Images from an indoor medical cannabis grow in Colorado.

Canadian Cannabis Legalization Task Force Issues Recommendations; Cannabis Stocks Jump

12/14/2016

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Canada’s Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation, appointed by the federal government to research legalization, has issued their report, which recommends 18 and older as the legal age to buy cannabis and a personal possession limit of 30 grams, the CBC reports. According to the Global News, most publicly traded cannabis companies’ stocks closed with gains on the heels of the task force’s report.

The legal age conflicts with a recommendation from the Canadian Medical Association and Ottawa’s Board of Health that would have 21 be the legal age to buy cannabis. The task force report said that setting an age higher than a drinking age would force younger consumers to purchase cannabis in the informal market — which the government is looking to curtail with legalization.

Anne McLellan, chair of the task force and former Liberal cabinet minister, said that the illicit market is responsible for the “societal problems” of the existing market.

“Now is the time to move away from a system that has, for decades, been focused on the prohibition of cannabis into a regulated legal market,” she said in the report.

The task force recommended that cannabis sales be banned in places that also sell tobacco and alcohol products, and limiting the concentration of retail locations in order to keep them from public parks, schools, and community centers. Their recommendation would subject products with high THC levels to higher taxes in an effort to discourage their use. Tax revenues would be used for research on potential health risks and public education campaigns. Personal cultivation for medical purposes would be permitted.

Bruce Linton, chairman of Canopy Growth Corporation, whose stock closed 8 percent higher yesterday, praised the report as a “strong policy framework for the government to consider” but expressed concerns that the task force is not recommending different tax schemes for the medical and adult-use markets which could “unduly burden” patients.

“Most importantly, we think it confirms that the current medical system for production is working and should form the backbone of ongoing production into the future. It recognizes the value of limited grow-at-home and diversity of producers and access methods, all things we support as a company,” he said in a press release. “It also recognizes that the existing mail order system has merit as an ongoing complementary distribution system reaching all Canadians conveniently and securely.”

Legislation to legalize cannabis use in Canada is expected to be introduced this spring.

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The flag of Mexico flying in the wind.

Mexican Senate Passes Medical Cannabis Bill

12/14/2016

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Mexico’s Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill legalizing medicinal cannabis use 98-7, according to a Deutsche Welle report. The legislation will move to the lower Chamber of Deputies and, if passed, would then move to President Enrique Peña Nieto for final approval.

Advocates say that wider legalization measures are needed in the country to help combat drug trafficking-related cartel violence, but that the proposal does address the need for alternative medical treatment. The measure directs the federal Health Department to “design public policies to regulate the medicinal use of this plant and its derivatives.” It would also allow the sale, import and export of products containing concentrations of 1 percent THC or less.

Senator Angélica De la Peña Gómez indicated that lawmakers needed to “do something different in drug policy” because of the “high level of violence” associated with prohibition in the country – which, she said, has led to “more than 100,000 deaths and the systemic violation of human rights.”

Last April, Peña Nieto backed legislation that would allow Mexicans to possess 1 ounce of cannabis for personal use. However, that bill has yet to make it to the floor for a vote. Under current Mexican law, possession of up to 5 grams of cannabis, 50 milligrams of cocaine, and 40 milligrams of methamphetamine is decriminalized.

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Baker Platform Offers Automatic ‘Strain Alerts’ for Dispensaries

12/14/2016

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The core foundation of any retailer’s success story almost always depends on a quality line of communication with their consumers — and one of the biggest bummers for any consumer is not being able to get what you want.

Particularly with dispensaries, patients are often drawn to a certain strain or product for its specific medical benefits. But when a sickly person makes a long trip into town or (in some instances) over to the next county, it can be extremely frustrating to learn upon arrival that their particular medication has sold out. One strategy is for the budtender to write down the patient’s contact information using a notepad or sticky note, with the specific product they were hoping for, and promise to call or email the customer when their product has been stocked again — but Baker Technologies has a better solution.

Baker is a software and sales analysis firm whose web-based app helps facilitate quality communication between cannabis dispensaries and their patients/consumers. The company’s new ‘Strain Alerts’ service is the latest addition to Baker’s online platform and allows dispensaries to issue automatic updates to customers who want to know when a specific strain of flower, brand of edibles, or other product becomes available.

According to Eli Sklarin, Marketing Director for Baker, “Specific products are very important to the dispensary shopping experience, and can make or break whether or not someone goes to your dispensary or stays loyal” — and the haphazard sticky note method described above is “extremely unscalable, takes dozens of hours, and is not great for the consumer.”

Using the Baker app, dispensaries can instead “have people sign up through our loyalty program and say, ‘I want to know when Blue Dream comes back in stock,’ and the dispensary — in one click — can let them know about the product,” said Sklarin.

The Baker app is an online platform dedicated to improving the dispensary shopping experience. Visitors to the Baker website can create accounts in order to receive live updates from registered dispensaries about current inventory, new products, prices, and product availability. Dispensaries who are currently enrolled with Baker have access to four core offerings, which include a platform for online ordering, loyalty program strategies, the opportunity for personalized messaging and direct interaction with patients and consumers, and unique analysis services that utilize Baker’s extensive and international database.

In the two years since its launch, the Colorado-based company has expanded dramatically and is currently serving 186 dispensaries in nine U.S. states — including Colorado, Washington, Oregon, California, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, Massachusetts, and Hawaii — and several Canadian provinces.

Visit www.TryBaker.com to learn more about Baker Technologies, or go to http://trybaker.com/shop/ for firsthand experience with the Baker app.

Baker’s dispensary clients average an ROI for the year within 2 months. Dispensaries who schedule a demo to learn more and sign up before the end of the year will receive a 15% discount on Baker’s services.

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An immature, backyard hemp plant.

CBD Market Could Hit $3 Billion by 2021

12/13/2016

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According to some cannabis industry experts, the U.S. CBD market could reach between $2.1 billion and $3 billion by 2021, according to a Forbes report. The Hemp Business Journal estimates that hemp-based sales would represent $450 million of that figure — a 700 percent increase from 2016.

In 2015, hemp-derived CBD products comprised $90 million worth of sales, while the market for marijuana-derived CBD products reached $112 million.

CBD isn’t explicitly defined under the federal Controlled Substances Act, and in 2003 the DEA lost a court case brought by The Hemp Association over their attempts to add CBD to the Schedule list. The Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2015 amended the Controlled Substances Act to exclude hemp, which includes hemp-based CBD.

Medical Marijuana Inc. indicated that the hemp-based CBD market has already begun transforming, explaining that four years ago, customers paid $1.25 per milligram but were buying less. Now, customers are buying more, but pay 2.5 cents per milligram.

Four years ago, Medical Marijuana Inc. was one of the few large-scale CBD sellers in the U.S. with $14.5 million in total sales. Medical Marijuana Inc. earned $3.4 million in CBD sales during 2013 and estimate they’ll make about $9 million from CBD sales in 2016.

General Hemp, the venture capital firm that has a majority interest in Medical Marijuana, Inc., made $34 million from 2014 to 2016 from CBD sales.

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Macro shot of cannabis trichomes, taken in an indoor Washington grow facility.

Nevada Cannabis Lab Earns International Regulatory Accreditation

12/13/2016

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As Nevada begins its transition to an adult-use market, 374 Labs, a licensed Sparks, Nevada-based cannabis testing laboratory, has become the first cannabis testing lab in the state to earn ISO 17025 accreditation from the International Organization for Standardization, Northern Nevada Business Weekly reports.

Dr. Jeff Angermann, assistant professor at the Reno School of Community Health Services, said the accreditation is “a requirement of top testing laboratories in all industries from biotech to forensics in most major countries.”

374 Labs helped develop the testing structure employed by the Nevada Division of Public Health and the state Department of Agriculture. The round-robin system takes samples and has each state-certified lab perform a full analysis in order to ensure a consistent and thorough testing process.

“In other states proficiency involves testing pre-prepared, purified samples and neglects the challenges of coaxing out delicate analytes from the complex array of compounds found in actual marijuana,” Laboratory Director Jason Strull said in the report. “I commend the DPBH and NDA for facilitating such an advanced quality program.”

The lab also participates in the Clean Green program, which applies the requirements of the USDA organic certification to the cannabis agency.

“Nevada allows certain levels of pesticides like Myclobutanil on its certified marijuana, so we wanted a way for patients and consumers to able to distinguish marijuana that is grown using organic methods,” Strull said.

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A picture taken at dusk of the dome on Maryland's Statehouse

Maryland MMJ Commission Makes Dispensary License Recommendations

12/13/2016

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Maryland’s Medical Cannabis Commission has recommended 102 companies to operate dispensaries in the state according to a Baltimore Business Journal report. The law permits no more than two dispensaries in each of the state’s 47 legislative districts.

Of the 102 preliminary licenses, 16 are in Montgomery County, 14 are in Baltimore County, with 10 approved in Baltimore City. The dispensaries will now move on to stage two, which includes a $4,000 application fee, and an $80,000 biannual licensing fee.

One of the companies approved for a preliminary dispensary license in Anne Arundel County, Alternative Medicine Maryland, LLC, is one of three companies embroiled in a lawsuit against the commission. In the suit, Alternative Medicine Maryland contends that the commission “ignored race and ethnicity throughout the licensing process in clear contravention of its authorizing statute.”

GTI Maryland, another company who has sued the commission claiming they were unfairly denied a preliminary cultivation license, was also approved for a preliminary dispensary license in Montgomery County.

The move marks a small step forward for the commission, who has hired a diversity consultant due to claims that it failed to adhere to diversity requirements in the law. The commission says that the slow rollout of the program is due to the overwhelming interest in the program rather than blowback from the Legislative Black Caucus over the lack of diversity in the licensing process or the lawsuits.

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Canadian dollar bills stacked on top of each other.

Canadian MMJ Producer Sued by Investment Firm

12/13/2016

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Jacob Securities, a defunct Toronto investment broker, is suing THC BioMed Intl. Ltd., a publicly traded Kelowna, British Columbia medical cannabis cultivator, claiming that the company breached a deal by giving them photocopied – and worthless – share certificates, according to a Vancouver Sun report.

The lawsuit stems from the settlement of a separate court case between the two companies in Sept. 2015, in which THC agreed to deliver 4,660,000 common shares to Jacob. According to the report, THC delivered photocopies of the shares which “cannot be traded and have no value.” Nine months later Jacob realized the certificates were photocopies, filing the claim against the firm in October.

In a November court filing, THC said that the original settlement deal was entered into due to Jacob’s “false pretenses, fundamental misrepresentations and omissions.” The biomedical firm has hired Jacob to secure equity financing and publish a research report.

Meanwhile, Jacob had come under fire by the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada, who suspended the firm in Dec. 2015 over their failure to acquire the proper registration approvals prior to announcing the launch of the Jacob Capital Management Cannabis Fund.

In their suspension decision, the IIRO indicated their decision was due to the resignation of the chief financial officer and that Jacob, “was locked out of its business premises due to its failure to pay rent of approximately $110,000.”

“…Apparently, unsupervised trading continued by (Jacob’s) registered representatives through their mobile phones and by meeting with clients in the lobby of the building,” the agency said in the decision.

“[If THC had] been aware of the true status of (Jacob) with its regulatory authority, they would not have entered into the settlement agreement,” THC said in the filing.

The new allegations have not yet been tested in court.

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Detroit City's skyline during a pink-skied sunset.

Michigan Sheriffs Using Some MMJ Fee Funds for Dispensary Raids

12/13/2016

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Fees raised via Michigan’s medical cannabis patients are being used to fund cannabis industry enforcement efforts in Detroit, according to a Detroit News report. Sheriff’s departments have spent more than $600,000 in state grant funding for vehicles, raid gear, and overtime pay for dispensary stakeouts.

The program, which allows county sheriffs to use medical cannabis funds for enforcement, education or communication, was enacted by the legislature two years ago. Critics of the program call it “worse than ironic” that the money gleaned from mandatory caregiver and patient fees is being used to stalk patients at dispensaries and conduct drug raids.

“You can’t give the guys who have been kicking in our doors and taking all of our property with unfettered power — and they still have it — this money,” Charmie Gholson, an activist and founder of Michigan Moms United, said in the report.

Oakland County Sheriffs spent $282,662 on a four-day “indoor marijuana school” for law enforcement agencies; vests; a 2016 Ram ProMaster cargo van and a 2016 GMC 2500 HD pickup for transporting seized plants; and overtime pay.

Wayne County Sheriffs spent $275,195 on eight Tazers, body cameras and enforcement personnel for “street level investigations” of medical cannabis, according to the report. Macomb County Sheriffs spent $60,329, also on investigations.

Cannabis registry fees generated $7.1 million in fiscal year 2015. The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs spent $3.2 million on administering the program, and the fund has about $30 million. LARA was recently appropriated $8.5 million from the fund by the legislature to implement a new regulatory framework next year.

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Infused chocolate-covered popcorn, photographed in Washington D.C.

Lessons From a Cannabis Culinary Venture in Washington D.C.

12/12/2016

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Editor’s note: Every cannabis entrepreneur has a different story, and we love to hear about the different paths that have led different people to pursue opportunities in this industry. This article is a first-hand account by cannabis and culinary entrepreneur Victoria Harris of DC Taste Buds, detailing how she transitioned from her culinary career to crafting medical cannabis infused products in Washington D.C.

Have you heard chefs brainstorm about cannabis product ideas together? It’s incredible.

So rarely are we given an opportunity to dive into a brand new, underdeveloped, culinary venture. Globally, it’s arguable that the U.S. is behind our European cannabis aficionado counterparts, but we always make up for lost time. Just ask Charles Krug if he regretted making wine a “thing” in Napa Valley. France had a big head start, but look how that played out.

Culinary meets cannabis

I co-founded D.C. Taste Buds with culinary professionals Warren Brown and Anna Bran-Leis, knowing our business model did not exist yet — but we agreed that, in theory, it should work. We also thought that culinary professionals ought to play a larger role in the cannabis edibles industry, and we felt confident we had the experience to help open up the underdeveloped East Coast market — south of Massachusetts, D.C. remains the only city producing infused edibles and that, once the new regulations pass, will offer reciprocity.

But, as we had yet to learn, there remains a lot of uncertainty around current restrictions and the legality of certain business strategies.

annavictoria
Anna Bran-Leis (left) and Victoria Harris (right) in a behind-the-scenes discussion at DC Taste Buds.

When we started looking into who was making edibles outside our bubble, we reached out to people who could offer insight on developing trends. Amanya Maloba — who has been a budtender at some of the biggest recreational stores in Washington and is currently a cannabis consultant — said, “The smart companies are trying to collab with culinary professionals because people can tell the difference in quality. They taste better. The companies that are not recruiting culinary talent? They’re going to get left behind.”

The day after our first in-person meeting (where Anna and Warren actually met for the first time), Anna started our trademark process. A month later, we launched the brand at the The National Cannabis Festival and started determining how to enter D.C.’s medicinal marijuana industry.

Anna had tried two dozen edible companies in the District during our research and development. We all agreed on her assessment that, “we have to be focused on the food first because nobody is concerned about the taste, only the potency.”

We were excited: we already had the perfect product, infusion process, and plan for producing to scale.

Underestimated realities

That excitement didn’t last long. There was so much to learn about cannabis, and the legal regulations in D.C. are incredibly vague and difficult to navigate.

The reality was the learning curve would prevent us from entering the market with the best product possible, never mind if it was completely legal. Warren, who runs our recipe development, determined that “the regulatory structure surrounding how the product would get to market would completely change whatever process we initially decided on.”

It wasn’t until we started working with Dr. Chanda Macias, owner of National Holistic Healing Center, and Corey Barnette, who owns District Growers Cultivation Center and Metropolitan Wellness, that we realized we’d ignored a huge part of the equation. We hadn’t considered the limitations D.C. had placed on cultivation centers and dispensaries. We never considered which infusion method would be the most cost effective for the cultivation center, or how their inventory rotated.

We have only become confident in our new process because of the real collaborative effort to develop it.

The East Coast may be late to the party, but we’re en route.

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Arkansas MMJ Commission Names Members; First Meeting Today

12/12/2016

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Top lawmakers in Arkansas have appointed the five-member Medical Marijuana Commission ahead of their first meeting today, NPR station KUAR reports. The commission will facilitate the licensing and regulation of cultivation sites and dispensaries under the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment.

Dr. Ronda Henry-Tillman, a University of Arkansas Medical Sciences Department of Surgery professor and co-director of Cancer Control and Population Sciences for the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, was appointed to the commission by Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson. Republican House Speaker Jeremy Gillam tabbed Dr. Stephen J. Carroll and attorney Travis Story. Republican Senate President Jonathan Dismag appointed Dr. J Carlos Roman and James Miller, a former Senate chief of staff who currently serves as a lobbyist for the Arkansas Railroad Association.

According to the report, North Little Rock Republican Doug House has suggested paying each commissioner a salary of $30,000 per year, however at present, commissioners are set to be paid $85 per meeting of the board.

Members from the state Department of Health, the Department of Finance and Administration, and the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division will also have a role in developing the program details.

Under the law passed by voters during November’s general election, the state will license between four and eight cultivators and between 20 and 40 dispensaries. The law also provides a June deadline to meet the licensing requirements but lawmakers are already suggesting that target could be pushed to July.

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Humboldt County Growers’ Strain Named Emerald Cup’s Top Flower

12/12/2016

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Zkittles, a flower strain from Humboldt County growers The Dookie Brothers, took home the top prize at this year’s Emerald Cup, according to the Emerald Report. The strain was described as “Skittles from the vending machine at a high school football game,” with a sweet tropical flavor and smell.

The event was only the second for the Dookie Brothers, whose winning indica-dominant strain is bred by 3rd Gen Family and Terp Hogz.

“I’ve been doing this for 25 years, and I’m just so passionate,” Jason “Dookie” said in the report. “It’s all kind of surreal. It’s just unbelievable.”

Berry White by Todd Franciskovic of Resin Ranch won top honors for “Best Dry Sieve.” The win is “huge” for Franciskovic, who moved from Wisconsin to Northern California this year to develop concentrates.

According to Tim Blake, organizer of the Emerald Cup, there was a 50 percent increase in entries over last year — 1,200 total — and that with an estimated 30,000 festival-goers they might be outgrowing the Sonoma County Fairgrounds.

“I’ve seen more change in the last two years than I have in the last twenty or thirty years,” he said. “People just don’t understand the size and scope of all this.”

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Trimmed cannabis buds ready to for curing and consumption.

Health Canada: Registered MMJ Users Tripled Since 2015

12/12/2016

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The number of Canadians approved for medical cannabis use has tripled during the last year, according to Sept. 30 numbers from Health Canada showing that 98,460 individuals are approved for medical cannabis use, up from 30,537 in Sept. 2015.

According to an Ottawa Citizen report, the increase is likely due to changes in the nation’s medical cannabis system in 2014, which moved away from patients growing their own cannabis and introduced a new structure under which commercial cultivation centers are permitted to sell cannabis by mail.

Dr. Sana-Ara Ahmed, who started using cannabis at her practice last year, says it’s patients, rather than physicians, who are driving the program’s growth.

“There may be a few more doctors open to it. But I also believe it’s the same doctors, seeing more people,” Ahmed in the report. “The direction is coming from the public. The direction is not coming from the physicians.”

Patients are sharing their success stories, Ahmed said, which is compelling other patients to reconsider cannabis therapies and forcing physicians to consider learning more about the medical uses of the plant.

In an effort to educate physicians, Alan Ball, a professor at the University of Toronto and family physician, has conducted workshops for physicians about the use of medical cannabis, serving as chair of a continuing medical education program on the matter at the College of Family Physicians of Canada.

“A patient walks in, says, ‘I have this pain. I’ve been using street marijuana; it helps me,’ ” Bell said. “The average physician is going to be at a loss. And as physicians, we are very reluctant to authorize the use of any medications without adequate education. That’s a real barrier. But it’s an overcomeable barrier. We’re in early days.”

Health Canada estimates that there will be 450,000 authorized patients by 2024. The federal government is expected to unveil an adult-use cannabis scheme in the spring.

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Juan Manuel Santos, president of Colombia, during a 2008 conference.

Colombian President Denounces War on Drugs During Nobel Prize Speech

12/12/2016

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During his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said that zero-tolerance drug policies might be “even more harmful” than worldwide conflicts, calling on the world to “rethink” the war on drugs, according to a BBC report.

During his speech, Santos said that his nation had “paid the highest cost in deaths and sacrifices” in the war on drugs, noting that a conflict with FARC rebels in Colombia has led to the deaths of 260,000 people and the displacement of millions more. The president signed a peace deal with the rebels last month.

“I have served as a leader in times of war — to defend the freedom and the rights of the Colombian people — and I have served as a leader in times of making peace,” he said. “Allow me to tell you, from my own experience, that it is much harder to make peace than to wage war.”

Santos has pledged to donate the prize money — $8 million Swedish kroner ($925,000) — to the conflict’s victims.

“We have moral authority to state that, after decades of fighting against drug trafficking, the world has still been unable to control this scourge that fuels violence and corruption throughout our global community,” he said, adding, “it makes no sense to imprison a peasant who grows marijuana” when it’s legally allowed to be used in eight U.S. states.

“The manner in which this war against drugs is being waged is equally or perhaps even more harmful than all the wars the world is fighting today, combined,” he said.

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Judge Rules Montana Dispensaries are Back in Business Immediately

12/09/2016

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A Montana District Court Judge has ruled that a clerical error on November’s ballot initiative to reinstate the previous medical cannabis program rules should not prohibit the new regime from taking effect immediately, the Associated Press reports.

Judge James Reynolds said that the drafting error, which made the effective date of the initiative July 1, should not keep critically ill patients from accessing their much-needed medicine immediately. In 2011, Reynolds blocked the legislature-imposed three-patient limit twice.

“The folks that are maybe the most in need are the least able to provide, to grow their own,” Reynolds said in the ruling. “I think speed is more important than niceties.”

Kate Cholewa, the lobbyist for the measure’s advocates, said that despite the ruling it remains unclear how long it would take for providers who shuttered their operations to get back online. The shutdown earlier last year has led to supply shortages and many doctors need to be re-certified for the program.

“The people who work providing marijuana in Montana were, let’s face it, they were jerked around quite a bit,” Cholewa said in the report. “They are somewhat used to it and very good at coming back.”

The Health Department, who did not oppose the efforts to change the effective date, reported an increase in medical cannabis applications after the ruling, receiving 70 applications for cardholders and providers after the decision was handed down.

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Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin making an address at a community college.

Vermont Gov. Could Pardon Thousands Convicted of State Cannabis Possession Crimes

12/09/2016

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Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin will consider pardoning Vermont convictions of cannabis possession up to one ounce, which has been decriminalized in the state since 2013, according to an announcement on the governor’s office website.

Shumlin indicated the plan helps him “lead a more sane drug policy,” and his office indicates 10,000 to 17,000 Vermonters may be eligible for relief.

Pardon considerations will be made for low-level possession charges so long as the applicant does not have any felony or violent criminal convictions.

“A governor’s pardon is an extraordinary act. Applying for a pardon does not guarantee a pardon will be granted,” the post says. “All applications will be considered by the Governor and either granted or denied at his discretion.”

According to the post, a pardon does not necessarily erase a record of conviction or the conviction itself and might not change the consequences of such a conviction.

“It could have happened in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s. There are thousands of them,” Shumlin said in a WCAX report. “We’ve got folks who got charged for an ounce or less of marijuana in a different era when we were running a failed war on drugs. Let’s give those folks the opportunity to have a clean record.”

Individuals have until Christmas to apply for a pardon under the program.

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New York Makes More Changes to MMJ Program; Defines ‘Chronic Pain’

12/09/2016

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In efforts to expand the state’s medical cannabis program, New York’s Department of Health has announced they are allowing registered organizations to wholesale their products to other licensed businesses and are lifting the limit on the number of brands allowed to be sold by dispensaries.

The decision comes after an announcement last week that will see chronic pain added to the eligible condition list, and the approval of physician’s assistants and nurse practitioners to recommend the drug. Under the new rules, the department has defined chronic pain as:

“Any severe debilitating pain that the practitioner determines degrades health and functional capability; where the patient has contraindications, has experienced intolerable side effects, or has experienced failure of one or more previously tried therapeutic options; and where there is documented medical evidence of such pain having lasted three months or more beyond onset, or the practitioner reasonably anticipates such pain to last three months or more beyond onset.”

Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, who sponsored the Compassionate Care Act, said that by lifting the number of brands available, the Department is ensuring access “for patients with rare or complex conditions.”

“I applaud Commissioner of Health Howard Zucker and Governor Andrew Cuomo for taking further steps to expand access to medical marijuana,” Gottfried said in a press release. “Allowing the companies that manufacture and sell medical marijuana to wholesale their products to other registered organizations will expand the variety of products available across the state.”

According to the release, the Department has also proposed amendments that would allow hospitals to create policies and procedures allowing registered medical cannabis patients to self-administer cannabis in a hospital. The 45-day comment period for the rule change will begin on Dec. 21.

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A police truck with the DEA insignia.

DEA Threat Assessment Survey Blames Media for Difficulty Enforcing Cannabis Laws

12/09/2016

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In their latest Threat Assessment, an annual survey of U.S. law enforcement agencies, the DEA claims that the “abundance of media attention” has made it difficult to enforce and prosecute cannabis-related offences.

“Many states have passed laws allowing the cultivation, possession, and use of marijuana within their respective states. Due to these varying state laws, as well as an abundance of media attention surrounding claims of possible medical benefits, the general public has been introduced to contradictory and often inaccurate information regarding the legality and benefits of marijuana use. This has made enforcement and prosecution for marijuana-related offenses more difficult, especially in states that have approved marijuana legalization.”

Additionally, just 4.9 percent of survey respondents said that cannabis was the drug that concerned them the most, down from 6 percent last year. In the survey, the average strength of cannabis seized was up from 1995 levels, from 4 to 12 percent, as was the potency of “hash-oil” from 13 percent in 1995 to 55 percent.

The agency asserts that international drug traffickers have established themselves in states with legal cannabis markets in order to grow product for illegal sale. However, they fail to back up that claim with hard numbers of arrests.

“Since the legalization of personal-use marijuana, there has been an influx of not only individuals, but organized groups of individuals who have relocated to Colorado for the sole purpose of producing marijuana to transport and sell in other markets,” the report states.

The report indicates that the total weight of cannabis seized from drug trafficking operations along the Southwest Border of the U.S. has declined 23.6 percent from 2013 to 2014.

Nevertheless, the report shows that the number of cannabis overdose deaths remains zero, while heroin overdoses have outnumbered gun deaths for the first time in history.

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Waterway in western German city of Düsseldorf.

German City Takes Next Step in Cannabis Legalization Plans

12/08/2016

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The City Council of the western German city of Düsseldorf met with psychology, economics, and crime experts yesterday as part of their efforts to legalize cannabis for adults 18 and older, Deutsche Welle reports. Local lawmakers hope that the expert testimony will help convince federal regulators to allow them to move forward with the plan after they rejected a similar scheme from Berlin’s Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough council.

The meeting was attended by members of other regional councils, including Münster and Cologne, who are considering their own legal cannabis programs.

Last year, the Berlin council applied to the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices for a license that would allow cannabis to be sold in the region; it was rejected because it would have been in direct conflict with federal drug laws. And while members of the Düsseldorf council say a scientific study might help their cause, such a study is estimated to run $860,000 – which Greens member Angela Hebeler said was “not possible” for Düsseldorf, Cologne, or Münster.

The Düsseldorf council proposal was introduced by a coalition of Social Democrats, Greens, and Free Democrats. Hebeler explained that local governments interested in legalizing adult-use cannabis should work together, developing unique plans in order to determine best practices.

“It makes sense to work with all these cities and share out who does what,” she said in the report. “Maybe we should create different models, so that we find one that gets approval.”

Georg Wurth, German Cannabis Association chairman, said that these local initiatives put pressure on the federal government to make changes to its cannabis laws, noting that they are losing tax revenues while the informal market thrives.

“The ban has actually had many negative effects,” he said. “Consumers are criminalized, black-market dealers are encouraged, prevention is made more difficult and the cost of criminal prosecution is high, while at the same time tax revenue is lost. Sensible regulation of the existing market would remove, or at least reduce, these problems.”

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Gov. John Hickenlooper signing a bill into law in 2013.

Colorado Gov. Pushing for Homegrown Cannabis Reforms

12/08/2016

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Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper is proposing bans on group recreational grows, and calling for new paperwork requirements for individual medical grows, hoping to reduce the illegal sales of homegrown cannabis, according to an Associated Press report. The governor hopes that the new rules will help preserve the state’s market under the incoming Trump Administration.

Under current law, medical card holders are allowed to grow up to 99 plants and recreational users and permitted to grow their allotted six plants in co-ops, which aren’t taxed or tracked.

“We do need to clean up this system and make sure we’re beyond reproach for how well we’re regulating marijuana,” Andrew Freedman, Hickenlooper’s marijuana coordinator, said in the report, noting that in the last two years there have been six large criminal raids.

The governor’s plan would include a 12-plant limit on private property, a ban on recreational co-ops, and tracking requirements for medicinal grows. However, because the cannabis laws are in the state constitution, citizens have the constitutional right to the plant counts allowed under the current regime. New rules on caregivers take effect next month and caregivers will need to begin registering with the state in order for police to know whether that person is legitimately growing for patients.

Activists argue that the new rules are a cash grab; forcing people into the taxed market by reducing what they can grow on their own.

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The flag of Canada, a.k.a. the Maple Leaf.

Canadian Cannabis Company with U.S. Holdings Goes Public

12/08/2016

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CannaRoyalty, a Canadian company with 15 canna-business holdings in the U.S., is public today on the Canadian Securities Exchange using the symbol CRZ, according to a Financial Post report. The company had a pre-listing valuation of $150 million and opened this morning at CA$3.65.

According to CEO Marc Lustig, the company decided to list on the CSE after resistance from the Toronto Stock Exchange because the company holds some recreational companies. In the last five days, Aphria stock, one of CannaRoyalty’s investors listed on the TSX, has jumped almost 2 percent.

“A lot of the excitement and the appreciation of the Canadian stocks has been in part because of U.S. money flows that can’t access U.S. listings,” Lustig said in the report. “I think what CannaRoyalty offers investors is that exposure, in addition to Canada, to U.S. assets.”

CannaRoyalty has interests in U.S. cannabis companies that deal in everything from real estate to skincare products while providing financing to businesses denied by conventional financial institutions.

“We’ve really benefitted from the dislocation between all the innovation that’s going on on the one hand and the lack of access to capital because lending is not conventional: Banks won’t lend to the sector because they are still skeptical about the image and taboos and laws,” Lustig said.

This spring, Canadian lawmakers are expected to unveil a plan that would legalize cannabis for adult use nationally.

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Israel Ministers Propose MMJ Exportation Plan

12/08/2016

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Lawmakers in Israel are likely to  recommend that the nation should start exporting medical cannabis soon, saying the industry would create thousands of agricultural jobs and be worth 1 billion Israeli New Sheqel (more than $2.6 billion), according to a Yediot Ahronot report cited by Globes.

The plan was proposed by the inter-ministerial committee of director generals comprised of the Ministries of Justice, Finance, Public Security and Health. Of the four ministers, only Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan is opposed to the measure, fearing that it would flood the informal market with cannabis for non-medical use.

There are about 26,000 licensed medical cannabis patients in Israel, and that number is expected to double by 2018.  

A portion of the tax revenues from the exports would be used to fund programs aimed at chronic disease prevention and treatment. In addition to Israeli cannabis being sold in the pharmacies of nations with medical cannabis laws, the ministers say that the products would be made available to universities and hospital for research purposes.

The plan would require cabinet approval and legislation would have to be passed that would allow farmers to grow cannabis. An announcement on the proposal is expected to be announced within three weeks.  

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A good strategy is of the utmost importance if you are hoping to maximize your exposure through social media channels.

Crafting Your Dispensary’s Voice on Social Media: Do’s and Dont’s

12/07/2016

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Just like the visual identity of your dispensary in the form of branding or a unique logo, your customers should ideally be able to recognize your content solely by its tone and writing style. By establishing your dispensary brand’s voice early on for all communication, you will be able to provide a consistent and enjoyable experience for your customers every time they encounter you.

Social media is likely where it is going to have the greatest effect for your customers, since this is where they will see most of your content. To help you create your own standards for posting, below is a general guide of do’s and don’ts for operating your social channels.

  • DO share relevant information with your customers. You will lose followers if you aren’t giving them useful or informative content when and where they need it.
  • DO maintain your personality through words. Is your dispensary a relaxed place or does it have a more serious atmosphere? Use verbiage that matches the tone of your brand so that you don’t confuse your audience with a voice they don’t expect.
  • DO represent your brand in a positive light by putting thought into your content and comments. Be receptive and willing to consider new ideas from your followers to make them feel important.
  • DO give your followers the inside scoop. Make them feel like they are “in the know” by providing some behind-the-scene looks at what it takes to own and operate a dispensary.
  • DO respond to comments in a timely manner, remaining professional even if the comments are rude or profane. Make sure to have a plan to respond to angry comments so that you are able to stay consistent.
  • DO maintain your brand’s voice across social channels, even if you have more than one person managing them. Your audience should not be able to tell the difference if more than one person is creating your content.
  • DO stand up for your political beliefs, but be aware of the potential repercussions. Maintain your professionalism in the resulting discussion, respecting everyone’s opinions. Remember that you are speaking on behalf of the entire business.

Here are some tips on what to avoid:

  • DON’T break the law. You need to know your local rules on advertising cannabis before planning your social media efforts. Leafly keeps a running list of advertising laws for each state — click here.
  • DON’T make every piece of content a hard sell. You will want to throw in more interesting and useful content as well. Remember that you are trying to make a good first impression and instill trust in your followers.
  • DON’T be lewd or overtly sexual in any way. Objectifying women is also something you should avoid: you will wind up alienating customers and reinforcing negative stereotypes about the industry.
  • DON’T make false claims. Sure you might want to talk highly about one of your favorite products, just keep in mind that you might disappoint your audience if you go overboard.
  • DON’T over-use profanity. Depending on the voice of your brand it may be appropriate occasionally, but it should never be used commonly.

Clearly, there are a lot of things to keep in mind when sharing content over social media.

The main thing to remember is that each time you share content, that message might be the first thing that a potential new customer sees from your brand. Make sure that the information is relevant and professional, but remember to inject some personality that matches the feel of your shop. Creativity will be rewarded by separating your business from its competitors, so make sure you are having fun with it!

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The leaf of a near fully-grown cannabis plant in California.

Humboldt County Farmers Launching Craft Cannabis Brand at Emerald Cup

12/07/2016

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Cannabis farmers in Humboldt County, California have formed a collective to create Humboldt’s Finest, a craft cannabis brand, the alliance announced in a press release. The five sungrown flower lines created and cultivated by the multi-generational master gardeners will be released this week at the Emerald Cup in Santa Rosa.

Jospeh Shepp, Humboldt’s Finest CEO, called the brand and the collective — comprised of cannabis artisans, advanced botanists and “maverick growers” — “a natural next step” for farmers from the region.

“We have been perfecting our trade and ability to comply since Prop 215. The opportunity to enter a legitimate, aboveground marketplace requires responsible practices,” he said in the release. “We look forward to raising the bar and setting the most sustainable standards for cannabis cultivation.”

Members of the collective voluntarily met rigid Patient Focused Certification standards, which require strict safety standards, legal compliance, and water use.

“By educating customers on the premium value of craft cannabis, we will preserve the heritage family farms that have defined Humboldt County since the beginning,” Shepp said. “Our vision is to produce the world’s finest cannabis, while protecting the environment and culture of Humboldt County.”

The brand’s debut will feature six-packs of pre-rolled joints and boxed eighths.

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Washington Business Association to Provide Financial Support for Low Income MMJ Patients

12/07/2016

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The Washington Cannabusiness Association is launching a program to help low-income patients pay for their medicinal cannabis, the News Tribune reports. According to association Director Vicki Christophersen, the program is a necessity for many patients because medical cannabis is not able to be covered by insurance due to federal drug laws.

“People don’t have access to the same kinds of opportunities to get assistance for their medicine,” Christophersen said in the report. “We heard, and have been hearing from patients — legitimate patients who have an authorization — there are people having a difficult time accessing their medications.”

The fund will be administered separately from the WACA, relying on donations from individuals and businesses. Christophersen said that all of the WACA members carry medical endorsements for their retail shops who would act as partners in the program.

“Hopefully we can help fill that void until the federal government changes the status of marijuana nationally,” she said.

Qualified patients with a medical state-authorization are able to apply for financial support from the fund. Applications will be available by the first quarter of next year on the association’s website and at WACA members’ retail locations. The program is expected to begin in earnest by spring as the organization is still determining whether there are regulatory challenges to such a program.

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