD in October 2018.

Currently there are numerous commercial brands selling CBD products ranging from tinctures, to topicals, to soda throughout the United States. The states where the cannabinoid can be most easily found by consumers, however, are California, Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Alaska — in other words, the states have legalized recreational cannabis. These states have testing requirements of licensed producers and processors.

CBD is often derived from Hemp

CBD and the Future

Its non-psychoactive nature and proven therapeutic benefits indicate further potential, alongside other cannabinoids. In the weakening climate of prohibition, it’s important to begin to spread information and understanding about the difference between the broad use of “medical marijuana” and the specific medicinal cannabinoids like CBD and possible derivative drugs.

Early studies and anecdotal reports reveal massive potential, but there have been concerns over the quality of the original research. Large, double-blind studies by major research institutions have finally begun in the last few years and soon our understanding of the exact benefits and side effects of the non-psychoactive cannabinoid will explode.

CBD in the News

Follow Ganjapreneur to keep tabs on the latest CBD news headlines, medical studies, and industry announcements. We are committed to providing useful insights and reliable coverage of the issues that matter to cannabis entrepreneurs: click here to view our most recent articles or subscribe to our newsletter for daily updates.

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Legislators Expect Federal Legalization in 2019

9/11/2018

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Reps. David Joyce (R-Ohio) and Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) said at the Cannabis Law Institute in Washington, D.C. that public support backs the legalization of cannabis across the country and they expect the bill that makes it happen will be introduced in the 2019 Congress, according to a report by Leafly.

Both Congressmen said that many congressional races across the country will have cannabis as a core issue, and that may determine what happens with legislation next year. The Representatives both said that the recently-introduced Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) Act and other cannabis legislation are likely to pass no matter who controls Congress next year.

Rep. Joyce said he considers cannabis legalization a state’s rights issue. “States have made it available medically,” he said. “People should be able to receive it, and we should do more studies on it.”

“Most people want legalization, at least for medical purposes. That’s why I think we will see successes on the fall ballot. There is no downside for a candidate who embraces it.” — Rep. Earl Blumenauer, via Leafly

Rep. Blumenauer said he thought a Democratic takeover of the House of Representatives in November would accelerate the process of cannabis law reform.

“If we take back the House, I guarantee there will be committee hearings,” Blumenauer said. “Once we get hearings, I think the dominoes will fall very quickly.”

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LAPD car

LA Cracks Down On Unlicensed Cannabis Businesses

9/11/2018

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The City Attorney of Los Angeles has cracked down on 105 unlicensed cannabis businesses since May, charging over 500 people with misdemeanors, reports KTLA Los Angeles.

City officials say that cracking down on unlicensed cannabis businesses those that play by the system’s rules. Los Angeles has passed ordinances requiring not just a California state cannabis license, but also a city license. Anyone charged with violating the city’s cannabis industry ordinances may be penalized with up to six months and jail and $1,000 in fines.

“Los Angeles voters wanted common-sense rules to regulate recreational marijuana so public safety is protected in our neighborhoods. Our message is clear: If you are operating an illegal cannabis business, you will be held accountable.” — City Attorney Mike Fauer, via KTLA

Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michael Moore said city prosecutors will also work to seize properties used by unlicensed cannabis businesses via civil action. This puts pressure on landlords to help with enforcement.

“We know there are still hundreds of these locations out there, and we will continue to identify and take action,” said Chief Moore.

 

 

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Alaska Growers Threatened by Craze for High-Potency Cannabis

9/11/2018

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The price of cannabis in Alaska appears to be tied directly to a product’s THC potency and that could be bad news for some growers, according to an Anchorage Daily News report.

As cannabis farmers around the country begin to experiment with expanded terpene profiles and alternative cannabinoids like CBD, CBN, THCA, and others, Alaskan growers are being funneled into producing potent, THC-rich cannabis crops in order to compete on the marketplace.

“Alaskans have an obsession with marijuana that tests over 20 percent (THC).” — Brandon Emmett, Marijuana Control Board member and cannabis manufacturer, via ADN.com

On average, the price of THC-rich cannabis (20% or more) in Alaska can reach as high as $18 per gram; in contrast, a 14% potency strain would likely cost about $10 per gram. That sort of price difference isn’t unheard of in other markets — but, when the reason for that discrepancy is tied to a crop’s potency, churning out a lower-potency strain can become a major economic blow to one of the state’s startup cultivators.

Like other states, cannabis products in Alaska must go through rigorous testing before they can hit store shelves. However, there are just two labs currently operating in the space and their testing procedures are not standardized.

Jessica Alexander, lab director for New Frontier Research, one of Alaska’s two testing labs, told Anchorage Daily News that the there is an “overwhelming” amount of growers who are “heartbroken” when their products test at less than 20 percent THC.

“It’s real nonsense, but it’s driving the cost, and it’s going to drive people out of business,” Alexander said.

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Canadian Dollar

Cannabis ETF Breaks $1 Billion in Assets

9/10/2018

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Ballooning cannabis stocks have caused Canadian-based Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences Index ETF (HMMJ) to break $1 Billion CAD in assets for the first time, reports Investopedia.

Shares of the Exchange-Traded Fund, or ETF, have surged more than 43% in the past month and 124% since the start of trading in April 2017. Cannabis stocks across all North American markets have been booming this year, especially in Canada — where federal legalization is set to deploy in October.

“One of the key drivers of HMMJ’s rapid asset growth speaks to the investor demand and desire for a diversified portfolio of cannabis companies versus buying individual stocks. While there are clearly leaders in the marijuana equity sector, nobody knows for sure which companies will truly be successful over the long term or even be swallowed-up.” — Steve Hawkins, CEO of Horizons ETFs, via press release

Some market analysts claim that cannabis stocks are currently overvalued. However, despite media focus on the shares’ potential overvaluation, cannabis stocks have continued to grow into September. Even in August, the fund saw a total inflow of funds of more than $12 million CAD.

Beer manufacturers and holding companies have also invested heavily in the space, which is partly responsible for the current valuation of the market. In August, Corona-manufacturer Constellation Brands and Canadian cannabis producer Canopy Growth partnered on a $4 billion deal to expand their collective reach and develop cannabis-based beverages. Canopy Growth stock is the largest single holding by the HMMJ fund. Other beer companies, including Molson-Coors, have also invested in the market this year.

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Industrial Hemp Looks Secure in 2018 Farm Bill

9/10/2018

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Language in the 2018 Farm Bill that would establish a national, comprehensive industrial hemp marketplace appears to be safe and untouched as lawmakers work to reconcile small differences between the Senate and House versions of the bill, Benzinga reports.

The hemp legalization language was added to the annual mega-bill and has been consistently championed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky).

“It’s time to remove the federal hurdles and give [farmers] the opportunity to seize its full potential and once again become the national leader for hemp production. That is why I strongly advocated for this measure to be included in the Farm Bill.” — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), in June

Specifically, the bill removes hemp from the federal definition of “marihuana” in the Controlled Substances Act. Under the new rules, hemp would be defined as “the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of that plant, including the seeds thereof and all derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts, and salts of isomers, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis.”

The 2017 Farm Bill expires on September 30, which gives lawmakers just two weeks for further deliberation to establish the next Farm Bill. If they do not reconcile the 2018 Farm Bill in time, experts expect that lawmakers would instead pass a continuing resolution, which would postpone a government shutdown and give Congress an extra month for deliberations.

“I suspect that it may happen before midterms, but we are confident about the hemp provisions,” said Garrett Graf of Denver-based Hoban Law Group in an interview with Benzinga. “Our understanding and optimism are that the Senate provisions will remain intact. We are not hearing any suggestions to the contrary.”

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Jeff Sessions

AG Sessions Still Blocking Cannabis Research

9/10/2018

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U.S. Senators Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Kamala Harris (D-California), members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, have sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions to follow up about delays in choosing new cannabis producers for research expansions that were mandated by President Obama more than two years ago, the Wall Street Journal reports.

We write you to follow up on our letter, dated April 12, 2018, regarding the registration of marijuana manufacturers by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). We respectfully requested that you respond to our questions by May 15, 2018. More than four months have elapsed, and it is troubling that we have not yet received a written response.

…

Marijuana’s impacts are being felt every day across the country—with or without research. It is imperative that our nation’s brightest scientists have access to diverse types of federally-approved, research-grade marijuana to research both its adverse and therapeutic effects. Such research is the critical foundation of sound policymaking that puts public health and safety first.

— From the letter to AG Sessions, via hatch.senate.gov

At least 26 applications from entrepreneurs, university professors, and a former Navy SEAL await a decision from Sessions on how to move forward.

Sessions has said in the past he supports research into the medicinal benefits of cannabis but has dodged further comment about the two years of inaction on the selection process. Individual applications are technically decided by the head of the DEA, acting administrator Uttam Dhillon, however — according to lawmakers — Sessions‘ beliefs on the matter actually controls what happens.

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Study Expounds CBD’s Effectiveness vs. Seizure Disorders

9/10/2018

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A groundbreaking study conducted at the University of Alabama Birmingham has found that cannabidiol (CBD) is an effective treatment for seizure disorders not treatable with traditional methods. The research began in 2015 after the Alabama legislature passed Carly’s Law, which allowed the UAB Epilepsy Center and Children’s of Alabama to study CBD’s efficacy in treating intractable seizure disorders.

The results, published in the Journal of Epilepsy and Behavior, showed that CBD reduces adverse events and seizure severity. It also appears to be accompanied by a reduction in overall seizure frequency.

“This is a highly significant reduction in the number of seizures that the majority of patients experienced, nearly a two-thirds reduction across the entire study population. Some patients experienced an even greater reduction of seizure frequency.” — Martina Begin, MD, professor in the Department of Neurology at the School of Medicine and principal investigator of the study’s pediatric arm

These extraordinary results come on the heels of the Federal Drug Administration having approved — for the first time, ever — a drug derived from cannabis. Epidiolex, a CBD oral solution, is already improving children’s lives.

CBS 4 Miami recently reported on Maya Adache, an 11-year-old with an intractable seizure disorder, who saw an immediate reduction in her seizures after taking Epidiolex.

“We stopped noticing the seizures almost immediately,” Adam Adache, Maya’s father, told CBS 4 Miami. “From the standpoint that her mood has really changed, she’s a much happier person.”

Dr. Ian Miller, Maya’s physician, added to the family’s jubilance, saying that, “She has responded incredibly well, as close to a miracle response as you can have to an epilepsy medication.”

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Elon Musk Smokes Blunt in Podcast Interview

9/07/2018

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Mainstream media has jumped at the opportunity to harsh on cannabis after Elon Musk smoked a blunt on camera in a Joe Rogan Experience podcast interview that was live-streamed late Thursday night.

The two-and-a-half hour interview covers topics ranging from flamethrowers to aliens, artificial intelligence, and the end of the universe. Mr. Musk and comedian Joe Rogan, who hosts the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, sip whiskey throughout the interview but, about two hours in, Rogan lights a blunt and passes it to Musk, who sniffs at and hits the blunt one time. The two talk briefly about drug use, though Musk says he is “not a regular smoker of weed.”

“Alcohol is a drug that’s just been grandfathered in,” Musk said afterward, looking at his glass and musing about the hypocritical nature of prohibition.

Mainstream media reports noted that Tesla stock fell about five percent on Friday and tied the plummeting stocks in part to Musk’s appearance on Rogan’s podcast.

“It’s perfectly legal,” Rogan had said of the blunt, which is mostly true — the interview was filmed in California, where adult-use cannabis has been legalized, but the plant remains a Schedule 1 substance under federal law.

Some reports also suggested that the incident could have led to the departure of two senior Tesla executives. The executives in question, however, say they were driven away for different reasons: one reportedly gave his resignation on Tuesday because “the level of public attention placed on the company, as well as the pace within the company,” had exceeded his expectations; the other executive had been on an extended leave of absence but recently told Bloomberg News that she won’t be coming back.

In August, Musk tweeted that he was considering taking Tesla private and would do so by buying stock back from shareholders at the price of $420 per share. He eventually abandoned the plan but then faced heavy criticism, a subpoena from the Securities and Exchange Commission, and a series of lawsuits accusing the Tesla CEO of market manipulation.

When asked about whether Tesla drug tests its employees, Musk wrote in an email to The Guardian: 

 “Our policy allows trace amounts of THC during work times, provided they are below the safety limit (much like a minimum alcohol level).” — Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, in an email to The Guardian

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Brooklyn DA Wants to Erase 20,000 Cannabis Convictions

9/07/2018

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Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez has proposed erasing tens of thousands of low-level cannabis convictions, The Associated Press reports.

Gonzalez’s reasoning is that, since prosecutors are no longer pursuing criminal charges for these offenses, then individuals who have past cannabis-related convictions hanging over them should be free of that weight.

“It’s a little unfair to say we’re no longer prosecuting these cases, but to have these folks carry these convictions for the rest of their lives.” — Eric Gonzalez, Brooklyn District Attorney, via the Associated Press

New York has a strict medical cannabis program, but adult-use remains illegal and decriminalization is only in spirit — earlier this year, Gonzalez joined with Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio in a decision to stop making arrests and prosecutions for simple cannabis possession cases.

Many states and other jurisdictions have proposed cannabis expungement rules following major policy reforms; Brooklyn’s proposal, however, is unique because it would be a case-by-case clearing of convictions that were made under a law that technically still stands.

Gonzalez said that anyone with a cannabis conviction that would no longer be prosecuted in today’s political climate can apply to have their records cleared. Individuals who are also convicted of drug sales, certain violent crimes, and/or sex offenses would be most likely denied.

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Texas Rep. Pete Sessions Waffles on Cannabis, Considers Supporting MMJ Group

9/07/2018

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The office of Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) has announced the congressman is in talks with a group advocating for legal access to medical cannabis, reports Marijuana Moment.

The move would be a full 180 for Sessions, who has personally blocked dozens of cannabis policy amendments and bills from consideration on the floor of the House via the Rules Committee, which he chairs.

Rep. Sessions met with Mothers Advocating Medical Marijuana for Autism (MAMMA) in hopes of finding “solutions for our children to help improve their quality of life when nothing seems to help.” Sessions’ son suffers from Down’s Syndrome, which he said gives him an understanding of MAMMA’s situation.

“I was pleased to get to continue our conversations together in my Dallas office on Monday because I believe that by working together, real progress can be made. I look forward to continuing my journey with parents like Amy, Thalia and Mayra as we look to find the best solutions for our children.” — Rep. Pete Sessions, in the report

Rep. Sessions is up for re-election in November and the race is expected to be close. His opponent is former NFL player and civil rights attorney Colin Allred. Allred has made cannabis reform a major part of his platform and Texas voters have shown support for that stance, increasing the pressure on prohibitionist Sessions.

MAMMA co-founder Thalia Michelle said that Sessions, talking about his Rules Committee blocking cannabis amendments, claimed that he blocked the amendments not because of his personal beliefs but because of riders added to the amendments or because the language was too broad. But Sessions’ personal views on cannabis are almost certainly negative, as he has been quoted several times making statements against cannabis and using obsolete rhetoric to discuss the plant.

Whether Sessions’ connection to MAMMA is a genuine desire to do good or if re-election fears are softening his hand on cannabis policy is up for debate — any movement towards support for medical cannabis from Sessions, however, is a ray of hope for children who suffer from a variety of chronic illnesses.

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Mormon Church

Majority of Utah Voters Continue to Support MMJ Despite Mormon Opposition

9/07/2018

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64 percent of Utah voters support Proposition 2, the state’s upcoming medical cannabis ballot initiative, according to the first poll on the subject since the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints formally announced its opposition, The Salt Lake Tribune reports.

The poll of over 800 Utah voters was conducted by UtahPolicy.com. The results showed that 64 percent of those voters were “somewhat” or “strongly” in support of Proposition 2. A Salt Lake Tribune-Hinckley Institute of Politics poll conducted in June — prior to the Church of LDS’s public announcement of its opposition — showed similar levels of support at 66 percent.

Support levels are holding steady despite an ongoing smear campaign by LDS-affiliated Drug Safe Utah that makes several questionable claims, including labeling the medical cannabis measure Proposition 2 as a “recreational” weed loophole and arguing that cannabis will be sold on every corner. In fact, Proposition 2’s language requires dispensaries to be 600 feet from any “school, church or public location” — a limitation that will result in maybe 10 viable dispensary locations in the entire state, argue supporters.

The battle for medical cannabis in Utah is just beginning to heat up. The Church of Latter-Day Saints is not short on funding for Drug Safe Utah and other opposition campaigns. Supporters of Proposition 2, however, remain confident.

“We feel we’re in a very good position to have this pass in November.” — DJ Schanz, Director of the Utah Patient’s Coalition, via The Salt Lake Tribune

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Nopioid Campaign

Opioid Vending Machines Dispense Cannabis Knowledge in Chicago

9/06/2018

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A Chicago advertising agency working with medical cannabis company Cresco Labs launched a dramatic medical cannabis campaign in downtown Chicago designed to draw attention to the opioid epidemic, Adweek reports.

Chicago-based creative agency Tom, Dick & Harry Creative Co. emblazoned a large vending machine with “Got Pain? Get Relief!” designs and placed it in downtown Chicago, not far from state government buildings. The machine contains notes written in cannabis prescription bottles that advocate for replacing opioid prescriptions with medical cannabis, designed to support Cresco Lab’s Opioid Prescription Exchange program.

Behind the machine, the company placed a 20-foot long billboard with “NObituaries” — stories from opioid epidemic survivors who switched to cannabis before their addiction to opioids could kill them.

The note inside each bottle reads:

WHO SAYS THE EPIDEMIC IS OUR ONLY CHOICE?

When you’re in pain, opioid prescriptions are the norm. Addiction is the norm.  Overdose is the norm. That’s just the way it’s been, but we don’t need to accept it. Opioid patients deserve an alternative: medical cannabis.

Ask your doctor about replacing opioids with medical cannabis products and get relief that doesn’t cost you peace of mind.  Pain isn’t a choice.  How you treat it could be.

The vending machine and NObituary board are backed by a social media campaign encouraging people to share stories of defeating opioid addiction with cannabis using the #NOpioids hashtag.

“The creativity and attention-getting tactics behind our COPE campaign will help build awareness about using medical cannabis as an alternative to prescription opioids in a very untraditional way,” Cresco Labs CEO Charlie Bachtell told Adweek. “The awareness this campaign will create will ultimately improve the quality of life for someone who has been suffering with pain.”

The vending machine was placed in downtown Chicago the day after Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a bill allowing and encouraging medical cannabis use as an off-ramp from opioid addiction.

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Securities and Exchange Commission

SEC Charges Investment Fund With Fraud Over Cannabis Claims

9/06/2018

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On Wednesday, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced in a press release it had charged Texas-based Greenview Investment Partners and its founder with defrauding investors using false claims of massive cannabis investment returns.

The SEC alleges that Greenview Investment Partners and founder Michael Cone defrauded investors out of $3.3 million — money that the SEC claims Cone spent on designer clothes, luxury cars and pyramid-scheme-style payments to earlier investors in the fund. The SEC also issued an alert following the charges against Cone warning retail investors that Michael Cone isn’t the only charlatan in the cannabis investment space.

“Greenview allegedly exploited investor interest in the marijuana industry and lied about high returns and the backgrounds of its key executives. Investors must remain vigilant and not let the fear of missing out dupe them into making bad investment decisions.” — Shamoil T. Shipchandler, Director of the SEC’s Fort Worth Regional Office, in the SEC press release

Cone employed a sales staff who made cold calls to potential investors, promising up to 24 percent returns on their investment annually. Cone allegedly concealed his identity with an alias, hiding his previous criminal convictions while telling investors he maintained a former agent of the DEA on staff and lying about having an excellent record of cannabis investments with strong returns. In reality, Greenview had no previous track record and the fund’s only investment was $400,000 into a cannabis company that has yet to harvest a crop.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for Central California raided Cone’s offices and seized $1.4 million in cash and assets. Cone has been charged with securities fraud and violations of the registration provisions of the federal securities laws and has been permanently barred from serving as an officer in any SEC-reporting company. Repayment and other financial penalties will be decided in the U.S. District Court for Texas‘ Northern District.

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Study: Baby Boomers Are Using More Cannabis

9/06/2018

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Cannabis use is continuing to grow in popularity among the Baby Boomer generation, as 9 percent of adults 50-64 years old and nearly 3 percent of adults who are 65+ reported having used cannabis in the past year, according to a study in the Drug and Alcohol Dependence journal.

While these numbers might not seem extraordinary, the number of adults aged 50-64 who have used cannabis in the last year actually doubled over the course of ten years (from 4.5 percent in 2006-2007 to 9 percent in 2015-2016) and for adults aged 65+, that number increased more than sevenfold (from 0.4 percent to 2.9 percent).

“The baby boomer generation grew up during a period of significant cultural change, including a surge in popularity of marijuana in the 1960s and 1970s. We’re now in a new era of changing attitudes around marijuana, and as stigma declines and access improves, it appears that baby boomers — many of whom have prior experience smoking marijuana — are increasingly using it.” — Benjamin Han, MD, MPH, lead author of the study, an a NYU Langone Health news release

Cannabis use tendencies are certainly on the rise among middle-aged and older Americans, but researchers found that individuals who had used cannabis previously in their lives are more likely to be using it now.

“Most baby boomers who recently used marijuana first used as teens during the 1960s and 1970s,” said study senior author Joseph Palamar, PhD, MPH, an associate professor in the Department of Population Health at NYU Langone Health. “This doesn’t mean these individuals have been smoking marijuana for all these years, but most current users are by no means new initiates.”

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The Cannabis Alliance Looks for Sustainable Packaging Options

9/06/2018

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Washington state has come under fire recently for allowing garbage from its legal cannabis system to find its way into local sewers and waterways; some in the industry, however, are working to find solutions to cannabis packaging pollution.

The Cannabis Alliance, a Washington nonprofit cannabis trade organization, has convened a committee to investigate options for green cannabis packaging. The committee has recommended implementing a packaging recycling program but says cost and regulatory issues still exist at this time. For the long-term, they are suggesting single-use plastic containers be eliminated completely from the I-502 system.

“We are looking at alternative compostable packaging and also thinking of ways to incentivize producer/processors once they are ready to make the switch to sustainable containers.” — Julia Lee, Executive Assistant for The Cannabis Alliance, in an interview with Ganjapreneur

“The problem is not that the material is unavailable. The problem is that vendors who choose to introduce green packaging to the market get pushed out because of their margins,” Lee said. “Consumers won’t pay an extra $2-3 for a preroll that’s in a compostable or recyclable doob tube. So, consumer education is a big part of what we are doing.”

Washington state adult-use cannabis rules require cultivators and manufacturers to prepackage every product shipped to a retailer, meaning that there is a glut of individually packaged single grams and pre-rolls which, in many cases, leads to an unnecessary amount of plastic.

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California Police Rally Against Statewide Cannabis Deliveries Proposal

9/05/2018

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Police chiefs across California last week rallied against a proposed state rule that would allow licensed cannabis companies to perform deliveries statewide — even in cities/counties where cannabis sales have been banned, the Associated Press reports.

Opposition to the program now includes the California Police Chiefs Association, the League of California Cities, and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Western States Council — ironically, the UFCW union was fully onboard with Proposition 64, California‘s successful cannabis legalization initiative.

“Regulated marijuana dispensaries have tough security, checks for identity and legal age and strictly licensed workers. If marijuana can be delivered anywhere with virtually no regulation, California will lose these safeguards.” — James Araby, Executive Director of the UFCW Western States Council, in a statement

Advocates for the proposal argue that sickly patients and individuals who live among largely conservative populations should, as Californians, have the right to access the state’s newest and most rapidly-growing industry.

Opponents argue that a blanket allowance of cannabis delivery would undermine local regulations and create a difficult-to-track gray market with significantly higher potential for criminal activity.

As it was written, Prop. 64 allows for local jurisdictions to ban the operation of adult-use cannabis cultivators and retailers. However, according to the California Bureau of Cannabis Control, a business and professions code included in the initiative says that local governments “shall not prevent delivery of cannabis or cannabis products on public roads” by a licensed operator.

The dispute will likely be settled with a lawsuit.

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Hotel Hallway

Across America, CBD Begins Appearing in Hotel Rooms

9/05/2018

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Non-psychoactive CBD-infused products are making their way into restaurants and hotel mini-bars in cities across America, reports Moneyish.

Several high-end hotels in New York have begun offering room service from a menu of CBD-infused comfort foods and others are stocking CBD gummies in the minibar. Restaurants and hotels both in Los Angeles and New York have also begun offering CBD-spiked cocktails, ice cream sundaes, and multiple-course CBD dinners.

“We’re always researching new ways to help our guests relax. CBD extract is proven to have calming effects, easing anxiety and stress. With it being legal in all 50 states, we knew we wanted to get involved.” — James La Russo, a manager at The James Nomad hotel in NYC, via Moneyish

CBD-only infusions — legal across the country — are a huge boon for businesses looking to sidestep the federal prohibition of cannabis but still participate in the growing cannabis economy. Coffee shops offering CBD lattes have also opened up in many states across the U.S., as well as endless companies offering CBD hemp extracts online.

As more tourists come into beneficial contact with cannabinoids other than THC in the privacy of their hotel room, or at restaurants or ice cream shops, acceptance of the entire cannabis plant will likely follow.

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Bipartisan Lawmakers Ask VA Secretary to Research MMJ as Opioid Alternative

9/05/2018

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A bipartisan group of federal lawmakers sent a letter last week asking the Department of Veterans Affairs to investigate medical cannabis as an alternative medication for opioids, according to a Stars and Stripes report.

Reps. Phil Roe (R-Tennessee) and Tim Walz (D-Minnesota) and Sens. Dan Sullivan, (R-Alaska) and Jon Tester (D-Montana) co-signed the letter, addressed to VA Secretary Robert Wilkie, and called for the launch of a “rigorous clinical trial” of the plant’s medicinal effectiveness and safety.

“We believe VA has the authority, ability and capacity to carry out such a study. Many of our nation’s veterans already use medicinal cannabis, and they deserve to have full knowledge of the potential benefits and side effects of this alternative therapy.” — Bipartisan lawmakers, in letter to VA Sec. Robert Wilkie

Wilkie, sworn into the office in July, is relatively new as VA Secretary and it’s still not known where he stands on the issue. Many consider the letter to be a gauge of Wilkie’s medical cannabis position.

“I think this is an opportunity to get him on the record and get a more clear understanding of what his perception is about how the VA can conduct cannabis research,” Eric Goepel, founder of the Veterans Cannabis Coalition, told Stars and Stripes.

Reps. Roe and Walz introduced legislation earlier this year that clarifies the VA’s authority to conduct such a study. The House committee unanimously approved the bill in May but it is unclear when (or if) it will make it to the House floor.

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Virginia to Select Medical Cannabis Licenses In Secret

9/05/2018

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On Tuesday, Virginia state regulators met to decide the recipients of the state’s first five medical cannabis licenses. Their first decision was to close the meeting to the public, reports The Richmond Times-Dispatch.

The first meeting closure lasted 30 minutes. Regulators discussed Virginia’s public meeting laws and to what degree they might apply. Regulators re-opened the meeting following that discussion, only to immediately announce that the committee had decided “to consider the applications in closed session.”

While it’s standard procedure across the country for some level of transparency when business interacts with government, Virginia law is treating the cannabis license application process the same as a medical license application, which is exempt from the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. Only original applicants can request a disclosure by the committee — not the general public.

Jenn Michelle Pedini, Executive Director of Virginia NORML, said that other states have considered license applications in closed session, but she favored transparency.

“We see time and time again that lack of transparency during the licensing often leads to lawsuits that delay patients’ access to medicine.” — Jenn Michelle Pedini, in an email to Ganjapreneur

While Virginia’s medical cannabis law is extremely limited in scope, the first license holders to market will have a first-mover advantage against all subsequent license holders, especially as federal legalization becomes more and more likely.

Editor’s note: This article was updated on 9/10 after receiving a correction via email from Jenn Michelle Pedini, Director of Virginia NORML.

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