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A small jungle of indoor commercial-grade cannabis plants in Washington state.

U.S. Policy Firm Predicts ‘Unbelievably High’ Sales Growth for Canadian Cannabis Market

5/01/2017

A U.S. consultant hired to assess Canada’s adult-use cannabis market estimates that jurisdictions that allow legal sales should see “unbelievably high” sales growth in the first few years of the legal regime, the Canadian Press reports.

Adam Orens, a co-founder of the Marijuana Policy Group, said the firm is not yet at liberty to discuss Canada’s potential market because of a contract agreement with Health Canada, but according to the group’s research in Colorado, sales grew 42.4 percent in the state between 2014 and 2015 – when sales reached $996 million, prompting $2.4 billion in economic activity, $21 million in state tax revenues, and creating 18,000 new full-time jobs.

“This is a conversion of an existing, informal market into a formal, regulated market and you’re going to see several years of very fast growth,” Orens said in the report, referencing Colorado’s migration.

The group estimated that Colorado’s sales would slow as the program matures and illegal sales dwindle, projecting 13.1 percent sales growth in 2020.

Canada’s Parliamentary Budget Office has estimated cannabis sales tax revenues could be between $356 million and $959 million by 2018, assuming retail cannabis sells for $9 a gram – the current illicit market price in Canada. C.D. Howe Institute, a public policy think tank, estimated that Canada’s legal cannabis industry would generate about $675 million in federal and provincial tax revenues in the first year of legal sales.

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President’s Signature Will Legalize MMJ in Mexico

5/01/2017

by TG Branfalt

Mexico’s lower House of Congress on Friday passed a bill to legalize the use of cannabis for medical and scientific purposes, according to a report from Reuters. The measure passed the nation’s Senate in December and now moves to the desk of President Enrique Peña Nieto, who is expected to sign it.

“The ruling eliminates the prohibition and criminalization of acts related to the medicinal use of marijuana and its scientific research, and those relating to the production and distribution of the plant for these purposes,” the Lower House said in a statement posted to its website.

The legislation reclassifies THC as “therapeutic.” The government has allowed the importation of CBD medicines on a case-by-case basis after the Mexican Supreme Court ruled that individuals had the right to grow and distribute cannabis for personal use in 2015. However, according to a New York Times report, the ruling didn’t strike down the nation’s drug laws, but laid the groundwork for the medical cannabis regime. The ruling also granted four people the right to grow their own cannabis for personal consumption.

A bill that would legalize possession of up to 1 ounce of cannabis in Mexico was introduced more than a year ago but has been stalled in the Senate.

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Australian Tea Tree Farm Developing Canna-Honey Nets $1.49M Investment

5/01/2017

by TG Branfalt

Jenbrook, an organic tea tree farm in New South Wales, Australia has received a $1.49 million investment to help develop honey products from bees that have pollinated cannabis plants, Business Insider Australia reports. Jenbrook supplies raw honey and tea tree oil to the U.S. through Naturally Australian Products.

The company, which is expected to reach $1.6 million in monthly revenues next month, is working with Southern Cross University on research into the health benefits of medical cannabis honey. The recent cash infusion was provided by technology investment company EVE Investments in return for a 50 percent interest in Jenbrook. EVE is traded on the Australian Stock Exchange under the symbol EVE.

Jenbrook also extracts “meluka” honey, which the company claims could be used as a potential treatment for “certain human diseases.”

“…Indications of strong US customer demand have been confirmed by Jenbrook for both (meluka and cannabis) honey product opportunities, through its established US sales channels,” states a press release from EVE.

The deal will be completed through the formation of a new company, NewCo, that will be a 50/50 joint venture between EVE and Jenbrook. Jenbrook will initially see $100,000 and the remaining $1.39 million will be paid “upon satisfactory completion of a number of conditions” including scientific validation of both honey products.

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Rain ion and running down the streets of New York City.

NY MMJ Providers Sue Health Department Over Plans to Add Licensees

5/01/2017

by TG Branfalt

Four out of five of New York’s medical cannabis companies have filed a lawsuit against the state Department of Health to halt the licensing of additional operators, arguing that the expansion could potentially harm patients and decimate the state’s tightly regulated industry, according to a Times-Union report. The suit was filed by the New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association on behalf of Vireo Health of New York, Etain, PharmaCann, and Bloomfield Industries; only Columbia Care is not listed in the suit.

According to the report, the suit claims that the Health Department’s plan to open up licensing “will completely overstep its authority delegated by the Legislature” under the state’s medical cannabis regime and exceeds the cap of five registered organizations allowed by the 2014 law. The plaintiffs argue that patient counts don’t warrant the issuance of new licenses.

“The DOH’s premature doubling of the supply market, before patient demand has grown to a level that can sustain even the existing market, will immediately launch the collapse of the medical cannabis industry in New York,” the lawsuit says, according to the Times-Union, adding that if more companies are granted licenses, current operators will have to terminate plans to reduce prices and introduce highly refined medicines to treat epilepsy.

“Today is the first step in protecting the patients we serve on a regular basis across New York state,” the Medical Cannabis Industry Association said in the report.

Department of Health spokeswoman Jill Montag said the expansion will help ensure that “New Yorkers who qualify for [the] therapy have access to it” and the department “will continue to fight any attempts to block patients from the relief they deserve.”

A judge did not immediately grant an injunction in the case.

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GOP Georgia Rep. Supplying Low-THC Oils to State’s Registered Patients

4/28/2017

by TG Branfalt

Republican Georgia Rep. Allen Peake is supplying low-THC cannabis oils to patients in his state due to the state’s limited laws that allow them to possess the products but offers no way for them to cultivate, import, or purchase them, the Associated Press reports. Peake, who championed Georgia’s medical cannabis legislation, has previously helped some families move from the state to Colorado so they would have legal access to medical cannabis treatments.

“We’re going to do whatever it takes to be able to help get product to these families, these citizens who have debilitating illnesses,” Peake said in the report, adding that he doesn’t know – and doesn’t ask – who delivers the boxes of cannabis oil to his Macon office.

Every time a new box is delivered to his office, Peake makes a donation to a medical cannabis research foundation in Colorado; he says the donations add up to about $100,000 per year. Peake is allowed to legally possess the oil because he has obtained a medical cannabis card from the Georgia Department of Public Health, despite the fact that he is not considered a qualified patient under the state’s rules.

In Georgia, about 1,300 patients are enrolled in the state program and, aside from Peake, their only option to obtain the oil is online, which runs afoul of federal law.

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Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaking during a Trump rally in 2016.

Colorado Gov. Meets With AG Sessions, Hopeful Administration Will Maintain Status Quo

4/28/2017

by TG Branfalt

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper met with Attorney General Jeff Sessions, with the governor coming away with the sense that a federal crackdown on state-approved legal cannabis programs is not on the horizon, the Denver Post reports. According to Hickenlooper’s Chief of Staff Doug Friednash, Sessions is more focused on other priorities, such as the proposed border wall, than he is with legal cannabis markets.

Friednash indicated that Sessions viewed the 2014 Cole memo – which directs the Department of Justice to not interfere in state-sanctioned cannabis programs – as “not too far from good policy.”

Hickenlooper argued that a federal sweep on legal cannabis regimes would just lead states back into gray and medical markets and that there plenty of doctors willing to write medical cannabis recommendations. He expressed to the attorney general that since legalization there has been no rise in teenage cannabis use in the state and that emergency room visits have steadily decreased as officials have enacted laws to better regulate edibles. He also pointed out that lawmakers have worked toward tightening individual cultivation rules during this legislative session.

“You would just be trading one problem for another,” Friednash said in the report.

Earlier this month, Colorado lawmakers backed off a plan to legalize cannabis clubs after Hickenlooper indicated he did not support the plan due to fears that it could attract federal intervention.

Although Hickenlooper came away from his meeting with Sessions with no concrete assurances that the administration would maintain the status quo, it’s a promising sign amid questions brought about by the approval of Sessions as Attorney General and appointment of Tom Marino as head of the Office of National Drug Policy Control.

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A cannabis legalization rally in Denver, Colorado.

Lessons from a Legalized State: The Prohibitionists Were Lying

4/28/2017

by Jedidiah Haney

Are you a fan of cannabis? I am! At this point, I have attended just as many cannabis related events as alcohol events. Consider that now, in the state of Washington, more than four million dollars worth of cannabis is sold every day. Yet, I have never seen the issues that prohibition pushers would like you all to think about.

So where are they?

If you’ve never seen the movie Reefer Madness, it is an infamous piece of propaganda (available on YouTube) that was produced during the initial stages of federal cannabis prohibition. The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 criminalized the plant by requiring any cannabis — or “marijuana,” as the federal government refers to it as part of their rebranding scheme — to have a stamp. This stamp was produced by the government, not yet released in mass, so it created criminals out of people who were not before. To justify this behavior, the government released massive amounts of propaganda. Sound familiar?

Today, we are seeing a shift after more than 80 years of prohibition. In more than 29 states, including Washington DC, there is some form of cannabis legalization underway. This legalization is not cookie cutter, nor is it perfect by any means. What is missing? Well, I think that true legalization is missing. Consider that in Washington State we are not supposed to grow our own cannabis — unless of course you are a qualified patient, but even then you have to get on a registry in order to grow only close to what was legal to prior to 2015 — nor are we allowed to share our cannabis with anyone else.

Don’t get me wrong. I do believe that we are better off today than before, when people went to jail for possession of just small amounts. However, this is not legalization. This is a new form of prohibition. We call this Prohibition 2.0. These new laws are supposed to satiate the citizens. Yet I am not satisfied, are you?

In my view, people are still in jail for things that we do today. For example, my brother has a license that allows me to sell weed for him. I sell legal weed! Trust me it is not as cool as it sounds. There is a ton of red tape, and the regulations kill most common sense marketing maneuvers. However, there are people still in jail in Washington State for things that I do on a daily basis.

Over this last week, I attended a bunch of cannabis events. And I consumed a ton of cannabis at each event, so did my friends. But I did not see one incident of violence or negative behavior. In fact, everyone was very nice. The funny things here is that none of these events were truly legal. In our “legalized” state, we are still not supposed to consume our legal cannabis anywhere but in our homes. However, we are the cannabis community, and we have been bending the laws for a while now, and we will continue to do so.

The stories of the prohibitionists always try to make it out that cannabis will make you lose your senses, it will make you out of control. Yet all I have ever witnessed is good people having a good time. I consume cannabis every day and it doesn’t make me any less of a human, so then why are there still people in jail for what I do?

If the federal government doesn’t want anything to do with our experiment, then they should keep their hands out of our business. We need to repeal the federal prohibition, but until then we must make the experiments we already have better — we must not settle for Prohibition 2.0.

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Alaskan Cannabis Companies Transporting Products on Commercial Flights

4/28/2017

by TG Branfalt

Some licensed operators in Alaska are transporting their products on commercial airplanes with the blessing of local and airport officials, according to an Alaska Dispatch News report. Using planes to ship products in-state is necessary for some canna-business owners in Alaska because their communities are accessible only by air or sea.

Michelle Cleaver, owner of Weed Dudes in Sitka, has been flying with her dispensary’s products since December and hasn’t had any problems yet, she said. Cleaver indicated that she alerts local police of her arrival ahead of time and when she gets to security she tells the TSA that she has cannabis in her carry-on bag – as much as five pounds of flower and 65 pounds of edibles.

The TSA, though, doesn’t search for cannabis and if it is discovered they call local law enforcement – who know Cleaver is coming.

“As long as they have all of their proper Marijuana Control Board documentation … they can continue to travel at their own risk,” Deputy Chief Aaron Danielson of the Fairbanks International Airport Police and Fire Department, said in the report.

Cleaver says she doesn’t tell the airline itself that she is flying with cannabis, though, because according to Federal Aviation Administration regulations an airline is at risk if it knowingly carries marijuana and the airline could decide to contact federal authorities because the plane flies in federal airspace.

Mike Emers, owners of Fairbanks’ Rosie Creek Farms, said he too has started flying with his products, calling it “a little nerve-racking.”

“As long as you let people know what you’re doing, and that you’re within the law … I don’t see a problem,” he said.

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West Virginia's Governor Jim Justice giving a speech on the steps of the state capitol building.

West Virginia Gov. Signs Industrial Hemp Bill

4/27/2017

by TG Branfalt

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice has signed a bill opening up the state’s hemp production by expanding the availability of licenses, the Register-Herald reports. The measure allows the Commissioner of Agriculture to approve a license for any individual rather than just state colleges and universities.

The application process requires first-time license applicants to submit their fingerprints and undergo state and federal background checks at their own expense. Individuals granted a license, which expires annually on Dec. 31, are “presumed to be growing industrial hemp for commercial purposes,” according to the bill text.

The measure passed both the House and Senate unanimously.

Following the Senate vote, Crescent Gallagher, communications director for the Department of Agriculture, said industrial hemp could play a role in improving the state’s economy.

“The department is looking forward to working with individuals who are interested in growing industrial hemp,” he said in an April 5 Gazette-Mail report. “The hope is that hemp becomes a niche crop that helps grow our agriculture industries and spur economic growth to help diversify our economy.”

Under the previous regime, only the Agriculture Department and connected research programs were able to cultivate hemp. Last week, Justice signed legislation making West Virginia the 29th state to legalize cannabis for medical purposes.

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Researchers Find Shifting Cannabis Consumer Buying Habits

4/27/2017

by TG Branfalt

Two new studies show changes in not just cannabis consumer buying habits but the consumers themselves, according to a report from the Cannabist. A New Frontier Data analysis shows a 21 percent decrease in flower demand in recreational markets from January to December 2016, while a BDS Analytics survey found that women comprise the majority of new customers in Colorado and California.

According to the New Frontier Data report, the market share for flower also decreased in medical cannabis markets, from 87 percent in Jan. 2017 to 65 percent in December; meanwhile the sector saw demand for concentrates more than double from 10 percent to 27 percent. Medical customers also spent three times more on cannabis than their recreational counterparts.

Recreational markets saw demand for concentrates grow from 10 percent to 21 percent, and the demand for pre-rolled joints climb from 1 percent to 8 percent, the report says.

John Kagia, New Frontier Data’s vice president of industry analytics, said the trends reflect the legal industry’s scaling toward products that weren’t readily available in the illicit market, such as vape pens and “sophisticated, dosed edibles.”

“Pre-rolled products have gone from an afterthought filled with leftover cannabis to a premium product made with high-end strains and sold in elegant, easy transport packages,” he said in the Cannabist report. “You can smell a joint from a mile away, but vaping offers a discreet way to consume. Our society has also undergone a radical transformation in our views towards smoking tobacco, so the perceived benefits of vaping rather than smoking may also be one factor for the market shift.”

The BDS survey also discovered the survey participants who consumed cannabis in the past six months had a tendency to live a healthier lifestyle. Researchers found that 56 percent of survey participants who consumed cannabis were more likely to engage in physical activity on a once-a-week or greater basis compared to non-consumers. The survey showed 56 percent of consumers participated in outdoor recreation compared with 34 percent of non-consumers; 42 percent participated in yoga or Pilates compared to 21 percent of non-consumers; and 53 percent worked out at a gym, compared to 33 percent of non-consumers.

“That’s one of the things that’s been really fascinating to me is how much it becomes part of a routine and lifestyle,” said Linda Gilbert, who has 30 years of market research experience and leading the BDS efforts. “But it’s not a couch-potato lifestyle, it’s a healthy lifestyle.”

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A cannabis plant under the purple glow of LED grow lights.

Seed-to-Sale Company Finds 20% Increase in 4/20 Sales from 2016

4/27/2017

by TG Branfalt

According to a report from MJ Freeway, a seed-to-sale tracking software provider, 4/20 cannabis sales in the U.S. increased 20 percent in 2017, exceeding more than $45 million. Transaction averages also climbed $10 per transaction based on last year’s figures.

Jessica Billingsly, COO and co-founder of MJ Freeway, said the company “anticipated a large jump in U.S. sales for the holiday.”

“4/20 is an excellent opportunity for adults to purchase and consume products in a responsible, regulated market, while learning about the culture and history of the industry,” she said in a press release.

Sales leading up to the holiday increased 13 percent beginning the week of April 14. Discounts spiked more than 10 percent on 4/20, averaging 24.11 percent while holding at 13 percent the rest of the year thus far.

MJ Freeway, which operates in 23 states, Washington, D.C., Canada, Australia, and Europe, indicated that the next most popular holidays for cannabis sales is New Year’s Eve, followed by the Fourth of July. Prior to the holiday, MJ Freeway had projected a 20 percent increase compared to 2016 figures. Their 2017 numbers are based on data compiled through analysis of their retail cannabis market share.

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Tunisia Parliament Takes ‘Considerable Step’ With Drug Law Reform

4/27/2017

by TG Branfalt

Tunisia’s Parliament has voted to relax the nation’s harsh drug sentencing laws which could allow first-time offenders to forgo jail time, according to a report from the New Arab. Under current law, dating back to former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, a mandatory one-year jail term was imposed for narcotics use, ruling out any mitigating factors.

The move by lawmakers will allow judges the power to impose sentences at their own discretion. According to Justice Minister Ghazi Jeribi, the move is “temporary” as the national assembly considers broader changes to Law 52.

Lawyer Ghazi Mrabet, who has campaigned for the reforms, said the vote is a “considerable step” forward.

“Civil society has won the first battle but the fight will continue,” he said in the report.

According to the report, from 2011 to 2016 the number of trials conducted under Law 52 increased from 732 to 5,744 which led to thousands of young Tunisians incarcerated every year, mostly for cannabis-related crimes.

The amendment, a part of a larger package of reforms, passed overwhelmingly in the national assembly 133-11. The larger bill, which aims to eliminate prison terms for the first two drug-related convictions, is reportedly blocked in the legislature.

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Young cannabis plants being raised inside of grow cages in a licensed Washington grow op.

Themes Emerging from the 2017 Americans for Safe Access Unity Conference

4/27/2017

by Chloe Detrick

On April 7-11, Americans for Safe Access (ASA) held its 2017 Unity Conference, bringing experts from around the globe together in Washington D.C. to discuss the future of the medical cannabis industry both the United States and abroad.

The conference kicked off on Friday night with a welcome reception and geared up on Saturday morning with several panels discussing challenges, developments, and the general state of the cannabis industry today.

Dr. Jeffrey Raber, cannabis researcher and founder of The Werc Shop, participated in a morning panel entitled: Exciting Developments in Cannabis Research & Access. In the afternoon, he took some time to speak with me about the path he’d like to see for the future of the medical cannabis industry.

“I would like to see it head more towards standardized products that are consistent across the whole spectrum,” said Raber. “More standardized delivery methods would make it much more predictable on what you can expect the response to be, but I don’t know that we are going to get there any time soon.”

He cautioned that there is potential for more marketing and unsubstantiated claims in the field that aren’t always going to be tailored to the best interest of patients.

Dr. Stuart Titus, another member of the same morning panel, said he was excited about the neurological benefits that research is proving CBD to have and how his company, Medical Marijuana Inc., fits into the future of the industry.

“Not only are there great neuroprotective benefits, but also there seems to be some tremendous neuro-regenerative capabilities that only CBD seems to have,” said Titus. “I’m very excited for what this means for overall neurological medicine. I think the concept of neuro-regeneration is now something that is within our grasp.”

Beth Collins, senior director of government relations and external affairs for ASA, said the conference is one of her favorite events that the organization holds because it fuels her to share the remarkable stories far and wide.

“The Unity Conference is so special because we have the leading science, regulatory, and legal experts, as well as doctors and our wonderful patient advocates, all in one room,” said Collins. “I feel that ASA is only going to continue growing as more and more states begin introducing legalization efforts. We are going to continue to get involved with state governments and assist them in ensuring that people are doing things the right way.”

Support continued throughout the week with 71 advocates participating in 72 meetings between both the House and Senate to support two pieces of legislation — H.R. 1227: Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2017 and the CARERS Act of 2017.

H.R. 1227 would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act and delete cannabis-related offenses and penalties including mandatory minimums. It would also effectively decriminalize cannabis at the Federal level, allowing states to decide how to regulate it and allow many patients who use medical cannabis to receive physician recommended treatment without having to worry about federal prosecution.

The CARERS Act would protect users of medical cannabis who comply with state laws from unwarranted federal prosecution and greatly expand the opportunity for medical and scientific research on the uses and effects of medical cannabis.

To learn more about ASA and how you can get involved with their lobbying efforts, visit: http://www.safeaccessnow.org/join_asa.

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Empty judge's chair inside of a U.S. court room.

National District Attorneys Association Pens Prohibitionist Position Paper

4/26/2017

by TG Branfalt

The National District Attorneys Association has released a white paper supporting the enforcement of federal cannabis laws while stating that the NDAA supports research into the medicinal uses of cannabis regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and the impact of cannabis use on driving.

The authors conclude that “federal drug enforcement policy regarding the manufacture, importation, possession, use and distribution of marijuana should be applied consistently across the nation to maintain respect for the rule of law.”

Specifically, the authors expressed concerns regarding the lack of impaired driving data available related to cannabis, noting that cannabis THC concentrations vary from product-to-product, the tolerance of frequent cannabis users, differences in absorption rates and release rates for different delivery methods, and the effects of cannabis on drivers also impaired by alcohol and other drugs.

The NDAA working group called children’s access to cannabis “one of the most significant concerns about legalizing marijuana for medical or recreational use.”

“Legalization of marijuana for purported medicinal and recreational purposes has increased access by children,” the letter contends. “…It is vitally important to do all we can to prevent access to marijuana by youth in America. Their health, safety and welfare demand no less.”

The report uses questionable studies from prohibitionist groups such as Smart Approaches to Marijuana, the Partnership for Drug Free Kids, and the American College of Pediatricians – a splinter professional group with just about 500 members, compared to the American Academy of Pediatrics which boasts more than 60,000 members.

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A container of adult use cannabis clones pictured in Washington state.

Canopy Growth Corp. Publishes Testing Standards

4/26/2017

by TG Branfalt

Canopy Growth Corp., (TSX: WEED), owner of Tweed, Bedrocan, and Mettrum, has announced the details of a “rigorous” pesticide testing program outlining procedures that include equipment, production rooms, and pre-release third party testing.

The company, which holds medical cannabis cultivation licenses in Canada, indicated they have shipped over “300,000 orders, representing 7 million grams” of cannabis that has never been subject to a product recall. Canopy operates five facilities covering 655,000 square feet in total.

“Tweed and its sister companies have always had the most rigorous quality assurance and testing procedures in place to protect our clients,” Chairman and CEO Bruce Linton said in a press release. “As part of our move to a single store for all clients, we are formalizing the program so customers can understand the processes we have in place for every product they buy.”

The program details indicate the company employs 38 staff “dedicated solely to quality assurance” and that nothing enters their production facilities without the sign-off of a quality control professional. In addition to pesticides, the company’s testing program – for which “typical” lot release reports can reach more than 100 pages – includes THC and CBD content, black mold-produced aflatoxins, heavy metals, and microbiological tests.

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The Nevada State Capitol Building in Carson City, Nevada.

Nevada Bill Banning Infused Candy One of Four Approved by Senate

4/26/2017

by TG Branfalt

Nevada’s Senate passed four cannabis-related measures before a legislative deadline day including one that would effectively allow cannabis clubs, another allowing the governor to work with state tribes interested in permitting the legal cannabis industry, one dealing with cannabis product packaging, and a measure that would allow medical cannabis to be used to treat opioid addiction, the Reno Gazette-Journal reports.

Included in the packaging bill are provisions that ban cannabis-infused products containing sugar, unless it is a baked good. Industry leaders have argued the bill’s definition of “candy” is too broad.

“Candy,” according to the bill text, is defined as “a product which contains sugar and is produced in the shape of a cartoon, character, mascot, action figure, human balloon (sic), fruit or toy or any other shape determined by the Division [of Public and Behavioral Health] to be likely to appeal primarily to children.”

The bill also sets other packaging requirements such as THC content labeling and requiring childproof containers.

The cannabis club legislation would allow any businesses and special events to apply for a license to allow cannabis on their premises, with some zoning restrictions. The bill dealing with state tribes includes provisions requiring the tribal cannabis regulations be as strict as those imposed by the state.

Another bill eliminating urine tests for drivers suspected to be under the influence of cannabis passed the Assembly last week and will move to the Senate floor.

All of the measures passed by the Senate must still be approved by the Assembly before moving to the governor’s desk.

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A long, crystal-covered cannabis cola pictured inside of a Washington state grow operation.

Montana MMJ Sales Tax Bill Heads to Gov.

4/26/2017

by TG Branfalt

A bill imposing a 4 percent tax on medical cannabis sales in Montana has moved to Gov. Steve Bullock’s desk after it passed through the House 68-31, Montana Public Radio reports. Sen. Mary Caferro, the bill’s sponsor, said the measure – amended from 6 percent – will help the state regulate the program.

“The 4 percent tax was an amendment in the Senate and I supported it, and the reason is because the 4 percent tax is enough to set up the system,” she said in the report. “And that’s common practice, industry pays for their regulation.”

The tax – which drops to 2 percent in July 2018 – will help cover new regulations including a seed-to-sale tracking system, site and shop inspections, and lab testing.

“The point of the bill, again, is to make sure that Montana has a regulated system so the feds don’t come shut it down,” Caferro said.

Last November voters passed Initiative-182 that effectively re-legalized medical cannabis in the state after lawmakers decimated the state’s original regime enacted in 2004. Supporters say the new rules go beyond what they approved.

Kari Boiter, co-founder of the Patient Rights Network said the sales tax – 6 percent at the time – would create undue burdens for those patients on limited incomes.

“We’re already dealing with exorbitant medical costs and debt that we’re trying to pay,” she said in an Associated Press report. “This is just one more thing that adds to the expenses we’re taking on as sick individuals.”

It’s likely Bullock will sign the measure which his spokesperson called “fair and modest” last month.

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Offerings from Craft Elixir, a cannabis edibles manufacturer in Washington state.

Craft Elixirs: Changing the Way We Eat and Drink Cannabis

4/26/2017

by Sarah Climaco

Craft Elixirs is a recreational processor of edible craft syrups and edibles in Washington state.

Ten years ago, people would not have believed you if you told them they would someday be able to make themselves a personalized cannabis cocktail. They also may not have believed that they could legally buy all the products needed to do so.

This is the market that Craft Elixirs is trying to cater to — those who like to vary their potencies, rather than just chasing the highest dose possible.

Jamie Hoffman, President of Craft Elixirs, began the sophisticated mixology venture as a reason to move from Chicago to Seattle. In Chicago, she had owned her own company called Chicago Earth, which designed vertical wall gardens. With tons of experience in marketing and design, Hoffman felt she could use her skills to take a leap into the cannabis industry.

Final product packaging for Craft Elixirs.

“It’s exciting and challenging at the same time,” Hoffman said. “I am able to design, market, and sell a beautiful product that I know is shelf-stable.” Marketing experience has helped greatly in her venture; Hoffman has focused on design consistency throughout all of her marketing material with an emphasis on fun, playful and educational content.

“I worked really hard on the marketing and branding [of Craft Elixirs],” she said. “It takes a really long time to design the packaging to match your vision – and it’s really about a combination of something visual and something educational.” But this is what keeps her coming back; she is able to have the final say in the taste and look of something she envisioned from the bottom up.

Jamie Hoffman, President and Founder of Craft Elixirs.

And she did. She began the company by creating a line of syrups that can be used for many purposes. You can use them for making cocktails, spiking teas, as a marinade – the list goes on, depending on how creative you are. Each bottle comes with 60 to 80 mg of THC; you are instructed to use the cap to measure out a 10 mg dose. As an alternative, the Ginger Grass Syrup product line comes with 80 mg of CBD.

Pouring a syrupy infusion over a tray for cooling and solidification.

A Craft Elixirs employee scrapes cannabis infused edible chews down into squares.

Craft Elixirs’ product line began with a coffee syrup called Bagley Ave. Brew, which tastes best on ice cream or French toast. Most of the company’s product names were inspired by Seattle’s streets and neighborhoods, such as Ballard Beat (orange and blueberry), Capitol Hill Heat (smoke and habanero), Seattle Simple (a sweet simple syrup), Wallingford Wanderlust (Strawberry Peppercorn), Ginger Grass (ginger root), Logan Blvd 312 (a tribute to the Hoffman’s hometown in Chicago – with Loganberry, blackberry and raspberry); and they even have DANK, a chocolate syrup.

After one tray is completed, there are dozens more to fill.

Though the line is based around sweets, it hasn’t been all lollipops and gumdrops for Hoffman. The cannabis industry is already difficult, but edible companies can have a particularly tough time. For Hoffman, the retail side of her business is one of the most difficult parts. It’s easy to get overwhelmed on a retailer’s shelf in a market that feels like it’s becoming more and more saturated. In the cannabis industry, there are so many regulations covering where the product can be placed or displayed once it reaches the retailer. So how do you stand out?

Just another day working inside of a licensed cannabis edibles processing plant in Washington.

Craft Elixirs currently offers 12 savory and sweet flavors, and they’re always trying new things and flavor combinations. They also have a product called the Fremont Freaks, which is a line of sweetened dehydrated fruits – perfect for adding to oatmeal, mixing into trail mix or even just eating by itself. She wanted to introduce another product line that allowed people more options to low-dose THC. The newest product they have is called the Pioneer Squares, which are infused fruit chews with pieces of fruit in the middle. They’re like an infused version of Aplets and Cotlets, without the sugary mess.

In the post-legalization world, there are many more than the classic “puff, puff, pass” options and there are truly countless ways to use and experiment with cannabis.

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Behind the leaves of an indoor cannabis plant in a commercial grow room.

Maine Bills Would Allow MMJ Dispensaries to Begin Rec. Sales Before Official Start Date

4/25/2017

by TG Branfalt

Medical cannabis dispensaries and caregivers in Maine are pushing state lawmakers to allow them to open up recreational sales before those sales are set to begin next year, as was the case in both Colorado and Oregon, the Portland Press Herald reports. Supporters say allowing early sales to recreational customers could help cover the costs of devising the rules of the forthcoming adult-use market.

Paul McCarrier, president of Legalize Maine, wants to ensure that both dispensaries and caregivers would be able to sell products to anyone over the age of 21 while the state develops the rules and regulations for the voter-approved recreational-use regime. According to the report, in Maine there are just eight dispensaries permitted to cultivate and sell medical cannabis in the state, while there are about 3,200 individual caregivers who can grow for, and sell to, up to five qualifying patients.

“It has to be an equal playing field,” he said in the report.

Two bills have been introduced in the state’s legislature that would allow dispensaries to begin recreational sales early, but neither allows caregivers to sell to adults. The “Act to Clarify Certain Provisions of the Marijuana Legalization Act and To Deter the Use of Marijuana by Minors” (LD.1448) was introduced by Republican Matthew Harrington as emergency legislation, while LD.1491, “An Act to Provide for Safety, Quality and Transparency in the Retail Marijuana Industry” was introduced by Republican Sen. Roger Katz. Both bills have been sent to the Legislature’s Marijuana Legalization Implementation Committee, which Katz chairs.

A third bill (LD.1499) would allow “provisional” licenses for medical cannabis dispensaries to sell cannabis to adults while the state develops regulations. That bill, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Troy Jackson, has also been sent to the Marijuana Legalization Implementation Committee.

End

A picture of the Archery Summit Vineyard in Oregon.

Oregon Vineyard Owners Fear Neighboring Cannabis Farm will Taint Grapes

4/25/2017

by TG Branfalt

An Oregon vineyard in Yamhill County has asked a judge to stop a cannabis cultivation permit for a neighbor claiming that the smell from the grow would waft into their land and taint their grapes, according to a report from The Oregonian. The owners of Momtazi Vineyard are joined in the suit by would-be vineyard owners Harihara and Parvathy Mahesh who purchased 19 acres nearby the vineyard and planned grow-op in 2013.

Richard Wagner purchased a seven-acre property in December with plans for growing a half-acre of cannabis outdoors.

“The odor is similar to that of skunk and is not acceptable in wine,” Moe Momtazi said during a Yamhill County Board of Commissioners meeting last week urging them to deny Wagner’s cultivation permit, the Oregonian reports. “The impact on Momtazi Vineyard … would certainly put the vines and wine at great risk.”

Wagner said he would follow organic and sustainable growing practices and that while the smell would be apparent for a few weeks during the growing process, his extraction processing wouldn’t emit any foul-smelling odors.

“They’re afraid, they’re very afraid,” Wagner said, adding that his neighbors moved to the area prior to legalization and didn’t anticipate cannabis cultivation. “It’s all based on ignorance and fear. … At the same time, I get it. I’m not lacking empathy with them.”

The case is being considered in Yamhill County Court.

End

Spark the Conversation: Rob Tankson, PrestoDoctor

4/25/2017

by Bianca Green

Rob Tankson is a career tech innovator and founding partner of PrestoDoctor, an online medical cannabis recommendation service based out of California that puts patients in contact with cannabis-friendly doctors.

Rob joined cannabis activist and Spark the Conversation podcast host Bianca Green for a live interview during the Emerald Cup. In this podcast episode, Rob and Bianca discuss the founding of PrestoDoctor, the medical cannabis recommendation process in California, the ongoing development of telemedicine laws around the U.S. and what it can mean for patients, and much more.

Listen to the episode below, or scroll further down to read a full transcript.

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Bianca Green: Welcome to the Spark the Conversation podcast in partnership with Ganjapreneur.com. Today I’m speaking to Rob Tankson of PrestoDoctor. Some of his former experience in the tech space is pretty impressive. He’s the COO of PrestoDoctor and is responsible for multiple facets of the business. He has a proven executive management track record with several years of experience driving market growth in the technology industry. Worked with Google and was responsible for the transformation of the Google Chromebook project, gathering market research that would grow sales 50% year over year.

He has an extensive background in that space, it’s really interesting to speak to him as a part of our Emerald Cup series. And listening how he developed the concept and had it come to fruition. Rob was the doctor on site at the event that I threw that launched my bus tour back in November, prior to the election last year, where we had celebrities like Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner. He’s a great person. Really offers a wonderful service that allows patients to not have to leave their home to get their recommendations so that they can get their medicine straight from the dispensary. Very interesting guy and drops a lot of knowledge.

Hi, this is Bianca Green here at the Emerald Cup live with Rob Tankson.

Rob Tankson: Hey, how’s it going guys?

Bianca Green: Good. PrestoDoctor. I just got my rec yesterday and I’m really excited because I love the formula that you have. I think that it’s so great and revolutionary. It’s so discreet and you don’t have to feel uncomfortable going into a doctor’s office and not knowing what kind of a doctor you’re going to speak to. Tell us a little bit about PrestoDoctor and how you got into the industry.

Rob Tankson: Yeah, sure and thanks for speaking with me. Excited to be here at Emerald Cup. We’ve been around for about two years at PrestoDoctor and basically what we do is we bring the process of getting your cannabis card entirely online. So kind of solved a lot of pain points, some people don’t have time as far as going into a doctor’s office, waiting around. Some people are physically disabled, they don’t have the ability to go into a doctor’s office. Everyone else it really saves you time, it’s very discreet. Some people don’t want to go into a place that screams “weed doctor”, who aren’t aren’t really out about their usage yet. We kind of solve all the pain points I think of cannabis patients.

Bianca Green: What was it exactly that made you want to get into this field? Were you in the medical field prior or…

Rob Tankson: No, so I was actually working in tech in San Francisco. I wanted to get into it moreso because we saw a problem. Went to get a rec on a lunch break and it was one of the worst experiences ever. Waiting around and then you get to talk to this guy, and he’s almost a joke. Didn’t really know anything about weed. Wanted to find a better way to do it. It was place where if my grandmother or my mother was sick, I wouldn’t want to bring them there. That kind of started us thinking.

Bianca Green: Interesting, were you an advocate for the plant prior to this?

Rob Tankson: So growing up in the Midwest, I was kinda part of the DARE years.

Bianca Green: Yeah, yeah, so was I. In California.

Rob Tankson: So you thought it was evil right? That it was the worst thing ever?

Bianca Green: Yeah, the devil’s weed.

Rob Tankson: Yep. Not until a little before I got into the industry that I really started to educate myself on the medicinal benefits and just continued to learn about it.

Bianca Green: Interesting, what was the catalyst for you?

Rob Tankson: Catalyst was for me just thinking about the fact that it could cure cancer, and there’s been research to show that cannabis oil teaches cells how to die again when they can’t from cancer and tumors. And just thinking about people in my family I’ve lost because of cancer. Thinking like the what if. What if I can make that difference in someone else’s life.

Bianca Green: And being able to be given the choice, right? That’s just one of the most important things. People to choose a safe alternative to pharmaceuticals. Yeah, it’s super important. So tell me what some of the challenges have been for you getting into your, I guess you wouldn’t even consider ancillary, you’re tech and in the medical field. Have there been challenges because of any of the legalities and how do the doctors that are under your umbrella feel about being doctors in this space?

Rob Tankson: Sure, so there are definitely challenges to the cannabis space. First of which is marketing. Coming from a traditional marketing background at companies like Google, and other ones in the Silicon Valley, it was a situation where we could freely market anything and spend as much money as you want on ad words. And the more money you spent, the more you make. In cannabis, unfortunately, that’s not allowed. We were able to kind of sneak some stuff through Google for a little bit, but it’s one of those things it’s like a job managing it. Cuz once it gets taken down you have to go back on.

Bianca Green: What was that like? Have you been taken down?

Rob Tankson: Yeah. So we were running ad words for about five months. And we would maybe get taken down once a week and just had to build it back up, set the ads live. That was one of the challenges, continues to be marketing. Just traditional avenues. Another challenging is legal for us, because when we’re expanding to a state, the telemedicine laws have to match up with the cannabis laws. States like Colorado for example, you can’t talk to a doctor about weed online. So that’s a very interesting one right?

Bianca Green: Yeah, I didn’t realize that.

Rob Tankson: Yeah, so.

Bianca Green: Like, at all? Or you can’t get your rec online?

Rob Tankson: Yeah, you can’t get a rec online.

Bianca Green: Yeah, interesting. But there is a law that you can in California? Or is it something that people are just doing?

Rob Tankson: No, so it’s definitely a law in California and in Nevada. Basically where the telehealth laws match up with the cannabis laws.

Bianca Green: So did you hire consultants to come in to help you with the medical side of it, since you come from a tech background? What was the putting of the pieces of the team and puzzles together for PrestoDoctor.

Rob Tankson: Sure, so myself and Kyle, we worked together previously, so we started together.

Bianca Green: Kyle’s your partner?

Rob Tankson: Mm-hmm (affirmative)

Bianca Green: And what’s his background?

Rob Tankson: His background is in tech, he’s a web engineer.

Bianca Green: Okay.

Rob Tankson: Yeah.

Bianca Green: So you guys started…

Rob Tankson: Mm-hmm (affirmative), started together. One of Kyle’s really good friends from home lives in San Francisco and he’s an attorney. So he kind of helped us with the legal stuff getting started, for a few beers.

Bianca Green: Yeah, yeah, nice.

Rob Tankson: But besides that it was recruiting doctors. Which we thought would be impossible. I had no idea what I was doing. But we found some really great ones luckily using Angel.co has been my savior. I don’t know how doctors come through Angel.co but it’s like the best recruiting tool that’s free that I found.

Bianca Green: Really? And when they come to you do they, is there a responsibility that you have to them being under your umbrella? Or do they do recs? Like are you the same as a regular doctor’s office that keeps you in a group? I guess that’s what doctors do, right? The groups?

Rob Tankson: Oh, so group is like you mean grouping patients together?

Bianca Green: Yeah. I mean, I guess essentially. There’s doctor’s offices that offer kind of different things, or there’s general practitioners that have six doctors in that group. Are your doctors able to work with other, either groups and/or types of patients that are not cannabis related?

Rob Tankson: Sure, yeah. I’d say maybe half of our doctors do it full time, the other half have individual practices and then kinda do it as a part-time thing. But it’s not a situation where we limit them. We encourage working together with other groups as well.

Bianca Green: And the cannabis expertise that some of them have. I mean I did my rec yesterday and I don’t remember that he asked me if I knew how to use it or anything. It was more specific to what my ailments are and why I would be using medical cannabis. But what happens when you actually are more specific from a doctor’s perspective on how to consume it. Is that legal? No? Cuz I know it wasn’t. But the law has changed so rapidly I’m just curious to the comfortability of doctors now.

Rob Tankson: Sure, so it’s definitely something that we do offer. What he went through is through our event mode and through the main system we usually, we also offer free event mode after the fact. We give patients a treatment plan. And so that kind of breaks down the ways of consumption, the milligrams we suggest, types of cannabis. It’s definitely something that we do recommend.

Bianca Green: So are you able to give more information on different strain activity and consumer feedback? Does that help the people that are coming in and getting doctor recommendations understand more how to use it? Cuz that’s the weirdest thing about the doctor side of it. I go into my regular physician and he gives me a pharmaceutical and there’s a pharmacist that tells me how to use it, the FDA that tells me how to use it. There’s all of these things, and what milligrams to use. A lot of patients have to go in and talk to budtenders. Now they’re stepping up the game with the budtenders and the consumer experience on a sales level. But even that, I know, was illegal at one point for budtenders to tell- like if you walked in and said, “I have this ailment. I have chronic pain and I take Vicodin, what can I use to replace it?” No one was ever allowed to tell you. “Well we can’t legally tell you, but other patients have told us that this works”. Like that’s always the narrative.

Is that changing, are the laws changing for patients to have more information so that they know how to trust what they’re trying?

Rob Tankson: Yeah, so definitely laws are changing in that aspect. The cannabis doctors, and all doctors, fall under the medical board of each individual state. And the medical board does advise in cannabis or any other evaluation to offer patients that treatment plan. So from a medical perspective it is something that is allowed legally.

Bianca Green: Well that’s good. ‘Cause we’re evolving. It’s just there were a lot of doctors that were at the forefront that had their licenses taken away. That’s just, it’s terrible. Some of the things that people have been persecuted for trying to help people. It’s just so disheartening. But your branding is really great, you went real mainstream with it. Tell me about that process. How easy is it to brand a medical marijuana doctor program?

Rob Tankson: So luckily for us Kyle’s girlfriend is an incredible graphic designer and so she whipped this up one night, and it’s perfect.

Bianca Green: It’s awesome, it’s awesome.

Rob Tankson: We’re lucky to have her.

Bianca Green: What are the goals for PrestoDoctor throughout the next few years as cannabis legalization is implemented, and do you have any fears that with the new administration things could go backwards. Tell me your thoughts on that.

Rob Tankson: Yeah so as far as the legalization goes, we are actively expanding. A goal of ours is to be able to help as many patients as possible with the easy use of our platform. As far as states go, we’re in California and Nevada now, we’re expanding to Florida and Arizona in, probably by February. And then a few more states throughout the year. As far as the current administration goes would be, there’s been at least two people I’ve known so far that are anti-cannabis. I don’t see it, at least for now, being an issue. Because it’s still on the state level. I think even with, if Hillary had won, I still think it would’ve taken a lot longer for a federal level legalization program. But it’s kind of one of those things, you gotta wait and see.

Bianca Green: Does PrestoDoctor do any advocacy in the community?

Rob Tankson: Yeah. So we work with Weed for Warriors is one of our partners we work with them. We’re really strong believers in the drug and what it does for patients with PTSD and other symptoms that a lot of vets come with. You know a lot of them in Weed for Warriors can’t really afford the recommendation, so we’ve been donating a lot of recs to them to kind of really help them out and drive forward that cause.

Bianca Green: That’s a wonderful tool. I know that vets because they’re under a government program, medically, a lot of them have been afraid to get their recommendations. What are the legalities on that now? Are they able to get their recommendations under federal law?

Rob Tankson: So they’re able to get their recommendations, the only thing is they’re subject to drug tests. We don’t report anything, PrestoDoctor is HIPAA compliant. California being one of the only states, maybe the only state actually, that doesn’t require you to go to the state level after talking to a doctor. You can go right into a dispensary with your card. Other states, like Nevada for example, patients are afraid to get a Nevada card because of the fact that they can’t have a permit for firearms. So that’s a really big concern for a lot of patients, especially military vets. A lot of them do carry weapons.

Bianca Green: Wow, that’s so crazy. I mean the same goes with, I think, cannabis growers. You’re not allowed to, I mean it’s so strange, civil liberties is such a big part of this. I don’t even think people consider it. Can you have opiates, or Xanax, and benzos, and be able to carry a firearm? ‘Cause those have far greater symptoms of people losing their shit. It’s the irony in that, is pretty insane. One of the things that I think businesses can do is really speak to those issues that generally people have not considered and advocate for.

What is it that you think PrestoDoctor advocates for the most in the community that speaks to your brand message?

Rob Tankson: So I think PrestoDoctor, we mostly advocate for access for all cannabis patients. Our perfect world, anyone would be able to speak to a doctor about anything cannabis related at any time. Just ask a question. Thinking about doing some concierge things. Just basically being able to have access to a doctor is one of our biggest things we’re advocates for.

Bianca Green: So what’re you gonna do next? What’re the steps for PrestoDoctor?

Rob Tankson: So next steps are, we’re currently closed out our first round of funding, and then we’re going to expand pretty rapidly through build hiring and hopefully be in a couple states by next year.

Bianca Green: Yeah. What is the opportunity for you to be in all states? What are those steps to make that opportunity work?

Rob Tankson: So steps for us is basically researching the patient-base to see what it looks like. And then doing the legal work as far as finding out when the laws match up so we can actually provide evaluations online. And then from there once the legal is done, it’s just about starting the marketing there. I’m sorry, actually gotta get the doctor’s licensed there first. Get em all trained up. And then once the doctors are trained and ready to go, then we can start marketing.

Bianca Green: What’s the training process for a doctor?

Rob Tankson: Luckily, some of our doctors actually come from cannabis backgrounds. Two of our doctors are actually sisters and their parents evaluated patients for cannabis growing up. And they both learned a lot from their parents and also, of course, through their own experience. That definitely helped, and they were two of our early doctors. Another one of our early doctors was a lady from San Francisco who owns 12 clinics around the Bay Area. So we definitely lucked out with doctors that have a ton of knowledge. Newer doctors what we do is we give them a CME accredited course on cannabis, so they’re able to learn through that. And then also speak to our other doctors about their experiences as well.

Bianca Green: Wow, that’s big. Knowledge is such great information, and the spreading of it. Do you gather data on PrestoDoctor.com about your patients and are you able to help put that into any market research possibilities for people to understand the patients more?

Rob Tankson: Sure, yeah. So we do take generic, generalized data from patients. We are actually working on some pretty cool models and stuff that we’ll be publishing early next year.

Bianca Green: Awesome. It’s super important that we understand more of why people consume it and what sort of ailments help. I wish the dispensaries and whatnot had more opportunities to create data on what patients use what for ailments. Because you’re obviously on here is what patients are here for, but then it would be so great to more information about not only are they here, but this is what they’re consuming for what. Because it’s really impossible to have a doctor explain it. But it’s the same thing with medication. Anti-depressants, I’ve heard some people say, “I had to try seven before I found the one that worked for me.”

Unfortunately I’m like, “Well, get off of it. Get on cannabis, and get high.” Because you’re depressed because you’re trying all these damn anti-depressants that are giving you all sorts of whack-a-doodle things. Where cannabis, if you consume one that you don’t love, can take three to six hours to kind of be over. Similarly, pharmaceuticals take thirty days to sort of quote unquote “kick in.” It’s such an interesting paradigm right there is the medical field and the way that you articulate to a consumer what it is they should use.

So the doctor’s portion of it is probably, there’s a lot of high pressure on that scenario. I mean you’re here in California and people are way more familiar with cannabis. But I can imagine if you guys open up in Idaho there’s gonna be at some point, not if but when you open in Idaho. That consumer’s gonna want a whole different experience. You know I think it’s great that you’re advocating for that, you’re thinking about that in your business model. I think it’s awesome that you guys give back to veterans. They’re just so ignored on so many levels. Our project manager Cody’s a veteran. I’m really proud to be an organization that hires veterans as well as tries to create more opportunity. Weed for Warriors, Sean Kiernan, I went to high school with him.

Rob Tankson: Oh yeah? Nice.

Bianca Green: Yeah, so it’s cool to see people that you know, that come grandfathered into your history. And he’s a wildcard.

Rob Tankson: Yeah he is.

Bianca Green: He’s a fun character, but he’s very passionate about what he believes in and it takes people like that to get the message out on a consistent basis. It’s awesome what you do and your staff is really well-spoken and really kind to the customers. You were so awesome to give us some recommendations at one of the events that we did at the beginning of our tour, and that was really awesome. We had a really great turnout to that. And being able to show people that a business model like yours exists, makes people feel a lot more comfortable about the process. Because it’s really about getting people engaged and saying, “This is the first step as a patient.” And then letting them help navigate it. So your first step is a really good one. You really create a good consumer and customer experience.

Rob Tankson: Thank you.

Bianca Green: Tell me, is there anything that you would tell entrepreneurs trying to get into the tech or medical space that you’ve experienced that was either a victory or a challenge?

Rob Tankson: Sure, obviously a lot of things learned. It’s just one of those things that as an entrepreneur you just kind of have to be ready to do everything. ‘Cause starting off, if you don’t do it, it’s not gonna get done. It’s not really the nine to five mentality. Again, it goes with the if you don’t do it, it’s not gonna get done. It’s really a strong commitment. I think if you stick to it, if it’s working and making sense, then you’ll be able to grow a business. But it comes with a lot of challenges, a lot of learning. I feel like I learned something every day. Ups and downs. I used to go from, “This is the greatest thing in the world!” to “Why the hell am I doing this!” But, I’m definitely glad I stuck with it.

Bianca Green: That’s awesome. Well, you’re creating a really great service and let our audience know exactly where they can find you.

Rob Tankson: Sure, so our website is PrestoDoctor.com. You can also find us on social media @PrestoDoctor.

Bianca Green: Do you have any questions for an audience that you might encourage them to interact with you and see if they can contribute any of their fears or excitement about the process of becoming a medical patient?

Rob Tankson: Sure. Question to the audience is, are you guys cannabis consumers? And then the next question would be, do you have a card? If those that don’t have a card, I’m just curious why you don’t? That’s a question I ask a lot of people, and the answers always really interesting.

Bianca Green: Yeah. Well get your card. Get legal, is what I always tell people, ’cause it’s the first step to protecting yourself when you become a new consumer. Albeit we are in California, Prop 64 did pass, and it is legal. It’s, I think, important even for you if you are a patient, or wanting to be a patient, to get into the realm of understanding the patient experience. So thank you so much Rob for being here with us today, live at the Emerald Cup, on this podcast for Spark the Conversation, sponsored by Ganjapreneur.com.

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. So 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, and we appreciate the fact that they spark the conversation and help ganjapreneurs grow.

End

The U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C. on an autumn day.

Activists Arrested Again at Washington, D.C. Pro-Cannabis Rally

4/25/2017

by TG Branfalt

Members of D.C. Marijuana Justice, a pro-cannabis activist group, held a “smoke-in” yesterday at the Capitol that led to the arrest of at least four supporters, including DCMJ co-founder Adam Eidinger, the Associated Press reports. Eidinger was also one of eight arrested during last week’s Apr. 20 joint giveaway at the Capitol, in which only two were charged.

During the smoke-in, Ricardo Harven had a message for the more than 20 Capitol Police who came to crackdown on the event.

“Congress approved our federal law, it is federally legal [to possess] marijuana in the District of Columbia,” Harvin said, “So remember that as you come in to arrest us.”

Nick Schiller, co-founder of DCMJ, called the arrests “politically motivated” insisting that the protest activities were perfectly legal due to Washington D.C.’s decriminalization laws. Last week’s protest activities included giving cannabis to adults 21-and-older with Congressional identification.

Capitol Police Spokesperson Eva Malecki indicated that the four people charged with possession, two women and two men, were violating federal law. Last week’s protest, which called on lawmakers to remove cannabis from its Schedule 1 federal designation, actually highlighted the disparity between national and state cannabis laws.

Eidinger said the activists are urging lawmakers to reject an amendment introduced by Republican Rep. Andy Harris that would prevent the city from passing local laws to legalize cannabis regulation and sales.

“One of the reasons we are fighting so hard to overturn this Andy Harris rider is because there’s unfinished business here in the nation’s capital,” Eidinger said in a Washington Post report. “Basically, we have legalization without commercialization.”

End

Using a credit card to make an online purchase.

Think Tank: UK Digital-Only Cannabis Sales Model Could Raise £800M

4/25/2017

by TG Branfalt

According to a report by Volte Face, a pro-drug legalization think tank, a regulated digital-only cannabis market in the United Kingdom could raise £800 million (more than USD $102 million) for federal coffers. The report, called The Green Screen, claims that an online-only marketplace would allow for detailed tracking of cannabis sales and provide safeguards to ensure individuals under 21 aren’t able to obtain cannabis via state-controlled online markets.

“We believe that Britain’s multi billion-pound cannabis market should be developed and operated exclusively online by a private sector that is stringently controlled and regulated by democratically elected governments,” the report says, according to a Sky News report.

Mike Power, the author of the report, said that the digital model would prohibit any underage person from making purchases because age and identification would need to be provided before any sales were completed, and that every purchase could be monitored “to make sure that money was going directly in the taxpayers’ pocket.”

“The current situation, any young person with five or ten pounds can come to Camden and buy a bag of cannabis,” Power said in the report. “They can’t go to a supermarket and buy alcohol without having their identity checked and verified.”

Elizabeth Burton-Philips, founder of legalization opposition group DrugFAM, said a legal cannabis market “is just opening up an opportunity for national disaster.”

“It’s absolutely the most irresponsible thing to do,” she said.

Volte Face has been working with Canadian officials on their legalization plans.

End

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