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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Five Ways Marijuana Legalization Has Improved Quality of Life

2/17/2015

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Marijuana legalization campaigners promised a lot — from collecting more taxes for budgets already starved for cash, to spending less on law enforcement.

With legislation to legalize and regulate marijuana passed in four states, and ongoing efforts underway to accomplish this in many others, people are asking: does it work?

Now that the numbers are coming in, the answer is a resounding YES.

Marijuana is building bigger, better schools in Colorado.

Until now, Colorado’s Building Excellent Schools Today program (known as BEST) had suffered from a decline in available grant money. The program is designed to fund capital projects in the state, but had been low on cash.

In Colorado, the first $40 million accrued annually in excise tax from the sale of marijuana is collected in a “public school capital construction assistance fund,” created by Proposition AA. BEST is seeing some of that money now, with millions of dollars in tax revenue already coming in, and more predicted. The state is also looking to hire more school health care professionals with the help of marijuana tax money.

Marijuana is employing people.

In addition to the boost to education provided by tax funds, new legal marijuana businesses popping up in Colorado are creating jobs at every level—from retail locations to grow centers, which can employ up to 75 people.

Legalization and regulation decreases marijuana use among teens, studies show.

Anti-legalization campaigners tried to argue that legalizing marijuana — and telling teens that it was “now okay” to use — would cause an increase teen marijuana use.

The opposite has come to fruition. In a study done by the University of Michigan, researchers found that after steep increases in teen marijuana use in prior years, it’s not only flat-lined since medical marijuana programs were implemented in 2013, and recreational marijuana in 2014 — but it’s actually dropped in states that have legalized.

Crime is actually dropping in states with legalized marijuana.

Opponents argued that legalizing marijuana would lead to a rise in crime — but the opposite has proven to be true.

Not only has violent crime dropped in Colorado since legalization went into effect (6.9% in the first quarter of 2014), but so has property crime (by 11%). In a study by journal PLOS ONE, researchers found that alcohol use has also dropped since legalization. This suggests that alcohol consumption is being replaced by marijuana consumption, leading to less violent and destructive crime.

Not surprisingly, this has also led to a decrease in highway fatalities. Less drunk driving, less death.

Less money is being spent on prosecuting for possession and housing inmates.

As a country, we spend nearly $1 billion per year incarcerating inmates with marijuana-related charges. Not only do we save money by keeping people out of prison, boosting budgets that are already thin — but by not enforcing marijuana prohibition (paying cops to bust people for marijuana, and pushing marijuana-related charges through the justice system) our country stands to save $13.8 billion per year, economists report.

That’s a lot of money we could spend on schools and roads, instead.

Photo Credit: Leslie J. Clary

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New Mexico Senate Committee Advances Legislation to Legalize Recreational Cannabis

2/16/2015

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In an unprecedented move, lawmakers in the New Mexico Senate Committee voted 5-4 on Thursday in favor of a bill that would legalize and regulate recreational marijuana for adults age 21 and older.

Senate Joint Resolution 2 (SJR2) was presented by New Mexico Senator Gerald Ortiz y Pino, and is the next step in a progressive transformation for the state toward sensible marijuana policies.

In 2013, a state-wide poll indicated that a 52 percent majority of New Mexico voters supported recreational legalization. Additionally, citizens and lawmakers have closely watched neighboring Colorado’s legal marijuana market. The Colorado market opened last January and was the first of its kind in the U.S. — since then, Denver crime rates have dropped and Colorado has enjoyed marked increases in employment rates and has collected upwards of $40 million in tax revenue.

Currently, four states and Washington D.C. have passed legislation to legalize cannabis for recreational purposes, 23 states have legalized medical cannabis, and many more have passed some effort toward marijuana policy reform.

Sources:

http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/2015/02/new-mexicos-marijuana-legalization-resolution-passes-out-senate-rules-committee-histori

Photo Credit: Larry Lamsa

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Oregon Hemp Industry Making Slow Progress

2/16/2015

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Progress toward industrial hemp farming in Oregon has been slow. Just two people have applied and federal drug laws have dogged the state’s attempts to get any seed into the hands of the would-be farmers.

“There are a whole lot of hoops to get through before we actually have seed on the ground in Oregon,” Ron Pence, the Department of Agriculture’s operation manager, commodity inspection said. “I believe we’ll get it…I am doing everything I can to get through the permitting process.”

So far just one of the applicants has been granted a license but Pence is convinced that the second application will “most likely” be approved.  The Agriculture Department has been working with Oregon State University in an effort to procure hemp seeds but the Drug Enforcement Agency has thus far prevented them from doing so. The DEA has a permitting process by which seed can be obtained but the state has not yet been granted the permit. Because of this roadblock, Pence says he wouldn’t recommend the investment of $1,500 licensing fees for farmers yet until they know they can get seed. In addition to the license fees, farms producing hemp seed for propagation are charged another $500 per year. Inspection fees for all farmers, charged for inspecting hemp seed warehouses and testing the farm’s soil and produce – part of the state’s deal with the feds – is billed at $2.00 per hour.

Once the state’s application is approved by the feds, OSU would possess and distribute the hemp seed.

Pence says it is still unclear exactly how much of an economic boon the industry would be to farmers or the state via fees and taxes. A May 2014 report by University of Kentucky’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environment found that in a low-price scenario fiber-only farms could lose $314 per acre but high-production seed farms could earn $202. In a high-price scenario fiber-only farms could still lose money, an estimated $52 per acre, but earn up to $622 per acre.

Citing climate and the differences in their respective statutes, Pence suggests that the UK report is not indicative of the would-be market in Oregon.

“What may produce well in Kentucky may not produce well in Oregon,” he said. “There are just too many unknowns… It’s two different states.”

Oregon’s Legislative Revenue Office found “no revenue impact” after their review of the industrial hemp bill (SB676). The legislature provided $67,000 to the ODA to implement the program and approved another $170,000 for a full-time Natural Resource Specialist. The funds were used to fund the year-long rule making process. That expensive process included “countless” trips to the Department of Justice by members of their rules committee, lawyers’ fees and staff salary, Pence said.

As the ODA progresses through the application process, Pence said he and his OSU colleagues have had more interest from “mainstream producers” which would be advantageous to the currently infinitesimal and struggling industry.

“I’m hopeful that hemp takes off … not necessarily because it’s hemp… but I’m an advocate for agriculture,” Pence said. “I’m always excited by other opportunities for our farmers to have a new crop and potentially put a few bucks in their pocket.”

Photo Credit: Simon

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Cannabis and Cancer: Searching for a Cure

2/13/2015

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A recent study published in Urology medical journal’s February issue supports the hypothesis that cannabis use may be linked with a lowered risk of developing certain types of cancer. This is not the first study to demonstrate this result. Researchers around the world have studied the link between marijuana use and cancer for decades.

Cannabis has been used for medicinal purposes for over 3,000 years. In the United States, its use as a palliative drug for individuals suffering from pain, sexual problems, and low appetites stretches back to the beginning of the twentieth century. Today, thousands of Americans rely on the substance for pain relief and other medical benefits.

A Decreased Risk of Bladder Cancer in Men

The study was conducted by researchers at the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center Department of Neurology. During its course, the researchers tracked 80,000 men ages 45-69 over a period of eleven years to determine any correlation between cannabis and tobacco use and the development of bladder cancer. After adjusting for race, age, ethnicity and body mass index, the researchers found that tobacco use was associated with a higher than average risk of developing bladder cancer while cannabis use was linked with a lower risk of developing the disease.

34,000, or 41%, of the participants reported using cannabis during the study period. 47,092, approximately 57% of the men, reported tobacco use.

Of the men who reported using cannabis, 89, approximately .3%, developed bladder cancer. Of those who did not use cannabis, 190, or approximately .4% of the participants, developed the disease.

Brown University and Other Studies

In 2009, researchers at Brown University in Rhode Island published a the results of a similar study that they had conducted in Cancer Prevention Research. This study examined the correlation between long-term cannabis use and neck and head cancers. In this study, 434 patients suffering from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma were tracked alongside 547 matched controls. The researchers focused on the participants’ cannabis use and found that the individuals who used cannabis in moderate amounts had lower incidences of developing this disease. This included individuals who also used alcohol and tobacco, two known contributors to developing head and neck squamous carcinoma.

A 2006 study by researchers at UCLA showed no link between moderate to heavy marijuana use and respiratory cancers.

Cannabis: The Cure?

We still can’t say for sure whether or not moderate marijuana use can reduce your risk of developing cancer. We do know that cannabis smoke, much like tobacco smoke, contains known carcinogens such as benzopyrene. However, unlike tobacco use, cannabis use has not been definitively linked with the development of certain cancers.

What we do have is a growing body of research that indicates a link between a lowered risk of certain cancers and moderate cannabis use. We also know that the human immune system contains cannabinoid receptors, further supporting the theory that cannabis is positively linked with immunity.

As more studies are published about the link between cannabis use and increased immunity, it will become more difficult to ignore the role this plant can have in helping millions of Americans suffering from a myriad of diseases.

Photo Credit: Luca Volpi

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Canadian Government Recalls MMJ Product for Being too Potent

2/11/2015

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Peace Naturals Project Inc., a Canadian MMJ company, must recall two batches of medicinal-grade cannabis because the labeled potency does not match the product’s actual potency.

Peace Naturals had labeled these products at 9.07% THC when they hit store shelves, but further testing revealed that some such flowers yielded results as high 13.7%, according to a government statement on the Health Canada website.

Normally, similar recalls might take place because mold or some other contamination had been discovered. In this case, however, it was a result of Health Canada’s strict labeling rules regarding medical marijuana products that mandated the action. There were no consumer complaints, but the government agency routinely checks MMJ products to see they are in compliance with federal regulations.

Sources:

http://mmjbusinessdaily.com/suggested-hed-canadian-company-recalls-mmj-as-potency-higher-than-labeled/

Photo Credit: Dank Depot

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D.C. Council Schedules, then Cancels Hearing on Legal Marijuana Sales

2/11/2015

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A D.C. Council hearing regarding the sale of legal marijuana in the District was cancelled on Monday, and an informal discussion was held in its place, the Washington Post reports.

The meeting had been organized to receive public input on a system for retail marijuana sales in the District, as per Initiative 71, a voter-approved bill to legalize and regulate cannabis, which passed in November with 70 percent approval. However, after a warning from District Attorney Karl Racine, city lawmakers decided to cancel the meeting and hold an informal discussion period in its place.

Racine urged the Council to hold off because of a rider on the Congressional spending bill that prohibits the District from spending any funds in an attempt to alter local marijuana laws. “The issue here is not whether Initiative 71, which was, in our view, enacted before the 2015 Appropriations Act became effective, but, rather, whether the hearing on this bill — which was not enacted by the time the rider took effect — would violate the rider,” Racine explained in a letter to the Council.

He warned that the hearing could potentially result in federal fines of up to $5,000 and two years in jail for the lawmakers and any staff who were to help conduct the meeting. “I reluctantly conclude that it would be unlawful to [continue] notwithstanding my full support of the sentiments behind your desire to conduct this hearing,” Racine wrote.

And though the Council’s chief attorney, David Zvenyach, wrote in response that he disagreed with Racine on the subject, the Council heeded the attorney general’s warning and called off the hearing. In its place, an informational round-table discussion was held on the topic.

Initiative 71 would legalize the possession of up to two ounces of cannabis and allow home cultivation of up to three plants per adult, and called for a system of taxes and regulations for the commercial cultivation and distribution of the drug.

Meanwhile, President Obama recently proposed changes to the national budget plan that would allow D.C. to spend its own, locally-sourced funds on setting up a regulated marijuana market.

Sources:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/09/us-usa-marijuana-districtofcolumbia-idUSKBN0LD12G20150209

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/dc-council-warned-not-to-move-forward-on-marijuana-legalization/2015/02/09/2c1593aa-b067-11e4-827f-93f454140e2b_story.html

Photo Credit: Nicolas Raymond

 

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Shango Los: Establishing a Cannabis Trade Organization

Shango Los: Establishing a Local Cannabis Trade Organization

2/11/2015

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VIMEAAs 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. We recently interviewed Shango Los, founder of the Vashon Island Marijuana Entrepreneurs Alliance (VIMEA), about 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.

One thing that has set VIMEA apart is an emphasis on the union 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 environmental standards. What a great model for sustainability!

Read the full interview:

Ganjapreneur: How did VIMEA get started, and when did you first get involved?

Shango Los: The Vashon Island Marijuana Entrepreneurs Alliance began in the summer of 2013 in response to a growing need for a trade organization to represent cannabis growers on Vashon Island in Washington State.  I am a brand strategist and business consultant and four clients in a row had come to me with legal cannabis ideas that they wanted to explore.  They were all afraid of the same thing and that was being ostracized in our rural community.  Indeed, Vashon Island has been growing cannabis for over forty years and it’s our island’s largest cash crop but that doesn’t mean everyone embraces it.

It occurred to me that the growers could use a representative who was not a grower himself 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.  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.  These are the folks who are already involved with their churches or kid’s schools or philanthropic organizations like Eagles or Rotary clubs and they likely already have businesses. Maybe they are not involved with any of these organizations but are just kind folks who want to keep the community healthy while also embracing cannabis. 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.

What did you do before getting involved in the cannabis industry?

I am a lifelong business strategist and entrepreneur.  I participated in the first dotcom boom in California, the real estate boom in Seattle, and the space shuttle program in Colorado. In all of these places I also kept tabs on the nascent but growing cannabis industry as a fan and enthusiast.

How often does VIMEA meet, and what is discussed at meetings?

We meet monthly except for November when we have our harvest festival and December when we take a break for the holiday.

In the early meetings, we discussed what the growers wanted out of a trade organization and how best I could be of assistance.  We also came up with strategies to reach out to the non-cannabis folks on the island.  Those were fun meetings filled with hope and excitement.

Things got more serious though when the recreational I-502 regulations came out.  When that happened the meetings became more about helping the growers and new business owners understand the Byzantine regulations that the Washington State Liquor Control Board had devised for legal marijuana in our state.  I went through them line by line and interpreted them for VIMEA members who were frustrated as soon as they saw how out of whack the regulations were with the reality of the real life cannabis industry. The regulations were based on inexperience and fear and they were, and are still, a mess.  In fact, the state has allowed additional layers of regulations at the county and city level too so the regulations are not uniform statewide and some cities seem have been allowed to outright ban cannabis in the face of the statewide vote.  I have no doubt that those on the WSLCB were doing the best they could; they just were not the folks who should have been in charge in the first place.  It has come to pass that the WSLCB members were found to have been meeting in secret and making side deals with law enforcement and other commercial entities in violation of state law.  Both I-502 recreational growers and medical marijuana growers are trying to make the best of a bad situation where entrepreneurs want to make a profit and patients need medicine and the rules guiding them are a sham.

After the first wave of I-502 applications were submitted to the state, VIMEA shifted gears again and the meetings became about education and skills development.  I started the Vashon Island Visiting Cannabis Experts Series to bring in exceptional speakers who would normally not have come to Vashon Island.  Speakers have included Dr. Michelle Sexton on cannabis as medicine, Tyler Markwart of Allele Seeds Research on growing organically without petrochemicals, Jerry Whiting of ProjectCBD and LeBlanc CNE on CBD strains and medicine ratios, new cloning techniques from Chuck Green of Clones Northwest and Reverend Cannabis taught for a great sunny afternoon about all the forms of hash processing and its history.  We are very grateful to these and the other speakers for coming out to Vashon and being a part of this historic thing we are doing.

What are some examples of how VIMEA builds rapport between cannabis farmers and the general population of Vashon Island?

We started with a booth at the farmer’s market and that was a great success.  Folks in the community giggled a bit as they passed by and that was the first step to normalization.  I got a lot of questions about the I-502 law that was passed.  Some folks wanted to talk about the possibility of increased crime on the island.  Mostly though, folks wanted to talk about medicine and how they could get relief from whatever was ailing them.  That is where I had my first experience with a parent coming to me trying to find CBD for their child.  That changed the direction I would take forever.  Even though I came to the industry with a recreational mindset, the power of cannabis medicine reframed everything.

We have worked with the local paper to make sure facts were being reported rather than fear.  We are lucky to have a very professional and open minded editor of the paper.

We placed an ad in the island’s magazine for tourists to be alongside other legal businesses too and we joined the Chamber of Commerce.  We just took actions that any new trade organization would.

In the end though, clearly it is the monthly meetings and creating an environment that people feel open to talking about cannabis medicine that has gained VIMEA the most respect. People get that we are here to serve.

What effect would you say that VIMEA’s efforts have had on the island community?

Certainly we jumpstarted the conversation on cannabis generally.  We have created countless opportunities for neighbors to learn about cannabis medicine and be healed.  Just by our existence we have increased the occasion of families and neighbors talking about cannabis generally around the dinner table and that is how community is made and new ideas are disseminated.

I understand that VIMEA works to integrate cannabis agriculture with food agriculture.  How does that work?

Vashon Island takes its organic food agriculture very seriously and we do everything we can to support the family farm.  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.  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.  It also allows the food to be grown for food and not a commodity.  As a commodity we see organic produce being picked unripe so that it travels better when it actually would be more nutritious if allowed to ripen on the vine or tree or what have you.  This message has been so compelling in Washington that I was invited to speak about Embracing Your Local Pot Farmer at Ignite Seattle.

Because farmers think in yearlong cycles, it will take awhile for this idea to be adopted but the interest is there.  Several farms have applied for recreational licenses and are forging this new path.  Once those courageous folks start to show the fruits of their labor, I’m sure it will begin to catch on more nationally.  For now, we are doing everything we can to make sure that Vashon Island is a good example of cannabis integration and not a bad one.

What are some of the ways that marijuana entrepreneurs around the world can work to overcome negative stereotypes?

“Around the world” is a big area considering all the different social mores there are.  That said, the US led drug war has sculpted the world to be generally uninformed and reactionary to pro-cannabis policy.  This may seem remedial but the first thing I’d recommend is to be vocal about your affiliation with cannabis and then just be nice to people.  Every sub-culture is judged primarily by peoples’ impressions of them.  If you say you are in the marijuana industry and then act like a jerk, you become a poor representative for the whole industry.  On the other hand, if you are kind and not angry, you become a positive representative of the industry.  You can get everything you want and more out of this world while being kind, even in conflict.  Being a jerk serves no one and makes your own life harder.

In addition to that though, organize.  If cannabis folks come together to try and get on the same message, we speak with one voice.  There are so many competing opinions amongst us in the cannabis community and that is good.  However, many of us need to be educated with the latest understanding of the plant and how to grow it, medicine and public policy options.  Only sitting at home and getting high will not help coalesce the movement. Get out and go to a meeting.  You are sure to learn something, you will likely make some new friends, and you will be participating in helping us all row the boat in the same direction.

In Seattle, for example, I try and attend meetings for the Coalition for Cannabis Standards and Ethics.  It is a group of growers, patients, health care providers, entrepreneurs and others who all want the industry to evolve in ways that are ethical and respect patients’ needs while also allowing for commercial success.  At the meetings I am able to trade perspectives with my peers and share learning.  The CCSE brings in great speakers that teach us all at once.  This kind of information dissemination is vital for the cannabis movement.  Also, it is reassuring to spend time with other cannabis professionals who are experiencing the same challenges that I am.  We can share best practices and learn from each others’ mistakes.  Getting organized is key projecting a good image as a whole industry.

There is currently a lot of turmoil surrounding the recreational and medical markets in Washington. What do you think the future of legalization in the Evergreen State looks like?

Gosh, that is a difficult question without a crystal ball.  The market is such a mess and the industry is evolving and expanding at such a rate that anyone who says that know what is going to happen for sure is fooling themselves.  There are risk percentages, hunches and sheer guesses, but no one knows for certain.  There are too many variables.

That said, the medical market and the recreation market will end up merging eventually, I suspect.  I hope it does not happen this legislative session for sure though because the recreational market is nowhere ready to meet the needs of patients.  If you go into a recreation store there is little CBD on the shelves.  The flowers that are there are often rushed to market without a proper cure.  Of course, the price is too high as well, for now.

In the end, it makes sense for one sales channel to sell to the entire market though.  The challenge is that the WSLCB is rushing the integration at the behest of I-502 business owners.  I respect the needs of the I-502 folks as they are my friends and clients and I’ll likely have my own down the line too.  That said, the needs of the patients outweigh the financial interests of the I-502 folks in my eyes.  Entrepreneurs choose to take on this market risk in exchange for profits and over the long term they will be exceptionally profitable.  Patients have not made that choice.  They are just trying to relieve suffering.  Certainly there is money being made in medical marijuana but until there is a real replacement found in the I-502 system the first priority is to not neglect patients.  The best thing that can happen right now is for I-502 producers to quickly add substantial amounts of CBD to their operations and the WSLCB to allow the retailers to begin to discuss cannabis as medicine at the retail level.  Right now the budtenders cannot even mention that cannabis can provide relief and that is absurd.

With all of this VIMEA volunteer work, where are you able to actually make your own overhead?

Because my role in the cannabis community is to connect with people and help them succeed, for-profit cannabis businesses seek me out.  Many entrepreneurs know how to run a business but do not know cannabis.  Many prohibition-era growers know cannabis but not how to build out a legal, sustainable company.  I am grateful to have both sets of skills and can create a bridge.  I help companies develop their business strategy and write their business plans. I understand regulatory structure and how to lobby rulemakers.  I help clients through product development, packaging and brand strategy.  Companies hire me as a consultant to help them smooth out the rocky road of cannabis start-ups.  VIMEA is an organization that I founded so that cannabis is integrated on my island home in a way that preserves the character of the island.  There are plenty of other places to make money in cannabis.

What advice can you give to growers who want to create an organization such as VIMEA to represent their community?

Don’t get into it for the money.  This is a service role in your cannabis community.  If you are in it for the money you become a competitor for your members.  Putting together a trade organization is about helping others win.  By their success, you will win too.  You can get everything you want by helping others get what they want, as Zig Ziglar says.

Find an inexpensive location to meet and keep your overhead very low.  If you are going to exist off donations, you have got to know you can float the cost of the space if the donations are light at that particular meeting.  Also, it does you no good to be worried about overhead while you are trying to be selfless and help your grower members sort out their regulatory issues.

Reach out to your local paper right away and tell them what you are up to in the best way possible.  This will hopefully decrease the likelihood of negative press which is very difficult to dig out of.

Don’t try to do it all alone.  Let volunteers help you greet people and set up and tear down at meetings.  Let volunteers help make decisions too.  It will make your members feel more invested in the strength of the organization if they really feel like they are a part of the solution and the power of any community is that it has many voices.

Thank you, Shango, for sharing your experience! We look forward to seeing more grassroots organizing among cannabis entrepreneurs as the industry grows.

For more information about Shango Los and VIMEA:

Shango@vimea.org
www.vimea.org
www.Facebook.com/vimea

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Snoop Dogg to Start Investment Fund for Cannabis Startups

2/10/2015

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Snoop Dogg, hip-hop legend and important marijuana icon, is planning to raise up to $25 million to fund startups in the budding cannabis industry, according to a recent TechCrunch report.

Logically, the cannabis industry is a perfect fit. Snoop — a.k.a. Snoop Lion, given name Calvin Broadus, Jr. — is well-known as a marijuana enthusiast and could be expected to know a great deal about the industry from firsthand experience.

In fact, Snoop is no stranger to investments in emerging industries: in 2014, the celebrity joined top Silicon Valley investors in a $50 million investment for Reddit.com, a popular social sharing hub. Earlier that year, Snoop also invested in Robinhood, a zero-fee stock trading app that has helped push a younger generation toward small-time stock market trading.

Meanwhile, big-time investor Peter Thiel — who happens to be partnered in the Reddit.com investment fund with Snoop — also recently announced a major marijuana investment. Thiel’s billion-dollar Founders Fund will be partnering with Privateer Holdings to achieve a stated $75 million goal, statements from both companies concluded in January.

Sources:

http://techcrunch.com/2015/02/06/of-course-he-does/?ncid=rss

Photo Credit: imilyas

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The Perks of Sungrown Cannabis

2/10/2015

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Using artificial light to grow marijuana is a very costly and environmentally harmful process, leading various lawmakers to apply new energy taxes to growers, and those growers to look toward a more natural source of energy: the sun.

According to a 2012 study, the average cannabis grow operation uses sixty times as much energy as a one American household. At the time of the study, grow operations were running a $6 billion annual energy bill. In Boulder, Colorado, the city has implemented an energy tax on marijuana growers that will result in an extra 100 dollars per kilogram of cannabis. Meanwhile, it was reported in 2012 that Arcata, CA was planning to tax MMJ growers — who used three times the typical amount of energy — an extra 45% on their electricity bills.

Dispensary and grow operation Harborside Health Center in Oakland, California have begun promoting their “sungrown” marijuana products, arguing that it’s not only cheaper, but creates a better product.

In a cartoon promotional video, “The Story of Sungrown,” Harborside’s Executive Director Steve DeAngelo explains, “8% of California’s electricity is used to grow indoor cannabis, and it takes over 200 pounds of coal to produce one pound of cannabis.” This wasn’t always the case, however: “In the late sixties and seventies California created the most amazing cannabis I have ever seen. With colas as fat as my arm, and so resinous you could pick them up by sticking your fingers to them — all of it grown only using the power of the sun.”

These fields were easy for DEA officers to spot, and when it became too dangerous to grow marijuana in plain sight, DeAngelo says that this “forced growers to plant under the trees, in the shadows — which made the medicine lower quality.”

Illegal indoor grow operations have also become easier for law enforcement to spot, thanks to the enormous amount of electricity an indoor grow demands. Often, police will investigate a home as a possible growhouse if their energy bills seem exceptionally high. Or, as the Dutch Police recently revealed, they can examine groups of houses after a snowstorm and look for the one roof that’s completely dry, all of its snow having melted off due to the extreme temperature of grow-lights.

The claim that Colorado enjoys 300 days of sunshine a year has proven to be an exaggerated myth, though even if it were true the state that pioneered legal weed in America currently doesn’t allow marijuana to be grown the way DeAngelo remembers it from the sixties.

“It is against the law in Colorado to to grow marijuana in a field, or amongst other crops,” says Natriece Bryant of the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division. According to the MED website, “Marijuana must be grown in a fully enclosed and locked space, whether indoors or outdoors.”

When pressed about whether greenhouses with enclosed roofs and locks would be allowed, Bryant explained that “As long as the marijuana is grown in an area that is considered limited access, a building, room, or other contiguous area, then it is considered legal.”

Photo Credit: MarihuanayMedicina

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Jamaica Senate Passes Law to Decriminalize Cannabis, Allow MMJ

2/09/2015

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On February 6, the Jamaica Senate passed landmark legislation to address progressive marijuana policy reform — ironically, this momentous legislative development also fell on what would have been the 70th birthday of Jamaican superstar and popular marijuana icon Bob Marley.

The legislation came in the form of five amendments to the Dangerous Drugs Act. Ultimately, the changes in law make the possession of up to two ounces of “ganja” (as per the lawmakers’ phrasing) a ticketable, but non-arrestable, offense. It also allows the establishment of a lawful, regulated system for the use and distribution of ganja for “medical, therapeutic, and scientific purposes.”

The bill was piloted by Justice Minister Mark Golding and met some concerned opposition from Senator KD Knight, who announced cautious reservations because he hadn’t heard opinions from the National Council on Drug Abuse, the National Road Safety Council, or the minister of health regarding the proposed Dangerous Drugs Act amendments.

Ultimately, the bill will go on to the House of Representatives for further debate come the new parliamentary year.

Sources:

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20150207/lead/lead3.html

Photo Credit: Dave O

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New Illinois Governor Moves MMJ Program Forward

2/09/2015

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Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner surprised local medical marijuana advocates earlier this month by announcing the recipients of Illinois’ MMJ cultivation and distribution licenses.

Rauner’s announcement comes as a relief following former Governor Pat Quinn’s failure to move the program forward. Officials from Gov. Quinn’s administration previously had compiled a list of recommended businesses to receive the widely-coveted MMJ licenses, but no further action was taken. This left patients and hopeful industry professionals alike worrying that Gov. Rauner would entertain continued, unnecessary delays.

Gov. Rauner, however, recently awarded 18 licenses for medical marijuana cultivation facilities and 52 licenses for the legal sale and distribution of MMJ products. Some license recipients are claiming that medicine will be available on store shelves by this summer.

Qualifying patients must pay a $100 annual fee to partake in the program.

“The fact that Gov. Rauner didn’t sit on it forever, it shows class,” said MMJ patient, Army veteran, and MMJ legalization advocate Jim Champion.

Sources:

http://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/7/71/339015/rauner-announces-can-grow-sell-medical-marijuana-illinois

http://abc7chicago.com/health/1000-illinois-medical-marijuana-patients-approved/504049/

Photo Credit: Leslie J. Clary

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U.S. Surgeon General Acknowledges Some Benefits of MMJ

2/06/2015

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In a recent interview with CBS This Morning, the new U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, openly acknowledged the helpfulness of medical marijuana in the treatment of some specific medical conditions.

Currently, 23 states have legalized marijuana for medical use. Four states and Washington D.C. have legalized marijuana for recreational use. Countless medical professionals have announced their support for marijuana policy reform, from CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta to, most recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics. Even President Obama has admitted that marijuana is actually safer than alcohol.

And now: “We have some preliminary data showing that for certain medical conditions and symptoms, marijuana can be helpful, so I think we have to use that data to drive policy-making, and I’m very interested to see where that data takes us,” Dr. Murthy said.

As the nation’s top doctor, Murthy’s statement is a major political development that will help define the U.S. medical industry’s growing acceptance of cannabis therapy. With a majority of U.S. citizens, many major doctors’ organizations, and now the U.S. Surgeon General in support of moving beyond prohibition, the pressure on the federal government to take action is ever-mounting.

For now, removing marijuana from the list of Schedule 1 substances under the Controlled Substances Act would be a game-changing allowance. This would open up new opportunities in marijuana research and send a strong political message about the Drug War’s momentous failure.

There is a pattern of U.S. Surgeon Generals historically expressing a stance open to the idea of medical marijuana, or at least open to the discussion of policy reforms. Regina Benjamin, who held the position from 2009-2013, admitted that the drug might serve some medical benefit. Joycelyn Elders, who was the U.S. Surgeon General in the early 1990’s, announced in 2010 that she supported the full legalization of cannabis, even going so far as to say it was “not a toxic substance.”

Sources:

http://fortune.com/2015/02/04/surgeon-general-medical-marijuana/

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/surgeon-general-dr-vivek-murthy-on-measles-vaccine-marijuana-legalization/

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/10/18/former.surgeon.general.marijuana/

Photo Credit: Leslie J. Clary

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Obama’s Proposed Changes to Federal Budget Plan Would Allow D.C.’s Legalization to Continue

2/04/2015

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President Obama unveiled some proposed changes on Monday to the U.S. federal government budget — one of which is a very clever addition that should allow the District’s local government to move forward with marijuana legalization and the establishment of a regulated market.

The move was first reported by Tom Angell of the Marijuana Majority for Marijuana.com:

“Tucked inside the 2,000-page, $4 trillion Fiscal Year 2016 Budget, the President is proposing that the District of Columbia should be able to spend its own money regulating marijuana however it wants. And he’s accomplished it with the simple addition of just one word: ‘Federal.’ … [B]y adding the word ‘Federal’ it makes it clear that D.C. can spend its own local funds as it sees fit.”

The original rider, championed by Maryland Representative Andy Harris of the GOP, has already drawn heavy scrutiny from both sides of the aisle. Prohibitionists claim the rider temporarily blocks any hope of legalization in the District, but top D.C. officials and some Congressional allies say that the successful November bill to legalize marijuana — Initiative 71— was enacted by voters on Election Day when they approved it with a 70% majority.

In its current state of cannabis limbo, D.C. faces a unique risk of being the first U.S. jurisdiction to legalize recreational marijuana and not establish a regulatory system to see its safe, controlled distribution — which could result in a hilariously unchecked, unregulated, and fully legal marijuana marketplace. District Mayor Muriel Bowser has already sided with voters, saying “My job is to uphold the will of the voters, and the voters overwhelmingly support legalizing marijuana in the District.”

In the end, however, Obama’s budget plan unsurprisingly presents a mixed bag for marijuana interests. As Mike Adams from the High Times notes, the president has also allotted $27.6 billion to fight the Drug War — that’s $2 billion more than in 2014, despite recent indications from the federal government that it was going to start laying off the drug-related prosecutions.

While it should be of no surprise when the government decides to spend more taxpayer dollars, the continued mixed-messaging of the Obama Administration on marijuana policy reform is indeed hypocritical and confusing.

Sources:

http://news.marijuana.com/news/2015/02/obama-budget-would-let-d-c-regulate-marijuana-sales/

http://hightimes.com/read/president-obama-just-renewed-drug-war

http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/budget/fy2016/assets/ap_23_drug_control.pdf

Photo Credit: US Embassy

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DEA Allows University of Hawaii to Import Hemp Seeds from Australia

2/04/2015

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The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has allowed officials from the University of Hawaii to import Australian hemp seeds to kick off the state’s Industrial Hemp Research Project.

“This project is just the first step in establishing Hawaii as a leader in the growth and production of industrial hemp and its products,” University Representative Cynthia Thielen explains.

Harry Ako — professor of biochemistry for the University — will be the lead researcher for the hemp project. “I am looking forward to planting and cultivating this important crop which has so much potential for Hawaii’s agricultural future,” he said. “It is exciting knowing that the University of Hawaii, and our state, is at the forefront in bringing industrial hemp back to our farmers as a crop which offers so much for so many.”

In 2014, the DEA confiscated legally-obtained hemp seeds bound for Kentucky, and in one other case stopped a Colorado man on his journey home from Canada and impounded his package of hemp seeds.

Sources:

http://thejointblog.com/university-hawaii-receives-approval-dea-import-hemp-seeds-australia/

Photo Credit: Jason Rogers

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Marijuana Business News App Makes Google Play Debut

2/03/2015

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For anyone considering going into business in the legal cannabis industry, a new free tool has arrived to the Google Play marketplace that will make it easier to keep informed about industry news and developments. Ganjapreneur, a cannabis industry business news and culture website, has recently launched a mobile app designed to keep aspiring “ganjapreneurs,” or marijuana entrepreneurs, up to date about the latest headlines and happenings that are relevant to the growth of the industry.

The app is broken down into several sections, including a news feed with categories such as “Business” and “Politics,” a job feed which aggregates employment opportunities from several online cannabis industry job boards on a daily basis, and a section that features interviews with prominent business owners and investors who are already operational with their endeavors in the marijuana industry. While cannabis enthusiasts who use Android devices may download the app in its current form, iPhone users will have a similar opportunity in the near future: Ganjapreneur has put up a notification that the app will also soon be available in the Apple App Store.

A representative from the website said, “Our goal with this app was to create a simple news-reader for anyone who is curious about the economic opportunities that this new industry will bring. Whether you’re someone who is already growing a business, or simply a supporter of the cause, Ganjapreneur aims to the best resource for finding all of the news that is relevant to your business. There are a lot of other sites out there that focus on the cultural and recreational aspects of cannabis: our goal is to keep our content strictly business-focused.”

Two weeks ago, Ganjapreneur announced the pilot episode of a web series featuring profiles of cannabis professionals and investors, a 20-minute-long interview with John Evich of Top Shelf Cannabis, the first retail store to serve Washington’s recreational market. The next video episode has not yet been announced, although a few other interviews have been published in written and audio format.

The website has also created an “open source” dictionary of every slang term and phrase related to cannabis, and has alluded to a network with membership-based features that will be added in the future. The ultimate purpose of the website is stated in the About page: “Our mission is to provide unbiased, in-depth coverage with an emphasis on the daily struggles of cannabis industry pioneers who are paving the way for future generations. We want to help aspiring ganjapreneurs learn from those who are already involved by providing interviews and commentary on every aspect of the industry, straight from the experts themselves.”

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Denver Airport Bans Sale of Cannabis-Themed Merchandise

2/03/2015

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The Denver airport has banned the sale of marijuana-themed souvenirs because, according to airport spokesman Heath Montgomery, “We don’t want marijuana to be the first thing our visitors experience when they arrive.”

The possession and smoking of marijuana was already banned on airport premises — as well as advertisements for or depicting the use of marijuana — but the latest ban is specifically to block the sale of souvenirs like socks, boxers, and flip flops that contain images of the cannabis plant and celebrate Colorado’s status as the first state to legalize recreational marijuana.

“Why is everybody so riled up about the picture of a plant?” says Ann Jordan, who owns High-ly Legal Colorado and the maker of many different cannabis-themed souvenirs. Jordan is reportedly considering a lawsuit, noting that there are plenty of alcohol-themed souvenirs and an entire exhibit dedicated to Denver’s rich craft brewery scene.

Colorado’s smaller airports have not implemented such a ban. In Washington — the only other state so far to have acted on a legalization law — the Sea-Tac International Airport does not ban marijuana-themed souvenirs or possession of the drug itself.

Sources:

http://www.thedailychronic.net/2015/40247/denver-airport-bans-sale-of-marijuana-themed-souvenirs/

Photo Credit: Miranda Celeste Hale

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How to Brand Your Cannabusiness for Optimal Success

2/03/2015

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Bacardi Rum began in a tin roof distillery with bats in the rafters. Burt Shavitz, founder of the ubiquitous Burt’s Bees, had his start selling honey at a roadside stand in Maine. Diamonds were not commonly used as symbols of love until 1947 when a copywriter named Frances Gerety coined the phrase “a diamond is forever” and catapulted DeBeers Diamonds to the forefront of the diamond industry. All three companies fill a consumer need by providing high quality products, but all three also know one of the most important business strategies: they know how to brand themselves.

If you haven’t put some serious thought into how to brand your cannabis business, it’s time to begin. Are you looking for a short-term fix or do you want to establish your company as one of the early innovators in the newly emerging medical and recreational marijuana industry?

Legalities might mean now is not the time for aggressive advertising, but you can still put thought into your brand and develop a campaign, so when all the laws and restrictions in your area of business finally fall away, you’ll be ready to launch.

Leigh Coulter, President of GGS Structures Inc., one of the leading suppliers of integrated systems for growing cannabis believes everything about a business grows from branding. “A brand is an image and a feeling about a specific product, service or group of products and services,” she says. “You need to clearly solidify in your mind that feeling and image that you want your brand to become.”

One of the most important fist steps is choosing a name. “The name is everything,” says Coulter. “It’s how you set yourself apart from other brands or strains. It should define who you are today without limiting your potential growth. And in the interconnected world, the name has to be much more than just a name. It has to be an available url, a Facebook page, a Youtube site, a Twitter handle.”

One example of what Coulter calls a “brilliant name branding strategy” is Privateer’s Marley Naturals. She says, “It’s clean. It’s pure. It’s natural. It’s basically a retroactive celebrity endorsement. A universally recognized name that evokes respect for the pioneers who paved the way for today’s freedoms.”

Branding can make or break a business. While many accomplished professionals are working hard to change the public perception of marijuana, Coulter says “There are also a lot of dreamers with half-baked ideas and branding that leaves a negative impression. In this way our industry is also our worst enemy because the press is sure to pick up on what is sensationally bad even more frequently than what is sensationally good.”

Successful branding is the result of a careful, targeted marketing strategy. Do you want to grow for the recreational or medical community? You’ll want to focus your language and images to what matters to the consumers you plan to cater to.

Who knows? Maybe Fruit Loops or Purple Kush will be to recreational marijuana what Chateau Montelena Chardonnay was to the wine world.

Photo Credit: Martin Brochhaus

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New Mexico Sen. Proposes Legislation to Lower Penalties for Marijuana Possession

2/02/2015

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A bill introduced to the State Senate by New Mexico Senator Joseph Cervantes would reduce criminal penalties for low-level marijuana possession in that state, the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) reports.

Cervantes’ proposal would alter the “penalty structure” for marijuana possession — under the new law, possession of up to four ounces of cannabis would be punishable only with a civil penalty of increasing fines, and the possibility of serving actual jail time would also be removed for any possession charges under eight ounces.

Current New Mexico law dictates that marijuana possession is a misdemeanor crime, with possession of one to eight ounces punishable by up to one year in jail.

New Mexico State Director of the DPA Emily Kaltenbach said in a statement:

“I am troubled by the millions of taxpayer dollars that are spent every year on processing thousands of low level marijuana misdemeanor offenders — dollars that might be better spent by hard-pressed law enforcement agencies on more pressing public safety needs. If ever there was a bill that advanced the smart on crime agenda, this it it.”

Officials in Santa Fe appear to agree with Kaltenbach’s observations, for the City Council voted to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana in 2014 and a November poll indicated 74% of the city favored state-wide decriminalization. A separate poll established in 2013 that 57% of New Mexicans favored decriminalizing cannabis. Historically, New Mexico was the first state to officially recognize the potential medical value of cannabis with the 1978 Controlled Substances Therapeutic Research Act. It was not until 2007, however, that the state’s current medical marijuana program was fully established.

“Having to expend scarce police resources pursuing and arresting non-violent adults for possessing small amounts of marijuana threatens our public’s safety,” said Neill Franklin, Executive Director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP).

The DPA reports: “As of today, over 120 million people, or 1/3 of the U.S. population, live in jurisdictions where marijuana has been essentially decriminalized — meaning there is no jail tme associated with possession.”

Sources:

http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/2015/01/new-mexico-state-senator-joseph-cervantes-introduces-bill-reduce-penalties-possession-s

Photo Credit: NCinDC

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