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Vermont Migrates Hemp Program to USDA Purview

7/14/2022

Starting January 1, 2023, Vermont’s hemp program will be run by federal Department of Agriculture (USDA) rules, meaning growers will need licenses from the USDA’s Domestic Hemp Production program. Regulatory oversight for hemp testing and hemp-infused products will remain with the state under the purview of the Vermont Cannabis Control Board (CCB).

In a letter to the USDA, Anson Tebbetts, secretary of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAFFM), said the agency “appreciated the opportunity to operate a state hemp production program” and that it would “continue to provide business support to producers and processors as it is able, and hopes the hemp grain, fiber and cannabinoid markets in the state continue to grow.”

Hemp has been legal to cultivate in Vermont since 2009 – before the passage of the 2014 federal Farm Bill which set up hemp farming pilots throughout the U.S. Following the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, states were allowed to create their own programs, which Vermont did.

In a July 7 press release, the agency noted that a bill passed in May transferred regulatory oversight from VAAFM to the CCB and the latter is now responsible for “the certification of laboratories conducting testing as well as setting contaminants action limits in cannabis, hemp, and infused products.”

In the letter, Tebbetts said the VAAFM “will work with USDA to ensure a smooth transition for its growers including participating in a joint webinar, updating the agency website to refer potential registrants to the USDA grower licensing system, and conducting direct outreach to potential 2023 registrants.”

Last year, Vermont farmers planted 1,100 acres and harvested 1,080 acres, according to USDA Hemp Program data.

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Rob Floyd Introduces New CBD Beverage Elixirs and Lifestyle Products

7/13/2022

New advanced Absorption, Premium Oil Elixirs, and Water-Soluble Tinctures are featured in the Inedit Rob Floyd CBD Portfolio

Nashville, Tennessee – July 12th, 2022 – Rob Floyd Entertainment, the Nashville-based mixology studio, launches today the Inedit Rob Floyd CBD Beverage Elixirs. Rob Floyd Entertainment is a popular name in the field of CBD and related wellness products. The company is committed to educating people about CBD products and to creating premium CBD oil and water-soluble elixirs for all types of beverages while providing meaningful social experiences.

Launch of Premium CBD Beverage Elixirs

Rob Floyd now introduces the finest CBD Beverage Elixir line in world. This launch of exclusive CBD beverage elixirs for daily wellness sets the standard for safety, purity, and consistency. Premium Oil Elixirs, Water-Soluble Tinctures, New Advanced Absorption CBD Creams, Gourmet Gummies and science-based CBD Brain IQ for brain health, have now been added to the Rob Floyd Inedit CBD portfolio.

Why is Rob Floyd CBD the Finest in the World?

The Rob Floyd Inedit CBD beverage elixirs feature a new advanced absorption micelle nano technology resulting in a two-year stability in beverages. Rob Floyd Inedit CBD is the most trusted name in CBD beverages with quality, consistency, and safety. Our products:

⦁ Provide support to reduce anxiety and inflammation and to provide pain relief
⦁ Feature micelle, nanotechnology for maximum absorbability and bioavailability
⦁ Contain 0% THC
⦁ Are independently lab tested to certify the highest quality available – every product label has a QR code supplying the Certificate of Analysis
⦁ Are free of any harmful bacteria, yeast, mold, heavy metals, and other toxins
⦁ Are made from Organic, Non-GMO, Human Grade Ingredients
⦁ Are legal in All 50 States.

Add Rob Floyd Inedit CBD oil to your daily CBD regimen. Mix Rob Floyd premium oils in your morning coffee, juice, or smoothie. Add oil or our water-soluble elixirs to any evening drink, mocktails and cocktails. Inedit by Rob Floyd sets the standards for safety and quality in all its products.

“I want to help people be as happy and healthy as possible,” says Rob. “I’ve had such personal success using these products and I am so excited to share this success with all of you!”

About the company
Harmony Wellness brings together the creativity and experience of Rob Floyd Entertainment and the technology and product knowledge of Wellness Labs in the Rob Floyd Inedit CBD brand of products. Rob is a global liquid chef and has traveled the world training bar teams, designing menus, and starring in multiple TV shows and live events. He currently has bar teams in over 100 countries and clients all over the world. Wellness Labs is a diversified cannabinoid-based product company featuring advanced absorption micelle technology.

For more information on the Inedit Rob Floyd CBD Line, private label products and beverages, and for partnership opportunities, e-mail info@ineditrobfloyd.com. Visit http://www.ineditrobfloyd.com, where the full lineup is available. Inedit Rob Floyd CBD is now also actively seeking affiliate partners. Also visit us at “CBD Lifestyle Podcast with Rob and Rick,” https://instagram.com/ineditrobfloyd, https://www.facebook.com/ineditrobfloyd, https://tiktok.com/@ineditrobfloyd, https://www.pinterest.com/ineditrobfloyd, https://www.linkedin.com/company/ineditrobfloyd, and on YouTube at “Rob Floyd CBD.”

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California Regulators Propose Standardized Cannabis Testing Regulations

7/13/2022

California regulators are considering regulations to standardize cannabis laboratory testing methods across the state and are currently accepting public comments on the proposals. The Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) said the regulatory package comes amid concerns about “laboratory shopping.”

Lab shopping is the practice of cannabis businesses taking the product to different labs until it gets the testing result it desires and one of the state’s most prominent cannabis testing laboratories, CannaSafe Labs, cited the practice as the impetus for the closure of its lab.

In a statement, DCC Director Nicole Elliott, said state cannabis regulators face challenges in testing because cannabis remains federally outlawed.

“Individual, licensed laboratories use different methods which may produce inconsistent results and inaccurate data on cannabis cannabinoid content. DCC is working to change that so there is greater integrity in the market, accurate information for consumers, and confidence among stakeholders.” — Elliot in a press release

Last year, state lawmakers passed a bill requiring the DCC to establish standardized cannabinoid test methods by January 1, 2023. Testing is required under the state’s adult-use law.

“These standards build upon existing standards for testing laboratories by requiring them to utilize only cannabinoid testing methods designated by DCC,” Elliott said in a statement. “The ultimate goal is protecting public health and safety by providing consumers accurate and consistent information on the cannabis they purchase.”

The California agency is accepting comments until Aug. 5 and an in-person hearing is set for Aug. 1.

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NBPA Partners with Al Harrington’s Re+Play on CBD Wellness Products

7/13/2022

The National Basketball Association Players Association (NBPA) is partnering with the company of a former player on branded CBD products that will be sold via Amazon and Walmart. The multi-year deal between the NBPA and Re+Play, the performance-based wellness and recovery line of Harrington Wellness, which is founded by Al Harrington, will offer topicals, kinesiology tape, and massage guns, among other naturally infused-pain products.

In a press release, Al Harrington, CEO of Harrington Wellness and former NBA player and member of the NBPA, said the partnership “will provide consumers with a wealth of trusted, technology-driven products, to help them recover like a pro.”

“As we move into the next phase of the Re+Play brand with our strategic partners at Amazon, the NBPA, and Walmart, we are excited to once again reimagine how we help athletes of all levels recover from pain with CBD and other innovative technology.” — Harrington in a statement

The first product release from the collaboration is a line of proprietarily formulated recovery creams, developed in partnership with Avicanna, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of plant-derived cannabinoid-based products.

Dr. Sanford Kunkel, chief medical officer for Harrington Wellness & Re+Play, said the partnership with Avicanna allowed the company to develop the line at its research and development headquarters at JLABS – the Johnson & Johnson Innovation Center – which gives the company “a significant competitive product advantage.’’

Erin Hackney, president of Harrington Wellness, said selling products at Amazon and Walmart allows the company “to bring high-quality recovery-promoting products to the everyday customer in places that they are looking for them.”

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New York Posts Cease-and-Desist Letters Sent to Cannabis Gifting Shops

7/13/2022

New York’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) has posted the cease-and-desist letters sent to 66 businesses it accused last February of gifting cannabis unlawfully. The agency had refused to publish the letters – even denying a FOIL request from Gothamist – but backed down after public pressure from the news organization.

The letters were sent to businesses throughout the state, including those in Syracuse, Bath, Elmira, Elmira Heights, Barton, Lackawanna, Lyons, Horseheads, Watkins Glen, Penn Yan, Webster, Waverly, Lockport, Buffalo, Depew, Amherst, Rochester, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. The agency also sent a letter to a company based in Wayne, New Jersey.

The letters are all uniform, warning the addressee that failure to comply could put their “ability to obtain a license in the legal cannabis market at substantial risk,” although it’s unknown whether any of the businesses or individuals intend on applying for a license.

The letters claim that “unlicensed sales undermine the legal market that is being built by introducing products that are not lab-tested and potentially threaten public health and safety.”

The letter also warns that landlords “hosting illegal activity” on their premises are “jeopardizing” their “ability to house a licensed retail dispensary or on-site consumption lounge in the future.”

Steve Zissou, an attorney representing Empire Cannabis Clubs, which was targeted with two letters, told Gothamist that he believes the membership model – selling a daily or monthly membership rather than cannabis – is legal under state law. He described the club’s model as a “non-charitable, not-for-profit cannabis dispensary that does not receive compensation for the transfer of cannabis.”

“There’s an old saying: If you want peace, prepare for war,” Zissou told Gothamist. “And so Empire wants peace, but they’re prepared for war if and when it comes.”

OCM Executive Director Chris Alexander told Gothamist that in addition to breaking New York’s cannabis law, the businesses are “breaking state tax and several municipal laws.”

“I look forward to working with other regulatory bodies across the state to hold these stores accountable for their flagrant violations of the law,” he said.

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Pennsylvania Gov. Signs Bill Protecting Financial Institutions Serving Cannabis Firms

7/13/2022

Pennsylvania’s Gov. Tom Wolf (D) has signed a bill intended to protect banking institutions and insurance companies who work with medical cannabis firms in the state from prosecution, Marijuana Moment reports. Originally a standalone Senate bill that passed the Republican-controlled Senate and later the House, also Republican-controlled, the bill was later attached to a non-cannabis banking bill as an amendment.

The measure only protects banks and insurers who work with medical cannabis companies from state interference, not federal, the report says.

The legislation says a “financial institution (and insurers) authorized to engage in business in this Commonwealth may provide financial services to or for the benefit of a legitimate cannabis-related business and the business associates of a legitimate cannabis-related business.” It does not, however, require a bank or insurance company to take on cannabis-related clients.

The U.S. House passed what is known as the SAFE Banking Act in early February 2022 as an amendment to the China Competition bill, after it passed the legislation as a standalone measure in April 2021 and after it was eventually removed from the 2022 defense spending bill. At the time it passed in February, bill sponsor Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D) noted the need for the reforms.

“Cannabis-related businesses — big and small — and their employees are in desperate need of access to the banking system and access to capital in order to operate in an efficient, safe manner and compete in the growing global cannabis marketplace,” Perlmutter said in a statement.

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Senators Send Letter to Biden Urging Him to Deschedule Cannabis

7/12/2022

Six U.S. senators last week sent a letter to President Joe Biden (D) urging him to use his executive authority to deschedule cannabis and issue pardons to all individuals convicted of non-violent cannabis crimes.

The signatories include Democratic Massachusetts Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D), New Jersey Sen. Corey Booker (D), Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden (D), and independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. The group had previously sent a letter asking the Biden Administration – namely the Department of Justice – to deschedule cannabis in October and in the recent letter noted that the response to their inquiry took more than six months and was a half-page that noted the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) had determined “cannabis has not been proven in scientific studies to be a safe and effective treatment for any disease or condition.” In the recent letter, the senators say that response “ignores the ability of the DOJ and Drug Enforcement Administration to begin the descsheduling process and act independently of an HHS determination.”

The senators said the administration has still not responded to a November letter they sent to the president asking him “to pardon all individuals convicted of non-violent cannabis offenses, whether formerly or currently incarcerated.” In April, Biden pardoned nine individuals convicted of non-violent cannabis crimes, but the senators say “much more has to be done to address the racist and harmful legacy of cannabis policies on Black and Brown communities.”

“The legacy of the war on drugs is pervasive,” the senators write. “It is estimated that over 40,000 individuals are still incarcerated for cannabis-related offenses.”

The letter calls out the administration for failing “to coordinate a timely review of its cannabis policy” which the senators say “is harming thousands of Americans, slowing research, and depriving Americans of their ability to use marijuana for medical or other purposes.”

All of the letter signatories represent states that have legalized cannabis for adults.

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Avaans Media Introduces PR Sprints for Cannabis Consumer Products

7/12/2022

One of the country’s best cannabis agencies offers flexible, powerful packages to consumer brands.

(July 7, 2022) LOS ANGELES, CA – Avaans Media, best known for its bespoke PR services, breaks the rules with PR Sprints which are ideal for cannabis brands launching products, boutique, or local cannabis brands, or in need of a competitive boost for a short period of time.

Widely accepted as one of the most powerful ways for consumer brands to increase awareness, increased demand for PR services and long-term commitments are squeezing out boutique or local cannabis brands. Traditional PR services require long-term commitments, and according to Cision, 45% of brands increased their PR in 2021.

“These sprints are all about high impact in a short period of time, ideal for cannabis brands without 6-figure budgets,” said Avaans Media CEO and Founder Tara Coomans, and Entreprenuer.com contributor.

PR is more effective than branded content at all stages of the purchase funnel, generating 10-50 times that of advertising conversions, according to Nielson.

The PR Sprint packages have limited availability. Avaans Media launched the first cohort of PR Sprints starting July 1, and the cohort sold out in a matter of weeks. The deadline to secure a place for the fall cohort is August 1, 2022.

“We have been delighted at the response to the flexibility of the PR Sprints,” stated Coomans.

Find out more about Avaans Media Product PR Sprints.

About Avaans Media
Originally founded by Tara Coomans in 2008, and servicing cannabis brands since 2015 (previously known as Primo PR), today Avaans Media offers digitally savvy bespoke PR. From startup through IPO, Avaans Media clients include emerging industries like drones, robots, cannabis, and AI as well as highly ambitious consumer tech, CPG or DTC brands. Avaans Media’s successes and executive-level award-winning team members have allowed Avaans to become one of the top cannabis PR agencies in the country. https://avaansmedia.com
@avaanscannabis (IG) @avaanscannabisPR (Twitter)

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New York Times Publishes Heavily Biased Article on Teen Cannabis Use

7/12/2022

The New York Times on June 23 published an article highlighting the adverse experience of a teenager using cannabis concentrates – it’s the second time this year the outlet has taken a fear-mongering approach to its cannabis coverage.

At Cannabias, we’ve already broken down the problem with this coverage, namely, teenagers shouldn’t be using cannabis in the first place unless they are registered patients. For starters, 14-years-old is too young to be using cannabis. Highlighting teens using cannabis and using that story as a vehicle for the possible harms of consumption is coverage bias. For every ‘teen uses cannabis, has adverse effects’ story, there are hundreds of competing stories of cannabis – used properly – helping kids with seizure disorders, Crohn’s disease, and with cancer treatment; however, the New York Times seems hellbent on highlighting the negative outcomes (‘if it bleeds, it leads,’ after all).

Adjective and adverbial bias are apparent throughout: graph four describes “euphoria (morphing) into something more disturbing.” Cannabis made the subject of the story (again a teenager) “feel more anxious or sad” or passing out in the shower. Well, yeah, her brain is still developing, of course she’s going to feel adverse effects, she’s a teenager, as teens we all feel bouts of anxiety and sadness. Also, (and I think we’ve crossed this bridge before) where are her parents when she’s passed out in the shower? The following graph also shows adjective and adverbial bias by describing the concentrates as “typically about 90% THC.” Do those products exist? They sure do but, even in legal markets are increasingly tough to find. They’re referred to as “platinum” in some circles and I’ve yet to see them in vape cartridge form, as the story suggests. To be fair, I’ve only made legal purchases in Michigan, Canada, Maine, Massachusetts, and on tribal land in New York and while I have seen concentrates near 90% THC, I’ve not seen them actually hit 90% on paper, but I digress.

Okay, so the New York Times article makes the claim that “nearly everyone” the subject knew was using these high-test concentrates, but doesn’t provide evidence and doesn’t interview anyone else which is an example of tone bias or even quality bias.

The author then migrates to what appears to be the trend du jour for anti-cannabis coverage recently: cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), the condition that causes some (very few) cannabis consumers to vomit uncontrollably. This is, again, coverage bias as the condition is relatively rare with the only study attempting to figure out the rate finding about 155 of 2,127 patients meeting the criteria for CHS or a “phenomenon similar.”

The author cites studies throughout; however, one study on an issue does not equate to “studies” (omission bias) and everyone in the industry that I’ve ever spoken to believes we need more studies to back up those of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other government-backed organizations and studies. (The problem with that is federal prohibition, which makes that near impossible.)

The author also includes one quote from the subject’s father but did she not ask the question, “where were you when she was 14 vaping (alleged) 90% THC?” I mean, that, for me, would be a key issue in this narrative.

The article is also plagued with photographic bias: images of brightly-colored vape pens, a blonde girl using a branded vape, what appear to be Nerds (maybe the cannabis copycat version, it’s unclear) a “liquid live resin in a girl’s bedroom” – each one utilized to invoke the ‘that could be my child’ fear. The whole article is designed to stoke fear and the accompanying images are meant to drive that point home.

The article, like many I’ve covered that focuses on youth cannabis use, fails to even tiptoe into the issue of personal responsibility. ‘It’s the drug’s fault!’ they scream, but where are the parents? Where are they even obtaining these products? I can tell you, in every single retail dispensary I have ever been to, I get ID’d (and I have grey hair in my beard); in Massachusetts and Canada I get ID’d twice. If these teenagers are getting these products from dealers, that is a topic worthy of investigation and, again, nearly every cannabis industry operator I have spoken to has explained the lengths they go through to subvert diversion and doesn’t want to see their products in the hands of teens. Also, where are these kids getting the money for these products? Platinum (the 90% concentrate) is $100 for a half gram at almost every retailer I’ve ever been to and while that may not be the case in more mature markets, these are the high-level questions the media should be focused on, rather than the kid who smoked too much cannabis and got sick.

As a youth, I drank often to the point of getting alcohol poisoning like an idiot, where was the New York Times then? As an instructor at a college, I see kids come in who drank too much the night before in a 9:30 am class – where is the New York Times to write 4,000 words about that? It’s coverage bias plain and simple. It’s gatekeeping bias. It’s irresponsible.

Remedy: The reporter could have tried to get to the bottom of how these kids are accessing such potent products, why the parents didn’t intervene, they could have interviewed the alleged other teenagers who are using these products, could have better explained the rarity of CHS, or that 90% THC products are not really that prevalent in legal markets. This article is high on conjecture, low on investigation, follows one subject, interviews too few experts, and relies on the old “what about the children” argument to demonize cannabis.

Cannabis should be used responsibly – by adults and in low doses or small doses of concentrates (just like alcohol) and the reporting around it should also be responsible. According to NIH statistics, 5,000 young people die annually as a result of underage drinking but you’d be hard-pressed to find the Times writing about any of those.

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Arizona Adult-Use Cannabis Sales Hit $75.5M In April

7/12/2022

Adult-use cannabis sales in Arizona reached $75.5 million in April – the latest month for available data – representing a nearly $5 million decline from March, which was the best month for sales since the start of the program in January 2021, the Arizona Mirror reports. The April totals would have been a near-$3 million increase over March but officials had revised March totals by $8 million.

Medical cannabis sales in the state declined for the sixth consecutive month, falling to $47 million in April, just the second time sales have been less than $50 million since the launch of adult-use sales.

The number of medical cannabis patients also continued to decline. In April, the state counted 212,083 registered patients which fell to 191,682 in May. Patients purchased less than 8,000 pounds of medical cannabis in various forms through fewer than 500,000 transactions. Comparatively, in January patients bought about 10,000 pounds of cannabis products in nearly 600,000 transactions, the report says.

In Arizona, a third of cannabis tax revenues are earmarked for community college and provisional community college districts, with 31% used to fund public safety, including police, fire departments, fire districts, and first responders. 25% is sent to the Arizona Highway User Revenue Fund and 10% to the justice reinvestment fund, which provides public health services, counseling, job training, and other social services for communities that have been disproportionately impacted by cannabis law enforcement.

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North Dakota Advocates Turn in Petition Signatures to Legalize Adult-Use Cannabis

7/12/2022

North Dakota advocates on Monday turned in 25,762 signatures to the secretary of state’s office seeking to put adult-use legalization on November ballots, the Jamestown Sun reports. In order to put the issue to voters, the secretary of state must verify 15,582 signatures and Secretary of State Al Jaeger has 35 days to determine whether the proposal meets the qualifications to proceed.

The measure by New Approach North Dakota would legalize cannabis for adults 21-and-older and allow home cultivation of up to three plants, legalize personal possession of up to one ounce of flower, four grams of concentrates, and up to 500 milligrams of total THC.

New Approach Chairman Dave Owen told Forum News Service that he is “certain” the campaign has enough valid signatures “to get over the threshold.”

Two other groups seeking to put ballot initiatives on November ballots have already been rejected by Jaeger: one to set term limits for North Dakota politicians and another by a group seeking to raise the bar for amending the state constitution, the report says.

In 2016, North Dakota voters approved a medical cannabis ballot question but two years later – also during a midterm election – rejected a proposal to legalize cannabis for adults. Owen said the adult-use measure failed because it didn’t include strict regulations; the current 19-page proposal clearly outlines the law provisions and mirrors a 2021 bill that passed the state House of Representatives but died in the Senate.

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RSI Biotherapeutics Reports Positive Results from Proof-of-Concept Trial for First Investigational Compound

7/11/2022

Data supports theory that RSBT-001 can positively impact damaging inflammation without eliminating beneficial immune response

CUMBERLAND, Md. – July 11, 2022 – RS BioTherapeutics, whose mission is to harness its strong and thorough understanding of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) to research, develop and commercialize interventions to address chronic and acute pulmonary (lung) inflammation-based diseases, is pleased to announce positive results from its proof-of-concept study for its first investigational compound, RSBT-001.

RSBT-001 is a patent-pending, nebulized, semi-synthetic, cannabidiolic acid (CBDa) complex in development to address exacerbation and prevent progression of both acute and chronic pulmonary inflammation related to respiratory diseases including COPD, SARS-COV-2, Cystic Fibrosis, Asthma, Bronchitis, and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

RS BioTherapeutics conducted the study in conjunction with RSBT-001 development partner, Synthonics, Inc., and Marshall University using a mouse model of pulmonary inflammation.

The proof of concept model was created by instilling E. coli derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS) intranasally. Anti-inflammatory response was determined by measuring a series of cytokines known to be highly expressed in response to pulmonary inflammation. RSBT-001 was dosed at 1 mg/kg intranasally and its performance was measured against a positive control, dexamethasone, at 2.5 mg/kg and 10.0 mg/kg dosed intranasally; a negative control (LPS only); and vehicle only. Both RSBT-001 and dexamethasone were administered in a single dose 8 hours after insult. Cytokine measurements were made with mouse lung homogenate at 12 hours, 24 hours, and 48 hours after test material administration.

Justin Molignoni, CRNP, Chief Strategy Officer and Co-Chair of the RS BioTherapeutics Joint Development Committee said, “The data from the proof-of-concept trial clearly indicates that RSBT-001 reduces cytokine level, and that this cytokine reduction is appropriately transient. This supports the theory that RSBT-001 can reduce the harmful effects of an overstimulated immune system, which causes damaging inflammation, but does not completely suppress the immune response, which is important to retain in order to continue to fight off the insult or infection.”

Thomas Piccariello, Ph.D., Co-Chair of the RS BioTherapeutics Joint Development Committee and Co-Founder, President and Chief Science Officer of Synthonics, Inc. said, “Our conclusions are that RSBT-001 approached normalization of IL6, IFNγ, IL-12p70 and IL-1β relative to baseline at the 12 and 24 hours timepoints. Moreover, RSBT-001’s response was similar to dexamethasone’s 2.5 mg/kg responses. In this trial, RSBT-001 demonstrated exactly what we want to accomplish with any anti-inflammatory agent: down regulate cytokines to the appropriate therapeutic level but not eliminate cytokines altogether. Completely eliminating cytokine expression is what corticosteroids, like dexamethasone, can do, which allows secondary infections to occur.”

Adding to the discussion, Hongwei Yu, Ph.D., a professor in the Marshall University School of Medicine and one of the lead researchers on the study noted, “The results of the proof-of-concept study for RSBT-001 were exciting. We are looking forward to participating in additional studies to determine the precise dosing of RSBT-001 that is most effective at preventing lung inflammation as well as its safety and adverse event profile.”

RS BioTherapeutics has initiated a second study with Marshall to further evaluate the impact of RSBT-001 on pulmonary inflammation.

About RS BioTherapeutics
Founded by experts in pulmonary diseases and the endocannabinoid system, RS BioTherapeutics is a wholly owned subsidiary of Real Science Holdco LLC. The company’s mission is to harness its strong and thorough understanding of the Endocannabinoid System in the research, development, and commercialization of forward-thinking interventions to address chronic and acute pulmonary inflammation-based diseases. More information on RS Biotherapeutics can be found at www.rsbiotherapeutics.com.

About Synthonics
Synthonics, Inc. is a privately-held specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of patentable drugs that incorporate its proprietary metal coordination chemistry. It binds metals to known pharmaceutical agents to create new products that are better absorbed and thus have greater therapeutic benefits than their predecessors. More information on Synthonics can be found at www.synthonicsinc.com.

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Media Contact:
David Gutierrez, Dresner Corporate Services, (312) 780-7204, dgutierrez@dresnerco.com

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High Times Buys California Consumption Lounge in Mostly Stock Deal Despite $0 Stock Value

7/11/2022

Cannabis media firm Hightimes Holding Corp. in April purchased West Hollywood, California consumption lounge The Mezz for $6 million, including $1,500,000 in convertible promissory notes and $4,500,000 of Hightimes Class A common stock, according to Green Market Report. However, since the company hasn’t published financial information in three years, the shares don’t trade – and potentially could never trade – so the value of the stock is effectively zero.

The deal still requires regulatory approval.

High Times also entered into a management services agreement with The Mezz to provide certain support services to the lounge, so even if the sale is not approved, High Times will get some income from the agreement.

According to Green Market, The Mezz is behind on its rent, owing more than $1 million total; the base rent is $35,000 a month. In May, the company paid an additional security deposit of $126,624 plus $42,208 in rent as part of an agreement with the lessor.

In May, High Times investors shared on Reddit that their stock was worth $0. In July 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) told High Times to halt its initial public offering after it missed a deadline to file its annual audited report. The company launched its Reg A offering in 2018 and in the following years, High Times started acquiring magazines, online publications, events that centered around cannabis culture, and cannabis retail companies.

High Times issued its last annual report in June 2019, which showed it had raised just $15 million of its $50 million goal. In a 2019 SEC report, Hightimes Holding had a net loss of $11.9 million on revenue of $10.7 million for the six months ending on June 30, 2019. The company at the time reported $105.2 million in debts.

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CannaSafe Labs Set to Close in California Due to ‘Lab Shopping’

7/11/2022

One of California’s most prominent cannabis testing laboratories, CannaSafe Labs, is set to close, Analytical Cannabis reports. In a June 27 letter to clients, CannaSafe President, Antonio Frazier, said the company will be “winding down” its testing services.

“This isn’t a decision that we take lightly and certainly one that comes with a heavy heart. We thank you for trusting us with your products to ensure they’re safe and accurate for consumers.” — Frazier, in the letter, via Analytical Cannabis

Ini Afia, CannaSafe’s chief science officer, told Analytical Cannabis that “the issue of lab shopping and ownership decision not to play in that arena ultimately led to the closure.”

Lab shopping is the practice of cannabis businesses taking the product to different labs until it gets the testing result it desires.

“There hasn’t been substantive action from the DCC (Department of Cannabis Control) even when direct evidence of unscrupulous lab practices was submitted as complaints to the agency,” Afia told Analytical Cannabis. “When people are able to test compliance samples at multiple labs and pick the most favorable result for sale, then it makes it very difficult for labs with integrity to get on the playing field.”

Afia added that the closure “is not permanent” but hoped that California would limit the number of laboratory licenses and enforce state regulations.

“The California market has a ton of potential but unfortunately with taxation, circumstances around the economy, and inaction from regulatory authorities on unscrupulous labs, most existing cannabis labs will not make it,” he said.

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Arkansas Cannabis Advocates Submit Double the Number of Required Signatures for Legalization Ballot Question

7/11/2022

The campaign seeking to legalize cannabis in Arkansas last week submitted more than 192,000 petition signatures and ballot titles to the secretary of state’s office for certification, the Arkansas Times reports. The signature total is 100,000 more than the 89,151 valid signatures required to put the issue to voters in November.

The proposal by Responsible Growth Arkansas would legalize cannabis for adults 21-and-older while increasing the number of cultivators in the state from the eight allowed under the state’s medical cannabis law to 20 and the number of dispensaries from 40 to 120. The plan would not allow Arkansans to cultivate their own cannabis.

Additionally, if approved, the state’s medical cannabis tax would be eliminated but the same tax rates – a 6.50% sales tax and 4% excise tax – would be applied to adult-use sales. The tax revenue would be used for the state’s general revenues as well as health care research, drug courts, and a stipend for law enforcement.

Steve Lancaster, co-counsel for the cannabis industry-backed group, told the Times that he is “completely confident it will pass.”

“Assuming we get to the ballot, and we’re confident on that, I think, come November, we’ll pass this thing.” — Lancaster to the Times

The signatures still need to be verified; however, in May group Chairman Eddie Armstrong told the Times that the group had verified more than 65,000 signatures. By law, the secretary of state has 30 days to verify the signatures.

Melissa Fults, the treasurer of the state chapter of the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), told the Times that the group would oppose the initiative, describing it as benefitting a small group of people and “greed on top of greed on top of greed.”

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Brittney Griner Pleads Guilty to Drug Possession In Russia

7/08/2022

Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) star Brittney Griner on Thursday pleaded guilty to drug possession in Russia during the second day of her trial, the Associated Press reports. Following the plea, Griner now faces up to 10 years in prison.

The plea, however, could be an effort by her and her advisors to expedite the court proceedings as Russian officials have indicated that no diplomatic solutions could be taken prior to the end of the trial.

Griner, 31, has been detained since late April, accused of bringing vape cartridges containing cannabis in her luggage while returning to play basketball in the country. Her arrest came as Russia faced international sanctions and became a pariah on the world stage for its invasion of Ukraine. She is considered “wrongfully detained” by U.S. officials and has not had consular access since May.

Speaking through an interpreter during her court appearance on Thursday, Griner told the court she had no intention of committing the crime and the vape cartridges had ended up in her luggage unintentionally as she packed for the trip to Moscow in a hurry, the report says.

Her lawyer, Maria Blagovolina, said outside the court in the Moscow suburb of Khimki after the guilty plea, that her client “had committed this act through negligence, unintentionally.”

“We of course hope for the leniency of the court. Considering all the circumstances of the case, taking into account the personality of our client, we believe that the admission of guilt should certainly be taken into account.” — Blagovolina via the AP

In the U.S., Griner plays for the Phoenix Mercury and is a multi-time WNBA all-star but has played in Russia for the last seven years during the winter offseason, earning $1 million per season, which is more than four times her WNBA salary.

In May, Russian agency TASS suggested that Russia may be willing to exchange Griner for Viktor Bout – a Russian who is being held in the U.S. following an arms dealing conviction. Bout, whose life was the basis for the 2005 film “Lord of War,” was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2010.

Last month, American teacher and former U.S. diplomat Marc Fogel was sentenced to 14 years in prison by a Russian court for “large-scale” cannabis smuggling. Fogel was arrested in August 2021 after customs officials found cannabis – believed to be about 17 grams – in his luggage.

In Russia, acquittals occur in only about 1% of cases and Griner’s guilty plea could lead to a lighter sentence.

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Albania Plans to Legalize Medical Cannabis

7/08/2022

Albania plans on legalizing the cultivation of cannabis for industrial and medical purposes, Baltic Insights reports. The government says it wants to dedicate 150 hectares to cannabis cultivation and will allow companies with experience in the European Union market to apply for licenses in 2023.

Only companies with a capitalization of 100 million leks (8 million euros) or more will be considered for licenses, the report says.

Albania joins roughly 30 other countries in allowing some form of medical cannabis but the move is more controversial in the country as it traditionally has been a hotbed of illegal cannabis cultivation. Forty percent of Albanians in prison were convicted of some sort of drug crime, the Insight notes.

Enkelejd Alibeaj, an opposition MP, said the announcement is “madness” considering the country’s history of drug production.

“Edi Rama is the only Prime Minister in the EU whose former Interior Minister is in prison exactly due to connections with drug traffickers.” — Alibeaj on Facebook

The minister of interior, Saimir Tahiri, was convicted of misuse of power but not international drug trafficking after Italian authorities arrested some of his associates, the report says.

After the fall of communism in Russia, Albania became a cannabis production hub. Lazarat village would become known as “the European capital of cannabis growing.” It took a military-style crackdown to eventually suppress cannabis production there; however, cannabis cultivation remained an issue even after the action, the report says.

“Everybody knows that in a country where criminality and corruption are very high, keeping such activity under control is next to impossible,” Alibeaj said.

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Nebraska Advocates Turn in Petition Signatures

7/08/2022

Nebraska advocates have turned in their petitions to legalize medical cannabis in the state, saying they have exceeded the threshold to put the issue on November ballots, WOWT reports. Organizers for Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana (NMM) said on Thursday they submitted two petitions, each with more than 90,000 signatures, surpassing the 87,000-signature requirement.

State Senator Anna Wishart (D), a longtime advocate for the reforms, said that two months ago each petition had just 20,000 signatures. The two-pronged effort asks voters to approve the petitions: one requiring lawmakers to pass bills protecting physicians who recommend medical cannabis along with their patients who possess or use the product from criminal penalty and a second question requiring the Legislature to enact measures protecting private companies that produce and supply cannabis for medical purposes.

The group did reach enough signatures to put the issue to Nebraska voters in 2020 but the proposal was struck down by the state Supreme Court on a technicality.

Since 2020, state lawmakers have failed to pass the reforms, which a May survey by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln estimates that in 2020 and 2021, 83% of Nebraskans supported medical cannabis legalization in the state.

The reforms are strongly opposed by Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts who has appeared in an ad-funded by anti-legalization group Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) saying cannabis is “not medicine” and, prior to that, remarked during a SAM-hosted press conference that cannabis legalization will “kill…kids.”

After filing the petition on Thursday, NMM Campaign Manager Crista Eggers said the group feels “very good” about their chances of putting the question to voters and, finally, getting the reforms approved.

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Candian Cannabis Company to Open Retail Shop on College Campus

7/08/2022

Canadian cannabis company Burb Cannabis Corp. has received final approval to open a retail store on the University of British Columbia campus. Once open, the shop will be the first-of-its-kind – cannabis retail on a college campus – in the world.

The shop will also represent Burb’s eighth location, the maximum allowable under the province’s retail cap for any single brand.

John Kaye, Burb CEO and co-founder, called the approval “a big victory… after a contentious debate around public safety and community fit.”

“Despite concerns grounded in age-old stigma from nearby residents, many of whom were off-shore residential owners, the board made an informed decision that aligned with the overwhelming voice of the student body as well as the tenets of legalization in our country. We’re beyond excited to bring Burb to campus and provide safe access to students and residents this fall.” — Kaye in a press release

The application to open the store was met with an opposition petition from neighbors who had gathered nearly 1,900 signatures on an online petition, according to a CBC report. A competing petition in support had more than 2,000 signatures, and the shop was supported by the Alma Mater Society (AMS) which represents the college’s more than 56,000 students. The shop will technically be just off campus in the University Village.

Eshana Bhangu, president of the AMS, told the CBC that the organization supported the project “right from the beginning.”

“We just think the UBC student body really deserves to have a safe space nearby where purchasing cannabis is accessible and provided in a stress-free environment,” she said. “Locations like these really do reduce illegal activity and we don’t think that this is going to have any risk to families and underage youth.”

The shop is set to open in the fall.

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Niklas Kouparanis: Anticipating Germany’s Adult-Use Cannabis Market

7/07/2022

Germany is in the process of establishing its adult-use cannabis legalization language — medical cannabis has been legal in the European country since 2016. Some posit that legalization in Germany will inspire other European countries to legalize and regulate the plant. Siblings Nik and Anna-Sophia Kouparanis founded The Bloomwell Group to provide medical cannabis to Germany’s patients; now, they are excitedly preparing for recreational sales through their brand ecosphere and e-commerce platform.

Ganjapreneur recently interviewed Nik Kouparanis, CEO and Co-Founder of The Bloomwell Group, about his drive as a cannabis entrepreneur, building the brand ecosphere, and for an analysis of impending cannabis regulations in Germany.

Keep scrolling to read more!

Ganjapreneur: What inspired you to enter the cannabis space?

Nik Kouparanis: My professional goal has always been rooted in entrepreneurship. In the long term, I never wanted to work for someone else and, instead, ventured out on my own to create something impactful.

I earned my Master’s degree in Management and in 2017, I wrote my thesis on the potential of upcoming cannabis legalization measures, with medical cannabis being the door opener. Around this time, I became involved with the medical cannabis industry, and to-date I have been in the industry of building cannabis companies in Germany for over five years.

I started working in the cannabis industry because I’m 100% convinced that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. A completely new global market that is rising from scratch! Along with my sister Anna-Sophia Kouparanis, who co-founded Bloomwell Group with me, we are among the first entrepreneurs in the country to successfully gain a foothold in the medical cannabis market. Now, we’re preparing for the adult-use market. It’s an extremely exciting time to be a part of the cannabis space in Germany.

How have your entrepreneurial experiences prepared you for the challenges faced while founding a cannabis business?

I’m a cannabis entrepreneur through and through, dedicating 100% of my efforts to this industry. Every single company I have built has been a cannabis entity. Right after earning my Master’s degree, I started to scale companies in the German industry. What I can say is that cannabis is one of the most strictly regulated and complex industries. Therefore, I’ve needed to learn very quickly in this new and ever-changing environment.

Despite all its challenges, I cannot imagine a more exciting industry for entrepreneurs. We’re in the middle of a global change and a paradigm shift in cannabis policies. Even though we can’t exactly predict what tomorrow’s cannabis world might look like, and you always need to be quick and flexible, we’re in the middle of building something very big with an immense social and economic impact.

The Bloomwell Group is self-described as a brand ecosphere. What is a brand ecosphere, and how does this approach benefit The Bloomwell Group?

Bloomwell Group seeks to redefine the cannabis industry and craft a new episode in its history. Our vision is for Bloomwell Group to become the number one brand ecosphere in the recreational cannabis sector. We are convinced that it’s time to switch lanes and move cannabis beyond its sole purpose as an ailment-relief treatment for patients. We believe in cannabis as a statement by people who dare to tap into themselves and live an elevated, modern and community-driven life.

The Bloomwell Group is building a synergetic platform that guarantees spill-over effects for all portfolio companies, creating an open ecosphere with a one-stop shop for patients and customers, complete with an end-to-end e-commerce experience (which we already operate under our medical cannabis umbrella). Currently, the licensed distributor Ilios Santé, Europe’s leading cannabis telemedicine company Algea Care, and Breezy Brands are part of the Bloomwell Group.

The company is developing relationships within each sector of the cannabis supply chain except cultivation. Why did the team decide not to enter the cultivation space?

We don’t have specific expertise in cultivation and consider this business to be highly competitive. That said, cultivating cannabis for the German market will become a commodity like in every other industry. It’s important for companies and brands in the space to develop strong partnerships with in-demand cultivators in order to ensure a high-quality output and the uniqueness of our genetics.

How has The Bloomwell Group helped develop telemedicine in the German cannabis market? Why was this a priority for the brand?

Our portfolio company Algea Care was launched in Autumn 2020 and filled an important market need at a time when many businesses were focused on imports and distribution, which is a highly competitive environment. Instead, Algea Care addressed a key issue for medical cannabis patients: the lack of medical expertise in the cannabis field. Many patients were, and still are- struggling to find doctors who are willing and able to prescribe them medical cannabis to address their needs. Algea Care was the first German company to combine telemedicine specifically with prescription drugs labeled narcotics. To date, we’ve helped 10,000 patients with chronic diseases who didn’t have any access to medical cannabis expertise before. However, it’s still a struggle in Germany to find physicians who understand the full potential of medical cannabis, but we’re doing our best to close this gap.

How does The Bloomwell Group normalize and educate on cannabis medicine in the medical community?

The amount of existing scientific evidence on medical cannabis treatment in Germany, both regarding safety as well as efficacy, still needs to be improved. The data generated from patient treatments via the Algea Care platform is already being used for academic research in multiple clinical studies. These results will be crucial for further destigmatization of medical cannabis among patients as well as the medical community. In addition, we focus on continuous education of doctors via Algea Care. We are currently in the process of having educational courses obtain CME certification.

Did you consider adult-use legalization as you built out the medical cannabis brand ecosphere to ensure a seamless transition into the new regulations?

When we closed our seed round in October 2021 (at that time, the highest seed funding for a European cannabis company), we raised this capital with a clear focus on the medical market. That said, as we approach the legalization of adult-use cannabis in Germany, we seek to be in a prime position when the recreational market opens. Therefore, we will raise another round to prepare. Under the Bloomwell umbrella, we currently have three different subsidiaries. We will be able to serve the whole value chain (excluding cultivation, as previously mentioned). Looking at the North American markets, it’s crystal clear that the leading medical cannabis companies have the network, expertise and access to supply to be the early movers and shakers building the adult-use market. Also, our leading telemedicine platform, Algea Care, has gathered a great deal of data that can be utilized when setting up the adult-use market, including data useful for education. We also have our brand Breezy, which focuses on direct-to-consumer services, which we expect to seamlessly expand from medical to recreational sales.

What is Breezy?

Our portfolio company, Breezy brands, runs a purely Direct to Consumer / Direct to Patient operation. Patients and consumers can choose from a variety of lifestyle products. In addition, the delivery of various medical flowers for patients will be rolling out soon. Breezy brands is the place to be for all people in Germany associated with cannabis. We are prepared to be the one-stop-shop for the growing cannabis community.

What product standards do you look for before absorbing a brand into The Bloomwell Group?

With regards to a medical cannabis company or brand, we need for them to meet European Union Good Manufacturing Practice (EU GMP) and Good Agricultural and Cultural Practice(GACP) standards. While standards and regulations are yet to be determined for Germany’s future adult-use industry, we know that the country will prioritize consumer safety, education, protection of minors and product quality.

Along with fulfilling the mandatory standards, quality control and assurance is crucial. Data from the U.S. market shows that in the long term, only brands that can guarantee quality will survive and thrive.

Have German cannabis entrepreneurs learned lessons from the developing American industry? Alternatively, what can American cannabis businesses take away from the developing German market?

Germany is closely watching the developing American cannabis industry (as well as licensed markets around the world) both for what to do and what not to do. Germany wants to protect minors, educate consumers and guarantee product quality. Therefore, we need to eradicate the illicit market. Looking at the United States, we see that certain states’ licensed industries perform and compete with the illicit market better and more effectively than others. For example, in California, the sky-high taxes placed on licensed cannabis products have allowed the illicit market to continue to flourish by offering consumers less expensive products. This is a lesson learned for Germany to shape the tax burden along the value chain in such a way that the industry can supply the market in an entrepreneurial way and offer consumers products at appealing price points. That way, we can compete with and eventually eradicate the illicit market.

In Germany, we’ll also need to minimize bureaucratic hurdles and convoluted regulations. We should design a bureaucracy in such a way that it contributes as much as possible to the achievement of objectives that include ensuring a stable supply and a nationwide sales infrastructure. Also, we need to allow imports to ensure competitive pricing.

What are your predictions for legalization in Germany? How might regulated cannabis sales in Germany impact the market worldwide?

Germany will become the largest market in the world when we open up the adult-use market with more than 82 million inhabitants, which is more than that of California and Canada. The future language for cannabis will be German, and this will be the flagship market once adult-use legalization takes place. A representative survey conducted by Bloomwell shows that one out of every two adults in Germany is a potential legal cannabis consumer.

According to the latest projections by economist Justus Haucap, the state could achieve an annual plus of 4.7 billion euros through the legalization of cannabis combined with various tax revenues (including cannabis tax) and savings (including judiciary and criminal prosecution). According to Haucap, 27,000 new jobs could also be created.

I’m certain that Germany’s licensed adult-use market will lead to a new paradigm of cannabis policy in the European Union, as well as around the globe. In Europe, we see many countries such as Malta, Luxembourg, Spain, the Netherlands, as well as Switzerland as part of the Schengen area, seeking new ways to deal with cannabis through pilot projects or through decriminalization. While that is a form of progress, it’s important to note that decriminalization as the only legalization measure is not enough; only a fully licensed adult-use market can ensure protection of minors and guarantee product safety. Therefore, I’m convinced that many European countries will follow Germany’s way of legalizing the adult-use cannabis industry. That said, I would like to emphasize that Germany should not rush its draft of the legislation and regulations; meticulousness and attention to detail are more important than speed. It can only become a role model for other countries if the legal framework is 100% waterproof.

You attended the most recent hearing on drafting cannabis legalization in Germany, what can you say about the regulations thus far?

Germany’s Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach made a remarkable statement – that cannabis in moderation is part of modern society. He also rightly emphasized that cannabis is not just a phenomenon in big cities, but also in rural areas. All the more our explicit reference to the fact that we cannot build up a nationwide sales infrastructure without online and mail order business. In addition, legal sales must not be limited to pharmacies, we need licensed brick-and-mortar specialty shops and online retailers.

In principle, we at Bloomwell Group welcome the federal government’s approach of involving many different groups, including those from civil society, in the process. The cannabis movement is a societal issue and we want society to have a say in the future of cannabis. With the Bloomwell Group, we also stand behind the overarching goals of youth and health protection, education and prevention. We very much hope that the experience of the industry from more than five years of medicinal cannabis will be taken into account. Because more regulation does not mean more youth protection. On the contrary, we need efficient processes above all so that the industry can supply cannabis consumers safely and reliably in the future.

Our central demands are, therefore: Firstly, to allow online mail order and licensed cannabis specialty shops and retailers; second, to regulate the cannabis trade in a very targeted manner; third, to design taxes in such a way that the legal industry can also compete with the prices of the illegal market; fourth, to set uniform standards nationwide.

The Bloomwell Group acquired millions in funding. Do you have advice for fellow entrepreneurs who are seeking funding?

Cannabis is highly regulated and already very competitive. If you’re looking for high amounts of venture capital, make sure that your team is made up of experts in the field, and your business is doing something different than all the others – and that this difference adds a lot of value for your consumers.

Thank you to Nik for answering our questions! Learn more about The Bloomwell Group at bloomwell.eu.

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Medical Cannabis Now Tax Free in New Jersey

7/07/2022

Medical cannabis is now tax-free in New Jersey as provisions of the Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Cannabis Act implementing the tax cut took effect on July 1, NJ Biz reports. Prior to the final reductions, medical cannabis was the only medicine in the state subject to tax.

Before July 1, 2020, medical cannabis in New Jersey was subject to a 6.625% tax, which is the state’s sales tax. Jake’s Law reduced that tax to 4% on July 1, 2020; 2% on July 1, 2021; and fully reduced the tax on July 1, 2022.

Honig was a 7-year-old New Jersey boy with brain cancer whose symptoms were partially relieved by medical cannabis. He passed away in 2018 following a five-year cancer battle and state lawmakers passed the bill with his namesake on July 2, 2019.

Adult-use cannabis taxes are not affected by Jake’s Law.

Several other states, including Alaska, Delaware, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, and Washington do not levy sales taxes on medical cannabis sales. Medical cannabis sales in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia are either subject to state taxes, excise taxes – or a combination of both – or businesses are required to pay gross receipts taxes and that cost could be passed on to patients.

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Washington, D.C. Mayor Signs Medical Cannabis Patient Self-Certification Bill

7/07/2022

Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on Wednesday signed the bill allowing patients to self-certify that they use cannabis for medical purposes and eliminating the requirement of a physician recommendation. The measure was unanimously approved by the city council at the end of June.

“We have made it a priority over the years to build a more patient-centric medical marijuana program and this legislation builds on those efforts. We know that by bringing more medical marijuana patients into the legal marketplace in a timely manner and doing more to level the playing field for licensed medical marijuana providers, we can protect residents, support local businesses, and provide clarity to the community.” — Bowser in a press release

In April, the council rejected a similar proposal by Chairman Phil Mendelson because it contained provisions to crack down on cannabis “gifting” businesses. The self-certification bill is, in part, meant to drive patients away from gifting businesses and into legal dispensaries. In a letter, Councilmembers Mary Cheh and Kenyan McDuffie said the measure would put medical dispensaries “on a more even footing” with gifting businesses when it comes to patient access and could lead to “better health outcomes” for patients because unregulated cannabis products provide “no assurance that the marijuana has been tested or adequately labeled.” However, according to The Outlaw Report, there are no official testing laboratories in Washington D.C.

In the statement, Bowser said she is looking forward to working with local lawmakers to enact “permanent, more comprehensive medical marijuana legislation in the future.”

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Washington State Regulators to Replace ‘Marijuana’ with ‘Cannabis’

7/07/2022

Washington state cannabis regulators on Wednesday adopted a motion to implement legislation passed last March which replaces the word “marijuana” with “cannabis” in state law, The Center Square reports. During the bill signing ceremony, Gov. Jay Inslee (D) said the term “marijuana” has “a racist history in the United States.”

The word was often used in anti-immigrant rhetoric in the early 20th century.

Jeff Kildahl, the state Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) cannabis policy and rules coordinator, said during a virtual meeting that state lawmakers approved the measure, finding the “use of the term ‘marijuana’ in the United States has discriminatory origins and should be replaced with the more scientifically accurate term ‘cannabis.’”

LCB Chair David Postman called the change “a great thing.”

“It took a little while. Some may think this is a simple thing, that it took a little while, and it’s going to take some work to get it all done, but it’s important, and it is part of our ongoing evolution of really the knowledge and acceptance of cannabis and learning about the history of some of these things.” — Postman, during the meeting, via The Center Square

The first measure to outlaw cannabis in the U.S. was called the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 which banned the possession and sale of the plant. The bill was backed by Harry Anslinger, the first commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics – which would later become the Drug Enforcement Administration – who is alleged to have supported cannabis prohibition because it was often used by minorities.

“There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the U.S., and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers,” Anslinger is alleged to have stated. “Their Satanic music, jazz, and swing result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others.”

A recently unearthed quote from John Ehrlichman, former President Richard Nixon’s chief domestic policy advisor when Nixon announced the roll-out of the War on Drugs, supports cannabis prohibition being as a tool to target minority and antiwar populations:

“The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and Black people. You understand what I’m saying?” Ehrlichman said in a 1996 interview with Harper’s reporter Dan Baum. “We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or Black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and Blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course, we did.”

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