The wide fan leaf of a mature, outdoor hemp plant.

Hemp Cultivation Applications Open in New York

9/22/2017

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Applications for farmers to participate in New York’s recently expanded hemp research program are now open until Nov. 22 after the state was granted a Drug Enforcement Agency permit to help cultivators import industrial hemp seed.

Officials expect a 6,000 percent increase in the acreage in the state dedicated to hemp, from just 30 acres in 2016 to an estimated 2,000 acres next season. The state has so far licensed more than 20 partners to participate in the program.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that expanding industrial hemp research opens doors “to innovative ideas that could provide a major boost for our farms and communities.”

“Industrial hemp has the potential to become an economic engine not just in New York, but across the country and with this effort, we can lead the way in this emerging industry,” Cuomo, a Democrat, said in a press release.

Cuomo signed the hemp program expansion bill last July, which also established a Hemp Working Group to advise the state on policies to help grow the industry. Coinciding with the bill signing, Cuomo launched a $5 million Industrial Hemp Processors Grant Fund. The fund is administered by Empire State Development in consultation with the state Department of Agriculture and Markets. Grants up to $500,000 – to cover processing, new construction, and equipment costs – are available to qualifying applicants.

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The Icelandic capital city of Reykjavik photographed during the sunrise golden hour.

Bill to Legalize Cannabis Use and Create Industry Introduced in Iceland

9/22/2017

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A bill to implement a legal cannabis industry has been introduced in Iceland by Pawel Bartoszek, a member of the nation’s Reform Party, the Iceland Review reports. The measure, which would provide a legal taxed and regulated regime, is based on the handbook How to Regulate Cannabis: A Practical Guide. The guide is published by Transform, an independent think tank that campaigns for drug reforms.

Under the measure, Icelanders 20-and-older would be able to purchase cannabis products and social-use would be permitted in so-called “cannabis restaurants”; alcohol would not be served at these establishments. Products would be sold in plain gray packaging that includes product information and warnings, and a total ban on cannabis advertising would be included.

“I hope that the bill will be an icebreaker that spurs the debate and that it will ultimately lead to us ceasing the punishment of people for consuming this specific substance,” Bartoszek said in the report, adding that over 1,000 individuals are prosecuted for cannabis crimes in the nation each year.

The measure would include a fee similar to that paid by alcohol importers or manufacturers. According to the announcement on Bartoszek’s website, the fee would be 2,000 kroner “per gram of active THC,” so products with 15 percent THC would carry a 300 kroner fee per gram — or about $48 USD per gram.

The proposal was introduced on Sept. 20.

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A person wearing a white glove writes on a paper next to some medicine bottles.

Study: THCA ‘Worth Consideration’ as Huntington’s Therapy

9/22/2017

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Scientific advisory board members of Emerald Health Therapeutics Inc., a Canadian licensed medical cannabis company, have co-authored a study suggesting THCA shows neuroprotective activity and is “worth consideration for the treatment of Huntington’s Disease and possibly other neuroinflammatory diseases.”

THCA is the precursor cannabinoid to THC and has no psychotropic effect. THCA converts into THC as the plant dries but the process is sped up by smoking, vaping, or otherwise decarboxylating cannabis. The researchers purport THCA activates a pathway that is thought to be a neuroprotectant.

The research was conducted at Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba in Spain. Dr. Eduardo Muñoz, Ph.D., Emerald Health’s chief scientific officer, and co-author of the paper, said that in some cases patients with neurodegenerative diseases do not respond to traditional therapies.

There are more than 600 neurological disorders which impact an estimated 50 million Americans every year.

“Our research data provide further evidence that cannabinoids hold therapeutic potential for a wide range of diseases and conditions, including neurodegeneration, which represents a significant unmet medical need,” said Muñoz, who also serves as an immunology professor at the University of Córdoba, in a press release.

The article, “Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid is a potent PPARγ agonist with neuroprotective activity,” was published in the British Journal of Pharmacology.

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Survey: Recent Medical School Grads Not Prepared to Recommend MMJ

9/21/2017

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According to a survey of medical school curriculum deans conducted by researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 66.7 percent indicated their graduates were not prepared to recommend medical cannabis and another 25 percent said their graduates were not even prepared to answer medical cannabis questions.

The survey included deans at 172 North American medical schools, including 31 that specialize in osteopathic medicine. They received 101 replies.

The team also surveyed 258 medical residents and fellows who earned their medical degrees from school in the U.S. who now work at the school and the Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. That survey found 90 percent of in-training physicians who responded said they were not prepared to recommend medical cannabis, and 85 percent indicated they had not received any training in medical school or their residencies about medical cannabis.

The researchers also examined the Association of American Medical Colleges database and found that just 9 percent of medical school reported they had covered medical cannabis.

Dr. Laura Jean Bierut, senior author of the study, and Alumni Endowed Professor of Psychiatry at Washington University, and a member of the National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse, said the study shows that “medical education needs to catch up to marijuana legislation.”

“Physicians in training need to know the benefits and drawbacks associated with medical marijuana so they know when or if, and to whom, to prescribe the drug,” she said in an interview with the university’s BioMed Radio.

The study was published in the Drug and Alcohol Dependence journal.

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Ontario, Canada’s Niagara College to Offer Cannabis Cultivation Degree

9/21/2017

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Niagara College, located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada, will soon offer a one-year post-graduate program in cannabis cultivation as the nation moves toward federal legalization, according to a report from the Star. The program, which will be available to students who have earned a degree in horticulture, agricultural sciences, or related fields, will focus on plant pathology, standards, requirements and legal requirements for licensed producers, and growing techniques.

It will be the first of its kind in Canada.

Al Unwin, associate dean of environmental and horticultural studies, said college officials will “certainly” consult with licensed producers as the regulations change.

“There’s a huge need for highly-skilled well-trained workers who are not only knowledgeable about the crop itself, but the legal requirements governed by Health Canada,” he said in the report, adding that the class is already approved by the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development.

The college already offers a two-year greenhouse technician program and some of those students will likely become members of the cannabis cultivation Class of 2019. The first class will be held in the fall 2018 semester.

According to the report, Canada has 59 licensed medical cannabis producers throughout the nation and 32 of those are in Ontario. Earlier this month, provincial government officials unveiled their proposal for recreational cannabis sales, which would see the province shut down all currently operating dispensaries and license between 30 and 60 new ones.

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LC Solutions Michigan Offers Smart Cannabis Accounting

9/21/2017

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As state cannabis regulations come online, entrepreneurs seeking longevity in this industry need to make absolutely sure they strategize their business accordingly. Particularly in the state of Michigan, where — after years of an unregulated, caregiver/patient-based marketplace — commercial regulations finally came online last December, medical cannabis business owners are facing new requirements on their path towards a state-issued license.

One such requirement facing Michigan’s cannabis companies is a financial review process which, according to CPA Kareyna Miller, could easily evolve into a financial audit requirement — so last December, Miller founded LC Solutions Michigan PLLC to help cannabis entrepreneurs down the path towards licensing and success.

LC Solutions Michigan is the state’s first patient- and woman-owned, cannabis-focused accounting firm.

“Once clients start talking to me, they understand my background and they understand that I have been a part of this on a personal end,” said Miller, who first joined Michigan’s industry as a medical cannabis patient in 2011.

LC Solutions Michigan offers an extensive and diverse set of financial services — these include corporate bookkeeping, the setting up and management of new accounting systems, cloud record management, employee payroll, tax filings, and more. LC Solutions also offers consulting services that help cannabis entrepreneurs establish a strong financial foothold for their company, including costs accounting, start-up business planning, and preparation for state-issued audits and financial reviews.

“I understand cannabis, I’ve seen and been a part of patient grows. It’s a very unique industry and a unique set of people who are a part of it, and I’m not just somebody in a suit trying to get into this industry,” Miller said. “I’m very proactive, and I want to make this an accepted and legitimate industry here in Michigan.”

Miller founded LC Solutions Michigan to help cannabis entrepreneurs succeed — but it wasn’t her earliest effort to help members of the cannabis community. During Michigan’s initial years as a purely patient/caregiver-based marketplace, Miller also published a series of tutorials and articles under the platform LCS Accounting Online, where she offers tips, advice, and tutorials to help caregivers satisfy their own accounting needs.

And, while Miller is happy to help medical cannabis caregivers stay afloat in this emerging industry, the driving force behind these guides are the patients who rely on those caregivers and their ability to provide trusted, safe medicine. “Protecting patients and making sure they have what they need — that is the most important thing,” she said.

To learn more about how LC Solutions Michigan can help with your financial accounting needs, visit the company website at LCSolutionsMichigan.com or inquire via email at info@lcsolutionsmichigan.com.

 

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Looking at the road ahead on a California highway during sunset.

Colorado’s Front Range Biosciences Raises $3M in Bridge Funding; Plans California Expansion

9/21/2017

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Lafayette, Colorado-based Front Range Biosciences, which specializes in cannabis tissue propagation, has raised $3 million in bridge funding which will be used to scale the company’s processes and help fund its expansion into California. The investment round was led by Phyto Partners, Salveo Capital, Sand Hill Angels, HBS Angels of NYC, NY Angels, Halley Venture Partners, Anthill Ventures, and Canopy Boulder.

The firm was one of 10 companies who participated in CanopyBoulder’s spring 2016 startup accelerator program.

Nick Hofmeister, co-founder of Front Range and COO, said the round exceeded the firm’s expectations.

“With the rapid growth of the commercial cannabis industry, there is increasing demand for improved cultivation practices for large-scale grow operations,” said Dr. Jon Vaught, CEO and co-founder, in a press release. “We plan to use our recent funding to scale our processes and keep up with this demand, while expanding into new cannabis markets.”

Brett Finkelstein, managing director at Phyto Partners, indicated that the Front Range management team is what attracted the investment firm to the bioscience company.

“[Front Range] has all of the right pieces for a successful business – a stellar team, clear differentiated offering, early customer validation, and a rapidly growing pipeline,” he said in a statement.

Front Range uses Next Generation Sequencing technology to create cannabis genetics maps which help develop commercially relevant traits in cannabis plants, including disease resistance, oil and resin yields, and desirable cannabinoid profiles.

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Picture of cannabis fan leaves inside of a commercial cannabis grow operation.

Tikun Olam and MariMed Partnership to Expand into 4 States

9/21/2017

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Tikun Olam and MariMed Inc. have agreed to expand their partnership which will see Tikun-branded products rolled out in Rhode Island, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Illinois next year. The partnership brought the company’s products to Delaware in 2015.

The companies expect to offer at least six Tikun-branded strains, including high-CBD strain Avidekel, along with tinctures, edibles, vape cartridges, and edibles.

“Tikun Olam is delighted to expand our relationship with MariMed,” said Tikun CEO Bernard Sucher in a press release. “MariMed utilizes the ‘best practices’ and standards for cultivation and production and their qualified distribution channels allow us to bring our proven wellness products to more U.S. patients than ever before.”

Tikun Olam, a medical cannabis provider in Israel, announced in April that they were expanding their U.S. reach into Nevada with a partnership with CW Nevada LLC. They plan to begin offering products in Washington state in November.

MariMed CEO Robert Fireman said the agreement is due, in part, to the “great success” of the Delaware pilot program.

“Tikun Olam’s empirical data on clinical effectiveness is unsurpassed, and we look forward to educating healthcare professionals and offering Tikun’s products to tens of thousands of new patients nationwide,” he said in a statement.

Since 2010, Tikun’s clinical data has shown that the firm’s strains are effective therapies for symptomatic relief of cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, Crohn’s disease, colitis, epilepsy, neuropathy, and chronic pain. The company has treated over 10,000 patients in Israel.

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A person dumps pharmaceutical pills out of a pill bottle.

Study: 34% of Chronic Pain Patients Enrolled in MMJ Program Quit Pharmaceuticals

9/20/2017

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A new study by researchers from the University of New Mexico found that 34 percent of chronic pain patients enrolled in the study were able to cease using all prescription medications by the last six months of the 24-month observation period.

The study included 83 chronic pain patients enrolled in the state’s medical cannabis program, compared to 42 who were not. Another 36 percent of registered medical cannabis patients enrolled in the study were able to use fewer medications by the end of the study.

“Legal access to cannabis may reduce the use of multiple classes of dangerous prescription medications in certain patient populations,” the study authors concluded. “[A] shift from prescriptions for other scheduled drugs to cannabis may result in less frequent interactions with our conventional healthcare system and potentially improved patient health.”

The authors state the purpose of the study was to “measure the effect of enrollment in state authorized [medical cannabis programs] on Schedule I [through] V drug prescription patterns. The authors argue that “co-prescribing of scheduled drugs is endemic” in the U.S. and presents “health risks to patients” and a burden on healthcare systems.

The study was published in the Journal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine.

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The state flag of California flying on a clear, blue skied day.

California Legislature Joins the Fight to Deschedule Cannabis

9/20/2017

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For decades, medical cannabis patients and activists have called for the Federal Government to remove cannabis from the Schedule 1 narcotic list — now, the legislatures in California have taken a remarkable step toward validating those claims.

The California Assembly just passed a joint resolution in a 60-10 vote that calls for the federal descheduling of cannabis. Earlier this year, the California Senate passed the same resolution 34 to 2 as part of a request that Congress loosen banking restrictions on the cannabis industry. Removing cannabis from the federal list of controlled substances would significantly improve the environment for cannabis entrepreneurs by opening access to the banking system, and would promote more research into medical cannabis by allowing federally funded institutions to conduct medical cannabis inquiries.

Not needing the Governor’s signature, the joint resolution will now be sent to President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, California’s 2 Senators and California’s 53-member Congressional delegation. The Trump administration has not signaled a willingness to support cannabis reform, but the Senate Appropriations Committee has expressed concerns that the Schedule 1 designation is impeding medical cannabis research.

Consider New Jersey Senator Cory Booker’s Marijuana Justice Act, which itself would deschedule cannabis, and there appears to be a groundswell of efforts to finally move cannabis from the Schedule 1 category.

The Controlled Substances Act set up the “scheduling” system in 1972 and sorted narcotics into five schedules. Cannabis was curiously put into the same Schedule 1 category as LSD and heroin, a designation reserved for “highly addictive” substances with “no known medical uses,” where it has remained for 45 years despite a large pool of research showing cannabis to be effective in treating a wide variety of medical conditions.

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Delaware Eases MMJ Access for PTSD Patients

9/20/2017

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Delaware post-traumatic stress disorder patients now have easier access to the state’s medical cannabis program after Gov. John Carney signed the Bravery Bill into law last week, radio news station WDEL reports. The new law allows patients with PTSD to get medical cannabis certification from any properly licensed physician rather than only being able to receive approval from a licensed psychiatrist.

In a 105.9 FM News Talk report, Carney called the legislation a “common sense and compassionate amendment” to the state’s medical cannabis law.

The bill was championed in the Senate by Majority Leader Margaret Rose Henry, who worked with Air Force veteran Kim Petters, who served the military for a decade. She was forced to wait eight months before being granted access to the program.

Petters, president of the Women’s Veterans Collective, said the measure allows PTSD patients additional options to pharmaceuticals “which can be dangerous and addictive.”

“The veteran community continues to experience staggering suicide rates that far outnumber the amount of troops we lose in actual combat,” she said in the report. “The veteran accidental overdose rates alone more than double the national average. And when you take a look at the veteran homeless community you’ll find at least 70 percent of homeless vets report substance abuse, most of which began with pharmaceuticals or alcohol.”

Petters told 105.9 FM that cannabis helped her replace all of the medication she was taking for insomnia, anxiety, and depression.

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A judge's gavel rests on its pedestal next to a stack of legal books.

Massachusetts Supreme Court Rules Field Sobriety Tests Not Valid to Test Cannabis Impairment

9/20/2017

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The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has ruled that field tests currently used to test for alcohol impairment cannot be used to determine if a driver is impaired by cannabis.

In the ruling, Justice Frank Gaziano, pointed out that “there is no scientific agreement on whether, and if so, to what extent” the current field sobriety tests – such as the horizontal gaze nystagmus, walk and turn, and one leg stand tests – “are indicative of marijuana intoxication.”

“Some studies have shown no correlation between inadequate performance on FSTs and the consumption of marijuana; other studies have shown some correlation with certain FSTs, but not with others; and yet other studies have shown a correlation with all of the most frequently used FSTs,” he opined.

Moreover, Gaziano said that because cannabis affects individuals differently, and to what extent is not commonly known, “neither a police officer nor a lay witness who has not been qualified as an expert may offer an opinion as to whether a driver was under the influence of marijuana.”

The justices conclude that police officers “may not testify to the administration and results” of field sobriety tests in cannabis intoxication cases and that lay witnesses “may not offer an opinion that another person is ‘high’ on marijuana.”

The court ruled that while officers “may testify to observed physical characteristics” of drivers, such as “bloodshot eyes, drowsiness, and lack of coordination” officers are not permitted “to offer an opinion that these characteristics mean the driver is under the influence of marijuana.”

The case, COMMONWEALTH v THOMAS GERHARDT, will be moved back to District Court to continue, consistent with the higher court’s opinion.

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Dr. Oz Says MMJ Useful as Exit Drug on ‘Fox & Friends’ Appearance

9/20/2017

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In an appearance on “Fox & Friends,” Dr. Mehmet Oz, famously known as Dr. Oz, said that there is a “hypocrisy around medical marijuana” and suggested that cannabis “may be the exit drug” to pull the U.S. from the “narcotic epidemic.”

“But we’re not allowed to study it because it’s a Schedule I drug,” said the host of “The Dr. Oz Show.” “I personally believe it could help.”

“Fox and Friends” host Steve Doocy, an outspoken prohibitionist, said that he had “never heard that before;” however even the federal National Institute on Drug Abuse has acknowledged the effects medical cannabis legalization could have on prescription opioid use outcomes.

Two other studies this year have also found cannabis as a potential substitute for opioids. A University of British Columbia and University of Victoria-led study published in the International Journal of Drug Policy found 63 percent of the 250 patients in the study were using cannabis as a prescription drug substitute, and 30 percent of those said they were using cannabis as a substitute for opioid-based pharmaceuticals.

Another survey conducted by HelloMD and the University of California Berkeley found that 97 percent of 3,000 participants “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that they could decrease opioid use by using cannabis therapies instead.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s chief medical correspondent and neurosurgeon who hosted a three-part documentary on the news network, suggested last year on an episode of “Late Night with Seth Myers” that prohibiting access to medical cannabis therapies is “immoral.”

This isn’t the first time, however, that Oz has explored medical cannabis as an exit drug – he touched on the issue in an Oct. 7, 2016 episode of the “Dr. Oz Show.”

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Arkansas Finance Department Flooded with MMJ Industry Applications on Deadline Day

9/19/2017

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As officials expected, the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration were flooded with medical cannabis business applications on the day of the application deadline. Scott Hardin, spokesman for the department, told the Associated Press that about 300 applications were filed by the close of business Monday, with about 100 of those for cultivation licenses, and the rest for distribution licenses.

Cultivation hopefuls had to pay a refundable $15,000 application fee, while potential distributors paid a refundable $7,500 application fee. The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission will blindly review the applicants and ultimately award five grower and 32 distributor licenses. The state Health Department has already approved 1,200 medical cannabis patients. Patient identification cards cost $50 and must be renewed annually.

Director of Health Communications Marisha DiCarlo has previously indicated that the department is expecting to receive about 30,000 patient applications. She based the estimate on “population, types of qualifying conditions, and trends in other states.” The state’s voter-approved medical cannabis law covers 18 qualifying conditions.

Although the measure was approved by 53 percent of Arkansas voters in November, the ballot question lost on nearly half of the state’s 75 counties. The law allows for municipalities to prohibit cannabis industry operations similarly to how the state has “wet” and “dry” counties for alcohol. So far, no Arkansas county has banned cannabis industry operations.

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A cannabis nug still attached to a plant growing in an indoor cultivation site.

New Brunswick, Canada Sets up Crown Corporation to Oversee Legal Cannabis Sales

9/19/2017

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New Brunswick, Canada’s government has established a Crown corporation which will oversee the sale of recreational cannabis in the province. Provincial government officials have signed memorandums of understanding with licensed producers Canopy Growth Corp. and Organigram to supply the New Brunswick market.

Health Minister Benoît Bourque said the plan will allow a “seamless approach” to federal legalization “that will prioritize public health and safety concerns.”

The model will effectively give the government full control over retail cannabis sales in the province, and the Crown corporation will oversee the business on behalf of the government.

“We are pleased to partner with two local companies to secure a supply for our New Brunswick market in time for the July 2018 launch,” said Finance Minister Cathy Rogers in a press release. “In addition, the creation of this new provincial Crown corporation provides the flexibility and lays the groundwork for the eventual retail model once final decisions around that have been made.”

Rogers indicated that will the Crown corporation will not directly conduct retail operations, rather it would engage with businesses and other entities to devise that framework.

New Brunswick is the latest province to announce proposed infrastructure for federal cannabis legalization. Officials in Ontario have said they will set up Liquor Control Board of Ontario-run shops; however the majority of  Ontario citizens surveyed by Nanos Research and Consumer Choice Centre said they preferred cannabis be sold by private, licensed, retailers rather than the LCB.

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Man Charged with Kidnapping Budtender Admits to Killing in Jailhouse Interview

9/19/2017

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In a KHQ interview from jail, Donavon Culps, who was arrested on Thursday for the kidnapping of Cheney, Washington budtender Cameron Smith, admitted to killing Smith after Culps was denied service at Lucid because he didn’t have proper identification.

Culps, 35, said that while Smith wasn’t even inside the store when he was asked to leave he “was having a very bad day [and Smith] got the ugly side of it.” Culps said he had intended to fight Smith, but ended up pulling out his gun and shooting the 46-year-old budtender.

“I did not think about it, I just pulled out the gun and shot him,” Culps said in the interview. “I dumped the body, I dumped the car, then I went home.”

According to a Spokesman-Review report, Smith’s body was discovered by a police search and rescue team under heavy cover off state Route 904 near Four Lakes. Culps led the police to the site on Friday, the day after he was arrested.

His niece Violetta Culps, who also participated in the kidnapping of Smith, remains at large.

Culps is being held in Spokane County Jail on $1 million bail. He faces armed robbery and kidnapping charges but, according to jail records at the time of this article’s publishing, he has not yet been formally charged with murder.

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Washington Hall and Courtyard stands in the center of the University of Maryland campus dormitory section.

University of Maryland School of Pharmacy Scraps MMJ Courses

9/19/2017

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The University of Maryland School of Pharmacy has scrapped its plan to offer medical cannabis certification courses, the Baltimore Sun reports. Alex Likowski, a university spokesman, indicated that the classes have been canceled after school officials consulted with the state’s attorney general’s office who said there was a risk associated with the plan due to federal cannabis laws.

“If there’s any question of the law, [the attorney general is] often consulted,” Alex Likowski said in the report. “Regarding medical cannabis, even though Maryland and many other states have approved it, it’s still illegal under U.S. law.”

The classes were expected to start in August but were suspended indefinitely. A university-associated website claims that enrollments were “suspended temporarily while the business agreements are being finalized by the university.”

Maryland’s law requires that employees of cultivation, processing, dispensary, and laboratory companies must have training in their field; physicians are not required to have any special training. The program was based on a curriculum developed by Americans for Safe Access, who has offered its own training program since 2002.

Currently, the University of Vermont College of Medicine’s Department of Pharmacology offers a medical cannabis course, which was rolled out in 2016. The City College of San Francisco is developing a course on the legal cannabis industry, and the Cleveland Cannabis College began offering courses earlier this year. In 2007, Oaksterdam University was founded in Oakland California. Earlier this month, Hocking College, a two-year technical school in Nelsonville, Ohio, announced they intend to apply to serve as a cannabis testing lab in the state.

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A woman holds a large, cured cannabis nug in her palm.

New Hampshire Cannabis Decriminalization Bill Takes Effect

9/18/2017

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New Hampshire’s cannabis decriminalization bill took effect on Saturday, making the state the 22nd to eliminate criminal penalties for low-level possession, according to a Forbes report. New Hampshire was New England’s remaining holdout providing jail time for cannabis possession.

The measure, which eliminates criminal penalties for possession up to three-quarters of an ounce until the fourth such offense in three years, was signed by Gov. Chris Sununu in July. Individuals convicted of possessing up to the threshold will be subjected to a $100 fine for the first and second offense, a $300 for a third offense within a three-year window, and a class B misdemeanor on the fourth offense within three years.

Previously, the New Hampshire statute called for first-time possession charges of a criminal misdemeanor punishable by a $2,000 fine and up to one year in jail. The new law, which the governor described as “common sense” reform, specifically prohibits police from making arrests for a cannabis possession violation.

In May, a Granite State Poll found that 68 percent of New Hampshire adults supported recreational cannabis legalization, with another 74 percent supporting a tax-and-regulate regime. Last year, the House voted down a measure that would have implemented a taxed-and-regulated cannabis market in the state.

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An aerial view of downtown Newark, New Jersey.

Poll: New Jersey Adults Support Cannabis Legalization

9/18/2017

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According to a Quinnipiac University poll, 59 percent of New Jersians support allowing adults to legally possess “small amounts” of cannabis, with 38 percent opposed including 53 percent of Republicans. Seventy percent of Democrats favored legalization, along with 60 percent of independents, 62 percent of men and 56 percent of women.

The poll also found 55 percent of respondents said they would “definitely not try” cannabis if it were legalized for adult-use in the state; just 9 percent indicated they would “definitely try” it. Forty-six percent of respondents indicated cannabis and alcohol were “equally” as dangerous, yet 62 percent of respondents aged 18 to 34-years-old believed that cannabis was less harmful than alcohol. No majority believed that cannabis was more harmful than alcohol.

In May, state Sen. Nicholas Scutari, who championed the state’s medical cannabis legislation, introduced S.3195 which, if approved, would legalize cannabis for adults 21-and-older and set up a taxed-and-regulated regime. Scutari indicated the advance introduction of the bill was in preparation for the new gubernatorial administration as Gov. Chris Christie has reached his the end of his term. The measure has been sent to the Scutari-chaired Judiciary Committee in the Senate. It is sponsored by Sens. Reed Gusciora, Tim Eustace, and James J. Kennedy in the House and referred to its Judiciary Committee.

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A young cannabis plant under the reddish glow of an indoor LED grow light.

Zelda Therapeutics-led Observational Study Finds Hope for MMJ as Autism Therapy

9/18/2017

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In an observational study by Australia’s Zelda Therapeutics Ltd., 21 autism patients demonstrated significant symptom improvements when treated with medical cannabis extracts over a 12-week period. The study found that 71.4 percent of patients treated with the extracts instead of traditional medications, such as atypical antipsychotics, showed improvement in at least one core symptom, including social interaction, language or repetitive behaviors, and 66.7 percent of patients showed “significant general overall improvement.”

The study involved patients with a median age of 9 years, 10 months who had not responded to conventional treatments. The trial eas led by Dr. Gisela Kuester, a neurologist and clinical research director for Fundación Daya, a Chilean non-profit advocacy group and medical cannabis firm.

Harry Karelis, executive chairman for Zelda, called the study results “exciting” and supportive of “the anecdotal evidence…showing the positive effect medicinal cannabis has on treating autism symptoms.”

“Zelda will use this baseline data to design its clinical trials and generate rigorous scientific data that validates the clinical benefit of medical cannabis,” he said in a press release. “We hope that in the near future [Zelda] can provide an alternative treatment for sufferers of this condition which is of major global significance.”

Zelda expects a six- to nine-month clinical trial to begin within three months after receiving regulatory approvals.

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Headphones and a digital music player app is open on an iPhone screen.

Washington Cannabis Company Offering Music Downloads with Joint Purchases

9/18/2017

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A new cannabis-focused music distribution service called Hi-Tunes is offering pre-rolled joints that come with QR codes for free music downloads, Complete Music Update reports. The platform is a spinoff of cannabis brand Caviar Gold’s in-house record label.

Scott McKinley, co-founder of the service, said Hi-Tunes gives artists branded cannabis lines to market and if sales do well in their Washington market, the company will release more strains on the artist’s line.

“Music used to sell sheet music, then records and record players, tapes and tape players, CDs and CD players, MP3 players – and now music has nothing to sell,” McKinley said in the report. “We intend to change that by matching music with marijuana. Smoke this, listen to that. It’s a beautiful concept.”

Yoshi Gish, one of the collaborating artists, said he was looking for a new distribution method when he was approached by McKinley in 2016 about the project.

“Records, tapes, and CDs are now so slow and bulky compared to our network, but now a simple scan on a smartphone can connect people with my music,” he said. “I feel cannabis can influence many new avenues of distribution.”

The first line of products is available at Uncle Ike’s in Seattle.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly indicated that Hi-Tunes was founded as a part of cannabis brand Caviar Gold.

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A Goldendale, Washington Police Department SUV parked on the side of the road.

Suspected Budtender Kidnapper Arrested; Victim Still Missing

9/15/2017

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A man suspected of shooting at and kidnapping budtender Cameron Smith from his Cheney, Washington workplace was arrested yesterday in Goldendale, according to a KHQ report. Smith, as well as other two other suspects, are still missing.

Donavan Culps, 36, has been pursued since the Sunday kidnapping, which took place at the Lucid Cannabis store in Cheney, Washington.

The Cheney Police Department issued the following statement after the arrest in Goldendale:

On September 14, 2017 at approximately, 2:13 p.m. Donovan Culps was taken into custody by members of the multi-jurisdictional Yakima Violent Crime Task Force. He was taken into custody in Klickitat County, in the Goldendale, WA area following a short pursuit ending in a collision. There were no injuries and while Donovan Culps was taken into custody the other occupants of the vehicle fled on foot and have not been identified at this time. Detectives from the Cheney Police Department will be responding to Goldendale to conduct follow up in this case. There are no other details at this time.

Two other individuals are suspected of involvement with the crime, including Violetta Culps — Donavan’s 18-year-old niece — but the other suspects have not been located at this time.

Law enforcement throughout the region have been on the lookout for Culps after security footage from the Lucid Cannabis store in Cheney showed Culps approach Smith in the parking lot as he was sitting in his car while taking a break from work. Culps then brandished a gun, fired two shots into the vehicle, got in the car, and drove off with Smith still inside. Since then, both Smith’s emptied wallet and stolen car have been found, abandoned.

The investigation is ongoing.

A candlelight vigil was held Monday evening at Lucid for community members and Smith’s friends and loved ones to come together in hope for his safe return.

 

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The national flag of Uruguay flying on a windy, cloudless day.

Uruguay Moving Legal Cannabis Sales from Pharmacies to Cash-Only Shops

9/15/2017

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Officials in Uruguay are moving retail cannabis sales from pharmacies to shops that will sell the products for cash, the Panama Post reports. The move comes less than a month after banks said they had to close accounts of pharmacies participating in the state-run program due to international anti-money laundering laws.

Three of the 16 pharmacies had stopped selling cannabis due to the banking issue.

According to an Associated Press report, Uruguayan law requires employees and salaries be paid by direct deposit, which makes it tough to run a cash-only business in the South American nation. Uruguayan officials had said they did not anticipate the banking issue when they legalized cannabis nationwide in 2013.

Juan Andrés Roballo, assistant secretary of the presidency, called the move a “provisional solution” to the banking and cannabis sales problem.

“This is an exceptional situation that enables exceptional solutions,” he said in the report. “The best, and definitive (solution), would be a change in legislation (in the United States).”

The Post indicates that there are currently around 13,500 people registered with the state to purchase cannabis products; in early August the number hovered around 11,500. Most of the participating pharmacies report that their 2-kilogram supplies are often gone quickly after it goes on sale.

 

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A Delta Airlines aircraft sits on the tarmac, waiting to be next in line for takeoff.

Employees of Arkansas’ Largest Airport Could Be Denied MMJ Use Under Policy Proposal

9/15/2017

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Proposed personnel policy changes at Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field would allow airport employees to be fired if they test positive for cannabis, even if they are registered with the state’s medical cannabis program, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports. The voter-approved constitutional amendment does include language that provides for “safety-sensitive” positions to be subject to increased scrutiny.

“‘Safety-sensitive’ positions are those ‘designated in writing by an employer as a safety sensitive position in which a person performing the position while under the influence of marijuana may constitute a threat to health or safety,’ the law states.

At Clinton National, Arkansas’ largest airport, all employees are considered to hold “safety-sensitive” positions because they are permitted to access ramps, taxiways, runways and other parts of the airport where planes are active, said Airport Executive Director Ron Mathieu in the report. About 150 people are employed at the airport.

“It applies to everyone because everyone has an opportunity because of their level of security to go out to the airfield,” he said in an interview with the Democrat-Gazette. “If you have access to the airfield and you can be out there, you are in a ‘safety-sensitive’ position.”

The Little Rock Municipal Airport Commission has recommended adopting the policy.

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