Senators File Nation’s First Federal Medical Marijuana Bill

3/10/2015

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A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators — Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Rand Paul (R-KY), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) — announced a bill today that would completely overhaul the federal government’s stance on medical marijuana.

The Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States (CARERS) Act would “allow patients, doctors and businesses in states that have already passed medical-marijuana laws to participate in those programs without fear of federal prosecution,” the senators explained in a joint statement. It would block the DEA from pursuing prosecutions against individuals or businesses participating in the state’s MMJ program.

“This bipartisan legislation allows states to set their own medical marijuana policies and ends the criminalization of patients, their families, and the caregivers and dispensary owners and employees who provide them their medicine,” remarked Michael Collins, policy manager for the Drug Policy Alliance.

The bill would remove cannabis from its Schedule 1 listing under the Controlled Substances Act and allow Veterans Affairs doctors to prescribe medical marijuana, which is often pursued by veterans as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If passed, the bill would mark the first time the federal government acknowledges the medicinal value of cannabis. And, while the proposed legislation would not make cannabis legal under federal law, its rescheduling would open up many new opportunities into marijuana research.

The bill would also relax banking restrictions for legal medical marijuana businesses, a move that addresses a long-standing issue for the cannabis industry.

Currently, 23 states and the District of Columbia have passed medical marijuana laws.

Sources:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2015/03/09/in-a-first-senators-plan-to-introduce-federal-medical-marijuana-bill/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/09/senate-medical-marijuana-_n_6834534.html

http://time.com/3738038/medical-marijuana-congress/

Photo Credit: Mark

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Former Nevada Bank CEO to Enter Cannabis Industry

3/10/2015

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John Sullivan, a Nevada-based top bank executive, will now serve as the president and CEO of Integrated Compliance Solutions (ICS), a financial services firm that will work with legal cannabis companies.

Sullivan leaves behind four years as CEO and president of First Security Bank of Nevada. During his tenure at the bank, Sullivan made headlines as a banker who was not afraid to extend an open hand to those in the budding cannabis industry.

In an interview with Marijuana Business Daily, Leslie Bocskor, investment banker and chairman of the Nevada Cannabis Industry Association, cited Sullivan’s groundbreaking work in the industry: “I think it was June of last year that he got on NPR and publicly stated that First Security Bank of Nevada would be accepting deposits from legal cannabis businesses. That at the time was a watershed moment.”

Based in Las Vegas, ICS is currently releasing its “Seed to Bank” program, which will eventually be made available to firms in all states with legal marijuana markets. The firm is also developing ATM-like machines that will be installed in medical marijuana dispensaries and other places where customers can legally buy cannabis. ICS has already installed eight such kiosks in the Denver area.

In addition to working full-time with ICS, Sullivan will also work as a consultant to banks that are hoping to provide services to marijuana companies without drawing the ire of federal regulators.

Sources:

http://mmjbusinessdaily.com/bank-ceo-steps-down-to-enter-cannabis-industry/

http://www.cannabisbusinessexecutive.com/2015/03/from-banker-to-cannabis-exec-how-las-vegas-ceo-john-sullivan-made-the-leap/

Photo Credit: Steven Depolo

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Uruguay’s Legal Marijuana Program Suffers Further Delays

3/10/2015

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New Uruguay President Tabaré Vásquez, who assumed office on Sunday, has chosen to delay the country’s legal marijuana program only days into his presidency.

Vázquez’s predecessor, President José Mujica, made international headlines in 2013 when he legalized the production and sale of marijuana, making Uruguay the first nation to do so. Since then, Vázquez has agreed to honor President Mujica’s change in drug policy, though it has yet to be fully implemented. Vázquez has personall spoken out against marijuana consumption on several occasions, saying that

According to Milton Romani, the nation’s new chief drug regulator, there is “no rush” to start commercial sales of cannabis. In an interview with VICE News, Romani explained that “the [marijuana] companies do not deliver documents on time, and in the manner that hes been requested,” and that there still needs to be a point-of-sale software developed before pharmacies can begin distributing cannabis to consumers.

“I want this project to be successful,” he said. “If we make a mistake by rushing, we fail.”

Under Uruguay’s marijuana law, consumers will be able to obtain cannabis by purchasing it in a pharmacy, visiting a cannabis social club, or by growing it themselves.

Sources:

https://news.vice.com/article/new-uruguay-president-postpones-a-key-step-in-jose-mujicas-marijuana-legalization-law

Photo Credit: MarihuanayMedicina

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Oregon Marijuana Business Licenses Likely to Have Residency Requirements

3/09/2015

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At the inaugural meeting of Portland’s newly-formed NORML chapter, New Approach Oregon spokesman Anthony Johnson answered questions about Measure 91, last November’s voter-approved ballot initiative that legalized recreational marijuana.

When asked about residency requirements for Oregon’s legal marijuana businesses, Johnson answered, “Measure 91 was silent on residency requirements.” However, “If I had to predict, I think there will be some type of a residency requirement, at least a manager or a co-owner that’s an Oregon resident, at least for a few years under the [marijuana] licensing system.”

Portland NORML Executive Director Russ Belville commented, “Requiring an Oregon resident to be responsible for an Oregon commercial marijuana license is reasonable, but limiting investment and commercial participation only to Oregon residents runs counter to free market principles that will best serve responsible adult marijuana consumers.”

Washington and Colorado both have residency requirements — three months for WA, two years for CO — to obtain marijuana business licenses.

Sources:

http://www.theweedblog.com/there-will-be-a-residency-requirement-for-oregon-marijuana-businesses/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uW2hkpIAXM&feature=youtu.be

Photo Credit: docmonstereyes

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Finding Investors for Your Cannabusiness

3/09/2015

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Do you have an innovative new idea you’d like to get off the ground? Maybe you’ve thought of looking for an investor or partner but don’t know where to turn. Or maybe you’ve become discouraged with the responses of business people who don’t understand what cannabis is all about.

Golan Vaknin, executive director and founder of ESEV R&D, is working with medical marijuana researchers in Israel and the U.S. and understands the vicious cycle of finding investors willing to invest in an industry that has only just begun to prove itself. Vaknin said, “When I tell people I’m doing research for cannabis, part of them knows it’s a really hot issue right now and there’s a lot of money in it, but a lot of people say they won’t associate with that. I think the struggle for entrepreneurs trying to get into this game is to present themselves as a legit business.”

For an industry that has historically existed outside legal boundaries, presenting itself as a legitimate business poses unique problems. A lot of people may have good ideas, but simply don’t know how to present themselves. And while investors might be curious, they are also wary about funding something as controversial as cannabis. As an entrepreneur, it’s your job to convince investors that you’re grounded and responsible enough to handle a business.

Vaknin offers three tips, based on his own experiences with both cannabis and other business ventures:

  1. Have a solid business plan with a clear structure from beginning to end showing what product or service you plan to offer. Vaknin says one mistake he made when first approaching investors was he didn’t have a business plan solidly in place. “Before approaching investors you really need to know what you want,” he says. “Investors want to know they are putting their money in the hands of someone who has a vision and a plan to carry it out.”
  2. Think of your cannabis business just like any other business. This means facing up to marijuana’s stoner image and working to change it. Many Americans still associate marijuana with the flakey loser smoking a bong in front of the TV with a bag of Doritos and chocolate cake. And the truth is, a lot of hopeful entrepreneurs perpetuate that image. “Being in the cannabis business doesn’t mean you can come to a meeting wearing a Jim Morrison T-shirt and smelling like pot. You should respect yourself and the business and the people who might be investing in you.”
  3. Choose your partners carefully. A lot of people think getting into the cannabis industry is cool, so you find a lot of people with half-baked ideas and pipe dreams. You don’t want to waste your time with people who are flakey and possibly dishonest. Golan says the key to finding the right partners is “to know what you want to do and that will attract the relevant people. When you’re lost and all over, that’s the kind of people you attract.”

Clarity is probably the single most important factor in approaching investors. Know your niche in the marijuana market and what sets you apart from the competition. Be able to articulate your objectives and how you will meet them. Believe in what you are doing and trust that you’ll find the right partners to make your dream a reality.

Photo Credit: Simon Blackley

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Only 13% of Arizona Residents Support Continued Marijuana Prohibition

3/05/2015

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According to a recent poll from Arizona State University’s Morrison Institute for Public Policy, Arizonans are ready for an end to prohibition: 45 percent of poll respondents support full legalization and 42 percent support medical marijuana. Only 13 percent want marijuana to remain illegal entirely.

Previous polls have indicated support levels varying from 36 to 60 percent.

This poll, as noted by its authors, does not properly reflect voter support for the likely legalization law: the poll posed the question of legalization for adults aged 18 or older, though any new marijuana laws in the state would likely put the age restriction for recreational cannabis consumption at 21.

Furthermore, “It is important to keep in mind this research polled a sample of all Arizona adults, not just voters or likely voters,” said David Daugherty, the poll’s director. “And, since this issue would be decided by voters, the opinions of those who will not vote are of no consequence to a ballot measure.”

Arizona is expected to vote on marijuana legalization in 2016.

Sources:

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2015/03/arizona_marijuana_legalization_has_strong_support.php

http://www.thedailychronic.net/2015/41281/poll-only-13-of-arizona-residents-want-to-keep-marijuana-illegal/

Photo Credit: Alan Stark

 

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Texas Industrial Hemp Bill Moving Through Legislative Process

3/05/2015

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The industrial hemp movement could have a powerful new ally in the state of Texas if Rep. Joe Farias’ (D) bill (HB1332) can gain approval by the state legislature.

The bill, currently in the Agriculture Committee, would allow farmers to get a one-year license to grow the plant, according to the bill text. The license would need to be renewed annually and would be revoked if the licensee is found to be growing marijuana in the hemp fields. The bill indicates there would be a fee associated with the license but it does not specify what that fee would be.

Farias said that when he initially introduced the bill he was “apprehensive” about what kind of support the measure would garner. Since its introduction, however, the bill has picked up joint authors, received support from the agriculture community, and the Agriculture Committee chairman, Rep. Tracy King (D), has promised to hold hearings on the bill this session. Farias says it’s important to have the hearings this session because in Texas the legislature only holds session every other year.

In conjunction with the industrial hemp bill, Farias introduced a “backup plan” (HB557) – an industrial hemp research bill – that would allow for hemp to be researched in the state. If the industrial hemp measure were to falter the research obtained from the studies permitted by HB557 might help swing some votes the next time the industrial hemp bill is introduced. The research would be carried out by state universities. Those same universities would also likely be the source of the hemp seed made available to farmers – as is the case in other states where hemp cultivation is legal – although the bill does not outline exactly where the hemp seed would come from. Hemp seed is still outlawed by federal law making the seeds legally difficult to acquire.

According to Farias, Texas was the largest producer of industrial hemp prior to its ban. Although he, admittedly, has not done a study regarding the potential financial gains for the state and the state’s agricultural community, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service reported in 2013 that Texas has the fifth largest agriculture economy in the United States. Just two of the states with a larger agriculture economy than Texas – California and Iowa – have policies that allow for hemp production or research.

One of the hurdles Farias is facing with his industrial hemp bill is the common misconception that legalizing hemp production is akin to legalizing marijuana production. Farias says he has been helped by members of the agricultural community in educating his colleagues in the differences between the two plants.

“That’s the first thing they say, ‘Well, isn’t that part of the cannabis family?’” Farias said. “I explain to them the THC [the psychoactive chemical] in hemp is so low…you’d have to smoke a joint the size of a telephone pole in 15 minutes to get any kind of effect and it would probably make you sick.”

Jax Finkel, Deputy Director of the Texas chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, says Farias’ bill is “a good one” which she thinks will get some traction in the legislature.

“Agriculture in Texas is a very big business,” Finkel said. “A lot of people have been wanting to grow hemp for a lot of years. We think it’s silly that we import 60 percent of our hemp products.”

Hemp, Finkel explains, doesn’t need a lot of pesticide, can be grown year-round in the state and is drought tolerant, making the plant that much more appealing to farmers in Texas – which is subject to long dry spells.

Finkel says that she hopes Farias’ research bill also passes the legislature because the information derived from those studies could be used to help other states make informed decisions regarding potential industrial hemp measures.

Photo Credit: free photos

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Ben & Jerry’s Founders Open to Cannabis-Infused Ice Cream

3/04/2015

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In a February HuffPost Live interview, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield — founders of the popular and quirky Ben & Jerry’s ice cream brand — disclosed that they would consider releasing a marijuana-infused ice cream if legalization were to happen on a national level.

“Makes sense to me,” Cohen said. “Combine your pleasures.”

Greenfield, who was less forthcoming in his response, explained, “Ben and I have had previous experiences with substances, and I think legalizing marijuana is a wonderful thing.” But, he continued, “It’s not my decision. If it were my decision, I’d be doing it, but fortunately we have wiser heads at the company that figure those things out.”

Cohen and Greenfield have made a name for themselves in the past as being marijuana-friendly CEOs, a typically uncommon stance among major corporate leadership. In any event, it may take some careful bureaucratic negotiation, but a line of infused ice cream from the munchies masters themselves would be undoubtedly lucrative.

Currently, four states and Washington D.C. have passed recreational marijuana laws and the federal government has granted Native American tribes the right to conduct regulated marijuana business on reservation lands. There are dozens of marijuana reform proposals across the country under consideration, and the trend of legalization is being addressed by all levels of government.

Sources:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/18/ben-and-jerrys-weed-ice-cream_n_6707824.html

Photo Credit: Qfamily

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63% of Young Republicans Support Marijuana Law Reform

3/03/2015

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A new study out of the Pew Research Center indicates that a significant majority of young Republican voters support marijuana legalization.

Levels of support vary dramatically on the subject between GOP voters, and there is a clear correlation with the voter’s age on whether or not they approve of legal cannabis: “Six-in-ten (63%) GOP Millennials say the use of marijuana should be made legal, while 35% say it should be illegal…. That level of support is higher than among Republican Generation Xers (47%) and Baby Boomers (38%), and much higher than among GOP members of the Silent generation (17%),” the report reads.

For Democrats as well, legalization is much more popular among Millennials — though Democrats of all age groups tend to support legalization more than their Republican counterparts.

The report also suggests that, though a majority of Americans support legalization, they are not necessarily unconcerned by cannabis and the effects of its legalization. Rather, there is simply a growing consensus that cannabis — having been labeled the safest recreational drug by many facets of the scientific community, and even deemed safer than alcohol by President Obama — shouldn’t result in a criminal prosecution or jail time.

Sources:

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/02/27/63-of-republican-millennials-favor-marijuana-legalization/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/24/marijuana-safer-than-alcohol-tobacco_n_6738572.html

Photo Credit: Cory M. Grenier

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Washington Town Opts for Innovative Approach to Marijuana Business

3/03/2015

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In Washington State, which passed a recreational cannabis law in 2012, there is a vigorous debate on where recreational cannabis stores can be located. Many cities and towns have adopted moratoriums to prevent the new cannabis economy from coming to their town. Those who are opposed to retail cannabis stores cite concerns over public safety, exposure to children, and the wacky weed still being illegal under Federal law. One small town in southern Washington has decided to take matters into their own hands in order to avoid cannabis controversy in their town of about 1,000 by opening their own retail cannabis store.

North Bonneville, Washington located in Skamania County, in southern Washington, has formed a Public Development Authority (PDA) with the express purpose of applying for one of the two retail cannabis licenses allotted to them by the Washington State Liquor Control Board, according to their website. The North Bonneville Public Development Authority (NBPDA) was formed on November 12, 2014, followed by the appointment of the board of directors on November 19th.

On their website, North Bonneville states “The mission of the North Bonneville Public Development Authority is to comply with the new laws of the State of Washington through responsible public administration of the impact and influences these changes will bring to the social and economic landscape of our community.”

Recently, the mayor of North Bonneville, Don Stevens, told hemp.com,  “I view [North Bonneville’s approach] as the city being welcoming to the whole idea of recreational marijuana legalization and trying to ensure it’s done as cleanly and professionally and with as much of an eye on the public health and welfare as possible.” He continued.  “The financial aspects of it are certainly part of the equation, but they weren’t the primary factor.”

The revised Code of Washington (RCW) gives local jurisdictions the ability to form the municipal corporations for a variety of reasons. By North Bonneville forming their own PDA to manage the impacts of newly legalized cannabis, the town may avoid many of the challenges other cities are facing.  If it works, North Bonneville’s innovative approach to regulating the sale of cannabis could become a useable model for other towns to follow in Washington State.

Photo Credit: Brett Levin

 

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Colorado Sold 150,000 Pounds of Legal Marijuana in 2014

3/02/2015

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A recent report from the Colorado Department of Revenue indicates that legal marijuana vendors sold upwards of 150,000 pounds of cannabis, and nearly 5 million units of infused edibles, during 2014. The report establishes an in-depth analysis of the industry’s first year of legal retail sales, with both medical and recreational cannabis transactions taken into consideration.

“The Marijuana Enforcement Division feels that it is imperative to remain transparent on such a highly publicized issue in Colorado,” said Lewis Koski, director of Colorado’s Marijuana Enforcement Division, the agency that compiled the report.

The sale of edibles saw perhaps the most significant increase throughout the year, with less than 100,000 units sold in January to more than 350,000 in December.

Meanwhile, the majority of flower sold was registered as medical marijuana transactions, though recreational edibles far outpaced their medical equivalents.

According to the report, about 16,000 people are currently licensed to work in the Colorado cannabis industry.

Sources:

http://www.cpr.org/news/blog/state-report-nearly-5m-edibles-150k-pounds-marijuana-flower-sold

https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/2014%20MED%20Annual%20Update.pdf

Photo Credit: Martijn

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Majority of Maryland Voters Support Marijuana Legalization, Poll Finds

2/27/2015

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According to a Goucher poll released this week, 52 percent of Maryland voters approve of recreational marijuana legalization.

Additionally, when asked which substance was the most dangerous, poll respondents indicated that tobacco is widely considered the most dangerous (46 percent) and that alcohol is the next most dangerous (22 percent) — even sugar was deemed more dangerous than marijuana, with 13 percent of voters choosing that option. Only 8 percent chose marijuana as the most dangerous substance.

Maryland is considered a likely candidate for the next state to legalize marijuana. Earlier this year, Del. Curt Anderson (D-Baltimore) proposed the Marijuana Control and Revenue Act of 2015 — the third such proposal from Del. Anderson in recent years — which would legalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana, allow for home cultivation, and establish a rules and regulations for a recreational industry in Maryland.

There still remains staunch opposition to cannabis law reform, however: Republican Governor Larry Hogan has voiced his opinions against legalization, and Maryland’s own U.S. Rep. Andy Harris made a notorious attempt to block legalization in Washington D.C. earlier this year.

Maryland lawmakers passed a decriminalization bill last year, which changed penalties for possession of up to 10 grams of marijuana to a simple fine.

Sources:

http://blogs.goucher.edu/intheloop/7525/goucher-poll-releases-results-on-politician-approval-ratings-local-presidential-hopefuls-transportation-vaccines-and-the-environment/

http://www.wusa9.com/story/news/2015/02/24/marijuana-legalizing-maryland-house/23928023/

Photo Credit: stonedspirit

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D.C. Legalization Takes Effect, Congressional Republicans Threaten Mayor

2/26/2015

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Washington D.C.’s marijuana legalization law took effect this morning at 12:01 a.m., despite warnings from several congressional Republicans that doing so could result in “severe consequences” for District Mayor Muriel Bowser, reports The Washington Post.

Anti-legalization Republicans are saying that D.C.’s legalization law is illegal as per a political rider attached to the 2015 ‘Cromnibus’ spending bill, introduced by Rep. Andy Harris (R-Maryland), which says that the District of Columbia cannot spend any funds implementing changes to local marijuana laws. “You can go to prison for this,” Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) warned the mayor. “We’re not playing a little game here.”

Rep. Chaffetz is right about one thing: marijuana legalization is not a game, and D.C. voters demonstrated the seriousness of the issue when they voted overwhelmingly in favor of legalization last November — months before Rep. Harris introduced the rider that prohibitionists are now attempting to wield against D.C. citizens, particularly Mayor Bowser.

“We believe that we’re acting lawfully,” replied Mayor Bowser, who is supported by the D.C. police chief, attorney general, and several top congressional Democrats.

Initiative 71 legalized the possession of up to two ounces of cannabis, gave citizens the right to gift up to one ounce to a friend, and now allows for the home cultivation of up to six marijuana plants (though only three may be flowering at any given point).

Sources:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/25/dc-marijuana-legalization/24033803/#

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/house-republicans-warn-dc-mayor-not-to-legalize-pot/2015/02/25/

Photo Credit: Anthony Quintano

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Jamaica’s MMJ, Hemp, and Decriminalization Law is Approved

2/25/2015

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Jamaican lawmakers on Tuesday passed the country’s first decriminalization and medical marijuana law, the result of a 38-year Parliamentary push for marijuana policy reform.

The law dramatically alters criminal penalties for “ganja,” as it’s locally described, with possession of up to two ounces warranting only a small fine and no longer resulting in a criminal record. Beyond decriminalization, the law also legalizes the use of cannabis for medicinal, spiritual, and religious purposes. Rastafarianism is a widely-practiced religion in Jamaica, which often involves (but does not require) the ritualistic use of cannabis.

Under the new law, a “cannabis licensing authority” will establish regulations for the growing and distribution of marijuana for “medical, scientific, and therapeutic purposes.” The law also lays groundwork for the country to launch its own industrial hemp industry.

According to Peter Bunting, current National Security Minister of Jamaica, the bill “eliminates an unnecessary source of friction between police and citizens, and ensures that our young people are not gratuitously shackled with criminal records.” Bunting maintains that the new law will not change Jamaica’s stance regarding — or willingness to participate in sanctions against — international drug organizations.

Sources:

http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2015/02/24/jamaica-passes-act-decriminalizing-small-amounts-of-pot

http://news.yahoo.com/ganja-jamaica-eases-marijuana-law-072723795.html

Photo Credit: Jeff Nelson

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3D Denver Discrete Dispensary, Location of First Rec. Shop Marijuana Sale, Up for Sale by Owner

2/25/2015

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While many are clamoring to get in on Colorado’s explosive marijuana industry (which raked in $700 million in medical and recreational sales in 2014), there are those who are looking for a way out. Toni Fox, owner of one of Denver’s most iconic dispensaries, 3-D Denver Discrete Dispensary — the location of the first legal, recreational marijuana purchase — has announced that her iconic business is now for sale.

Fox is currently offering the recreational shop and grow facility for $2 million — a price tag that includes the building, intellectual property rights, and the licenses to grow and sell retail marijuana.

“It’ll be just enough to pay back my remaining creditors and pay off my IRS liability, so I’ll be basically probably walking away even,” Fox told Marijuana Business Daily. “But I’m fine with that. I know more people [in the marijuana industry] that have lost everything than are operating in the black right now.”

Last Month, CNN Money reported that 3D Cannabis Centers (which includes a second store in Salida, Colorado) pulled in $3.6 million in sales, noting that the business had previously been operating in the red for four years when they were only a medical marijuana dispensary. Up until then, 3D’s best year was 2013, when the business earned $400,000.

To drive down Denver’s Brighton Boulevard, it would be easy to miss the 3-D Denver Discrete Dispensary among all the other undecorated warehouse spaces in the neighborhood. The old brick building sports an innocuous sign above their door — though once inside, the enormous space hosts the world’s largest cultivation viewing corridor, a rustic interior style, and the location of Colorado’s first retail cannabis sale on January 1st, 2014.

At seven a.m. that New Years morning, pot enthusiasts from all over the nation were camped out in a long line outside 3D’s door, many of them waiting since the night before despite heavy snowfall. “I talked to the first twelve people in line, and ten of them were from out of state,” Fox told Westword that morning. “I think the majority of our sales will be out-of-state tourists….Today I am converting 100 percent to recreational sales.”

Later that morning Fox conducted a press conference with Marijuana Policy Project’s Mason Tvert and Sensible Colorado’s Brian Vicente — two people who were key to the passage of Colorado’s Amendment 64. This was followed by reporters from all over Europe and most every major US newspaper and TV outlet all crowding around Sean Azzariti — a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars — who was there to make the historic first purchase: an eighth of Bubba Kush and a cannabis truffle.

Being the site of this little piece of history has helped 3D stand out during a very competitive and fiscally explosive year. Though that high demand was in part what is driving Fox to sell the shop. “I’ve been working every single day since before my son was even born, and he’s five now,” Fox told Marijuana Business Daily. “It was basically a decision between the industry and my family.”

Though once Fox unloads her Denver business, she wont have to abandon the cannabis industry altogether. Fox still owns 3D Salida, which operates in the same mountain town in central Colorado where her family lives.

Photo Credit: Mark

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Alaska’s Legalization Initiative Takes Effect Today

2/24/2015

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Alaska’s Ballot Measure 2, which was approved by 53 percent of Alaska voters, takes effect today, marking the end of prohibition in the Last Frontier and the beginning of the nation’s third state-wide experiment with legalization.

Under the new law, Alaskans may possess up to one ounce of marijuana and can grow up to six plants at home, though only three plants can be flowering at any given time. Additionally, citizens are entitled to the yields of their homegrown plants, whether or not they exceed the one ounce limit.

Retail stores for the regulated distribution of the drug aren’t expected until sometime in 2016, but Alaska legislators are already working on a regulatory framework to establish that marketplace.

Oregon and Washington D.C. voters also passed bills to legalize marijuana in November: Washington D.C.’s Initiative 71 is set to take effect this week as well, while Oregon’s Measure 91 will be fully-realized in July. With Washington and Colorado, who first voted to legalize in 2012 and opened their retail markets last year, there are now four states and the District of Colombia that have passed a recreational marijuana law and repealed the federal prohibition of cannabis.

Sources:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/24/alaska-marijuana-legal_n_6738328.html

Photo Credit: PunkToad

 

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Proposed Legislation Would End Federal Marijuana Prohibition

2/23/2015

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Colorado Representative Jared Polis and Oregon Representative Earl Blumenauer together proposed two pieces of legislation on Friday that would effectively end the federal prohibition of cannabis and introduce a system of regulation and taxation for the drug.

According to his website, Polis’ bill, the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act (H.R. 1013), “removes marijuana from the schedule set by the Controlled Substances Act; transitions marijuana oversight from the jurisdiction of the Drug Enforcement Agency to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and regulates marijuana like alcohol by inserting into the section of the U.S. Code governing ‘intoxicating liquors.'”

Representative Blumenauer’s proposal, the Marijuana Tax Revenue Act of 2015 (H.R. 1014), would establish a 10 percent excise tax nationwide on the non-medical sale of marijuana, which would increase over time to a 25 percent tax as the legal, regulated market eventually displaces the black market. The bill would also establish an occupational tax for individuals working in the cannabis industry, and sets up civil and criminal penalties for people who fail to comply.

According to Rep. Blumenauer:

“It’s time for the federal government to chart a new path forward for marijuana. Together these bills create a federal framework to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana, much like we treat alcohol and tobacco. The federal prohibition of marijuana has been a failure, wasting tax dollars and ruining countless lives. As more states move to legalize marijuana as Oregon, Colorado, Washington and Alaska have done, it’s imperative the federal government become a full partner in building a workable and safe framework.”

Sources:

http://polis.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397743

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/20/marijuana-legalization-congress_n_6722686.html

Photo Credit: Marc Fuyà

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WA Judge Drops Marijuana Charges Against Cancer Patient, Family Still Facing Prosecution

2/20/2015

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Larry Harvey, the family patriarch from the infamous ‘Kettle Falls Five’ case out of eastern Washington, will have charges dropped against him due to his advanced stage of pancreatic cancer.

In 2012, federal agents raided Harvey’s rural home outside Kettle Falls, Washington. They confiscated 75 marijuana plants, $700 cash, and some firearms. Residents of the home were charged with the manufacturing and distribution of marijuana, which remains strictly illegal under federal law, and each now face a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 10 years in prison.

U.S. District Court Judge Thomas O. Rice has declined to dismiss charges against the remaining four defendants in the case, who are Mr. Harvey’s family members and close friends, and they will stand trial beginning Feb. 23.

The case has attracted heavy scrutiny nationwide, and was drawn into a new light with the passing of the 2015 ‘Cromnibus’ spending bill, which effectively blocks the federal government from interfering with state-enacted changes to local marijuana laws. “Prosecuting persons who may be operating in compliance with state medical marijuana laws prevents states from implementing their own laws,” argues Robert Fischer, the family’s defense attorney, who called in January for the entire case to be dismissed.

Sources:

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Defendants-ask-judge-to-dismiss-Kettle-Falls-Five-case-291773871.html

http://www.khq.com/story/28097201/kettle-falls-five-motion-to-dismiss-charges-heard-by-federal-judge

Photo Credit: free photos

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New Jersey Campaign Announced to Legalize Cannabis

2/19/2015

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A coalition of activists has announced a new campaign, called New Jersey United for Marijuana Reform, which will push for legislation to legalize and regulate cannabis like alcohol in the Garden State. The campaign, which officially launched in Newark on Wednesday, is comprised of local prosecutors, health officials and civil-rights activists.

“We need to take marijuana out of the parks and street corners and into licensed stores for adults,” said Udi Ofer, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union. “It would stop turning otherwise law-abiding adults into criminals.” According to Ofer, the New Jersey campaign has consulted with leading activists behind successful legalization campaigns around the country — if the New Jersey campaign is successful, the state would join Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and Washington D.C. in the quest to end prohibition.

“I think [prohibition] is a wasteful activity from a law-enforcement perspective,” said President of the N.J. Municipal Prosecutors Association Jon-Henry Barr. “As a municipal prosecutor, I have had to waste countless taxpayer dollars and hours of police officers’ time to prosecute New Jerseyeans. The savings that will be realized [from legalization] will dwarf any drawbacks.”

A 2014 survey from Quinnipiac University found that New Jersey voters are evenly split on the issue of marijuana policy reform, with 48 percent both in favor and against legalization.

Current New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a staunchly anti-cannabis Republican, has made it clear he does not support legalization efforts because it could send an irresponsible message to children. “To me, it’s just not the quality of life we want to have here in the state of New Jersey, and there’s no tax revenue that’s worth that,” said Gov. Christie last year in regards to Colorado’s recreational marijuana market.

Activists are unconcerned with the Governor’s stance, however, and say that the campaign will be a “long-term push” — if that means waiting for the state’s next governor, so be it. “This is a campaign that’s going to win, no matter what it takes,” said Mr. Ofer.

Sources:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/group-launches-campaign-to-legalize-marijuana-in-new-jersey-1424218493

http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2015/02/coalition_launches_to_advocate_for_legalization_ta.html

Photo Credit: Paul Sableman

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Ganjapreneur Adds Search Feature to Cannabis Business Directory and Job Feed

2/19/2015

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Ganjapreneur, a website dedicated to cannabis business news and culture, has recently announced the addition of a search engine to their marijuana job feed and their business directory for cannabis companies. The new feature is intended to help aspiring entrepreneurs and professionals in the industry find and connect with cannabis-focused companies who are hiring.

Ganjapreneur launched their Marijuana Job Feed, a live feed of job listings from the leading cannabis industry job boards, in fall 2014. The feed refreshes throughout the day to reflect the most recently-posted job opportunities on the internet. Ganjapreneur’s Business Directory also launched in 2014, and serves as a resource for professionals, investors, and entrepreneurs who wish to find and connect with companies that have specialized in cannabis. Categories of these companies include lawyers, consultants, web designers, and accountants.

Since their official launch in July 2014, Ganjapreneur has also published a large volume of news articles and editorials related to the cannabis and hemp industries. They offer a weekly cannabis industry newsletter, and have published a news-reader app which is available for Android and Apple devices. They also publish in-depth interviews with cannabis entrepreneurs and investors, and have announced that they are developing a “Freelancer Network” designed to help independent workers find gigs with cannabis industry businesses.

The term “ganjapreneur” refers to someone who is pursuing a business opportunity in the legal cannabis market. On the website’s “About Us” page, Ganjapreneur states: “A ganjapreneur is enterprising, courageous, ethical, and fully committed to achieving their goals. Most of all, a ganjapreneur is someone who understands and appreciates the positive effect that the decriminalization and regulation of these industries will have around the world.”

Press Release: http://www.prweb.com/releases/marijuana/jobs/prweb12522077.htm

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Marijuana Trade Organization Looks to Combine Cannabis Farming with Organic Food Agriculture

2/19/2015

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As the cannabis industry becomes legalized in new states and regions, one of the most important questions facing growers and processors is how they will fit into their local communities. This is the subject covered by Ganjapreneur, a website dedicated to cannabis business news and culture, in their recent interview with Shango Los, founder of the Vashon Island Marijuana Entrepreneurs Alliance (VIMEA). Among other topics, the interview covers the story of how one organization began the process of building bridges between medical cannabis growers and the general public on a small island community in Washington State, and how they adapted to the state’s legalization of cannabis for recreational use.

Discussing how he came to be one of the founding members of VIMEA, Los says “it occurred to me that the growers could use a representative who was not a grower themselves to help normalize cannabis business on the island and make a case that growers are good people and should be embraced by the community at large. Only then could we implement safe and authentic marijuana agriculture on the island. If the community did not embrace cannabis growing, then it was likely that only the fringe elements outside of the social mores of the community would move in that direction and that is exactly who we do not want running the businesses.” From setting up a stand at the local farmer’s market to holding public meetings, Los details how VIMEA came to exist and how it has grown since its inception in 2013. “For marijuana agriculture to be implemented in a sustainable and community enhancing way, we needed the good neighbors of the island to get involved and open the businesses. […] I wanted to create a space for these good folks to come out of the shadows and partner with prohibition-era growers to create a partnership that would create jobs and island revenue and good cannabis.”

One thing that has set VIMEA apart is an emphasis on the combination of cannabis production and food agriculture. By supplementing their organic food production with a small crop of cannabis, farmers on Vashon Island are able to enjoy economic stability without needing to compromise their environmental standards. “The goal is to integrate legal cannabis into our organic food farms so that they can take some of the weight off the margins of the food crops,” Los explains. “Organic farming is expensive and even more so at the small family farm size. Growing cannabis outdoors is relatively inexpensive because it relies on the sunshine instead of electricity and growing equipment. Once at market though, cannabis income far outweighs any organic food crop. Our aim is to support organic farmers to add cannabis to their organic farms so that the marijuana income can pay the mortgage and buy the new tractor and put the kids through college.”

The full interview can be found on Ganjapreneur’s website. Ganjapreneur, which launched in summer 2014, has published a series of interviews with prominent business owners and investors in the cannabis industry. The site has also announced the availability of a mobile app for Apple and Android devices, a domain name market for cannabis start-ups and venture capital firms, as well as a live feed of job postings from the leading marijuana job boards.

Press Release: http://www.prweb.com/releases/marijuana/entrepreneurs/prweb12507688.htm

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Southern Oregon Marijuana Farmers Voice Concern Over Industrial Hemp

2/18/2015

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Industrial hemp is coming to Oregon, but — due to the biological interaction between hemp and marijuana plants — not everyone in the cannabis industry is excited about the particulars of where and how that’s going to happen. In fact, according to the Oregonian, a group of outdoor marijuana farmers in southern Oregon are arguing that Oregon’s hemp industry should be limited to the eastern side of the state, and at the very least should be prohibited in Josephine, Jackson and Douglas counties, where medical marijuana farmers have already established a strong foothold for the industry.

The worry is that the addition of hemp to the geographic region will undermine local marijuana crops, which are effectively ruined when cross pollinated with hemp.

“You don’t come into the middle of cannabis growing country and try to put up a hemp farm unless you don’t know about it, unless you really don’t know how far hemp pollen can travel,” said Casey Branham of Jackson County. “It basically makes the medicine worthless.” Branham is a medical marijuana grower who supports industrial hemp, but argues that it should be grown somewhere else.

Jackson County resident Edgar Winters, however, has plans to move forward with a state-issued license he received earlier this month to plant a major hemp crop on a 25-acre plot in the area. “People have misconceptions about industrial hemp,” Winters, who is also a medical marijuana grower, explained. Winters has received complaints and even personal threats from his neighbors, but is steadfast in his determination to launch the region’s hemp industry. “It’s a viable crop. There is no way we are going to be forced out of the county. I can tell you that. We are here to stay.” 

According to Rep. Peter Buckley (D-Ashland), Oregon lawmakers are considering the situation following many complaints from local MMJ farmers (who have hired an attorney and lobbyist to protect medical marijuana interests) and are looking for a solution that would allow both crops to thrive.

Sources:

http://www.oregonlive.com/marijuana/index.ssf/2015/02/southern_oregon_medical_mariju.html

Photo Credit: Don Hankins

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Breaking Down Israel’s Role in Medical Marijuana Research

2/18/2015

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For more than 50 years, medical researchers in Israel have been forging new ground in the field of cannabis research, particularly in regards to medical use.

The Father of Marijuana Research

In the early 1960s Raphael Mechoulam, sometimes called the “Father of Marijuana Research,” and his team established the structure of cannabidiol (CBD) and a year later they isolated and synthesized THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.

As a junior faculty member during the 1960s at Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, Israel, Mechoulam was interested in the chemistry and actions of natural products. One of his topics was cannabis. As there was virtually no contemporary research on the topic, Mechoulam sifted through obscure 19th century medical journals in various languages, primarily French, German and Russian, where he found early works by doctors and medical researchers curious about the plant.

However, in the 19th and early 20th centuries, methods to isolate the cannabinoids (a term Mechoulam coined) were rudimentary. By the time Mechoulam began his work, liquid-solid chromatography, a chemical separation process method, had undergone significant improvements making it possible to conduct research using much smaller porous particles.

Israel’s innovative research

During subsequent years Mechoulam and his research team isolated other cannabinoids. His work has served as the foundation for groundbreaking advancements around the world in studying the chemistry of the internal composition of cannabis and how its compounds can be isolated for testing. It was Mechoulam’s early experimentation that first brought to light the benefits of THC in treating nausea from chemotherapy. Other early experiments pointed to the connection of CBD in treating epilepsy, a hypothesis that has been gaining considerable attention in recent years.

Mechoulam’s pioneering efforts have furthered advancements in studying medical marijuana around the world, but Israel continues to be an innovator.  A recent study by Dr. Yosefa Avraham and Professor Elliot Berry in Jerusalem show promising results using cannabidiol in the prevention and treatment of liver cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy. Results of their extensive studies indicate, “cannabidiol restores liver function, normalizes 5-HT levels and improves brain pathology.”

Exploring the borderlines

In a field with as many ambiguities as marijuana, it’s not surprising that the philosophy motivating the research is as compelling as the science behind it. In a 2007 Journal Interview from The Society for the Study of Addiction Mechoulam stated, “I found research at the borderline of chemistry and biology fascinating. I believed then, and I still believe, that the separation of scientific fields is just an admission of our limited ability to learn and understand several scientific areas. In nature, the border does not exist. If a leaf and tree were able to think, they would not know the difference between chemistry and biology.”

It may be these borderline areas are the future of marijuana research. The early inroads opened up by pioneers like Mechoulam have helped establish marijuana as a viable medical resource, but there is still a long way to go in understanding the full impact it could have on medicine.

Photo Credit: Mark

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Maryland Legislators to Consider the Legalization and Regulation of Recreational Cannabis

2/17/2015

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Maryland lawmakers have proposed a pair of bills aimed at the legalization and regulation of recreational cannabis use.

House Bill 911 — a.k.a. the Marijuana Control and Revenue Act of 2015 — was introduced by State Delegate Curt Anderson and was co-sponsored by 30 other members of the Maryland House of Representatives, all Democrats. Its companion bill, Senate Bill 531, was introduced by Senator Jamie Raskin (D-Montgomery) and co-sponsored by nine fellow Democrats in the Maryland Senate. Together, these bills establish Maryland as a new leader in the legislative push toward serious marijuana policy reform.

If passed, the new law would call for the Maryland Comptroller to establish a licensing process and lay out a system of regulations for cultivation, processing, and distribution of cannabis products.

Anderson attempted similar legislation in 2013, which ultimately failed. “The bill would take marijuana out of the realm of a criminal enterprise and make it so that folks can actually buy it in recreational ways,” Anderson said last year. “This issue is so important, I think, to folks in my community in terms of the arrest of young African-American males. They get records, they can’t get jobs, they can’t get into some schools.”

The bill would establish an oversight board to monitor the industry and make recommendations to lawmakers as the program is unveiled. As per the new law, marijuana cultivation and distribution sites would not be allowed within 1,000 feet of schools, and local authorities can add further restrictions of their own. Using cannabis in public will remain illegal.

Sara Love, public policy director for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Maryland, described the legislation in a statement:

“The Marijuana Control and Revenue Act is the next step on the road to saner drug policy in Maryland. For too long, tens of thousands of Marylanders, disproportionately black Marylanders, have faced life-altering criminal penalties simply for possessing a substance most voters believe should be legalized. Now, our state has the opportunity to move beyond the tragic costs of the counterproductive ‘war on drugs’ and toward increased revenue that can be used to support policies that strengthen communities.”

Under current Maryland laws, marijuana has been decriminalized. First offenders face a $100 ticket, second offenders up to $250, and any more marijuana infractions can warrant up to $500 in fines.

Sources:

http://www.ibtimes.com/marijuana-legalization-maryland-bill-seeks-regulate-cannabis-alcohol-1815940

Photo Credit: Kathleen Tyler Conklin

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