New York Medical Marijuana Program Begins On-Time

Today marks the day New Yorkers finally gain access to medical marijuana.

Eight dispensaries in Onondaga, Erie, Albany, Ulster and Westchester Counties and Manhattan have opened for business for the first time today. There are nearly 150 doctors signed up with the Department of Health to prescribe cannabis to patients.

“Governor Cuomo gave us an extremely ambitious timeline to get the medical marijuana program up and running, and I am pleased that we have met his goals.” New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said in a release. “Our program ensures the availability of pharmaceutical-grade medical marijuana products for certified patients and establishes strict regulatory controls to protect public health and safety.”

Patients suffering from cancer, HIV/AIDS, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, intractable spasticity caused by spinal cord nervous tissue damage, epilepsy, inflammatory bowel disease, neuropathies and Huntington’s disease may qualify to obtain medical marijuana in the state.

The Compassionate Care Act does not allow smoking of the plant matter, instead it allows five registered organizations to grow cannabis plants that are used to manufacture liquid-based products such as capsuled pills, sublingual drops, oral sprays and concentrates for use in vaporization pens.

The Drug Policy Alliance, however, is concerned about the small number of locations, the nominal number of enrolled physicians and number of approved conditions. The advocacy group would like to see Alzheimer’s disease, muscular dystrophy, dystonia, post-traumatic stress disorder and rheumatoid arthritis treatments approved for the program.

“Medical marijuana only becomes real in New York when patients have the medicine they need,” said Julie Netherland, of the Drug Policy Alliance in a statement. “For this program to work, we need to take seriously the concerns that have been raised about patients’ access – low doctor enrollment, geographic accessibility to dispensaries, affordability and including patients with other serious medical conditions. Too many patients are being left behind and too many have suffered far longer than they should have.”

Additional dispensaries will open in various locations throughout the state as the program matures. The Health Department has asked each supplier to develop delivery options for patients unable to travel due to their medical condition. The five organizations also have the freedom to offer their products at reduced prices for low-income patients.

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D.C. City Council Does About-Face On Proposed Cannabis Consumption Law

Washington D.C.’s City Council has reversed a decision that would have allowed the social consumption of cannabis at clubs holding private events. The law would have taken effect January 15th.

When D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser got wind of the proposed regulation, she successfully lobbied several of the council members to reverse their vote.

Mayor Bowser’s concerns about the law stemmed from a lack of legal guidelines concerning private club use, which she felt would put law enforcement in a tricky position. Councilmembers agreed that Bowser’s concerns were worth being addressed before moving ahead with the law.

Councilman Jack Evans of Ward 2 said, “She made some valid points. This could be the Wild West if this doesn’t get taken care of.”

“By allowing the current law to lapse in a couple of weeks, there would actually be some disorder,” said Council Chairman Phil Mendelson. “Several members realized that actually was more of a problem than they had realized on the initiative vote.”

The council stated that its policy can be summed up in four words: Home grow, home use. Smoking in any public establishment — whether it’s being used ‘privately’ or not — remains illegal.

Council judiciary chairman Kenyan McDuffie said that the council will continue to consider whether the law should be changed in the future.

Photo Credit: Ted Eytan

 

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Judge Dismisses Denver Cannabis Credit Union’s Lawsuit Against the Federal Reserve

A lawsuit seeking federal approval for a credit union specifically designed to serve the cannabis industry was dismissed on Tuesday.

According to The Denver Post, U.S. District Judge R. Brooke Jackson dismissed The Fourth Corner Credit Union’s lawsuit against the Federal Reserve because it “would facilitate criminal activity.” According to Jackson, the case cannot move forward because cannabis remains illegal under federal law.

The credit union was already approved for a bank routing number by the state of Colorado, but its application for a master account with the Federal Reserve was promptly blocked by the federal institution.

Fourth Corner’s argument is that — according to banking guidance documents issued by the federal government in February, 2014 — the federal government has been technically allowing banks to work with marijuana businesses who are operating 100% legally under state law.

Jackson, however, understands the federal government’s slight banking allowances in a different light. “These guidance documents simply suggest that prosecutors and bank regulators might ‘look the other way’ if financial institutions don’t mind violating the law,” the judge wrote in a 9-page opinion on the subject. “A federal court cannot look the other way.”

Fourth Corner has been working for years now to solve the cannabis industry’s most pressing limitation: access to reliable banking services. Though this lawsuit didn’t pan out, it was the closest anyone has come to securing bank services for the industry.

However, Jackson did admit that the credit union had presented a convincing argument, but that it was nonetheless impossible to issue a ruling that defied federal drug laws. “I regard the situation as untenable and hope that it will soon be addressed and resolved by Congress,” he wrote.

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Kansas Attorney General Collecting Data on Colorado Cannabis

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt recently launched a statewide investigation on how Colorado cannabis is coming to Kansas, and how law enforcement has been affected by the neighboring state’s legalization, Lawrence Journal-World reports.

According to Schmidt:

“There are numerous and persistent anecdotal accounts of marijuana acquired in Colorado and illegally transported into Kansas causing harm here… But because of technology limits, the confirming data is elusive. Since Colorado’s experiment with legalization is affecting Kansas, we need to know more about what is actually happening here so policymakers can make informed decisions.”

Schmidt explained that he’s sent out more than 500 survey forms to determine exactly how Colorado cannabis is coming into play in Kansas. He’s requesting information from every county and district attorney in the state, as well as all county sheriffs’ offices and city police departments. He intends to make the information public once it has been fully compiled.

In December 2014, the same region made headlines when Nebraska and Oklahoma filed a lawsuit against Colorado for the loosening of its marijuana laws. This lawsuit has taken more than a year in its development — however, when the Supreme Court recently requested input from the federal government on how it should handle the suit, the White House suggested dismissing the case entirely.

Photo Credit: Office of Public Affairs

 

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Washington State Retail Cannabis Prices at All-Time Low

Washington’s recreational cannabis prices have seen dramatic drops since state-licensed retailers first opened shop in 2014: from an average of $25-$30 grams at the market’s launch, prices have plummeted recently to an average of $10.34 per gram across the state — more than a 50% decrease in price.

The price drop is largely attributed to a surge of new retailers as well as some significant changes made to the taxation of wholesale cannabis last summer. Particularly, Washington legislators did away with the original taxation system — which included a three-tiered taxation system that taxed producers, processors, and retailers at 25% on each transaction — in favor of a single 37% excise tax that applies to all consumer sales.

According to The Daily News, some retailers voluntarily took a hit on their profit margins following the tax changes in order to keep prices down and appease consumers. “Sometimes it feels like a race to the bottom,” explained Andrew Dhalai, owner of 420 Holiday in Longview, Washington.

Emergency rules are expected to be issued this week by the state’s Liquor Control Board, the regulatory agency in charge of managing the Washington’s marijuana marketplace. The rules will clarify how a slew of new retailer licenses that are expected soon will help fold the state’s medical cannabis “gray market” into the highly-regulated recreational market.

Photo Credit: Insanity Strains

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Legalization Drives Fall Short in Oklahoma and Mississippi

Cannabis legalization initiatives in both Oklahoma and Mississippi have fallen short of obtaining the required number of signatures to qualify for the 2016 November ballot.

In Oklahoma, an amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution was on the docket to allow medical marijuana — with a doctor’s recommendation. But in the 90 days allowed by state law, volunteers from the grassroots organization Green the Vote were only able to collect 70,000 of the required 123,725 signatures needed to put the initiative in front of voters.

But all is not lost for this November. A different pro-medical marijuana group, Oklahomans for Health, is gearing up for another legalization initiative.

Meanwhile, Mississippi’s Ballot Initiative 48 — written to legalize the retail sale and use of marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol or tobacco — has been in the works since 2014. But as of late December, volunteers had only managed to collect 13,300 of the 107,000 signatures needed to put the measure in front of voters this coming November.

The proposed Mississippi ballot would have looked a lot like legalization in Colorado, with tax revenue earmarked for education, and citizens allowed to grow a limited number of plants for personal use.

Many experts have predicted 2016 will be an extraordinary point in the mainstream legalization process, with up to ten different states likely to put legalization initiatives in front of voters this November.

Photo Credit: Schezar

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Ex-Congressman of Kentucky Heads Medical Marijuana Push

A former Kentucky state representative has created a group that will seek to legalize medical marijuana in the state.

Mike Ward, who served as a Democratic congressman from 1995-1997, announced Monday that he had formed the nonprofit group Legalize Kentucky Now. Ward said “it’s time” that people no longer be treated as criminals for using cannabis to relieve pain and other ailments.

“This is absolutely something that is going to happen in this country and this state,” he said.

Ward served as Representative of Kentucky’s Third Congressional District, which comprises Louisville, before losing a bid for reelection to Anne Northup, a Republican. He said he has been a proponent of medical marijuana legalization since seeing how his brother Alexander, who died of AIDS in 1992, used cannabis to ease his symptoms.

Legalize Kentucky Now will likely find an ally in House Speaker Greg Stumbo, who tried unsuccessfully to pass a medical marijuana bill last year. Stumbo said he would try again to get the measure through Congress this legislative session if the opportunity arises.

Governor Matt Bevin has also said that he would support legalizing medical marijuana.

State Senator Perry Clark, a Louisville Democrat, has also filed the “Cannabis Freedom Act,” which would regulate marijuana like alcohol, although it is unlikely that the bill will gain much traction in the Republican-controlled Senate.

Photo Credit: Nicolas Raymond

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Illinois Medical Cannabis: $1.7M Worth of Sales in Two Months

The Illinois medical cannabis market opened November 9, 2015. Since then — not even a full two months later — program participants have purchased almost $1.7 million worth of cannabis, The Chicago Tribune reports.

The sales numbers were announced Monday by program director Joseph Wright, who also revealed that Illinois growers had raked in close to $1.5 million and that the state has earned more than $100,000 in sales taxes.

According to the Associated Press, there were 20 dispensaries in operation statewide by the close of 2015. Since the program opened, nearly 3,000 unique patients have been served (which is technically only a fraction of the total number of registered medical marijuana patients in Illinois). Most patients were purchasing cannabis at $14-$15 per gram.

Illinois is one of 23 states that have adjusted state laws to allow for at least medical marijuana, though four states and Washington D.C. have also passed recreational legalization and many more have passed decriminalization laws. Many have argued that 2016 could become the tipping point for U.S. legalization, with experts predicting that up to ten states may consider ending the prohibition of cannabis this year.

Photo Credit: Roman Boed

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California’s Adult Use of Marijuana Act Could Bring In $1 Billion Per Year

The California Department of Finance has released a report finding that the legalization of cannabis there could bring in a yearly revenue of $1 billion, Marijuana.com reports.

California’s debt is currently estimated to be around $443 billion. In light of the difficulties facing the state, Michael Cohen, the head of the Department of Finance, along with legislative analyst Mac Taylor, told Attorney General Kamala Harris about the money California stands to make from marijuana legalization.

“In total, our best estimate is that the state and local governments could eventually collect net additional revenues that could range from the high hundreds of millions of dollars to over $1 billion annually,” reads the report.

The report is based on a 15% excise tax on cannabis $9.25 per ounce cultivation tax, and a $2.75 tax on excess plant material.

The $1 billion figure is subject to a number of variables, including potential county-wide bans on marijuana sales, as well as any future federal response to marijuana legalization.

In order to cash in on the projected revenue, California voters need to pass the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA), according to which revenue would be spent in the following ways:

  • $10 million annually from 2018-19 through 2028-29 to public universities in California to research and evaluate the implementation of the measure.

  • $3 million annually from 2018-19 through 2022-23 to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to establish and adopt protocols to determine whether a driver is operating a vehicle while impaired, including by marijuana.

  • $10 million in 2018-19, increasing by $10 million annually until 2022-23, and $50 million each year thereafter, to the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development for a grant program to provide services (such as mental health and substance use treatment) in communities disproportionately affected by past federal and state drug policies.

  • $2 million annually to the University of California San Diego Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research to study the efficacy and adverse effects of the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.

Photo Credit: Insanity Strains

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Despite Opposition, Cannabis Legalization Bill Pre-Filed in New Mexico

A New Mexico state representative has pre-filed a bill for the 2016 legislative session that would legalize cannabis for adults ages 21 and older.

State Rep. Bill McCamley (D-Las Cruces) pre-filed the “Cannabis Revenue & Freedom Act” late last month. The bill would make marijuana legal to possess and consume by any adult 21 or older, and would also legalize the cultivation of hemp.

The tax structure on marijuana would be similar to the one currently in use in Colorado. McCamley cited the neighboring state’s success with legalization, saying New Mexico should follow suit in order to increase the state’s tax revenues and do damage to drug cartels in the area.

Speaking with NBC affiliate KOB-TV, McCamley said:

“When you look at Colorado on our other border, they’ve brought in around $100 million in increased tax revenue, so this is a really good way of hurting drug cartels and helping our business community and our schools at the same time. A lot of people say let’s wait and see what Colorado does. Well how long are we going to wait to see the kind of success that they’ve had? It’s already there!”

Rep. McCamley sponsored a similar bill last year, which failed to gain traction in the face of staunch Republican opposition to any kind of marijuana legalization. Governor Susana Martinez had also threatened to veto any such legislation. She also vetoed a 2015 bill that would have made industrial hemp production possible there.

“The message we’ve gotten so far from the Republican leadership is that no marijuana legislation is going to get taken seriously,” said McCamley.

The best hope for legalization in New Mexico is likely to come in 2019, when Governor Martinez’s term limit expires.

Photo Credit: Danae Hurst

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Oregon Begins Recreational Cannabis Licensing Process

The Oregon Liquor Control Commission opened its online application process for recreational cannabis licenses early Monday morning.

According to Noelle Crombie of The Oregonian, the regulatory agency originally planned to “staff a call center with staff and policy experts to take questions from people completing applications,” but stormy winter weather in Portland has brought the city to a grinding halt, and the OLCC’s offices are closed.

“It is unfortunate that the severe weather is upon us the same day that we begin accepting license applications for recreational marijuana,” said executive director of the OLCC Steve Marks.

Applicants can pose any questions at 503-872-6366, or contact the Commission via email at marijuana@oregon.gov. The Commission’s responses may be delayed.

Late last year, the OLCC also revealed that it would first consider applications for growers and testing labs, ensuring there will be enough facilities to guarantee all cannabis sold under the new licenses will be lab-tested and safe — and that there will be enough product in the early marketplace to satisfy the state’s demand. Processor and retail licenses will begin being considered later in the year.

Monday also marks the launch of a statewide 25% point-of-sale tax on recreational cannabis.

Photo Credit: brx0

 

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Top U.S. Doctor Announces Review of Federal Policies on Substance Use

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy is preparing an extensive, first-of-its-kind report “presenting the state of the science on substance use, addiction and health,” Marijuana.com reports.

“It’s time for us to have a conversation in this country that’s based on facts; A conversation that’s based on medicine and science,” Murthy said at the rally held for his announcement. “Which is why I’m proud to announce that next year, I will be releasing the first-ever Surgeon General’s Report on substance use, addiction and health. We’re going to look at the best science on everything, from heroin and marijuana, to alcohol and prescription opioids.”

The report is expected to be a very broad examination of substances and substance use in the U.S., including any “ethical, legal and policy issues” we currently face regarding the subject— with any luck, such an examination could lead to more sweeping marijuana reform and, hopefully, the ending of the Drug War.

Last February, Murthy gave cannabis advocates hope when he admitted on national television that marijuana has medical properties, and that he was looking forward to continued research on the plant’s therapeutic possibilities. “We have some preliminary data showing that for certain medical conditions and symptoms, that marijuana can be helpful,” he said during an interview back then. “I think that we have to use that data to drive policymaking.”

Photo Credit: Ted Eytan

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2016 Brings Temporary Suspension of Federal Asset Forfeitures

The controversial equitable sharing program, which allows local law enforcement to keep up to 80 percent of assets seized for suspected violations of federal law, is being suspended with the passing of the 2015 budget deal. The program — operated by the United States Department of Justice — allowed asset forfeiture cases to be prosecuted under federal, rather than state, law.

What is Asset Forfeiture?

Asset forfeiture is the practice of law enforcement confiscating the possessions of individuals who are thought to have committed certain offenses, such as theft and drug-related offenses, if the possessions seized are believed to have been either purchased with the proceeds of the individual’s alleged crime or used as an accessory to the crime. Assets seized could be vehicles, jewelry, weapons, and items used to manufacture drugs. At the federal level and in many states, law enforcement is permitted to seize these assets even if the assets’ owner has not yet been found guilty of, or even charged with, a crime.

This practice was initially developed as a way to make crime less attractive to potential criminals. By removing the gains that can come from illegal activities, law enforcement hoped to both reduce criminal acts in their communities and develop a way for crime victims to recover their losses. What it has become, though, is a way for police departments to supplement their revenue streams, especially in difficult financial times.

A large part of the controversy surrounding this practice is that with it, police departments are permitted to sell seized assets for their own profit. The amount of money earned by American law enforcement this way has exploded in recent years, prompting outrage from citizens and activist lawmakers alike.

What Can I Do if My Assets Are Seized?

As a citizen, it is important to know what to do if you find yourself in this situation. The first thing to understand is the difference between seizure and forfeiture. Seizure simply refers to the act of taking an individual’s property on the suspicion that the property is somehow connected to a criminal offense. This property is supposed to be held until the individual’s trial is over, then returned to him or her if he or she is found to be not guilty. However, this is not always the case, and many individuals find they must take legal action to get their property back. Forfeiture refers to the act of a police department keeping the property, which can happen if the individual is found guilty or if the property is contraband, such as an illegal weapon or drug paraphernalia.

If your property has been seized, work with an experienced asset forfeiture attorney to file a forfeiture claim. This is a type of civil claim that requires the claimant to prove that he or she is:

  • Not guilty of the alleged crime or was unaware that his or her property was connected to a crime in any way; and
  • The rightful owner of the property.

Sometimes, police departments are willing to work with innocent owners without having to involve the court. Other times, departments offer a deal to the owner, such as half of his or her property back in exchange for not taking legal action. These are sometimes a better alternative to filing a claim because it can be extremely difficult for this type of claim to be successful.

It sounds crazy, but it does happen. If your property is taken from you for this reason, it is critical that you are proactive and retain an experienced asset forfeiture attorney right away. The longer you wait, the lower your chance of recovering your assets.

Don’t get too excited about the suspension, though. The suspension of this program is just that – a suspension, not a permanent end. We could see it in action again. And we will continue to see asset forfeiture happen at the local level. For now, police will simply have to comply with state, rather than federal, seizure laws.

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Massachusetts Medical Cannabis Market Taking Off

Patient demand for medical marijuana in Massachusetts has increased almost twelve-fold during the program’s first year.

Statistics from the Department of Public Health show that the number of registered patients went up from 1,423 in January of 2015 to 16,510 at the end of November.

The state’s first dispensary opened in June, more than two years after voters approved a medical marijuana ballot proposal. The opening of the dispensary, housed in a former Salem factory, was met with a long line of customers.

“I’m a law-abiding citizen, two kids, daycare provider, no criminal record,” said Wendy Atwood, of Salem. “So I feel like I’m a good example of someone who can use [cannabis] responsibly.”

Three more dispensaries have opened since June, and have had trouble keeping up with demand. However, analysts say 2015 was a year of slow growth: the expected mature market for medical marijuana in the state should comprise more than 150,000 patients. Kris Kane of 4Front Advisors says this market is still a few years away. Kane is currently working with companies that aim to open more than 20 shops in the state.

He expects demand for legal marijuana to increase as more shops open: many buyers are still risking the $100 possession fine and buying from illegal sources before shops open near them.

Photo Credit: Tim Sackton

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Social Cannabis Club in Fairbanks, Alaska Getting Ready for Regulation

Megan and Marcus Mooers — owners/operators of The Higher Calling, a bring-your-own-cannabis social club located in Fairbanks, Alaska — have been working hard since the opening of their business just over a month ago.

The Higher Calling doesn’t offer cannabis for sale. Rather, patrons can pay a membership fee to gain access to the building, where they are allowed to smoke and consume their own marijuana in a safe, social environment.

Alcohol, synthetic marijuana, and other illicit substances are not allowed on the premises. However — in addition to a private membership — the club does offer coffee, snacks, and the use of a game room to its patrons.

“We recognize that we are the flagship cannabis business for all of the North Star Boroughs,” Marcus Mooers told Alaska Public Media. “While we’re doing a lot to try to make our members happy and to help the community realize that it’s OK for them, it’s legal now, it’s OK to come out and consume and even say that you smoke marijuana or consume marijuana, we also want to make sure that we’re really respectful to the community and the neighborhood.”

Currently, clubs like The Higher Calling are an unregulated aspect of Alaska’s cannabis community: regulators have been more focused on the cultivation, processing, lab testing and distribution of the plant.

“There’s debate on whether there will be licensing for private clubs,” said Megan Mooers. “If so, then we’ll be applying for a license for that.”

Meanwhile, the Alaska Marijuana Control Board’s Executive Director Cindy Franklin has stated that she considers these social cannabis clubs to be operating illegally, though the Board has so far failed to address the issue.

Photo Credit: Amy Meredith

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New York Medical Marijuana Firm Gets Kosher Certification

A New York medical marijuana company says it is now offering what it claims is the first kosher-certified cannabis option.

Vireo Health, which produces non-smokable medical marijuana products, stated in a press release yesterday that all of its products have been certified as adhering to kosher standards by the Orthodox Union (OU), which certifies products as kosher throughout the United States.

Vireo, one of just five companies in New York allowed to produce and distribute medical marijuana, claims that theirs will be the first-ever cannabis products to receive the certification. The OU symbol will begin appearing on all of Vireo’s products, which include vape cartridges, oils, and capsules.

“Being certified kosher by the OU will not only help us serve the dietary needs of the largest Jewish community in the United States, but also combat unfortunate stigmas associated with medical cannabis,” said CEO Ari Hoffnung. “Today’s announcement sends an important message to New Yorkers of all faiths and backgrounds that using medical cannabis to alleviate pain and suffering does not in any way represent an embrace of ‘pot’ culture. Patients should never feel guilty or ashamed for using a product recommended by their physicians.”

Rabbi Moshe Elefant, CEO of OU Kosher, stated:

“We are delighted to have Vireo’s medical cannabis products join nearly one million other products worldwide that we certify as kosher. In a life or death situation, Jewish law clearly sets aside the kosher status of a medicine, but in other cases, it is preferable and sometimes recommended that a medicine be certified kosher. We commend Vireo Health of New York for taking this step and making this commitment to the Jewish community.”

Photo Credit: Coleen Elliott

 

 

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U.S. Cannabis Industry Putting Mexican Pot Farmers Out of Business

The economics of cannabis are evolving in North America. As the United States marches forward on the legalization path, Mexican growers are abandoning the crop.

In 2008, as much as two-thirds of cannabis consumed in the United States came from Mexico, according to the LA Times. But since 1996, over twenty-two U.S. states have legalized medical marijuana, and four have legalized recreational marijuana—leading to more growers in the United States setting up shop to meet the rising demand.

A Mexican cannabis farmer, who grows his crop illicitly amongst corn plants, said he’s seen a drop in price from $100 per kilo down to $30. By those margins, it’s not profitable for him to grow marijuana anymore — and many other farmers are echoing his sentiments.

Part of the reason for the shift is that U.S. growers are simply growing higher-quality weed. Danny Danko of High Times told the LA Times that “[a]ccess to better quality American cannabis has led many to turn their backs on imports from Mexico and beyond.”

Additionally, American growers tend to focus on strains that deliver higher amounts of THC and CBD, and consumers are responding. In one year — from 2013 to 2014 — the market for legal weed in the U.S. almost doubled, going from $1.5 billion to nearly $2.7 billion.

Photo Credit: MarihuanayMedicina

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Washington State Cannabis Summit Coming to Seattle Next Friday

Are you a Washington-based cannabis pioneer? If so, heads up:

The Washington Cannabis Summit is coming to the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Seatac on Friday, January 8. Tickets are available now and the seats are filling up, so be sure to get your tickets in advance. According to the event’s FAQ, tickets will not available at the door and online ticket sales will end January 7.

This will be the second annual Washington Cannabis Summit. According to its website, the goal of this event is to help develop “long-term strategies in order to position Washington as a competitive and socially responsible contributor” to the normalization of cannabis. The event is broken up into four distinct panels: Agronomy, Therapy & Use, Economics and Policy & Politics.

This year features an impressive lineup of more than a dozen distinguished cannabis experts and established entrepreneurs as speakers throughout the day-long event.

For more background on some of this year’s speakers, check out the Ganjapreneur Podcast episodes that feature Ah Warner of Cannabis Basics, Dr. Dominic Corva of the Cannabis and Social Policy Center, and Jerry Whiting of Leblanc CNE, all of whom will be presenting during next week’s event.

Ganjapreneur will be in attendance, so keep an eye out for the host of our podcast, Shango Los!

Photo Credit: Washington Cannabis Summit 2015

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Oregon Cannabis Sales Taxes Begin Jan. 4th

Oregon’s marijuana sales tax holiday will come to an end on January 4th, when a 25% tax will kick in on all sales, reporter Noelle Crombie writes for The Oregonian. Medical marijuana will remain tax free.

Recreational sales have been tax free since they began on October 1st of this year. The sales tax that will begin January 4th extends to the end of 2016. The state expects to collect between $2 and $3 million in 2016.

The Oregon Liquor Control Commission, which regulates the state’s recreational market, is expected to begin licensing rec-only stores near the end of 2016. Once these stores are functional, the 25% tax will drop permanently to 17%.

Because cannabis remains illegal under federal law, most banking services are off-limits to marijuana retailers. Stores will have to transmit tax revenues in cash, but the Oregon Department of Revenue says it is prepared to deal safely with the large volumes of cash expected, which will be collected each month. The department has added cameras, trained employees, and set up a special “cash handling location.”

Revenue from marijuana sales will be divided as follows: 40% will go to the common school fund, 20% for mental health, alcoholism and drug services, 15% to the state police, 10% to city law enforcement, 10% for county law enforcement, and 5% for the Oregon Health Authority’s alcohol and drug abuse prevention, intervention and treatment programs.

Photo Credit: Tax Credits

 

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Fourth Corner Credit Union Sues Federal Reserve Over Application Denial

A little over a year ago, the Fourth Corner Credit Union announced its plan to become the first banking institution established purely to serve the cannabis industry. The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City denied the application, however, despite significant support from marijuana business owners and even state government officials.

Instead of giving up, the hopeful credit union has filed a lawsuit against the federal banking agency.

The lawsuit is being closely watched by industry advocates everywhere: “This transcript is going to be read around the world and your decision will have an effect around the United States in a major, major way,” Fourth Corner’s attorney Mark Mason told Judge R. Brooke Jackson, who presides over the case.

Andrew Freeman, Colorado’s marijuana policy coordinator, explained the state’s stance:

“Both the governor and I thought it was a pretty good short-term solution to getting cash off the streets and bringing some measure of financial accountability to the marijuana industry…. Secondly, as we talked to banks, a lot of them feel like they are getting yellow blinking lights when it comes to marijuana. The existence of a marijuana credit union would give more faith to other banks and credit unions that they are able to bank marijuana.”

Typically, obtaining a master account is only a formality if the bank already has the state’s approval. Fourth Corner’s association with cannabis, however, appears to have severely handicapped its chances at the federal level. “The Federal Reserve is not the enforcer of drug laws,” argued Mark Mason in court.

Judge Jackson, who is expected to make a ruling soon, gave no indication that he had reached a decision leaning one way or the other. “I think there’s a certain unfairness to allowing these big banks to serve this business and keeping you out,” he admitted. However, “The problem I have… is I would be forcing the Federal Reserve Bank to give a master account to an institution that has stated it will participate in an illegal activity.”

Photo Credit: Ken Lund

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Group of U.S. Senators Continue Pressing Federal Agencies on Cannabis Research

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is leading a group of eight senators in pressing the federal government on the issue of scientific research on marijuana.

The group is pressing for answers from federal agencies regarding why the government has failed to move forward on enacting policies to enable research on the medical benefits of cannabis.

In a letter sent Monday, the lawmakers wrote:

“There are currently numerous federal and state regulatory barriers to researching marijuana. This regulatory scheme which limits medical marijuana research is outdated and in desperate need of serious and immediate review. These problems are only exacerbated by a lack of coordination between the agencies and states.”

The letter was addressed to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). These agencies provided a briefing for lawmakers last month that apparently “failed to answer key substantive questions.”

The lawmakers are pressing the agencies on a number of issues, including:

  • Why the University of Mississippi maintains a monopoly on the ability to grow cannabis for research purposes
  • Why marijuana is still classified as a Schedule 1 drug, a classification reserved for drugs that have no medical value, despite the FDA’s recommendation that it be reclassified
  • Better coordination between agencies and between states

The group comprises Warren, Sens. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ). They had initially written to the agencies in June but were unsatisfied with the response.

“We must ensure that our public policy regarding medical marijuana is guided by the best science available, and in the absence of that science we must ensure that we are taking swift and deliberate steps to facilitate the research that provides for it,” the letter states.

For more on this topic, see Tom Angell’s recent article on Marijuana.com.

Photo Credit: Phil Roeder

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what are cannabis concentrates

What Are Cannabis Concentrates?

While most commonly thought about in its flower form, cannabis can be made into concentrated extracts for topical application, oral ingestion, and smoking. These come in many varieties and are used in many different ways, but there are three forms of concentrates that first became popular in medical markets.

Kief

Kief is pollen that is collected from the flower. This is the simplest of all concentrates, it comes as a loose powder or sometimes as a sandy, pressed brick. This is sometimes what people think of when the word “Hash” is mentioned, although crafting hash is a more delicate process than harvesting kief. It consists of (mostly) the trichome of the plant, which is where most of the cannabinoids (including THC) are made. This is made from either dry sieving the plant over screens (many grinders have a feature like this) or in tumblers inside of a collection box.

Tincture

This is an extract that uses a solvent, usually alcohol, glycerin or even olive oil, to strip the cannabinoids from the plant matter. This is great for oral or topical applications. Usually only a few drops are needed under the tongue, or a little bit rubbed on the troubled areas of the body to get the desired effect. Orally consumed tincture is more quickly absorbed in your body, making it easier to dose than a lot of solid edibles.

Butane Hash Oil (BHO)

This is the relative newcomer on the extract block and the cause of many controversies. BHO uses butane as the solvent. After running butane over the plant material, and then spending some time purging in a vacuum chamber to remove the butane, you are left with a sticky waxy substance. This is typically consumed via vaporization — by superheating a ceramic or metal nail with a common blowtorch, generally referred to as dabbing — this method of consumption uses very small amounts of material per dose. When made correctly, this is potentially the purest and potent forms of cannabis on the market. The controversy comes because without lab testing to back it up, wax could potentially be unclean and dangerous. There is also a risk of fire or explosions with such quantities of butane involved if the process is not carefully undertaken. This should not inspire fear of the product but should lead to careful research on how to identify quality materials.

cannabis concentrates


So, What Are Cannabis Concentrates?

There are other types of concentrates circulating the market — CO2 oils, and a solvent-less form of concentrate created using the Rosin technique — but these three remain the most common and popular options for patients looking for more punch than you get from a bong rip.

The biggest advantages of concentrates are that they allow for people to get the desired effect in ways that don’t necessarily involve smoking tons of plant material, and it allows people to consume less, but still get the required medical effect. This is especially advantageous for patients who are in public, or who have health conditions that limit their smoking.

Of course, even the most experienced consumer of cannabis flower can potentially be floored by underestimating a concentrate. Still, no fatalities from cannabis have been credibly documented.

Before trying these products, consult with your doctor and your friendly neighborhood dispenser. Inquire about dosage, effect, purity, and other people’s experiences. Then, go slow: start with a small amount and work your way up. Tolerance takes time.

Last Updated May 26, 2020

Photo Credit: Andres Rodriguez

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Chris Horyn: Micro-Producers are Vital

As the tide of legalization rolls forward and retail markets are established and regulated by state governments, what will become of the cottage industry of medical producers and farmers’ markets that helped pave the way? This question is the focus of our latest podcast, in which our host Shango Los sits down with Chris Horyn of the Patient Cannabis Exchange, a cannabis producer’s market for medical patients in Tacoma, Washington.

Recently, Washington State has moved to close down its loosely-regulated medical market and make more retail licenses available for their recreational market in an attempt to consolidate the two. However, this sweeping approach will surely put many small producers and family-run operations out of business, or at the very least, force them back into the black market. In this episode, Shango and Chris discuss the many ways that micro-producers help the economy and why they should be valued rather than shunned by states that are planning to set up regulated markets.

Listen using the media player below, or scroll down for the full transcript!

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Shango Los: Hi there, and welcome to the Ganjapreneur.com podcast. I’m your host Shango Los. The Ganjapreneur.com podcast gives us an opportunity to speak directly to entrepreneurs, cannabis growers, product developers, and cannabis medicine researchers, all focused on making the most of cannabis normalization. As your host, I do my best to bring you original cannabis industry ideas that will ignite your own entrepreneurial spark, and give you actionable information to improve your business strategy, and improve your health and the health of cannabis patients everywhere.

Today’s show is a little different. Today we’re going to talk about the importance of artisan micro-producers in the cannabis market. As Washington, Colorado, Oregon and California have all seen in varying degrees, one of the downsides of moving from a medical market to a regulated commercial market is an exclusion of small family growers and producers who have pioneered the industry. The exclusion of these growers is a huge missed opportunity for quality products and economic development.

Today, my guest is Chris Horn. Chris is founder of the Patient Cannabis Exchange, a cannabis producer’s market for medical patients in Tacoma, Washington. He’s also the founder of Dab Land, an exceptionally good e-nail producer. Welcome to the show, Chris.

Chris Horyn: Hey, Shango. Merry Christmas, brother.

Shango Los: Thanks for being on the show. Happy holidays to you too, man. Chris, I wanted to have you on the show because you have worked with more micro-producers than anyone I have met. Let’s start out by asking you to explain the business model for the Patient Cannabis Exchange itself, and then tell us a little bit about the demographic of who your vendors are.

Chris Horyn: Oh, fantastic. Shango, as you know, we have a farmer’s market. When you say farmer’s market, it’s very similar for those out there. Imagine you go to your local corner. You have producers of local fresh vegetables, artisan crafts, flowers, where we can all partake. It goes straight from the producer right to the end consumer. Now take that model and let’s apply it to cannabis. Instead of bringing turnips, spinach, carrots, we’re bringing concentrates, flower and edibles.

We’re able to take the medical model and, I think, strip it back to its bare root essentials. Sure, there’s some economics in it, but we’re able to pair a patient with legitimate medical needs, and I want to stress that. When we talk today, Shango, I’m going to reference the real patients, not those that maybe have their authorization and abuse the system, but those that really have medical need, both physical and psychological. We’re pairing them with the actual producer. We can have that dialogue, which is ultra-dynamic that makes, I think, the farmer’s market so electric.

It’s not just come in to a local store front, pick up your meds like you would at a pharmacist. You don’t have a dialogue, really, with your pharmacist. He’s going to read your labels, he’s going to hand you the meds, and he’s going to say “Next.”

With the farmer’s markets, we’re able to talk. You’re able to engage, instead of the pharmacist, the actual producer of the medicines you’re going to consume. You’ve been there. What did you think of that? Was it a little bit different dynamic for you?

Shango Los: Yeah. It’s really different, actually. You know, I was thinking about how dynamic that is when I go to my farmer’s market here on Vashon Island, and I get to talk about the heirloom carrots and their colors with the producer. We’re not just buying generic carrots. I’m buying carrots that they’ve cared for, that they’ve ordered heirloom seeds special for, and I can learn about them directly from the farmer. We actually share the joy of that carrot, or whatever.

Similarly, when I come to the PCE, I’m talking directly to the producers, and if it’s flowers, you can totally feel the pride that they have. They want to tell you about how they’re organic, and they want to talk about how long their bloom cycle is. If it’s concentrates, they want to talk about how clean their meds are. Everybody wants to show you their testing results. If it’s medibles, essentially you’re interacting with a bunch of bakers who also want to help patients. There’s a warmth to it that you don’t get when you just go to a commercial location.

Chris Horyn: Here’s the beauty, and it’s really hard to describe. When I first started the market, it was economics. I saw, okay, each table had a value. About 30 days in, that value … Granted, the market to be able to self sustain, but it was no longer about making the money. There is … That is part of what we do. There’s an exchange of currency. We’ll talk a little bit more about how that affects the individual vendor, but what it allowed us to do is to continue to build bonds and relationships.

My vendors weren’t vendors anymore. They were my friends. Saturday, we had 20 people over. They weren’t 20 family, they weren’t 20 people from high school or college. These were 20 people from my market that I wanted to share my holidays with. It kind of tells you the extent of community environment. What I said from day one is I want our Sunday events to be our playhouse. This is where we come to escape, where we walk in that door, nobody’s going to judge us for our color, our sexual orientation, our economic status, or most of all, our physical or mental disability or affliction. We walk in there, we’re amongst friends, nobody passes judgment. It’s just that energy of “You know what? Maybe today, I’ll have a little bit better of a day.”

Cannabis people want to broad stroke it as a cure all. It’s not, but it can help us improve quality of life and make some significant changes in our health.

Shango Los: You know, last legislative cycle here in Washington, when I was talking with our legislators, I invited them to go down to your market and find out what it’s really like, because they were all so hot to get rid of medical to protect the commercial market. I’m friends with I-502 commercial producers too, so I’m not hating on them, but I wanted the inclusion of these other producers. I said “Just come on down to the market and meet these folks.” Because they kept on talking about them as criminals. I’m like “These aren’t criminals. These are families. These are artisans. These are people who are passionate.” 

Of course, I don’t know of any of them that actually ever came, but I don’t think people understand how family oriented, safe, and gentle the environment is there, because it’s truly made for patients.

Chris Horyn: We’ve been really lucky. When my wife and I spoke is when we started the market, and I want to give a huge shoutout to my wife. I love you, baby. Without you, it wouldn’t have happened. It takes a lot of balls to go out there and … Something that’s in a gray area, where there is no definable law that yes, this is legal, or no, this isn’t.

We pushed the envelope, we brought the market together, because here is what we found. The common misconception about all of us that grow flower or produce … We grow weed, so we’re rich. They saw an episode of Weeds. What they don’t understand is I’ve never worked harder than I have gardening. It’s some of the most enjoyable work I’ve ever done, but those plants are so reliant on their caretaker. To make the meds, the quality that we see on a day-in, day-out basis in the medical community, without the “state regulated testing,” is off the charts.

What you alluded to earlier, everybody wants to tell you about their product. There is so much pride, because they’re not doing it on a commercial scale. They’re doing it on an enough to provide for themselves and the surplus that they can pay forward. The amount of attention, it’s like if you dropped your kids off at day care, or do you stay home and both parents raise them on a daily basis? That’s kind of the analogy I use. The baby that stays home with the parents are going to get that much more attention. Not that the child with day care is not going to be good, but that TLC, and that energy … There’s so much more to it than putting the fertilizer in the ground and growing a big productive plant.

Shango Los: Chris, why don’t you give us a little bit … Not to use the names of your vendors, because I know you respect their privacy, but just give me maybe two or three examples of what a vendor is like at the market. Who brings products to the market?

Chris Horyn: I’ll give you a couple different examples. One’s going to be your classic 1960’s hippy. Her and her partner have been producing, I would say medicine. Granted, they’ve been growing weed, but they’ve been looking at it on a medical side way before the concept of medical had ever been coined. Ways to enlighten, ways to help the day-to-day grind, where it wasn’t just about getting high and listening to rock and roll. They were looking for ways, back in the ’60s and ’70s … How do we improve our quality of life?

That’s transcended 40 years forward, and those same ideas are being passed forward with the refinement of the new processing. Taking the concentrates and being able to make that much more in-tuned medicine to their patients, where they’re able to determine the milligram volume that the patient’s consuming, so they can get a consistent medicine.

Then, Shango, we have the patient. We deal … And I’m talking about legitimate patients. We have so many that are fixed income. Imagine trying to make your rent, make your food payments, and provide alternative med, anywhere from 900 to 1200 dollars a month. Absolutely amazing what people have to endure because you don’t have a prescription, you don’t have a $15 co-pay to go to a local pharmacy and just get your med.

The farmer’s market allows them to cut out the middle man and maximize their dollar on a fixed income. That’s who we really strive to address with our different vendor type.

Shango Los: It would seem that a lot of these patients who are producing their own meds, and they’ve gotten really good at it, that it makes a lot of sense to have them be a vendor because they’re educated, they’re passionate, and this extra money that they make from being a vendor at your market can be the difference of whether or not they make rent or not.

Chris Horyn: Make rent, and it’s kind of like that whole stripper thing. I’ve got vendors, and I’m one of them. I’m helping put my kids through college based off of what I do in cannabis. You laugh, but “Oh yeah, I strip for college.”

Well, I grow weed for my kid’s college.

Shango Los: If anything, this is probably a little more safe than that. Yeah, I think your point is well made. Even though it’s a taboo industry, and other people may have judgments, when it comes down to quality of life and making your basic bills so your family can subsist, sometimes doing what is taboo is the best thing that you can do for your family. Hey, we need to take a short break. We’ll be right back. You are listening to the Ganjapreneur.com podcast.

Welcome back. You are listening to the Ganjapreneur.com podcast. I am your host Shango Los. Our guest this week is Chris Horyn, founder of the Patient Cannabis Exchange and Dab Land.

Before the break, we were talking about subsistence level families growing cannabis and making concentrates and edibles, so that they can make the bare minimum that their family needs to survive. There are certainly lots of different flavors. We’ve got prohibition era growers who are trying to go legit. We’ve got patients who are home bound, who can finally use what they’ve learned to benefit other patients. Do you see that many of these micro-producers who come to these markets are at this subsistence level, or do you see that more of them are formulating business plans and jumping in to just crush the market and make all of the money?

Chris Horyn: Sadly, Shango, these are grass roots gardeners. They don’t have the economy of scale that some of your recreational producers have. Unfortunately, they don’t have the luxury of investing in the best equipment for the highest efficiency. They sacrifice a little bit of that to make the best med possible for their own consumption, and to give to those in their circle.

To say that anybody is getting rich, no, but you are able to subsidize income at the cost of a lot of time, and energy, love and passion. You do not do this to get rich. It is true. You’ve got to love it, especially in today’s environment.

Shango Los: We’ve talked with a lot of these independent producers when the commercial laws were getting passed. Of course, they all wanted to be included because it’s how they’ve been making their money, and they’re pioneers of the industry. But the state puts up all these bureaucratic hurdles that demand enormous cash, or they don’t reply because the people who are e-mailing them or calling them don’t really share the same education or cultural backgrounds as the people in enforcement.

I’m sure that you’ve had to offer a lot of emotional support to these producers as they realize that the new commercial market is not going to have a place for them, and their choice is either to shut down operations and give up the money that’s helping their family survive, or go back in the black market and be, potentially, a criminal again, which is a really bad decision to make.

Tell me a little bit about what it’s like for you, kind of as a mentor in the market, to give feedback to these people who are being pushed out and have to make this choice.

Chris Horyn: Well, from day one, we wanted to be a small business incubator where the opportunities that I had gotten in previous businesses, and also in the cannabis industry, were passed forward to other families, because it does have an economic impact. What we’ve had is, from day one, I’ve said “Hey, we know laws are changing. Change is coming. Is everybody prepared? What are you doing?”

Tried to get everybody to kind of do that “Hey, let’s all get the dialogue going.”

The dialogue didn’t get going. What we found is a lot of them that weren’t capitalized, because there is a cost of entry, and it’s prohibitive unless you’ve planned for it. What we found is they’re going through like “All right, what am I going to do? Well, I look at my checkbook. I can make my mortgage this month, but I can’t go ahead and invest the 50, 100, 150, 200 thousand to legally do what I’ve been doing for the last 15 years.”

There’s starting to become an apathetic mindset like “All right. I came from the black market. I’ll go back to the black market. Thank you 502, you just bumped my prices. I’ll make more money doing it illegally in the black. Not even in the gray, straight to the black market, like I was. Again, I’ll become a criminal, but I don’t care. This is what I know, this is what I do, and I need the money to sustain my family.”

Shango Los: It’s a shame, too, because so many of these folks were the pioneers. They put themselves on the line while it was a gray area, and now that we voted to make it legal, suddenly they’re being left behind, which is a real drag. I think it’s important to point out that this is not just about buying meds from these folks as charities. Some folks have the assumption that this is lower grade processing than commercial producers, and in some cases, you may run into, for example, edibles being made in a home kitchen. I agree that they should be done in licensed kitchens, or create a licensed kitchen on your property.

Some folks in the medical market, there tend to be more BHO in that market, because cO2 machines cost $200,000 to buy. Overall, the quality of the meds that are in the market are exceptionally high. As the guy who runs the market, what are your standards, and what do you see as far as skill sets and producing an end product, which is safe and quality for the patients?

Chris Horyn: Real quick, I’m going to backtrack on you, Shango. Just because somebody has a commercial kitchen, does not mean it’s a clean commercial kitchen. You and I grew up with our moms cooking in regular kitchens. We didn’t die. Yes, amazing meds are about to be produced in the average kitchen. These people are all required to have a food handler’s card. Again, the vendors that we choose to bring in our market were vetted. We’re very fortunate that we have people come to us on a weekly basis to try to get in. It’s not first come, first served. It’s who’s going to be the best fit for our market.

When we go through and vet them, we want, obviously, health food cards, because you’re processing food. There are guidelines. Concentrates that we bring in, we do have PPM requirements. I don’t care about PhD levels. What I do care about is if you’re claiming CBD, that it indeed has test results to back that up.

There is a lot of self-regulation. That was one of the big things, the house and senate said “Oh, they aren’t regulated. This wild wild west environment.”

Well, those of us that care, truly care about patients. Not the guy that’s “Hey, I got some butter, I’m going to make some cookies, I’m going to get five bucks a piece.”

No, that’s not the demographic we’re going after, or the vendor type. These are people that typically have their own afflictions, and because of their own pain are very empathetic to others and producing the best product.

Shango Los: I think what you’re illustrating there is the middle ground that is almost always missed by legislators, which is the patient medical market does have less professional players in it. That’s true. But if you just gave a gentle amount of regulation, you would be able to include all of these pioneering producers, instead of adding this huge amount of regulation that adds all of this cost, which then excludes all of them, and the only people that you can have involved are corporate interests.

I think that’s important because everybody is so afraid of cannabis that they’re over-regulating and excluding these folks.

Chris Horyn: Here’s the thing. There’s more of them than there are legal producers. There always will be. The sad thing is, that vast knowledge base, that experience base … You and I have seen it. How many 502ers have had the wallet, the financial backing. They go in “Bang! I’m going to be a 502 producer. I’m going to make the best meds, the best product. Bla bla bla.”

18 months later, they’re looking for another round of investment, because they haven’t found that lightning in a bottle that they just assumed was there, because they’re going to do weed. These producers, these processes … I’m sorry, I’m getting a little bit excited, because what’s not given enough credit is how much work these people do, the love, the attention to detail. Again, they’re empathetic because most of them are actually patients, not “Hey! I’m Johnny. I’m going to go to work today. I’m going to produce some meds.”

No. He’s going to produce another commodity just like a guy at Boeing stamping a regular part. There is a very distinct difference in quality.

Shango Los: I think that a lot of the medical growers are really proud of the quality of it, as well, just like an artisan wine producer. I have sat with many of my clients when they’ve been weighing their margins against the quality, and for a lot of them, it’s a toss up. Whereas whenever I’ve sat with my medical clients, it’s always about “Okay, well, I understand that this is going to cost a little bit of my margin, but it’s going to be an increase of safety and maybe product experience for the patient.”

And then they’re going turn that way. Obviously, we’re making vast generalizations, right? There’s a lot of people in the 502 market and in other states doing commercial who have got a lot of heart in their product. I’m not saying everybody. All I’m saying is that we should include these artisans, because losing their production memory and having it just drift away, is something that we’re really losing as a society.

Chris Horyn: Without question. You’re right. I know some fantastic people that are transitioning from medical and taking their same ideology to rec. Fantastic. They were lucky enough to have the resources to do it. Here’s a sad thing. The small vendors that we see today in the market that are so good, and they’ve come so far to come out of the shadows, into the open to where they can actually connect and help pass on that information, that knowledge, and that experience. They’re now going to be shoved back into the closet, and they’re a stepchild instead of the ancestral heroes that made it all possible.

That’s what this community is having a hard time with right now, Shango. We had an amazing market on Sunday. Talking to them, they don’t even care what we did, or what we’ve done for them, and they’re just going to make us go away. They feel so disenfranchised. It’s like “No, you don’t understand. We just want to keep helping people.”

These people aren’t rich. They aren’t driving Escalades and Mercedes. These are the entrepreneurial spirit of America. So they aren’t selling picks and shovels for the gold rush. They’re providing medicine in a pharmaceutical era that wants to shove poison down you before they want to actually diagnose and cure you.

Shango Los: Well said. We need to take a short break. We’ll be right back. You are listening to the Ganjapreneur.com podcast.

 

Welcome back. You are listening to the Ganjapreneur podcast. I am your host Shango Los. Our guest this week is Chris Horyn, founder of the Patient Cannabis Exchange and Dab Land. Before the break, we were talking about the importance of including heritage growers and producers in the commercial market. We were talking about, even though they only produce small artisan amounts, that they do it with such passion, and they do it for themselves economically, that these are not people we want to exclude and destroy the potential economic growth that we could get from keeping money coming into these families, instead of just one singular, large commercial company.

We were talking about how to actually involve them in the state market, Chris, and you’ve put together quite a few regulations, if you will, for your market, which actually get rid of a lot of the problems that we see at the state level. What would you recommend as a couple regulations that we could use at the state level which would open the door for local artisan producers?

Chris Horyn: What I would like to see is, if we’re going to be medical patients, we’re going to use cannabis as medicine, I want to see the relationship between your primary care physician that’s authorizing you to use cannabis … I want that relationship to determine what your limits are for how much you grow, how much you need for personal reserve, because they’re the only ones. HIPAA laws don’t allow the state to make that determination, because they don’t have the data, because we don’t disclose it. Really, common sense. Just like we would … How much oxy do you take? How much Ibuprofen do you need to take? How many antibiotics do you take? Let your doctor determine that. Don’t let the state, the Cannabis Control Board, do that. They aren’t medical professionals.

Shango Los: Well, that’s really great. That actually takes the state out of the equation totally. I was thinking about it as you were giving your answer. Even though you can do things like you recommended earlier in the show, like making sure edibles, people have food handling permits, and encourage organic growth, and testing, but also, being able to activate the patients so that their voice is heard at the state level, that is key. That’s something that we totally failed on in Washington.

Nobody was fighting for the patients and the heritage growers. It was all of the new money coming in to build commercial grows, and then a bunch of patients who were home and sick, or couldn’t get up early enough to get to the legislature, or when they got there, they look all bedraggled, because they may or may not have the income to have the kind of clothes that the other lobbyists would have, it’s really hard to activate patients and subsistence level artisans who, while they may make a fantastic product that it was well wanted on the market, they don’t look the role down at the state capitol.

Did you find anything there at the PCE that was successful in helping organize and motivate patients?

Chris Horyn: The passionate ones were there. Passionate ones did the right things. They contacted their legislators. They made the phone calls. They sent the e-mails. They went and they attended session. The problem is, there’s a lot of apathy in our community. I want to speak to those that are out there listening, and other communities that potentially might be going medical or legal. Make sure that you’re fighting forces about the patients, that you look at the mistakes that other states have made, and then apply them to yourself. At least now you have information. We didn’t have that going forward.

Today … Now, Shango, what do we do? Here we are. We have to make a correction in Washington state, because medical has essentially been eliminated. What I want to do is I want them to reach out, start a dialogue. Not just on cannabis, but start a dialogue with your local legislators and senators. They are going to listen to people that they recognize. It doesn’t matter what you wear. If you treat them with respect, you communicate with them, build that dialogue, humanize who you are, more so than we have in the past, that’s how we start to change laws. Educate your children. Letting them know, the next generation is going to be the medicine. Break the stereotypes of Cheech and Chong. Let’s rock and roll, baby. Let’s make this medicine.

Shango Los: That’s a really good point. Interacting with your legislators early is a way for them to become familiar with you ahead of time. Those of you who are in states that are approaching normalization, you’ve really got to get an early start. Grass roots takes more time than just AstroTurfing, and throwing money, and having a lobbyist make your rule. If you want to have a seat at the table, you have to get activated early.

Chris, that’s about all we have time for today. Thank you so much for being on this show and sharing your stories of important micro-producers and why they are valuable for the economy.

Chris Horyn: Well, Shango, thank you for everything. People, get out there. Try something new. Get outside the box. We only live once. Just because your doctor has a degree does not make him a healthcare professional.

Shango Los: Tell your legislators about economic revitalization of the rural areas, and not just about patients right.

Chris Horyn: Amen.

Shango Los: Make sure you give them both a heart and an economic reason to include you in commercial cannabis. You can find out more about Chris Horyn and the Patient Cannabis Exchange on Facebook at Facebook/PCE420. You can also check out his exceptionally well made and colorful e-mails, including their Star Wars line, at www.Dab.Land.

You can find more episodes of the Ganjapreneur podcast in the podcast section at Ganjapreneur.com. You can also find us on the Cannabis Radio website and in the Apple iTunes store. On the Ganjapreneur.com website, you will find the latest cannabis news, product reviews, and cannabis jobs, updated daily, along with transcriptions of this podcast. You can also download the Ganjapreneur.com app in iTunes and Google Play. You can now find this show on the iHeartRadio network app, bringing Ganjapreneur to sixty million mobile devices. Do you have a company that wants to reach our national audience of cannabis enthusiasts? E-mail grow@ganjapreneur.com to find out how. Thanks, as always, to Brasco for producing our show. I’m your host, Shango Los.

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Texas County Moving Forward with Decriminalization Law

Texas’ most populous county has moved to institute a form of marijuana decriminalization.

Devon Anderson, the District Attorney of Harris County, which has more than 4 million residents, first introduced the First Chance Intervention Program in October 2014 in cooperation with the Harris County Sheriff’s Department and the Harris Police Department. Deputies and officers must offer first-time offenders arrested for possession of no more than two ounces of cannabis the opportunity to take part in the program.

Effective January 1st, 2016, all law enforcement agencies in the county will be required to offer the program, which allows first-time offenders to avoid jail time and a criminal record by doing either eight hours of community service or completing an eight-hour class.

Only 22 percent of offenders arrested since October 2014 have been given the chance to participate in the program because not all departments were initially required to participate.

“If it’s offered at the pre-arrest stage, it frees up space in jail,” said Anderson. “It minimizes the administrative burdens that officers face when they file charges; it reduces the cost for prosecution and court proceedings; and of course it gives the offender an opportunity to have a completely clean record.”

Data from the D.A.’s office shows a recidivism rate of under 10 percent for those who participated in the program — much less than for those who were convicted of a criminal offense.

Photo Credit: Adam Baker

 

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