A young hemp plant growing in a dry, dirty field.

UC Davis Partners with Colorado Biotech Firm to Decode Hemp DNA

10/27/2017

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The University of California, Davis has partnered with Front Range Biosciences, a Boulder, Colorado-based agricultural biotech company, on a project to create a genomic reference for cannabis – specifically industrial hemp. The project will be led by Dr. Dario Cantu, a UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology assistant professor and systems biologist.

“A high-quality and complete reference for hemp will allow the precise identification of genes associated with environmental adaptation, including disease resistance and drought tolerance, thereby accelerating the selection of new varieties that will require less pesticides, water and fertilizers,” Cantu said in an email to Ganjapreneur. “These developments will reduce the overall impact of hemp production on the environment and potential hazards to consumers.”

Dan Flynn, UC Davis dean’s representative on strategic initiatives, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, said the project will ensure that the university is “proactive” in meeting some of the “public safety” and environmental challenges as California prepares to begin licensing cannabis producers in January. In order to maintain compliance with federal law, the researchers will be using extracted DNA rather than plant material.

Dr. Jonathan Vaught, CEO of Front Range Biosciences, which is funding the project, said the company looked to UC Davis to decode the genome because of their reputation as one of the best higher education institutions in the world for agriculture research (US News & World Report ranked the program second in the world last year, behind The Netherlands’ Wageningen University and Research Center.)

“Cantu’s group has been very successful … he is doing things around genome mapping that I don’t think anyone else in the world is doing,” Vaught said in a phone interview. “He’s using techniques and technologies and pulling things together in a way that I think is different from what a lot of other groups are doing – not to disregard what others are doing because it really will take a community to understand this plant’s genome.”

A sunset and grassy field pictured from the UC Davis school campus. Photo Credit: UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden

As a biotech startup using next-generation sequencing technology to genetically map cannabis, Vaught says it’s important for the company to begin building these research relationships as the industry matures and more businesses come online that can benefit from the “actionable insight” gleaned from the project. While some researchers have “small pieces around the genome” – a fraction here, a fraction there – there is no comprehensive genomic reference “with any level of confidence,” he said.

Vaught added that there are two reasons why the community is struggling with fitting the pieces together: it’s very heterogeneous (“one big melting pot”) and very expensive for teams with limited resources. He explained that it took about $30 million and 25 to 30 different laboratories to fully decode the corn genome and “pull that information in a meaningful way.” The advantage that contemporary researchers have over those working on corn a decade is ago is advancements in sequencing technology, making the process more cost-effective.

According to Cantu, this complete reference will help “reduce the overall impact of hemp production” by allowing for “precise identification” of specific traits.

“I am interested in how genomes are shaped by evolution and breeding. This project provides me a chance to study a crop whose genetic and genomic history is largely unknown but is quite challenging,” Cantu said. “In the past few years, I tackled similarly difficult genomes by implementing cutting-edge technology and developing new approaches. This project provides me with a new challenge to test current genomics methods.”

This includes, Vaught added, why some plants produce better cannabinoids than others. “This is really just the tip of the iceberg in terms of better understanding this plant,” he said.

“The goal of a good breeding program is to provide high quality, robust, stable genetics and cultivars that thrive under certain conditions,” he explained, adding the UC Davis project lays the foundation for this comprehensive program. “In Kentucky, they might be trying to grow 10,000 acres for grain … whereas in other states they might want flowers for CBD extraction – that’s the deliverable on a good breeding program.”

For Vaught, a nucleic acid scientist, the project holds “a ton of value” for both the industry and the scientific community as legalization expands, but is a “small part” of Front Range’s efforts compared to their development of a clean stock nursery program and expansion into California.

“It’s one thing to do some research in an academic lab and answer some questions, but to actually get that technology into the hands of the farmers and get it to market is a whole other challenge,” he said. “We’re very well positioned to do some of that.”

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A field of CBD-rich cannabis plants at a farm outside of Portland, Oregon.

Kentucky Seeks Feedback, Accepting Applications for Hemp Pilot Program

10/27/2017

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The Kentucky Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for its 2018 industrial hemp research pilot program and seeking public comments on program’s preliminary draft rules. Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles indicated that Kentucky farmers planted 3,200 acres of hemp this season – the most ever under the regime.

In 2016, the state’s farms grew 2,350 acres after 922 acres in 2015 and just 33 in 2014.

“My vision is to expand and strengthen our research pilot program to put industrial hemp on a responsible path toward commercialization,” Quarles said in a press release. “Our increased production and processing is welcome news for the industry.”

In February, the Legislature passed SB.218 which requires the Agriculture Department to develop rules and regulations for hemp cultivation and processing; the department is seeking comments to fulfill those requirements. Comments can be sent by mail to the agency or via email by Oct. 31.

Hemp cultivation applications must be postmarked or received by the department by Nov. 15; hemp processor and handler applications are preferred by that date but have a final deadline of June 1, 2018.

Currently, there are 194 growing participants and 48 hemp processors conducting research under the state’s pilot program.

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Digital collage image featuring lines of html code and a commercial grow room in Washington state.

MJ Freeway Seed-to-Sale Software Suffers Outage Twice Last Week

10/27/2017

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MJ Freeway, the seed-to-sale firm used in several legal states, suffered an outage last Saturday and Monday, forcing some medical cannabis dispensaries to either suspend operations or record their sales by hand, according to a Philadelphia Inquirer report. The company confirmed to the newspaper that they had “observed performance issues” with their Tracker software.

“All client sites were taken offline for a period of time on Saturday evening and Monday afternoon to resolve the issues as quickly as possible,” said Vice-President Jeanette Ward in an interview with Business Insider. “On both days, service was restored within a few hours, and client sites are currently live.”

MJ Freeway was awarded a $10.4 million contract in April to provide services to Pennsylvania when the state program begins in 2018. Previously, the company had served Nevada with its software; however, according to a Forbes report, the state canceled its contract in September after only two of the five years when the company’s source code was hacked and posted to Reddit in June.

It’s suspected that the code also made it to The Pirate Bay, a torrent site. Ward indicated there were no “known downloads” of the “outdated portion” of code from the site and it had been removed. According to the Inquirer, the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board said that MJ Freeway would not take over its seed-to-sale contract because they had failed to meet a deadline.

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Bottles of Hennessy liquor lined up on the wall inside of a liquor store.

New Brunswick, Canada Retail Cannabis Operations to be Run by NB Liquor

10/27/2017

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The New Brunswick, Canada government has announced that NB Liquor will operate the nation’s adult-use cannabis industry in the province through a subsidiary, according to a report from the Sackville Tribune-Post. Through the subsidiary, operations and retail stores will be operated by the corporation.

Health Minister Benoît Bourque said the move prioritizes “public health and safety concerns” and helps ensure cannabis products are not accessible to children and criminals.

The system would see up to 20 retail shops in 16 New Brunswick communities, with online sales to ensure accessibility. More locations would come online depending on demand and market capacity.

Brian Harriman, NB Liquor CEO, admitted there is still “much work to do to define the details” on how they will execute the provincial government mandate, but they would “work diligently to ensure” the retail network promotes “social responsibility and responsible consumption.”

“This is an area where we will draw upon our experience and proven track record. This model will operate with more regulation and control than our retail network of liquor stores, but it will still be a pleasant shopping experience for the people of New Brunswick,” he said in the report. “We feel confident that this model will support the federally stated objectives of legalization.”

The government is expected to introduce legislative amendments related to cannabis legalization as the retail regime is expected to come online in July 2018.

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Spark the Conversation: Molly Peckler, Highly Devoted

10/26/2017

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Molly Peckler is the creator of Highly Devoted, a matchmaking service for cannabis professionals.

In this episode of the Spark the Conversation podcast, Molly joins podcast host Bianca Green for a conversation at the 2017 Emerald Exchange in August. In this interview, Molly and Bianca discuss the founding of Highly Devoted — which began as a matchmaking service for cannabis professionals — and how it has evolved over time from a romantic matchmaking service to include corporate matchmaking, design consulting, and more for the cannabis space. They also discuss the importance of prioritizing social responsibility in the industry, the dwindling cannabis stigma, how education helps spread the normalization process, and more!

Listen to the interview through the player below, or continue scrolling down for a full transcript of this Spark the Conversation podcast episode.

Listen to the podcast:

Read the transcript:

Bianca Green: Hi, this is Bianca Green, the host of the Spark the Conversation podcast sponsored by Ganjapreneur. I’m here today at the Emerald Exchange in Thousand Oaks, California, with my girlfriend Molly Peckler of Highly Devoted. Molly and I met through a girlfriend of mine in DC named Gail who is a official badass and a really good friend and a cannabis warrior who has a son who suffers from seizures. She came out of the closet in Maine long before other people did.

She felt I had to know Molly, because Molly was relocating from Chicago to Los Angeles. We met and her career has just been taking off. We’re going to sit down today and talk about where she’s at with Highly Devoted, which originally was an opportunity for couples to meet through cannabis and now it’s turned into an HR situation. I’m really excited to get this conversation happening.

Molly, thank you so much for being here in the House of Green sparking the conversation with me. How are you?

Molly Peckler: I’m doing great. Thank you so much for having me here Bianca. I am always happy to hang out with you and chat with you about all things cannabis. I love the Emerald Exchange. It’s one of my favorite events. I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time.

Bianca Green: A lot of people have. I think it’s a really great mix of northern and southern cultures. The vibes are really cool.

Molly Peckler: It is. I think it’s also a great event because it’s not a massive amount of people. There’s a ton of people here and some really incredible entrepreneurs and influencers within cannabis, but it’s not overwhelming. It’s not like it’s wall to wall people. Sometimes when I’m in a large space with a lot of people I get a little anxious and I don’t get that feeling at all here.

Bianca Green: It’s really great. I’m really excited about where the direction of your business is going. I know when I originally met you that you were super focused on relationships and couples and it’s evolved. Why don’t you tell our listeners how you got into the cannabis industry and where you started and where you’ve evolved to with Highly Devoted?

Molly Peckler: Absolutely.

Bianca Green: After taking a hit.

Molly Peckler: After I take my hit. I originally got into the cannabis industry in 2014. I started working for a consulting firm that helped people get licenses in emerging markets. Before I did that I was a millionaire matchmaker. I helped very wealthy individuals find love. That was something that I really excelled at and got a lot of people married and there are lots of babies out there.

It was very fulfilling in a lot of ways, but I was dying to get in the cannabis industry because it’s always been a huge part of my life and a huge part of my relationship with my husband. He’s my inspiration for literally everything I do with my business because we’ve been in love for 12 years now. The first time I met him he was smoking a bong. We really connected at first over cannabis before we even kissed. We would spend hours just smoking and talking and getting to know each other, laying that foundation.

I noticed that there was a lot of stigma associated with cannabis. Like you, people don’t look at me necessarily and say, “This girl, she smokes a lot of weed.” I’m not your prototypical stoner. I’m motivated and smart and I present myself I think in a professional way. Cannabis is my substance of choice. It really allows me to be the best version of myself. I know how powerful it is for connecting with people. That’s where I came up with the idea for Highly Devoted, which is my business.

Bianca Green: It’s a really fantastic concept because I do know that people connect with cannabis that don’t otherwise vibrate in the same circles let’s say. Cannabis brings so many unique types of people together.

Molly Peckler: It does. It’s that feeling that you get when you meet someone and you have a smoke sesh with them and automatically you’re comfortable. There’s that bond that’s there and it’s very easy.

Bianca Green: Did we just become best friends?

Molly Peckler: I know, we might.

Bianca Green: It’s totally like stepbrothers, always, when we share a joint with somebody. It’s great.

Molly Peckler: It is. There’s no other substance that is like that. You look at alcohol, I think when people drink a lot it can have a really negative effect on your life. Obviously, alcohol can literally poison your body. People die from alcohol every day. No one has ever died from cannabis. You can’t overdose on it. Obviously everything in moderation. You have to do what’s right for you. You don’t want cannabis to take away from whatever you’re trying to achieve in your life, but as long as it-

Bianca Green: That can happen with anything.

Molly Peckler: Anything, any substance.

Bianca Green: It happens all the time with medications.

Molly Peckler: Yeah. I think it’s something that if you are mindful about it and you do it with intention then it really can have a positive effect on your life. With Highly Devoted, I focus on helping people to not only find love with another cannabis consumer, because it is challenging when you’re dating because that makes your dating search even more complicated because for a lot of people who don’t know cannabis it can be a deal breaker.

They say, “I don’t want to date a stoner.” They think that everyone who smokes weed sits on the couch and just eats Doritos, whereas I understand that there are a lot of incredible smart passionate people out there who use cannabis. They want that to be reflected in their relationship and they don’t want to feel like they have to hide that from someone.

I am a matchmaker. I have a database of white collar cannabis consumers from around the country and around the world. When I work with a client we focus on figuring out exactly what they’re looking for in a partner, getting down to your granular details of what are their core values and what’s your ideal relationship dynamic and what are your shared passions and how do you want cannabis to be reflected in your relationship. Then I find clients an ideal partner, whether that’s in my database or I’ll go out and ask my network or go recruit for a specific client’s match.

Bianca Green: That’s really time-consuming. It’s such a valuable service that you’re offering people.

Molly Peckler: Especially for people who are burnt out on the dating apps and online dating where you meet a lot of people and you waste a lot of time and money and energy. I’m actually there to do the due diligence for you. I interview and meet with everyone who I’m going to potentially introduce to my clients. I see if, I think, in my expert opinion, are they a good fit in terms of all the parameters of the search. I’ve expanded my services now to include coaching for people who are interested in getting involved in the cannabis industry.

Bianca Green: That is a huge service that is needed. That’s amazing.

Molly Peckler: It’s something where I’ve been able to, on a very small budget, make myself an influencer in this community and a respected voice who people come to. That has just been through building relationships and networking in the right way and going to the right events and finding the right partners.

I educate people who are interested in getting into this industry. It’s the fastest growing industry in the country. It’s incredibly lucrative, it’s the green rush. Helping people, not the people who are just like, “I want to make money.” I work with people who are really focused on making a difference, because yes, we can all make money and do great things, but it’s all about moving this movement forward and allowing everyone who needs it to get access to this plant.

Bianca Green: Are you finding a lot of people that are making that a priority? I meet a lot of entrepreneurs that are coming in that have all different types of reasons for wanting to get into the industry. Is it easier or more difficult for you to find people who really have intentions and are putting their money where their mouth is, with social responsibility and making a difference?

Molly Peckler: It can be a bit challenging to find those people, but the way that they have come out of the woodwork for me is by me telling my story, by me opening up and sharing why I’m in this industry and why it means so much to me. A lot of times that resonates with people. They see, “I’m really interested in getting involved in this. I’m passionate about cannabis, but I just don’t know where to start.”

I give people that very basic education and figuring out, “If you want to focus on a particular vertical how do you differentiate yourself from everyone else? Are you looking to do fundraising? I can introduce you to people who can help with that. Which conference should you go to? How should you be branding yourself? How can you-“

Bianca Green: You’re doing consulting too?

Molly Peckler: Yeah.

Bianca Green: Which is a valuable service.

Molly Peckler: I feel like I have a very unique point of view. This is something that I live and breathe. I wake up every morning and I jump out of bed so excited to get this message across and change hearts and minds. I’m totally inspired by people like you who have been in the trenches on the front line. I certainly am nowhere near where you are, but I still think that what I’m bringing to the table is a different perspective that people haven’t really focused on much yet.

Bianca Green: It’s not any one person that can do anything. I think that every person that’s in this industry, every consumer that uses cannabis and benefits from it needs to be responsible for the freedom of the plant. It’s novel, it’s wonderful, it’s a big idea, that you are putting it in your mission, essentially, that you work with people that are consistent with making sure that they’re in alignment with the wellness of this industry.

Because it is, there are all different types of people coming in. It’s hard to tell who’s here for the right reasons. I feel like the plant is discerning. It’s not going to just let anybody. I also feel like access to it, the more access people have we will raise the vibrations. It’ll go from there. Every step we take, it goes here …

It starts somewhere and it takes steps forward, but we can also take a lot of steps back if the people that are in the industry currently aren’t being more, advocating more for it. For you to have that in your mission is a really important thing. Tell me what that’s like? What are those people that you are working with, how are they in the entrepreneurial space?

Molly Peckler: I work with a lot of people who, they have a day job in a mainstream industry, but they’re just starting to dip their toe into everything that the cannabis industry has to offer. Maybe they’ve been to a couple events or they have some products that have changed their life or they have a family member who was sick and was healed by cannabis. They’re like, “This really is a great-“

Bianca Green: They’re compelled.

Molly Peckler: “It’s a great opportunity.” I work with people like that who are just small scale and they want to bootstrap their business, but then I recently started talking to some venture capitalists who are actually very, very focused on all of the positive effects of cannabis and not just about their bottom line.

Helping people to figure out what are the best aspects of this industry to explore. There’s a lot of oversaturation for many different things. Really figuring out what hasn’t been taken care of. That’s what I did. I was like, “I have this skillset. No one is utilizing this in the cannabis space.” Really helping people to focus on what are the things that make them happiest in life, what do they enjoy doing, what revs their engines and really moves them? Then how can we figure out a way that cannabis can be a part of that and hopefully move your idea, your business forward.

Bianca Green: That’s great. Congratulations on making that into a business that services a lot of people. Where is your biggest market? Is it California?

Molly Peckler: California is my biggest market, but actually have a lot of people that I work with in New York, in the east coast. Because New York is an interesting market. They have medical in New York, but it’s a very strict program. There’s no flower. It’s all concentrates or edibles and it’s very difficult to get a card. It’s still very black market in New York.

Bianca Green: When you say work with … I’m sorry, I’m just wanting to get a little bit deeper here. When you say that you talk to venture capitalists that are excited or you talk to people in New York, how is it that your services facilitate? Are you helping people find investment that you think has longevity? Are you getting them HR and finding them staff? Go deeper for me.

Molly Peckler: Absolutely. I don’t specifically go and find them staff, but I have connections with great recruiters, great attorneys, people who want to make investments in the industry and people who have a lot of experience in marketing. I have this great professional network in the industry. I will make strategic introductions, almost like professional matchmaking, based upon whatever the goals of my clients are.

It’s fun for me because that allows me to get creative. I love being able to think outside of the box and strategize and cannabis is a huge part of that for me. It’s a big part of my process. I just like finding new ways that I can help other people to explore this industry as a way to support themselves, but also help the world. There’s so much power that comes from cannabis. I want more people to be able to experience that.

Bianca Green: And putting the right energies together is so important and valuable. It’s really hard to put together a team. I’ve had so many different people working with me on Spark. Finding the right people to execute vision, it can be really time to consume and in an advocacy perspective, when you don’t have time … A lot of these businesses I feel like people are coming in and taking their time to figure out what the law is. I’m like, “The law’s in our hands.”

Molly Peckler: Now’s the time.

Bianca Green: We have to be responsible for advocating for what is needed, because access, access, access. I’m repetitive and daunting with that, but that’s my mission. It excites me that you have that same concept and that you’re working with professionals who are heading in that direction also.

Molly Peckler: There are a lot of people who are still in the green closet. That’s one of the things that I help people with as well.

Bianca Green: Which is so surprising to me in California because we’re in a bubble.

Molly Peckler: It’s just not like this, even in California I come across so many people who face that stigma and face that judgment and can’t be open and honest with the people in their lives, especially if they’re dating and meeting new people. They just don’t know where to start. I help people to figure out how do they communicate about cannabis confidently so that they can spark the conversation and change hearts and minds and get people to understand where they’re coming from.

Really understanding what it does for them and why it’s important to them and also helping them get the historical context of what prohibition is really about as opposed to actually trying to protect the citizens of the United States.

Bianca Green: No more Reefer Madness.

Molly Peckler: No, we don’t need that. It’s been proven wrong.

Bianca Green: Even Gail, I remember, I think I was telling you this. She was petrified to come out and I was like … I preach this all the time, it is absolutely the only way to create change. Is for us to be able to be open, because this conversation is mainstream. It used to not be mainstream. Now it’s mainstream and there is no … It’s not illegal to have a conversation. You have to start questioning things, especially if you take any pharmaceuticals. You have to start questioning things.

I believe industry drives policy because the more products that come and create education for people then the more it will be de-stigmatized. The fact that you’re putting together people that can make that happen, it’s a really, really valuable piece to this puzzle.

Molly Peckler: I think it’s something that’s been missing. One of the next things that I’m focusing on is actually creating an educational platform for people who are curious, but haven’t really explored it at all or maybe they’re still in the green closet and they want to learn whether it’s just about the plant itself and how your body processes it, what it actually does to the opportunities in this industry, to thrive and grow.

Bianca Green: That’s huge. Will it be like a media platform, online?

Molly Peckler: Yeah, it’s going to be an online, basically set up like a master class. It’s called Heightened University and I’m really, really excited about that, because again, it’s all about education and getting people to understand the real story. Once they know that then it’s a lot harder for them to stick to the same old stigmas and judgments that they’ve been comfortable with for so long.

Bianca Green: Mazel tov.

Molly Peckler: Thank you.

Bianca Green: Good job, I’m really proud of you, because you hustle, girl. I see you out there connecting all the time. That is a really valuable asset to a lot of people, especially people who consume cannabis regularly. Having someone be able to do due diligence and find and trust people. I don’t want to go out and try to find a housekeeper for example or if I had kids, there’s nannies that have helpers that will get them to the right families. Matchmaking is extremely important part of success.

Molly Peckler: Yeah. It really is in all facets of your life.

Bianca Green: Personal and … It can be hard, especially if people work really hard.

Molly Peckler: They don’t make it a priority. I help people to actually say, “This is my intent. I want to find my right partner. This is what I need. I’m not going to settle for less.” That’s almost more powerful than me introducing them to someone. It really changes their perspective. When you focus on it, it’s like any other goal. You create a strategy and then you achieve it. You can’t just wish for the best and just let it go to the background.

Bianca Green: That’s so great. Tell our audience where they can find you?

Molly Peckler: They can find me at HighlyDevoted.com or @HighlyDevoted on Instagram. Definitely follow me or send me a message. I’d love to chat with you. They can actually sign up on my website to be part of my free database. It’s for personal and professional connections. If you’re interested in setting up a coaching or matchmaking consultation with me you can schedule that right on the website as well.

Bianca Green: Do you do Skypes and Facetimes and …

Molly Peckler: Yeah, I do it over Skype. It doesn’t matter where you are. I’ve worked with clients in Europe. It does not matter whether it’s legal in your state or not. I’m just there to help my clients. One of the things that I’m really excited about is I’m actually releasing my first product.

Bianca Green: Is it a cannabis product?

Molly Peckler: It’s a cannabis product.

Bianca Green: Big.

Molly Peckler: The launch is happening next week. It’s called the Lit Kit for Love.

Bianca Green: I love it, that’s great.

Molly Peckler: It’s a collaboration with Kush Queen Cannabis which is an amazing brand. It’s basically a curated cannabis experience in a box for a couple to share to enhance sex and intimacy and pleasure and all of those things.

Bianca Green: What’s in it?

Molly Peckler: It’s a 1:1 CBD and THC bath balm that has all these essential oils that’ll get you in the mood. Then there’s a pre-roll of one of a few strains that are known to be aphrodisiacs. Then there is a brand new type of cannabis lube that is water soluble, so you can actually use it with a condom. Most of the cannabis lube out there is made with coconut oil, so you can’t use it with that. It also uses nanotechnology, so it can get you high.

Bianca Green: Wow.

Molly Peckler: That’s the Lit Kit for Love. I’m super excited about that. That will be available in dispensaries around California. You can also check out KushQueenCannabis.com.

Bianca Green: Get me a kit.

Molly Peckler: I will. You will have a Lit Kit for sure.

Bianca Green: Thanks Molly, I love you.

Molly Peckler: Thanks for having me, I love you.

Bianca Green: Spark the Conversation is really excited to do this partnership with Ganjapreneur.com creating these podcasts. It’s a resource for cannabis professionals, advocates, patients, business owners, anyone really who’s in favor of responsible growth. Visit Ganjapreneur.com for daily cannabis news, career openings, company profiles and of course, more episodes of this podcast. We’re thankful to them and the partnership that we have with them. We appreciate the fact that they spark the conversation and help Ganjapreneurs grow.

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An aerial and nighttime view of the Las Vegas city skyline.

Nevada Adult-Use Cannabis Sales Top $33M in Second Month

10/26/2017

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In an interview with the Cannabist, Nevada Department of Taxation head Deonne Contine disclosed the state had sold more than $33 million during its second month of adult-use sales – representing a 24 percent spike from the 27.1 million in sales in July.

The revenues equate to $3.35 million in tax revenues derived from the recreational market and a combined $4.8 million when including medical cannabis sales. By comparison, Colorado recreational sales reached $15 million during its second month.

Andrew Jolley, owner of The+Source, which operates two dispensaries in Las Vegas and Henderson, called recreational sales a “game-changer” for the company, adding that their Las Vegas location saw a “four times increase in the number of customers overnight, and it pretty much stayed that way.”

“Like Colorado, we saw an immediate demand from locals on July 1,” he said in the report. “I think you’re seeing the dispensaries (that) cater to tourists increase rapidly in the past three months as tourists understand that retail sales are allowed in Nevada.”

Over the next two years, Nevada officials expect retail cannabis sales to generate $119.5 million in revenues, the state imposes a 15 percent wholesale tax on product transfers from cultivator to distributor and a 10 percent excise tax on sales. Nevada’s first-month sales outpaced Colorado, Oregon, and Washington.

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Gallup Poll: 64% of Americans Support Legalizing Cannabis, Including GOP Majority

10/26/2017

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Support for cannabis legalization in the U.S. has reached record levels, as a recent Gallup poll found 64 percent of respondents supported reforms – including, for the first time, 51 percent of Republicans.

Gallup has been polling adults about cannabis legalization since 1969, when just 12 percent supported the idea. Support doubled in the 1980s, and reached 50 percent for the first time in 2011 – but legalization has never before had majority support among Republicans. The poll, conducted Oct. 5-11, found 72 percent of Democrats supported legalization along with 67 percent of independents. Majority support for legalization among Democrats occurred in 2009, and among independents in 2010.

Justin Strekal, NORML political director, said that the data endorses legalizing cannabis use for adults and that prohibition “makes no sense from a political, fiscal, or moral perspective.”

“It is high time that members of Congress take action to comport federal law with majority public opinion and to end the needless criminalization of marijuana – a policy failure that encroaches upon civil liberties, engenders disrespect for the law, and disproportionately impacts communities of color,” he said in a statement.

The Gallup poll surveyed 1,028 adults throughout all 50 U.S. states.

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

Bill to Legalize Adult Cannabis Use Unveiled in St. Louis, Missouri

10/26/2017

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A measure introduced in St. Louis, Missouri would legalize the cultivation, possession, and sale of cannabis within city limits for adults 21-and-older, allowing them to possess up to two ounces of cannabis and grow up to 10 plants, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Consumption would be limited to private, residential properties and employers could not fire or refuse to hire someone for legally using cannabis under the new letter of the law.

According to the bill sponsor, Alderman Megan Green, the measure would allow law enforcement to focus on more serious crimes at a time when their resources are limited. The proposal already has a co-sponsor in Alderman Shane Cohn who in 2013 championed a decriminalization measure in the city. That ordinance means that first and second-time offenders caught with less than 35 grams of cannabis receive a $100 to $500 fine in lieu of criminal charges or jail time.

Koran Addo, a spokesperson for Mayor Lyda Krewson, told the Post-Dispatch that while the mayor favored cannabis decriminalization it would be “very difficult for a city to go alone” on the issue and that it would “have to be worked on on a broader basis.”

Green said that in addition to providing criminal relief and freeing up police, the bill could help raise revenues in the city.

“(Cannabis) is a $6 billion industry and rapidly growing,” Green said in the report. “It’s hard to calculate, but there is, I think a huge potential for revenue generation.”

The bill is expected to be read for the first time on Friday.

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A man driving a red car down the street on a sunny day.

Arizona Approves First Drive-Thru MMJ Dispensary

10/26/2017

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Arizona’s first drive-thru medical cannabis dispensary open tomorrow in Sun City as a convenience service for the elderly and disabled, according to an AZFamily.com report. The dispensary, All Greens, will utilize the old drive-thru teller window of a remodeled bank to sell to its registered patients.

Anthony Harrington, CEO of All Greens, said that the company had developed rules for its drive-thru customers, such as having them register inside the store before being allowed to use the drive-thru service and requiring that they take off their hats to ensure their identity. He likened the service to a “Dutch Bros philosophy” and like the coffee shop employees, All Greens budtenders would be “out there facilitating the sale, engaging with the patient” and taking and confirming the order.

“Some of them are coming in, have wheelchairs, have walkers, this is a lot more convenient atmosphere,” Harrington said in the report.

Earlier this year, regulators in Colorado also approved its first drive-thru dispensary, operated by Green Cross Colorado in Parachute. The dispensary, Tumbleweed Express, follows the same rules and regulations in other retail shops in the state.

All Greens will be hosting a grand opening for its drive-thru tomorrow.

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The Washington state flag flying on a clear, blue-skied day.

Cannabis Sales in Washington Reach $1B So Far in 2017

10/25/2017

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According to new figures by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board, cannabis sales in the state have reached more than $1 billion this year, bringing in more than $300 million in excise taxes. The data represents sales through September. Monthly sales in the state have reached more than $130 million.

The WSLCB data shows that cultivators have grown nearly 367,000 pounds of cannabis since June 2014, with more than 85,000 pounds cultivated through May. Extract manufacturers have produced approximately 53,406 pounds of extracts through September.

The data also includes enforcement figures, which show that there have been about 15,000 visits to cannabis businesses since 2014, primarily of the premises check variety. This year, the WSLCB has issued more than 500 violations. Of those 15,000 visits since 2014, 319 citations have been issued to producers and 219 to retail licensees for “failure to utilize and/or maintain traceability,” while 288 were issued for selling to a minor. Another 136 violations were issued for “allowing a minor to frequent a restricted area.” Fifty-three citations have been issued for using banned pesticides, soil amendments, fertilizers, or other crop production aids.

According to the data, Washington has issued 1,888 industry licenses as of Sept. 11.

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Macro photo of homegrown medical cannabis from a California patient's grow op.

Michigan Relocates & Adds New MMJ Education Session Due to Strong Interest

10/25/2017

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The interest in Michigan’s state-sponsored medical cannabis industry educational sessions has been so great that regulators are moving one class to a larger venue and a sixth session has been added. According to a Detroit Free Press report, nearly 2,000 people have pre-registered for classes so far.

The Nov. 8 session has been moved from Oakland Community College in Farmington Hills to the Suburban Collection Showplace in nearby Novi. A second-afternoon session has been added on Nov. 15. The 9:00 a.m. session originally announced by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs is full and the agency is now only accepting registrations for the afternoon session.

According to LARA, the educational sessions are “designed to familiarize potential licensees with the application process” and METRC, the seed-to-sale software that will be used under Michigan’s new medical cannabis regime.

Members of the state Bureau of Medical Marihuana Regulations will also be on hand to answer questions from individuals and entities interested in state cultivation, processor, transporter, dispensary, and compliance facility businesses.

The Nov. 9 and Nov. 15 events will also be streamed on the BMMR website; there is no cost for the educational sessions.

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A medical cannabis grow operation pictured outdoors on a sunny day.

Two Canadian Firms Fully Licensed to Cultivate & Process MMJ in Colombia

10/25/2017

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Canada-based Khiron Life Sciences Corp. and PharmaCielo Ltd. are the first companies to be granted full licenses to produce and process medical cannabis products in Colombia. Both companies are able to cultivate and process products containing unrestricted percentages of THC and CBD.

Having received all three requisite licenses to operate in the country, Khiron Colombia SAS, the Canadian firm’s Colombian arm, will begin cultivation on its 7-hectare site. The company has an additional 13 hectares under option.

PharmaCielo’s 12.1-hectare facility features a nursery and propagation center, and the company plans to produce extracts in addition to flower products.

Federico Cock-Correa, director and CEO of PharmaCielo Colombia Holdings, indicated that the government had, until now, only issued licenses for the cultivation of crops containing little or no THC and that to say the company was “excited” would be “an understatement.”

“The Colombian government has put significant effort into ensuring all Colombians benefit from this new industry,” Cock-Correa said in a press release. “When combined with the skills and resources of PharmaCielo, the certification of small growers by the Colombian government ensures that the dedicated focus on the Colombian peoples who will benefit is maintained.”

PharmaCielo has partnered with Cooperativa Caucannabis, a co-op of small and independent growers, for a greenhouse facility to be jointly operated by the company. The co-op license has yet to be approved by the government.

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The University of Florida Cancer and Genetics Research Complex is one of several research facilities at University of Florida (UF).

University of Florida Receives NIDA Grant to Explore MMJ Effects on HIV Patients

10/25/2017

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The National Institute on Drug Abuse has awarded a $3.2 million grant to the University of Florida to study the effects of medical cannabis for individuals suffering from HIV symptoms, according to a WTLV report. The study will be led by Dr. Robert Cook, a professor of epidemiology and medicine at the UF College of Public Health and health professions at UF College of Medicine.

“Marijuana use is increasingly common in persons living with HIV infection,” Cook, who also serves as director of UF’s Southern HIV and Alcohol Research Consortium, in the report. “Yet, past findings regarding the health impact of marijuana use on HIV have been limited and inconclusive.”

The HIV and Alcohol Research Consortium has published more than a dozen HIV-related studies in the past year. The long-term goal of the five-year cannabis study is to arm health providers, regulators, and patients with information to “guide clinical and safety recommendations for marijuana use.” Researchers from Florida International University and the University of South Florida will also work on the study.

The team plans to follow 400 HIV-positive individuals who admit to using cannabis whether medically or recreationally and conduct neurocognitive tests to evaluate the behavioral effects of cannabis on the brain. Researchers will also monitor the patients’ medication adherence, chronic inflammation, and viral suppression. They will also track the participants’ long-term use of opioids, and other patient symptoms such as pain, stress, and sleep patterns.

UF Health believes this will be the most comprehensive study to date focused on the health effects of HIV patients and cannabis.

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Expert Cultivators Share Wisdom in New Green Flower Series

10/25/2017

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A new five-part video series from Green Flower Media unlocks the wisdom of nearly a dozen renowned cannabis growers in a deep-dive look at cultivation methodologies. The video series is called “Growers Quest” and is the latest production from Green Flower Media.

The educational series features world-famous growers such as:

  • Mel Frank, legacy grower and author of The Marijuana Grower’s Guide
  • Kyle Kushman of Vegamatrix, a 13-Time Cannabis Cup winner
  • Kevin Jodrey, strain & terpene expert from Wonderland Nursery & Port Royal
  • Daniel Grace, clone & tissue culture expert from Dark Heart Nursery
  • Mike Angelotti, breeding expert for Emerald Cup Genetics
  • Casey O’Neil of Happy Day Farms, an expert in biodynamic farming
  • Swami Chaitanya & Nikki Lastreto, sun-grown and organic growing experts from Swami Selects
  • Steve DeAngelo, the world-renowned cannabis entrepreneur & activist behind Harborside
  • And more!

This initial video series will cover the differences between organic growing practices and the use of chemicals, as well as secrets for breeding new cannabis strains from one of the world’s best cultivators. The series also includes tips for preventing powdery mildew from appearing in homegrown cannabis crops, a step-by-step overview of how to create your own cannabis clones, as well as a video explaining some of the undersung advantages to growing your own cannabis.

While there are currently just five videos available, Green Flower plans to release the full series in the near future. The first five videos are available free via the Green Flower Media website.

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Tall cannabis colas sticking out of the foliage of an indoor commercial cannabis grow.

Maine Lawmakers Pass Adult-Use Implementation Bill, Gov. Veto Expected

10/24/2017

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Maine lawmakers have passed a measure to implement the state’s voter-approved adult-use cannabis regime; however, the legislation failed to garner a two-thirds majority vote in either chamber opening it up to a veto by Gov. Paul LePage, according to several reports. The House rejected a LePage-backed proposal introduced by Republican leader Rep. Ken Fredette to extend the state’s moratorium until 2019.

Fredette, who voted against the bill, anticipates that LePage, an outspoken critic of the law, will veto the measure, bringing lawmakers back to the table in January to extend the current moratorium.

“With today’s vote, the Legislature clearly does not have enough votes to move this bill forward over a governor’s veto,” Fredette said in a Portland Press Herald report. “There is obviously more work to be done when we return in January.”

The moratorium pushed the rollout of the industry until February 2018, but Fredette said that more “rule making” needs to be done as part of the bill and that “is not going to be done anywhere near” Feb. 1.

The measure would create a state licensing system for growers, retail stores, and manufacturers and establish a 10 percent sales tax and an excise tax based on weight for sales between wholesale cultivators and sellers, according to a WGME report. It would also allow localities to pass their own moratoriums or ban the industry outright.

The measure next moves to the desk of LePage who has 10 days to sign it, veto it, or allow it to commence without his signature.

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A judge's polished gavel resting on a white surface.

Arizona Judge Rules Extracts Fall Outside MMJ Law, Appeal Expected

10/24/2017

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A ruling by Navajo County Superior Court Judge Dale Nielson could force Arizona dispensaries to stop selling vape cartridges, cannabis oils, and edibles, according to a Phoenix New Times report. Nielson’s ruling comes in the case of a 26-year-old registered medical cannabis patient who was arrested for cannabis possession after officers discovered the processed products.

“After review of the statues the court finds that the [Arizona Medical Marijuana Act] does not include cannabis,” Nelson wrote in the ruling. “The court reads that AMMA language of ‘any mixture or preparation thereof’ as making reference to the dried flowers of the plant and as such, without further definition, or information that cannabis can be extracted from a ‘dried flower,’ the court cannot find that this would include cannabis.”

Nielson is defining “cannabis” products as those containing “the resin extracted from any part of a plant of the genus cannabis, and every compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of such plant, its seeds or its resin.” He defines “marijuana,” which is protected under the AMMA, as “all parts of any plant or the genus cannabis whether growing or not, and the seeds of such plant,” and “usable marijuana” as “the dried flowers of the marijuana plant, and any mixture or preparation thereof, but does not include the seeds, stalks, and roots of the plant and does not include the weight of any non-marijuana ingredients combined with marijuana and prepared for consumption as food and drink.”

This issue was at the heart of a 2014 case in Maricopa County, in which the court ruled that the language of the AMMA allows “patients to employ ‘certain process[es]’ to ‘adapt’ marijuana ‘for a particular purpose’ and a ‘convenient and practicable use,’” and many observers expect the state Appellate Court to follow that ruling in this case – which will have no immediate impact on the state’s law or products sold at dispensaries in the state.

Joe Saline, the defendant’s attorney in the case, said he expects the Arizona Court of Appeals to hear the case in order to clarify a “gray area of the law.”

“It’s an issue of statewide importance,” he said.

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A black and white photograph of people milling down a street in a group.

Eventbrite Pulling Some Cannabis-Related Events, Suspending Organizer Accounts

10/24/2017

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Eventbrite, an event board and ticket processor is pulling some cannabis-related events and often suspending the host accounts after years of allowing such events to be hosted on the site, according to a report from Forbes. Eventbrite claims that the events violate “laws surrounding a federally regulated substance” and are asking the event hosts to “agree to only publish events” that comply with the law, the merchant agreement, and the site’s terms of use before unlocking the account.

Michael Zaytsev, the organizer of the New York Cannabis Film Festival, told Forbes that his account was suspended and the event pulled from the site despite him using Eventbrite to sell tickets for cannabis-related events, such as High NY networking events, for the past three years. Zaytsev said that he thinks the suspension of the film festival event could be due to the reference of CBD-infused popcorn.

James Jordan, an organizer for the Southern California Cannabis Business and Investment Group, said his account was frozen after listing a finance panel featuring cannabis investment firm executives, adding that he tried to contact Eventbrite about the action but couldn’t access the URL to file a complaint because his account was locked.

“This is a ridiculous way to do it. I probably lost half of my crowd from the event,” he said in the report. “I’ve had ticket companies calling me trying to get me to be on their platforms, but I like Eventbrite.”

Moreover, Jordan said that he has yet to receive payment for the 11 tickets sold on Eventbrite. Zaytsev, however, did have his account unlocked and Eventbrite had initiated a payout for the film festival tickets – but that only occurred after Forbes published the organizers’ accounts.

“In situations like this, organizers can expect any remaining payout balance from ticket sales made prior to the event being unpublished, to be issued the following week,” an Eventbrite spokesperson said in an email with Forbes. “We cannot permit any event where cannabis is included with the purchase of a ticket or consumption is facilitated.”

Despite the shutdown of the events, and at least two others, other cannabis events – such as a “420-friendly” yoga event in Boston and a Washington, D.C. “cannabis happy hour” which advertises “FREE DABS all night” remained on the site.

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A cannabis worker plucks long leaves off recently harvested cannabis buds.

Biotech Startup Awards Grant to Cannabis Pioneer to Explore CBD as Asthma Therapy

10/24/2017

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CIITECH, a cannabis biotech startup developing Israeli cannabis products in the United Kingdom and European Union, has awarded research funding to two Hebrew University scientists to explore the possible effects of CBD on asthma. The Hebrew University team includes asthma researcher Francesca Levi-Shaffer and Raphael Mechoulam, who is credited with discovering the endocannabinoid system.

“We know that CBD has anti-inflammatory properties and we’re looking forward to investigating whether this will be effective on treating asthma and related respiratory conditions,” Mechoulam said in a statement.

In the UK, CBD products were approved last year for broad sale in stores and online. According to Asthma UK, 5.4 million people in the Kingdom receive treatment for athsma.

“Most of the symptoms of allergic disease patients are controlled by either symptomatic drugs or corticosteroids. However, some patients are steroid-resistant and allergic diseases such as severe asthma have been labeled as unmet clinical needs by the [World Health Organization],” Levi-Schaffer said. “We believe our research will provide a novel and effective solution to treating this condition.”

Clifton Flack, founder of CIITECH said the company is “honored” to support the researchers, adding that cannabis could “become this century’s wonder drug.”

“Many of the plant’s therapeutic benefits and compounds are yet to be explored and we’re excited to take part in expanding and galvanizing this new field of therapy,” he said.

Hebrew University launched its Multidisciplinary Center of Cannabinoid Research in April.

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A digital collage picturing the marriage between Congress, deadly pharmaceutical drugs, and the lobbying dollars of the pharmaceutical industry.

By Prohibiting MMJ Access, Lawmakers Complicit in Opioid Epidemic

10/23/2017

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The opioid overdoses death toll is staggering – reaching 64,070 in 2016 – and at least one estimate suggests opioids could kill a half-million Americans in the next decade. According to the Centers for Disease Control, deaths from “synthetic opioids excluding methadone” more than doubled from 9,945 in Jan. 2016 to 20,145 in Jan. 2017. So-called “natural and semi-synthetic opioids” also killed more people from year-to-year. In Jan. 2016, such products (i.e., pharmaceuticals) killed 12,726 Americans; in Jan. 2017, that number increased to 14,427. Deaths from heroin also increased from 13,219 in Jan. 2016 to 15,446 in Jan. 2017.

Meanwhile, cannabis hasn’t killed a single human being in all recorded history, yet remains listed alongside heroin as a Schedule I drug – one with “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” Despite this classification, which the Drug Enforcement Agency claims also includes the non-psychoactive cannabinoid CBD, the agency in March approved Syndros – a synthetic cannabinoid drug developed by Insys Therapeutics – for Schedule II designation.

Insys also produces Subsys, a sublingual spray containing fentanyl, an opioid so powerful the top DEA Agent in New England called it “manufactured death.”

“Whatever can be likened to a weapon of mass destruction and the effect it has on people, it’s fentanyl,” Special Agent Michael Ferguson said in a July interview with the Boston Globe.

And say what you will about the DEA and their war against cannabis, which costs taxpayers at least $18 million annually, but by all accounts the agency did want to crack down on illicit opioid distributors and markets – and federal lawmakers not only stood in their way but passed legislation to keep the pipelines and pill mills open.

Congress beholden to Big Pharma

Insys, who donated $500,000 to the anti-legalization campaign Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy during the 2016 election, was accused in June by former sales rep Patty Nixon of forcing her to lie to boost Subsys sales. In an interview with NBC News, Nixon claimed that her supervisor told her ways to trick insurers into believing the approvals were “medically necessary” and went so far as to wholly falsify oncology records and provide insurance companies with specific diagnoses whether the patient had the condition or not.

In their defense, Insys said in 2015 and 2016 Subsys prescriptions comprised less than .04 percent of all opioids in those years, but the company sold nearly $1 billion worth of the drug over the last five years — $240 million worth in 2016 alone.

“Accordingly, Insys does not believe it (or its fentanyl product Subsys) has contributed to the national, opioid epidemic in any material way,” the company said in a June 4 statement. “…Insys strives to play a meaningful role in providing solutions to address the opioid epidemic by leveraging its expertise in drug development and in developing innovative products.”

Despite the claims of the former sales rep, no action was taken against Insys, and a recent 60 Minutes and Washington Post investigation has brought to light perhaps why pharmaceutical companies are able to thwart enforcement with such impunity. In an interview with 60 Minutes, Joe Rannazzisi, the former head of the DEA Office of Diversion Control, dropped a bombshell – Congress legislatively tied the hands of their law enforcement arm when it comes to opioids.

“This is an industry that allowed millions and millions of drugs to go into bad pharmacies and doctors’ offices, that distributed them out to people who had no legitimate need for those drugs,” Rannazzisi said in the interview.

Legislatively, according to the former DEA special agent-turned-whistleblower, lawmakers heeled the agency with S.483. The measure, titled “Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2016” was sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Republican from Utah who, oddly enough, introduced the “Marijuana Effective Drugs Studies” – or MEDS – Act earlier this month.

When introducing the MEDS Act on the Senate floor, Hatch pointed to the opioid epidemic as evidence that more federal cannabis research is needed, vis a vis, lawmakers need to pass his bill and begin to look at medical cannabis as an alternative to opioids. “Because Utahns have watched their family members, friends, and neighbors grapple with this epidemic, many are seeking non-narcotic alternatives that can help with pain,” Hatch said in his remarks. “Medical marijuana is just one such alternative. And after careful, deliberative thought, I’ve concluded that it’s an alternative worth pursuing.”

While Hatch is responsible for the passage of S.483 in the Senate, it was championed in the House by Rep. Tom Marino, who was nominated by President Donald Trump to head the Office of National Drug Policy Control and advise the president on drug policy issues.

According to the bill text, the measure “revises and expands the required elements of an order to show cause issued by the DEA before it denies, revokes, or suspends a registration for a Controlled Substances Act violation. An order to show cause must specifically state the legal basis for the action and notify the registrant of the opportunity to submit a corrective action plan.” Effectively, it makes it nearly impossible for the DEA to halt suspicious drug shipments from companies – and the pharmaceutical industry spent more than $102 million related to the act and other pro-industry legislation between 2014 and 2016, according to the Washington Post report.

A bottle of pharmaceuticals spilled onto a white surface. Photo credit: The Javorac

Two days after the 60 Minutes and Post stories were public, President Trump would announce, via Twitter, that Marino had withdrawn his name from consideration for the post. Hatch called the reports “flawed” and “one-sided” and defended both the legislation and his role in its passage in his own series of tweets.

“First, background: This bill is about process and defining rules. Congress, the President, DEA and [Department of Justice] all agreed this change was necessary,” Hatch’s initial post reads. “Second, the Post ignored that this bill received support from patient groups who were concerned about DEA’s unfettered enforcement authority.”

He added that the bi-partisan measure passed by “unanimous consent” and that neither the DEA nor Justice Department urged then-President Barack Obama to veto the measure and concluded that the “DEA and DOJ had a number of tools at their disposal to stop this bill from becoming law. They did not use any of them.”

It’s worth noting that the “unanimous consent” procedure is usually reserved for legislation deemed noncontroversial and, when used, individual votes are not recorded. Michael Botticelli, head of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy at the time the bill was passed, told the Post that officials “deferred to the DEA, as is common practice” regarding the measure.

“The drug industry, the manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and chain drugstores, have an influence over Congress that has never been seen before,” Rannazzisi said in the Oct. 15 interview. “I mean, to get Congress to pass a bill to protect their interests in the height of an opioid epidemic just shows me how much influence they have.”

Cannabis’ role as an ‘exit-drug’

In May, the federal National Institute on Drug Abuse, a division of the National Institutes of Health, updated their website to reflect NIDA research on the effects that legalizing medical cannabis has on prescription opioid use. According to the new section, one study found a link between medical cannabis legalization and “a reduction in overdose deaths from opioid pain relievers, an effect that strengthened in each year following the implementation of legalization.” The second study, in partnership with the RAND Corporation, found that legal access to medical cannabis dispensaries “is associated with lower levels of opioid prescribing, lower self-report of nonmedical prescription opioid use, lower treatment admissions for prescription opioid use disorders, and reduction in prescription opioid overdose deaths.”

The results of both studies seem to be reinforced by an analysis titled “Recreational Cannabis Legalization and Opioid-Related Deaths in Colorado 2000-2015,” published this month in the American Journal of Public Health, which purports that cannabis legalization in Colorado has led to a 6.5 percent decrease in opioid-related deaths – or .7 percent fewer opioid deaths per month.

“This reduction represents a reversal of the upward trend in opioid-related deaths in Colorado,” the authors concluded.

Despite the promising results, Dr. Larry Wolk, the executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, told the Denver Post that “anything that does get published at this point should be considered preliminary data.”

“It just hasn’t been in place long enough,” Wolk said, referring to legalized cannabis, in the report.

To its credit, the NIDA is continuing to explore the possible role of cannabis as a tool in stemming the opioid crisis. In August, the agency announced they had awarded a $3.5 million grant to the Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health System for a long-term study on the topic. The institutions will partner with Vireo Health of New York on the project.

Ignoring the signs

But rank-and-file lawmakers, both Republicans and Democrats, continue to act with total disregard to the potential role of cannabis as an opioid exit-drug – if they are not wholly complicit in stoking the fires of the crisis. The so-called “Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2016” certainly ensured patients – and street-level dealers; and teenagers; and children; and my friend Pat; and Prince – could access deadly laboratory-tested, produced-legally-by-legit-tonnage narcotics.

Population of 33,000? Here’s 9 million hydrocodone pills — that’s 273 pills per person over two years and Congress hadn’t even tied the DEA’s hands yet.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein indicated the Justice Department plans on reviewing whether to seek a repeal of the now-infamous legislation. “I’m very concerned about it,” he told USA Today.

Rep. Ann Kuster, a Democrat from New Hampshire, last Thursday introduced a measure to repeal S.483. “We know that the opioid crisis has in part been fueled by the over prescribing of opioid pain medications and any limitations on the DEA’s ability to get unneeded prescription drugs off the street must be eliminated,” she said in a statement announcing the bill’s introduction.

Meanwhile, cannabis continues to – anecdotally and empirically – show that it can be used as a potential opioid exit-drug. HelloMD, a cannabis telemedicine company and online community, has twice surveyed their patients and have each time found cannabis helped them reduce or quit their use of pharmaceutical drugs.

A HelloMD collaboration with the University of California Berkeley published in June found that 97 percent of 3,000 participants “strongly agreed” or “agreed” they could decrease their opioid use when using cannabis. In August, research with Brightfield Group found CBD alone allowed 42 percent of respondents to quit using traditional medications; 35 percent of those used prescription painkillers.

Looking up at a White House balcony in Washington D.C. Photo credit: Angela N.

And when President Trump formed his commission to attempt to address this epidemic, who did he choose to chair his opioid commission? New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie – a staunch prohibitionist who barked he would “never” allow legalization while governor. And what has Christie done in his role as chairman? Met several times with pharmaceutical executives, promising them “a good networking opportunity.” The commission did, however, release an interim report in March urging the Executive Branch to “instruct the NIH to begin to immediately work with the pharmaceutical industry” to develop “new, non-opioid pain relievers” and “Medication-Assisted Treatment.”

There is no instruction to consider cannabis …

  • despite the recent NIH-backed research.
  • despite a 2016 study by researchers in Michigan that found 64 percent lower opioid use in patients with chronic pain who used medical cannabis.
  • this study from April that found 76.7 percent of New England dispensary members were able to reduce their opioid use since starting medical cannabis treatments.
  • this 2015 study of 473 Canadian adults of which 80.3 percent reported using cannabis as a substitute for prescription drugs.
  • this study, also from April, that found a reduction in opioid-related hospitalization between 13 percent and 23 percent in states with medical cannabis programs.

And yet, in light of the growing evidence that cannabis could mitigate damage from the opioid crisis, this administration’s so-called opioid commission made not one reference to cannabis in their report – but they did suggest partnering with the very companies that not only create these pills but essentially paid off members of Congress to pass a bill (they wrote­) preventing the DEA from blocking suspicious shipments of opioids.

Sadly, state officials are no better in most cases. In June, New Mexico Health Secretary Lynn Gallagher rejected a proposal by the state Medical Cannabis Program advisory board to add “opioid-use disorder” to the state’s medical cannabis qualifying condition list. Opioid-use disorder was also approved by the state legislature to be added to the regime in April, but that measure was vetoed by Republican Gov. Susana Martinez. According to the state Department of Health, 497 New Mexicans died from opioid-related drug overdoses in 2016, or 24.8 deaths per 1,000 residents.

Martinez’ reasoning for vetoing the proposal? There “appears to be little if any medical literature that actually addresses the effect of cannabis usage on persons with a diagnosed opiate use disorder,” she wrote in her veto message.

According to Leafly’s comprehensive list of medical cannabis qualifying conditions by state, not a single one allows individuals with opioid-use disorder to qualify for medical cannabis.

Photograph looking down on the cola of a medical cannabis plant. Photo credit: Rory Savatgy

What are policy-makers doing?

The short answer is not much. Hatch’s bill would open up research avenues, but without a federal medical cannabis program, state regimes are the law of the land.

New Jersey Sen. Corey Booker introduced the Marijuana Justice Act in August – which would remove cannabis from the federal schedule – but the measure carries nary a co-sponsor, making its passage unlikely. And even if it were to pass, would the president sign it? His cabinet includes hardline prohibitionists yielding vast influence such as Vice President Mike Pence and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. He nominated two more in Marino and former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price.

There are several other pieces of cannabis-related legislation in both chambers, ranging from protecting state-approved medical cannabis laws to legalizing CBD. But these bills, especially with a divided House and Senate, will rarely make it out of committee; and if they do they’ll pass one chamber across party lines.

Both federal and state lawmakers are culpable for the out-of-control opioid epidemic, some more than others perhaps, but while bills that could help save lives die in partisan committees, the opioid-related death rate, which last year claimed more American lives than the Vietnam War, continues to climb.

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Cannabis plants lined up inside of a medical marijuana greenhouse in Oregon state.

Canadian Companies Partner for Australia’s Largest MMJ Greenhouse

10/23/2017

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Two Canadian businesses are partnering to build a 1 million-square-foot greenhouse in Casino, New South Wales, Australia for medical cannabis cultivation, according to a report from the Construction Index. The PUF Ventures and MYM Nutraceuticals project will be completed in two stages; the first phase will cover about 300,000 square feet – which alone would represent the largest medical cannabis greenhouse in the nation.

Derek Ivany, president and CEO of PUF, said the company plans to file their cultivation application with the Australian Office of Drug Control within two weeks and that they have, so far, been met with “positive reception” by the Richmond Valley Council.

The greenhouse construction is expected to cost $39 million and would be able to produce more than 220,000 pounds of medical cannabis per year.

“Assuming recreational cannabis becomes legal and, with a population of more than 24 million people, it is estimated that the cannabis market in Australia will grow to C$9 billion (USD$7.1 billon) over the next seven years, making it a very attractive market,” Ivany said in the report.

MYM is also building a 1.5 million-square-foot greenhouse in Weedon, Quebec, Canada.

“Getting in on the ground level of a market as large as Australia represents a massive opportunity for MYM,” said MYM Chief Executive Rob Gietl said in the report. “Our experience in dealing with all levels of government will certainly pay off, as there are many similarities between the Weedon, Québec project and the Northern Rivers Project in New South Wales.”

The first crop is expected to be planted at the Casino facility in the fourth quarter of 2018.

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The flag of Jamaica in a digital collage with cannabis plants and leaves in the background.

Jamaican Cannabis Industry Association Launches Commercial MMJ Council

10/23/2017

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The Jamaican Ganja Growers and Producers Association has announced they will launch the Cannabis Commercial Council to help address concerns over the nation’s forthcoming medical cannabis industry, the Jamaica Observer reports. The council will begin its work after hosting its upcoming Ganja Stakeholders Forum.

According to the report, the council will “research, develop and formulate policies for the holistic development of the Jamaican cannabis industry to its full potential” with a particular focus on financing, research, technology, standards and testing, processing, manufacturing, and cultivation. The CCC wants to ensure that smaller cultivators are protected and hope to develop a code of ethics for operators, including instituting a dispute resolution system as a first option before litigation. Organizers are also advocating for a code of ethics system for regulators approving applications.

The Jamaica Cannabis Licensing Authority issued its first cultivation and processing licenses, to Epican and Everything Oily Labs Limited respectively, last week. Hyacinth Lightbone, chair of the CLA, said that three other applications were approved but those firms were “completing their requirements” while another 57 applicants are “in the conditional approval stage,” and another 209 applications “are currently being processed.”

The current medical cannabis regulations in Jamaica do not allow the import and export of cannabis products; however, the nation’s Chief Medical Officer does reserve the right to grant such authority.

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Maine Author Pens Children’s Book Normalizing Cannabis

10/23/2017

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A Maine author has published an illustrated, rhyming, children’s book about cannabis titled “What’s That Weed?” attempting to normalize cannabis use by families. Russ Hudson, who also works as a cannabis industry consultant, said that he wrote the book to quell the fears of the public and help parents teach their children “the truth about marijuana.”

“Why is it okay to consume wine, beer, or liquor in front of a child, but not marijuana? Why can families hold barbecues and gatherings where alcohol is consumed, people get intoxicated, and that’s perfectly normal, but the moment someone lights up a joint to relax, they’re at risk of persecution?  It’s legal to smoke cancer-causing cigarettes in front of your children, but a joint is worthy of prison or the forfeiture of parental rights? This has to end,” Hudson said in a press release. “Our children deserve to know the truth, and we owe it to them.”

Hudson’s 6-year-old daughter is featured as the main character in the story, which covers both adult and medical cannabis use as well as the use of cannabis as an animal feed.

“Cannabis is perhaps the most valuable natural resource we have on this planet. We were wrong to demonize it, and we’ve been unhappy as a result,” Hudson said. “It’s time to reset the balance on marijuana, and restore it to its rightful place in our lives; on our plates, in our oils, in our industries, and in our minds and bodies.”

Hudson is making copies of the book available to Maine libraries for free.

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Belize House Passes Decriminalization, Hemp Production Bill

10/23/2017

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Belize’s House of Representatives has approved a measure to decriminalize cannabis possession up to 10 grams and legalize industrial hemp production, according to a News 7 Belize report. If approved, the measure would also make cannabis consumption in private subject to non-criminal fines.

The measure has received bi-partisan support, according to the report, with Opposition Leader Juan Antonio Briceño saying his colleagues would back the plan because they “strongly believe” citizens should no longer be jailed “for smoking a stick of weed.”

“As for me, my difficulty with the current legislation is that it stops at decriminalization,” he said in the report. “I feel that it would been better if we had done all the studies and made the preparations to go even further and move towards the legalization of marijuana.”

Prime Minister Dean Barrow, said that while the House approval was a small first step – and he was expecting pushback from some groups – such as churches – he was “excited” to see movement on the measure.

“I feel as both a matter of conviction that it is something good to do, but also that the society as a whole will support it,” he told Nation News.

The measure still needs to be approved by the Senate and, after that, will head to the desk of Governor General Sir Colville Young.

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The flag of Peru, where medical cannabis has been approved by federal lawmakers.

Peru Legalizes Medical Cannabis

10/20/2017

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Peru’s Congress has legalized cannabis for medical use in a 67-5 vote with three abstaining, according to a report from Al Día News. The measure legalizes cannabis and its derivatives as a cancer, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s disease therapy.

Congressman Alberto de Belaunde, who championed the legislation called the bill’s passage a “historic moment” for the nation’s Congress. Once the bill is signed into law, officials will have 60 days to craft the program’s regulations.

The approval came following a National Police raid on an illegal cannabis oil manufacturing laboratory in February. According to the report, the lab was making the cannabis oil for sick children.

Congressman Ricardo Navaraez, president of the Congressional Health Commission which had granted its approval for the legislation earlier this month, indicated that the measure will allow importation of medical cannabis products as well as research and production. However, he said that production was “the most controversial” issue in the legislation.

“For us it is a great satisfaction, it is a law that is going to revolutionize, in a country with many prejudices, concerns and fears, I believe it is a good message,” he said in the report.

The overwhelming majority vote allowed the measure to be enacted without going through a second vote as is customary in Peru.

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