New South Wales, Australia MMJ Program Launches Today

8/01/2016

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Doctors in New South Wales, Australia can now legally prescribe medical cannabis as new regulations take effect today, the New Daily reports.

Patients suffering from HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s Disease, arthritis, cancer, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, multiple sclerosis, anxiety, depression, epilepsy, glaucoma, schizophrenia, Chron’s disease, and sleep disorders will now have access to cannabis therapies.

“This change increases the options available for doctors as it means a broader range of cannabis-based medicines can be prescribed – while we continue our evidence-based research looking further into the role medicinal cannabis can play,” Premier Mike Baird said in the report.

Cannabis treatment options in the state include smoking, oils, pills, tinctures, and injections.

Medical Research Minister Pru Goward suggested this might just be the beginning for medicinal cannabis use in the country, noting that his department is investing $21 million “to further world-leading research.”

“There is still a lot to learn about safety and efficacy for different patient conditions and groups,” he said.

Doctors will need to get approval from both NSW Health and the Commonwealth Therapeutic Goods Administration before they can begin prescribing cannabis to patients.

“It is an important step forward to look after patients in terminal situations or suffering side effects from chemotherapy, so it adds to our arsenal,” Australian Medical Association NSW spokesman Saxon Smith said. “This isn’t wholesale access to any type of cannabis. It’s about medication obtained legally and it doesn’t mean homemade tinctures and oils.”

Last week, the NSW government was approved by the federal government to grow cannabis in order to research the best cultivation methods. The drug will be grown under strict supervision in a high security facility.

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Los Angeles Chef Offering Cannabis-Infused Cuisine

8/01/2016

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A former chef at two Michelin-starred restaurants is bringing cannabis-infused cuisine to private parties in California hoping to provide diners with a “cerebral experience,” according to a New Straits Times report.

Christopher Sayegh, 24, infuses his dishes with a cannabis compound, which he says is unlike any other ingredient because one must be “extremely careful” with heat while cooking with cannabis. Sayegh says that it’s up to the chef to make sure the “trip” customers are being taken on is “done right.”

“I am literally changing people’s brain chemistry as the dishes go on,” he said. “By the third course you feel it a little, by the fourth a bit more and by the fifth course, you’re starting to hit your groove.”

Sayegh’s menu includes Wagyu Japanese beef, oysters, pomegranate sorbet, stuffed grape leaves, falafel and chickpea beignets. The dinners with The Herbal Chef run between $300 and $500 per person.

Robyn Griggs Lawrence, author of “The Cannabis Kitchen,” notes that while cooking with cannabis is not necessarily new, it is also not an exact science.

“It’s not like ordering a Jack Daniels and coke,” Lawrence said. “There is a whole discovery going on right now as this is kind of reaching out from the Wild Wild West.”

Sayegh believes his business might be able to expand beyond private parties if California voters approve cannabis for recreational use this November.

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Denver Credit Union to Add More Cannabis Industry Depositors

8/01/2016

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Denver, Colorado-based Partner Colorado Credit Union is providing services to about 20 cannabusinesses in the state, with plans to add five more per month, the Credit Union Journal reports. The credit union first launched their Safe Harbor Private Banking division in January.

Nearly 25 percent of the financial institution’s 40 employees devote their time to servicing these clients, representing about 5 percent of all deposits at the credit union. However, cannabis businesses pay a bit more than the average Partner depositor for the service; monthly fees run 0.3 percent of deposits, with a $3,500 per month cap, according to a New Cannabis Ventures report.

According to Tim Cullen, owner of Colorado Harvest Company, the $2,500 his company pays each month for their deposit account is worth it for the peace of mind.   

Partner’s CEO Sundie Seefried, said hosting cannabis businesses requires a “relationship of trust” and the credit union takes an average of three weeks to research a cannabis client before they will accept any money from the company.

“You have to know your customer really, really well,” Seefriend said in the CUJ report. “You have to have your eye on the businesses, on the owner and on the money.”

Seefried suggests that credit unions need to consider serving the industry, and that institution brass shouldn’t shut out the market due to their personal or ethical beliefs.

“We’re actually in the money-management business. If we don’t manage the money, then who will?” she said.

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Minnesota MMJ Program Opens Up to Patients With Intractable Pain

8/01/2016

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Patients with intractable pain can begin purchasing medical cannabis in Minnesota today, the Star Tribune reports. The condition was approved by Health Commissioner Ed Ehlinger in December.   

The state’s program is restrictive, banning the plant form and opting for pills, oils, and vapor delivery methods. But for the nearly 500 patients suffering from intractable pain who registered with the program in July, the wait is over.

Judy Bjerke Severson, 70, says the pain killers she is prescribed have left her a shell of her former self, and paired with her fibromyalgia and back pain, she has been unable to visit friends, sleep in her own bed, or go grocery shopping. She will be the first to be seen today at a Bloomington medical marijuana clinic to be treated for the pain that has plagued her for more than 20 years.

“I could just cry I’m so excited,” Bjerke Severson said in the report. “I don’t enjoy this life I have right now.”

While this is a win for some patients in the state, advocates from Sensible Minnesota are pushing the health commissioner to add post-traumatic stress disorder to the list of approved conditions and to allow full-plant access.

Ehlinger added intractable pain to the condition list after a successful (according to the commissioner) roll-out of the program.

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Florida Dispensary Planning Second Location

7/31/2016

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On the heels of their successful first dispensary opening in Tallahassee, Trulieve has announced plans for their second Florida location in Pensacola, according to a report from the Pensacola News Journal.

Kim Rivers, CEO of Trulieve, said the site has been granted zoning certification, and they are currently working with the Department of Health for the proper permits.

“We think it’s very important that we’re serving patients here in Northwest Florida, so Pensacola is definitely an important market for us,” Rivers said in the report.

She declined to speculate when the new location would be open for business, but indicated they would move forward “as quickly as the process will allow.”

According to the company’s website, Trulieve is also planning on opening dispensaries in Tampa, Bradenton, Clearwater and St. Petersburg. The company already offers statewide delivery, and its Tallahassee location is currently the only operational dispensary in the state.

Brian Spencer, councilman for the district in which the new shop is proposed, said he would not oppose the dispensary because of its medical value to his constituents.

Under the current law, low-strength medical cannabis is available in Florida to patients with severe chronic seizures or muscle spasms, according to the bill text. Floridians will vote this November on Amendment 2, which would increase the number of conditions approved for cannabis therapy.

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Illinois Gov. Rauner Signs Decriminalization Bill

7/30/2016

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Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) signed a bill on Friday to decriminalize cannabis, making the possession of 10 grams or less of cannabis only a ticket-able offense — as opposed to its previous classification as a class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months of jail time and $1,500 in fines — the Chicago Tribune reports.

With the governor’s signature, the new legislation takes immediate effect, marking a rare, bipartisan collaboration on the part of state Democrats and Republican Gov. Rauner.

Under the new law, those caught with 10 or fewer grams of cannabis will face fines from $100 to $200. Cannabis citations will be automatically expunged twice a year: on January 1 and July 1.

The change also loosens Illinois’ strict zero tolerance DUI laws regarding cannabis use, choosing instead to adopt a system similar to those established in Washington and Colorado: drivers in Illinois can now be charged with a cannabis DUI only if they are caught with 5 or more nanograms of THC in their blood, or 10 nanograms in their saliva.

“We applaud Gov. Rauner and the legislature for replacing Illinois’s needlessly draconian marijuana possession law with a much more sensible policy,” said Chris Lindsey, senior legislative counsel for the Marijuana Policy Project. “This commonsense legislation will prevent countless citizens from having their lives turned upside down by a marijuana possession arrest.”

The law follows a Chicago decriminalization measure from 2012. Dozens of Illinois localities already have some form of decriminalization measures on the books — the new statewide law does not overrule these local laws, but instead creates uniformity for all of the places that haven’t yet passed marijuana reforms.

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Canadian Government Discouraging Independent Labs from Testing Cannabis

7/29/2016

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Scientists and activists in Canada say Health Canada’s restrictive approach to cannabis safety testing puts the public at risk because the department discourages laboratories from analyzing products that do not come directly from the 31 licensed medical marijuana producers in the country, the Globe and Mail reports.

Hubert Marceau, a co-owner of Laboratoire PhytoChemia, who are permitted to test cannabis, said his lab has fielded at least a dozen requests from patients, doctors and dispensaries to analyze products from both regulated and unregulated sources. The lab must reach out to Health Canada for guidance and their answer is usually vague, taking as long as eight months.

“Can we test for physicians? Can we test for patients?” he said he’s asked officials. “And always the answer was either fuzzy, or we are waiting for more information, or I’m forwarding you to whatever department — and we often didn’t get any answers.”

The Globe and Mail had nine samples of dried cannabis from nine unlicensed dispensaries tested by a lab, and found three of them would not meet Health Canada’s safety standards for their licensed growers. The samples contained “several different kinds of pathogenic bacteria,” that while undesirable, are unlikely to be harmful to consumers with healthy immune systems.     

The lab that tested the samples for The Globe asked to remain unnamed due to “fear that the federal government would sanction the lab and revoke its license, despite performing a valuable public service.”

Last month federal officials announced the creation of a task force to crack down on illegal dispensaries, saying they were putting consumers at risk because their products are not tested.

“These operations are illegally supplied, and provide products that are untested, unregulated and that may be unsafe,” a press release said.

In the announcement, there was no plan to allow independent testing.

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Large, cured cannabis nug lying on its side.

Second Arkansas MMJ Campaign Gets Signature Extension; Majority Still Favor Program

7/29/2016

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Supporters of the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment have been granted a 30-day extension to meet the signature requirements for ballot access, TVH 11 reports. The amendment would be the second medical cannabis initiative on November’s ballot — the competing Arkansas Medical Cannabis Act was approved earlier this month.

The proposed amendment by David Couch submitted a total 99,629 signatures, of which 72,309 were validated. The extension was granted because the number of signatures exceeded 75 percent of the requirements.

Melissa Fults, campaign director for Arkansas Compassionate Care, who led the AMCA campaign, suggested if Couch’s ballot bid is successful, it’s likely both fail. Key differences in the competing campaigns include tax thresholds and growing-your-own provisions.

According to a Talk Business & Politics-Hendrix College poll released today, 58 percent of respondents said they would vote to allow medical marijuana sales in the state, with 34 percent opposed.

Dr. Jay Barth, professor of political science at Hendrix College, said the next few weeks will be crucial in determining the future of medical cannabis in the state because both campaigns would be vying for voter support.

“Although either (or both) may not get over the hurdles (having the sufficient number of valid signatures, etc.) to get there, both achieving the ballot would likely cause problems for the concept of medical marijuana because they would not only have to compete with one another, but would also have opposition from groups like the Arkansas Family Council that have already spoken out against the broadening of access to marijuana,” Barth wrote in his analysis.

The recent poll indicates less support overall for medical cannabis in Arkansas, as an August Talk Business & Politics/Hendrix College/Impact Management Group survey found 84 percent of registered voters supported its use.

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Two More California Cities Sending Cannabis Tax Question to Voters  

7/29/2016

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Two more California municipalities have proposed ballot measures to tax cannabis if  state voters decide to legalize recreational cannabis by passing Proposition 64 in November.

According to an East Bay Times report, city legislators in Hayward and San Leandro both passed measures last week that would put the question to voters, seeking to collect the potential revenue as soon as possible.

During its July 19 meeting, Hayward’s City Council unanimously voted in favor of their ballot question, which, if passed, would add a 15 percent tax on gross sales for medical and recreational cannabis sales, cultivation, manufacturing, distribution and business-to-business transactions – none of which are permitted under current city law.

The San Leandro City Council proposal, which was also unanimously approved, would impose an annual tax of 10 percent for every $1,000 of gross receipts.

Deputy City Manager Eric Englebart said officials don’t necessarily envision the 10 percent rate being rolled out initially, pointing to the cities of San Jose and Santa Cruz, who have similar measures but currently only impose a 7 percent rate. At a rate of 5 to 7 percent, the tax could still generate $500,000 annually, he said.

During the July 18 meeting, San Leandro lawmakers also issued the city’s second medical cannabis dispensary permit to the Davis Street Wellness Center by a 5-2 vote.

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WA Cannabis Company Denied Trademark Protection

7/29/2016

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The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board has upheld the decision of a trademark examiner at the U.S. Trademark Office that owners of cannabis businesses cannot obtain federal trademark protection on marks used for marijuana sales.

Washington resident Morgan Brown, who operates Herbal Access, a brick-and-mortar store in Port Hadlock-Irondale and an online dispensary of the same name, was denied his application seeking to trademark his business name because of marijuana’s illegal federal status.

“We have consistently held that, to qualify for a federal service mark registration, the use of a mark in commerce must be ‘lawful,’” the TTAB opinion said. “Thus, any goods or services for which the mark is used must not be illegal under federal law.”

In a brief outlining the decision, Ashe Puri, an associate with Fox Rothschild law firm, suggests that cannabusiness owners seeking trademark protections “may be able to obtain state law protection,” in states with legal markets, but those protections are not as “far-reaching” as federal marks.

“The decision highlights the conflict that exists for businesses that comply with state law requirements but are unable to receive any federal legal protection, whether in terms of intellectual property rights or access to federal bankruptcy courts, among other things,” Puri wrote.

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FDA Approves Synthetic, Liquid THC Product

7/28/2016

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a liquid, synthetic THC product for potential use treating chronic pain, nausea, seizures, Alzheimer’s and other conditions for which cannabis has proven to be an effective therapy, according to a report from Motherboard.

Syndros is a liquid form of Dronabinol, which has been around since the 1980s and is commonly known by its generic name Marinol. The new drug is listed by the FDA as Schedule III, meaning they consider it safe and free of addictive tendencies. Dronabindol is considered less effective than its natural counterpart due to its lacking other compounds found in cannabis. Because of its liquid form, Syndros could be easier for the body to absorb than Donabinol, which is delivered in a pill.

Dr. John Kapoor, CEO and President of Insys Therapeutics, creators of Syndros, said the company expects the drug to become “a significant long-term commercial opportunity.”

“We are very pleased to announce FDA approval of Syndros. We believe that Syndros will be an important new treatment option for patients suffering from the devastating effects of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, as well as those fighting anorexia associated with weight loss in AIDS,” Kapoor said in a press release announcing the approval.

Dr. William Eidelman, a Los Angeles-based medical marijuana physician, said that while he prescribes Marinol, many patients prefer traditional cannabis over the synthetics.

“Some people want the Marinol prescription for the reason that having the prescription gives it an additional level of legal acceptability under federal law,” he said in the report.

There are approximately 9,500 dronabinol prescriptions in the U.S., comparatively, according to a study by ProCon.org published May 3, there are 1,246,170 patients enrolled in U.S. medical marijuana programs.

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Many OR Communities to Hold Second Recreational Cannabis Vote

7/28/2016

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Though recreational cannabis is technically legal in Oregon, moratoria remain in place throughout more than 100 of the state’s local communities. However, voters in about half of those locations will be voting again in November whether or not to approve recreational cannabis — this time as a locality — an OPB report reveals.

Under the implemented version of Oregon’s successful legalization measure, officials in cities and counties where 55% or more of the populace voted against legalization were allowed to blanket ban the recreational industry. In places where less than 55% of voters were opposed to legalization, a similar ban requires majority support from the voters.

In Albany, Oregon, for example, officials banned the recreational industry back in 2014 — despite the fact that a slight majority of voters there actually favored legalization.

Shawn Aman, owner of Albany’s Going Green cannabis dispensary, told OPB that, though his medical sales are going well, he has to turn away close to a dozen customers each day who are hoping to take advantage of Oregon’s new recreational cannabis laws.

“As a business owner it feels incredibly frustrating to have to send customers down the street,” Aman said.

Albany is one of the localities where voters will decide this November whether or not to continue its ban on the recreational cannabis industry. Though officials in the area generally support the ban, there is a second measure on the ballot that would — if recreational cannabis is allowed — opt into a three percent local tax on cannabis sales.

Data from the Oregon Liquor Control Commission indicates that as many as 52 different localities may vote on the recreational cannabis issue this November. At least 53 communities, primarily in eastern Oregon, will maintain their moratoria without having to consult voters.

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Cloverdale, CA Likely to See Cannabis Tax on November Ballots

7/28/2016

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Cloverdale, California’s City Council has informally agreed to a ballot measure that, if passed, would approve a tax on cannabis operations in the municipality. Officials say it would help boost the general fund to pay for services such as police, parks, libraries, streets and programs for youth and seniors, the Press Democrat reports.

The plan would raise a 10 percent tax on gross receipts, in addition to the 8.25 percent sales, which officials estimate could be $150,000 per year from a single dispensary.

Medical marijuana dispensaries are currently prohibited in the city, but that would change if voters pass the cannabis tax. Officials are also looking at imposing taxes on commercial cultivation, distribution, operations, delivery, and testing businesses. There are 18 cities in California with cannabis taxes.

Mayor Mary Ann Brigham indicated she would allow dispensaries, but wasn’t sure whether they would be allowed in commercial-use areas or downtown.

City Attorney Jose Sanchez said officials would likely have to collect the tax payments from business owners in cash, in person, at a bank, due to federal banking laws that treat cannabis sales as illegal gains.

Californians will vote on legalizing cannabis for recreational use this November. If passed, it is likely that more California towns and counties will impose their own marijuana taxes.

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Queensland, Australia Opens MMJ Trial Applications for Kids with Epilepsy

7/28/2016

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Applications for a medicinal cannabis trial in Queensland, Australia are underway, aimed at treating children with drug-resistant epilepsy, according to an Australian Broadcasting Corporation report.

Epidiolex, a liquid form of pure cannabidiol, will be used in the trials, which will be developed and run by a research team from the Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital in Brisbane. The drug is manufactured by UK-based GW Pharmaceuticals.

“Our project is driven by two things — compassion and hope,” Health Minister Cameron Dick said in the report. “These children suffer from a terribly debilitating condition.”

The study will not be randomized — all participants will be given the drug and none would receive a placebo. The trials are part of a $6 million project that will include establishing a specialist research center.

Dr. Andrew Hallahan, executive director of medical services for Children’s Health Queensland, said the study would help determine the safety of the drug and “its potential efficacy.”

“At its best, what we would have is another option for specialist doctors from pediatric neurologists to offer to help children,” Hallahan said. “The initial studies that I have seen don’t indicate that it’s going to be a miraculous cure for epilepsy and all drugs have their side effects.”

A bill legalizing medical marijuana in Queensland is currently before a Parliament committee.

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Oregon State Fair to Feature Live Cannabis Plants

7/27/2016

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For the first time in history — and in a telling demonstration of how far Oregon’s normalization process has come — live cannabis plants will be on display this year at the Oregon State Fair. The fair, a celebration of the finest Oregon farm crops and livestock, runs August 26 through September 5 at the state fairgrounds in Salem.

According to Don Morse, chairman of the Oregon Cannabis Business Council, nine award-winning cannabis plants will be displayed in a restricted, greenhouse area throughout the course of the state fair. Attendees will have to show their ID proving they are 21 or older before they will be allowed entrance to the display.

“We are celebrating the plant as a farm crop from Oregon,” Morse told The Oregonian‘s Noelle Crombie.

“We are not promoting the use of cannabis,” he said. “We are there to show … people over 21 what award-winning cannabis plants look like.”

Fair spokesman Dan Cox said, “This is really a reflection of where Oregon is now as a state.” He said the state fair’s decision to include legal cannabis is a nod to the “direction that the entire state is moving.”

The plants will be judged by a panel of experts — including renowned cannabis cultivation pioneer and author Ed Rosenthal — at the Oregon Cannabis Growers Fair, a special and inaugural event taking place August 13-14 on the state fairgrounds. According to event organizer Mary Lou Burton, who is also founder of the Cannabis Collaborative Convention, more than 200 Oregon growers are expected to submit specimens for the contest.

The plants will be judged on the following qualities:

  • Color
  • Shape and structure
  • Node stacking
  • Leaf structure
  • Aroma
  • General health and lack of pest

Tickets are available online for both the Oregon Cannabis Growers Fair and the Oregon State Fair, sold separately.

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Anchorage Assembly Approves First Commercial Grow in Alaska

7/27/2016

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Anchorage, Alaska’s first commercial cannabis grow was sanctioned by the city Assembly yesterday, after lawmakers voted 10-0 to approve licenses and permits for Dream Green Farms, the Alaska Dispatch News reports.

A second application by Arctic Herbery was referred to the Community and Economic Development Committee for further review. Legislators made the decision after the Dream Green Farms vote to send all future applications to that committee before hearing public testimony in an effort to strengthen and structure the city’s approval process.

“The concern is all these little details and we’re going to have to work them out,” Assemblyman Tim Steele told Arctic Herbery owner Bryant Thorp at the conclusion of the debate. “We’re not picking on you, it’s a new process.”

Assemblywoman Amy Dembowski said the Dream Green Farms application “should be the standard by which all others are measured.

“No offense to those that are coming behind it but this is like ‘A’ work and this is exactly what we’re looking for,” she said in the report. Dembowski also had concerns with Arctic Herbery’s application over concerns about the response in the proposed neighborhood.

Dream Green Farms co-owner Justin Roland said he is now waiting for municipal approval to begin construction on a vacant warehouse for his cultivation center and anticipates he will bring his first product to market in December.

The Community and Economic Development Committee will discuss Thorp’s application before the next Assembly meeting on Aug. 9.

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Cannabis Career Fair Expected to Fill Over 1000 Jobs

7/27/2016

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Denver, CO – The cannabis industry’s largest career fair ever is happening tomorrow in Denver! As the legal cannabis sector continues to grow in Colorado, Vangst–formerly Gradujuana–is just two days away from their second cannabis career fair. Vangst currently has over forty-five cannabis companies attending to recruit over one thousand available positions. The second career fair is scheduled for July 28th from 2:00 – 8:00 PM at Mile High Station; 2027 Old West Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80204. Tickets are available at EventBrite.

Among the companies recruiting positions ranging from entry to executive will be LivWell, Medicine Man, Native Roots, The Farm, Baker, MMJ America, Dixie Elixirs, LeafLink and many more.

“Our industry represents an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for some people to begin a second career”, said Vangst President Karson Humiston, “The time to get in on the ground floor is beginning to fade, but the opportunity is still tangible. Getting in the door now will give you a competitive advantage as cannabis goes mainstream”.

Additionally, after the Fair there will be a VIP After Party, sponsored by Leafly. This event takes place at 1644 Platte Street, from 8:00 – 11:00 PM.

 

For more information:

Vangst Talent Network

1644 Platte St, Denver, CO 80202

VangstTalent.com: 720-558-3852

Info@VangstTalent.com

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Unlicensed Olympia Dispensary Raided by County Narcotics Task Force

7/27/2016

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Washington’s Thurston County Narcotics Task Force raided Olympia’s Sonshine Organics Network on Monday, making no arrests but seizing dried cannabis, edibles, creams and plants, the Olympian reports.

Thurston County Sheriff John Snaza personally delivered a letter to the business owners before the new law — the Cannabis Patient Protection Act — took effect on July 1. According to the Sheriff’s Office, the letter outlined the new law and indicated that violations would not be tolerated.

“We want to make sure that we’ve done our part in reaching out to all the collectives we can,” Snaza said in a previous report, announcing plans to visit shops. “I don’t want to throw people in jail for this. We’re just trying to change the culture again.”

Sonshine Organics was also warned to halt operations by the state Liquor and Cannabis Board.

County prosecutor Jon Tunheim indicated that his office would prosecute cases early on so people know law enforcement officials are “serious,” but hoped that “people who legitimately want to help patients get marijuana will find a way to do that in the legal market.”

The two employees interviewed by police cooperated and were not immediately charged by Tunheim’s office. He previously indicated that employees could be charged and an owner or manager could be held liable.

The investigation is ongoing.

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Florida’s First Dispensary Opens as Amendment 2 Opponents Add to War Chest

7/27/2016

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Trulieve’s Tallahassee dispensary opened on schedule yesterday, according to a Sun Sentinel report. Its first customer purchased cannabis capsules to ease his seizures and chronic muscle spasms. The company made its first medical cannabis delivery last week.

However, it is the state’s first and only dispensary, and the heiress to Florida’s most valuable supermarket, Publix, is reported to have donated $800,000 to a campaign against November’s Amendment 2 initiative.

According to a Miami New Times report, the Carol Jenkins Barnett Family Trust made the donation to Drug Free Florida on July 14. Amendment 2 would expand the medical cannabis condition list and provide wider access to full strength marijuana to patients enrolled in the strict program. Drug Free Florida helped defeat a similar amendment — by just 2 percent — in 2014.  

Jenkins Barnett, the daughter of Publix founder George Jenkins, stepped down from her role with the grocery store chain last month. The 59-year-old is battling Alzheimer’s, which, according to a recent study, could be treated with marijuana therapies.

Ben Pollara, campaign manager for United for Care, thinks the trust is fighting the industry to protect the company’s bottom line rather than due to Barnett’s own politics. A Publix spokesperson said the company has not made any donations for or against Amendment 2.

A United for Care poll, released on July 27, found 77 percent of Floridians favor the amendment initiative, compared to just 20 percent opposed. State officials expect dispensaries to open in 19 more Florida cities in the coming year.    

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Study: Avg. Recreational Cannabis Customer is a 37-Year-Old White Male  

7/27/2016

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According to a study by Headset Inc., the average legal cannabis consumer is a 37-year-old male who spends $647 a year on traditional dried marijuana and visits a dispensary every 19.5 days. The study by the cannabis intelligence firm reviewed about 40,000 legal cannabis purchases in Washington from Sept. 2014 to July 2016.

Millennials, people aged 21-34, represent about 50 percent of consumers in the formal market, while less than 10 percent are older than 60 – but that demographic spends more per-purchase than any other age group. Customers in their twenties spend about $27 per trip every 16 days, compared to at least $40 by customers aged 60-80. The biggest spenders annually are those in their forties and fifties, who spend $823 and $753 respectively.

“As you’re older, you might have more money to go and make bigger purchases,” Headset co-founder Cy Scott said in the Bloomberg report. “The millennials might be out and about more; they can drop into [marijuana dispensaries] more often. Older people might just plan more.”

Traditional flower is far and away the most popular purchase regardless of age and gender, at least doubling the amount of all other types of purchases. Women purchased more pre-rolled joints and edibles than men, who purchased more concentrates.

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New Mexico’s MMJ Program Marred by Application Processing Delays

7/26/2016

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Medical cannabis patients and providers in New Mexico are frustrated by the delay of medical card processing in the state, with wait times as long as 60 days, according to a KRQE report.

“This is frustrating cause we try to provide… quality service and a lot of the time the patients don’t understand that it’s not our facility that does the processing of the cards,” Patrick Gifford, of Zia Health and Wellness, said in the report.

Gifford added that the dispensary gets at least 20 to 30 calls per day by patients hoping for answers. The dispensary can only give them the number to the Department of Health, who tell them they have to keep waiting.

Health Department officials say they are working on adding more staff members to help with the backlog of applications and are recommending that people submit their applications 60 days before their current cannabis card expires in order to avoid enrollment gaps. The Department is also encouraging people to double check their applications to make sure there are no reasons to delay processing.

Within the last year, the Health Department has received 10,000 applications for the program. They say incomplete applications also cause delays for the processing of all other applications they receive. They have not given a firm time table for when the problem would be under control.  

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Italian Parliament Debates Legalizing Recreational Cannabis

7/26/2016

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Italian lawmakers held initial debates yesterday on whether to legalize cannabis for recreational use, according to a report from Reuters. The plan is backed by legislators who say a formal market would strip mafia groups of some income, but conservative groups and the Roman Catholic Church stand opposed.

Under the measure, citizens would be allowed to possess 5 grams on their person and up to 15 grams at home. Individuals would be allowed to grow up to five cannabis plants, and up to 50 if part of a social group of growers. The state would license dispensaries to sell marijuana and its derivatives.

Private sales and smoking in any public space would remain outlawed.

“Legalize cannabis to take profits from the mafia, free police to do other work, control substances that are in circulation, fight consumption among adolescents, move money from traffickers’ accounts into the state’s coffers,” Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Della Vedova wrote in a Facebook post.

In June 2014, Pope Francis said “No to every type of drug use” during a drug control conference in Rome.

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s Democratic Party and the 5-Star Movement both support the bill, but opponents lodged more than 1,300 amendments before it arrived for a discussion in the lower house of Parliament.   

According to the bill text, the value of the illegal cannabis industry in Italy is estimated between $7.91 billion and $32.98 billion.

Lawmakers will re-open the debate in September.    

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A collection of clones on display in a California cannabis dispensary.

Tweed Strikes Deal to Export Medical Cannabis to Germany

7/26/2016

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Canada’s largest medical cannabis producer, Tweed, can begin exporting its product to Germany, after receiving approval from both countries, the company announced yesterday.

“Introducing Tweed product to German medical cannabis patients is an exciting and groundbreaking event,” Bruce Linton, chairman and CEO of Tweed parent company Canopy Growth said in a press release. “Patients will soon have a new choice in variety for their medical cannabis, and we are honored to be involved in the changing landscape for German access and choice.”

Germans can buy medical cannabis in pharmacies for a variety of conditions, but the country has yet to establish adequate domestic production.

Working with MedCann GmbH Pharma and Nutraceuticals (“MedCann”), Tweed will introduce two strains in Germany, with plans to export more varieties as soon as possible. The deal is the first known incidence of a licensed Canadian producer exporting dried cannabis to a major G7 country.

Canopy recently announced agreements to bring its products to markets in Brazil and Australia. With the agreement with Germany, the company now offers products on four continents.

“As the German population now knows, the regulatory aspects and laws concerning medical cannabis have evolved to address the growing needs of medical cannabis patients in Germany,” Dr. Pierre Debs, co-founder of MedCann said in the release. “Now, in the summer of 2016, through the concerted efforts of MedCann and Tweed, patients across Germany can be assured of a new supply and variety of the highest quality medical cannabis.”

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Massachusetts Forcing Dispensaries to ‘Pay-to-Play’

7/26/2016

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Medical cannabis dispensaries in Massachusetts are being subjected to a ‘pay-to-play’ scheme by cities and towns in order to get letters necessary to win state licenses, according to a Boston Globe review of compacts between the companies and the municipalities.

Good Chemistry of Massachusetts promised to pay the city of Worcester $450,000 over three years, and $200,000 a year after that along with $10,000 annually to charities, in order to procure the blessing from city officials. The company also has to pay property taxes and agreed never to seek a reduction or elimination of taxes due to its not-for-profit status.

A negotiation in Springfield shows that the city would get 7 percent of a prospective dispensary’s revenue, along with another $50,000 per year donation to the police department.

In Salem, Alternative Therapies Group paid $82,856 to the town after opening their dispensary, the state’s first, a year ago. That deal requires them to pay 1.25 percent of their annual sales for the first two years and 2 percent after that.  

These types of arrangements are not typical in other states with cannabis infrastructure, and advocates say the system will increase the cost of doing business in the state while siphoning money from shops that could be used to offset costs for needy patients.

Local leaders say the arrangements are necessary because municipalities will need the funds to deal with unforeseen problems with the industry, such as increased traffic and police services.

Dominick Pangallo, chief of Staff for Salem Mayor Kimberley Driscoll, said the city has experienced neither a crime nor traffic increase since the dispensary opened.

Edward M. Augustus Jr., Worcester’s city manager, said the city will use the funds from Good Chemistry for a struggling after-school and summer youth program, not for police and traffic services.

“The market will dictate at what point it is not financially viable for them to sign host agreements that are above a certain number,” Augustus said in the report. “It’s up to the companies to say that’s not sustainable.”

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