According to a National Institutes of Health report, cannabis could be used to treat sexual dysfunctions in both sexes, including Erectile Dysfunction in men and Sexual Arousal Disorder in women. The study was conducted by researchers from Italy’s University of Catania, and Charles University and Masaryk University in the Czech Republic. The study is published in the Pharmacological Research journal.
According to the abstract, “several contradictory claims regarding the effects of cannabis in sexual functioning and behavior…of both sexes have been accumulated.”
“The identification of Delta 9-THC and later on, the discovery of the [endocannabinoid system] have opened a potential therapeutic target for sexual dysfunctions, given the partial efficacy of current pharmacological treatment,” the abstract states.
“In agreement with the bidirectional modulation induced by cannabinoids on several behavioral responses, the endogenous cannabinoid AEA elicited biphasic effects on sexual behavior as well,” the authors continue. “The present article reviews current available knowledge on herbal, synthetic and endogenous cannabinoids with respect to the modulation of several aspects of sexuality in preclinical and human studies, highlighting their therapeutic potential.”
At least one cannabis-based product, Foria, markets itself as “natural sensual enhancement oil” and was named “Sex Product of the Year” by GQ. A 2015 study, published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs found that college students were more likely to engage in sexual behaviors after using cannabis.
Minnesota’s Department of Health has added post-traumatic stress disorder to the state’s medical cannabis qualifying list, the Associated Pressreports. However, individuals suffering from the condition won’t be able to access the program until August.
The agency also expanded the medical cannabis delivery options, allowing the sales of topical patches, creams and lotions. Smoking or using the full plant is still outlawed.
The Health Department considered adding other conditions to the eligible list, including depression, arthritis, and autism spectrum disorder. But Health Commissioner Ed Ehlinger said there wasn’t enough evidence showing cannabis as an effective therapy for those conditions — which were submitted to the department via public petition.
“PTSD was the only one that really came close to meeting my threshold,” he said in the report. “There’s widespread agreement among medical experts on the need for improving existing PTSD treatments.”
Assistant Health Commissioner Gilbert Acevedo is worried, though, that veterans who use cannabis for PTSD treatment could run into trouble with Veterans Affairs’ or their military benefits. Veterans Affairs’ doctors are not permitted to recommend medical cannabis.
“That’s where the conflict may come in,” he said. “If you work for the VA, you have to follow federal guidelines.”
Ehlinger said that in addition to opening up the program for veterans, the addition of PTSD might also help sexual assault victims, and witnesses of violence.
When voters in California passed Proposition 64 they not only created a legal and regulated cannabis market, but also paved the way for low-level cannabis-related crimes to be expunged from criminal records and for the possible release of individuals incarcerated for drug crimes.
The number of individuals potentially affected by this legislation is unknown, but some reports indicate thousands, maybe tens of thousands of Californians could petition for relief.
In an email, Blaine Corren, public affairs analyst for the Judicial Council of California, indicated that the council does not yet know how many people have petitioned for resentencing or to have their charges dismissed but expected they would have “some data… toward the end of January.”
A Nov. 10 memorandum from the Judicial Branch of California lays out the procedure for any individual considering seeking action under Prop. 64’s criminal reform provisions and the applications — the first step in the process — are posted online.
Who is affected?
The possible relief applies to people convicted of cannabis-related crimes that are now legal under the new California law — which allows individuals 21 and older to purchase, possess, transport, obtain or give away without compensation up to 28.5 grams of flower, or up to 8 grams of “concentrated cannabis, including what is contained in marijuana products.” Under the act, adults 18 and older can also possess, cultivate, harvest and dry up to six cannabis plants in a private residence.
And while possession by juveniles is not decriminalized under the law, harsh penal approaches are replaced by education and community service programs. The first offense is adjudicated as an infraction rather than a misdemeanor and, depending on the defendant’s history, can lead to a penalty of 4 to 10 hours of drug education and up to 60 hours of community service. A second offense is still an infraction carrying 10 hours of drug education or counseling and up to 60 hours of community service to be completed within 90 days. This change could be of huge benefit for juveniles arrested shortly before the law’s passage — their lawyer could have argued for an adjournment until after Election Day because their client could be tried under the new regime, saving them a criminal record.
After a petition is filed with and reviewed by the court, a judge could rule that a petitioner needs a qualification hearing to determine the petition’s merits. The hearing would determine the petitioner’s eligibility for relief and whether resentencing poses an “unreasonable risk to public safety.” A judge could deny the petition based on that risk.
The memo suggests that the petition should be heard by the judge who levied the original sentence, and if that judge is not available they would designate another to rule on the case. Courts are not obligated to act on any case without a petition.
If a defendant is seeking release from jail, the following issues will be examined by the court to determine the petitioner’s qualification: the defendant’s age at the time of the crime; whether it was on school property; the quantity and nature of the substance; interstate trafficking; and original sentence. Other provisions for release are similar to parole considerations, such as a reentry plan and vulnerability of any victims.
In the memo, the authors — retired Placer County Superior Court Judge J. Richard Couzens and Court of Appeals Presiding Justice Tricia A. Bigelow — lay out answers to some of the more complex questions that could arise under the new code; such as the cases for those with so-called “super strike” offenses — such as firearms and violent crime, and registered sex offenders. Those individuals who violate even the new law might be subject to harsher penalties and may not be eligible for expungement of previous cannabis-related charges.
“If the defendant has been convicted of a ‘super strike,’ that fact alone will not disqualify the defendant from seeking resentencing, but the court certainly may consider the existence of the conviction in determining the defendant’s dangerousness,” the memo reads.
A positive loophole
Allison Margolin, a partner at Margolin and Lawrence specializing in criminal defense, said the measure is already having an impact on many of her clients. She saved all of her cannabis-related cases — about 10 — until after the election because those clients would be tried under the new scheme; some would be only fined and charged with a violation, and others faced no penalty at all.
Moreover, Margolin explained, the petition process might “be better than we expected,” because those forms require the petitioner to state the quantity of cannabis they were busted with — something that is not detailed on plea agreements.
“Our original thinking under the Prop was ‘we’ll just reduce that charge,’” she told Ganjapreneur. “Then I looked at the judicial council form.”
Without having quantity information in the original plea, a petitioner could seek to have the entire conviction set aside. According to Margolin, somebody who was charged with a felony under the old rules and is seeking a reduced misdemeanor charge could argue for the charge to be vacated because there is nothing proving the original charge was felonious. The November memo backs up that strategy and does not permit for any evidence outside of the “record of conviction” to be used in considering petitions.
Margolin suggests that “hundreds of thousands” of people arrested since 1960 are likely to be eligible to have their records assessed but that anyone seeking relief should seek private or public council. Corren said that the Judicial Council would “probably keep a close eye” on the number of applications, noting that the time to determine each petition was dependent on the individual case.
Margolin and Lawrence is hosting a “420 Legal Pop Up” Prop. 64 workshop on Dec. 3 in Goleta, California.
New product testing requirements that came into effect October 1 are squeezing Oregon’s cannabis growers and business owners harder than regulators may have expected and is likely to lead to a major decline in the state’s cannabis tax revenue.
“October was a defining, if not catastrophic, month for Oregon’s cannabis industry, which, until then, was growing at a very fast rate,” Portland economist Beau Whitney said in a Nov. 30 news release issued jointly by the Oregon Cannabis Business Council and Whitney Economics. “OHA’s new testing rules, which very few existing operations can presently comply with, virtually crippled the supply chain of adult-use and medical cannabis, from grower to retailer.”
On Nov. 30, Whitney Economics released polling data that shows how Oregon’s cannabis market has deteriorated in recent weeks. Of the 683 cannabis companies that Whitney surveyed, 22 percent said they are going out of business under the new requirements and a large majority are planning employee layoffs.
Unfortunately for Oregon’s cannabis entrepreneurs, a lack of licensed testing facilities has led to both increased wait times, as well as price hikes, for testing procedures that are now mandated by the state, and many companies can’t afford to have their products tested. Furthermore, the survey shows that many of the new testing requirements are so strict that a significant portion of previously-approved products are now failing for containing small traces of prohibited chemicals and/or pesticides.
Resultingly, activity on the unregulated cannabis market has seen a dramatic uptick — as high as $187.5 million on an annualized basis — since the new testing requirements took effect on Oct. 1. This shift in consumer activity is likely a result of both growers turning to the illicit market to offload their now-inadmissible products, and consumers returning to their former black market hookups as dispensary shelves become sparser and product variety deteriorates. In either case, Oregon’s cannabis tax revenue is certain to take a hit, with conservative estimates putting the initial loss at a minimum of $10 million, with potential losses reaching as high as $20 million.
The survey was conducted by Whitney Economics from Nov. 14 to Nov. 30.
Canopy Growth Corp. has agreed to purchase Canadian licensed medical cannabis producer Mettrum Health Corp., in a deal worth more than $320 million, RTTNewsreports. Both companies are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the transaction will be satisfied by the issuance of Canopy Growth common shares.
Under the terms, Mettrum shareholders will be entitled to 0.7132 Canopy Growth shares per common share of Mettrum. The deal must be approved by a court and both companies’ shareholders, after which Mettrum would become a wholly-owned Canopy Growth subsidiary.
The deal would give Canopy Growth six licensed medical cannabis facilities, upping its production footprint to about 665,000 square feet, with expansion possibilities. The company, once combined, would have 39,730 patients, representing nearly half of Canada’s medical cannabis patient base, according to a Financial Postreport.
“From day one, Canopy Growth has viewed production capacity, brand diversity, and highly-skilled management as the foundational aspects of our business,” Bruce Linton, Chairman and CEO of Canopy Growth, said in the Post report. “Their substantial production facilities will add to our growing production platform as we expand to meet the needs of patients, and their experienced personnel will help Canopy Growth drive our vision forward to the next level.”
Earlier this week, Canopy Growth announced an agreement to acquire Germany-based pharmaceutical distributor MedCann.
Aurora Cannabis has broken ground on a cannabis cultivation facility that, once completed, will be 800,000 square feet — as large as 16 football fields, according to a Calgary Sunreport. The facility, known as Aurora Sky, will be capable of producing 100,000 kilograms of cannabis annually.
Steve Dobler, Aurora president, said the design of the greenhouse took one year and that he expects the construction will be completed by October 2017. The company boasts that, once complete, the Leduc County, Edmonton facility will be the largest and most advanced cannabis cultivation site in the world.
“Our objectives are very clear: to build the largest production capacity, with the highest production quality and the lowest production cost,” he said in a press release.
Presently, Aurora operates a 55,000-square-foot facility in Mountain View County, Alberta, which could see its own expansion.
“Our rate of growth, with rapidly increasing demand for Aurora’s high quality cannabis products, clearly justifies our expansion in both Mountain View County and Leduc County,” CEO Terry Booth said.
The new facility will employ a Dutch-designed hybrid greenhouse system, which will allow the company’s cultivation experts to have “precision control over all critical environmental variables,” the company said in the release. The pre-engineered part of the structure has been underway in the Netherlands since October.
Trading for the first cannabis-related company to gain approval from the New York Stock Exchange has been delayed, according to a Forbesreport. Innovative Industrial Properties, a real estate investment trust, planned to raise $175 million through an initial public offering but dropped that goal to $100 million. They also cut their number of shares, priced at $20 per share, from 8.75 million to 4 million.
The company plans on buying facilities for cannabis cultivation and collecting the rent. A $30 million deal to buy PharmaCann’s 127,000 square-foot New York facility and rent it back to them is expected to close within months.
The company planned to begin trading last week under the symbol IIPR, but made two updates to the filing before the delay. The first announced that management might forfeit their zero-cost basis shares, and the second confirmed that they would do just that. Initially, the 5-person management team would have gotten 15 percent of the trust without using their own money.
That zero-cost plan could be one reason the IPO has, so far, failed to gain traction among investors; another possibility could be because the company does not yet own any properties. However, it could also be due to the election of Donald Trump and the naming of Republican Sen. Jeff Session as the potential Attorney General.
A two-acre patch in Desert Hot Springs, California will soon be host to a 22,000 square-foot greenhouse capable of producing 6,000 pounds of cannabis per year, according to an Independentreport. In 2014, the town became the first in Southern California to legalize large-scale cannabis cultivation.
Jason Elsasser, owner of CV Pharms, hopes the facility, which will include SoCal’s first stand-alone extraction facility, will help turn the city into a “Mecca for cannabis.” The former property manager, who also serves as president of the Cultivation Alliance Network, got into the industry in 2008 after the economy crashed, leaving him close to bankruptcy.
“I had a contract with Bank of America to pick up foreclosures, and there was a guy growing pot at one of the places I went to foreclose,” he said in the report. “I ended up giving the guy extra time because he needed time to harvest his crop, and he told me I ought to start using my properties to grow marijuana.”
Elasser also envisions the town, known for its mineral spas, could become a hot-spot for cannabis tourism and he anticipates it will become home to ‘bud and breakfasts’ and ‘soak and toke’ businesses.
Desert Hot Springs Mayor Scott Matas said there are about 50 cannabis cultivation projects in various stages of development. Companies and growers pay an annual tax of $24 per square foot of cultivation space for the first 3,000 square feet and $10 per square foot after that. At least 20 percent of the businesses workforce must be local.
Vacant roadside lots in Desert Hot Springs such as Elasser’s used to run about $60,000, now some are going for ten times that amount, he said.
The business relationship between the cannabis and alcohol industries remains strained and detached. In states permitting adult use, the sectors’ overlap is only provided by the state boards that regulate both; however, nowhere are the two legally bought, sold, or consumed at the same location.
Big Alcohol and prohibition
During the previous election cycle, the alcohol industry bankrolled anti-legalization campaigns in both Massachusetts and Arizona. The Beer Distributors PAC donated $25,000 to the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy Massachusetts, and the Arizona Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America donated $10,000 anti-legalization Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy. Moreover, in May, the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America paid for an ad in Politico’s daily Congressional newsletter Huddle, asking lawmakers to fully fund Section 4008 of the FAST Act, which would force a study on “marijuana impaired driving.”
So it surprised many when Rob Sands, CEO of Constellation Brands — an alcohol distributor — indicated the company would consider adding cannabis-infused beverages to their portfolio.
A flight of beer samplers for taste-testing the options at a local brewery. Photo Credit: Diva Thakur
Combining alcohol with CBD
The recreational link between alcohol and cannabis is culturally engrained — ask anybody that partied in college (or has attended a festival, concert, backyard, etc.) whether they used both substances and whether or not they used them together.
Research into the interactions between CBD and alcohol dates back to 1979, when Paul Consroe, PhD published in the journal of Psychopharmacology, “The combination of alcohol plus CBD resulted in significantly lower blood alcohol levels compared to alcohol given alone.” More than 30 years later another study, published in the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine, concluded CBD prevented acute alcohol-induced liver steatosis in mice. The disease is marked by an increased buildup of fat in the liver — it cannot be cured and afflicts more than 3 million people annually, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Bruce Milligan, Mobius Beverage Corporation CEO, has worked in both industries. Mobius got its start importing tequila from Mexico, and tequila and cannabis have an interesting history. “For a long time in Mexico it was tradition, to put cannabis into [tequila] as a way of preserving your harvest of cannabis,” Milligan explained. The company is now in the early stages of a cannabis-based product that would be added to spirits, which would be sold in dispensaries.
However, it wasn’t that historical relationship that led Milligan to develop a cannabis product for use with alcohol — it was the aforementioned Free Radical Biology and Medicine study.
“As I got further into it I found cannabis was also a neuroprotectant and I thought ‘well alcohol messes up your liver and brain’ so why not put a simple additive to it and make it safer,” he said. Milligan anticipates that as the relationship between CBD and alcohol in humans is further researched, it could become clear that adding CBD to alcohol will help reduce much of its harm.
Anecdotally, Milligan said, he has found that when people use CBD with booze, “people drink less” — which, he suggests, might be why Big Alcohol poured money into anti-legalization campaigns. Additionally, he pointed to several studies that have shown cannabis to be an effective therapy for individuals trying to kick more harmful drugs, including alcohol and opiates.
A cannabis worker in Washington state inspects recently trimmed product. Photo Credit: Rory Savatgy
Federal distribution laws
But there’s more stopping Big Alcohol from entering the market than their desire to protect their bottom line. The disconnect between federal and state drug laws would prevent a company such as Constellation from distributing cannabis-infused spirits. Even distributing state-by-state would be “a pretty hard lift,” Milligan said, because once you cross state lines with a cannabis product, even from one legal state to another, it’s considered drug trafficking by the feds.
Alcohol distributors are regulated by the U.S. Treasury’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Trade Bureau, who could choose to revoke or suspend the license of any alcohol business that started distributing cannabis products. An alcohol distributor could, however, create a new company and apply for a distribution license. The three-tiered distribution system of California’s Proposition 646 is modeled after the one already in place for alcohol – and there is no reason not to expect that alcohol distributors aren’t going to try to cash in on being the middleman.
In a Politicoreport, Hezekiah Allen, executive director of the California Growers Association, said that advocates “made some challenging compromises” with the Adult Use of Marijuana Act and the distributor model was “the most challenging.”
“There’s going to be big business in this industry, we can’t keep it out,” he said. “[With this model], we can put all the distributors in the Big Business box and we keep the boutique businesses for ourselves. Yeah, this is big money, big business, but it’s contained.”
Regulatory pushback
It’s worth noting that regulators are in no hurry to close the alcohol-cannabis gap — after Denver’s social use initiative recently declared victory, it took less than a week for the Colorado Revenue Department to ban cannabis from businesses that hold a liquor license. Bans in Maine and Alaska, whose laws permit for so-called cannabis clubs, could follow (comment requests from regulators in both states went unanswered).
Business owners, advocates, and enthusiasts alike are rightfully concerned about Big Alcohol getting into the cannabis space — the industry spent tens of thousands seeking to maintain the status quo and, according to Milligan, it’s taken “entrepreneurs putting their risks, passions, and intelligence on the line” to mold the multi-billion dollar cannabis industry. But Big Alcohol, for now, is more likely to continue funding prohibitionist efforts than they are to prioritize entrance into the cannabis space.
The lower house of Ireland’s legislature is expected to pass a medical cannabis bill, which would regulate the sale, labeling, advertising and marketing of the plant and related products, according to an Irish Timesreport. The bill will be debated on Thursday, but reportedly already has the support of up to 90 of the 158 house members.
If passed, the measure would move to the health committee of the higher house, where it could be amended before moving to the floor for debate and a vote. Minister of Health Simon Harris is also expected to recommend changes to the law once he receives a report from the Health Products Regulatory Authority, which is expected by the end of January. Sinn Féin, an Irish Republican party who to support the bill, plans to request that the HRPA oversees the program rather than establishing new agencies.
Minister of State with responsibility for the National Drugs Strategy Catherine Byrne indicated support for a tightly regulated regime.
“I wouldn’t want people to think we are legalizing cannabis, which is something I’d be totally against,” she said in the report. “We don’t want to see cannabis available on prescription and then being dealt on the streets.”
The legislation was introduced by People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny and has secured support from the Social Democrats, Green, Fianna Fáil, Anti-Austerity Alliance, Labour, Independents4Change parties, and independent lawmakers. Supporters have also proposed the creation of a Cannabis Research Institute which would publish cannabis-related research.
A clinical trial using cannabis to treat children with severe epilepsy is set to begin at Toronto’s Children’s Hospital next year, according to a CBCreport. The study will enroll 20 patients aged one to 18 diagnosed with Dravet syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy that starts in infancy.
The trial, a first in Canada, will test an oral compound that contains both THC and CBD. Research and anecdotal reports have purported that medical cannabis has anticonvulsant properties and epilepsy conditions are approved under every medical cannabis program in the U.S. However — according to Dr. Blathnaid McCoy, a pediatric neurologist who will lead the trials — while research has shown CBD products to be effective in reducing seizures there has not been a rigorous study examining the combination of CBD and THC.
“It varies massively, but [children with] Dravet syndrome often have multiple seizures every day and they can have quite prolonged seizures,” McCoy said in the report. “Certainly when the epilepsy is difficult to control and very treatment-resistant from early on, they can have catastrophic outcomes in terms of their development.”
The clinical products will be supplied by Tilray, a British Columbia-based medical cannabis producer. Catherine Jacobson, Tilray director of clinical research, said the need to develop new medications for children suffering from the “devastating” disease is “very high.”
More than 40 anticonvulsant medications are approved for use in Canada, but 30 percent of patients with severe epilepsy are unable to get relief from any of those conventional drugs.
Rapper Master P, real name Percy Miller, is releasing his own brand of legal cannabis and vape products called Master P’s Trees, according to a report from XXL. The line will include flower and edibles in addition to a “liquid gold” oil line which is produced with edible-grade, preservative-free oil.
“Pioneering the vape movement is what Master P’s Trees is all about. We don’t just want to promote the cannabis industry, we want to shape it in the direction of health, and to promote its health and healing aspects,” he said in a press release. “It’s a forest fire up in here, and Master P’s Trees are blazing the way.”
The liquid gold products include flavor options Sweet Tea, Peach Cobbler, Red Velvet, Irish Apple, Coolaide and Chocolate Beignet. The flower product is branded Master P OG and the disposable pen cartridges line is called “liquid blunts.”
“For as long as I can remember, cannabis has been around helping medical patients, and now it’s a legal lifestyle,” Miller said. “I’m happy to be an innovator in this movement and to offer a healthier option with our edible grade oils.”
Product distribution is expected to coincide with a tour featuring Master P and other artists from his No Limit label. Master P, a New Orleans native, organized and will appear at the iHeart Benefit Fest, a charity concert to benefit Louisiana flood victims, on Feb. 18.
Seantrel Henderson’s 10-game suspension for violating the National Football League’s substance abuse policy has been upheld by the league, according to a CBSreport. The Buffalo Bills offensive tackle was banned for testing positive for cannabis, which he was prescribed to treat his Crohn’s disease. Henderson underwent two surgeries on his intestines to treat the disease during the last offseason.
This is the second suspension this season for Henderson, having already served a four-game suspension for the same infraction. He is set to miss the final five games of this year’s regular season and the first five games of the 2017/2018 regular season if the Bills miss the playoffs this year. According to an NFL spokesman, he will be eligible to participate in all offseason and preseason practices and games.
“The league has notified us of the suspension and we are moving forward with our preparations to play the Oakland Raiders this Sunday,” the Buffalo Bills said in a statement.
According to previous reports, Henderson’s agent Brian Fettner indicated the tackle would consider suing the league if the suspension was upheld.
“His situation is unique, but the drug policy doesn’t line up with the uniqueness. It’s disappointing,” Fettner said in a Democrat & Chroniclereport following the decision. “They’ll give you painkillers by the bottle, which are far, far worse than cannabis. For some reason, the NFL isn’t there yet.”
Henderson was also suspended for cannabis use in college before his Crohn’s diagnosis.
The Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission has awarded preliminary dispensary licenses to 102 dispensaries after receiving 882 license applications, according to a WBAL-TVreport. During a commission meeting, officials also said they were in the process of hiring a diversity consultant to address the lack of diversity claims in the licensing process.
“The commission is in the process and plans to hire an expert consultant who specializes in minority business affairs to do a disparity evaluation and provide future guidance on minority business enterprise initiatives and make recommendations to the commission,” Patrick Jameson, executive director of the commission, said in the report.
The addition of the diversity consultant follows allegations by members of the Black Legislative Caucus that the commission failed to follow the diversity requirements in the law and a lawsuit by Alternative Medicine Maryland — a minority-owned Annapolis-based company — claiming that the commission “ignored race and ethnicity throughout the licensing process in clear contravention of its authorizing statute.”
The agency has met with members of the Black Legislative Caucus and the Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs to discuss the concerns of stakeholders. Additionally, members have asked licensees for their input on a comprehensive diversity plan.
Commissioner Paul Davies admits that the program has been delayed, but does not attribute it to the backlash from the preliminary licensing process — which drew another lawsuit from two companies that were denied a license after the commission reshuffled the application ranking to meet geographic diversity requirements in the medical cannabis law. Instead, Davies said the delay was caused by the program’s early success.
“This program has had more applications that we are aware of than any other state in the country,” he said.
The names of the dispensaries awarded preliminary licenses will be announced on Dec. 9.
We caught up with Matthias recently to talk about his entrepreneurial journey and experience serving the cannabis industry. You can read his responses below, wherein he explains the reasons, science, and strategies behind using CO2 as an extraction solvent. Matthias also explains the planning and early creation stages for the PSICO2 systems, the moment he identified how his hard work would fulfill a special cannabis industry niche, as well as some of the operating specifics of the PSICO2 extractors.
Read the full interview below:
What was your career before founding Paradigm Supercritical?
The journey that led to founding Paradigm Supercritical was within the Cannabis industry. I started working in cultivation around 2010 and seasonally as an assistant oenologist for Eugene Wine Cellars. While working within the cannabis industry, it was suggested that I look into CO2 to see if I could develop something that would work for cannabis. That is when I began researching and developing my first systems. It was a side project at the time but, when I finally had a working model I realized I had developed something special. I then applied for a patent and started taking steps to make the system available to the industry.
How does CO2 work as a solvent for extracting oils?
Normally we experience CO2 as a gas such as when we exhale or as emissions from our vehicles. When CO2 is pressurized it becomes a liquid. Then, if pressure increases enough and heat is added, the CO2 wants to boil and turn back into a gas but cannot because of the pressure. This allows the CO2 to act as a liquid solvent that permeates plant material like a gas.
How are most CO2 extracts consumed?
A typical CO2 system produces low-quality extracts that contain impurities (when compared with PSICO2 extraction methods). These extracts are most often used in vape pens or edible concentrates. The impure extracts require additional processing with ethanol, then emulsifiers must be added to prepare them for vape pens. Unfortunately, this purification method is often undocumented and not mentioned on labeling. Unknowing consumers reading labels proclaiming, ”solvent-less”, “solvent-free”, or “pure CO2 oil” assume that only CO2 was used in the process. Paradigm Supercritical Innovations’ PSICO2 extraction systems are the first systems to produce highly pure extracts that are ready to use without an ethanol post process.
What can you produce with a PSICO2 extraction system?
Our systems provide a range of flavorful, brilliantly colored, truly solvent-free extracts. When using a PSICO2 extractor there is no need to refine the extract. The most common and easily produced product is CO2 shatter. To perform this method, simply place the pure PSICO2 extract into a vacuum oven and let it melt into form. PSICO2 extracts are great for use in edibles, tinctures, and vape pens. Rather than extracts starting with a concentration of 35% from other systems, PSICO2 extracts have concentrations as high as 80% cannabinoids.
How long does it take to complete an extraction on a PSICO2 system?
Paradigm Supercritical Innovations’ dual chamber design allows for continuous operation. While one chamber is being emptied and reloaded, the next chamber is introduced into the process. There is no need to shut down the system to change from processing one chamber to the next. We have two basic designs; THE BANDIT is a 3 liter(L) system and THE REBEL is a 5L system. On the Rebel, each pound of trim takes around an hour to process. Each of the 2.5L chambers takes about 1.5-2 hours depending on the quality of the source material. On the Bandit each pound of material takes about two hours to process. Each of the 1.5L chambers takes about 1.5 hours to complete. We also offer multi-unit systems that will allow for double, triple, or quadruple the processing capacity without added labor costs.
How many people do you have on your team?
We are a small but growing company. To be honest I would have to include all the local businesses that help our company get the materials we need. We have a sales team of three, and assembly team of three and three administrators. For all of our other needs we rely on the expertise within our community. Whenever possible we support our local economy. Our machinists, parts and equipment suppliers, HVAC and refrigeration suppliers, and a whole range of independent contractors for other technical needs are locally sourced. We hope that those businesses realize they’re a part of the community we’re trying to build.
Can you speak more about CO2 extracts needing to be winterized or purified with ethanol in order to remove the impurities?
Purification by way of ethanol winterization is the most common method for refining extracts made on other systems. This method takes over 72 hours to complete, leaving you with a costly 30-40% loss of product. Additionally, equipment used for ethanol winterization can have costs starting as high as $30,000.00. On extracts from a PSICO2 system, there are no additional purification or winterization processes needed. With a PSICO2 system, the only time ethanol is used is for the purpose of minimizing waste and maximizing returns. There are three basic ways: To use ethanol as a rinse to capture cannabinoids still left in the CO2 processed trim. To clean the equipment, recouping residual cannabinoids left inside the system. Finally, to polish extracts that are made from compromised or damaged trim.
What are the benefits of extracting with one of your systems?
With a PSICO2 system, you get the benefits of using a safe solvent while still producing the highest quality CO2 extracts on the market. PSICO2 processing is considered a green process. CO2 used in a PSICO2 extraction system is captured from industrial processes, which would normally be released into the atmosphere. This means that extracting cannabinoids with CO2 as a solvent minimizes your business’ carbon footprint. The CO2 that you use for extraction processing can be emptied into grow room tanks and then fed to your plants, completing the CO2 cycle. CO2 is cheap, therefore, your overall cost of operation is lower than with other solvent choices. It’s one of the greenest choices among the solvents that are available. PSICO2 systems are developed for the demands of the industry and our family of customers has helped to shape the design. PSICO2 systems save time and money by reducing downtime with continuous operation, obtaining the maximum concentrations of cannabinoids for extracts, and eliminating large additional expenses and labor of winterization.
Can anyone use the PSICO2 systems?
We can train anyone. When you purchase a PSICO2 system from Paradigm Supercritical Innovations, training is included. We take our customers through a comprehensive two-day training process where they learn how to run the system, how to set the best parameters for the ideal extraction, and system maintenance and cleaning to ensure optimal performance. We have a growing community of customers that share and offer feedback, and the trade secrets they share with us are an advantage for PSICO2 family members. We also offer more in-depth consultation for any lab set-up or post process production needs. We teach techniques that allow our customers to have the information they need in order to produce the best extracts.
What kind of customer service do you offer?
When you purchase a PSICO2 system from Paradigm Supercritical Innovations you are gaining new friends and family. We believe that the network of caring people and their families appreciate sharing advice and opinions with others in the industry. We feel that this is one of the things that has made the industry so great. We take this to heart and treat you like family. We provide 24-hour tech support. If our phone rings, someone is there to answer. We offer equipment maintenance packages to ensure minimal downtime and provide initial lab setup advice, as well as individualized consultation packages.
Where do you see Paradigm Supercritical ten years from now?
I want all of the industry to know us as the company that kept CO2 affordable to those that built the industry. We want to provide systems that allow them to continue to grow with the industry. While big business entering the industry to make a buck spend exorbitant amounts of money for technology that doesn’t work well, our customers will have a system that cost less, extracts better and eliminates the need for post-processing time and equipment. Our technology allows for such a superior extraction that it is my dream that people began to look specifically for PSICO2 extracted products.
How do you order a PSICO2 extraction system?
Give us a call at 1-866-CO2-5678 (262-5678), or use the Contact Us form on our website. PSICO2 systems can take 4-6 weeks to build. After completing a purchase agreement, our team will be with you every step of the way. We offer turn-key options, can source all of your ancillary equipment needs, and offer consultation for post processing programs. Financing is available. For more information visit psico2extractors.com
If you could offer one piece of advice to someone starting a career ancillary to cannabis, what would it be?
There is still a negative stigma surrounding cannabis, you have to be careful when marketing to the industry. You have to be prepared for what that brings. From banks, property leasing, to shipping, it is scrutinized more when it is related to cannabis. Even though you may be an ancillary company you will be treated as if you are directly involved with the production, manufacturing, and distribution of cannabis, that can be hard to deal with. Aside from getting tax relief for your business, many organizations will be unwilling to do business with you, and you are best to just consider yourself a cannabis business and implement the appropriate precautions.
Thanks again, Matthias, for answering our questions and sharing your experience with our audience! To learn more about Paradigm Supercritical Innovations, visit the company’s website psico2extractor.com or call 1-866-262-5678.
Dr. Hunter S. Thompson’s widow, Anita Thompson, plans to develop “Gonzo” brand cannabis using six strains that the late author actually smoked, according to an Aspen Timesreport. The decision comes after Thompson bought the Owl Farm property in Aspen, Colorado, granting her exclusive rights to the counter culture icon’s likeness and the “Gonzo” two-thumbed fist logo.
Thompson is working with an unnamed Colorado cannabis company to grow the strains, which were favored by the Godfather of Gonzo.
“Since it became legal I get approached probably once a month by cannabis growers, dispensaries,” Thompson said in the report. “I’ve had probably 10 meetings in the last three years and I always ended up saying ‘No’ because it’s the same story every time: somebody wants to slap Hunter’s name on their strain.”
She indicated that she was also worried about getting into the cannabis industry because her main focus was preserving and promoting the author’s literary legacy, rather than his hard-partying lifestyle. Thompson is famously quoted saying, “I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they’ve always worked for me.”
“For 10 years we were always careful to steer the conversation back to Hunter’s work,” she said. “Because it was never guaranteed that Hunter’s work would be appreciated into this generation.”
Israel’s Teva Pharmaceutical Industries will market the world’s first cannabis inhaler able to deliver flower at the precision and safety of conventional drugs, according to a Jerusalem Postreport. The inhaler, currently only used for pain management at the Rambam Medical Center, was developed by Tel Aviv-based Syqe Medical.
“Teva Israel is entering the field of medical cannabis out of a deep commitment to patients coping with pain, which is one of the company’s core therapeutic areas,” Avinoam Sapir, Teva CEO, said in the report.
The inhaler was in development for more than five years, using 3D printing technology made by Stratsys. It allows for the delivery of raw plants, the control of airflow and temperature, and includes a mechanism to enhance absorption and compliance.
Elon Eisenberg, director of pain research at Rambam Medical Center and the former director of the Health Ministry, said the device allows health professionals to better estimate the amount of cannabis administered via vaporization and smoking, which he called “the main problem facing doctors and researchers.”
“The ability to do so forms the basis for administering proper treatment,” he said. “The development of this inhaler fulfills our greatest hopes to be able to administer accurate and reliable doses of cannabis.”
Currently, there are about 26,000 licensed medical cannabis patients in Israel. That number is expected to double by 2018.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article’s headline incorrectly stated that this was the first-ever medical cannabis inhaler. The headline was updated on 11/30/2016.
HempMeds Mexico, a subsidiary of California-based Medical Marijuana, Inc. is set to export its Real Scientific Hemp Oil to Colombia, the company announced in a press release. HempMeds is currently the only company with approval from the nation’s Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanity Risk (COFEPRIS) to import a cannabis product into the country.
Dr. Stuart Titus, Medical Marijuana, Inc. CEO, said the deal will help nurture new markets in Colombia, where the company hopes to eventually open local operations and work with federal regulatory agencies to build advanced distribution channels.
“Here in the United States, we are able to get access to RSHO and other cannabidiol products online; however, residents of other countries are not as fortunate due to regulatory issues with cannabis-based products,” he said in the release. “We are very excited that Colombians will now have access to all of the benefits of CBD.”
Representatives from HempMeds attended Expo Mede Weed 2016 in Medellin, Colombia, where they received the first product order from federal officials. Dion Markgraff, president of HempMeds, said their exhibition at the expo “gave Colombians the opportunity to explore and interact” with different cannabis companies and to learn from industry experts across the globe.
HempMeds will make a substantial donation of product to doctors and some low-income patients after Colombian government approval.
South Africa’s Parliament has announced that the Department of Health will begin regulating medicinal cannabis for a variety of chronic conditions for which traditional treatment options have failed or have intolerable side effects, the Ladysmith Gazettereports.
The decision comes after two years of deliberations and the death of MP Dr. Mario Oriani-Ambrosini, who introduced the bill during his own battle with terminal cancer. The bill was reintroduced by MP Narend Singh following the death of his colleague in 2014.
“This heralds a great step forward for public access and research into the use of medicinal cannabis,” Singh said in the report. “What matters now is that the Department ensures that access to medicinal cannabis will not be restricted to the rich, but that anyone who needs it will be able to afford it, and get it.”
Severe chronic pain, HIV/AIDS, wasting syndrome, epileptic seizures, severe muscle spasms, and other conditions related to cancer and cancer treatments are among the conditions that will be considered for medical cannabis use.
The Health Department expects to begin accepting public comment and to have regulatory framework for the program by the end of January 2017. It could be implemented by April.
About 2,000 people jailed in California for marijuana crimes are likely to be freed under Proposition 64, with thousands and possibly tens of thousands more potentially able to clear their criminal record of marijuana-related charges, according to a San Francisco Chroniclereport.
The referendum not only legalized cannabis for adult use but also provided for the retroactive expungement of most marijuana-related convictions. According to the state attorney general’s office, California police made 8,866 arrests in 2015 for felony possession, sale, transportation and cultivation; 7,987 of those arrested were adults and 879 were juveniles.
San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe expects police to arrest and cite fewer people under the new regime because it won’t be worth the paperwork and man hours. He said it “will be common” for county jails to start releasing defendants charged with marijuana-related crimes who could not post bail because most of them have already served more time than they would if convicted of what is now considered a misdemeanor.
The number of people in California with previous marijuana convictions is unknown, but it is estimated in the hundreds of thousands — many of whom are low-income Black people who in 2010, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, were more than twice as likely to be arrested for possession in the state.
The California Judicial Council has already posted the forms for anyone seeking to expunge or seal their record, and people currently awaiting trial can ask for a sentence or charge reduction in-person at their next court date.
Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson is facing a 10-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse police for the third time over his cannabis use, according to a report from the Sporting News. Henderson uses cannabis to manage the pain from Crohn’s disease and has already served a four-game suspension this season for a similar violation.
“He needs cannabis,” an unnamed source said in the report. “You can’t take pain killers with the way his intestines are.”
Henderson has used cannabis since his college days — which was known by NFL team owners, causing his draft stock to fall, according to the report. He has appealed the suspension and a decision is expected this week.
Following Henderson’s first suspension this year, his agent Brian Fettner said, “There is zero allowable medical exemption for this per the NFL; however, there clearly should be.” The tackle is considering suing the league if his 10-game suspension is upheld.
According to an ESPN survey of active NFL players earlier this month, 61 percent said they believed fewer players would take pain-killing shots if they were allowed to use medical cannabis; 41 percent said cannabis would be more effective at controlling pain than opioid-based drugs.
The Player’s Association has also convened a committee comprised of science and medical experts to explore the use of cannabis as an alternative pain management therapy to opioid drugs. According to NFL insider Ian Rappaport, at least 10 of the league’s 32 team owners indicated a “groundswell” of support by principals to ease cannabis-related punishments. However, the league remains officially against any cannabis policy changes.
Iowa’s limited medical cannabis program is set to expire in July, but advocates, along with some state lawmakers, see the sunset as an opportunity to rewrite a comprehensive set of rules for the program when the session reconvenes in January, the Des Moines Registerreports. Under the current law, passed in 2014, medical cannabis oil use is allowed in the state but only for the treatment of epilepsy; however, a separate law bars the manufacture and distribution of the oil, essentially making it illegal for patients to obtain it.
Republican State Rep. Clel Baudler plans on introducing a bill that would permit both production and distribution of cannabis oil in the state, which has previously been opposed by other members of his party.
“Last year there was a hodgepodge of panic, if you will, in my caucus to do something. Well if we’re going to do something, let’s do something smart,” Baudler said in the report. “If these people want it grown in Iowa, processed in Iowa, I think we can make that happen.”
A bill by Republican Rep. Peter Cownie attempted to address this issue during last session, introducing a bill that would have allowed cannabis oil production and distribution in Iowa. That bill was blocked by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Tom Sands, a Republican.
But with the expiration date closing in, Democratic Rep. John Forbes said the legislature is now “under the gun.”
“The people that are currently accessing the medication will be breaking Iowa law as of July 1, and we can’t allow that to happen,” he said.
Baudler’s proposal would allow individuals to obtain a permit to cultivate cannabis with THC content of less than 3.5 percent but does not expand the conditions that qualify for medical cannabis treatment.
“Somebody smarter than me would have to tell us which disease or condition medical marijuana extract could be used for,” he said. “Don’t tell me, ‘Well I’ve seen it on the Internet.’ I’ve seen horses talk and nuns fly on the Internet.”
Republican Gov. Terry Brandstad said he would “keep an open mind” on allowing for the production and distribution of cannabis oil in the state if “unintended consequences” are limited.
Canopy Growth Corporation has agreed to acquire MedCann GmbH Pharma and Nutraceuticals, the company announced in a press release. MedCann is a Germany-based pharmaceutical distributor who has successfully placed Tweed-branded medical cannabis products in German pharmacies. Tweed is one of Canopy Growth’s core brands.
Bruce Linton, Canopy CEO and Chairman, said the acquisition positions the company for “domestic medical production inside Germany if the regulatory environment shifts.”
“Germany has begun a process of enabling medical access to cannabis and through a policy that recognized Canopy as the first legal supply source from North America,” he said in the release. Germany’s federal government requires that imported medical cannabis products come from companies that produce consistent strains with reliable cannabinoid profiles.
“Germans need access to high-quality cannabis and Tweed’s products are proving to be up to the very strict standards set by the federal government,” Dr. Pierre Debs, founder of Medcann, said in the release. “Working together as one team will allow Canopy Growth through Tweed, Tweed Farms, and future production sites to supply the unmet demand that has been building over the past decade.”
German law does not permit medical cannabis cultivation in the nation and currently all products are imported from Canada – the home country of Canopy – and Holland.
The Toronto Stock Exchange must approve of the deal before it is finalized.
OrganiGram Holdings is partnering with the “Trailer Park Boys” to develop branding and packaging for cannabis products aimed at Canada’s recreational users, the Canadian Pressreports. The move is in anticipation of the federal government legalizing cannabis throughout the country in the spring.
“We remain firmly committed to producing and supplying world-class cannabis for our increasing patient base; and we plan on maintaining that commitment in the future at OrganiGram,” Ray Gracewood, chief commercial officer for OrganiGram, said in a press release. “But we also need to be strategic about the opportunities that will be afforded to us with the advent of recreational use in Canada.”
Louis Thomas, president of Sonic Entertainment Group who represented TPB Productions Limited in the deal, said they had been “monitoring closely” how they would enter the cannabis space and found a good fit with OrganiGram.
TPB Productions is indirectly controlled by “Trailer Park Boys” actors Mike Smith, Robb Wells, and John Paul Tremblay — the trio play the series’ main characters “Bubbles,” “Ricky,” and “Julian,” respectively.
The terms of the initial five-year deal were not disclosed but include exclusive product and branding rights in exchange for royalties and other non-monetary considerations.
