Survey: 40% of Employed Cannabis Consumers Plan to Take Day Off for 4/20

4/12/2023

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A recent survey by Ayr Wellness found 40% of employed cannabis consumers plan to take off April 20 from work, with 31% of respondents saying 4/20 is a special occasion along with 42% of medical cannabis patients that agreed that 4/20 is an important day. 

In all, 23% of those polled indicated that their cannabis consumption habits would increase on 4/20 while 71% of respondents said their consumption habits would stay the same. 

David Goubert, president and CEO of AYR Wellness, said the survey “revealed interesting trends and insights related to cannabis consumption habits.”  

“The data proves that 4/20 is an important holiday for cannabis consumers of all types, so much so that nearly 40% are planning to take off work to celebrate. The survey also revealed notable trends in consumption formats and habits among various demographics, which is helpful for us when engaging with our customers in meaningful ways. At AYR, we aim to foster deep connection and loyalty among our customers and patients each time they enter one of our stores, browse online or use one of our products and we look forward to providing a memorable experience this 420 holiday.” — Goubert in a press release 

The survey found most respondents – 73% – typically consumed cannabis between 5:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. Another 78% of respondents typically consumed cannabis by themselves. Eighty-eight percent of consumers who shared cannabis with others contributed to the supply with gummies (32%) and flower (40%) cited as the most shared products. 

The survey found that 43% of respondents said they are somewhat comfortable interacting with people after consuming, while another 45% said they are somewhat comfortable being in public after consuming; 44% said they are somewhat comfortable consuming cannabis at social occasions when not everyone is partaking. 

More than a quarter of survey respondents (26%) that are considered experienced cannabis consumers (between six and 20 years of consumption) indicated they smoked cannabis out of homemade or improvised devices.    

The survey was conducted in February and March 2023, and included 900 Americans aged 21-74, who have purchased and consumed cannabis within the past six months. 

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Maryland Passes Bill to Prohibit Police Vehicle Searches Based on Cannabis Odor

4/12/2023

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Maryland lawmakers on Monday night passed legislation to prevent police officers from searching a vehicle based on the odor of cannabis, FOX 5 DC reports. Democratic lawmakers, in the final hours of the state session, had also tried to push through a bill to change the sentencing for individuals caught selling large amounts of cannabis; however, Republicans walked out of the chamber before voting in protest over the actions of House Speaker Adrienne Jones (D). 

The row between Republicans and the Democratic House speaker occurred during a debate on the drug trafficking bill when Republicans were trying to explain their “no” votes with about 10 minutes of the session remaining, according to Twitter posts by FOX Baltimore reporter Mikenzie Frost. In a Washington Post report, Republicans said the issue was Jones was not letting the Republicans talk – which the Post described as a “minority party… tactic” often deployed “to run out the clock” on legislation they disagree with.

In an interview with the Post, Del. Nicholaus R. Kipke (R), who led the walkout, said he was “happy” that the protest killed the bill. 

In a statement on Tuesday, Gov. Wes Moore (D), who was seated in the House chamber balcony during the dustup, said, “We can govern through partnership, bipartisanship, and a set of common values. What happened last night did the opposite, and we should all expect better from our leaders.”   

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Firearms Ban for Cannabis Users Ruled Unconstitutional By Another Federal Court

4/11/2023

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A federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas last week found the federal ban on cannabis consumers possessing firearms to be unconstitutional, Marijuana Moment reports.

The ruling led to dropped charges against El Paso resident Paola Connelly, who had been convicted of possessing and transferring a firearm in 2021 while being an admitted cannabis consumer. The charges were ultimately dropped after the Supreme Court ruled last year that any restrictions on firearms must honor the historical context of the Second Amendment.

In the ruling, Judge Kathleen Cardone disputed the Justice Department’s arguments that the firearms ban leaned on the historical precedent of denying guns to intoxicated and “unvirtuous” citizens, the report said. Instead, the ruling suggested, “the historical tradition of disarming ‘unlawful’ individuals appears to mainly involve disarming those convicted of serious crimes after they have been afforded criminal process.”

The ruling also noted that the defendant was never actually convicted of a cannabis-related crime; rather, she had simply admitted to using cannabis to help with anxiety and sleeping. “The longstanding prohibition on possession of firearms by felons requires the Government to charge and convict an individual before disarming her,” Cardone said in the ruling.

Additionally, the ruling referenced the blanket pardoning last year of federal cannabis possession convictions by President Joe Biden, suggesting that, “even if Connelly were convicted of simple marijuana possession, that conviction would be expunged by the blanket presidential pardon of all such marijuana possessions that, like Connelly’s, took place before October 6, 2022.”

The case is just one of at least four ongoing cases drawing into question the legality of the federal ban on gun ownership for cannabis consumers, according to the report. Another federal judge in February found the ban on gun ownership for cannabis consumers to be unconstitutional under the Second Amendment — that decision, however, was ultimately appealed by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma and will go next to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.

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Florida Physician Sues Health Officials Over Unsuccessful Medical Cannabis Sting Operation

4/11/2023

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A medical cannabis physician in Florida is suing the state Department of Health and two investigators who posed as patients in a sting operation during which officials tried to strip him of his medical license, WUSF News reports. Dr. Joseph Dorn was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing in March 2022. 

The Health Department had alleged Dorn violated state law by not performing physicals on the undercover agents who posed as patients seeking medical cannabis cards, which agency officials called employing a “trick or scheme” in the practice of medicine. Dorn has practiced medicine in Florida for more than 30 years and the allegations stem from a 2019 complaint related to the sting. 

In his 2022 order clearing Dorn, Administrative Law Judge W. David Watkins recommended that the complaint against Dorn be dismissed, saying that health officials “failed to present competent substantial evidence, in this case, establishing … that Dr. Dorn acted, or failed to act, in any manner to defraud or trick any patient, or that any patient was actually defrauded or tricked.” 

The lawsuit filed on Dorn’s behalf seeks damages of more than $50,000 and says the doctor “suffered millions of dollars of damages due to loss of revenue and the damage to his reputation due to the actions and inactions” of the Department of Health.  

In the lawsuit, Dorn’s attorney Ryan Andrews wrote that health department officials “had no basis to visit” his client. 

“The predicate for why they visited Dr. Dorn’s office unannounced was so lacking that calling it a ‘hunch’ would be gratuitous,” Andrews wrote in the lawsuit.   

The lawsuit was filed last week in Leon County Circuit Court. 

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Study: Hair Evidence Suggests People Used Psychedelics During the Bronze Age

4/11/2023

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Hair found in a cave in Spain shows people used psychedelics 3,000 years ago, according to a study published on April 6 in the journal Scientific Reports. The hair sample was discovered in a cave in Es Càrritx, which was used for rituals and burials during the Bronze Age.   

The hair sample contained several alkaloids, including atropine, scopolamine, and ephedrine, which researchers described as “highly psychoactive.” Atropine and scopolamine are “deliriant drugs” which cause “extreme mental confusion, strong and realistic hallucinations, disorientation, alteration of sensorial perception, and behavioral disorganization” as well as “out-of-body experiences,” the researchers said. The effects of ephedrine include “excitement and enhancement of mental alertness and physical activity, reduction of fatigue, improvement of concentration, and suppression of hunger,” the study said.  

Researchers could not identify which plants carried the alkaloids and noted that because none of the plants found at the site contained the substances, the individuals must have ingested them, purposely, prior to their death.   

“The results presented here indicate that several alkaloid-bearing plants were consumed by Bronze Age people from Menorca (although Solanaceae and Ephedra were not the only ones to have been consumed),” the authors write. “Interestingly, the psychoactive substances detected in this study are not suitable for alleviating the pain involved in severe palaeopathological conditions attested in the population buried in the cave of Es Càrritx, such as periapical abscesses, severe caries and arthropathies. Considering the potential toxicity of the alkaloids found in the hair, their handling, use, and applications represented highly specialized knowledge. This knowledge was typically possessed by shamans, who were capable of controlling the side-effects of the plant drugs through an ecstasy that made diagnosis or divination possible.” 

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Washington Officials Shut Down Cannabis Operations at Former Orchard Due to Prior DDT Use

4/11/2023

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Washington State cannabis regulators have stopped operations at several outdoor cannabis farms and processing facilities located on a former fruit orchard after testing found high levels of a dangerous pesticide used at the site decades ago, the Associated Press reports. The Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) found DDE at the site, a byproduct of the pesticide DDT which was banned in the U.S. in 1972.

LCB Spokesperson Brian Smith said that while the agency is “very concerned about the jobs and businesses” at stake by closing down the site, the agency felt “it needed to get a message out to our licensees and to take action for public safety.”

Regulators last week issued “administrative holds” on 16 producer licenses and two processing licenses in the area, forcing them to cease operations until further notice. It’s unclear how many businesses were affected as companies can hold multiple licenses in the state.

In an interview with the AP, Walden Cannabis CEO Anders Taylor called the LCB’s decision “completely arbitrary” and said the agency has not provided him with test results or warned him that the hold was coming.

“Orchards used DDT for a generation, and that caused widespread contamination throughout the Pacific Northwest and the whole country, really. I’m still trying to process what this means.” — Taylor to the AP

The LCB is also working with businesses to determine whether products tainted with DDE contamination made it to market so they can be pulled from shelves. The agency is also asking the affected businesses to issue recalls.

This is likely to be the first time the LCB has issued an administrative hold related to the previous use of pesticides, and it is the first time it has issued a hold covering an entire geographic area rather than an isolated business, the board said in an email to the AP. DDE is not one of the pesticides screened for under the state’s cannabis testing protocols.

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Chicago Cubs Are First MLB Team to Partner with CBD Brand

4/10/2023

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The Chicago Cubs are expected to be the first Major League Baseball (MLB) team with a CBD sponsor and sell CBD drinks at its stadium, Front Office Sports reports. The Cubs are working with Chicago, Illinois-based MYND Drinks on the partnership, which received the NSF Certified for Sport designation required to work with MLB teams.

MLB, in June 2022, approved plans to allow teams to work with CBD brands. In October, the league named Charlotte’s Web the “Official CBD of Major League Baseball.”

As part of the promotional effort, the Cubs last week released “A Wrigley Field Guided Meditation” narrated by Pat Hughes, the team’s play-by-play announcer. In the video’s description on YouTube, the video is meant to “help Cubs fans unwind.” The video features images of the Cubs’ Wrigley Field and the iconic ivy that adorns the outfield walls.

When the league announced that it would allow teams to partner with CBD brands, MLB Chief Revenue Officer Noah Garden said MLB fans “are very much the kind of customers” CBD brands are “looking for.”

CBD is federally legal and several athletes – including golfer Bubba Watson, former National Football League tight end Rob Gronkowski, U.S. Women’s National Team star Megan Rapinoe, and the Richard Childress NASCAR team – have been sponsored by CBD brands.

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Maryland Lawmakers Approve Adult-Use Cannabis Licensing Plan

4/10/2023

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Maryland lawmakers have approved a measure to allow adult-use cannabis licensing by this summer, the Washington Post reports. The legislation sets the excise tax on cannabis products at 9%, includes social equity licensing, and allows conversion to the adult-use market by current medical cannabis operators.

The provisions allowing license conversion base the fees on operators’ 2022 sales and range from $100,000 to $2 million. The social equity licenses approved under the bill would be awarded during the second round of licensing in January.

The legislation earmarks 35% of cannabis-related tax revenues for the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund – a new fund for local organizations that serve communities disproportionately affected by the war on drugs. The Office of Social Equity would create the rules and regulations for identifying those communities, the report says. Another 5% of the revenues would be given to counties.

Legislative analysts estimate that Maryland would bring in about $13 million from cannabis taxes in fiscal 2023, the report says.

Under the state’s legalization law, adults can possess up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis and grow two plants out of public view. The regulatory bill increased penalties for smoking cannabis in public to a $250 fine for the first offense and $500 for a second.

The measure moves next to Gov. Wes Moore (D) who is expected to sign it into law.

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Washington Lawmakers Pass Bill With Hiring Protections for Cannabis Consumers

4/10/2023

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Washington state lawmakers have approved a measure that prohibits denying an individual a job due to their off-the-clock cannabis use, the Washington State Journal reports. The measure still requires reconciliation as the House version excludes safety-sensitive positions – such as first responders or corrections officers – from protection under the bill, while the Senate version does not include those exemptions.

Both bills would prohibit discrimination from employers in the hiring process if it is based on an applicant’s cannabis use off-the-clock or if an employment drug test shows non-psychoactive cannabis, such as CBD.

State Sen. Karen Keiser (D), the bill’s sponsor, said that because cannabis metabolites can remain in a person’s system for weeks, drug tests for cannabis do not determine whether someone is impaired.

“It simply doesn’t make sense to base an employment decision on that kind of unreliable outcome and test. It really comes down to discriminating against people who use cannabis.” — Keiser via the Journal

Washington state Rep. Shelley Kloba (D) noted that the measure does not affect post-hiring workplace drug policies.

“This bill simply says that a person can’t be expected to follow the rules of a workplace where they are not employed,” Kloba said in an interview with the Journal. “I think that this will have a positive impact on broadening the pool of workers available for jobs.”

The measure passed the Senate 28-21 and the House 57-41. The reconciled version of the bill must still pass both chambers before moving to the governor’s desk for final approval.

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Former Michigan Medical Cannabis Board Head Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribes

4/07/2023

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The former head of a Michigan medical cannabis licensing board on Thursday pleaded guilty to accepting $110,000 in bribes in exchange for industry licenses, CBS News reports. Rick Johnson served as head of the board for two years and served as state House speaker from 2001-2004 when Republicans controlled the chamber. 

During a press conference on Thursday, U.S. Attorney Mark Totten announced the charges against Johnson, John Dalaly, Brian Pierce, and Vincent Brown. All four signed plea deals admitting the charges. 

Dalaly, who was granted a medical cannabis license during Johnson’s tenure, pleaded guilty to providing at least $68,200 in cash and other benefits to Johnson, including two private flights to Canada, according to court documents outlined by CBS News. 

Pierce and Brown were lobbyists who also pleaded guilty to conspiring to pass bribes to the former lawmaker.  

“Public corruption is a poison to any democracy. … That poison is especially toxic here. The marijuana industry has been likened to a modern-day gold rush, a new frontier where participants can stake their claim and just maybe return big rewards.” — Totten, during a press conference, via CBS News 

All four men are expected to be arraigned in the next one to two weeks, Politico reports. Johnson and Dalaly face a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Pierce and Brown face a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000. 

Under the plea agreement, Johnson agreed to forfeit the $110,000 in bribes and the U.S. Attorney’s Office agreed not to oppose his request for a reduction in offense level, which would impact his sentencing. 

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), in 2019, abolished the medical cannabis board and put oversight of the industry inside a state agency. 

 

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Missouri Total Cannabis Sales Reach $125M in March

4/07/2023

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Missouri total cannabis sales topped $125 million in March, according to the state Division of Cannabis Regulations data outlined by KSHB. The total includes $93.5 million in adult-use sales and $32.7 million in medical-use sales.  

In a statement, MoCannTrade Executive Director Andrew Mullins said Missouri has “one of the most customer-friendly cannabis programs in the entire nation.”  

“Between record cannabis sales and local communities voting to embrace the economic benefits of adult use sales, Missouri couldn’t be better positioned to make a real and lasting impact on our state economy.” — Mullins, in a statement, via KSHB 

Adult-use cannabis sales launched in Missouri in February and are so far on track to surpass $1 billion annually. The state sold $102 million worth of cannabis in February which represented the third-highest total for first-month adult-use cannabis sales behind only California and Arizona, according to a Flatland KC report. Comparatively, Illinois, which borders Missouri and has twice the population of Missouri, saw $39.2 million in cannabis sales the first month after adult-use sales commenced. 

Missouri’s high sales figures could be partly due to the prohibitionist policies of its border states – neither Nebraska, Arkansas, Oklahoma, nor Iowa have legalized cannabis for adult use. 

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New Hampshire House Approves Adult-Use Cannabis Legalization Bill

4/07/2023

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The New Hampshire House on Thursday passed an adult-use legalization bill by a 272-109 vote, The Center Square reports. The measure moves next to the state Senate. 

New Hampshire is the lone New England state to not allow cannabis sales to adults.  

In a statement, Republican Rep. Jason Obsorne, a co-sponsor of the legislation, said he is “pleased to see New Hampshire take a step toward relieving gangsters and thugs from control of this market” and keep “dangerous untested products away from consumers, and protecting children from harmful age-inappropriate products.” 

Democratic Rep. Matt Wilhelm, who also co-sponsored the bill, described the bill’s passage as “decisive” and sending a “strong message that this is the year to legalize adult-use cannabis in the Granite State.”  

“Every year we fail to legalize marijuana, the state wastes valuable resources and ruins the lives of many young and poor Granite Staters by enforcing failed prohibition. New Hampshire remains the only state in New England that has failed to legalize cannabis, while our neighbors benefit from increased revenue and their cannabis users benefit from safer testing and regulation of the product. Legalization of adult possession of small amounts of cannabis is the right thing to do for New Hampshire and we must get it done in 2023.” — Wilhelm, in a statement, via The Center Square 

In January, Gov. Chris Sununu (R) told New Hampshire Public Radio that he didn’t expect a cannabis legalization bill to make it to his desk this session. Sununu opposed the reforms. The state Senate has never passed an adult-use legalization bill but the House has passed the reforms on two previous occasions.  

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Study: 1 in 10 Military Veterans Have Used Cannabis Over Past Year

4/06/2023

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A study published last month by researchers at the University of North Texas Health Science Center and College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found one in 10 military veterans reported using cannabis over the past year.  

The study was published in the Substance Use & Misuse journal using data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2013-2019) comprised of 16,350 veterans 18-years-or-older. The researchers found that veterans aged 65-and-older were more likely to define their cannabis use as medical compared to younger veterans who most often described their cannabis use as recreational. 

“Our findings, taken in context with current federal policy, point toward a need for enhanced care coordination among veterans who may benefit from marijuana, but are unable to access it through the [Veterans Affairs],” the researchers concluded. “Additional research is needed to better understand veterans’ use of a marijuana in the context of federal VA restrictions, including the examination of how veterans obtain marijuana, what affect this has on their care coordination and health outcomes, and whether or not marijuana can play a role in reducing other drug use and drug-related harms among veterans.” 

According to a survey published last year by the group Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), 75% of military veterans “would be interested in using cannabis or cannabinoid products as a treatment option if it were available.” That survey found 83% of respondents supported legalizing medical cannabis access, with 68% agreeing that the VA “should allow for research into cannabis as a treatment option.” Twenty percent of survey respondents indicated they had used cannabis for medical purposes. 

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Small Trial Suggests DMT Can Improve Symptoms of Depression

4/06/2023

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A trial conducted by biotechnology company Small Pharma found that the psychedelic DMT could improve symptoms of depression when used in conjunction with therapy. In the study, which used intravenous DMT dosing, 14 participants out of 34 were in remission from depression within three months and nine remained in remission up to six months. 

The study, which utilized a proprietary synthetic formulation of DMT known as SPL026, has not been peer-reviewed. 

In a press release, Dr. Carol Routledge, chief medical and scientific officer at Small Pharma, said the team is “increasingly encouraged by the treatment potential” of the drug. 

“A single dose in conjunction with therapy demonstrated a rapid and robust antidepressant effect after one week. This new data shows that the antidepressant effect was sustained for six-months in two-thirds of patients who were in remission at an earlier time-point in the study.” — Routledge in a statement   

The first part of the study involved 34 patients being given the treatment during a two-and-a-half-hour clinical session with a therapist and a therapy session followed which helped participants process their experience. The second part of the study followed participants for another three months after being administered the drug, and then six more months after the study had come to an end in an assessment of its durability. 

In a joint statement, Robin Carhart-Harris PhD, director of the psychedelics division at the Weill Institute for Neurosciences at the University of California San Francisco, and Ralph Metzner distinguished professor of Neurology, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, said the study’s results suggest that the drug “can elicit a fast-acting antidepressant response that appears to be enduring in several cases.”

“Recent neuroimaging and preclinical findings imply a regenerative action with DMT and other related serotonergic agonists,” Carhart-Harris and Metzner said in the statement.

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Minnesota Rep. Wants Task Force to Explore Legalizing Psychedelics as Mental Health Treatment

4/06/2023

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A Minnesota state representative is proposing creating a task force focusing on using psychedelics to treat mental illnesses, KIMT News reports. The taskforce would focus on LSD, MDMA, and psilocybin and make recommendations on how to legalize the substances responsibly for medical use.

State Rep. Andy Smith (D) told KIMT that the psychedelics “have incredible potential to help people who are suffering from depression and at a much cheaper cost.”  

“Unfortunately, most of these drugs kind of got wrapped around the war on drugs in the 1980s and so there’s a lot of antiquated laws that are stimming both the research and allowing these drugs to be used in treatment. The goal of the taskforce is to see how we can roll back those regulations well and responsibly.” — Smith to KIMT 

Smith added that “Antidepressants are expensive . . . and these drugs you can usually take them much cheaper.” 

The task force proposal is included in a measure being considered by the chamber in a Health, Finance, and Policy bill. The House is expected to vote on the legislation later this month or early next month, the report says.   

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Report: Millennials and Gen Z Make Majority of Legal Cannabis Purchases in U.S. and Canada

4/05/2023

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Millennials and Gen Z account for the majority of legal cannabis sales in the U.S. and Canada, according to a recent report from cannabis analytics firm Headset. In all, the cohort comprises 72.1% of all tracked sales in Canada and 63% of all tracked sales in the U.S.

The percent share of total sales among Millennials has grown 11.3% year-over-year, while the percent share among Gen Z has grown 6% year-over-year, Headset said in a press release.

Headset also found that while males account for about two-thirds of cannabis sales in the U.S. and Canada, since January 2021 the firm has seen an increase in cannabis purchases among women – equal to 1.2% in Canada and 0.27% in the U.S.

The analytics firm also found that vape pens represented 33.6% of total sales to Gen Zers in January and February and noted that the demographic is “the first … to dethrone flower as the top consumer category.”

Headset found that Gen Z and Millennial consumers also spend slightly less per average basket – below $55 – while Gen X and Baby Boomer consumers, on average, spent more than $60 per basket.

In a statement, Cy Scott, founder and CEO of Headset, said the data can “help brands plan for the future and build a sustainable, thriving business.”

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New Mexico Cannabis Sales Reach $300M in First Year

4/05/2023

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Adult-use cannabis sales in New Mexico reached more than $300 million during the first year they were permitted, the Associated Press reports. Adult-use sales began in the state on April 1, 2022 and the state has collected $27 million in cannabis excise taxes since the market’s launch.

Cannabis retailers located near its border with Texas – the largest state where cannabis remains outlawed – accounted for more than $19 million of New Mexico’s adult-use cannabis sales, the report says.

Medical cannabis sales in the state totaled $187 million during that span.

In all, there are 633 dispensaries throughout New Mexico.

The state imposes a 12% tax on adult-use cannabis sales and lawmakers are considering a proposal that would create two new programs funded by cannabis excise tax revenues, including a community reinvestment grant fund and a substance use disorder prevention and treatment fund. Currently, all cannabis excise tax revenues are sent into the state’s general fund and the bill would earmark a third of cannabis taxes for the new programs.

New Mexico’s adult-use cannabis sales in March reached a record high of $32.4 million through 725,572 transactions, according to data from the Cannabis Control Division. Medical cannabis sales totaled about $32.4 million through 287,904 transactions.

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1,500+ Pending Cannabis Cases Dropped by Connecticut Chief State Attorney’s Office

4/05/2023

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Connecticut’s chief state attorney’s office has dropped 1,562 cannabis possession charges following a review of more than 4,000 pending cases, CT Insider reports. The review and dismissal of cases came as state lawmakers are drafting a bill to order the state Division of Criminal Justice to stop prosecuting cannabis-only cases. The proposal is part of the follow-up to the full legalization of cannabis in Connecticut. 

Another 624 cases reviewed by Chief State’s Attorney Patrick J. Griffin’s prosecutors will be modified to drop cannabis from the overall charges. 

“It has been the shared position of this committee and the division that persons charged with a possession of a cannabis-type substance offense that has subsequently been decriminalized should not be prosecuted for that offense. Thus, identifying these cannabis cases could not be accomplished merely by conducting a computerized review of pending cases. The 4,248 cases statewide including 2,139 pending and 2,109 in re-arrest status. This was no small task and quite labor intensive.” — Griffin in a letter to the General Assembly’s Judiciary Committee via CT Insider 

In an interview with CT Insider, State Rep. Greg Howard (R), who is also a police officer, called the review “remarkable.” 

“…When the chief state’s attorney testified, he assured us that while the statute doesn’t specifically say that it was retroactive to pending cases, he understands the legislative intent,” Howard said, “he accepts that, and he has made that clear to all of his state’s attorneys and obviously they have been hard at work about that.” 

The bill ordering the criminal justice division to stop prosecuting cannabis cases last week passed the committee 27-10 along party lines. It moves next to the full chamber for consideration. 

   

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SC Labs and ACT Laboratories Launch ‘Trust In Testing Certification’ to Set a Higher Standard for Cannabis Testing

4/04/2023

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The Trust in Testing Certification will help license holders and consumers identify high-quality lab testing and tested products to build more trust and transparency in the cannabis industry.

Today, ACT Laboratories and SC Labs are pleased to announce the Trust In Testing Certification, a set of enhanced national standards for cannabis testing. As the largest cannabis testing labs in the U.S., testing thousands of cannabis brands, SC Labs and ACT Laboratories are jointly taking a stand for consumer safety by outlining the most stringent lab quality requirements to ensure brands and consumers can trust their lab testing data. The initiative will help cannabis operators unify their testing protocols across their multi-state footprints, enable brands to build consumer loyalty, maintain investor and customer confidence, and, ultimately, provide safer products to the growing cannabis market.

Through over two decades of combined experience, ACT and SC have evaluated the lab regulatory standards across all states that have legalized cannabis today, and combined the most sensible and stringent quality standards to develop the Trust In Testing Certification. This includes more frequent and regular proficiency testing, the use of state-of-the-art quality management systems, and internal employee ethics and training programs, among other requirements. These standards ensure that labs are not only compliant with state regulations but are continuously raising the bar to provide partner brands and consumers with the most accurate and reliable results. This Certification is the lab’s burden to maintain for the benefit of brands, the end consumer, and ultimately the legal cannabis market at large. Brands that utilize a Trust in Testing Certified lab are allowed to put the Trust In Testing seal on their packaging, communicating to end consumers their commitment to quality.

“Today, the burden of identifying high-quality compliant labs falls on the operators and brands within each state. This leads to decentralized decision-making and considerable risk. Through the Trust In Testing Certification, brands now have a way of identifying labs that are meeting the highest threshold standards across states. It also allows brands to unify their own protocols in choosing a testing partner,” said Jeff Journey, CEO of SC Labs. “SC Labs is proud to be partnering with ACT Laboratories at the forefront of the movement to create safer cannabis through a more reliable cannabis testing landscape in the U.S. The Trust In Testing program is a transparent and collaborative process that will give consumers the confidence that they are purchasing high-quality products.”

“ACT Laboratories believes that consumers have the right to know what is in their cannabis products. This is an emerging problem: The risk of testing result inaccuracy is greater than ever for cannabis brands hoping to deliver safe and reliable products to their customers as allegations of testing fraud are rampant across the country,” said Michael Drozd, CEO of ACT Laboratories. “Poor quality testing data can adversely impact brand reputation, resulting in loss of business, hefty fines, legal action or, in some cases, licenses being revoked. And worst of all, it erodes customer confidence, has a negative financial impact, and presents a potential consumer safety risk.”

Cannabis brands are increasingly being asked by investors and other stakeholders about the controls employed by the labs testing their products. The Trust In Testing program is designed to address these concerns by enabling partners to respond to these inquiries by providing evidence of the enhanced standards used by their labs, lowering the risk of business interruption due to state regulatory action and damaging lawsuits when using a low-quality testing partner.

SC and ACT Laboratories are the founding participating labs in the Trust In Testing Certification. Cannabis brands that want to demonstrate their commitment to quality and providing accurate and reliable data may use the Trust in Testing seal on products that have been tested by a Trust in Testing Certified Lab. Similar to the “Certified Organic” seal commonly seen in the produce aisle, the Trust in Testing seal provides a simple way for cannabis consumers to feel confident that the products they are purchasing and consuming have successfully passed all potency and contaminant testing requirements.

For more detailed information on specific criteria labs that are Trust-In-Testing Certified, or to receive your Trust In Testing Certification, visit: www.trustintesting.org

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About SC Laboratories

With more than 12 years of experience helping companies deliver safe products to the emerging marketplace, SC Labs is focused on establishing new testing standards and methodologies designed for speed, efficiency, and safety. SC Labs helps its clients navigate complex regulatory requirements while providing them unmatched scientific expertise and state-of-the-art resources. SC Labs also specializes in mitigating risk through its state-of-the-art compliance software, Chorus, to ensure cannabis businesses are up to date and compliant with the changing regulatory landscape. SC Labs is licensed and accredited in California, Oregon, Colorado, and Michigan with a growth strategy designed to serve quality cannabis and hemp brands across the nation and around the world. To learn more, visit SCLabs.com.

About ACT Laboratories

ACT Laboratories provides critical lab testing services for licensed cultivators and processors. ACT Laboratories is licensed and accredited in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio and New York with expansions into Massachusetts, New Jersey and Florida underway. ACT Laboratories is the nation’s largest testing network operating under a single private ownership structure, driving operational consistency and standardization across our footprint, and delivering a best-in-class, predictable supply chain partnership. ACT Laboratories is ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and has quality systems in place that go beyond that which is required in the Cannabis Industry, mirroring what’s seen in the pharmaceutical industry. ACT offers a suite of consultative solutions that span compliance testing, quality, formulation, and facility monitoring to optimize processes, manage risk, and drive speed to market. To learn more, visit ACTLaboratoriesinc.com

Media Contacts
Lisa Stemmer
lisa.stemmer@sclabs.com

Susan Campbell
susanc@actlaboratoriesinc.com

 

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Federal Bill Aims to Reduce Regulations for Hemp Farmers Producing Grain and Fiber

4/04/2023

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A bipartisan bill proposed in the U.S. Senate would reduce regulations for hemp farmers producing grain and fiber. The legislation, introduced last week by Sens. John Tester (D-MT) and Mike Braun (R-IN), would end background checks for farmers who are only growing the crop for fiber and grain and end mandatory sampling and testing of crops grown only for fiber or grain.  

“It’s important that we set American farmers up for success by cutting burdensome regulations and red tape. This legislation will expand opportunities for industrial hemp producers in Indiana and across the country and allow them to tap into one of the fastest growing agricultural markets.” — Braun in a press release 

In a statement, National Hemp Association Executive Director Erica Stark said that the current federal regulatory framework “revolves around the perceived risk of cannabinoids,” which “makes it untenable for hemp to be placed in a rotation with other common commodity crops like corn, soy, or wheat.”  

Tester, in a statement, said “It’s time we cut red tape, and make it easier for industrial hemp farmers to get their product to market.” 

“Montana farmers don’t need government bureaucrats putting unnecessary burdens on their operations,” he said. 

Chad Rosen, CEO and founder of Victory Hemp Foods, noted that in Kentucky in the years that followed the federal reforms, the hemp industry “started strong” but after a couple of years his company “found it increasingly difficult to attract acreage from the farms best equipped to grow our grain varieties.” 

“Not because of agronomic challenges, but because growing hemp seed requires clearing excessive regulatory hurdles. We have all the resources we need to grow this crop in proximity to our processing center in Kentucky, but frustratingly can’t attract the farmers because the hassle and risk do not justify the return for the farmer,” he said in a statement. “Hemp seed will never be more than a niche crop as long as we treat it so differently from the major row crops. There is no risk to consumers, farmers, or their neighbors in exempting hemp for grain and fiber from these onerous regulations.  For farmers that are growing hemp grain, providing a regulatory exemption will help us bring our supply chain back home.” 

The measure is currently in the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.   

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Katrina Skinner: How Compliance Software Helps Streamline and Protect Cannabis Brands

4/04/2023

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Between cultivation, the manufacturing of edibles and other products, and retail responsibilities, cannabis companies from all corners of the industry have a lot on their plate — and the hyper-regulated conditions that cannabis operators wade through each day create even more complications and potential pitfalls. Luckily, companies like Simplifya, the automated operational compliance platform, can help safeguard cannabis entrepreneurs from regulatory penalties.

In this Q&A, Simplifya’s General Counsel and Chief Banking Officer Katrina Skinner discusses the role of compliance technology in the industry and describes how automating compliance can both boost efficiency and reduce costs. This interview also covers how Simplifya stays on top of shifting regulations, how the company onboards services for a new market as it opens up, and more!

Scroll down for the full interview:

Ganjapreneur: What is Simplifya’s role in the cannabis industry?

Katrina Skinner: Simplifya is the country’s leading automated operational compliance platform. Our products can be used as critical components of a comprehensive risk-based compliance plan to automate tasks, create accountability, communicate successes and challenges, and provide the reporting management needs to identify and mitigate risks.

As Chief Banking Officer and General Counsel for Simplifya, what do your daily duties look like?

Much of my day is spent evaluating opportunities and helping implement strategies that help drive the adoption of Simplifya’s products and services. In doing so, I am privileged to work across all departments as well as work with outside third-parties that are close strategic partners. I also spend time educating others about effective cannabis compliance programs for businesses providing financial services.

How has compliance-oriented technology helped to evolve the cannabis space?

Compliance-oriented technology has modernized the cannabis industry by bringing much-needed tools that traditional highly-regulated industries have had for years, including financial services. Automated compliance platforms create efficiencies and cost savings by helping to protect cannabis licenses and by creating a digital paper trail that proves such efforts have been undertaken, making compliance easier for those who are tasked with implementing programs. By using these tools, rather than having to divert a ton of time, energy and money to handle compliance tasks that can be automated, businesses have the ability to redirect staffing to areas that support and facilitate expansion. Compliance becomes drastically easier, even in a difficult regulatory environment that lacks standardized regulations.

As a new cannabis market matures, does the demand for compliance services fluctuate?

I think it’s a common misconception that demand for compliance services decreases when a market matures. While regulations and compliance tasks may become more familiar and easier for licensed operators to understand and adhere to over time, regulators are also becoming more adept at enforcement and coming to understand the industry, its players, dynamics and intricacies inside and out. New regulations are issued each month and current regulations are constantly changing. The fact of the matter is: the cannabis industry is incredibly complex, and the complexities and nuances will continue to grow; thus comprehensive compliance programs are essential. The demand for specific compliance services may shift, but the overall need for compliance services will always be there.

Another misconception is that once federal prohibition ends, compliance services will become obsolete. In reality, rules will just get more complicated and layered and enforcement will ramp up when the federal government can get involved. Like alcohol laws, local jurisdictions would still be able to ban cannabis and impose their own restrictions. Federal laws will just be layered on top of state and local ordinances.

How does customer feedback influence Simplifya’s services?

Unsurprisingly, Simplifya is like any other service provider – we want operators and ancillary companies throughout the cannabis ecosystem to recognize our value-add and to be motivated to buy our products and services. Simplifya is committed to obtaining and reviewing client feedback, as well as constantly working to improve our products by implementing suggestions made by our current customers. Simplifya will even make significant changes to its content and product offerings if clients ask; however, of course we must consider the return on investment before doing so, as well as gauging popular consensus among clients.

What people don’t always appreciate is that our Regulatory Affairs team is constantly reviewing current regulations, proposed changes to regulations, and new regulations coming into every market in real time. The team goes through great pains to “simplify” the content to make the rules understandable for all compliance team members who use our products. Since the cannabis industry changes all the time, so does Simplifya’s content. We understand keeping abreast of the most current information is critical to ensuring compliance, and we want to be the tool compliance departments rely upon. Ultimately, Simplifya brilliantly combines automation with human insights, and to the extent we can refine our products to meet demand, we will do so.

Could you describe the process of expanding Simplifya’s services to a new state, market, or industry?

Simplifya’s Regulatory Affairs and Sales teams constantly monitor developments in new states. Using a proprietary process, our policy experts streamline final rules and regulations into the Simplifya format that the developers use to create content. Then our teams review the content, and then it goes through a legal and quality assurance review before being released. After new content is released, Simplifya team members watch for bugs and fix any that may arise. Once we wrap up putting out our core products in a state, the Reg Affairs team moves to the next state where there is sufficient demand and/or a request from a current customer, to repeat the process. It takes roughly 30 days to bring a new state online. So far our core products, which include SOPs, digital document storage, self auditing and license tracking are in 28 states and this number is growing.

What are you most excited about for the future of Simplifya and the cannabis industry in general?

The adoption of more automated compliance solutions is going to be exciting for Simplifya because we are committed to supporting the industry with relevant and useful technology, so as the markets grow, so too will Simplifya. And as for the cannabis industry in general, I am most excited about watching how the industry will continue to navigate tough market conditions so it evolves and becomes stronger and more mainstream with each passing year.

What’s your advice to entrepreneurs as they enter and/or navigate the cannabis space?

Prepare yourself for constant change, embrace learning opportunities, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. The learning curve is steep, so why not make the climb easier with advisors, mentors, and colleagues?

Thank you, Katrina, for sharing with our audience! Readers can visit Simplifya.com to learn more.

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Missouri House Approves Measure Requiring State to Conduct Psilocybin Mental Health Studies

4/04/2023

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The Missouri House last week approved a measure that would require the state to conduct studies on psilocybin to treat depression, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, or use as part of end-of-life care, the Missouri Independent reports.  

This bill requires the state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) to provide more than $2 million in grants for the research, subject to lawmakers approving the appropriation. The state would collaborate on the study with a Missouri university hospital or medical center operated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Missouri.   

In June, Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, assistant secretary for mental health and substance use, wrote to U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) that federal Food and Drug Administration approval of psilocybin to treat depression was likely within the next two years, the report says. However, state Rep. Tony Lovasco (R), who has previously sponsored similar legislation, told the Independent that two years is a long time to wait.

“The folks that are coming back from war, that are in desperate need of care, a lot of them aren’t going to be around in three years. We’ve got, what 20-something veterans per day committing suicide? That’s a tremendous amount of loss while we wait for the government to do some paperwork.” — Lovasco to the Independent 

Suicide rates in Missouri are about 25% higher than the national average, the report says, and research suggests psychedelic therapies, such as psilocybin, can be efficacious in treating conditions that may cause individuals to consider committing suicide.

State Rep. Aaron McMullen (R), a combat veteran who served in Afghanistan, said during the debate that “Substance abuse and suicide are escalating in the veterans community.”

“While psilocybin is not a panacea for every issue,” he said, “it represents a first true scientifically-validated hope that we have to address this crisis.”

The legislation still requires approval from the Senate and governor before becoming law.

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Washington State Psychedelic Therapies Bill Pared Down to Pilot Program

4/04/2023

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A bill to allow psychedelic therapies in Washington state has stalled, but lawmakers are considering legislation to allow military veterans and first responders to access a pilot program for the treatment, the Seattle Times reports. The pilot program bill has passed the Senate and last week was approved by the House Committee on Health Care and Wellness. 

Under the measure, pilot program participants would have to be 21 and older, and have experienced substance use disorder, depression or anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder. They would also have to pass an assessment before being accepted into the program, the report says.  

The measure would also create three separate collaborations between state agencies: one would be a Psilocybin Advisory Board through the Department of Health that would advise and share recommendations with the state’s Liquor and Cannabis Board in addition to the state Department of Agriculture. A separate work group among those agencies would develop a regulatory framework for psychedelic therapies.  

In an email to state Sen. Jesse Salomon (D), the original bill’s sponsor, in early February, Samantha Pskowski, the governor’s policy adviser for public health, said the bill creating a psychedelic therapy program “would create a system for regulation and use of psilocybin that is not supported by the available scientific and medical evidence.” State officials contend that psychedelic therapy research is limited, and the original bill puts the “health and safety of Washingtonians at risk.” 

During testimony on the proposal, Dr. Anthony Back, a University of Washington researcher who is working on a trial about psychedelic-assisted therapies’ ability to support health care workers with burnout, said he thinks “waiting for three years or waiting for more years, is not doing justice to the mental health crisis” that he is “seeing now.”  

If the bill is approved, the pilot program would need to be implemented no later than January 1, 2025.   

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Report: Cannabis Removed from NBA Drug Testing Protocols

4/03/2023

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Cannabis has been removed from the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) drug testing program under a tentative Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), according to a report from The Athletic. The CBA still needs to be ratified by players and team governors before being finalized. 

Cannabis testing for NBA players has been suspended for the past three seasons but the proposed CBA permanently removes cannabis from the league’s testing protocols.

The news was first reported by The Athletic reporter Shams Charania on April 1. 

“Sources: NBA players will no longer be prohibited for marijuana under the new seven-year Collective Bargaining Agreement. It’s been removed from the anti-drug testing program, a process that began during 2019-20 season.” — Charania via Twitter 

Of the 30 NBA teams, 15 are based in locals where cannabis is legal for adult use – including the Canada-based Toronto Raptors and the Washington D.C-based Wizards. The remaining teams are based in states that have legalized cannabis for medical use.   

In a statement posted to Twitter, the NBA Players Association – the players’ union – announced they had reached a CBA deal on April 1 but that “Specific details will be made available once a term sheet is finalized.” 

Last March, Major League Baseball (MLB) announced that players are allowed to use cannabis during off-hours but that they could not show up to team workouts or events under the influence and they could not invest in cannabis companies. While the National Hockey League (NHL) does test for cannabis, there is no punishment for a positive test. Once the NBA’s CBA is finalized, the National Football League (NFL) will be the only major U.S. sports league to test and penalize players for cannabis use.  

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