Cannabis concentrate created and sold by a licensed Washington producer.

Aurora Cannabis Approved to Sell Extracts Under Health Canada MMJ Program

1/23/2017

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Aurora Cannabis has been granted a license to distribute cannabis extracts by Health Canada nearly one year after securing its production license, the company announced in a press release. Since then, Aurora has “dedicated a portion of its production output towards the stockpiling of cannabis oils and concentrates” in anticipation of the distribution license.

The license will allow the company to expand their product line for patients and offer prescribing physicians “a high-quality alternative to inhaled products,” Aurora CEO Terry Booth said, adding that the company has made “key capital investments” that enable the firm to deploy their “differentiating extraction methods.”

“With the combined capacity from our existing production site, as well as from our planned 800,000 square foot Aurora Sky facility now under construction at Edmonton International Airport, we believe Aurora is well positioned to become one of the largest producers and distributors of cannabis oil products, which remains a key element of our developing business strategy,” he said in the release.

Aurora uses supercritical CO2 fluid solvent-free extraction techniques to create their extracts.

According to the release, the company has also recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Radient Technologies to evaluate an exclusive partnership for joint development and commercialization of cannabinoid extracts for the Canadian Market.

Last week, Aurora announced they had surpassed 12,000 active registered patients, less than one year after their first product sale.

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Beach view in Uruguay, the first country to legalize recreational cannabis.

Delays in Uruguay’s Legalization Regime Allowing Trafficking to Remain Lucrative

1/23/2017

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Delays in the rollout of Uruguay’s cannabis legalization program has enabled the illegal cannabis trade to remain lucrative, with seven out of every 10 cannabis consumers purchasing products on the informal market, according to a report by Insight Crime. Legal sales were supposed to begin last July but were pushed back due, in part, to security concerns by some small business owners.

Under the regime, announced by then-President José Mujica in 2012, home-growing is allowed which is keeping some consumers away from the illegal trade. The law was designed to undercut drug trafficking profits and keep regular users from so-called “street selling points” where products are often tainted with harmful substances. It was set to be implemented in December 2013 but pharmacy owners who would sell the drug expressed concern that doing so would make them targets for the cartels.

“The law is okay; but have we done all this just to combat drug trafficking?” Alejandro Antalif, vice president of the Uruguayan Center for Pharmacies asked in the report. “If that’s the aim, I think that home growing and the membership clubs are useful, but [selling in pharmacies] is exposing a sector in which 90 percent of the workers are women.”

Uruguayan President Tabaré Vázquez, an oncologist, has expressed support for the law — which sets the cannabis price at $1.17 per gram — and insists he is not the reason for the delays.

Juan Baz, a member of the Foundation for the Study of Cannabis in Uruguay, said that despite the setbacks, the law is already working, explaining that illegal cannabis sales in the nation were already down in 2015.

“When the consumer shifts toward home cultivation and pharmacy sales, [trafficking] ceases to be a business,” he said.

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Washington Bill Aims to Reduce, Eliminate I-502 Possession and Transfer Penalties

1/23/2017

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Democratic representatives in Washington State have introduced legislation that would reduce the person-to-person, or “delivery,” and possession without packaging penalties under the I-502 regime, which currently provide for a class C felony charge.

Under the current law, any exchange of cannabis – including those without remuneration – not completed through a state-sponsored establishment remains illegal, despite voters approving the adult-use initiative in 2012.

The bill, sponsored by Reps. Steve Kirby and Mia Gregerson, would reduce those penalties to class 2 civil infractions if the person is in possession of less than 7 grams of concentrates that is “not accompanied by packaging showing that the [concentrates] were not purchased from a marijuana retailer.” If a person possesses more than 7 grams but less than 14 grams without the appropriate packaging, the new charge would be a misdemeanor. The felony charge would remain for those possessing more than 14 grams of concentrates without the appropriate packaging.

Under the proposal, charges are also reduced to misdemeanor for “possession of marijuana, useable marijuana, marijuana-infused products, or marijuana concentrates in excess of the statutory limits, but not in excess of two times the statutory limits;” possessing more than 15 cannabis plants; and possessing cannabis under 21-years-old.

Additionally, the law would allow delivery of up to a half ounce of cannabis, 8 ounces of infused products in solid form, 36 ounces of infused products in liquid form, and 3.5 grams of purchased cannabis concentrates from person-to-person provided both are older than 21. Sales penalties for up to one-half ounce of cannabis, 8 ounces of solid-form infused products, 36 ounces of liquid-form products, and 3.5 grams of legally-purchased concentrates are reduced to misdemeanors under the proposal.

If passed the bill would take effect 90 days after the conclusion of the session during which it is passed. It will be sent to the House Committee on Commerce and Gaming.

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Wide-angle view of Sydney, Australia from the water.

TW Holdings Takeover of AusCann Latest in Australian MMJ Industry Shakeups

1/23/2017

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Australia’s TW Holdings has completed its acquisition of AusCann Group Holdings, the latest shakeup in the nation’s legal medical cannabis industry, bolstering the Canopy Growth Corp. family of companies.

According to a Proactive Investors report, TW Holdings will be rebranded AusCann Group Holdings as part of the reverse takeover; their Australian Securities Exchange symbol will be changed to AC8 and shares are expected to be reinstated to trading next month.

The Canopy Group family now includes AusCann Group, Tweed, Bedrocan, Cann Science, DNA Genetics, and Chilean medical cannabis cultivator Fundación Daya. Canopy announced earlier this month that they reached a $320 million takeover agreement with Mettrum Health Corp. and special shareholder meetings for both Canopy Growth and Mettrum are scheduled for Friday to approve the deal, according to an announcement by Canopy Growth. Last month, TW Holdings completed its prospectus offering, raising $5 million through issuance of 25 million shares at .20 cents.

As part of the deal with Canopy, AusCann will issue shares equal to 15 percent to the company in exchange for access to their cultivation intellectual property, manufacturing, and medicinal cannabis supply.

Canopy is listed on Canada’s TSX Venture Exchange and has a reported market capitalization of nearly $200 million.

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The Crowne Plaza hotel in Seattle, Washington.

Third Annual Washington Cannabis Summit Review

1/23/2017

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Many of the top minds in cannabis recently met in Seattle on Friday, Jan. 6 for the third annual Washington Cannabis Summit.

The summit was hosted by the Cannabis Alliance, one of Washington’s top non-profits in the fight for cannabis normalization. With the new regulations and rule handed down by the Washington State Liquor Control Board (LCB), new states coming online with legalization and the preparation for a change in the oval office, there was much to discuss at this year’s summit.

Ray Carveth, a professional communications trainer was the moderator for the day, and he shared the stage with keynote speakers Betty Aldworth and Jeremy Plumb, as well as Cannabis Alliance president Danielle Rosellison. There were panels throughout the day with topics ranging from “Cannabis Therapy” to “The Future of Cannabis and Hemp as Recognized Agricultural Topics.”

There was a lot of excitement about the new research license available and the possibility of Washington becoming the epicenter of cannabis research. Maxwell Salinger, director of Solstice Grown Cannabis, expressed his thoughts on the new research license: “It’s phenomenal that someone like me can add plants to our canopy for research purposes, and still keep our plants for retail sales.”

Other topics, such as “Cannabis as Medicine” and “Policy and Politics,” generated very engaging discussions with the crowd.

Washington is in a great position to help the rest of the country move forward with legalization for adult recreational use as well as medical use. With organizations like the Cannabis Alliance paving the way for cannabis reform and research opportunities, 2017 should be a banner year for the cannabis industry in Washington state and beyond.

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Colorado Wholesale Cannabis Price-Per-Pound Has Dropped 25 percent

1/20/2017

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The wholesale cost of Colorado’s legal cannabis per pound has dropped 25 percent over the last year, according to state Department of Revenue figures outlined by Inc. Geoff Doran, co-founder of Tradiv, an online cannabis wholesaler, said that the average price per pound in Colorado – currently $1,200 – is down from $1,900 in 2016, and from $2,600 in 2015.

Sally Vander Veer, co-founder of Medicine Man, a licensed Colorado cultivator and retailer, said that in 2010 the company would have been able to secure per pound rates of about $5,000. She indicated that flower margins have dropped by as much as 40 percent.

The decline doesn’t come as a surprise Vander Veer, who predicts that the drop off will force many cultivators out of business over the next 18 months if they fail to adapt to the changing market.

“It’s sad, but it’s Economics 101, we’re not immune to the forces of supply and demand. You need to ride the wave of over-supply,” she said in the report. “It’s pivot, or die.”

After researching data in Washington, Steve Davenport, a Pardee RAND graduate school researcher, and Jonathan Caulkins, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, predicted that the price of cannabis would drop 2 percent each month, representing an annual decrease of 24 percent.

“It’s just a plant,” Caulkins said in a May 2016 interview with the Washington Post. “There will always be the marijuana equivalent of organically grown specialty crops sold at premium prices to yuppies, but at the same time, no-frills generic forms could become cheap enough to give away as a loss leader – the way bars give patrons beer nuts and hotels leave chocolates on your pillow.”

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Limited MMJ Bill Introduced in Nebraska Despite Electoral Defeat of Longtime Champion

1/20/2017

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Freshman Nebraska State Sen. Anna Wishart has introduced medical cannabis legislation, continuing the work of former Sen. Tommy Garrett who was not reelected, KMTV reports.  The bill, which faces opposition in the state from law enforcement agencies and Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts, is of the limited variety – permitting oil and pill cannabis treatments for less than 25 serious or chronic conditions.

According to the bill text, the measure would allow one “registered manufacturer” and four dispensaries in each of the state’s congressional districts and provides for independent laboratory testing. It also includes language that allows attorneys to work with the industry – an issue that often must be taken up by state Bar Associations or courts after legislation is passed.

Obtaining and keeping state-approved cannabis licenses would be costly under the regime, which calls for an annual fee “not to exceed” $75,000 for manufacturers and $25,000 for compassionate care centers and dispensaries.

A Medical Cannabis Board would be created and tasked with regulating the industry and adding to the qualifying condition list. The seven-member board would consist of five legislature-approved governor-appointees from each congressional district. Under the requirements, at least one member would be licensed pharmacist, and at least one would be “licensed to practice medicine and surgery.”

If passed, the law would take effect on July 1, 2018.

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New York MMJ Revenues Well Below Administration’s Expectations

1/20/2017

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New York’s medical cannabis tax revenues are far less than anticipated as officials are expecting just $1 million after budgeting for $4 million when the program was announced, Politico reports. The revenues, which officials do not expect to grow over the next three years, come from a 7 percent excise tax on medical cannabis sales.

The first full year of the state’s limited medical cannabis program has experienced growing pains. In August, three of the state’s five licensed producers indicated they were still not profitable; at that time PharmaCann representative estimated that it would be another 18 months before they moved into the black. Last week one of those five companies, New York City operator Bloomfield Industries, was purchased by California-based MedMen. According to a previous Politico report, Bloomfield was experiencing “financial constraints.”

However, the state Health Department did expand access to the program by adding chronic pain to the qualifying condition list, and allowing physician assistants and nurse practitioners to certify patients for medical cannabis use.

According to Department of Health data, there are currently 12,530 registered patients and 824 registered practitioners under the program, up from the 10,730 patients and 750 practitioners counted in the agency’s two-year report released in December.

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Green Man Plans to Renovate Grow Facility ‘To the Studs’ Following Product Recall

1/20/2017

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Denver’s Green Man Cannabis has issued a voluntary recall of some of its cannabis flower and edible products over concerns that it contains residual levels of illegal, off-label pesticides, the Denver Department of Environmental Health said in a recall notice.

The department is urging customers who purchased the affected products from Green Man shops on Santa Fe Drive and Hampden Avenue locations to return them to the location they purchased them from or dispose of them.

In a press release, Christian Hageseth, Green Man CEO, said the company believes “the plants became compromised from pesticide residue in the building, not application” and they are “taking the most aggressive steps possible to correct this.”

“We are now convinced residues remained, unknown to us, in the building’s duct work, paint, and flooring, and circulating air tainted the plants,” he said. “…Our plan is to rip out everything in our grow facilities – take it down to the studs.”

Hageseth indicated that the retail shops would remain open and would sell products from other growers “until we are confident that no pesticide residue is present.”

According to the health department website, more than 30 cannabis recalls have been issued since July 2015, 14 of which occurred last year. There have been no reports of illness related to the Green Man recall.

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Children raising their hands during a school assembly.

Bill Filed to Allow Students to Consume Cannabis at School in Washington State

1/19/2017

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One of the major concerns around cannabis has always been youth access. However, like adults, some kids need cannabis products to help them live normal, healthy lives.

All but nine states have now softened their stance on either medical cannabis or high CBD cannabis products specifically to help children suffering from epilepsy. These advances in MMJ reform have brought up interesting questions around kids and cannabis — the least of which is how to safely administer cannabis to kids at school.

It is illegal to bring cannabis onto a school campus in Washington state. A new bill filed in the 2017 session seeks to change that and treat cannabis like other prescribed medicines. HB 1060, a.k.a. Maddie & Ducky’s Law, will allow parents, guardians, or caregivers to administer oral cannabis to students at school, on a school bus, or at school-sponsored events.

Meagan Holt, whose daughter Maddie uses cannabis to treat her Zellweger syndrome said, “Maddie & Ducky’s Law would allow medically complex children, like Maddie, to safely access an education. Schools already have policies around safe use of other controlled substances. All we are asking is that cannabis be included in those policies because, for kids like Madeline, cannabis is a life-saving medication that she can not go without.”

Holt said she’s been humbled by the support the 3-page bill has garnered in Olympia and is optimistic about it passing this session.

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German Parliament Unanimously Approves National MMJ Legislation

1/19/2017

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Germany’s parliament has voted unanimously to legalize medicinal cannabis use, paving the way for patients with a doctor’s prescription to purchase the drug from pharmacies, Deutsche Welle reports. The measure was strongly supported by Marlene Mortler, a member of the conservative Christian Social Union and the nation’s drug commissioner.

“It’s a great addition for patients who have waited for this a long time,” she said in the DW report.

According to a report from The Local, the new law will expand the country’s current medical cannabis program, which allowed only people with serious medical conditions to use cannabis for self-therapy. Only about 1,000 people were permitted to use the drug under the current regime. Eventually, rules and regulations will be in place allowing cannabis to be grown under the supervision of the state. Private companies will also be considered for cultivation and processing approval, but the requirements will likely be strict.

Under the law, expected to be implemented in March, cannabis therapies will be covered by health insurers when necessary.

“Cannabis as a medicine is certainly not a miracle drug,” Mortler told The Local. “But everyone should have the right to have it paid for when it helps.”

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Legal and Illegal North American Cannabis Sales Outpace Starbucks, McDonald’s in 2016

1/19/2017

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Total combined sales for legal and illegal cannabis sales in North America reached $53.3 billion last year, more than Starbucks and McDonald’s combined, according to Arcview Market Research figures outlined by Business Insider. Illegal sales made up 87 percent of total cannabis sales in 2016, down from 90 percent the year prior. The legal market gained 30 percent from 2015, earning $6.7 billion in North America last year.

Troy Dayton, Arcview Market Research CEO, explained that unlike other consumer industries the cannabis market “doesn’t need to create demand” for new products “it just needs to move demand for an already widely-popular product into legal channels.”

“The enormous amount of existing, if illicit, consumer spending sets cannabis apart from most other major consumer-market investment opportunities throughout history,” Dayton said in the report.

Yet, despite not needing to create demand, the legal cannabis industry is full of product innovations – such as edibles, topicals, and sprays – which, in Colorado made up 45 percent of total legal sales in the third quarter of 2016. In the first quarter of 2014, those products represented 30 percent of the state’s legal sales. Dayton said that “variety” is “one of the major reasons” people move to legal markets in states where it’s permitted.

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California Community College Planning to Offer Legal Cannabis Course

1/19/2017

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California’s City College of San Francisco is partnering with the United Food and Commercial Workers union and Oakland-based Oaksterdam University to develop a new course aimed at the legal cannabis industry, according to a report from the San Francisco Examiner

The course for the two-year community college has yet to be developed but it will likely focus on production and distribution. School officials have not decided whether it would be available to all students or offered exclusively through an agreement between the college’s Pharmacology Technology department and the union. However, according to college spokesman Jeff Hamilton “at the moment” enrollees would need to be sponsored by the UFCW or another union with apprenticeship programs, such as the Laborers’ Local 261’s Gardener Apprenticeship Program.

“Obviously, with the potential growth of this industry being substantial, particularly in California, we want to offer access to this growing industry,” Hamilton said in the report, explaining that Oaksterdam faculty would be used due to their “expertise” in the industry.

Dale Sky Jones, executive chancellor for Oaksterdamn University, said that she would prefer that the training not be limited to union members, noting that “things still need to be sussed out.”

“I just want to make sure the training is available for as much people as possible,” she said.

The college, which recently had its accreditation affirmed for seven years after it was revoked three years ago, plans on rolling out the course in the spring 2018 semester.

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Denver Workgroup Begins Drafting Social-Use Rules

1/19/2017

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Stakeholders in Denver, Colorado have begun working on rule suggestions for the voter-approved social use measure, which will allow cannabis to be consumed by adults 21 and older in places that do not hold liquor licenses, according to an Associated Press report. The workgroup, made up of city regulators, business owners, and measure opponents started drafting the rules on Wednesday.

Emmett Reistroffer, a cannabis industry consultant who ran the social-use campaign, indicated that the regulations will likely require neighborhood approval before any business is given a license but said “there are plenty of places in Denver where you can find neighbors who want this kind of establishment.”

There is no deadline for the city to finalize the rules, and the measure does not allow businesses with social-use licenses to sell cannabis – meaning customers would bring their own products. Smoked products would still need to be used outdoors.

Rachel O’Bryan, the opposition organizer, said she was concerned that because the businesses have no control over what is consumed they won’t be able to safeguard against intoxicated driving.

“If you are neither serving nor counting the potency of the product, nor counting how much they consume, how are you protecting the public when they leave your property?” she asked.

A bill to allow social-use statewide is currently in the state Legislature.

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Obama Commutes Hundreds of Federal Drug Sentences

1/18/2017

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With his term ending in just two days, President Barack Obama has commuted hundreds more federal drug sentences for those convicted under the mandatory minimum sentences laws of the 1980s and 1990s, according to a Washington Post report. So far, commutations under the Democratic president have reached 1,176 – more than 400 of which were life sentences – but his office has not specified the number under the latest round.

Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates said that the personnel working on the case “killed themselves” to get the final recommendations to the president and that U.S. Pardon Attorney Robert A. Zauzmer has not taken a day off since he was brought on in February to help sift through the backlog.

“We were in overdrive,” Yates, who led the clemency initiative, said in the report. “We were determined to live up to our commitment. It was 24-7 over the Christmas break.”

Three years ago then-Attorney General Eric Holder adopted a policy that reserved the most severe penalties for high-level or violent drug offenders, rather than impose mandatory minimums on low-level and non-violent drug offenders.

However, just because an inmate is granted clemency does not mean they will be immediately released. In many cases inmates will see their sentences significantly reduced; in some cases the offender will remain in prison for years.

It’s unclear, but highly unlikely, whether President-elect Donald Trump will continue Obama’s clemency initiative. On the campaign trail, Trump criticized the program while praising private prisons. His attorney general-nominee, Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions, is a hardline prohibitionist and during a 2010 Senate Judiciary Hearing said he thinks “there is a role for private prisons in the American system.”

Trump will take office on Jan. 20.

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Adult-Use Bill Filed in New Mexico

1/18/2017

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Two Democratic New Mexico state Representatives have pre-filed legislation that would legalize adult-use cannabis in the state, setting up a system of licensing and taxes. The bill is sponsored by Representatives Bill McCamley and Javier Martínez.

According to the bill text, the Cannabis Revenue and Freedom Act would allow personal possession of 1 ounce of cannabis in public, two inside a person’s home, and up to 7 grams of concentrates. It provides home grow provisions for up to six plants per-person, so long as the number of plants grown in one residence does not exceed 12 and the total amount of cannabis on-hand from home grows does not exceed 8 ounces. The bill also permits for in-home processing, with caps set at 16 ounces of concentrates in “solid form,” and 72 ounces in “liquid form.”

“The purpose of the Cannabis Revenue and Freedom Act is…to eliminate problems caused by the prohibition and uncontrolled manufacture, possession and delivery of marijuana within New Mexico; [and] to protect the peace, health, safety and welfare of the people of this state by prioritizing the state’s limited law enforcement resources in the most effective way,” the bill states.

An 11-member governor-appointed Cannabis Control Board would be created, and would include two members licensed under the act, two medical or health professionals, one patient, one member of the public, one banking or financing professional, one member of the regulation and licensing department, and one member each from the state Agriculture, Health, and Environment departments.

A portion of the funds raised from the state’s cannabis tax – set at 15 percent statewide allowing for another 5 percent levied by individual municipalities and counties – would be used to subsidize medical cannabis for low-income patients.

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Wisconsin Democrats Hoping to Introduce MMJ Expansion Bill

1/18/2017

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Democrats in Wisconsin are seeking co-sponsors for a comprehensive medical cannabis bill with plans to introduce the legislation this session, the Associated Press reports. The move comes after Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos indicated he would be open to supporting such a measure.

Currently, only CBD use is allowed under the state’s limited medical cannabis program and the regime does not permit growing cannabis within the state which limits access to the drug. Federal law prohibits any cannabis product, including CBD, to be transported across state lines, preventing patients and caregivers in Wisconsin from legally obtaining medicines from nearby states with looser laws.

State Sen. Jon Erpenbach and Rep. Chris Taylor have sent a letter to their respective colleagues asking for their support of the bill, explaining that the public supports medicinal cannabis use and the program would help people suffering with chronic and debilitating illnesses.

However, the proposal would face opposition from Republican Gov. Scott Walker and in the Senate from Republican Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald. Republicans control both the Senate and Assembly, so even if a bill were introduced it would be up to them whether or not to send the bill to committee or hold a hearing on the plan.

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Cresa Pharma Nets EU Approval to Sell CBD Pet Products

1/18/2017

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Creso Pharma, publicly traded on the Australian Securities Exchange, has received registration from the European Union – the first – to sell CBD products for pets, according to an Australian Associated Press report. The company is now seeking a global import and export license as it’s planning to market two products by April.

The products are designed to help treat chronic pain, arthritis, diabetes, and behavioral disorders, including anxiety and noise phobias.

Creso CEO and Co-Founder Miri Halperin Wernli said that many products currently available in the cannabis-for-pets market are “human-based medicines that have been poorly adapted for animals.”

“Our unique CBD-based nutraceutical products are developed specifically for companion animals and are an alternative therapeutic option to a number of common medical conditions among pets that often remain poorly treated,” she said in the report.

Stephane Ready, Creso Pharma Australia pharmaceutical consultant, said the EU registration helps guarantee the purity profile, quality and accuracy of the company’s pet products.

“The industry is changing fast, regulations are changing fast it is very important that the high standards are applied,” he said. “The seal of approval is much more comforting and pleasing than a product sold over the internet.”

Following the announcement, Creso shares gained 11.9 percent, or 2.5 cents, raising its share price to 23.5 cents.

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Minnesota Medical Solutions Employees Ratify New Union Contract

1/17/2017

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Minnesota Medical Solutions employees, represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1189, have ratified a new three-year union contract which includes a wage increase and an agreement that the employer will cover the recent increase in health insurance costs. Minnesota Medical Solutions is owned by Vireo Health.

Jennifer Christensen, Local 1189 president, called the deal “a fair settlement” that ensures the company’s ability to “recruit and retain exceptional workers.”

“What is really important is the employer’s commitment to full-time living wage union jobs.  Part-time jobs do exist but as business expands and hours become available those jobs are transformed into full-time,” she said in a press release announcing the deal. “Minnesota Medical Solutions is leading the way nationally, and it shows in the quality of products and services that our members provide for the people of Minnesota.”

In addition to the wage increase and healthcare coverage, the agreement includes additional pay for new lead positions, training premiums, progression increases, paid time off, mileage and travel time reimbursements, and holiday pay increases.

Vireo Health of New York employees ratified their own union contract – the first in the state – with the Local 338 of the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union, UFCW in November.

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Brazil Healthcare Regulator Signs Off on Sativex Sales

1/17/2017

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Brazilian healthcare regulator ANVISA has issued the nation’s first license for the sale of a cannabis-based drug as São Paulo-based Beaufour Ipsen Farmacêutica Ltda has been given the green light to distribute the oral spray Sativex, according to a Reuters report.

The product, used to treat multiple sclerosis, is developed by British pharmaceutical firm GW Pharmaceuticals PLC ad will be sold under the brand name Mevatyl in the South American country. The drug is already available in 28 other countries.

Following several court cases by patients attempting to receive medical cannabis treatment in Brazil, ANVISA has relaxed their rules over the last two years, allowing some patients to personally import cannabis-derived drugs. ANVISA has allowed case-by-case importation of Medical Marijuana, Inc.’s Real Scientific Hemp Oil product for treating cancer and Parkinson’s disease. The cost of the RSHO is subsidized under the federal government healthcare system. In 2015 the Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency reclassified CBD as “controlled” rather than illegal, authorizing its use as a treatment for severe seizures.

The nation decriminalized growing and possessing cannabis more than 10 years ago, but buying and selling cannabis remains illegal. In 2013, Uruguay, which borders Brazil, legalized the cultivation, distribution and consumption of cannabis, which is sold in pharmacies.

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Lawmakers Likely to Delay MMJ Implementation in North Dakota

1/17/2017

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North Dakota lawmakers are considering delaying the rollout of the state’s voter-backed medical cannabis initiative, with legislators from both sides of the aisle saying implementing the new regime takes time, according to a KFYR-TV report. If passed, parts of the medical cannabis law would not take effect until July 31.

“We want to do it right. We want to make sure that the potency is right, that the proper people can distribute, the proper people can grow, that people have access to it, and all those things take time,” Senate Minority Leader Joan Heckaman, a Democrat, said in the report.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner said lawmakers will “make sure” that patients get access to medical cannabis in accordance with the will of the voters, but officials need to ensure they get it “in a safe form.”

The state Department of Health is responsible for monitoring product potency and licensing growers and distributors. A bill finalizing some of those rules is expected in the coming weeks.

Sheri Paulson, one of the activists who worked on Measure 5, said she was skeptical of the move, but after testifying at a hearing dedicated to the issue, was convinced that delaying the bill will ensure the best version of the law is put forth.

“It’s not only good for the patients, but it’s also good for them, so it benefits everybody all around,” she said.

The Health Department estimates they will need at least $2.7 million over the next two years to implement the law.

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Report: North American Cannabis Industry Could Experience 33% Annual Growth through 2021

1/17/2017

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According to a Market Research Future report, the North American cannabis market could grow at a compound annual growth rate of 33 percent through 2021, with the U.S. industry representing 95 percent market share. The North American market includes the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

“Rapid legalizing and growing awareness about the medicinal properties of marijuana to boost the market over the forecast period,” the analysts wrote in a press release. “Marketing activities for marijuana has been primarily challenged by the consumer perception and stringent federal policies.”

In the U.S. and Mexico cannabis remains illegal on a federal level. The same applies in Canada, however it is expected that the federal government will announce a plan to legalize adult-use nationwide in the spring.

According to the analysts, some of the major key players of the North American cannabis market include the Canadian Cannabis Corporation, Plandai Biotechnology., Tweed Marijuana Inc, Affinor Growers., Cannabis Sativa Inc, Cannavest, Canna Brands Inc, Omnicanna Health Solutions., Privateer Holdings, Inc, and Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

According to an ArcView Group market research report, the U.S. market last year reached $6.7 billion, a growth of 30 percent.

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Emerald Conference Coming to San Diego Feb. 2-3

1/16/2017

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The third annual Emerald Conference, hosted by Emerald Scientific, is coming to San Diego in a few weeks.

This year’s event, which has been extended to two days and will be held February 2-3 at the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa and Marina, will attract entrepreneurs from around the country and globe for two days of networking, education, and enthusiasm for cannabis science.

The Emerald Conference is one of the industry’s leading technical and scientific events, and will feature speakers such as former Ganjapreneur podcast guest Reggie Gaudino of Steep Hill, Chris Walsh of Marijuana Business Daily, and numerous other experts in scientific fields pertaining to cannabis.

Speakers and panel discussions will cover a wide variety of topics. Regarding the science of horticulture, attendees will learn about common pests and pathogens and how to deal with them, best practices for cannabis nurseries, how to manage microbial contamination in a commercial grow, and information regarding genetics/genomics in the selection and breeding processes of cannabis.

For entrepreneurs interested in the extraction and infusion fields, experts will address the best strategies for supercritical fluid processing and chemometrics in extraction. Additionally, cannabis testing lab operators can look forward to learning advanced techniques for recognizing and identifying pesticide residues, tips for terpene analysis, microbial testing best practices, and more.

The event is coordinated by Emerald Scientific, a renowned supplier of top-shelf reagents, supplies, equipment, and additional services dedicated to cannabis testing labs and other scientific endeavors in the cannabis industry.

An expansive exhibition floor will be open to conference ticket holders, offering myriad opportunities for networking and face-to-face encounters with the folks behind some of the industry’s leading scientific companies.

To purchase tickets for the Emerald Conference, see the tickets section of the event’s website.

Tickets normally cost $349 for the full event, but as a supporting partner for the event, we’re excited to announce that Ganjapreneur readers can get $50 off the regular price with the code GANJAP50, so don’t wait: purchase your tickets now to guarantee yourself a spot at this groundbreaking event.

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New York Gov. Urges Lawmakers to Decriminalize Cannabis Possession

1/16/2017

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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is calling for decriminalizing cannabis in his annual State of the State address, saying that “recreational users pose little to no threat to public safety” in the state, New York Upstate reports.

“The unnecessary arrest of these individuals can have devastating economic and social effects on their lives,” the Democratic governor’s office wrote in the 383-page book.

The proposal comes after voters in Massachusetts, a New York border state, legalized cannabis for adult-use during November’s general election.

According to the report, arresting and jailing low-level cannabis possession crimes cost the state $75 million in 2019; about 90 percent of those convicted had no felonies later.

New York does have a medical cannabis program; however, it is very tightly regulated – not permitting full-plant use and allowing just five licensed operators. Recently, the state Health Department did make changes in an effort to expand the program, including adding chronic pain to the qualifying conditions list, approving physician’s assistants and nurse practitioners to write medical cannabis recommendations for patients and lifting the number of brands sold by dispensaries.

Just because the governor is pushing for reforms does not mean the legislature will heed his call. A bill would need to be authored, introduced, and passed through both houses of the legislature before heading to Cuomo for his signature.

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