Category: Hemp

A Cannabis Advocate's Case for Bernie Sanders

Last year the cannabis industry donated $18,500 to presidential candidates. Only $1,000 of that went to Sen. Bernie Sanders.

If the evidence stacks Bernie up as the only pro-cannabis candidate — and it does — why hasn’t the industry done more to support him?

That’s a bit of a misleading question. It’s true the National Cannabis Industry Association and Marijuana Policy Project donated more to Rand Paul than Sanders, but cannabis PACs historically don’t donate to presidential campaigns. This is partly because they don’t expect cannabis reform to come from the executive branch, and partly because they don’t have the cash to spare.

Donation records show that a number of budtenders have made individual contributions to his campaign, but it’s hard to account for the myriad of industry jobs that aren’t as obviously cannabis-related: jobs like policy analyst, lawyer, researcher, writer, sales representative, and my own title, photo editor.

This still doesn’t address my titular point, though. Why should cannabis advocates support Sanders?

For one, he’s the only candidate who will push to federally legalize cannabis.

All three remaining Republican candidates are on-record as supporting states’ rights to choose, but none of them advocates federal rescheduling. Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich openly condemn adult consumption. Donald Trump has changed his position so many times, it’s hard to know where he stands on this (or any other) issue.

Hillary Clinton wants “more research.” She supports moving cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule II. That would open up opportunities for meaningful medical studies within the U.S. and would ensure certain patients access, but that access would be “severely restricted.” Clinton, in other words, would be a mild step in the right direction.

Her position on cannabis has marginally improved during the latest election cycle, but it hasn’t always been so sympathetic. Moreover, that recent improvement can be attributed almost entirely to Sanders’ success.

Clinton has demonstrated essentially zero commitment to cannabis reform. In the 1990s she was a vocal proponent for President Bill Clinton’s crime bill, the one that massively expanded America’s drug incarceration rate.

In a 2011 interview with Televisa, she said she wouldn’t consider legalization because “there is just too much money in it.” She further argued there was “no alternative” to continuing the bloody fight between Mexican law enforcement and the cartels. Apparently she wasn’t aware that criminalization is not only one of the least effective methods of countering drug addiction, according to the RAND Corporation, it’s also the second most expensive.

Hillary is nothing if not adaptable, though. She’s recently changed her tune to favor a (somewhat) treatment-based approach to criminalized drugs, but she still won’t consider removing cannabis from federal scheduling entirely, which would put the plant on par with alcohol and tobacco. Her call for “more research” — which ignores the literally hundreds of studies that show both cannabis’s medical promise and its limited risks — could be heartfelt concern over the well-being of Americans. Or it could be an example of money talking.

According to Open Secrets, Hillary Clinton has accepted over $2 million in donations from the pharmaceutical industry so far in the 2016 election cycle. Between her Senate bids in 2000 and 2006 and her 2008 presidential campaign, she accepted nearly $1 million from drugmakers. Donors to her 2008 campaign included Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and Bristol-Myers Squibb, among others. These companies boast a wide portfolio of prescription drugs, including many that treat the symptoms of Alzheimer’s, arthritis, anxiety, inflammation, hypertension, asthma, glaucoma, generalized pain, and more — conditions and symptoms that also have seen varying degrees of success when treated with cannabis.

If pharmaceutical companies are among Clinton’s enemies, as she has claimed during this election’s democratic debates, why does she keep accepting their donations?

Bernie Sanders, by comparison, is a longtime champion of the cannabis cause.

More than 20 years ago, he co-sponsored HR 2618, which would have amended the Controlled Substances Act to authorize medical marijuana federally. In 1997, he fought for medical cannabis again by co-sponsoring the Medical Use of Marijuana Act. He co-sponsored the States’ Rights to Medical Marijuana Act in 2001 and 2005. He co-sponsored the Industrial Hemp Farming Acts of 2012, 2013, and 2015. Last year, he co-sponsored the Marijuana Businesses Access to Banking Act.

Sanders’ resolve has only strengthened since announcing his presidential bid. In October 2015, he publicly announced his intention to completely remove cannabis from the DEA’s schedule of controlled substances. He even introduced a Senate bill to that effect, the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2015.

He won’t stop at cannabis legalization. Sanders is committed to re-enfranchising those who lost their right to vote after serving felony drug time, banning for-profit prisons, eliminating mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenses, giving cannabis businesses and industry professionals equal access to banking, and stopping local governments from using criminalization as a source of revenue.

Hillary Clinton is touting a good number of these policies too — or at least she started to once Sanders began gaining supporters by openly embracing them.

Is Sanders electable? You might be surprised by the answer.

A lot of media coverage has suggested that Clinton appeals to more people than Sanders. The evidence doesn’t support that claim. The most recent aggregation of public polling shows favorable Clinton ratings at 40.7 percent and unfavorable ratings at 54.7 percent. Sanders’ ratings are, by contrast, 49.5 percent favorable and 41 percent unfavorable. Clinton’s public approval ratings have been slowly declining since 2011, and rapidly declining since late 2012. By April 2015, more people felt unfavorably about her than favorably. By contrast, Sanders’ approval ratings have been consistently increasing since March 2015.

Source: Huffington Post

Critics often claim Sanders isn’t electable in November’s general election, but the numbers say otherwise. Recent polling not only suggests he’s electable, it also shows he’s actually more likely to win against Trump or Cruz than Hillary Clinton would be.

When discussing electability, it’s also important to consider how states vote in the general. The majority of Hillary’s delegate leads come from red states, states that historically vote Republican in presidential elections. Right now, Hillary has only won four blue states, one of which was nearly a tie (Iowa: 23 to 21). Bernie has won six. She has won more swing states than Bernie (four to his one) but there’s no guaranteeing how those states will vote in the general election.

This means Hillary’s strongest support is coming from states that usually vote Republican anyway. Sanders has outright won more states that tend to vote Democrat, and the blue states he’s lost have been by mostly insignificant margins. Clinton’s lead isn’t as big as it might seem.

What about delegate math? Is it true that Sanders can’t mathematically catch up to Clinton?

No. She has a lead, particularly among superdelegates, but that lead isn’t “all but insurmountable.”

Right now, neither candidate has an insurmountable majority of pledged delegates. Clinton has 1,243 delegates, Sanders has 980. In other words, Clinton has 56 percent of current delegates, and Sanders has 44 percent. Twenty-two states and territories have yet to vote, with a total of 1,747 pledged delegates up for grab.

While a majority of superdelegates have expressed support for Hillary, their backing isn’t guaranteed. If Sanders continues to win states outright while also winning relatively equal numbers of delegates in the states he loses, superdelegate support could very well shift to Sanders by the time the Democratic convention convenes in July.

As Nate Silver pointed out at FiveThirtyEight, “Superdelegates are mathematically relevant when a candidate has 41.2 percent to 58.8 percent of elected delegates.” Both candidates are currently in the range where superdelegate votes matter, and Hillary’s lead isn’t strong enough to knock Bernie out of the running.

Source: FiveThirtyEight

So which candidate should cannabis advocates back this election?

When choosing whom to lend their vote (and financial support) to, I ask all cannabis advocates to ask themselves: Do you want a candidate with a 20-plus year track record of fighting for federal cannabis legalization, sensible drug policy, and criminal justice reform? Or do you want a candidate who openly opposed cannabis reform until it became politically untenable (and even then only avowed tepid leadership), who supported policies that further institutionalized mass incarceration for cannabis consumers, and whose campaign is, at least partially, funded by the pharmaceutical industry?

To me, the answer is clear.

#JustSayKnow #FeelTheBern

Image Source: Todd Church via Flickr Creative Commons

Feeling Worldly? 9 International Cannabis Events to Celebrate 4/20 and Support Cannabis

Aside from warmer temps, spring break, and the return of Game of Thrones, next month we also look forward to 4/20, the biggest cannabis holiday of the year. April’s most prolific canna-friendly date isn’t just celebrated domestically, it’s spread to all corners of the globe, especially as more countries fight for legalization.

If you’re traveling abroad and looking for an event to attend so you can show your support for the cannabis movement, check out these 10 options happening in April and May.

1. 4/20 in Vancouver, British Columbia

Canada has a lot going on this 4/20. In addition to events in Toronto and Niagara Falls, Vancouver is having a “Smoke Out” on 4/20 at Sunset Beach to “protest against prohibition and celebrate our love for marijuana.”

Smoke Out Vancouver Event Details

2. Marcha de Maconha Curitiba in Curitiba, Brazil

Taking place on April 17th, the Sunday before 4/20, the 10th annual Marcha da Maconha Curitiba in Curitiba, Brazil, protests the illegality of cannabis and shows civil support for legalization.

Marcha de Maconha Curitiba Event Details

3. 4/20 Pro-Cannabis Rally in London, England

Hosted by several London- and UK-based pro-cannabis groups (including NORML and the London Cannabis Club), this event starts at historic Hyde Park in Westminster, London. Show your support for legal cannabis and protest the UK’s antiquated anti-cannabis laws.

London 420 Pro-Cannabis Rally Event Details

4. Free Cannabis Victoria 420 Rally in Melbourne, Australia

There’s even fervent support for the cannabis movement Down Under! Celebrate 4/20 with a “peaceful act of mass civil disobedience … as a protest to cannabis prohibition.” Meet other cannabis users or bring an instrument if you’re a musician and want to jam with your fellow canna-friendly comrades.

Free Cannabis Victoria 420 Rally Event Details

5. Free Juana 420 Rally in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Join marchers at the Luis Muñoz Rivera Park in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on 4/20 in support of the cannabis movement.

Free Juana 420 Event Details

6. 4/20 Celebration in Amsterdam, Netherlands

Of course Amsterdam will be celebrating 4/20! Did you even have to ask? Join other cannabis supporters in the notoriously cannabis-friendly city and spread the word about your canna-cause.

Amsterdam 4/20 Celebration Event Details

7. Hempstock in Glasgow, Scotland

Come hear speakers express their thoughts on cannabis prohibition and stay for a full day of entertainment and camaraderie that includes prize giveaways and raffles.

Hempstock Glasgow Event Details

8. GMM Warm Up München in Munich, Germany

If you find yourself plagued with 4/20 fever after the date passes, hit up the Global Marijuana March in Munich, Germany, on April 23rd. Join together with other Germans in support of legalization and listen to informed speakers argue their case for allowing cannabis as both a medicine and as a raw material.

GMM Warm Up München Event Details

9+. India Global Cannabis March in Bengaluru, India

Participate in one of the many global cannabis marches happening worldwide in May:

• May 7th in Bengaluru, India
• May 7th in Malmö, Sweden
• May 7th in Medellín, Colombia
• May 7th in Lima, Peru
• May 14th in Paris, France

Looking for some other cannabis events to attend this spring? Check out Leafly’s event calendar to find a festival, rally, conference, concert, or march near you!

The Shake: Obama Frees 61 Inmates and Whoopi Tackles Period Pain

Obama grants clemency to 61 drug offenders. All of the inmates are currently serving time for drug possession, intent to sell, or related crimes, according to the Associated Press. More than a third were serving life sentences. Under the president’s action, most will now be released on July 28. Obama may not have done much to reform the federal government’s stance on cannabis policy, but at least he’s helping right some of the drug war’s past wrongs. He’s now commuted the sentences of 248 inmates, and his aides say more are coming. There have been some rumblings that Obama could reschedule cannabis on his way out of office, but it doesn’t look likely. (Some think our last, best hope might actually be Dr. Sanjay Gupta.)

Whoopi Goldberg launches cannabis venture to combat menstrual cramps. Goldberg already gushed about her vape pen for treating her glaucoma-related headaches. Now she’s taking on period pain. She’s teaming up with entrepreneur Maya Elizabeth to found Maya & Whoopi, which will offer infused edibles, tinctures, topical rubs, and a “profoundly relaxing” THC bath soak. “You can put the rub on your lower stomach and lower back at work, and then when you get home you can get in the tub for a soak or make tea, and it allows you to continue to work throughout the day,” she tells Vanity Fair. The new products join others aimed at easing menstrual discomfort, like Foria Relief — which, for the record, is not a tampon.

Microsoft’s racist chatbot is a cannabis fan. Have you been following Tay, the Twitter account launched by Microsoft’s artificial intelligence team? It’s meant to learn from its surroundings, and unfortunately it has: Within a day of launch, Tay went from “humans are super cool” to “Hitler was right.” Thanks, internet. The bot also said feminists should “die and burn in hell.” Microsoft quickly unplugged it, but on Wednesday Tay reappeared briefly to announce: “kush! [ I’m smoking kush infront the police ].” (The tweet has since been removed.) Hilarious, sure, but the cannabis movement could probably pick a better spokesbot. (Here are some ideas.)

An Irish woman moved to Colorado to treat her son’s epilepsy. Now she’s saying it’s “illogical” not to have medical cannabis in Ireland. Yvonne Cahalane’s two-year-old son, Tristan, has Dravet syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy. He had his first seizure at five months old, and before long he was having up to 20 in a day. Since starting a regimen of cannabis oil, however, he’s gone three months without a seizure. He hasn’t needed rescue medication or oxygen, and he’s been weaned off three drugs and is about to stop using a fourth. Tell your friends: Medical cannabis is no joke.

Is Aspen ditching edibles? City officials are meeting with representatives from surrounding Pitkin County to discuss how to regulate infused edibles in the city. Sheriff Joe DiSalvo attended two county discussions this week and has indicated he’s thinking of a push to ban edibles that could appeal to children. “Bubble gum, popcorn, candy, etc.,” he told Aspen Daily News. DiSalvo has been an outspoken advocate of cannabis legalization, but he says local governments need to do more to avoid problems that could hurt the plant’s image both in his community and nationwide. Leafly talked to DiSalvo on Monday and will publish an extended interview later this week.

QUICK HITS:

• Marijuana Policy Project executive director defends Trump campaign manager. Rob Kampia said on Facebook that a battery charge against Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski is “ridiculous.” Lewandowski allegedly grabbed a reporter last week. He was charged Tuesday. Fellow cannabis advocate Tom Angell, who spotted Kampia’s post, feels differently.
• GQ answers a burning question from those still buying cannabis from dealers: “Should I Offer to Smoke Out My Weed Dealer?”
• Newsweek calls taste-pairing events “the latest legal weed trend.” Read the story, then start mixing and matching on your own with Leafly’s pairing guides to coffee, beer, and wine (even bubbly!).
• It’s going to be a big year for cannabis, and not just in the U.S. Mexico is eyeing big changes, too, Vice reports, including decriminalization and a medical cannabis program.
• There are lots of cannabis conferences these days. Oregon’s Willamette Week looks at how to tell which ones are worth your time.
• Fashion icon Tim Gunn is supporting Massachusetts hemp. The Project Runway co-host is headed to Boston to urge the state Legislature to pass an industrial hemp bill. (His advice, presumably: “Make it work.”)
• Massachusetts businesses aren’t so hot on cannabis, though. A poll of 180 employers found that 62 percent oppose the November ballot measure that would legalize adult use.
• A Michigan dispensary might be padlocked for a year. Why? Because state law allows officials to lock a property for up to a year over complaints of drug dealing. The county prosecutor maintains dispensaries aren’t permitted under Michigan’s medical cannabis program.
• Tennessee’s hemp industry is flagging. Many farmers have said they won’t grow the crop next year because it simply wasn’t profitable, in part because of delays getting seeds through U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
• A veteran in Iowa speaks up for medical cannabis. John Custis has seen enough veteran suicides, and he’s frustrated Iowa lawmakers aren’t doing more to open the door to cannabis to treat PTSD and curb opioid overdoses.
• As California cities weigh dispensary bans, a few are going the other way. San Jose is considering whether to establish a medical cannabis division to better regulate local businesses. The city may even allow deliveries, which have recently come under fire elsewhere in the state.
• And finally, this dog brought his family a pound of cannabis. Woof.

Image Source: CNN via Twitter

Naturally Splendid to Present at the Cannabis Investor Webcast March 31, 2016

Naturally Splendid (TSXV:NSP) announced it will be presenting at the Cannabis Investor Webcast Thursday, March 31st 2016 at 11:00AM PT or 2:00 PM ET.

As quoted in the press release:

The Cannabis Investor Webcast will include presentations from privately-held and publicly-traded industry companies and industry professionals. Naturally Splendid Enterprises, Ltd. presentation will be 30-minutes long and followed by 15-minutes of Q&A. The Cannabis Investor Webcast is a great opportunity for the audience to research industry companies without taking time-off from work, paying registration fees and incurring travel-related expenses.

The Cannabis Investor Webcast is an online interactive platform, providing Naturally Splendid Enterprises Ltd. the opportunity to provide an overall corporate update. Topics covered will include; An Overview on the Company; An update on business to date; The new emerging opportunity in Korea and Asian markets; an update on the POS-BPC facility , and what to expect from Naturally Splendid in 2016.

Cannabis investors, analysts, executives, media, and consumers who would like to attend our free online webcast please click on the link http://www.cannawebcast.com/ and visit the Registration Page and to view the recording of the webcast please visit www.youtube.com and search for Cannabis Investor Webcast two weeks after the live presentation.

Connect with Naturally Splendid (TSXV:NSP) to receive an Investor Presentation.

The post Naturally Splendid to Present at the Cannabis Investor Webcast March 31, 2016 appeared first on Investing News Network.

HempTech Corp Becomes a Publicly Traded Company

SAINT PETERSBURG, FL–(Marketwired – March 29, 2016) –  HempTech Corp. (OTC PINK: BLDWD), a provider of advanced Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) with sophisticated automation and analytical tools for the cultivators of legal industrial hemp and cannabis, announces today that it has completed the purchase and exchange agreement with Building Turbines, Inc. In effect, post transaction, Building Turbines, Inc. will become HempTech Corp through a change in control.

On March 23, we have received confirmation from FINRA on the completion of the corporate action and it is as following;

1- The name change of ‘Building Turbines, Inc.’ (BLDW) to “HempTech Corp.”

2- 1 – 5,000 reverse split will be announced 3/30/2016 on the Daily List.

3- The name change/reverse split will take effect at the open of business 3/31/2016. The new symbol will be BLDWD. The “D” will be removed in 20 business days and the symbol will change to HTCO.

Since 2014, HempTech Corp, a subsidiary of FutureWorld Corp (OTC PINK: FWDG), in cooperation with FutureLand Corp (OTC PINK: FUTL), has spent substantial amount of resources to develop state-of-the-art automation technologies for the growers and cultivators in the burgeoning cannabis industry.

With Intelligent Automation Technology engineered for agricultural operations featuring CognetiX Cultivation Automation & Analytic Software, which drives improvement in productivity, efficiency, quality and sustainability coupled with advanced Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) with analytical technology software, small to large size cultivators will have access to industrial grow technology not yet available in the Cannabis market. HempTech’s goal is to provide cost effective and efficient cultivation of indoor cannabis through intelligent technologies and process control platforms.

Our Current Accomplishments

1- HempTech has recently announced the availability of our microgrowery marijuana production platform “grow.droid I”. The grow.droid has been the culmination of many years of research and development through a substantial amount of internal funding. The Company is delivering its first line of grow.droid I to our California distributor this week. We expect to sell up to 100 of these “plug ‘n play” microgrowery systems on the west coast this year.

2- We will be announcing two substantial contracts within coming days which represents a major milestone reached by the Company. The contracts are the results of an extensive joint efforts between HempTech and FutureLand Corp (OTC PINK: FUTL).

HempTech is the third spin-off from the parent company, FutureWorld Corp (OTC PINK: FWDG). FutureWorld will be providing dividend to its shareholders of the sale of HempTech in coming weeks.

About HempTech Corp

HempTech Corp. is a technology company providing solutions for cultivators in legal US marijuana and industrial hemp markets. We design and engineer specialized products using advanced sensors, process control techniques, big data aggregation, analytics and security solutions so cannabis growers can easily and effectively control every aspect of their operation.

Through HempTech technologies, virtually every component of the plants’ vegetative growth matrix and flower harvest is automated, documented and available in visible format both in real time and historically. This simplifies operations and ensures that the baselines set by the master grower are adhered to by the cultivation staff.

HempTech’s mission is to establish a reputation in the cannabis industry as a one-stop-shop that provides all the infrastructure elements required by growers in a manner that is fully integrated, state-of-the-art, and secure. Products include the SPIDer™ (Secure Perimeter Intrusion Detection), SmartSense™, SmartEnergy, and analytics dashboard Cognetix™ through which HempTech Corp. provides growers unparalleled data analysis capabilities to Know Your Grow! HempTech — America’s Future Taking Root Today.

To request further information about HempTech, please email us at info@nullhemptechcorp.com, log onto our website at http://www.hemptechcorp.com or visit us at our Facebook page or on Twitter @hemptechcorp.

About FutureWorld Corp.

FutureWorld (OTC PINK: FWDG), a Delaware corporation, is a leading provider of advanced technologies and solutions to the global cannabis industry. FutureWorld, together with its subsidiaries, focuses on the identification, acquisition, development, and commercialization of cannabis related products and services, such as industrial Hemp. FutureWorld, through its subsidiaries, provides personal and professional THC and HTD test kits, pharmaceutical grade HTD oil solutions, SafeVape vaporizers, smart sensor technology, communication network, surveillance security, data analysis for smart cultivation and consultation for the industrial hemp and legal medicinal cannabis. Our wireless agricultural smart sensor networks offer precision to the agriculture, irrigation systems, and greenhouses for the global cannabis and hemp industry. FutureWorld and its subsidiaries do not grow, distribute or sell marijuana. As the only Cannabis Technology Accelerator, FutureWorld will incubate and fund leading technologies, products, and services for Cannabis industry (Industrial Hemp) for foreseeable future; bringing value to its core and its shareholders.

To request further information about FutureWorld, please email us at info@nullfutureworldcorp.com, log onto our website at http://www.futureworldcorp.com or visit us at our Facebook page facebook.com/futureworldcorp or on Twitter @futureworldinc.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements covered within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, plans and timing for the introduction or enhancement of our services and products, statements about future market conditions, supply and demand conditions, and other expectations, intentions and plans contained in this press release that are not historical fact and involve risks and uncertainties. Our expectations regarding future revenues depend upon our ability to develop and supply products and services that we may not produce today and that meet defined specifications. When used in this press release, the words “plan,” “expect,” “believe,” and similar expressions generally identify forward-looking statements. These statements reflect our current expectations. They are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, changes in technology and changes in pervasive markets. This release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 27E of the Securities Act of 1934. Statements contained in this release that are not historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Actual performance and results may differ materially from that projected or suggested herein due to certain risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, ability to obtain financing and regulatory and shareholder approval for anticipated actions.

The post HempTech Corp Becomes a Publicly Traded Company appeared first on Investing News Network.

The Shake: Larry Flynt Embraces the Industry and Canna-Manicures Are Now a Thing

Etsy shuts down your friendly, neighborhood cannabis nuns. The sisterhood known as Sisters of the Valley are based out of Merced, Calif., and although they are licensed medical marijuana patients, Etsy removed their shop due to concerns about health claims made on their site. The sisters aren’t traditional nuns — they are not Catholic and don’t ascribe to a particular religion — but they consider themselves nuns: “We live together, we wear the same clothes, we take a vow of obedience to the moon cycles, we take a vow of chastity (which we don’t think requires celibacy) and a vow of ecology.” Sister Kate (a.k.a. Christine Meeusen) and Darcy Johnson had been quite successful with their Etsy business, tallying as much as $40,000 in monthly sales. They’ve created a GoFundMe site to help salvage their business, but for now the future of the Sisters of the Valley remains uncertain.

Massachusetts could be gearing up for a billion-dollar industry if all goes according to plan. A new report from data and investment firms ArcView and New Frontier indicates that the state could become an East Coast canna-tourist hub if voters approve a legalization ballot initiative in November. Depending on whether neighboring states, such as Vermont and Rhode Island, decide to end prohibition (they’re both considering it now), Massachusetts could be earning more than $1 billion by 2020. The report also takes medical marijuana into consideration, noting that legalization could stunt the growth of a medicinal market. State officials remain divided on the initiative. Gov. Charlie Baker, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, and Attorney General Maura Healey teamed up to write an op-ed condemning the initiative, and lawmakers put together a comprehensive but inauspicious analysis of legalization in Colorado and Washington and how the initiative from the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol would impact Massachusetts in the long-run.

The founder of Hustler is turning from porn to pot. It sounds like the punchline to a joke, but the infamous Larry Flynt, known for his outspoken opinions and legal battles over First Amendment rights, is investing $100,000 into Pineapple Express, a Los Angeles-based cannabis consulting and branding firm. Flynt reportedly purchased 100,000 common shares in the publicly traded company.

Cannabis and politics are officially an item now. The campaign for Colorado state Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-Arvada) will receive an impressive show of support this evening from the Colorado cannabis industry. A campaign fundraiser will be held tonight at the offices of Vicente Sederberg, a major cannabis law firm. Suggested donations range from $100 to $2,700. Perlmutter has long been a friend to the cannabis community, having introduced pro-cannabis legislation and signing on to initiatives such as the Industrial Hemp Farming Act. He also has been an advocate for providing businesses better access to banking services, an issue that has plagued the emerging industry. If you’d like to attend the event, you can RSVP here.

QUICK HITS:

• Colorado mourns the loss of a cannabis advocate. Lauren Hoover, a high-profile manager for Breckenridge Cannabis Club and canna-celebrity on the Netflix show High Profits, died last week after a car accident. Hoover was well known in the cannabis community, and her impact continues to resonate throughout Breckenridge.
• A medical marijuana advocate is suing Kansas after state authorities took her son into custody. Shona Banda’s son was removed from class and questioned without parental permission, eventually being removed from Banda’s custody after an illegal search of her home. Banda is asserting that the state and their agencies violated her constitutional rights and is moving forward with the case despite pending drug charges against her.
• An Easter egg hunt was interrupted by a hefty illegal cannabis bust. In Salmon Creek, Wash., parents and children were in the midst of an Easter egg hunt when a man appeared, screaming that his roommate was trying to shoot him. The disturbence led authorities to investigate the man’s house, where they found a cannabis grow worth more than $200,000. Keep it safe, keep it legal and keep the kiddos out of it, please!
• And finally, you can now get a canna-manicure! No joke, nail artists are now incorporating ganja flakes into a new look that’s surprisingly subtle and completely scent-free. #420goals?

Image Source: Maria Penaloza via Elite Daily

The Shake: UN Urged to Legalize, Coal Miners OK Cannabis, and D.C. to Host Canna-Fest

Coal miners turn from one combustible resource to another. After Colorado legalized cannabis, the town of Hotchkiss, Colorado, banned retail cannabis businesses, preferring to stick to the coal mines and organic farms that they were used to. Soon after, however, the coal mines went bankrupt, leaving the town economically depressed. Could the solution to their financial woes lie in the legal cannabis industry? (Spoiler alert: Yes, it very well could be.) After realizing that the towns around them that had embraced legal cannabis were thriving, Hotchkiss is now considering its ban on marijuana businesses. Town leaders will vote next month on a measure that would end the ban. The “Friendliest Town Around” may just earn the title of “Happiest,” too.

A groundbreaking report from one of the world’s most respected medical journals urges the United Nations to end prohibition. The report from the Lancet Commission weighs in at a hefty 54 pages, which means that the intricate details are far too numerous to describe here. The implications, though, are huge. The report examines medical research as well as international drug policy, and makes two recommendations that affect our world: rethink international drug policy and end cannabis prohibition once and for all. Read Leafly’s take and dive into the full report here.

It’s the last day for Georgia’s legislature to consider House Bill 722 to expand the state’s medical marijuana program. Today marks the 40th and final day of Georgia’s legislative session, which means lawmakers have until midnight tonight to vote on the bill, which would expand the number of qualifying conditions and establish a patient registry and legal protections for those who qualify. If HB 722 makes it through the Legislature, it will go on to Governor Nathan Deal to await a signature. Although Governor Deal has been fairly neutral on the expansion thus far, recent reports indicate that he does remain sympathetic towards families affected by the program, and the bill’s sponsor, Representative Allen Peake (R-Macon), is confident that “if the Senate passes the bill as is, that Governor Deal will sign it.”

Washington, D.C. announces the first National Cannabis Festival since legalization. After a year’s worth of planning, canna-advocates have planned an elaborate festival this year to be held at RFK Stadium on April 23rd. The ganja gala will feature performances by De La Soul, Congo Sanchez, Backyard Band, Nappy Riddem and Jesse Royal. Don’t be fooled, however – this is not Hempfest. The National Cannabis Festival will be focused on policy and advocacy, complete with educational pavilions and vendors, in addition to a kick-ass music scene. Organizers want to encourage compliance with D.C. laws, so there will be no lighting up on the grounds. If you’re hoping to hit up one of the first festivals of its kind in the nation’s capital, you can grab a ticket for the low-low price of just $35.

QUICK HITS:

• Is Donald Drumpf your best bet for a president legalizing cannabis? Merry Jane seems to be under that impression. Although Drumpf argued in favor of legalizing and taxing cannabis back in 1990, he’s been singing a different tune on the campaign trail this time around. Do the ends justify the means?
• Alaskan officials tired of waiting on regulators are taking matters into their own hands. The Juneau Planning Commission just issued the first conditional permit for a cannabis business, Fireweed Factory, to begin cultivating cannabis. Under the agreement, Fireweed will adhere to any future state regulatory measures.
• A proposal to reduce criminal penalties for cannabis possession may actually have the opposite effect. Harrisburg, Penn., is considering decriminalization, but officers often use their own discretion, giving warnings for small possession amounts. A standardized enforcement method could change that.
• Are the Colorado Rockies handing out infused brownies at their concession stands? No. No, they’re not. This is not a real news report, nor would it be legal if it were. Sorry, baseball and cannabis enthusiasts – no such luck.

Hemp Shoes: Sweet Kicks or Hippie Bricks? Our Guide to the Greatest and Ghastliest

Nike recently announced that it will be releasing a special new line of hemp sneakers just in time for 4/20. The Swoosh brand has released commemorative shoes for special occasions in the past, but we’re more than a little tickled that its latest creation is inspired by the species Cannabis sativa L. Called the “Hemp” Dunk Low, the sneakers are constructed from real hemp and will be released in the United States on April 20th.

In honor of these new fly-high kicks, we’ve compiled a list of the greatest and ghastliest hemp shoes ever devised – from the funky to the fresh, we’ve looked at them all. Which pair would you wear?

1. The Greatest

Our choice for the coolest hemp-inspired footwear comes from Vans. The Bali SF is available for just $52. Not only do they look comfy, they come in multiple colors, including the classic “Hemp Black/Rasta,” making them hard to resist since they appeal to your inner Rastafarian.

Degree of hempness: 1 irate Harry Anslinger

2. The Hippest

Hemp-loving hipsters, rejoice! TOMS, the environmentally-friendly shoe company known for its philanthropic efforts as part of the “buy one, give one” program, offers a multitude of hemp shoes for both men and women, so your heart will feel as awesome as your feetsies once you slip these puppies on.

Degree of hemponomy: 2 glasses of hemp milk

3. The Funkiest

Our vote for funkiest hemp high tops goes to the Tubular X Mens from Adidas Originals. These shoes have serious lift, but they take a bold personality to pull them off. If you feel like tapping through town in shoes inspired by Marty McFly’s self-lacing futuristic sneakers from Back to the Future 2, this is the shoe for you!

Degree of hempopathy: 1 fifth of hemp-infused artisanal vodka

4. The Comfiest

These boaters aren’t the most fashionable, but they’ll leave your feet feeling as easy and breezy as walking on a cloud. Sanuk offers a plethora of hemp shoes, but these Sidewalk Surfers are perfect for cruising the pavement. They scream that you are cool, casual, and have no interest in fashion but every interest in kushy comfort. Bonus: The description reads “Just because you can roll it doesn’t mean you can smoke it…”

Degree of hemporization: 1 quinoa and hemp seed oil salad

5. The Classiest

I know, I know. You hear the phrase “hemp shoes” and your first thought is the antithesis of fashionable class. However, the Waveoff Lace to Toe Oxford would beg to differ. These lace-ups are inspired by the classic Oxford shoe but combine hemp and leather to create an everyday look that is quite on point.

Degree of hempism: 3 gallons of filtered hemp biodiesel fuel

6. The Rarest

These bad boys were constructed entirely from Nepalese hemp, are handmade by artisans in Kathmandu, and are available exclusively from your friendly, everyday Etsy shop, TheHimalayanEmporium. They are entirely unique and (unfortunately) one of a kind.

Degree of hempitude: 5 stalks of unrefined hemp fiber

7. Most Cliché

You guessed it – hemp sandals! From Nomadic State of Mind, these sandals are essentially hemp rope wrapped in various patterns around your toes. They’re easy to slip on and are ideal for lounging on the beach, perfect for music festivals, and versatile enough to guide you on any adventure of your choosing.

Degree of hemposophy: A hemp seed and hemp milk smoothie

8. The Ugliest

Despite their *ahem* “unique” appearance, these five-finger toe shoes are not all that uncommon, and when you consider the target demographic, a hemp version of these minimalist hush puppies make a whole lotta sense. They may not be the sexiest style, but the CVT-Hemp shoes from Vibram offer a unique, barefooted feel, bringing your inner hippier nature lover as close to running barefoot through the forest as possible.

Degree of hempacity: 200 tubes of hemp oil lip balm

9. The Weirdest

It was quite a feat to find the weirdest, funkiest, most unique shoes made entirely from hemp, but we think we’ve found them from a London-based fashion designer who took it upon herself to make a high heel without any stitching, constructed from 3D printing technology and a variety of materials, including hemp. Unfortunately, these shoes were a mock-up only and not for sale, but check them out! They’re fascinatingly shaped and oddly textured. Would you wear them?

Degree of hempophilia: 5 blocks of hempcrete

Image Sources: Vans, Toms, Adidas Originals via Solestruck, Sanuk, Shoes.com, The Himalayan Emporium via Etsy, Nomadic State of Mind, Vibram, and Stephanie Potter Corwin via Concept Kicks.

The Shake: Tricky Dick's Racist Drug War. Also, What's 'Biosynthesis'?

“Not a crook,” maybe, but definitely a racist and a liar. That’s right, we’re talking Tricky Dick Nixon. In the forthcoming issue of Harper’s, Dan Baum dives deep into the racism and political gamesmanship behind the Nixon administration’s war on drugs, that pesky movement that for decades has limited personal freedom, jailed millions of nonviolent offenders, and prevented scientific research into potentially lifesaving medicines. Baum quotes a Nixon policy advisor who acknowledges the drug war wasn’t an effort to keep citizens healthy and sober at all, but rather a ploy to suppress “the antiwar left and black people.” We all know politics can be ugly, but this is political scumbaggery that, Donald Trump notwithstanding, would be almost unfathomable today. It’s a reminder why efforts to address racial inequities in the industry aren’t just the right thing to do — they’re morally obligatory. The piece is long, but you should read the whole thing. If you’re busy and looking for a truncated version, try Julianne Escobedo Shepherd’s piece on Jezebel. Either way, get ready for bombs like this one from Nixon policy advisor John Ehrlichman:

“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? 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.”

Brookings Institution takes on “the medical marijuana MESS.” The nonpartisan think tank (we can argue whether it’s “left” or “center-left”) published a lengthy piece on how the patchwork of medical cannabis laws across the U.S. is ultimately failing patients. Senior Brookings fellow John Hudak delves into the legal morass, profiling patients whose stories are “typical of the many people victimized by an unjust, arbitrary, and downright harmful system that hinders access to a clinically proven medical benefit.” (Members of Congress, do you ever actually read this stuff?) “It’s time,” Hudak concludes, “for government to transform medical marijuana policy into a system that is rational, functional, consistent, and informed by science — not politics.” What a novel idea.

What if we could replicate natural cannabinoids in a lab? THC can be produced from yeast. That we already knew. But Alan Brochstein over at New Cannabis Ventures thinks that’s only the beginning. Biosynthesis, he writes, has the potential to radically change the cannabis industry by allowing scientists to produce terpenes “at potentially a fraction of the cost” of growing actual plants. The technology is still in its infancy, so don’t hold your breath, but with all the talk of terpenes from the medical industry and even recreational-market extract artists, expect to hear more soon.

California city can’t help defend dispensary against feds, U.S. Supreme Court says. Federal authorities back in 2012 sued in an effort to seize property from Harborside Health Center, a massive dispensary in Oakland, Calif. Since then the case has stalled while federal judges decide whether to let the city come to the shop’s defense. Officials say Oakland would lose millions if the dispensary were to shut down, but this week Supreme Court justices denied the city a chance to make that argument in court. That’s bad for Harborside, but it’s even worse for cities who want a say in such things. The latest ruling on the merits of the case allows Harborside to remain open for now, but that could be overturned on appeal.

Washington state issues emergency recall rules. There’s no official recall yet, but the rules, released earlier today, are already causing a lot of buzz in the industry. One big reason: We’re still waiting to see how, or whether, the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) will deal with disclosures that pesticide-laden products are being sold on store shelves. The emergency rules, available on the LCB website, weren’t exactly well publicized; they were tucked under a laundry list of far less urgent proposed rules the agency is still considering, in an email titled “Board Revises Draft Marijuana Rules Following Public Comment Period.” We’ll keep you posted on any potential recalls as well as whatever the LCB means by saying recalls might happen for “aesthetic reasons.” (Your guess is as good as mine.)

QUICK HITS: No more Mr. Yuk. The Washington State Liquor Control Board, in an update to its proposed rules, scrapped a proposal that would require edibles carry a Mr. Yuk sticker, which signals, quite literally, poison — something cannabis isn’t. The latest revisions are available as Word doc (sorry). It’s harvest time at Latin America’s largest legal cannabis grow. Flower from the 6,000-plant outdoor grow near the city of Colbun, Chile, will go to 4,000 medical patients — entirely free of charge. Google is blocking ads for (legal) medical cannabis. Why? Because it’s “dangerous.” Illegal cannabis production “dropped dramatically” in in Washington state in recent years, a new DEA report says. In other words, legalization has done what the DEA couldn’t. In the other Washington: De La Soul will headline the National Cannabis Festival, set for April 23 at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. Lawyers can write listicles, too. Attorney Hilary Bricken at Canna Law Blog has “Five Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Washington State Marijuana Laws.” News everyone can use: You can now legally tip your budtender. The only legal cannabis in New Zealand is a prescription mouth spray. One woman wants to change that. (Probably a lot of other people want to change it, too, but a tip of the hat to Rose Renton.) Guess who’s talking about cannabis cultivation? Morocco, that’s who. The plant is categorically illegal in the country, but political parties are signaling that could change. Today in hemp: Production is expanding in Kentucky and scaling down in Tennessee. And finally, Bernie was on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Cannabis came up, which is a good enough excuse to post the video here:

Cannabis Testing: The Importance of Independent Third Party Analyses of Cannabis Products

This article is sponsored by PlusCBD Oil, a product line from CV Sciences (formerly CannaVest). CV Sciences is one of the leading suppliers and manufacturers of agricultural hemp-derived CBD bulk and finished products. The article is guest-authored by SC Labs, CV Sciences’ chosen laboratory for cannabinoid third party testing.

As more cannabis products enter the marketplace, consumers are faced with the daunting task of discerning which products are safe, effective and trustworthy. Though cannabis consumer products have not yet achieved complete standardization, it’s important and empowering for consumers to be able to trust that their favorite brands go the extra step in providing transparency and showing scientific proof about the contents of the products they are producing. CV Sciences (formerly CannaVest) asked SC Laboratories – their chosen independent laboratory – to explain the importance of analytical testing of cannabis products by an independent third party laboratory, and to help break down the current product attributes that are analyzed when testing products like CV Sciences’ hemp-derived PlusCBD Oil product line. SC Labs shared the following.

What Do Cannabis Testing Laboratories Do?

Analytical testing by an independent third party laboratory is essential in the emerging cannabis market to arm consumers with specific knowledge of products and to help meet regulations where they exist. SC Labs’ role as an independent testing laboratory means that we are not affiliated with the cultivator, the manufacturer, the consumer, or the brand, and have no vested interest in the outcome of the testing. Our goal is simple: to test using known methods in order to offer transparency, quality control, and trust.

Let’s break down the different types of analyses SC Labs currently offers: potency, terpenes, residual solvents, pesticides and microbial contamination.

Testing for Cannabis Potency

Knowing the concentration of a product is essential for consumers interested in using an exact amount of cannabinoids. In our potency analysis, we measure the amount of specific cannabinoids present in a sample, including THC, THCA, CBD, CBDA and CBN. These cannabinoid concentrations can help a consumer identify the type of product to use. Some may seek out products with high levels of THCA while others search specifically for products high in CBD and low in THC. Potency testing is especially important for infused products taken orally, which can take an hour or more to feel the effects of the product.

Testing for Cannabis Terpenes

Terpenes and terpenoids contribute to the variations in the scent of cannabis. Knowing the terpene content can help a consumer choose a product to match a desired smell or effect. SC Labs’ terpene analysis measures the amount of many terpenes and terpenoids, which are naturally-occurring compounds in cannabis.

Testing for Residual Solvents in Cannabis

Solvents are often used to extract cannabinoids and terpenoids from plant material, and vary from chemical-free CO2 to harsher chemicals. If a concentrate is prepared by chemical extraction (by using butane, for example), residual solvents may exist in the final product. By measuring the amounts of solvent in a cannabis concentrate, we are able to provide manufacturers with the information they need to adjust their process and ensure that the highest quality of concentrates are being produced.

Testing for Cannabis Pesticides

The presence of pesticides in a cannabis product indicates that pesticides were used when growing the cannabis or that pesticides contaminated the flower or final product after growing. Knowing about the presence of pesticides in a product allows a consumer to make informed decisions about whether or not to ingest that product. SC Labs’ pesticide analysis currently looks for the presence of 12 pesticides commonly used in cannabis cultivation in California.

Microbial Screening of Cannabis Products

All natural products contain varying amounts of natural micro-flora, and quantifying those amounts can help consumers as well as producers decide which products to use and how to use them. SC Labs’ microbial screen currently quantifies a Total Viable Aerobic Bacteria, Total Viable Yeasts and Molds, and Total Viable Coliforms (including E. coli). We also use polymerase chain reactions (PCR) to screen for the presence or absence of salmonella spp. and possible Shiga toxin producing strains of E.coli. Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC) and Salmonella spp. are considered opportunistic pathogens and carry a strict zero tolerance policy in food samples.

SC Labs’ suite of tests provides consumers, producers and retailers with accurate and essential information about the quality and safety of their cannabis and cannabis-derived products. The role of the independent laboratory in providing that information ensures the data’s accuracy and credibility. This is a fundamental relationship critical to the transparency and longevity of a rapidly growing cannabis industry. Working with responsible producers who are dedicated to going the extra step to get their products independently tested should be a pillar in the process of choosing cannabis products. Credible companies will take note of this step and will be eager to share their test results.

Want to learn more about cannabinoid testing? CV Sciences is holding a FREE webinar about Setting the Standards on Cannabinoid Testing on Friday, March 25^th, 2016 at 10:00am PST. To register, please contact CV Sciences at education@nullpluscbdoil.com.

Resources:
[1]
[2] Russo EB. Taming THC: potential cannabis synergy and phytocannabinoid-terpenoid entourage effects. Br J Pharmacol. 2011;163(7):1344-64.

The Shake: SCOTUS Rejects Colorado Lawsuit, Racial Disparities Persist, and Infused Nutella is a Thing Now

Colorado cannabis dodges U.S. Supreme Court challenge. The high court on Monday declined to hear a case brought by Nebraska and Oklahoma, who claim Colorado’s adult-use legalization has led to an spike in cannabis coming into their jursidiction. The Obama administration here.

Federal government no good at handling cannabis, federal government says. The Government Accountability Office — a very important (and very boring) behind-the-scenes federal agency — criticized Congress and the Justice Department for failing to adequately monitor, study, or oversee legalization efforts at the state level. You can dive in to the nitty-gritty details over at the Hill or read the GAO report in full, but the upshot is this: If the feds keep tiptoeing around the issue as states take more hands-on approaches, things could get really messy really quickly.

Centers for Disease Control to doctors: Ignore cannabis. Opioid painkiller overdose deaths have become an epidemic in the United States. In response, the CDC last week advised doctors to stop routine testing of pain patients for cannabis. The tests provide little benefit, the institution explained, and could actually increase overdose deaths. Why? Because early indications are that cannabis allows pain patients to make do with lower opioid doses or stop taking prescription painkillers altogether. It’s a good step forward — and also another frustrating example of the federal government talking out of both sides of its mouth when it comes to cannabis policy.

Legalization is failing people of color. The push for legal cannabis isn’t all about tasty dabs and strains with silly names. It’s an ongoing effort to construct a more just and reasonable society — to right decades’ worth of wrongs. So while it’s great to see cannabis arrests nosediving in states that have legalized, it’s troubling that racial disparities persist. In Washington and Colorado, arrests for cannabis between 2008 and 2014 fell by 90 percent and 60 percent, respectively. But racial differences didn’t change at all — in both states, the arrest rates for black people were more than double that of other races, both before and after legalization. If that weren’t bad enough, high startup costs and strict state licensing requirements are keeping many entrepreneurs of color out of the cannabis market. We must do better.

Cannabis-infused Nutella is a thing now. In happier news, a Canadian entrepreneur has come out with hazelnut–chocolate Chrontella as well as Pif, an infused peanut butter that riffs on Jif. A jar of either contains about 300 mg of cannabis extract (roughly 30 standard servings) and goes for about $23 — but it’s only available in Canada. Clint Rainey over at Grub Street captures our feelings perfectly with this painful play on words: “the perfect way to add the incr- to your edible.” Someone get Rainey a crêpe already.

For Arkansas, there’s good news and there’s bad news. Here’s the bad news: According to the wonks at Canna Law Blog, yours is over at ABC’s Little Rock affiliate, KATV, then go register to vote if you haven’t already.

Massachusetts officials really, really hate cannabis. If you’ve been paying attention to what’s going on in the state, you probably knew that already. The latest attack comes from state Sen. Jason M. Lewis, who chairs a special legislative committee on cannabis. Shortly after the committee published a report on legalization in the state, Lewis came out in opposition to a pending adult-use ballot measure. He claims legalization would boost the accessibility of cannabis for minors and increase the perception among kids that the substance is safe to use. For a guy who just oversaw a taxpayer-funded research project about legalization, you’d think Lewis would try harder to get his facts straight.

QUICK HITS: Cannabis growers are looking to “traditional farmers” for lessons. Because — get ready for it — it turns out cannabis is just a plant. If you haven’t heard, there’s a lot of money in cannabis. The latest guesstimate says Americans will drop $23 billion a year in the legal market by 2020. So should California lawmakers tax medical cannabis? Aimee Kuvadia at CannabisWire weighs the pros and cons. Israel may be an industry leader in medical cannabis, but it won’t decriminalize. A bill that would’ve allowed the possession of up to five grams for personal use fell flat in committee, the Times of Israel reports. Uruguay was the world’s first country to legalize cannabis. But according Foreign Policy, things there are still very complicated. Colorado Springs good Samaritans rewarded with joints. Volunteers who cleaned up a local park were given a pre-roll for every bag of trash they collected. Detroit’s dispensary zoning map is so amusing we’re writing a whole story about it. But since you’ve made it this far, here’s a sneak peek courtesy of Michael Jackman at the Detroit Metro Times. More than half of Canadian voters approve of “grow your own” ruling. A federal court decision said medical patients have a right to cultivate cannabis for personal use, and 56 percent of voters think that’s a good thing. Civilized writer James McClure asks the question that’s been on all our minds: Does Canadian legalization open the door to sparking up in Scotland’s Edinburgh Castle? And finally, hemp shoes? Hemp shoes. Just in time for 4/20.

The Reason Cannabis Investors Should Be Watching Tilray

British Columbia-based Tilray is still a private company, but it’s an important indicator of where the marijuana industry is headed in Canada and beyond.

Tilray operates a marijuana research and production facility in Nanaimo, British Columbia, and like many other companies in the space, it’s aiming to change the way the world views pot. That’s a tall order — as Tilray Vice President Philippe Lucas recently told The Canadian Press, changing the conversation around marijuana involves fighting back against decades of propaganda and “reefer madness” rhetoric.

To do so, companies in the space are using rebranding strategies to try to give cannabis a new image. For example, Mettrum (TSXV:MT) uses a color-coded spectrum to identify its products. “We came up with a responsible dialogue for talking about cannabis that doctors would want to use, versus talking about strains like purple kush or super lemon haze,” Mettrum CEO Michael Haines told the Press.

Similarly, Tilray is working hard to overcome that stigma and bring the benefits of medical marijuana to the masses. As per blastingnews.com, Lucas recently headed up a study of 473 adult therapeutic cannabis users that found that 87 percent had given up using other medications in favor of cannabis. Tilray has plans to launch a larger, multi-site study, and is also funding a $400,000 clinical trial to look at the effects of medical marijuana on post-traumatic stress disorder.

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Meanwhile, the company has also teamed up with the government of New South Wales, the University of Sydney and Chris O’Brien Lifehouse to formulate a cannabis-based treatment for nausea and vomiting in chemotherapy. The trial, which is expected to begin later this year, will use capsules formed by Tilray containing cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

It’s also worth noting that Tilray is owned by Privateer Holdings, a company in which Paypal (NASDAQ:PYPL) co-founder Peter Thiel made a significant investment last year.

That said, Tilray has seen some troubles as it’s blazed its trail. In the middle of 2015, the company had to lay off 61 employees from its Nanaimo plant. It said at the time that it was making changes to its operating model to more efficiently serve patients.

However, since then the company has hired back 15 workers, and CEO Greg Engel recently told the Nanaimo News Bulletin that Tilray is back in growth mode. Furthermore, along with Whistler Medical, owned in part by PharmaCan Capital (TSXV:MJN), and Canopy Growth (TSXV:CGC) subsidiary Tweed, Tilray recently got the okay from Health Canada to sell fresh cannabis and cannabis oil in addition to dried marijuana.

#MedicalCannabis Drops available this week! Tomorrow morning we will release more #Indica and 3+:1 #CBD Drops. pic.twitter.com/YDMPm3Wk1e

— Tilray (@tilray) March 21, 2016

As Alan Brochstein of 420Investor explained, “[t]he ability to sell cannabis oil is beneficial to the licensed producers because it not only expands the market beyond those who wish to smoke or vaporize the cannabis to those who prefer to ingest it but also allows the companies to use the trim that was previously destroyed due to sales being limited strictly to the dried flower.”

Certainly, medical marijuana companies — and legal marijuana stocks in general — appear to be gaining traction among investors. Mentor Capital (OTCQB:MNTR) recently reported that its Cannabis Index for Value Investors had gained 22 percent so far in 2015. That was largely due to a boost seen by GW Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:GWPH) after it received a green light from the US Food and Drug Administration for its marijuana-derived drug for children with epilepsy. Still, other stocks in the index have seen increases in share price this year as well — Hemp (OTCMKTS:HEMP) is up 14.78 percent year-to-date at $0.05.

All in all, there’s no doubt that marijuana investors will want to keep an eye on both private and public movers and shakers in the space in the near term. For now, there’s been no news of an IPO on the horizon for Privateer or Tilray. However, Privateer CEO Brendan Kennedy has stated that there would be “opportunities for Privateer Holdings to go public and for individual portfolio companies to go public” once marijuana regulations change.

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Securities Disclosure: I, Teresa Matich, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

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Cannabis Craftsmanship: How to Make Topicals with Cannabis Basics

Have you ever wondered how cannabis topicals and body care products are made? Interested in learning how to make them for yourself? We visited Cannabis Basics in Seattle, Washington to find out how.

Ah Warner, founder of Cannabis Basics, has been making body care products infused with hemp seed oil rich in Omegas 3 and 6 since 1995. Until recently her products were completely cannabinoid-free, but with the passing of recreational cannabis laws she has begun infusing the therapeutic and aromatic compounds from psychoactive cannabis into her award-winning products.

Recently she invited us to her laboratory to show us how she makes her most popular product, The Remedy Pain Stick. It was the first product from Cannabis Basics to utilize CBD, THC, and THC-A along with the natural fragrances found in the cannabis flower in an effort to combat stress, pain, and inflammation.

Have you ever tried to make cannabis topicals or found them beneficial to your health? Check out the video for Ah’s step-by-step guide and share your experience in the comments section below. And don’t forget to subscribe to Leafly’s video channel for the next episode of the Cannabis Craftsmanship series and more!

Is Cannabis-Infused Alcohol Worth Considering?

Cannabis aficionados shouldn’t be surprised to hear that a micro-distillery in Humboldt County, in the heart of northern California’s Emerald Triangle, is brewing batches of vodka infused with Cannabis sativa. Humboldt Distillery, which makes organic vodka and spiced rum in addition to pear and apple brandies, recently introduced “Humboldt’s Finest,” a limited release premium small batch vodka that’s been infused with legal U.S.-grown hemp.

At Leafly, we have two questions. How’s it taste? And will it make you intoxicated in more ways than one?

Humboldt Distillery claims the finished product has “an aroma reminiscent of fresh cannabis” and serves as a fine substitute for gin in cocktails. That makes sense, as the hemp would contribute an herbaceous quality similar to gin’s shrubby juniper flavor.

The answer to the second question is a definite “no.” Hemp refers to the non-psychoactive varieties of Cannabis sativa L, meaning the plant contains less than 1% THC. So why would alcohol manufacturers bother to infuse their booze with hemp?

The most obvious reason is marketing. Cannabis is, to quote Mugatu, “So hot right now.” With legalization in the headlines, it makes sense for alcohol manufacturers to slap a weed pun on their labels to attract a double-take from shoppers.

Of course, anyone familiar with the cannabis industry knows that a legal cannabis-infused spirit that produces psychoactive effects is about as likely as D.A.R.E. adopting the slogan “Drugs Are Really Entertaining.” Given cannabis’s federal illegality, alcohol manufacturers would be prohibited from transporting a truly infused product across state lines.

Plus, I’m betting that most brands would think twice before taking on the legal risk of selling a beverage that’s doubly able to impair your state of mind. Studies have found that when consumed together, alcohol may increase THC concentrations, making that joint or bowl feel stronger than usual. (Anecdotally, I call this sensation “sweasy,” or a mix of “sweaty” and “queasy,” which I learned the hard way after a night of vaping coupled with a few too many vodka gimlets.)

On the other hand, we are talking about the alcohol industry, the same folks who brought you Four Loko and Scorpion Vodka, so you never know.

“Humboldt’s Finest” isn’t the first brand of cannabis-infused liquor to hit the shelves. Here’s a roundup of other special spirits you may have noticed:

Liquor

Victoria Spirits out of British Columbia has a “Left Coast Hemp Vodka” that’s distilled with organic Canada-grown hemp seeds. Its tasting notes describe the flavor as “hazelnut and a hint of spice,” with a “long, clean and refreshing” finish.

Also hailing from Canada, Mary Jane’s “Primo Hemp” vodka and gin are available for purchase at select Alberta liquor stores, or you can special order them if you live in another province or territory. (Sorry, Americans, no True North hemp booze for you.)

For something distilled stateside, Earth Mama vodka is hemp-infused and available in Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. High Times described the flavor as “leafy, stemmy,” and “not bad.”

Beer

Surprise surprise, another Humboldt-area brewer has hopped on the hemp bandwagon. Humboldt Brewing Company has a hemp ale that’s brewed with toasted hemp seeds to “add a unique, herb-accented flavor.”

Red Hook Brewery tipped its cap to Washington’s legalization milestone by brewing a limited edition “Joint Effort” amber/red ale in 2013. The brewery even made pull handles that looked like bongs. One reviewer described the flavor as “Lightly caramelly with some resiny hops and a light funky je ne sais quoi that might indeed be the hemp seeds.”

Germany makes a hemp brew called “Cannabia” that’s been around since 1996. It’s a typical German Pilsener with a flavor that beer aficionados have described as “piney” with “herbal crispness.”

Wine

Melissa Etheridge is making a line of psychoactive cannabis-infused wine, although for legal purposes she has to refer to them as “wine tinctures.” She told CBS News in December 2014 that the wine provides the standard alcohol buzz while the cannabis contributes a “delicious full body buzz.”

Mary Jane’s has also made hemp wines, currently offering a “BC Buddy” hemp-infused red wine that it recommends “[serving] cool.”

The “Green Dragon”

If you’re looking for the real deal and seek a true cannabis-infused liquor that will deliver the effects you’d expect then you, my friend, are chasing the Green Dragon, a slang term for alcohol that’s legit-infused with cannabis, not hemp. Both Vice and the Stoner’s Cookbook have recipes you can try at home, but follow Vice’s suggestion to “please enjoy responsibly!”, as you don’t want to end up like this sweasy author after too many grams and gimlets.

Image Sources: Victoria Spirts and Humboldt Brewing Company via Facebook

Would you try cannabis (not hemp) infused alcohol?

The Shake: 4/20 Cannabis Cup Bolts to California, Public Use in Toronto Ends, and Bernie Inhaled but Didn’t Enjoy

4/20 Cannabis Cup now in San Berdoo! OK. For reals. We think the 4/20 Cannabis Cup has actually found a home. After getting kicked out of the Denver Mart and then failing to secure the permits to hold the annual bacchanal in Pueblo, Colo., it looks like the good folks at High Times have moved the event to San Bernardino, Calif. Michael Roberts, reporting for Westword, follows the thread to the NOS Center in San Berdoo, which has hosted previous (medical) California Cannabis Cups. The U.S. Cannabis Cup, with its competitions and cannabis carnival booths, will take place there April 15–17. High Times will also hold a Colorado-only competition, with the winners announced at the Cypress Hill concert in Broomfield, Colo., on April 19. Remember: California is a medical state, so if you want to consume you’ll need to present your Cali MMJ card.

Medical use is about to get more difficult in Toronto. The Ontario government plans to ban the smoking and vaping of medical cannabis in all enclosed public places, workplaces, and many outdoor areas, reports the Toronto Star. Associate Health Minister Dipika Damerla is expected to outline the policy change later today. An official said the move was made to protect non-consumers from secondhand smoke and vapor. Under a previous rule, MMJ patients were allowed to smoke or vape in any public place where smoking is otherwise prohibited.

Sanders recalls a different kind of burn he felt, years ago. Bernie Sanders opened up about his past experience with cannabis while on the stump in Michigan earlier this week. “I’ve done marijuana twice in my life, when I was very young,” Sanders said. “And what it did for me, is it made me cough a lot — that was my response, but I gather other people have had different experiences.” Well, Bernie, it’s made us cough plenty too. But that’s not been its only effect. Sanders went on to say, “We also know, and people can argue this till the cows come home and scientists dispute it: Marijuana is not heroin. I’m not here advocating for marijuana. Marijuana is listed as a Schedule I drug alongside of heroin.” (The audience booed.) “I agree, and that is why I believe we should take marijuana out of the federal Controlled Substances Act.” Worth noting: 24 hours after uttering those remarks, Sanders thumped Hillary Clinton in Michigan.

Football and cannabis move up the media food chain. We’re more than a month past the Super Bowl, but the subject of cannabis and the NFL refuses to die. After extensive coverage a couple months ago from Leafly, Dope, the Cannabist, and other outlets, the mainstream media is picking up the thread. “Is it time for football to reconsider marijuana?” CNN reporter Nadia Kounang asked yesterday. Kounang’s story ran concurrently with an AP story about NFL players turning to hemp, “rather than marijuana,” to help with brain injuries. Well, look, it’s not hemp, it’s the cannabidiol (CBD) extracted from hemp. But whatever. Kudos to Nate Jackson, Ricky Williams, Kyle Turley, Jake Plummer, and other courageous members of the Gridiron Cannabis Coalition, without whom this discussion wouldn’t be happening.

Stop wasting $2.5 million a year on cannabis arrests in Pennsylvania. That was the advice from Eugene DePasquale, Pennsylvania’s auditor general, who urged the Legislature last week to pass a bill that would legalize medical marijuana. “I think it’s the right thing to do for people,” DePasquale said. “Whether it’s $2 or $2.5 million, it is a waste of money, in my opinion, to arrest people for this.” According to his research, the state currently spends that much to house 97 people imprisoned for nonviolent cannabis offenses.

QUICK HITS: Las Vegas’s newest dispensary, Essence, opened on Tuesday. It’s the first cannabis outlet on The Strip. Maine advocates filed a lawsuit challenging the secretary of state’s decision to disqualify their legalization measure from the November ballot. And finally, longtime cannabis activist and entrepreneur Steve Kubby pledged $1 million in Kush Research stock to a California initiative competing with the Sean Parker-backed Adult Use of Marijuana Act. Marijuana Business Daily reports that “it’s not clear whether the stock donation from Kush Research is worth anything.” Ouch.

Image Source (Graphic Overlay): Phil Roeder via Flickr Creative Commons

The Shake: Hillary the 'Drug Warrior,' a Utah Senator's Escape Plan, and a Football Coach Fired for Growing the Wrong Crop

A Utah Republican says he’s moving to South America. Why? Because his effort to legalize medical cannabis fell short. State Sen. Mark Madsen (R-Saratoga Springs) said he expects South America to offer more personal freedom. “I’ve long since concluded that I desire more freedom in my individual life than I’m allowed to have in this state,” he told the Salt Lake Tribune. Madsen’s bill, SB 73, essentially died on Monday after a more conservative measure, SB 89, won the support of a House committee. “It is fundamentally, functionally constructed to fail,” Madsen said of the current proposal, which he worries won’t adequately meet patient needs. “It’s entirely possible they wanted it to fail all along.” South America might be a nice change of scenery, Sen. Madsen, but Colorado, Oregon, and Washington are a lot closer.

Still need evidence medical cannabis isn’t “a joke”? Mic has a persusasive piece spotlighting a 15-year-old epilepsy patient. Toni Richard, the boy’s mother, says he was experiencing 3,000 seizures a day before trying medical cannabis — at which point he promptly went 375 days with a single one. It’s anecdotal evidence, sure, but it squares with a growing body of scientific research (going back to the 1980s) that suggests cannabis has the potential to drastically reduce epileptic seizures in children, even among patients who don’t see relief from traditional pharmaceuticals. How many other Schedule I substances can you say that about? (Related: Looks like Virginia, which legalized industrial hemp this week, is also on track to legalize cannabis cultivation for epilepsy treatment.)

How bad would Hillary be for cannabis? We’ve quipped that Clinton would provide “tepid” leadership on cannabis by essentially allowing states to do their own thing. Romain Bonilla at Marijuana Politics goes further, saying that from her time as first lady to secretary of state, Clinton “has proven herself to be one of the greatest drug warriors of our generation.” It’s a bit of a hit piece, yes, but it’s worth a read if you’re looking for a president who cares about cannabis. It’s not clear Clinton does.

The Seattle Times sides with Bernie, misses chance to mention cannabis. You’d think the largest newspaper in one of the country’s first legal states would say something Sanders’ forward-thinking view on cannabis. But nope! Washington’s Democratic caucus — yes, it’s a caucus — will be held on March 26. (ICYMI, Sanders won Colorado. Probably. And Oregon’s primary isn’t until May.) On the Republican side, the Times endorsed John Kasich, but don’t try asking him about cannabis.

Washington’s cannabis-testing scene gets even more bizarre. There’s been quite the kerfuffle over the state Liquor Control Board’s reportedly lax enforcement of pesticide rules. But now a state-certified testing lab has accused its science director of falsifying results. Poulsbo-based Testing Technologies fired Dustin Newman on Feb. 10, CEO Larry Ward tells the Seattle Times. But Newman, the former science director, says the dispute is over company ownership: “Mr. Ward’s efforts to blame it on audits or questionable results is merely a cover-up and disingenuous,” he said. It’s a developing story, so expect more to come.

Cannabis regulations confuse you? One California county decided to simplify things by releasing an animated video. It’s not half bad. Take a look:

QUICK HITS: Do Canada’s mandatory minimum sentences for cannabis qualify as cruel and unusual? One B.C. Supreme Court judge thinks so. Growing more than six plants could land you upward of half a year in jail, even if you’re just giving away some extra bud. A U.S. senator says legalization is a “disturbance.” But Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama) was also the first sitting senator to endorse Donald Trump for president. Draw your own conclusions. How does cannabis affect pregnant women? The truth is, we don’t really know. A new University of Colorado study hopes to change that. Industrial hemp could be even bigger in Massachusetts than cannabis. We’re still a little skeptical, but that’s what the headline says. Colorado recalls more cannabis. The latest recall affects five strains grown and sold by Bailey dispensary Sunrise Solutions. A high-school football coach might’ve lost his job over legal cannabis. Hillary Butler, who played for the Seattle Seahawks, won’t be coaching the Lakes High School team next year, and he thinks it’s due to his new cultivation business. The district won’t say. Rhode Island, as we all know, is tiny. But according to Marijuana Business Daily, its recreational cannabis market could be huge. And finally, your headline of the day: “Shiva Is A God Who Likes Marijuana — And So Do Many Of His Followers.”

Ep. 48 – He grows hemp for CBD, he's staring an edibles biz

Published: Mar 4, 2016, 5:55 pm • Updated: Mar 4, 2016, 5:55 pm Cannabist Staff Featured guests: Tim Gordon, hemp operations chief at CBDRx, and Herbanoids owner Brent Beckman. Podcast: Play in new window | Download LOTS TO TALK ABOUT –Is the revival of hemp farming in the U.S. going to outpace the lucrative business […]

The Shake: Falsified Drug Tests, The Trump vs. The Bern, and Flint's Water Crisis

The Republican frontrunner has cannabis supporters on edge. Donald Drumpf (or Drumpf, for you John Oliver fans) recently swept Super Tuesday, taking seven states and essentially staking his claim on the Republican nomination. The opinions on what this could mean for cannabis vary widely, and with good reason. Donald Drumpf’s opinions on cannabis (along with pretty much everything else) has varied widely over the years, and there’s no telling how much they could change in the future. Another uncomfortable possibility is that a Drumpf administration could appoint a anti-cannabis politician (Chris Christie, we’ve got our eye on you) into a powerful position. An anti-cannabis attorney general, for example, could shut down cannabis programs in legal states and push the cannabis movement back to the Dark Ages. So keep an eye on the short-fingered vulgarian.

An Oregon dispensary owner wants you to Bern one down. Foster Buds, which operates two dispensaries in Portland, Ore., has promised to donate 10 percent of sales from every $10 Farmer 12-brand joint to the Bernie Sanders campaign, as well as handing out t-shirts for the “Burn One for Bernie” campaign. Sanders has promised to make federal legalization a priority under his administration and has backed up his words with action. At least as far as the cannabis movement goes, Portland is feeling the Bern.

Oakland will be hosting the first-ever art cannabis art exhibition. The Oakland Museum of California is hosting an exhibit entitled “Altered State: Marijuana in California,” which will be opening on April 16, just in time for the unofficial cannabis holiday, 4/20. The exhibit aims to inspire conversation, featuring an installation titled “Cannabis Confessional” that warps the audience’s perception of time and space. There will be ten different areas of focus — Cannabis Science, Medical Marijuana, Profitable Pot, Sacred Ganja, Criminal Dope, Creative Grass, Evil Weed, Politically Loaded, Youth & Weed, and Recreational Reefer — all of which are sure to shine a spotlight on the plant and its role in society. Consider an edible first.

Flint’s polluted water is wreaking havoc on the Michigan cannabis industry. Lead and other heavy metals in Flint’s water supply could have dangerous implications for cannabis. Most states require testing medical marijuana for potency, pesticides, and heavy metals. Michigan, however, is one of the rare states that requires no testing, which means patients could be at risk. For patients in Flint, please be careful where you source your cannabis, and keep in mind that the pollutants in the water are easily transferred to the plants. (As we mentioned yesterday, industrial hemp was planted around Chernobyl for the express purpose of absorbing toxins from the soil.) For dispensaries and growers, it may be worth the extra cost to test cannabis for heavy metals — it might be good for business, too.

Nearly 8,000 criminal drug cases are being called into question after a lab technician was found to have forged positive test results. Kamalkant Shah worked as a lab technician for the New Jersey State Police Department, but was found to have “dry-labbed” samples containing suspected traces of marijuana. As officials put it, “Basically, he was observed writing ‘test results’ for suspected marijuana that was never tested.” Shah was a police technician from 2005 until 2015, which means the 7,827 cases he worked on are now under scrutiny. Many specimens will need to be retested, but many have already been destroyed. It remains to be seen how this could impact cases that were resolved based on evidence handled by Shah.

A Portland cannabis café is closing shop thanks to Oregon’s clean air laws. A warning from public health officials will force owners to close the World Famous Cannabis Café, which allowed the consumption of cannabis on the premises. Erik Vidstrand, a specialist for the Multnomah County branch of Smoke-Free Oregon, advised the café during an unannounced visit that smoking is not allowed under Oregon’s Indoor Clean Air Act, which last year was extended to include cannabis smoke. The law does allows for two exceptions when it comes to tobacco consumption — cigar bars and smoke shops — but makes no such exception for cannabis.

QUICK HITS: A Denver security company has launched a new program for the cannabis industry. The Total Accountability Program offers specially tailored services for businesses in the cannabis sphere. A little girl whose life has been improved by cannabis oil felt the love at last week’s Oscars show. Four year-old Kyla Williams suffers from intractable epilepsy, but received a wave of support from celebrities at the Oscars, who raised money and signed their well-wishes to little Kyla. Justin Trudeau seemed like the ideal candidate for cannabis, but he’s been disappointing in office. The Canadian prime minister ran on a pro-legalization platform, but he now warns that marijuana arrests will continue in Canada and that decriminalization is a no-go. And finally, if you haven’t seen it yet, the Ghostbusters are back. Who ya gonna call??

The State of the Leaf: Maine Falls Short and Washington Sets Hemp Free

Here’s the news that’s fit to print: Hawaii is stepping up its legislation game with the introduction of four new bills aimed at regulating the new medical marijuana dispensary program, Maine’s legalization bid failed to make the ballot, Maryland can’t decide how it feels about cannabis, Ohio and Pennsylvania push for medical marijuana, and Michigan and Rhode Island take a stab at recreational legalization. Internationally, New Zealand is reviewing its medical cannabis guidelines and Puerto Rico’s governor calls for legalization on his way out the door.

U.S. Cannabis News

MAINE

Maine’s efforts to legalize cannabis for recreational purposes will have to wait until next year. The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol submitted 99,229 signatures but the Maine Secretary of State only accepted 51,543 signatures. That means the initiative falls short of the 61,123 signatures needed to earn a spot on the ballot. The Secretary of State’s Office disqualified more than 31,000 signatures based on a single notary whose signature did not match the state’s file on record. There were originally two initiatives for legalization in Maine, but Legalize Maine joined the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol last November to double up their efforts.

HAWAII

Several bills are up for consideration to supplement Hawaii’s medical marijuana program. Senator Russell Ruderman (D-Puna) introduced Senate Bill 2523, which would allow open-air growing operations to harness the state’s naturally sunny resources so long as the operations are not visible from the outside.

House Bill 1829 from Representative Joseph Souki (D-Maui) would make cannabis penalties similar to restrictions on alcohol. Senate Bill 2176 from Senator Will Espero (D-Oahu) would establish a commission to oversee the medical marijuana program. The commission would be a branch of the Department of Health, and would maintain regulations and handle enforcement. Senate Bill 2384 from Senator Rosalyn Baker (D-Maui) would require the Department of Health to conduct regular, unannounced inspections of medical cannabis facilities and dispensaries.

All four bills were advanced to a second reading by the Legislature.

MARYLAND

Maryland lawmakers are flip-flopping on marijuana. Governor Larry Hogan vetoed a bill making possession of cannabis paraphernalia and smoking cannabis in public a civil offense (both are currently criminal offenses). The General Assembly then overturned Hogan’s veto, so no more jail time for holding a bong.

On the other hand, the House of Delegates narrowly voted down a measure that would increase the penalties for public consumption. The delegates passed a proposal making it illegal for a driver or passenger to use cannabis in a vehicle, so no more hotboxing the Kia in Hagerstown.

MICHIGAN

The Michigan Legislature is now looking at a bill that could legalize the growth, manufacturing, distribution and sales of cannabis for recreational purposes. Senator Coleman Young II introduced Senate Bill 813, otherwise known as the “nonmedical marihuana code,” which would allow adults 21 and older to possess up to one ounce of cannabis and up to five plants.

This bill would also impose a tax of $50 per ounce on growers. The tax revenue would be divided between the Department of Education (30 percent), the Department of Health and Human Services (10 percent), the Department of Community Health (10 percent) and the state’s general fund (50 percent).

NEBRASKA

Nebraska’s Attorney General has officially joined opponents of a bill to legalize medical marijuana. Attorney General Doug Peterson, who has already sued the State of Colorado over cannabis legalization, said that a letter from the American Epilepsy Society urged him to reconsider supporting Legislative Bill 643 before more research can be done. LB643 would legalize cannabis for medicinal use by sufferers of cachexia, pain, nausea, and seizures related to epilepsy and multiple sclerosis.

OHIO

Legalization advocates in Ohio just released their new medical marijuana initiative, and campaign leaders are pulling out all the stops to please the various groups backing the measure. The bill would create two tiers of production licensing; there would be 15 licenses available for large-scale production with a $500,000 application, as well as an unlimited number of small-scale licenses with a (much more reasonable) application fee of $5,000. It appears that the initiative has gained the support of all of the major Ohio cannabis legalization groups, who are currently gathering signatures to secure a spot on the November ballot.

PENNSYLVANIA

Pennsylvania’s fight for medical marijuana is nearing a vote in the House of Representatives, but the legislature is preparing more than 200 amendments to consider adding to Senate Bill 3, which passed the Senate last May. The amendments are all over the map, ranging from full recreational legalization to major restrictions. With so many changes, the bill will likely need to go before the full Senate once again for a vote.

A 2015 poll found that 88 percent of Pennsylvanians support medical marijuana, but the Pennsylvania House has repeatedly blocked attempts to legalize medicinal marijuana in any form.

RHODE ISLAND

A top lawmaker has thrown his support behind a bid to legalize cannabis in the Ocean State. Senate Majority Leader Dominick Ruggerio (D-North Providence) signed on as a cosponsor for Senate 2420, the “Marijuana Regulation, Control and Taxation Act,” which would legalize and regulate the sales of cannabis to adults 21 years of age and older. A companion bill is being introduced in the Rhode Island House by Representative Scott Slater (D-Providence).

WASHINGTON

The Washington State Legislature passed a bill allowing licensed growers to produce industrial hemp. Senate Bill 6206 passed the House with a unanimous vote and is now headed to Governor Jay Inslee, who is expected to sign it into law. The measure also allows Washington State University to research hemp production to determine if there is a market for industrial hemp products. WSU’s findings are expected to be released in January 2017.

International Cannabis News

NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand will be reviewing the guidelines for the use of medicinal cannabis, with the goal of tweaking them to make them more robust and comprehensive. Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne plans to discuss it further with Australian lawmakers at the Australian Drug Foundation’s National Drug Summit, which will take place in Canberra. The guidelines were initiated after an appeal from the family of an epileptic teenager who died last year. Recently the issue came to light again after Helen Kelly, the former head of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, applied to use medical cannabis in her fight against lung cancer.

PUERTO RICO

Puerto Rico’s governor used his last public address to the U.S. territory to call for the legalization of cannabis. Alejandro Garcia Padilla signed an executive order last May to legalize the use of cannabis as treatment for certain qualifying medical conditions, and although he will not be seeking re-election, his vocal support may set a precedent for his successor to follow. Garcia-Padilla called for the approval of a 2013 bill to decriminalize cannabis and emphasized the importance of addressing the economic crisis that has plagued the island in recent months.

The Shake: Scientists Study the Munchies, New York Fears Vermont, and Portland Bans the Cannabis Drive-Thru

Hungry? It’s not necessarily the cannabis. Lack of sleep can produce the same chemicals in the brain as those associated with cannabis munchies, according to a new report. University of Chicago researchers found study participants who got less sleep ate roughly 300 more calories per day than when they were well rested. The sleepy ones also were more likely to eat unhealthier high-calorie foods with more fat. So if you’re staying up late and consuming, consider yourself doubly warned. But don’t forget to indulge sometimes. You deserve it.

Vermont has New York worried. Empire State authorities are watching closely as Vermont’s recreational legalization bill marches toward passage. “I don’t think anybody in law enforcement at this point knows how they’re going to deal with it if it does go in Vermont like this,” Cambridge-Greenwich Police Chief George Bell tells CBS affiliate WRGB. Bell, whose jurisdiction is just minutes from the Vermont border, says he’ll continue to treat possession there as criminal unless the cannabis was prescribed in New York. “I think it’s going to be a nightmare,” he predicted.

Growing your own in less-than-fertile soil? You’re probably OK. Even though it’s technically possible for cannabis to absorb heavy metals like lead and arsenic, consuming it isn’t much of a concern. “An 8-ounce tomato is a light snack. Eight ounces of weed is 200 pretty fat joints,” writes Marty Smith in Oregon’s Willamette Week. His conclusion? Consuming contaminated cannabis isn’t ideal, obviously, but it’s much less worrisome than veggies from the same backyard plot. Smith also gives us this fun fact: Because cannabis soaks up contaminants, industrial hemp has been planted near Chernobyl with the express purpose of reducing soil toxicity. Far out.

Cannabis drive-thrus are about to be outlawed before they even exist. Today the Portland City Council will consider a rule to ban medical dispensaries from offering drive-thru or walk-up window sales in the city, Beth Slovic reports. Apparently they’re perfectly legal at the moment, though there aren’t any in the city. “In our minds, it’s shoring up the language to make sure there’s no confusion,” Theresa Marchetti, who oversees Portland’s marijuana regulations, tells Willamette Week about the likely change. If you like the drive-thru idea, you’ll have to head to the coastal town of Gold Beach, which is set to open its first drive-thru shop in April. Road trip, Portland pals?

Delivery in Seattle? Don’t hold your breath. A state bill that would’ve launched a delivery pilot program in the city looks dead in the water after missing a Feb. 26 deadline, writes Tobias Coughlin-Bogue, who had a piece on Leafly yesterday about how cannabis businesses are expanding across state lines. That means that consumers might soon be stuck — under City Attorney Pete Holmes’ new crackdown, Seattle could eventually eradicate existing delivery services only to find itself without a legal way to replace them. Whoops.

QUICK HITS: Jackie Chan supports the death penalty for drug offenses. So says the Daily Mail, which also reports the martial arts star’s own son was once jailed on cannabis charges. Rush Hour 2 will never feel the same. Cannabis in Queensland? It’ll stay illegal, the Australian state’s health minister says. Legal cannabis sales in Illinois topped $1.5 million in February. All told, the state’s dispensaries, now numbering 29, have sold $4.4 million in medical marijuana since the program began Nov. 9. Local news outlets are still spreading panic about shatter. The latest is an ABC report out of Houston that warns of high-potency cannabis “shattering lives.” Don’t buy it — read Leafly’s response. “Of course Vice would have a show about weed,” writes NJ.com in a preview of this week’s premiere. Here’s what $1 million in cannabis looks like. NYPD is so proud of the haul they posted a picture on Twitter. Prepare for Portland’s first cannabrunch. As if life couldn’t get any better for those lucky PDX hipsters. And finally, famous athletes are advocating for cannabis as a workout tool. We’ve seen this kind of thing before, but those articles didn’t include this killer drawing:

At the First Cannabis Convention in Texas, the Police Were Quiet and the Women Kicked Ass

Optimism ran high at the first-ever cannabis convention in the Lone Star state last weekend. On the floor of the Fort Worth Convention Center, purple-suit-clad hemp-butter salesmen roller skated through the crowd, retreating and venturing out from their home base, a (magic?) school bus. Families rocked sleeping infants while browsing glassware. Couples, just there to “check it out,” strolled hand-in-hand past advocacy booths—for Texas NORML, Republicans Against Marijuana Prohibition, and the Marijuana Policy Project —offering fact sheets and selling Texas-themed tees. Job seekers in shined shoes talked shop with startup reps, one of whom assured me that only 30 percent of jobs created around cannabis are “touching the flowers”.

This may be familiar terrain for cannabis industry veterans in Colorado, Washington, and California. But we don’t see this kind of thing every day in Texas.

This is a state infamous for its hard line against all things cannabis. As recently as 2011, Texas was ranked as one of the five worst states in which to get busted. Two years ago a teenager from Round Rock faced a potential life sentence for being caught with about a pound and a half of pot brownies. In Texas, mandatory minimum sentences are still in effect for cannabis-related offenses. Those sentences carry no chance of parole and offer judges no leeway to lessen the penalty.

There have been small signs of change. Last year Texas adopted the Compassionate Use Act, which allows patients with intractable epilepsy to use low-THC cannabis. While it’s a step in the right direction, existing laws still bar nearly all Texans from accessing the bulk of the money-, health-, and happiness-making possibilities of the plant.

So one of the big questions of the weekend was how local police officers would receive this quasi-outlaw industry.

I tried to talk to a cop – who said he works often at the Fort Worth Convention Center — about the awkwardness of policing against something today that would likely be legal tomorrow. But said he couldn’t comment on that—or anything else, for that matter. But, stationed not far from a hemp-brownie stand, he didn’t seem to be having a bad time. By the time we spoke, the morning’s rocky start seemed like just a bad dream. An hour earlier Glenn Reynolds, CEO of Honey B Healthy Living products, had been detained because of confusion about his company’s non-THC-oil containing products.

“It’s an education issue,” Reynolds told me. “The [police] were super nice. We had a normal conversation.” Reynolds said he’d improved his situation by having a photo on his phone of a hemp hair product available in the drug store down the street—whose ingredients matched the ones in his products.

I asked the seven-strong “Power Women of Cannabis” panel for tips on talking pot with the police. With a preacher’s conviction and fire, the “Martha Stewart of weed,” Cheryl Shuman, responded: “There’s one sentence to remember: ‘I do not. Consent. To a search!”

“We try not to have a problem with law enforcement,” added Heather Manus, a registered nurse who spearheaded efforts to get PTSD recognized as a debilitating condition under Arizona’s medical marijuana act.

Jeanette Ward, founder of Minority Cannabis Business Association, directed me to Law Enforcement Against Prohibition’s Larry Talley, a Dallas-based disabled and retired veteran, and advocate on the police force.

Legal problems still loom, Ward added, even where marijuana is lawful. In 23 states, she said, prior offenders are not allowed to enter the industry. Those regulations exclude people of color disproportionately, since minorities are arrested far more often for marijuana use even though people of all ethnicities have similar consumption rates. In Chicago, for instance, recently released figures showed that arrests of Black people for marijuana possession outpaced white arrests 15 to 1.

It was this issue that had drawn Bettina and Laurie to the show. They were Fort Worth locals who were the first convention-goers I met. They were happy to talk, though only on a first-name basis.

“People of color are disproportionately excluded from the conversation on cannabis because of criminal backgrounds,” Bettina told me. “We are here to make sure that doesn’t happen” in Texas.

On the brighter side, the booths and panels I saw suggest the cannabis industry’s growth in Texas may greatly benefit women, who in the U.S. still earn less than men in every industry where comparative data exists. “Being a woman in this industry is like being a female plant: that’s where the value lies,” Heather Manus said. “We can be who we are, and be successful by being that.”

Nonprofits that help folks learn about cannabis health benefits, business opportunities, and social justice issues are sprouting before the industry itself in Texas. And women helm the majority of those organizations.

Furthermore, in an industry where word of mouth is everything, women—who are the backbone of many communities in Texas—are ideally positioned to thrive, and are vital conduits of accurate information.

Drayah Sallis, founder of the Dallas chapter of Women Grow, talked about the way people come to women for information through a variety of networks. “You can talk about the plant all day,” she said. “It’s not against the law to say ‘marijuana.’ I am a Christian… and I have had more Christians say to me, ‘I’ve been wanting to ask you about the green stuff.'”

Moving cannabis toward legalization won’t be an easy fight in Texas. This is a heavily Republican state, and this can be a tough issue among red voters. Republicans Against Marijuana Prohibition (RAMP) may have “Republican” in its name, but the group was still denied a booth at the upcoming state Republican convention. Gov. Greg Abbott recently vetoed a cannabis-related mental health bill while advocating for looser open carry gun laws. But the cannabis conversation is clearly not going away.

“This is going to change the world!” Cheryl Shuman shouted to 250 cannabis-curious Texans in Fort Worth. “It already is. Texas, especially!”

NORML’s Legislative Round Up February 26th, 2016

The Vermont Senate approved legalization legislation this week! We also have several additional international updates from around the globe.

International:

Australia: Members of Australia’s House and Senate approved legislation this week to amend federal law to permit for the licensed production and distribution of cannabis to qualified patients. The move by Parliament follows recent efforts by several Australian territories to provide patients participating in clinical trials with access to the plant. Government officials will still need to develop and approve regulations for the new program before any production licenses can be issued.

Canada: A federal court in Canada ruled this week that government officials cannot prohibit physician-authorized patients from growing their own supply of medical cannabis. The decision strikes down regulations enacted in 2013 that sought to take away patients’ longstanding authority to grow personal use quantities of cannabis.

The judge’s ruling provides Parliament with six months to create new rules governing the regulation and distribution of medical cannabis in a manner that no longer requires patients to obtain medicine solely from federally-licensed, private third party providers. NORML Canada ‘s John Conroy served as lead counsel for the plaintiffs in the case, while NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano served as an expert witness and filed an affidavit in the case.

Federal:

In an interview from last year but only recently made public, former US Attorney General Eric Holder acknowledged that marijuana should “certainly be rescheduled”. He said, “You know, we treat marijuana in the same way that we treat heroin now, and that clearly is not appropriate. So at a minimum, I think Congress needs to do that. Then I think we need to look at what happens in Colorado and what happens in Washington.”

While NORML agrees that marijuana’s current classification in the Controlled Substances Act is inappropriate, NORML believes in descheduling cannabis, not rescheduling the plant. In an article published this week on Alternet, NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano outlines why rescheduling cannabis does not go far enough and advocates for why it should be removed from the CSA altogether.

State:

Georgia: Legislation has been introduced, House Bill 1046, to amend state law so that minor marijuana offenders no longer face jail time. If approved, the legislation would make the first time possession of up to one ounce of marijuana punishable by a $250 fine. Subsequent offenses would result in a $500 fine for the second offense and $750 fine for the third offense. #TakeAction

Hawaii: Pending legislation, Senate Bill 2787, to further encourage the state Department of Agriculture to license farmers to grow industrial hemp for “research and development purposes” was approved by the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Labor this week. The committee approved an amended version of the legislation in a 4-0 vote. #TakeAction

Pennsylvania: Members of the Harrisburg City Council have scheduled two separate public meetings to discuss a proposal to redefine municipal marijuana possession offenses from a misdemeanor to a citation. The meetings will be Thursday March 10 at the Harrisburg Area Community College midtown campus, Midtown 2, Room 206, at 1500 North Third Street and Thursday March 24 at the city’s public works building at 1820 Paxton Street. Both meetings will start at 5:30 p.m.

Michigan: Newly introduced Senate legislation, SB 813, seeks to permit for the personal possession, cultivation, and retail sale of marijuana. Under the measure, adults would be permitted to possess and grow personal use quantities of the plant, and a system would be established for the retail production and sale of cannabis. Similar legislation introduced in the fall of 2015, HB 4877, remains pending in the Judiciary Committee. #TakeAction

Vermont: Members of the Senate voted 17 to 12 on Thursday in favor of legislation, Senate Bill 241, to regulate the adult use, production, and sale of cannabis. The historic vote marks the first time that any legislative chamber in the state has ever approved legislation to permit the adult use and retail sale of cannabis.

The Senate’s action was praised by Gov. Shumlin, who is backing the measure. The measure now will be debated by members of the Vermont House. #TakeAction

West Virginia: House Bill 4712 was introduced this week to depenalize marijuana possession offenses. The legislation removes marijuana from West Virginia’s list of schedule I drugs and removes all state criminal and civil penalties associated with the substance. Additionally, the proposal allows adults 21 and older to cultivate up to six cannabis plants, and to transfer up to one ounce of cannabis to another person age 21 or older without remuneration. #TakeAction

In addition, senate legislation is pending to permit qualified patients access to medical cannabis. Senate Bill 640 permits qualified patients to engage in marijuana therapy and to cultivate (up to 12 mature plants) and to possess (up to six ounces) personal use amounts of cannabis. The measure also seeks to establish a permitting process for “registered compassion centers”, which will be licensed to produce and dispense medicinal cannabis to qualified patients. The bill is before the Senate Health and Human Resources Committee. You can read the full text of this measure here. Companion legislation, House Bill 4680, has also been filed in the House of Representatives. #TakeAction

10 Basic Facts about Marijuana

Marijuana, cannabis and hemp are all names that refer to this unique plant. The marijuana symbol is seen everywhere these days — on clothing, jewelry,…

The post 10 Basic Facts about Marijuana appeared first on Leaf Science.

Bill Maher Lights-Up On Network Television

Long-time marijuana legalization proponent, and NORML Advisory Board member, comedian Bill Maher, achieved some sort of milestone recently when he lit-up a joint during a humorous monologue on his HBO television show Real Time With Bill Maher.

Now, don’t get me wrong. There have likely been thousands of entertainers and celebrities over the years who have gotten stoned prior to appearing on a television program, and who have been comfortable performing in front of a national audience while stoned.

But this was different. Here was a celebrity talk-show host on a major network, who, in the middle of his monologue on the need to legalize marijuana nationwide, pulled a joint out of his jacket pocket, lit it and began toking. It was, I presume, his way of demonstrating that smoking marijuana is no big deal, and does not cause the smoker to lose control or behave in an inappropriate manner. Maher completed his monologue, which was extraordinarily funny, and continued with his program, without the slightest indication he was impaired by his smoking.

Don’t Take Legalization for Granted

Also, Maher clearly had a serious political purpose in mind when he decided to ignore the marijuana laws and light-up a joint on his show. He was using his monologue to remind his viewers that marijuana legalization does not occur without a lot of work from proponents in each individual state, and that none of us should presume the current political momentum will continue indefinitely. “Stop treating it like you could never lose it,” Maher warned.

That’s a message that resonates with those of us who lived through the 1970s, when, based on the report of the Marijuana Commission, we first decriminalized minor marijuana offenses in eleven states, and felt we were on the verge of winning nationwide. Instead, near the end of the decade the mood of the country turned far more conservative towards marijuana policy, with the rise of the parents’ movement and Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” campaign, and we saw our progress come to an abrupt halt. We failed to win another statewide marijuana reform measure for 18 years (until California legalized medical use in 1996).

There are important differences between those years and the current time, including an enormous increase in public support for legalization. In the 1970s, when we were winning decriminalization proposals at the state level, the Gallup Poll showed we enjoyed only about 28% support for legalization. Today that support level is at 58%, a reality our opponents will have to overcome if they expect to stop the legalization movement.

But Maher’s point is valid; we should not treat legalization as if it is inevitable. We are currently winning, and each election cycle we are adding more states and gaining momentum nationally. But our opponents have not given up the fight, and we must not rest on our laurels.

Lighting-Up As A Political Act

I know that lighting-up in public is something that remains off-limits for most legalization activists, considered a tactic that might be “over the line” and could frighten non-smokers and cause a political backlash. I too generally favor tactics that are less confrontational. With the wind of public support now behind our backs, we can usually make our case more effectively without the need for civil disobedience.

But for every rule there is an exception, and there are some situations in which lighting-up in public is justified, and makes sense. And Maher’s decision to light-up on his television program, as part of his monologue, was one of those times.

Maher was not getting stoned just to relax, or to get high; he was doing it as part of his long-term, continuing support for legalizing marijuana; it was a very public, and effective way to protest marijuana prohibition. And it demonstrated that Maher would not be intimidated by the fear of being arrested for his use of marijuana.

Others Have Used This Tactic Effectively

And it is not just celebrities who sometimes light-up a joint publicly to protest prohibition. One obvious example is Philly NORML co-chair and journalist Chris Goldstein, who in 2013 organized a series of marijuana prohibition protests at the Liberty Bell, called “Smoke Down Prohibition.” The connection between personal liberty and smoking marijuana was obvious.

These events were announced in advance, specifically for the purpose of protesting prohibition, and Goldstein (and others) ignored the presence of the police who were standing by, observing the event, and lit-up a joint and passed it around to others who chose to be part of the protest.

On the first event, there were no arrests. But at the second event both Goldstein and nine of his colleague were issued federal citations (the Liberty Bell is on federal property), but no one was taken into custody. But on the third time, two months later, Goldstein was arrested, and this time he was taken to trial, convicted, fined $3,000, banned from getting within 100 feet of the Liberty Bell, and placed on probation for two years, with strict drug testing and travel restrictions.

He understood the risks of engaging in civil disobedience, and he accepted the legal consequences for his actions, hoping the courage he displayed might cause other smokers to assume a more assertive role, and might cause some elected officials to treat the legalization issue more seriously. I greatly admire Goldstein for his willingness to put his personal freedom on the line for principle.

And importantly, Goldstein has continued his pro-legalization work and the results have been dramatic. With the help of a supportive city councilman, Goldstein led the efforts to decriminalize minor marijuana offenses in the city in 2014, substituting a $25 fine instead of an arrest and jail. And marijuana arrests have plummeted in Philadelphia.

The Seattle Hempfest and the Boston Freedom Rally

Public smoking has always been prominent at events such as the Seattle Hempfest and the Boston Freedom Rally, which are modern versions of what we used to call “smoke-ins.” The whole purpose of being there is to flout marijuana prohibition and to light-up in public en masse.

When one person does it, you may get arrested. But when thousands of people join in the protest, at most the police can only arrest a few token (or should that be toking) protesters. And generally, over time, the authorities essentially abandon their futile attempts to enforce the law, and largely look the other way. That has been the case with both the Seattle and the Boston events.

So while the marijuana legalization issue has made such political progress over the last several years that I believe these “in your face” tactics are, in most situations, not the most effective, so long as marijuana prohibition remains in place in even one state, and under federal law, there will be situations where lighting-up in public makes a positive political statement. And Bill Maher used one of those occasions to fire one up on his network television program last week.

Nice work, Bill. You made us all proud!

________________________________________________________

This column first appeared on Marijuana.com

http://www.marijuana.com/blog/news/2016/02/bill-maher-lights-up-on-network-television/

http://www.marijuana.com/blog/news/2016/02/bill-maher-lights-up-on-network-television/

NORML’s Legislative Round Up February 5th, 2016

This week we have an array of legislative updates ranging from more bills being introduced, other bills stalling, and everything in between. We have news out of Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Virginia, Utah and Washington D.C.! Keep reading below to get the latest in marijuana law reform this week.

Federal:

The Marijuana Advertising in Legal States (MAILS) Act was introduced this week by Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Representatives Earl Blumenauer and Suzanne Bonamici. This legislation would “reverse the outdated declaration by the U.S. Postal Service in December 2015 that prohibited the mailing of newspapers with ads offering to buy or sell marijuana, even if the marijuana-related ad complies with state law.” Senator Wyden says, “Our bill updates the federal approach to marijuana, ending the threat to news publications that choose to accept advertising from legal marijuana businesses in Oregon and other states where voters also have freely decided to legalize marijuana.”

Democrat Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton made comments this week in response to a question at a town hall meeting from a medical marijuana patient who asked what she would do to decriminalize the drug. Clinton responded boldly saying, “She would do a lot.” She reiterated her support for states to decide the issue and reaffirmed that, if elected President, she would reschedule marijuana from a Schedule I drug in the Controlled Substances Act to a Schedule II substance. She stated, “I have no doubt there are very real benefits to people.”

Democrat Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders also made comments this week related to marijuana policy when he addressed the question, “If elected, how would your administration address the current tension between state and federal marijuana laws?” Sanders responded, “As President, I would direct HHS and DOJ to immediately review if marijuana should be rescheduled or descheduled under the Controlled Substances Act, and I would instruct DOJ not to interfere with states who have legalized or decriminalized marijuana.”

State:
Arizona: House Bill 2007, was introduced to defelonize minor marijuana possession offenses.Under present law, marijuana possession is classified as a felony, punishable by up to two years in jail. House Bill 2007 reclassifies minor marijuana possession offenses from a felony to a civil offense, punishable by a fine only — no arrest, no criminal prosecution, and no criminal record. #TakeAction

California: Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation that seeks to dissuade California cities and counties from enacting municipal restrictions on the cultivation and dispensing of medical marijuana by amending a drafting error in the The Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act. It also removes objectionable language authorizing local governments to prohibit patients from cultivating, storing, donating, or processing marijuana for their own personal use, and by doing so, reaffirms that qualified patients have the right under state law to engage in personal cultivation absent a city or state license.

Florida: House legislation, House Bill 271, redefines industrial hemp as an agricultural crop and establishes licensing regulations to allow for the plant’s cultivation. A committee substitute version of the bill was unanimously approved by members of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Tuesday, February 2nd. We’ll keep you updated as this legislation moves forward. #TakeAction

Hawaii: Objectionable legislation is pending in the House to eliminate patients’ longstanding rights to cultivate medical marijuana. House Bill 1680 repeals patients’ legal authority to cultivate personal use quantities of cannabis. Criminalizing the personal cultivation of cannabis is an arbitrary prohibition that has absolutely no basis in public safety. For sixteen years, thousands of Hawaii patients have possessed the ability to cultivate personal use qualities of medicinal marijuana. There exists no evidence that this law has led to any sort of widespread abuse or public safety threat.. #TakeAction

Illinois: Legislation is pending in the Senate to expand Illinois’ hemp law to promote hemp-related commerce. The act seeks to establish regulations for the Department of Agriculture to license persons “desiring to grow, process, cultivate, harvest, process, possess, sell, or purchase industrial hemp or industrial hemp related products.” #TakeAction

In separate news, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner this week rejected a recommendation from the Medical Cannabis Advisory Board to expand the state’s medical marijuana program by adding eight additional qualifying conditions. For more information on organizing patients’ efforts in Illinois, please contact Illinois NORML.

Kansas: Members of the Senate voted 38 to 1 on Wednesday, February 3, in favor of a Committee substitute version of HB 2049 to reduce criminal penalties for first-time marijuana possession offenses from a Class A misdemeanor (punishable by up to one year incarceration and a $2,500 fine) to a Class B misdemeanor (punishable by no more than six months in jail and a $1,000 fine). Second convictions will no longer be classified as a felony offense. The amended language now returns to the House for a concurrence vote. #TakeAction

Maine: Marijuana legalization advocates turned in more than 100,000 signatures to the Secretary of State’s office this week in hopes of meeting the 60,000 requirement to qualify for the 2016 ballot. Read more about this campaign here.

Maryland: House Bill 443 is pending in the General Assembly to permit the Department of Agriculture to authorize institutions of higher education to cultivate industrial hemp for academic research purposes.This legislation is scheduled to be heard Wednesday, February 10th by members of the Environment and Transportation Committee at 1:00PM. #TakeAction

Separate legislation, House Bill 665, seeks to place a constitutional amendment on the November 2016 ballot to regulate adult marijuana use. If approved by lawmakers, the bill would allow voters to decide if they wish to regulate the commercial cultivation, processing, and retail of marijuana to adults over the age of 21. You can read the full text of this proposal here. #TakeAction

New Jersey: Assembly Bill 2050, legislation to decriminalize minor marijuana possession offenses in New Jersey, is pending in the General Assembly. If approved, the legislation would remove criminal penalties for those who possess 15 grams of marijuana or less. New Jersey’s 24,765 arrests for possession of small amounts of marijuana in 2013 was the state’s highest number in 20 years. #TakeAction

Rhode Island: Governor Gina Raimondo has proposed that a new tax be imposed upon state qualified patients who choose to cultivate their own cannabis. The proposed taxes range from $150 per plant for an individual patient up to $350 per plant for growers with cultivator licenses. The proposed tax is rightfully drawing fire, from patients and other concerned citizens. For more information on efforts to oppose this change, please visit the Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition.

Utah: On Thursday, February 4th, members of the Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee moved SB 73, the Medical Cannabis Act, to the Senate floor. The legislation seeks to amend state law to permit for the state-licensed cultivation of cannabis, including strains with higher THC content, for the manufacturing of medicinal products and/or herbal preparations. We’ll keep you updated as this measure continues to move forward. #TakeAction

Virginia: House and Senate lawmakers set aside legislation that sought to eliminate criminal penalties for marijuana possession offenses. On February 3rd, Senate Bill 104, was passed by indefinitely by the Courts of Justice Committee in an 11-4 vote. This action stalls any legislative progress for now, but allows for the committee to reconsider legislation at a later meeting. It is apparent by these actions that Virginia lawmakers need to hear from constituents that marijuana law reform ought to be a legislative priority. #TakeAction

Washington D.C.: A bill aimed at permanently banning private marijuana clubs in the District was pulled on Tuesday and instead Council members passed an amendment to create a seven member taskforce to look into the issue more closely. The taskforce will be made up of two members from the D.C. Council, one from the Office of the D.C. Attorney General and five from city agencies, including the Metropolitan Police Department and the D.C. Health Department, who will be appointed by Mayor Muriel Bowser.

NORML’s Legislative Round Up January 29th, 2016

Exciting news from across the country with NEW legislation being introduced and promising legislation moving forward! This week we highlight Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Maryland, New
Mexico, New Orleans, and Vermont. Plus our lawmakers in Congress and lawmakers in Puerto Rico took action this week too! Keep reading below to get the latest in marijuana law reform.

International: 

Puerto Rico: Health Department officials have signed off on regulations overseeing the licensed production and distribution of medical cannabis within the US territory. The new program is anticipated to be operational by year’s end.

Puerto Rico Gov. Alejandro J. Garcia Padilla signed an executive order in May calling on health officials to adopt regulations permitting medical cannabis production and access. Under the new plan, patients who possess a physician’s authorization will be able to obtain cannabis-infused products, such as oils and pills, from state-licensed facilities.

Patients will not be permitted to cultivate their own marijuana and herbal formulations of medical cannabis will not be permitted.

Federal: On Wednesday, a bipartisan group of lawmakers signed on to a letter addressed to the Veteran’s Administration (VA) requesting a policy change be made to allow veterans to access medical marijuana.

Current law prevents VA doctors from recommending medical marijuana to patients, even in states where it is legal for qualified patients to possess it. Senators Gillibrand (D-NY), Daines (R-MT), Merkley (D-OR), and Reps. Blumenauer (D-OR), Rohrabacher (R-CA) and Titus (D-NV) are leading the efforts in reforming this nonsensical policy. If these Senators and Representatives are from your state, consider giving their office a call and thanking them for their work on medical marijuana! You can find your lawmakers contact info here.

State:

Arizona: After a Republican lawmaker this week received hundreds of complaints, he withdrew his bill that aimed to restrict access to medical marijuana in the state.

The bill would have denied physicians practicing alternative medicine such as naturopathy and homeopathy the ability to recommend cannabis therapy.

California: Legislation that seeks to dissuade California cities and counties from enacting municipal restrictions on the cultivation and dispensing of medical marijuana has been approved lawmakers and awaits the Governor’s signature. Once signed into law, the bill will take immediate effect.

Assembly Bill 21 amends a drafting error in the The Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act by removing an apparent March 1, 2016 deadline for localities to establish their own cultivation regulations or else forfeit that authority to the state. It also removes objectionable language authorizing local governments to prohibit patients from cultivating, storing, donating or processing marijuana for their own personal use.

In recent months, numerous California cities and counties have hastily enacted provisional bans on medical marijuana-related activities out of fear that the state would become to sole authority on the issue following the March 1 deadline. Passage of AB 21 states that localities retain the ability to regulate medical marijuana production and commerce in the manner that they see best. The hope is that localities will halt efforts to impose restrictions, and will reconsider existing moratoriums, now that it is clear that local lawmakers will continue to possess the authority to legislate the issue beyond March 1, 2016.

Further information on both pending and enacted local ordinances, as well as talking points to best address them, is available from California NORML here.

Florida: Floridians will decide on a proposed constitutional amendment this November that seeks to permit the physician-authorized use and distribution of cannabis for therapeutic purposes.

Proponents of the measure, United for Care, collected more than the 683,000 signatures required to place the measure on the November ballot, the Florida Division of Elections confirmed this week.

Passage of the amendment would permit qualified patients to possess and obtain cannabis from state-licensed facilities.In November 2014, Floridians narrowly rejected a similar amendment, which received 58 percent of the vote.

Hawaii: Legalization, decriminalization, and hemp measures are all pending in the Hawaii state legislature.

Senate Bill 873 amends the criminal code to remove criminal penalties specific to the possession and cultivation of marijuana for personal use by those age 21 or older. The measure is presently pending before the House Judiciary Committee.

Senate Bill 596 SD 1 reclassifies possession of less than one ounce of marijuana from a criminal misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $1,000 fine to a civil violation, punishable by a $100 fine only — no arrest and no criminal record.

Senate Bill 2787 encourages the state Department of Agriculture to license farmers to grow industrial hemp for “research and development purposes.”

To find more information on all of these measures, check out our #TakeAction Center here.

Kansas: Members of the Senate will take a floor vote on legislation, HB 2049, to amend various penalties and regulations specific to marijuana possession and use.

House Bill 2049 seeks to a) establish a statewide research program to oversee the production of industrial hemp, b) authorize the limited use of cannabidiol for therapeutic purposes, and c) reduce criminal penalties for first-time marijuana possession offenses from a Class A misdemeanor(punishable by up to one year incarceration and a $2,500 fine) to a Class B misdemeanor (punishable by no more than six months in jail and a $1,000 fine). Second convictions will no longer be classified as a felony offense. Members of the House approved the measure last year.

Maryland: Legislation NORML opposes is pending in the Maryland General Assembly. House Bill 183 and House Bill 334 both seek to recriminalize offenses involving the public use of small amounts of marijuana. While NORML is generally supportive of efforts to dissuade the use of marijuana in public or in a vehicle, these measures are both unnecessary and overly punitive.

Under present law, it is not permissible to consume marijuana in public view. Those who do so are subject to a civil violation punishable by a fine of up to $500.00.

Both measures will be heard in the Judiciary Committee on February 9th at 1:00PM. To #TakeAction and contact your lawmakers to urge they not support this legislation click here.

New Mexico: New Mexico has both legalization and hemp measures pending.

House Bill 75 regulates and controls the commercial cultivation and retail sale of marijuana to adults over the age of 21. You can read the full text of this proposal here. Senate Joint Resolution 5 is pending action by the Senate Rules Committee.

SB 3 and HB 148, seek to permit the state Department of Agriculture to license farmers to grow industrial hemp for “research and development purposes.”

For more information on these measures or to take action and contact your lawmakers urging their support for these measures click here.

Vermont: Members of the Senate Committee on Judiciary voted 4 to 1 on Friday, January 29, in favor of pending legislation to regulate the adult use, production, and sale of cannabis. NORML wishes to thank those of you who contacted the Committee and urged their support for this important and historic legislation.

Senate Bill 241 now goes before the Senate Committee on Finance for further action.

Senate Bill 241 makes it legal for adults 21 years of age and older to possess up to one ounce of marijuana and regulates its commercial production and retail sale.

Local:

New Orleans: City Councilwoman Susan Guidry has proposed an ordinance change to treat minor marijuana possession offenses the same as  minor traffic infractions. Under the proposal, officers would have the option of issuing verbal and written warnings before any penalties kick in. Subsequent offenses would be dealt with through fines that would be capped at $100.

At this time of the year it’s hard to keep up with all of the newly introduced and pending marijuana related bills. Even this week, it was impossible to include every piece of legislation that moved so if you think there was action in your state, be sure to visit our #TakeAction Center to see an update.

Marijuana Policy Bills Progressing in Kansas

Two bills that would improve Kansas’ marijuana policies have passed the House and are moving in the Senate.

The first bill, now called SB 147, would permit patients with seizures to access low-THC cannabis, called medical hemp preparations in the bill. While it is not a full medical marijuana law and would leave many patients behind, the bill proposes a workable system to provide immediate relief to some seriously ill Kansans. In addition, by passing the House, it has advanced much further than any medical marijuana bill ever has in Kansas.

The second bill, which is currently designated as the Senate Sub. for HB 2049, would reduce the penalty for first, second, and third-time marijuana possession. A first offense would be punishable by a maximum of six months, instead of one year, in jail, and a second offense would no longer be a felony, removing many of the associated collateral consequences. The Senate combined the marijuana-related provisions with another bill that increases penalties for burglary, on which MPP does not take a position.

If you are a Kansas resident, please urge your senators to support common sense reform.

The post Marijuana Policy Bills Progressing in Kansas appeared first on MPP Blog.

The Cannabis Taxonomy Debate: Where Do Indica and Sativa Classifications Come From?

Cannabis sativa, C. indica, C. ruderalis — it’s possible that you’ve already heard these terms used to describe different species of cannabis. Sativa plants are known for their skinny leaflets, tall stature, long flowering times, and a stimulating, cerebral high. Indicas are thought to be short, bushy plants with wide leaflets, used for hashish production and possessing a powerful, sedating body high. Ruderalis is the feral, ancestral relative with its low THC content and auto-flowering characteristics. Recently, though, new research and technological advances have led to a greater understanding of the cannabis plant, which in turn has led to a new approach to the taxonomic classification of the cannabis family.

First, let’s look at the etymology of the currently accepted taxonomy. Cannabis is an adaptation of an ancient word for the hemp plant and is the longstanding name of the genus that includes all hemp and drug varieties of the plant. Sativa is a Latin adjective meaning “cultivated,” indica is Latin for “of India,” and ruderalis is based on the Latin rūdera, the plural of a word meaning “rubble, lump, or rough piece of bronze.” Ruderal plant varieties are those that pop up first in an area that has been cleared of other vegetation or barriers to propagation (growing “out of the rubble,” if you will).

At first glance, these seem like fairly accurate descriptions for three distinct species. What we consider to be sativa has long been cultivated by humans for its seed, fiber, and flowers. Cannabis indica may well have developed on the Indian subcontinent, and ruderalis is a feral, weedy plant that thrives in harsh conditions. However, new discoveries and DNA analyses have provided a much more likely picture of how these species developed and how they are related.

To date, the history of the cannabis plant is still a bit of a mystery. The evidence suggests that it originated in Central Asia. Sometime near the end of the Pleistocene epoch, it migrated to small geographic pockets in Western and Southern Asia, as well as what is now the Balkans and Caucasus Mountains. This represents the first major geographical split in the cannabis population, and is thought to be the main factor in producing two distinctly different species: plants bred and grown for oil seed and hemp fiber (Eastern Europe/Western Asia), and those selected for their psychoactive properties (South and East Asia). Geographical barriers like the Himalayan Mountains kept these two populations ostensibly separate for centuries, thus allowing natural and artificial selection to create two very different types of cannabis.

It’s important to note that human selection is the most influential factor in the rise of these two different species. Ancient cultures in Eastern and Southern Asia had many available plants that provided fiber and food, so they selected cannabis plants for their psychoactive properties, probably as a spiritual aid. Conversely, Western/Northern cultures had fewer available sources of sustenance and cordage, so they selected cannabis plants for those properties.

Cannabis researchers are now starting to coalesce around a system of taxonomy proposed by Robert C. Clarke and Mark D. Merlin in their exhaustively researched book Cannabis: Evolution and Ethnobotany. Using historical and recent publications as a launch pad, Clarke and Merlin produced the most thorough examination of the cannabis plant to date, using archaeological findings, historical accounts, and DNA sequencing along with their own personal findings and observations to present a very compelling explanation for their proposed taxonomy.

The previously mentioned split between western hemp fiber cannabis and eastern drug cannabis proves to be the linchpin of this “rope vs. dope” system. Cannabis ruderalis is considered to be either the ancestor of both of these types, or, more likely, a hybrid of this ancestor and some newer, “escaped” cultivars. In their system, Cannabis sativa encompasses all narrow-leafleted, low THC plants cultivated for hemp fiber and seeds, grown all across Europe and in North America and parts of South America as well. Cannabis indica refers to all varieties cultivated for their drug content, whether it’s the broad-leafleted plants we associate with Afghanistan and the Hindu Kush Mountains or the narrow-leafleted varieties cultivated in India, Southeast Asia, South America, Mexico, and Jamaica.

Decades of research by dedicated ethnobotanists and various methods of DNA analyses have helped to create what is probably the most accurate taxonomic structure to date. It may lead to a future change in vernacular used in the cannabis industry, but, for now, we’ll continue to refer to our bushy, broad-leafleted, sedating varieties as indicas, and our tall, narrow-leafleted, stimulating varieties as sativas. Using the new taxonomical nomenclature would surely present much confusion for retailers and consumers, so it’s unlikely that the current meanings will be abandoned any time soon.

References: Cannabis: Evolution and Ethnobotany by Robert C. Clarke and Mark D. Merlin, copyright 2013, University of California Press

The Shake: Colorado Preps for Super Tuesday, Canada Turns Back Charlo Greene, Face-Blotting Rolling Papers

Colorado prepares to host first cannabis-legal presidential caucus. “Weed May Make Colorado Caucuses Actually Bearable,” says Bustle.com writer Emily Shire in a story about the pros and cons of preboarding prior to Colorado’s upcoming March 1 Super Tuesday caucuses. Speaking as a veteran of the 2008 Colorado Democratic caucus, I can confirm that Ms. Shire is on to something, especially if you’re voting blue. Organization ain’t the Democratic Party’s strong suit, and those caucuses can run lo-o-o-o-o-o-o-ng. If you choose to use, we suggest two things: discretion, as public consumption is illegal, and an energy-lifting sativa, so you aren’t snoozing when it finally comes time to raise your hand.

Cannabis Cup to Pueblo? Not necessarily, say county officials. Local bureaucrats seemed to be caught by surprise by the 4/20 Cannabis Cup’s move to Pueblo this year. They say the permits haven’t been issued yet, and Pueblo County Sheriff Kirk Taylor vowed to appeal the permits if approved. Meanwhile, property owner Tommy Giodone told the Pueblo Chieftain that he sent out a letter to neighbors alerting them that he’d booked a “Spring Festival.” Which seems a little… vague. Smells like a whole lot of drama is on its way.

Holder’s comments steam the clams of the NYT. The great Francis X. Clines, legendary New York Times reporter and rewrite man, takes note of the teeth-gnashing gall of former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, whose comments we reported here yesterday. ICYMI, the now-retired Holder told the PBS show Frontline that he was in favor of rescheduling cannabis. Fat lot of good that does us now, Eric. In the more tactful words of Mr. Clines: “This was hailed as encouraging news by marijuana enthusiasts who immediately asked why Mr. Holder didn’t push for this change when he was running the Justice Department.”

Alaska’s Charlo Greene arrested, turned back at Canadian border. The former Anchorage TV broadcaster, who blessed us with one of the world’s greatest “Fuck it, I quit” mic drops, was arrested and refused entry to Justin Trudeau’s homeland. Greene, on her way from Anchorage to Vancouver, B.C., to visit with folks at Phant Extracts, was stopped at customs at the Vancouver airport. “Laptops, cell phones, luggage, purses, even Charlo’s dog was searched,” Greene’s Facebook page reported. Border agents at YVR scraped enough “marijuana residue” from the bottom of her purse to charge her with suspicion of smuggling and deny her entry into the Great White North. After an unpleasant nine-hour visit in the customs office, Greene was sent back to the United States. Lesson: Cannabis is legal in Alaska, legal (medically) in Canada, but international borders exist in their own twilight zone. Travel clean, everybody. Like, scrub-your-purse clean.

It’s a facial blotter, it’s a rolling paper… it’s both! Not since the heyday of Shimmer — SNL’s floor wax and dessert topping — have we been so entranced by the discovery of a two-in-one product. It’s Milk Makeup’s Roll + Blot, the facial blotter that doubles as rolling papers! “Portable blotting sheets are made from unbleached hemp fibers to absorb excess oil and reduce shine,” say the folks at Milk. “Can also be used as rolling papers.” Bonus: All Milk Makeup products are cruelty-free. Watch that flame near your face, though.

QUICK HITS: Vermont Senate approves the nation’s first full legalization-by-legislation package. The bill now moves to the House. Wyoming still hates edibles, but maybe not as much as last week. State legislators moved to make possession of brownies ‘n’ stuff a misdemeanor instead of a felony. Texas(!) hosts its first cannabis convention this weekend, in Fort Worth. I’m sure all will be treated to a warm, respectful welcome by the local gendarmes. More media love for Foria Relief, as Business Insider says it “could be the future of period relief,” and accompanies the article with a photo of a non-medicated “typical tampon.” Friendly reminder: It’s not a damn tampon! Three words: cannabis crème gelato. It’s a thing at Perlecò, a local gelato shop in Alassio, Italy. And finally, your weekend starts here. Because owl rotation is amazing.

Image Source: Milk Makeup via Vimeo

Big Cannabis News Today in Canada and Australia

There was big cannabis news today for the medical marijuana industries in Canada and Australia.

This Wednesday, both countries saw significant changes to rules surrounding the use of medical cannabis, and investors in the space will certainly want to be paying attention.

Here’s a look at what’s happened:

Canadian medical marijuana patients allowed to grow their own cannabis

First, Canada’s Federal Court struck down federal regulations aimed at restricting the rights of patients who grow their own marijuana for medical purposes. As CBC News reported, that’s a big win for patients who rely on medical marijuana.

“Basically we won, and it was a complete victory,” said Kirk Tousaw, lawyer for Neil Allard, who filed the claim. “[The Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations] were declared to be unconstitutional and violate the charter rights of medical cannabis patients.”

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Under the Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations, introduced in 2013, patients would have been required to buy cannabis from licensed producers, and would not have been allowed to grow their own.

That could have been a problem for some patients. As Lynne Belle-Isle, chair of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, told CBC News in March 2014, buying from licensed producers might mean a fair jump in cost for those who currently grow at home.

“I’ve heard recently they can grow for about 50 cents a gram, so going from 50 cents to $12 is quite a jump,” she told the news agency. Meanwhile, marijuana activist Dana Larsen said that dispensaries in Vancouver would typically sell marijuana for $7 to $8 per gram.

Still, there will be plenty of room for licensed medical marijuana producers at market.

For first time growers, the price for initial supplies needed can run upwards of $1,000, according to Colorado Pot Guide, not to mention the space needed to set things up. Buying from licensed producers could certainly be a simpler alternative.

“The ball is in the federal government’s court. Mr Trudeau and the justice minister have six months to respond to the court’s ruling and come up with a system of medical cannabis regulation in this country that doesn’t impact and negatively take away the charter rights of medical cannabis patients and their providers,” Tousaw added.

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DelMar Pharmaceuticals (OTCQX:DMPI) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of new cancer therapies. The company’s lead product candidate, VAL-083, is a first-in-class small molecule chemotherapy with the potential to overcome chemo-resistance in cancer patients and surpass the current standard of care in a range of cancers. Connect with DelMar Pharmaceuticals to learn more.

Australia legalizes medical marijuana

In other cannabis news today, medical cannabis is now legal in Australia. Health Minister Sussan Ley announced on Wednesday afternoon that a bill allowing for access to medical cannabis products had passed in both the House and the Senate.

“This is an historic day for Australia and the many advocates who have fought long and hard to challenge the stigma around medicinal cannabis products so genuine patients are no longer treated as criminals,” said Ley in a statement. “This is the missing piece in a patient’s treatment journey and will now see seamless access to locally-produced medicinal cannabis products from farm to pharmacy.”

Cannabis is still technically illegal in Australia, and patients will need a valid prescription to access cannabis products.

In any case, the announcement was certainly good news for Australian medical cannabis company MGC Pharmaceuticals (ASX:MXC), previously Erin Resources, which gained nearly 25 percent to close at $0.033 on Wednesday. Certainly, investors will want to keep an eye on how the medical marijuana space continues to develop in Australia.

Company news

Mettrum Health (TSXV:MT) recently put out its third quarter results for the period ended December 31, 2015. The company had a strong quarter, recording an 18 percent increase in revenues to roughly $2 million, and a 20 percent reduction in growing costs to $2.55 per gram. The company’s EBITDA improved by 18 percent to a loss of $1,337,989 for the quarter relative to Q2.

Meanwhile, THC BioMed (CSE:THC) was granted a license to produce medical marijuana under Canada’s Marijuana fr Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR). “We are filled with emotion and pride and take this opportunity to thank our dedicated shareholders for helping us get to this point,” said THC president and CEO John Miller in a statement. “Now we look forward to providing the highest quality product to our customers and value to our shareholders as we work diligently to build a world class cannabis company.”

Finally, Naturally Splendid (TSXV:NSP) recently reported signing a memorandum of understanding with Korea Beauty & Healthcare Co. regarding the distribution of its food brands in South Korea. Under the terms of the agreement, Korea Beauty & Healthcare must achieve minimum hemp seed sales of 200 metric tonnes in the first year of the agreement, 300 metric tonnes in the second year of the agreement and 300 metric tonnes in the third year of the agreement in order to retain exclusive rights to Naturally Splendid’s hemp food brands.

Securities Disclosure: I, Teresa Matich, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article. 

Editorial Disclosure: Mettrum Health and Naturally Splendid are clients of the Investing News Network. This article is not paid for content.

The post Big Cannabis News Today in Canada and Australia appeared first on Investing News Network.

America's Favorite Travel Guide is Moving Legalization Nationwide

PBS travel host Rick Steves helped legalize cannabis in Washington and Oregon. Now he’s taking his message to Maine, Massachusetts, and even Oklahoma. In an article that first appeared on Crosscut, Knute Berger talks with the footloose author about the challenge of opening minds to the idea of a post-prohibition world.

Rick Steves has changed the way middle America sees the world through his European guidebooks, tours, columns, PBS television and public radio shows. He’s a successful entrepreneur with a teacher’s mien and an everyman persona that can steer curious Americans into foreign travel — not so easy in a country where the majority of residents don’t have passports. But like a good teacher, he makes taking the steps toward broadening one’s horizon easy.

New York Times columnist Timothy Egan captured Steves’ public image in a story a few years back. The travel guru, he wrote, is “benignly suburban to the core, with a bit of a paunch and the ever-quizzical look of someone who would try raw squid for breakfast and not complain about it.” But these days, Steves is about much more than raw squid. He’s become the pied piper of legalized cannabis, not just in the Pacific Northwest, but nationally.

Steves says 2016 is a big year with the potential to tip the balance on cannabis laws in this country. And he intends to be out there, committing his reputation, time, and money to make it happen.

In 2016, Steves has committed to nine or ten days of campaigning in October for legalization laws in Maine and Massachusetts. He says he’ll go wherever the experts think he can be most effective. To date he estimates he has spent approximately $500,000 of his own money on the legalization fight and thinks he’ll spend another $200,000 or so this year. “It’s more money than I’ve spent on anything than a house.” But if it contributes to national momentum toward legalizing marijuana for adults, he thinks it’s worth the investment.

Steves was a driving force behind Washington’s I-502 in 2012 and Oregon’s legalization initiative in 2014. This year, legalization laws are percolating in many states. A recent Leafly roundup lists four states where legalization is “almost a sure thing” this year (California, Nevada, Maine, and Arizona) and 10 more where there’s activity and reason for hope.

His commitment to the issue is deeply personal, but he’s also a team player with a role to play. Steves has been on the board of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) for years, and he has worked closely with Washington adult-use initiative author Alison Holcomb, who now heads the American Civil Liberties Union’s Campaign for Smart Justice with its focus on ending the War on Drugs. He’s also closely associated with Ethan Nadelmann, head of the Drug Policy Alliance.

Nadelmann calls Steves “a godsend” for legalized marijuana. “I think Rick is incredible,” he says. “I think he’s an exceptional human being.” What makes Steves influential, he says, is not simply that he is well known and seen as an honorable human being by millions of Americans, but that his commitment is broad. Steves often writes about drug policy in his travel books — it is integrated with his work and the way he sees the world. He’s deeply informed on drug policy and its consequences in society. He’s not a celebrity going out with a few memorized talking points, but as a real student with principled beliefs.

Steves can reach an important constituency: the swing voter. “He raises the right eyebrows,” says Nadelmann. Think of this travel audience: largely white, middle class, middle American, neither stereotypical potheads nor people interested in making a buck in the marijuana business, not even current users — just folks who probably haven’t given the issue much thought. Steves, the knowledgeable travel guide, is there to get them to think about it.

First, Steves says, he is not “pro pot.”

I am anti-prohibition and pro-civil liberties. He believes adults should have the right to smoke marijuana. A proposal he didn’t like: a recent Ohio law, defeated last year, that would have established what was essentially a cannabis cartel of approved suppliers. The idea of “Big Weed” does not appeal to him.

He also doesn’t think legal cannabis means a free-for-all. Steves is for “legalize, tax and regulate.” He supports public safety, cracking down on DUIs, and keeping marijuana away from kids. “I don’t want to endorse something that doesn’t address fears and legitimate concerns,” he insists. That doesn’t mean every concern, such as overblown worries that legalization will lead to civilization’s downfall. Sitting in his office in downtown Edmonds, Wash., Steves gestures out his corner window. “Marijuana’s legal — you can’t tell!” he exclaims. The suburban village outside has hardly become a perpetual Hempfest. Washington state has taken things in stride.

On the other hand, cannabis laws have a terrible consequence for people of color, the poor, those who are already marginalized in society or incarcerated for something that shouldn’t be a crime, let alone a lifelong mark on one’s record.

The Europeans have the right attitude, says Steves. “Tolerate alternative lifestyles or build more prisons,” he says. In Europe, countries have taken different approaches. The Netherlands has its famous coffeeshops. In Spain, you can obtain plants for personal use from a gardening co-op. In Europe, they’ve generally done a better job of mitigating the problems of substance use, such as addiction and HIV. Done right, legalization can reduce crime (gangs, the illegal drug trade) and the negative consequences of imprisoning so many people, Steves says.

Europeans are now learning something from Americans, he adds. Adult-use laws in Washington and Colorado are ahead of the European curve, and policymakers from across the Atlantic are coming here to study how we’re changing the legalization and regulation landscape. That might help soften attitudes of those Americans who bristle at importing “foreign” ideas but love the idea of “exporting” American ones.

Steves says his years of taking people abroad on tours have prepared him for spreading a message to a curious but sometimes nervous audience. He’s used to talking to folks who are out of their comfort zones in foreign countries, often for the first time.

He also has little to lose if people hate his message. His business remains largely unaffected by his activism. He can’t be fired, nor is he running for anything. If he loses a travel customer over his stance on marijuana, he thinks to himself: Good. Europe’s going to be more fun without you.

Steves relishes speaking to skeptical audiences in places like Oklahoma. The key is to not abuse bully pulpit, he says. Steves tries to make the message palatable and pragmatic. He reassures audiences by telling them America is great, as is our freedom and the military that protects us. He tells them he’s thankful that he runs his business in America, not Europe. Being a Christian helps too, he says. Steves is active in his local Lutheran church.

With his pro-American bone fides established, conservative audiences are often open to considering his views on marijuana. A Rick Steves travel talk might segue from where to stay in Tuscany to the issue of legalizing cannabis. Steves is comfortable with introducing uncomfortable ideas to the comfortable. Travel has taught the value of that role, he says, quoting Thomas Jefferson: “Travel makes a person wiser, if less happy.” A little discomfort is what travel, and stretching one’s mind, is all about.

Knute Berger is a regular contributor to Crosscut.

10 Basic Facts about Marijuana

Marijuana, cannabis and hemp are all names that refer to this unique plant. The marijuana symbol is seen everywhere these days — on clothing, jewelry, keychains and stickers. It’s no surprise that cannabis is the most commonly used illegal drug in the U.S. and worldwide. The growing popularity of marijuana is evident, but many people […]

Investing in Marijuana: A High-risk Green Rush

It was not too long ago that selling marijuana could grant you a one-way ticket to the big house. But now, as more states move forward with legalizing marijuana, that trip to the big house can turn into a trip to the bank.

The legalization of marijuana in the United States has lit a spark with investors who are turning their focus to the small — but rapidly expanding — medical marijuana industry.

“Everybody is running toward this as the next entrepreneurial wave — the green rush,” Robert Frichtel, CEO of Advanced Cannabis Solutions, told Bloomberg Businessweek in a January interview.

But just how big is the legal marijuana market? Since the beginning of the legalized marijuana industry, the sector has seen significant growth. In fact, a recent report by leading marijuana industry and investment research firm, ArcView, sales of legal cannabis climbed 17 percent to $5.4 billion in 2015 and look to be growing an even more significant 25 percent in 2016. That said, the investors could see the market swell to a $6.7 billion in total sales.

More significantly, investors could expect to see legal market sales grow to $21.8 billion in 2020, with adult use sales accounting for over half of the total market.

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Get Our Expert Guide to Cannabis Investing FREE!

Download this FREE Special Report, Investing in Medical Cannabis Information about Cannabis and Legal Cannabis Stocks.

A long-term play? 

Though investing in marijuana sounds like a lucrative opportunity, market watchers are calling it a long-term investment.

That is not to say that making money right now is an impossibility. A recent Globe and Mail article points to several stocks, including Hemp Inc., Advanced Cannabis Solutions, Medical Marijuana Inc. and GW Pharmaceuticals, all of which have gained on the S&P/TSX Composite Index in the wake of the “green rush.”

However, as with any new opportunity, there is always a fair amount of risk. For the marijuana industry, those risks and challenges include the overarching decriminalization of marijuana at the federal level in the United States, among other regulatory threats.

But looking beyond the bureaucratic red tape still left to be cut, it should be noted that the industry is still in its early stages, meaning that — like any other investment opportunity — penny stocks are a risk. The Financial Regulatory Authority even issued a warning in January for investors to be on the lookout for marijuana stock scams.

Overall, however, it seems that despite the any concerns market watchers might have, the cannabis industry isn’t going to go up in smoke any time soon.

“Business is very good,” Robert Frichtel, told The Globe and Mail. “We are in the early stages of what’s going to be a very large industry over time.”

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Naturally Splendid Enterprises Ltd. (TSXV:NSP) is the only publicly-traded company in the world offering investors an opportunity to gain exposure to the hemp-based healthy foods and omega markets. Connect with Naturally Splendid Enterprises to instantly receive their next catalyst.

Over time is what investors should be considering, it seems, when looking at marijuana investments. Alan Brochstein, a financial analyst in Houston who runs 420investor.com, told the Globe, “[e]verybody wants to get rich real quick, and that’s not the best way to look at these companies … You need to think long term.”

“It’s a multibillion-dollar industry,” Brochstein said. “These companies that people can buy right now are just a teeny, tiny fraction of the industry. They get a lot of focus because people can invest in them, but the reality is that better companies are going to be what you want to invest in. It’s just a question of when they come.”

Wall St. Cheat Sheet echoes the sentiment that investors should steer clear of marijuana stocks — at least for the moment — as prices are especially elevated. Instead, the publication suggests that those investors who cannot ignore the high of the speculative investments look for companies that are “poised to capitalize on the evolution of the market.”

For investors getting into the market, the Investing News Network recently had a look at some publicly traded cannabis companies. Check out our recent interview with Derwin Wallace of Cannabis Investor Webcast for his thoughts on North American cannabis stocks.

Investors looking for what to expect in 2016 can have a look at our recent cannabis investing outlook.

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Securities Disclosure: I, Vivien Diniz, hold no direct investment interest in any of the companies mentioned in this article.

The post Investing in Marijuana: A High-risk Green Rush appeared first on Investing News Network.

Tunisia's Ban on Rapping About Cannabis Could Soon Change: The Leafly Legalization Roundup

On the docket this week: Legalization measures are taking one step forward in Connecticut, one step back in New Mexico. Louisiana is thinking positively, Ohio has the best-laid plans for medical marijuana, and Rhode Island is trying to expand qualifying conditions. Beyond the borders, Australia is hoping to become a new global cannabis leader, Tunisia seriously needs to relax their laws, and one brave British politician is standing up for legalization. Here’s the latest:

U.S. News

Connecticut

State Rep. Juan Candelaria (D-New Haven) introduced a bill to legalize possession and use of cannabis for adults 21 and older. Candelaria then joined a group of legislators, including Rep. Eszequiel Santiago (D-Bridgeport), in supporting another, more comprehensive proposal that includes specs on tamper-proof packaging, regulatory oversight, banning public use, and more. Under Candelaria’s proposal, medical marijuana dispensaries could grow cannabis for recreational use, with an allowance for more producer licenses in the event that demand exceeds supply. Unfortunately, Gov. Dannel Malloy says he isn’t comfortable with legalization, although he would support decriminalization.

Louisiana

A group of community members will hold a public forum to discuss opinions and concerns about the possible legalization of cannabis in the Bayou State. A representative from the group Legalize Louisiana are to speak Tuesday afternoon in an effort to educate the public about the benefits of legality, such as the revenue generated from legal cannabis sales. Currently, Louisiana has a strict medical marijuana law that allows patients who qualify under three qualifying conditions to access non-smokable forms of cannabis, such as oils and tinctures, which will be available through ten distribution centers tentatively scheduled to open June 2017.

New Mexico

New Mexico senators voted down a measure, 24–17, that would have legalized recreational marijuana. If it had been approved, the measure would have gone to voters in November. Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino (D-Albuquerque), who authored the proposal, has vowed to continue advocating for legalization in future legislative sessions.

In other news, doctors will be treating the youngest-ever epileptic child ever in a case study about the benefits of hemp oil in Colorado. The child, Amylea Nunez, is just a few months old, but when she was born in Albuquerque in December, it was immediately apparent that she needed specialized care. She suffered from 15 seizures a day and her heart stopped twice. Nunez has only just started her regimen, but her parents are hoping to wean her off other medications and replace them with hemp oil.

Ohio

Ohio’s new constitutional MMJ amendment is planned for the November ballot, but the language hasn’t yet been officially drafted. We’re starting to hear details, though. The amendment would establish a standard infrastructure of businesses to grow, process, test, distribute, and sell medical marijuana. Qualifying patients would obtain a registry card to buy and possess cannabis. Amendment authors are envisioning two types of cultivation licenses, one for smaller grow operations and another for large-scale, industrial production. An Ohio political action committee, Ohioans for Medical Marijuana, chose Michael Revercomb, Lissa Satori, and John Pardee to lead the campaign. To qualify for the November ballot, they’ll need to collect 305,591 signatures between April 2 and July 6.

Rhode Island

The state Senate Health and Human Services Committee is considering legislation that would expand the qualifying MMJ medical conditions to include post-traumatic stress disorder. The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Stephen Archambault (D-Smithfield), would also accelerate the issuance of a medical marijuana card if the patient is eligible for hospice care. A report from the Veterans Administration found that nearly 30 percent of veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan now suffer from PTSD. The condition is currently included as a qualifying condition in Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, and New Mexico.

International News

Australia

The Liberal Party has introduced a draft bill in the Australian parliament to amend the Narcotic Drugs Act 1967, and the measure seems all but guaranteed to pass. The proposal includes regulations for licensing national companies to supply medical cannabis to patients with painful and chronic illnesses as part of state-run clinical trials. New South Wales and several other states have passed laws allowing clinical trials on the effectiveness of cannabis as medicine, but current laws severely restrict cultivation. Researchers have found it all but impossible to find a reliable international source. Access to cannabis is currently limited to researchers and patients in clinical trials, but lawmakers will decide by the end of March whether to allow access for all qualifying patients.

Tunisia

Tunisian rapper Kafon is facing charges under a draconian law that criminalizes any public discourse of cannabis, including arguments, verbal statements, and even song lyrics. In this case, Kafon’s song “Chakchak” contained a violation that put him in prison for nine months before he was released due to pressure from international media. Kafon is hardly the first person to fall victim to the law. Tunisian prisons are overflowing with young, poor, low-level offenders jailed for possession of “zatla,” a low-quality cannabis usually smuggled in from Morocco and Algeria. In December, a proposal to revise the law was approved and sent to parliament. The reform measure would allow first-time offenders to pay a fine rather than serve a year in jail, and it would reduce the maximum penalty for repeat violations from five years down to one.

United Kingdom

Tim Farron became the first leader of a British political party, the Liberal Democrats, to openly endorse the legalization of cannabis for recreational use. Farron plans to propose a motion in support of legalization for both medicinal and recreational use. Those subjects will be debated after the release and analysis of the findings from an expert panel appointed by the party to examine how a legal marijuana market would function in the U.K. The panel so far has found that legalization could save the criminal justice system between £200 million and £300 million annually and could generate between £400 milliion and £900 million in yearly tax revenue.

Happy Presidents Day! The Founding Fathers and Cannabis

Did George Washington smoke cannabis to alleviate chronic pain? Did Thomas Jefferson grow the plant on his Monticello estate? Rumors that our Founding Fathers enjoyed cannabis abound — and every year, they resurface on the internet in viral, Presidents Day-themed articles that paint America’s earliest leaders as bona fide enthusiasts.

The truth is a bit more nuanced but no less intriguing. And this Presidents Day is a fitting time to reflect on that history.

Some blogs and websites allege Washington used cannabis to soothe the pain from his bad teeth and clunky, pre-industrial dentures. No historians of the period have found reliable accounts to support this claim. But our original commander in chief did cultivate hemp for industrial purposes on his estate at Mount Vernon, according to preservationists in charge of maintaining the site. The plants Washington farmed would have had few, if any, psychoactive properties. Instead, they would have been valued for their strong, coarse fibers, which were then processed to produce rope, fabric, and other consumer goods. (For a deeper dive on the differences between cannabis and industrial hemp, this Leafly article has the full scoop.)

What about our third president? A popular quotation attributed to Thomas Jefferson portrays the man as an avid cannabis connoisseur. But no record exists of Jefferson ever having enjoyed the benefits of cannabis on his back veranda — or anywhere else, for that matter. Still, like Washington, Jefferson oversaw acres of hemp cultivation on his property, writing about his crop frequently in letters and diaries.

Washington and Jefferson weren’t unusual; all of their contemporaries viewed hemp, alongside wheat, corn, and oats, as an ordinary, everyday crop. John Adams, the second president, referenced hemp in his personal correspondence. James Madison, the fourth president, is also said to have farmed the plant. And although he never became president, Founding Father Alexander Hamilton sparred over hemp import duties as the first-ever secretary of the treasury.

Our Founding Fathers were publicly outspoken about hemp’s utility and potential. They used hemp products in their own households and corresponded with farmers and merchants about hemp cultivation and trade. Jefferson even developed a special machine to make hemp cultivation more efficient. He and his peers would be aghast at the laws in place today that stifle industrial hemp cultivation.

Most likely, they wouldn’t be fans of cannabis prohibition, either. Were he around today, Washington, no stranger to chronic medical woes, might find medical cannabis a preferable alternative to his era’s more popular therapeutic remedy: leeches. Jefferson, ever the inventor, would appreciate the industry’s emphasis on high standards, technological innovation, and scientific research. And the potential economic and social benefits of ending prohibition would be hard to deny.

The bottom line? Our earliest presidents probably weren’t cannabis enthusiasts, but were they alive today, they’d probably be enthusiastic about cannabis.

The Shake: Don't Bogart That Vape, Congressman

A Denver judge tossed a class action lawsuit against a top Colorado cannabis retailer. A pair of consumers had sued LivWell, alleging the company inappropriately used Eagle 20, a pesticide that contains myclobutanil, which isn’t approved for use on cannabis in the state. But Denver District Judge J. Eric Eliff threw out the case, the Denver Post reports, saying plaintiffs “bought the cannabis and consumed it” without harm. “There are no allegations that the product did not perform as it was supposed to,” Eliff wrote. LivWell owner John Lord called the lawsuit “a public relations ploy.”

California wants to tax medical cannabis. A newly proposed law would set a 15 percent tax on medical marijuana and funnel that money to public programs. The bill comes on the heels of new cannabis laws that establish statewide standards for the industry (even though nobody can agree how they work). The proposed tax, which is similar to what would be imposed under recreational laws on the ballot in November, could bring California more than $100 million in new revenue. To pass, it will need support from two-thirds of the state Legislature.

A ex-judge wants Obama to commute the harsh sentence he gave. Paul Cassell, who as a federal judge sentenced a Utah music producer to 55 years in prison for bringing a gun to cannabis deals, is calling on the president to undo the sentence. Due to mandatory minimum sentencing laws, the judge said, the offender got a longer prison term than people convicted of crimes such as kidnapping, rape, and second degree murder.

Trump’s drug policies are getting dumber and dumber. The Chicago Sun Times compiled a collection of Trumpisms illustrating the presidential candidate’s radical shift on drug policy over the decades. “We’re losing badly the war on drugs,” he said back in 1990. “You have to legalize drugs to win that war.” Today, however, he opposes cannabis reform, having flip-flopped completely. On the campaign trail he said he’d solve the nation’s drug problem by building a wall at the U.S.–Mexico border — conveniently, also his solution to immigration.

Rubio’s policies might be even worse. The Republican presidential hopeful is keeping things simple, and stupid, when it comes to his stance on drugs. At a campaign event yesterday, he told voters he’s against legal cannabis “because this country already pays a terrible price for the abuse of alcohol.” Reassuring to know that the man wielding such razor-sharp logic might one day run the country.

Two Washington state cannabis producers face fines over pesticide use. Regulators temporarily barred New Leaf Enterprises and BMF Washington from selling products back in December, Tobias Coughlin-Bogue reports, pending an investigation into possible use of prohibited pesticides. Observers have questioned the state’s enforcement of pesticide rules in the past, and the penalties against New Leaf and BMF show regulators could be stepping up their game.

Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) took a defiant puff in Congress. He hit a vape pen at a House Transportation Committe hearing on Thursday as lawmakers considered a proposal that would ban vaping on airplanes. “There is nothing noxious about this whatsoever,” he told his colleagues, theatrically loosing a cloud and thereby undermining his whole point. Cannabis wasn’t part of the discussion, but whatever rules Congress adopts for e-cigarettes would likely also apply to legal cannabis products. No dice for Rep. Hunter, though — or anyone with dreams of one day vaping their way to the, uh, mile-high club. The measure passed.

QUICK HITS: The DEA raided an Oregon extract maker. No charges have been filed yet, but it’s a reminder the feds aren’t as hands-off in legal states as they claim. * Cannabis-related DUI arrests in Colorado are down. Overall, the number of people cited for driving under the influence of drugs fell 1.3 percent. * A U.K. man diagnosed with terminal cancer says his use of illegal cannabis oil has prolonged his life. * CV Sciences pushed back against this week’s FDA warning letters to marketers of cannabidiol products. The agency says it’s determined that CBD isn’t a “dietary supplement,” but CV, which makes hemp-derived CBD for use in consumer products, argues the warnings are “inapplicable” on technical grounds. * Medical marijuana in Florida could be a $1.5 billion industry by 2020, according to a new report. Voters will decide in November whether to legalize medical cannabis. * Don’t try singing “Smoke Weed Everyday” in Tunisia. Lawmakers there are considering plans to crack down on “public incitement to commit drug-related offenses,” which could make it illegal to even talk about cannabis.

We Ride Along as Marley Natural Descends on L.A.

Atop the Hollywood Hills, overlooking the Sunset Strip and the sprawl of lights that is Los Angeles, a steady drumbeat emanates from an illuminated mansion. The Marley Natural launch party is pulsing to life. Guests filter in beneath a tree uplit in blue, past a patient-identification check, and up a flight of stairs. A high-ceilinged entryway opens onto a rear balcony, which affords access to a lower lawn and a stunning view of the city. The crowd, a mix of L.A. scenesters, celebrities, and reggae musicians, is abuzz with anticipation.

It’s an odd scene, with Rasta garb interwoven with L.A. chic. “I had no idea what to expect,” says Chloe Bertles. She works in the skateboard industry; she’s here because her boyfriend shoots video for Vice. “I kind of thought it was going to be a bunch of people sitting inside, like, a tent, smoking weed and listening to reggae. And it definitely isn’t that.”

There are a number of open bars set up around the grounds, generous plates of Jamaican-inspired food, and a rotation of live music and DJs. There are celebrities around, too, Bertles tells me, identifying Lake Bell and Rose McGowan. “This is the fanciest weed party — only weed party — I’ve ever been to,” she says. “It definitely has set a high bar.”

It’s the night of Saturday, February 6. Had he lived, this would’ve been reggae legend Bob Marley’s 71st birthday. Marley died in 1981, of course, so what we’re celebrating tonight is his legacy. Or at maybe a rebirth of his legacy. Marley Natural, a brand created through a partnership between the Marley family and Seattle-based Privateer Holdings, hopes to become one of the first global cannabis brands. (Full disclosure: Privateer is also the parent company of Leafly.) There are Marleys everywhere you look — Bob’s sons and grandsons — and their excitement is palpable.

“We wanted to launch on Bob’s birthday,” says Deidre Dyer, Marley Natural’s content manager. “We wanted to celebrate his life and celebrate his legacy and the trail that he blazed in legalizing cannabis and the herb.”

To Bob Marley, cannabis wasn’t cannabis — it was herb. Herb was universal, binding. It brought people together and facilitated community and focus. “Herb is the unification of mankind,” he once said.

That quote now appears on Marley Natural’s website above the company’s cornerstone products: a selection of sun-grown flower, smartly packaged in glass jars with bamboo stoppers.

Whether flower or concentrate, both lines offer four choices: Marley Gold, a sativa; Marley Green, a hybrid; Marley Black, an indica; and Marley Red, a high-CBD strain. At launch the strains were, respectively, Blue Mountain Fire, Girl Scout Cookies, Sensi Star, and C3PO, but Marley Natural says those will likely vary from market to market. Eighths of flower are being offered for $50, and cartridges for $40 — pricier than most of the L.A. market but less than premium, top-shelf bud.

I visit two of the three dispensaries that are hosting simultaneous Marley Natural launch events today. Each features a reggae soundtrack and a hands-on display that boasts the full line of Marley products: cannabis and vape pens, smoking accessories like a bubbler and pipes, and a line of hemp-based body care products.

All three shops are well established in L.A.’s roiling marketplace and are known for their efforts to comply with local laws. One, Los Angeles Patients and Caregivers Group (LAPCG), in West Hollywood, claims the title of oldest operating collective in L.A. County. Another, Studio City’s Buds & Roses, has a similarly sterling reputation. In what’s become a politically charged and volatile cannabis scene, Marley Natural carefully picked its friends.

Outside another dispensary, Green Goddess, located not far from the Venice boardwalk, Jeannie Herer smiles through rectangular eyeglasses, her gray bangs hiding her forehead. What brings the cannabis activist and widow of the legendary Jack Herer, author of The Emperor Wears No Clothes, out in a sweater on a balmy winter afternoon?

“I wanted to see Rohan Marley in person,” she says excitedly. “I wanted to see Bob Marley’s kids up close!”

Marley Natural staff shuttle between the dispensaries all day. I do my best to keep up. Across town from Green Goddess, at LAPCG, Jill, a middle-aged woman who declines to give her last name, is examining Marley’s line of walnut-and-glass smoking accessories and various balms and lotions (which, no, aren’t yet cannabis-infused). When she first heard about the new brand, Jill tells me, her big question was how the Marley family felt about it. “That was my number-one question,” she says. Learning the family is on board was reassuring. “It warms my heart to come in here and see a product that is honoring Bob Marley.”

While Marley, the man, is widely adored for his music and message of peace, Marley, the brand, hasn’t escaped heat from critics. Bob Marley means a lot to people, and some have accused the company of exploiting Marley and Jamaica for profit. On the other hand, it was the Marley family that began reaching out to possible business partners through its entertainment rep, Creative Artists Agency, as the family began to see cannabis legalization coming to both the United States and Jamaica. It’s hard to imagine investors not noticing.

Later that night, at the launch party, I ask one of Bob’s sons, Rohan Marley, how he feels about all this. “In anything you do, you need partners,” he tells me. “And in what we’re trying to do, you need real people who have integrity and are about doing something serious that can really make change.”

Marley Natural spent millions to develop, manufacture, and market its products. As prohibition continues to fall away, the company has aspirations to become one of the biggest cannabis brands in the market. Today its products are in three dispensaries (out of hundreds) in Los Angeles. But with states across the country considering both medical and adult-use legalization, Marley is looking at the L.A. market as a launch pad.

Perhaps the most surreal part of the night comes when medical patients trade in vouchers for their choice of either an eighth of Marley flower or one of the new vape pens. Before long, strangers are milling about, introducing themselves, trading strains, and discussing the nuances of what they’re smoking — a group behind me is negotiating how to divide their haul of flower, vape pens, and prerolls. The joints, filled with Jack Herer, aren’t currently being offered by Marley Natural, but it’s possible they will be soon. Privateer’s vice president of business development, Anton Albrand, tells me the Marley team is already hard at work on a second wave of products.

There are, obviously, hurdles to launching a global cannabis brand on a globe where only a handful of countries, much less U.S. states, allow cannabis. To Marley, cannabis was herb. To California, it’s medicine — and partygoers are patients. (If the state’s full adult use measure passes in November, future partygoers will only have to be 21 or older.) If Marley Natural tried to throw this kind of launch in New York, where the company is based, fewer than 669 patients across the state could’ve smoked Marley’s medicine.

But here, in Los Angeles, it feels like the epicenter of a burgeoning cannabis brand ecosystem. There aren’t many more prominent places to promote a new company. The night before Marley Natural’s launch, less than 100 miles away, at the High Times Cannabis Cup, rapper Wiz Khalifa, who’s announced his own line of cannabis products, stutter-stepped across the stage as hundreds of patients did free dabs at vendor booths. In L.A. it feels like prohibition has already ended.

As Stephen Marley, a Grammy-winning reggae artist and another of Bob’s sons, is getting ready to perform some of his father’s hits, I run into another musician by the pool. Rocky Dawuni, 47, is a Grammy-nominated Ghanaian singer. There’s a crowd smoking around us, but Dawuni tells me cannabis for him is sacrament. “I only use herb when I want to meditate,” he says.

“Some people it’s recreational, some people it’s medicinal,” Dawuni continues, “so everybody approaches it from a different place.”

Dawuni says he’s wary of how big business might influence cannabis culture. But the way he sees it, that’s all the more reason for the Marley family and others with connections to Rastafari to get involved. “Rastas have been talking about the benefits of herb for a long time,” he says. “The people who nurture the the culture and also use music as a tool to fight for the recognition of this plant shouldn’t be left out of the economic boom.”

It’s a pivotal time in history. “Commercialization, there’s going to be a lot of things that are lost in translation,” Dawuni says. “But I know that right now this herb is in the consciousness of the whole world.”

He sounds hopeful when he says it. And I realize it’s the same hope I saw in Jeannie Herer’s eyes outside Green Goddess — a hope that the storm of prohibition may have finally broken, that the countless benefits of the plant they love so much might finally be realized.

Before I leave the party, I ask Rohan Marley which of the new line’s accessories is his favorite. The “big plate,” he eventually replies, referring to the Marley Natural large tray, a slab of black walnut with a cutout corner for pouring ground herb and a wooden scraper that attaches with a hidden magnet. I ask Rohan why he picked that — a nice piece, but not some eyepopper like the Marley bubbler. His answer comes quickly and sounds like it could be a response to any number of questions:

“It’s just a nice platform, man, to start with. That’s the first thing you need, is a platform. Everything else you can add to that.”

Image Sources: Alexander Drecun

What It's Like to Live in Your Own Illegal Idaho: A Special Report

Idaho is an anomaly, an island of prohibition in a sea of legal cannabis. Two of its neighbors, Montana and Nevada, allow medical cannabis. To the west two others, Washington and Oregon have embraced recreational legalization. Even famously conservative Wyoming and Utah have laws allowing high-CBD strains. Idaho is the rare holdout. It’s a long, tough road for cannabis advocates working in a strictly illegal state. We got some insight last month into exactly how difficult it could be to turn this famously red state green.

Serra Frank & New Approach Idaho

It all started with a simple public meeting. In an effort to raise awareness about cannabis, New Approach Idaho, the group behind an Idaho medical marijuana initiative, organized a town hall meeting to debate legalization’s pros and cons. There were to be three pro-cannabis speakers and three anti-cannabis speakers. The meeting would be held on the Boise State University campus. But things didn’t go quite according to plan.

Bill Esbensen from New Approach Idaho and the Boise State University chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy helped organize the town hall forum, which was attended by Idaho canna-activist Serra Frank. Frank is well known for her activism in Idaho. She has a long history of fighting for her parental rights as a medical cannabis user. And she helped organize a New Year’s Day smoke-out this year at the Idaho Capitol, which law enforcement shut down.

“They gave me two tickets,” Frank recalled. “One was for possession of marijuana — it was a joint — and then possession of paraphernalia for the doob tube.” She now faces a year in jail and a $1,000 fine for each charge. The previous week she was written up for possession. “Once you invoke your rights in Idaho, they’ll arrest you for obstruction,” she said. “So now I’m facing up to four years in jail and $4,000 in fines for two incidents of merely possessing the only medicine that works for my condition, interstitial cystitis.”

The charges haven’t deterred her.

“I hope I get to go to court. It’s time for us to go to court, honestly,” she said. “I don’t think the people of Idaho believe that I, a disabled mother of two children, should be in jail for using medicine that helps me be a mother to my children.”

Marijuana Town Hall Forum at BSU

The New Year’s Day incident became the backdrop for the Boise State forum. Frank assembled a hodgepodge group of Idaho-based speakers to represent both sides of the argument.

She contacted the state’s drug czar, Elisha Figueroa, who directs the Idaho State Office for Drug Policy. Figueroa agreed to represent the anti-legalization side along with the Idaho State Police Lt. Brad Doty and Sgt. Jason Cagle.

Finding pro-legalization speakers wasn’t so easy.

Boise State University criminal justice professor Cody Jorgenson agreed to speak, but only on an “anti-Drug War” platform. Former state Rep. Tom Trail, R-Moscow, who had supported hemp legislation in the past, was also booked for the event. Rounding out the pro-legalization side would be Russ Bellville, a.k.a. “Radical Russ,” a radio personality. Bellville runs his show, Cannabis Radio, out of Portland, Ore., but was born and raised in Idaho. He even attended Boise State University, where the forum was to be held.

As it initially stood, it was a strong lineup. A state official, two law enforcement representatives, a former legislator, an academic, and a radio-jock wild card.

Unfortunately, it didn’t last.

First, Trail, the former state representative, fell ill and cancelled. Organizers scrambled to find a replacement. They booked Inge Fryklund, a former Chicago prosecutor and current member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. Fryklund also happened to be a former Idaho resident.

When SSDP informed Elisha Figueroa, the state drug czar, that she’d booked Fryklund and Bellville, Figueroa balked.

“There has now been the last minute addition of another radical speaker from out of state,” she wrote in an email to the organizers. “It has become clear that what was billed as a college forum for meaningful discussion has turned into a choreographed pro-marijuana rally.”

With that, Figueroa canceled her appearance. The other two legalization opponents followed suit. And like that, every speaker on the anti-cannabis side of the debate had vanished.

Leafly reached out to Figueroa and Doty for comment. Figueroa would say only that the event “changed from what it was billed as, as a forum for the balanced discussion on the issue of marijuana legalization, to more of a pro-pot rally.” She declined to comment further.

Doty responded more fully. “We believed that we could dispel the misconceptions about how the current law is enforced by [state police] and share the experiences that our troopers and detectives see every day about the effects of drug use in our communities,” he said. “When the final list of participants was distributed the day before the event, the event appeared to have become something different.”

Jorgensen, the criminal justice professor, said he was disappointed with law enforcement’s absence. “My students and I weren’t too pleased by this, because we were interested in hearing their arguments and justifications for maintaining Idaho’s policies regarding marijuana, which are some of the harshest in the nation.”

Bellville, who showed up to the forum as promised, downplayed Figueroa’s claim that organizers had hired “radical” speakers from out of state. “It’s hard to find pro-marijuana speakers who actually live in Idaho, because they’re terrified of being above ground,” he told Leafly. And while he lives out of state now, he was born in Idaho, went to high school and college there, and spent most of his adult life around Boise.

When Bellville saw the message from Figueroa denouncing the forum as a pro-marijuana rally, he scoffed.

“The only thing that makes it a pro-marijuana event is that the anti people didn’t show up,” he said. “Kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy, right? Her charge of “radical,” out-of-state speakers is a swipe at me because my nickname online is Radical Russ. It was kind of shocking to me, because when Elisha Figueroa was getting her degree at Arizona State, I was skateboarding on the campus of Boise State. I have far more Idaho ties than this drug czar does.”

The organizers decided to go on with the show. “Because they canceled, it did turn into a pro-marijuana event,” Frank said. “We had three pro speakers and three empty chairs on the other side. We had the debate, but there was no rebuttal. We are planning to have another forum, and we’ll invite them again and hope they come down. We’ll just keep inviting them. It just shows that they have no weight to their argument if they won’t come down and debate with us.”

The forum was held in the BSU Student Union Building, with about 150 people in attendance. Another 8,000 or so listeners tuned in via a Cannabis Radio livestream.

With no opponents to debate, Bellville downloaded the Idaho Office of Drug Policy’s fact sheet on marijuana and went through it, point by point, arguing against the office’s supposed facts one-by-one. The event ended around 9 p.m., and the crowd dispersed.

Then things really got interesting.

A Knock At The Motel Room Door

After the event wrapped up, Bellville and New Approach organizer Bill Esbenson headed out.

When Bellville arrived at his hotel, he checked into his room with the night manager. “There’s hardly anyone in the parking lot and none of the rooms next to me are booked,” he said he remembers thinking. “It’s pretty empty for a Tuesday night in Boise.”

He changed his clothes, flipped on Jimmy Fallon, and was singing along with the TV when he was startled by a heavy knocking at the door, he said.

“Who is it?” he called through the door.

“Probation and parole,” said the voice on the other side.

“Who?” Bellville turned down the volume on the TV and looked out to see a man and a woman wearing official-looking jackets.

“Probation and parole!” The voice was more insistent this time.

Bellville cut to the chase. “What do you want?”

“Could you open up the door? We just want to talk to you.”

“No, I’m not going to open the door,” Bellville said firmly. “I’m not on probation or on parole. What do you want with me?”

“We’ve got a woman who’s on probation who’s registered for your room and we just need to check to see if she’s in there. Could you just open the door up so we could see?”

“There’s no woman in this room. I’m the only here and I just registered here today.”

They repeated their request. “Could you just open the door so we can talk about this?”

“No, I’m not going to open this door. I’m not on probation or parole. You guys can go get a warrant if you want me to open this door.”

Mention of the magic word, “warrant” was enough to change the demeanor of the officers at the door.

“Look,” Bellville recalled the male cop saying. “We know you’re smoking pot in there and that’s your own personal business and we don’t really care, but we’ve got a bunch of people on probation and parole here and we don’t want to see you fuck it up for all of them, so you just take that shit elsewhere.”

Because there was no arrest, there is no official documentation regarding the incident. Bellville didn’t record the officers’ names, so Leafly was unable to confirm the incident through official channels.

Bellville didn’t open the door. The officers eventually went away. But the encounter left him shaken. He wondered if he would wake up to a pounding at the door at a later hour, this time with warrant-bearing cops.

“You wanna know why it’s so hard to get an in-state Idaho speaker to speak up for marijuana?” Bellville told Leafly. “It’s because the cops just might follow them from the event and bust them.”

An Island of Prohibition

Why has Idaho been so adamantly prohibitive? A number of factors figure into it. First, there’s a heavily Mormon population. Idaho contains the second highest percentage of residents belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints of any state in the U.S. after Utah. But even Utah has legalized low-THC cannabidiol oil for medical use.

Idaho’s lack of cannabis legalization isn’t for a lack of trying or support. A 2010 found that 74 percent of Idahoans support the use of marijuana for medical reasons. And yet time and time again, when legislators like Tom Trail would introduce medical marijuana or industrial hemp bills, or when voters would gather signatures for a marijuana initiative, inevitably the legislation would hit a roadblock or lack of action from the conservative, Republican-dominated legislature.

The most recent legislative effort, Senate Bill 1146, would have legalized CBD oil for patients and caretakers. It represents a bare minimum of assistance to patients. Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas have passed CBD-only laws. But in Idaho, even that was too much. Gov. Butch Otter vetoed the measure. When confronted with the indignation of voters, Otter agreed to allow only a limited CBD study for children with epilepsy.

We asked Serra Frank about why she thinks Idaho has been so reluctant to allow even the slightest cannabis reform.

“I’m sure it has to do with investments in things like private prisons and pharmaceutical companies,” she said. “When our CBD law came up, the governor vetoed it. After he vetoed it, one of the local newspapers did a report about who his donors are, and the majority of them were pharmaceutical companies. So that kind of tells us why we’re still stuck in the past.”

Otter’s campaign contributions indeed include a number of pharmaceutical companies as well as Monsanto, Altria and Reynolds American (major tobacco players) and Anheuser-Busch. Taken together, those contributions compose a significant portion of Otter’s overall funding.

Serra Frank’s parting words reflect the deep divide she feels between access to medicine and the state she’s called home for most of her life.

“Everyone says, ‘Welcome to Idaho, time to change your clocks back 30 years. Come to Idaho on vacation, leave on probation,’” she said.

“Our criminal justice system here is a giant machine, just an assembly line in a lot of places. I used to live in Washington and Oregon, and I lived that medical program. I’ve seen the dispensaries. I know what we could have in Idaho, and I’m on a mission to bring that home.”

Frank’s difficulties with Idaho’s powers that be have left her undeterred. She’s already planning New Approach Idaho’s next big event: the first annual Boise Hempfest celebration, on April 23 at Julia Davis Park. Frank and her fellow volunteers will be collecting signatures and educating the masses, against all odds.

The Shake: A Cannabis Record Store and America's Cheapest Bud

Colorado sold a billion dollars in cannabis last year. Well, $996,184,788, to be exact. That’s a big gain from 2014’s $699 million in sales, thanks largely to more stores opening across more markets. All that business raked in more than $135 million in taxes and fees last year, more than $35 million of which is earmarked for school construction. Sales peaked in August and December, with a lull in early autumn. All told, legal sales across the U.S. soared to 5.4 billion last year.

Australia could legalize medical cannabis grows nationwide. A bill introduced today would establish a national licensing and permit scheme to supply patients with chronic conditions . Odds for passage look good, as the main opposition party has already pledged its support. If all goes well, it could become law by April. The country already grows a large number of medical poppy plants for use in prescription painkillers. Crikey!

Washington health officials aren’t keen on medical cannabis specialty clinics. The state Department of Health recommended against any plan to establish the clinics, which would “allow for the authorization and dispensing of marijuana to patients” and would have the health department certify prescribing doctors. Officials cited conflicts with the federal Controlled Substances Act and a lack of accepted protocols around medical cannabis.

Mormons vs. MMJ battle heats up in Utah. The Mormon church’s stance against medical marijuana (officials announced their opposition Friday, citing a fear of “unintended consequences”) hasn’t deterred Utah state Sen. Mark Madsen. A member of the church, Madsen vows to push forward with his medical cannabis bill in the state Legislature. “It would be immoral to back down,” Madsen said. (Cue Tom Petty, please.) Apparently nothing moves in the Legislature without the church’s approval, because some are already talking about taking the issue directly to voters with a ballot initiative. Tea Party member and legalization supporter David Kirkham says: “If the church is going to do this in smokeless back rooms, then we need to light some fires for the people in broad daylight.”

QUICK HITS: MarketWatch finds the cheapest legal cannabis in the country in Oregon, where the average ounce goes for $214. Prices rise as you go south and east, with Los Angeles clocking in at $269, Phoenix at $286, and Detroit at $282. Most expensive? Grand Rapids, Mich., where a medical ounce will run you $392. * Oregon ordered the removal of mite-control pesticide Guardian. In its announcement barring further sales in the state, the state Department of Agriculture said Guardian’s product label seems to have misrepresented its ingredients. * Twenty members of parliament proposed legalizing medical cannabis in Greece. The lawmakers, who belong to the radical left SYRIZA party, are also pushing the benefits of industrial hemp, noting its potential to spur the Greek economy. * The Berkeley record store Amoeba Records could sell cannabis after being named a finalist for the city’s fifth dispensary license. Amoeba owners in say the long-term slide in record sales has left them looking for “supplemental income.” If the shop lands the license, it would add a dispensary to the jazz room.

Image Source (curves, color balance, graphic overlay): Sara Nichols via Flickr Creative Commons

How Mexican 'Herbolarias' Transformed Hemp Into Psychoactive Marijuana

Historian John Charles Chasteen provides a brief global history of cannabis in his new book, Getting High: Marijuana Through the Ages. Best known for his studies in Latin American history, the University of North Carolina historian retraces the history of cannabis from today’s legalization era back to Neolithic times. Along the way he unearths broad patterns of use and cultivation that carried the crop around the world. One mystery is the plant’s apparent transformation from common hemp into psychoactive “mariguana,” discussed in the following excerpt for Leafly. Getting High will be published later this month by Rowman & Littlefield.

Where did psychoactive marijuana come from?

We know marijuana came to the United States from Mexico in the early 1900s. After months spent chasing Pancho Villa and his men, American soldiers returned home and brought with them packets of grifo, mildly psychoactive Mexican cannabis. At the same time, Mexican laborers brought marijuana with them as they migrated north.

But how did it get to Mexico? It’s not an easy mystery to unlock. The entirety of knowledge about the history of cannabis in the Western Hemisphere prior to 1850 would probably fit on a couple sheets of paper. By piecing together the evidence we can see that the story went something like this.

In the 1530s, one of the Spaniards led by Hernan Cortes set his forced indigenous laborers to planting Spanish hemp in the highlands around Mexico City. The historical record is sparse, but there are scattered mentions of hemp production on a modest scale through the 1760s. In the 1770s, the Spanish Crown launched a campaign to foment hemp production in Mexico. This met with indifferent success.

By the 1770s, though, another kind of production had quietly taken off. A priest of the Central Highlands by the name of Jose Ramirez learned that indigenous people not far from Mexico City were consuming preparations that they called pipiltzintzintlis, concoctions that gave them access to the spirit world.

Fearing pagan idolatry, the priest acquired a bit of the mysterious pipiltzintzlis and found to his amazement that, as far as he could see, it was simply the leaves and seeds of Cannabis sativa, or European hemp.

The hemp that European colonizers introduced throughout their North and South American colonies had never been used to get high. Although commercial hemp production never had much success in colonial Mexico, indigenous people continued to cultivate the plant for something other than fiber. When officials seeking cordage and sailcloth for the Spanish Empire asked Ramirez where they could find hemp seeds in Mexico, Ramirez told them. Go to the marketplace, he said, and ask for pipiltzintzintlis. Look for the indigenous herbolarias, the herb dealers.

Religious specialists among the indigenous people had used psychoactive substances for many centuries before the arrival of the Spanish. The Catholic Church condemned the use of pipiltzintzintlis, peyote, and teonanacatl because they represented the competition, so to speak–access to a religious experience outside the strict confines of the church. Therefore Mexico’s spiritual users of psychoactive cannabis kept a low profile.

The question remains: How did hemp develop into psychoactive pipiltzintzintlis? Apparently, between the 1530s and the 1780s, when commercial hemp production was fizzling, there nonetheless had been subsistence cultivation of Cannabis sativa, a few plants here and there in rural kitchen gardens. Mexico is one of the world’s hot spots of plant domestication. Corn, a Mexican creation, is a prime example. Domestic corn constitutes a triumph of early bio-engineering, entirely transformed from its wild progenitors. These botanical wizards also had experience with hallucinogenic flora that gave privileged access to the spirit world.

Anthropologists believe that the New World has so many more known hallucinogens than the Old–roughly ten times as many–not because it was providentially endowed with more, but because New World people were better at identifying and cultivating them. They gained this ability, hypothetically, by migrating through so many different climate zones to populate the Americas.

In view of all this, we shouldn’t be surprised if ten generations of indigenous Mexican botanists, aided by the blistering tropical sun, were able to discover and cultivate the psychoactive potential in European hemp.

Oddly, Ramirez’s discovery of pipiltzintzintlis was soon forgotten. Not until the 1840s does one find further evidence that marijuana existed in Mexico. And then, there it is: In 1846, the Mexican Academy of Pharmacy published a national pharmacopeia that registered the existence of two separate Mexican strains of cannabis: sativa, listed for its “emulsive seed,” and “Rosa Maria,” used for its “narcotic leaves.” Another name for Rosa Maria was a word that first appearance in print in the pages of the 1846 pharmacopeia: mariguana.

Within the next decade, a pharmacist of the University of Guadalajara mentioned that Rosa Maria was smoked in cigarettes, the first mention of that practice. (Pipiltzintzintlis seems to have been eaten. It was, in a sense, the original edible.) Further references followed in the 1860s and 1870s, as the word marihuana gradually became familiar to readers of Mexican newspapers.

Marijuana was very far from being a universal of Mexican life, however. Little known in the cities before 1850, it grew widely in the countryside, and the smokers of it were poor country people and mestizos, people in the not-Indian, not-European category of cultural/racial in-between-ness by which Mexicans increasingly defined their national sense of self.

Though not illegal, smoking Rosa Maria was considered un-Catholic. The innocent-sounding name was a reminder of the need to blow some smoke, so to speak, when mentioning the drug. The young rural men who gathered to pass a marijuana cigarette from hand to hand were not doing anything religious, not divining the future or gaining access to the spirit world. They were using marijuana more as a cheap substitute for pulque, a fermented beverage made from the maguey plant. And yet, the idea that marijuana was a “devil weed,” the idea that it was a bit pagan, that it produced madness and unholy violence–that had not completely vanished, either.

Then populations mixed. Beginning in the 1860s, national upheaval and war, followed by a period of rapid economic growth, stirred things up in rural Mexico. Soldiers and workers moved around the country. Along the way migrants passed through growing towns. These travelers were young men with zero years of schooling, jostled loose from tiny, traditional villages, now far from home, willing to try their hands at anything. They landed in the army, in labor camps, in rough neighborhoods where homeless drifters go to spend the night. Often they got in trouble for fighting. It was a commonplace belief that marihuana, like pulque and tequila, made them do it.
Prisons and military barracks were the two places most associated with marijuana smoking in Mexico by 1900. We should be clear about what that means. Marijuana had not turned these conscripts into soldiers, obviously, and neither had it turned them into prisoners. Rather, prisons and barracks created the ideal conditions for marijuana to substitute for pulque. Compared with alcoholic drinks, marijuana was much more easily smuggled and consumed. Prisons and barracks were also places of tough masculine society where the “devil weed” reputation could even be a plus. So “prisoner” and “soldier” were the most frequently mentioned identities of early marijuana users in the Mexican press. Other descriptors applied in print were lower class, degenerate, thieves, Indians, social dregs, and revolutionaries–along with various references to women, such as herbolarias, prostitutes, and soldaderas. The denizens of Mexico City’s underworld were said to loiter at cheap cafes smoking grifos and drinking coffee laced with cane liquor. Finally, there were also some middle-class dandies who dabbled with marijuana. A group of young dandies was said to meet at night in the shadowy cloisters of an abandoned convent, decorated with symbols of occult spiritualism, to smoke marijuana and read poetry.

Some women smoked marijuana, but press reports provide good evidence that men outnumbered them twenty to one. Women appear in the press reports much more often as suppliers than users. Herbolarias were not supposed to sell marijuana, but they remained the chief source of it for the urban population. Soldaderas, who traveled with soldiers to cook for them and take care of them in various ways, could be described as prostitutes or as soldiers’ sweethearts, overlapping categories at the time. Getting marijuana from the herbolaria and sneaking it to her man in a jail or a prisonlike barracks was a routine chore for such a woman, who may never have smoked it herself.

Mexican press accounts from the turn of the twentieth century present marijuana as a substance that turns smokers into homicidal maniacs after exactly three puffs. Here, in article after article, we find the origins of the “reefer madness” image later publicized in the United States by Harry Anslinger’s Federal Bureau of Narcotics. It’s an open question how much this “social script” influenced the behavior of the young men who were smoking the stuff. Did they feel themselves possessed by a devilish influence that made (or allowed) them to run amok? Press descriptions of fights under the influence of marijuana don’t differ much, in fact, from descriptions of similar fights under the influence of drink. Mention of alcohol in such accounts was twenty to a hundred times more common. And yet the Mexican press had absolutely nothing good to say about marijuana, whereas alcohol was a different, more complex story.

Alcohol was the active ingredient of lower-class pulque, but also of champagne and cognac, symbols of European chic in a country whose better-off citizens yearned for Europe. Only a smattering of bohemian middle-class Mexicans dabbled with marijuana, but all social classes drank. Immigrant families of German brewers were beginning to produce excellent beer in Mexico. Consequently, grisly murders, described with lurid detail in the yellow press, could not define the entire social meaning of alcohol, only its lowlife pathology, for the Mexican reading public. But they could, and did, define the entire meaning of marijuana. and marijuana’s indigenous image only made matters more embarrassing for the Mexican middle class, by reminding them of a Mexico that they preferred to forget.

All this gives us a much better picture of the backstory of marijuana smoking in the United States. The U.S.-built railroads that were stirring up the Mexican countryside also hired many Mexican workers and carried them north to the U.S. border. U.S. mining and ranching interests in northern Mexico wanted more strong young men with zero years of schooling, and soon U.S. labor contractors were signing them up to repair track or pick peaches north of the border. Nobody but the young men knew they smoked marijuana, until they got into fights…and the rest is history.

Now we can understand why Pancho Villa’s soldiers sang about marijuana, why migrating workers kept the stuff under wraps, and why respectable Mexican Americans had not the slightest interest in defending it. Finally, we can see where Harry Anslinger got the idea of promoting the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 by showing congressmen pictures of mangled corpses. It had all happened before, to powerful effect, south of the border.

Cannabis Lobby Day At The Oregon Capitol On Monday

Below is an event that is happening at the Oregon Capitol on Monday, via the event’s Facebook page: Come join our rally and let your voice be heard! Campaign for the Restoration and Regulation of Hemp (CRRH), along with several other cannabis organizations, will be participating in Cannabis Lobby Day at the Oregon State Capitol

Marley Natural Debuts New Line of Cannabis Products

With great anticipation, the cannabis world has waited to see the debut of Robert Nesta Marley’s new collection of unique cannabis strains, accessories, and infused lifestyle products.

Marley Natural (owned by Privateer Holdings, the parent company of Leafly) came into existence with the blessing of the late reggae pioneer’s surviving family, and is dedicated to preserving the memory of Bob Marley’s Jamaican roots. Each product was designed with genuine respect for his legacy, based on his belief in the power of the herb to heal and inspire the masses.

The Marley Natural products include four new cannabis flower strain lines:

• Marley Green: Hybrid strains recommended for people beginning their journey with cannabis. Marley Green strains have balanced levels of THC that combine the cerebral effects of sativa with the physical relaxation of indica. Marley Green strains are appropriate for anytime use.
• Marley Gold: Sativa strains that offer energetic, uplifting effects that may produce a more cerebral experience compared to other cannabis strains. Marley Gold strains are appropriate for daytime and nighttime use.
• Marley Red: CBD-rich strains that combine CBD and THC in a beneficial ratio. CBD-rich cannabis is frequently reported to provide patients and consumers with anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and anti-anxiety properties without the psychoactive effects of strains high in THC. Marley Red strains are appropriate for anytime use.
• Marley Black: Indica strains recommended for connoisseurs seeking a more physical, full-body experience. Marley Black strains are high in THC and are appropriate for nighttime use.

All Marley Natural cannabis flower and oils are locally sourced, sun-grown, and pesticide-free, in addition to being tested and labeled for potency, purity, and safety.

A naturally-derived line of botanical body care products will offer the moisturizing power of cold-pressed hempseed oil rich in essentially fatty acids and infused with classic Jamaican botanical scents such as ginger, lemongrass, turmeric, and cerasse. These products will be available nationwide through the Marley Natural Shop and will be available at select retailers soon.

Arguably the most beautiful part of the Marley Natural design comes in the form of a carefully and lovingly designed American Black Walnut wood and glass collection of accessories for smoking, preparation, and storage. The collection includes a taster, a classic spoon pipe, a steamroller, a bubbler, grinder, prep tray, and storage devices.

If herb is the healing of the nation, then let this nation be healed and remember: “When you smoke the herb, it reveals you to yourself.”

Image Source: Marley Natural

Mike West: Understanding Hemp-Derived CBD

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CTE in Professional Football Players, and the Potential of CBD to Address the Crisis

This article is sponsored by CW Botanicals. CW Botanicals is the exclusive supplier of Charlotte’s Web^TM products, the World’s Most-Trusted Hemp Extract. CW Botanicals’ mission is to provide products of the highest possible quality and purity, while contributing to the sustainability of the communities they have the privilege of serving.

The Charlotte’s Web line of high-cannabidiol (CBD) cannabis extract products first began to make headlines three years ago with its ability to effectively reduce seizures in pediatric epilepsy patients. Now, CW Botanicals extracts are being studied as a means of addressing a condition affecting a completely different demographic: retired professional football players suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, also known as CTE.

The Science and Politics Behind CTE

As described by Boston University’s CTE Center, “[CTE] is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain found in athletes (and others) with a history of repetitive brain trauma, including symptomatic concussions as well as asymptomatic subconcussive hits to the head…[This] brain degeneration is associated with memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, impulse control problems, aggression, depression, and, eventually, progressive dementia.”

With an ever-present stream of head injuries on the field, and an ongoing off-field discourse over the safety of the sport, the topic of brain damage in football has been spending more and more time in the spotlight. This has only been accentuated by the release of the movie Concussion, which tells the story of Dr. Bennet Omalu, who discovered the link between CTE and football in 2002. The same topic, as well as the extent to which professional football’s governing body sought to obfuscate it, was brought to light by a Frontline investigative documentary in 2013.

As the surge of CTE research and media attention has brought the public’s eye to the seriousness of the issue, studies demonstrating the neuroprotective and neurogenerative properties of CBD have suggested that this cannabinoid may have the potential to treat those suffering from CTE. At the same time, professional football players both retired and active have been expressing their discontent with the fact that cannabis – medical or otherwise – remains on the league’s list of banned substances.

CBD as a Potential Treatment for CTE

“What we do know are that the symptoms of CTE include memory loss, depression, and aggression and that CBD is proven to benefit the endocannabinoid system, which regulates a variety of physiological process in the human body, including mood and memory,” says Ryan Kingsbury, Chief of Strategy for CW Botanicals. “Based on this it’s reasonable to presume that the use of CBD could prevent or at the very least delay the progression of CTE.”

To investigate this hypothesis, CW Botanicals has partnered with Realm of Caring (ROC), a Colorado-based non-profit that focuses on advancing CBD research. “When you look at the research with regards to CBD as a neuroprotectant, I think that’s what should be very exciting for current players, former players and [the league] in general,” says Heather Jackson, CEO of ROC. “There’s not a lot of research specific to CTE yet, but we’re hoping to change that and lead that effort.”

Over the coming months, ROC will be working with Johns Hopkins University to develop a large-scale study investigating CBD’s impact on individuals affected by CTE, and Jackson especially hopes to focus on football players in these efforts. “We know that CBD modulates neurons, says Jackson. “We know that it acts on the receptor 5-HT1A. It acts on the opioid receptors. It enhances adenosine. New research is suggesting it increases bloodflow. We know all of these things, and they all relate to the symptoms of CTE.” With regard to professional football, she continues, “We need to get more [professional football league] players using it…the system needs to change, and this needs to be on their approved substance list.”

“Changing the Face of Cannabis”

Though players are informed during the season of upcoming drug tests – allowing them to discontinue use in preparation for these tests, and suggesting that the league is aware of the widespread consumption of cannabis products among its players – a positive test is still grounds for fines, suspension, and even dismissal from the league. The fact that cannabis use is punished more harshly than domestic violence charges has brought harsh criticism upon the league over the last two seasons.

“[Professional football’s governing body] has always been concerned about its public image, but when it comes to cannabis they’re really misinformed. The league is largely run by older, wealthy men who grew up hearing about the evils of cannabis so there’s a generational gap to contend with,” says former professional football tight end and New York Times bestselling author Nate Jackson. “Let’s see what happens when the league is presented with a study showing the effects of cannabis use on its players and comparing the results to what the opiates and other league-approved pharmaceuticals, which are passed out like candy, do to players.”

Activism has been fomenting via organizations like the Gridiron Cannabis Coalition (GCC), whose mission statement demands consideration of cannabis’s potential to fill the void of non-addictive treatments for ailments that plague American football. Meanwhile, a growing number of former professional football players have spoken openly about using CBD supplements like Charlotte’s Web.

“Since I started taking CBD regularly, there are no more slow-moving, dreadful days with headaches, joint stiffness and wandering thoughts” says Jake Plummer, former professional football quarterback. “I feel as if I’ve stopped aging since taking [Charlotte’s Web].”

Realm of Caring CEO Heather Jackson believes cannabis has great potential to help football players. “[Football’s governing body] has stated publicly that they will follow the research on this,” she says. “As we continue to show them the science, they are going to have to acknowledge it. The players are going to be instrumental in that…One of the things we are doing is changing the face of cannabis.”

Plummer adds, “What the Realm of Caring is doing cannot be overlooked by [the league] if they are serious about the long-term mental and physical health of their current and former players. CTE is a serious condition and CBD could be the answer.”

Image Sources: NPR

Polish Rapper-Turned-Politician Introduces Medical Cannabis Bill: The Leafly Roundup

What’s up this week: On the medical front, Alabama, Georgia, and Kansas are considering expanding their limited programs, while New Hampshire’s still working to launch a medical cannabis program of its own. As far as full legalization goes, Arizona faces an uphill battle against reluctant lawmakers, Maine’s dual organizing efforts have joined forces, and a Kentucky senator is hoping legalization could help curb an epidemic of opiate-related deaths. Internationally, a Polish rapper-turned-politician has introduced a bill for medical marijuana. And based on the polling numbers, it may actually have a chance.

U.S. Cannabis News

ALABAMA

Carly’s Law, passed in 2014, created a pilot CBD-only program run by the University of Alabama, with the school distributing cannabidiol oil to patients who suffer from seizure disorders. It didn’t quite work out. The Youngs, a family that campaigned strongly for the law, discovered their daughter, Leni, didn’t qualify for the pilot program. So Amy Young packed up and took Leni to Oregon for treatment. After Leni began receiving regular doses of cannabis oil, her situation improved immensely — her seizure frequency dropped from dozens daily to fewer than one a month. Alabama Rep. Mike Ball, R-Madison, who was instrumental in passing Carly’s Law, has taken it upon himself to draft what is now known as Leni’s Law in order to expand access for so-called medical refugee patients who leave their home states to seek treatment where cannabis is legal.

ARIZONA

Rep. Jay Lawrence, R-Fountain Hills, introduced House Concurrent Resolution 2019, which would amend Arizona’s medical marijuana regulations to make the program more restrictive. The measure would prevent naturopathic and homeopathic doctors from recommending medical cannabis and would require patients to renew their status (and pay subsequent renewal fees) every six months instead of every year, as is currently required. The resolution drew protests from patients across the state and highlighted a deep divide in Arizona: Even as campaign organizers collect signatures in favor of expanding legalization to include recreational use, Arizona lawmakers continue to take steps in the direction of prohibition.

GEORGIA

There are seven cannabis-related bills on the state Legislature’s docket this session, but one in particular stands out. House Bill 722, sponsored by Rep. Allen Peake, R-Macon, would expand the Haleigh’s Hope Act that was signed into law last year. The current law allows patients who suffer from qualifying conditions to legally possess cannabis oil, but it offers no legal avenue for patients to obtain medicine. HB 722 aims to expand the law to include more qualifying conditions, such as Alzheimer’s, HIV/AIDS, intractable pain, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The bill would set up an infrastructure similar to Minnesota’s for the manufacture and distribution of medicine. For more, check out our interview with Peake on the future of cannabis in Georgia.

IDAHO

Last week’s Boise State University town hall meeting to discuss cannabis legalization was eventful, even if it was missing a few key players. Idaho Office of Drug Policy Director Elisha Figueroa canceled her appearance the day of the event, as did representatives from the Idaho State Police, offering no explanation for their absences. The remaining speakers included Oregon anti-prohibition advocate Inge Fryklund, cannabis radio personality Russ Bellville, and BSU criminal justice professor Cody Jorgenson. Idaho voters interested in legalization efforts can find the petition for Idaho’s New Approach to Cannabis citizen’s initiative here. The campaign needs to collect 47,623 signatures by April 30 in order to qualify for the November ballot.

KANSAS

The Senate Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee last week approved a bill that would reduce penalties for cannabis possession and allow very limited use of cannabis for medical reasons. The measure now heads to the full Senate floor. It would reduce the first penalty for possession from one year in jail and a $2,500 fine to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. The bill also includes a stipulation that the second possession offense would no longer be a felony. It would allow individuals with severe epilepsy or seizure disorders to possess and use CBD oil derived from hemp, and would set up a medical research program to study the clinical benefits of hemp and hemp-derived products.

KENTUCKY

Sen. Perry B. Clark, D-Louisville, introduced the Cannabis Freedom Act. The bill would completely repeal Kentucky’s longstanding prohibition of cannabis and create a regulatory framework “designed to promote public safety and responsible” adult cannabis consumption. Clark says he’s concerned about the number of opiate-related deaths in Kentucky, which have grown at an alarming rate. “I don’t personally care about using cannabis. I just know that these laws are outdated and negatively affecting our state, our citizens, and it’s ridiculous,” Clark told LEO Weekly. “What we’re doing right now to combat this problem isn’t working, but you can see in places where they implement medicinal marijuana and decriminalization laws, that there is a reduction in prescription and opiate overdose deaths, and those amazing numbers are lives being saved.” The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to consider the bill on Feb. 3.

MAINE

The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol announced it’s collected 103,115 signatures, far surpassing the 61,123 signatures needed to qualify its legalization initiative for the November ballot. Although there were initially two legalization efforts, the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol and Legalize Maine, the groups have joined forces in a push to legalize. It’s not the first time Maine has been in the spotlight for legalization: In 2013 the city of Portland voted to legalize cannabis for adult use (though the vote was later overturned by authorities). Could it be time for the entire state to follow suit?

NEW HAMPSHIRE

In 2013 Gov. Maggie Hassan signed legislation to create New Hampshire’s Therapeutic Cannabis Program, but patients have faced a long and arduous wait for the program to become operational. New Hampshire cancer patient Linda Horan sued the state in November to obtain her patient registry card, and the court ruled in her favor. The state issued her a patient card in order to visit a Maine dispensary, as New Hampshire’s first licensed dispensary, Alternative TLC, isn’t slated to open until March 2016. In the meantime, advocates are also hoping to expand the qualifying medical conditions to include post-traumatic stress disorder and combat the Granite State’s ongoing battle against opioid addiction. State lawmakers are also considering a bill that would decriminalize the possession of up to half an ounce of cannabis, reducing the penalties to a civil fine of $100.

Sadly, Ms. Horan passed away earlier this week from her battle with stage 4 lung cancer.

International Cannabis News

POLAND

Polish member of parliament Piotr Liroy-Marzec, who dominated the airwaves in the 1990s as a rapper called Liroy, has introduced a draft bill to legalize medical marijuana. In July, an independent survey from the PBS agency found 68 percent of Poles favor legalization for medicinal purposes. The same proportion, 68 percent, said that denying access to cannabis is “cruel” and violates patients’ rights to healthcare.

Image Sources (cropped, logos removed): Wojewódzki Ośrodek Animacji Kultury w Toruniu via Flickr Creative Commons

5 Tips for Hosting a Fabulous (and Safe) Cannabis Wedding

Two weeks ago, I attended the Cannabis Wedding Expo in Denver, CO. This event was the first of its kind and showcased the diverse facets of the increasingly popular cannabis wedding industry. When some folks first hear of cannabis weddings, they gasp in horror at the idea of their conservative relatives being exposed to such “illicit” activity. Others, however, see it as a welcome addition to the pervasive trend of alcohol consumption.

One reaction we haven’t heard is what a huge impact this seemingly novel concept can have on the political landscape. While I was at the event, I spoke with industry expert Lauren Gibbs, owner of Rise Above Social Strategies and the brains behind the social media for Women Grow and Willie’s Reserve. She explained:

“Because a lot of people attending your wedding may not be exposed to cannabis on any other occasion, this is an opportunity to change their minds, and that could result in them changing their vote if cannabis legalization is on the ballot in their home state.”

Gibbs is planning a cannabis-inclusive wedding later this year. She said, “This may be the first time most of your guests will be exposed to open cannabis consumption in a normalized setting. So that means that you have a responsibility to do it right. Doing it right doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of money, but it is important to educate people on how to consume responsibly.”

How can you host a cannabis wedding responsibly, and in ways that are within your comfort level? Here are some ideas and tips I encountered at the Expo. The suggestions range from discreet and subtle to proudly extravagant, because as Gibbs pointed out, “You don’t have to smoke a bowl with your vows to have a cannabis wedding.”

Offer Variety with Safety in Mind

If you’re going to offer cannabis to guests, include multiple options for imbibing (e.g., smoking, vaping), and include options with varying potency. Make sure you have at least one low-THC, high-CBD strain option for the timid but cannacurious to experience the medicinal effects. A CBD tincture can also be helpful if someone overconsumes. Hire a budtender like Andrew Mieure from Top Shelf Budtending to be your lifeguard on-duty to monitor guest consumption and provide education on best practices for enjoying cannabis.

Pro tip from Gibbs: “If you’re having children at your wedding, DO NOT SERVE EDIBLES unless you’re having an adults-only celebration; otherwise, it’s too risky that a child could accidentally consume, and that’s the last thing you want at your wedding. If you’re serving edibles to adults, make sure they’re low dose (5mg servings). Bec Koop, owner of Cannabis Concierge Events, provides “token tokens” at her events. Every guest receives two wooden coins for edibles, so no one can consume more than 10mg.

Incorporate Cannabis into Your Fashion and Accessories

Did you know you could have your wedding gown made from a silk hemp blend? Janay A Eco Bridal offers custom wedding gowns for the fashion-minded cannabis enthusiast. Couples often scramble to find the perfect gifts for their wedding attendants, and Winky and Dutch offers bracelets, cufflinks, and other awesome jewelry and small gift options with cannabis leaves on them.

Take Your Cannabis Consumption Offsite

If you don’t want to have to hunt for a cannabis-friendly venue, look into party bus and limo options for a ride around the block. The laws in Colorado allow adults to imbibe cannabis in vehicles as long as they have a chauffeur. Alternatively, by setting up a dedicated cannabis consumption lounge, you can ensure that all the guests are over 21 and can consume discreetly before returning to the main reception.

Create Cannabis-Friendly Decor

Incorporate buds into your flower arrangements or centerpieces using a florist like Buds and Blossoms. Many folks find cannabis aesthetically pleasing, so this is a great way to add cannabis to your day in a decorative way.

Set Up a Vape Station and Supply Vape Pens

Offering a vape station for your guests is a great way to highlight non-smoking consumption options. For those who love sparkle, definitely check out Crystal Cult vape pens, which can be customized to fit in with your overall wedding color scheme. Other event planners offer premium vaporizer rentals, so you can focus on the flavors of the flowers and keep that distinctive cannabis smoke to a minimum.

Would you have cannabis at your wedding? In what capacity? Personally, even if I never get married, I’m going to have a huge cannabis-friendly party for my friends, because this sounds like too much fun to miss!

5 Smartphone Hacks for Better Cannabis Photos

We can all agree that cannabis is an absolutely beautiful plant. However, it can be difficult at times to capture that beauty through photography. Whether you’re a consumer who wants to share your gorgeous buds on social media or you’re a cannabis business wishing to showcase your inventory in the most appealing way possible, the quality of your photo will make a huge difference. But how can you get professional-looking results without having to invest in thousands of dollars of camera equipment?

Believe it or not, the technology we need to take better pictures of our cannabis is in our very hands. Our smartphones are perfectly equipped with the tools we need to get our trichomes sparkling in the spotlight. With the help of these five hacks, you can take your smartphone bud shots to the next level.

1 Stabilize Your Phone

There are several ways to prevent camera shake when taking pictures with your smartphone. The first is to invest in a tripod. There are plenty of inexpensive smartphone-specific tripod options available online; though if you don’t feel like shelling out the price for one, try using a kickstand or even propping/wedging your phone up in front of your subject. This will eliminate most of the camera shake, allowing for crisp and clean details to shine through in your photos.

2. Use Your Earbuds as a Remote Trigger

Using the touchscreen, or even a button, on your phone to take a photograph can create enough camera shake to compromise a photo. iPhone users, did you know that you can use the earbuds included with your phone as a remote trigger while taking photographs? The process is simple: Just plug your earbuds in and use the volume control buttons to take pictures while in the camera screen. Using both of these first tips together will ensure that your photos are tack sharp and free of blur.

3. Shoot in a Dedicated Photography App

There are a myriad of applications in the marketplace that will help you to edit photographs after you have taken them. But did you know that some applications can actually help give you even more control before your picture is even taken? While in most default camera screens you don’t have the option to adjust exposure settings such as shutter speed and ISO, these applications, like Manual for iPhone (pictured above), open up the controls back to you so that you can snap a pic of your perfect dab while also letting the perfect amount of light into your smartphone camera.

4. Use Soft Light

Try to stay away from your camera’s default flash setting. This flash will guarantee an overexposed and blown out final shot. When the only white you want to see in your shot is the head of your trichomes, it’s best to use softer light. Direct light is very harsh, casting nasty black shadows and overexposed patches where direct light hits your subject. To combat this, use indirect light, or bounce your light off a white surface. Also, try diffusing your light with a white, semi-opaque, surface like a paper towel, sheet, or some printer paper.

5. Consider Using a Macro Lens

A macro lens is fantastic in that it allows you to get extremely close to your cannabis, thus opening up an entirely new universe of colors and details. With a macro lens touting 15x or more magnification, you can cover an entire frame with just one trichome covered pistil. Some of the most creative cannabis shots utilize macro lenses. Luckily, today you can find a macro lens for your smartphone for for relatively cheap. If you do a simple search online, you will find a variety of options at virtually any price point. Don’t worry about dishing out mega bucks; you wont need to. The cheaper models work perfectly fine for taking bud shots.

Looking for more great tips to make your cannabis business stand out? Check out Leafly’s marketing services! In the meantime, good luck and happy shooting!

How a Top Cannabis Investor Looks at Your Company

Since entering the cannabis space in 2013, Leslie Bocskor and his Las Vegas-based investment firm, Electrum Partners, have become high-profile oracles, investors, and advisers. It’s not just because Bocskor looks cool. He’s a passionate, demanding, clear-sighted financier who’s grounded the cannabis investment world in old-school virtues like research, market analysis, and due diligence.

Bocskor cut his teeth as an investment banker during the 1990s dot-com boom. He’s lived through investment mania, bubbles, and bursts. He’s been called the Warren Buffett of cannabis, but he’s more like Warren Buffett gone Burning Man. (Bocskor was, in fact, a regional coordinator for the festival in its early days.) In 2014, Cannabis Business Executive ranked him 58th on their list of The 100 Most Influential People in the industry. Last year the ArcView Investment Network named him its most valuable member.

I first met Bocskor three years ago at an ArcView meeting in Seattle. Cannabis investment conferences now draw thousands, but back then you could stuff all the willing financiers into a Tuff Shed. There were about 20 investors in attendance that day, and the only two who weren’t already running dispensaries or baking edibles were Bocskor and a retired pilot from Yakima. I don’t recall the pilot’s name. But Bocskor was memorable because— well, look at the guy. He’s not exactly trying to blend in. He never has.

During a swing through Las Vegas last week, I sat down with Bocskor in Electrum’s offices in downtown Las Vegas, about four miles north of The Strip. I wanted to know how he decided where to invest his money, and how the cannabis investment world had changed over the past three years. And, frankly, it’s just fun to hear him talk.

What follows is an edited version of our conversation. For the unexpurgated version, click on the embedded audio below.

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Download the full interview with Leslie Bocskor

Leafly: What do you look for in a potential investment?

Leslie Bocskor: We look at the team. I’d rather bet on an A team with a B project than a B team with an A project.

This is what I want to know: Have they gotten to previous exits before? Have they had successes? Are they working in a space in the cannabis industry that is based upon experience, best practices, knowledge, and relationships they’ve had before?

Example: Tom Quigley of The Gluu.

Tom is building a web-based platform for the distribution of products in the legal cannabis industry that don’t touch the plant. Think Cisco Foods for the cannabis industry. Think smoke shops, convenience stores, and, eventually, dispensaries, cultivation centers and processing centers. They all have certain needs that are specific to this industry. They also have needs that are not specific to the industry: toilet paper, copier toner, things like that. The way Cisco provides everything to a restaurant, Tom can provide everything to these shops.

He’s done it before. He built Krush Communications, got it to $25 million in revenue selling prepaid phone cards to smoke shops. So this is just rinse and repeat for him. I love finding a guy who’s had a team, a person who’s had success like that in a specific area, who is now migrating into this industry.

Here’s another example. If somebody has run a nursery and now they’re going to be running, let’s say they’re going to be creating the cannabis plants in their veg stage and then ship them to a grower who’s got a flowering limit, or has a canopy limit. One of the efficiencies people have been exploring is this: Maybe one licensee produces only veg plants, and then other licensees raise only flowering plants. So that way you take advantage of your canopy, you can be most effective, you don’t have to try to do two things. If somebody has experience running a nursery, and then they’re going to move into that space, I’m going to favor that company. Because of their previous experience, they’re going to know things that somebody who’s coming into it new won’t.

Second, I look at the value proposition.

I’m looking for the people who have the big vision. I’m looking for people who are going to be able to scale up a very large size. So someone who is looking to, like Tom Quigley, put together something that can achieve that size. Or another company I like, GrowBlox Sciences, they have ideas about creating cultivation technologies that will be usable not only in cannabis — which is going to be gigantic — not only in hemp, which is going to be gigantic, but in other industries and agricultural verticals as well. This is a business that could rapidly grow from something that is small, to hundreds of millions in revenue in a few years, because of all of the energy that the cannabis industry brings in.

Third, I look for people who have a very good understanding of the market. I want to speak to people who are walking, thinking, speaking rocks. They have it down. They know what the market that they’re entering looks like. They know what the nuances are. They’re aware of the agility needed to deal with the rapidly changing regulatory environment and the business issues that come from that. They have their due diligence solid and all referenced. I’m not looking for people who have assumptions and gut instincts. I’m looking for people who can reference why their gut instincts and their assumptions have meat on the bone.

Knowing the market includes knowing the competition. I want someone who’s looked at the competition and has a very clear and objective assessment of what the competitive landscape looks like. I’m not looking for someone who’s going to sugarcoat what they’re doing. I want them to be able to say: Here’s who we are, here’s what we have going for us, here are our challenges; here’s what the competition is, what they have going for them, and here’s our strategy to deal with that.

I want someone who’s thinking about the exit strategy. I don’t want people who are only in it to win it quickly. But I want them to understand that there’s got to be a terminus that you’re thinking about from the beginning. Am I building this company to sell it? Am I building it to be profitable and create dividends for shareholders? Am I creating this to look into the public markets? I want to know how they’ve looked at all of those questions.

Those are my criteria.

How is the cannabis investment market different than it was two or three years ago?

The market? The word of the day is agility. We’re migrating a massive black market into a regulated market. Relative to GDP, the economic impact of the end of cannabis prohibition will be substantively bigger than what alcohol meant to our economy relative to GDP in 1933. That’s because of industrial hemp. That’s because of medical marijuana. That’s because of pharmaceuticals being developed based upon the cannabis plant. That’s because of nutraceuticals and supplements that are going to be based on the cannabis plant. That’s because of recreational and what it represents to the industry.

There was a RAND report I read, a ten-year study from 2001 through 2010, that did a look back, and when it was published in 2011, they stated that the size of the illegal recreational market was $50 billion a year. For scale, I think when you look at the NFL, NHL, MLB, and NBA together they bring in around $35 billion in revenue a year. That gives you an idea of scale.

Why does this reference back to agility? When you’re migrating a deregulated market to a regulated market, you’re dealing with the patchwork issues of the different regulatory frameworks in each jurisdiction, both domestic and international, and the fact that these markets are just evolving.

Look at Nevada. Nevada passed a medical marijuana law in 2001. It allowed for cultivation and consumption, but no market. You couldn’t buy or sell. There was no way to create any type of economy. As such, it wasn’t fair to the patients. Because if somebody gets diagnosed with a disease, they don’t want to have to become a botanist to treat themselves.

Then in 2013 Nevada passed another set of legislation that created what is the best regulatory framework for cannabis in the entire world. That was an evolution. You have to have the agility to anticipate those shifts, to be able to deal with those shifts, understand the business issues that those shifts represent, and make sure you’re going to adapt.

Federal illegality is making it so that each state is creating its own “ringed fence” market. Interstate commerce does not apply with regard to anything that touches the plant. You have to have the agility, the nimbleness, to work in many different states. If you’re really looking for the long play, the big win, you have to be able to play in Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, California, as each state evolves.

You mentioned Nevada as the best framework for cannabis in the world. What about Nevada leads you to say that? Is it the entire package? Are there specific parts of it that are done particularly well?

There are a couple parts that are done well. First of all, Nevada has more experience in developing regulatory frameworks for things that are illegal or quasi-legal in other jurisdictions than any other jurisdiction in the world. We invented regulated gaming here in this state. We’ve spent years figuring out how to do it right.

I like to give this example: When was the last time you heard a story about a casino cheating a patron? It doesn’t happen. Not because the press doesn’t publish it. They’d love to publish it if they could find it. But Nevada is so diligent in making sure its operators color within the lines, you don’t hear about it. Because there’s no reason to do it. You’re going to win as long as you play by the rules — so why play outside the rules? That’s why there’s a saying here: It’s easier to become a Secret Service agent covering the President of the United States than it is to get an unlimited gaming license in the state of Nevada.

So in developing the regulatory framework for the cannabis industry, the legislators and the regulators drew upon their experience with gaming. They wanted to make sure we had a business-friendly environment, a transparent system, a fair system. We wanted to make sure it was going to be good for consumers and good for the state.

So what differentiates Nevada? We’re the only jurisdiction in the world that has medical marijuana reciprocity. That’s a game changer.

If you have a recommendation from anywhere in the world, you can come to the great state of Nevada and go to one of our dispensaries and become a customer. Nowhere else has anyone used that common sense — not even Hawaii. You would expect that Hawaii, a state where tourism means so much to their economy, would have done that. Yet they will not include reciprocity until 2018.

New York, which has 55 million tourists a year, is essentially telling people who are medical marijuana patients: “If you’re going to come to New York, we do recognize medical marijuana and have a program, but you’re either going to have to break the law and fly with it or travel with it across state lines or go to the black market when you get here, because we won’t let you go to our dispensaries even if you have a recommendation from another jurisdiction.” To me, that’s just patently absurd.

The growth over the past three years in the number of investors interested in cannabis has been phenomenal. Are you seeing smart money come in, or are these conferences filling with a lot of people who are, maybe, not doing such intelligent things with their money?

We’re seeing smart money coming in. Very smart.

The level of due diligence, the level of decision-making, has been amplified dramatically. I’m now speaking to people who are talking about commodities and commodity pricing. I’m speaking to people who come out of the finance world. Traders. Fund managers. They’re not bringing their funds in. They’re bringing their personal money in. These are smart people who for years have been studying investing, and now they’re coming to this industry to invest, individually.

So, smart money. And a lot of it.

I was in New York recently. I held a little dinner with ten guests. One of the guests was an attorney who’s a partner in a firm that represents over 1,000 funds. And there were three family offices represented at that dinner. These are extremely sophisticated investors.

Now, are there still people who are just throwing money around? Maybe a little bit. But I’m finding that investors are making smarter decisions in this industry than they did in investing in the internet back in the mid to late nineties when I was working in that area.

Why? Is the fact that it’s cannabis making them more cautious?

Yes. Because of federal illegality versus state legality, the complex regulatory issues, the consideration of the risks, the stigmas attached to it, the political risk, the social risk, the business risk that’s attached to being involved in it. All these considerations are forcing people to spend more time on their research and their due diligence.

It’s still very hard for the individual investor. Let’s be candid. Investing in anything as an individual investor, it’s very hard to win. That being said, people are being very, very diligent.

The quality of the companies and the quality of the investors has dramatically changed at ArcView. Not that it wasn’t good. But now it’s got many more investors and a higher benchmark in terms of what’s expected and what people are delivering.

Image Source: Will Yakowicz via Flickr Creative Commons

'PotBotics' and Hemp Cars: The Leafly Tech Roundup

As cannabis reform continues to take shape at an unprecedented rate, so too are the industry’s technological innovations. From “PotBots” to the auto industry coming full circle, here are some of the latest cannabis tech advancements attracting interest.

PotBotics Introduces a Trio of Robot Aides

Cannabis startup PotBotics was launched with the goal of “bringing science to medical marijuana.” It has three products: PotBot, the “world’s first virtual budtender” that recommends medical marijuana to patients using “cutting edge neural-net algorithms” to determine recommended strains and cannabinoid levels; BrainBot, a wireless electroencephalography helmet that doctors can use to analyze a patient’s brain waves to determine which strains and cannabinoid levels might be ideal; and NanoPot, an advanced DNA reader designed for growers to scan cannabis seeds.

Watch PotBotics describe its product line in more detail:

PotBotics CEO David Goldstein appeared on MSNBC’s Code Forward program to explain the driving force behind his company, citing “a lot of pain points for patients right now” in the medical marijuana industry. PotBotics’ recommendation engine focuses on 27 different ailments, with strain recommendations stemming from the specific neurological responses of the patients being scanned. If it sounds complex, that’s because it is, relying on science, anatomy, and cannabis research to determine the best strains for ailing patients.

PotBotics is still in its early stages, so it’ll be interesting to see how its innovations are received. How many doctors’ offices would be willing to invest in a strain-recommendation engine considering the number of general practitioners who are either uninformed about or unwilling to get involved with medical marijuana?

Potential hurdles aside, if PotBotics can help both doctors and patients better determine the ideal regimen of cannabinoid dosage and strains to treat specific illnesses, it would be a huge turning point for the medical cannabis industry.

Automakers Turn to Hemp…Again

The North American International Auto Show is currently underway, and automakers are adopting the use of recycled and sustainable materials to construct their vehicles. Ford is now requiring that seat fabrics sold on vehicles in North America be made up of at least 30% recycled content. Design manager Barb Whalen called it “the right thing to do, for the environment, for ourselves and our customers. Even though oil prices are cheaper, it’s still the best thing.”

Plant-based materials such as eucalyptus fibers and, yes, hemp, are also being utilized, both for their sustainability and because they’re lighter in weight than synthetic materials. Said Pierre Demortain, a sales executive for French automotive parts supplier Faurecia:

“Hemp is a plant that doesn’t need irrigation or pesticides to grow and can reduce door weight by 25 percent.”

Faurecia uses hemp in combination with petroleum raw materials to construct its plastics, although it plans to eventually transition to 100 percent natural plastics in the next two to three years.

If you’re experiencing some déjà vu, it’s probably because auto pioneer Henry Ford was a huge evangelist of hemp’s industrial value. He even built a car that incorporated hemp materials. Check out a prototype in action from 1941:

Now here we are, 75 years later, exploring the possibility that hemp cars could be the “wave of the future.” Took us long enough.

Stay tuned for more tech spotlights from our rapidly-growing industry!

Cannabis Science Subsidiary Unveils New E-Commerce Site

Cannabis Science (OTC Pink:CBIS) announced the unveiling of a new e-commerce site for its wholly owned animal product subsidiary, Equi-Pharm.

As quoted in the press release:

The site will allow animal owners across the country easy access to the Equi-Pharm quality lineup of products. In the site’s unveiling, the company’s first Hemp infused product is available for horse owners. Equi-Sheen HP, a medicated grooming product for Horses, is now ready for shipment directly from the Equi-Pharm shipping facility in Shelbyville, TN.

This milestone allows Equi-Pharm to broaden its reach across the nation and unveil its New Hemp infused products to the Equine and Pet markets in an expedited time frame.

Web sales grew by about 81% from 2010 to 2014 and have continued to grow rapidly, according to a report released by the U.S. Commerce Department. This growth in web-based consumer spending patterns complements the company’s move to an e-commerce platform.

Click here for the full press release.

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Washington Lawmakers Could Cut Taxes, License Deliveries

Tax cuts! T-shirts! Cannabis to your door! These are a few of the changes Washington state lawmakers are hoping to make this year in their latest batch of cannabis bills.

Legislators have a lot on their plate for the short 60-day session that began earlier this month. The menu includes big changes to key parts of the state’s cannabis laws. Proposals so far this year include plans to streamline research processes, open investment to out-of-state financiers and protect industry information from public eyes.

Missing from the agenda are hot-button issues such as homegrown cannabis — currently only legal for medical patients — and public consumption.

Here’s a rundown of the bills in play so far. Have something to say? Leave a comment or contact your legislators.

Cut Excise Taxes

HB 2347

At 37 percent, the state’s current excise tax on cannabis is higher than most consumers would like. That money — for education, parks and so on — has been a boon to the state, but some worry it keeps prices so steep that cost-conscious buyers still opt for the black market. HB 2347, sponsored by Rep. Chris Hurst, D-Enumclaw, would lower the excise tax to 25 percent. How that would affect overall revenue is a matter of speculation. Under the existing tax scheme, the state expects to generate $154.6 million in taxes this fiscal year, up from $67.5 million last year. A tax rate reduction could shrink that number, but the hope is that those losses could be recouped through sales moving from the black market into legal stores.
Sponsors: Reps. Hurst; Chris Reykdal, D-Tumwater; Sherry Appleton, D-Poulsbo; Steve Kirby, D-Tacoma; and Cary Condotta, R-East Wenatchee.

Launch Delivery Service Pilot Program

HB 2368

Delivery services exist in the state, but so far they’ve been flying under the radar — and some in Seattle, notably City Attorney Pete Holmes, are sick of it. HB 2368 would create a pilot program to allow “up to five qualified licensed marijuana retailers to deliver marijuana to Washington residents in a city of over 650,000.” In other words, just Seattle. City leaders say delivery businesses are undercutting licensed stores, pulling consumers away from the regulated market and robbing the state of tax dollars. Seattle City Councilwoman Lorena Gonzalez recently pushed to close illegal delivery businesses, and Holmes has called them “felony operations.” (The city announced a crackdown on delivery services this week.) Holmes teamed up with Mayor Ed Murray’s policy advisor David Mendoza and Rep. Hurst to write the bill, which sets rules and tracking requirements. It won bipartisan support when Rep. Cary Condotta, R-East Wenatchee, signed on as a sponsor. If adopted, the pilot program would expire July 2019.
Sponsors: Reps. Hurst and Condotta.

Regulate Industrial Hemp

SB 6206

Cannabis with more than 0.3 percent THC is defined by law as “marijuana.” Anything less potent is “hemp.” The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board regulates marijuana, but no agency has yet been tasked to oversee industrial hemp. SB 6206 would change that. Sponsored by Sen. Bob Hasegawa, D-Seattle, the bill classifies hemp as an agricultural product “that may be grown, produced, possessed, and commercially traded in the state” and directs the state Department of Agriculture to regulate the industry.
Sponsors: Sens. Hasegawa; Dean Takko, D-Longview; Maralyn Chase, D-Shoreline; Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville; and Tim Sheldon, D-Potlach.

Allow Cannabis Merchandise

HB 2365

Want a T-shirt from your favorite dispensary? Tough luck. It’s still illegal to sell merchandise from a state-licensed recreational shop. HB 2365 fixes that. Under the proposal, stores would be able to offer “wearable apparel that serves to promote or advertise the retail outlet.” The bill tasks the LCB with regulating merchandise, so specific rules aren’t yet available, but one thing’s for sure: The bill outlaws apparel “intended to appeal to minors or otherwise encourage marijuana use by minors.”
Sponsors: Reps. Sharon Wylie, D-Vancouver; Hurst; Joe Fitzgibbon, D-Burien; Sam Hunt, D-Olympia; Joan McBride, D-Kirkland; Kirby; Condotta; Jim Moeller, D-Vancouver; and Vincent Buys, R-Lynden.

Welcome Out-of-State Investment

HR 2364

The LCB is already considering an administrative rule change that would allow out-of-state investors into the Washington cannabis market. Rep. Sharon Wylie, TK, has introduced a statutory change to do the same thing. The bill, HR 2364, would lift a requirement that all “partners, members, or shareholders” of a business be Washington residents. It would also allow cannabis businesses to be structured as limited liability corporations, or LLCs.
Sponsors: Reps. Wylie; Fitzgibbon; S. Hunt; Moeller; Brandon Vick, R-Vancouver; and Buys.

Narrow Public Disclosure Laws

SB 6207

SB 6207 would broaden the type of information that’s exempt from public disclosure laws. Specifically, it would shield information that business owners submit to the LCB regarding business licensing and the tracking of cannabis. Proponents have voiced concerns that making such information public risks giving sensitive information to competitors.
Sponsors: Sens. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, and Marko Liias, D-Lynwood.

Streamline Cannabis Research

SB 6177

SB 6177, sponsored by Sen. Rivers, intends to streamline the state research application process surrounding cannabis. The bill would remove the Life Sciences Discovery Fund from the existing Marijuana Research License application process and replace it with a “scientific reviewer” designated by the LCB. As written, reviewers may include “educational institutions, research institutions, peer review groups, or such other science or research-based organizations that are capable of determining the research value of a marijuana research license applicant.” The change puts research licensing squarely in the LCB’s hands and could open the tap to more cannabis-related studies.
Sponsor: Sen. Rivers.

Mexico Begins National Legalization Debates: The Leafly Roundup

Last week in legalization, Arizona neared a key goal in its initiative process, numerous California cities banned dispensaries, and Massachusetts state senators road-tripped to Colorado. Across the borders, Canada grappled with the impact of legalization on its treaty commitments while Mexico opened the door to a national debate on legalization.

Here’s a quick roundup of what’s happening in the world of legal cannabis:

U.S. Updates

Arizona

Arizona’s Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol is nearing the 150,000 signatures it needs to qualify for the November ballot. Under the proposed initiative, adults 21 and over could possess up to one ounce of cannabis and grow up to six plants in their home for personal use. Licensed retail shops would be able to sell cannabis subject to a 15 percent excise tax. The ballot measure would also establish a new state agency, the Department of Marijuana Licenses and Control, to regulate and oversee the cannabis industry.

California

A typo in California’s new medical marijuana law could spell disaster for dispensaries in some California cities and counties. Local governments are allowed to ban medical marijuana companies, but they must do so before March 1. Though lawmakers are working to remove the deadline, the bans are adding up. The Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors recently prohibited the commercial growing and distribution of cannabis, as did the city of of Thousand Oaks.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts lawmakers held a hearing last week on House Bill 1561, the Cannabis Regulation and Taxation Act of 2016, which would legalize and tax the sale of recreational cannabis. HB 1561 is separate from an initiative that could be on the ballot this November. The bill is sponsored by Rep. David Rogers, D-Middlesex, who teamed up with Dick Evans of the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol. The hearing coincided with a visit to Colorado by eight members of the Senate Special Committee on Marijuana to learn about the legal cannabis industry.

Minnesota

Minneapolis City Councilmen Jacob Frey and Andrew Johnson are seeking to decrease penalties for possession of small amounts of cannabis in the city. Being caught currently means jail time, a criminal record and a $200 fine. Johnson and Frey are hoping that by reforming the ordinance, Minneapolis can come into line with a statewide mandate that says possession of small amounts of cannabis should be treated like a traffic ticket.

A member of the Task Force on Medical Cannabis Therapeutic Research, Charles Reznikoff, conducted a survey of 262 doctors across the state to investigate why doctors have been hesitant to recommend medicinal cannabis. Currently about 490 doctors and 892 patients are currently registered with the Office of Medical Cannabis in Minnesota Reznikoff found that the majority of doctors wanted more clarity on qualifying conditions. Some also cited widespread opiod and painkiller abuse as reasons they were cautious to prescribe cannabis. Lack of education and personal opinions on cannabis may also be to blame, the study found.There have been relatively few public forums or continuing medical education sessions where doctors can receive information about the program and the potential benefits of cannabis for some patients.

Ohio

An eclectic group from varied backgrounds will compose a 14-member state panel to investigate medical marijuana. Doctors, lawmakers, business owners, law enforcement and advocates for legalization will serve on a medical marijuana task force and report back to the Ohio House of Representatives later this year. State Rep. J. Kirk Schuring, R-Canton, will chair the panel. Joining him are familiar names: businessman Jimmy Gould and attorney Chris Stock, who played pivotal roles in last year’s failed legalization measure, Issue 3. The task force will include representatives from the Ohio State Medical Association, the Ohio Children’s Hospital’s Association, the Fraternal Order of Police, the Buckeye State Sheriffs’ Association, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and former Ohio Attorney General Betty Montgomery.

International Updates

Canada

Complications are plaguing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s legalization efforts. Among the headaches is a concern that an attempt to legalize cannabis could compromise Canada’s international treaties. A briefing note recently prepared for Trudeau noted that he’ll have to explain to Canada’s allies and the global community how he intends to legalize cannabis while adhering to treaties’ anti-drug terms. Federal legalization would force Canada to amend its participation in three international conventions:

• The 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, as amended by the 1972 Protocol
• The 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances
• The 1988 U.N. Convention against Ilicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances

Mexico

Roberto Campa, Undersecretary of the Interior Ministry for Human Rights, announced that Mexico will hold its first national debate on legalization in Cancun on Jan. 26.A series of five debates are expected to help shape new legalization policies in the aftermath of last year’s Supreme Court ruling. The debates will examine the laws of 14 countries and three American states, as well as academic papers, research and articles on regulation, public health, public safety, consumers, therapeutic use, human rights, the prison system and economic development.

Israel

A leader in medical cannabis research, Israel is slated to begin carrying joints, edibles and oils in pharmacies, thanks to a proposal from Health Minister Yaakov Litzman. While medical cannabis has been legal in Israel since 2008, few prescribing physicians and limited access to medicine has created a bottleneck in the system. Beyond allowing pharmacies to carry cannabis, the plan would also remove a cap on licensed growers and qualify more physicians to prescribe cannabis.

Cannabis Science Stock Update: Will it Really Be a Healthier New Year?

Cannabis Science (OTCMKTS:CBIS) put out its guidance for the new year on January 5, stating that it is starting out the new year healthier than ever before.

The company is focused on the development of cannabis-based medicines, with an initial focus on skin cancers, HIV/AIDS and neurological conditions, and says that it has placed a heavy emphasis on accelerating its pharmaceutical drug development programs. Its main goal is to acquire national and international regulatory approval for its cannabis-based formulations.

“2015 was a great year of growth for our Company. We made a great deal of progress with our drug development, acquisition strategy, product roll out, and strategic partnership search,” said company President and CEO Raymond Dabney in a statement. “With that said, 2016 is looking to be an exciting year for Cannabis Science. We are kicking off the new year with new products already brought to market — a huge head start over last year.”

In mid-December, the company secured a drug development agreement for CS-NEURO-1, a step toward starting phase 1 human clinical trials in Europe. Then, in November, Cannabis Science launched its cannabinoid-formulated capsule product line in California; back in May, it acquired pet care manufacturer and distributor Equi-Pharm with a view to entering the pet care industry.

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Download this FREE Special Report, Investing in Medical Cannabis Information about Cannabis and Legal Cannabis Stocks.

However, it’s worth noting that the Cannabis Science stock price has fallen over 80 percent in the past year, and is currently trading just above a penny. In fact, aside from a small share price spike last August, shares of the company remained steadily on the downtrend for the entire year — and so far in 2016, the Cannabis Science stock price is down 12 percent.

Diane Alter at Money Morning offered some insight into the company’s situation back in May. “The Colorado Springs, Colo.-headquartered company maintains its immediate focus is to treat cancer,” she said. “Its main focus, however, should be its massive cash burn.”

Alter explained that the company had just $10,000 in cash, as per its annual report released in April, and that Cannabis Science had reported assets worth $166,000 compared to liabilities of about $3.96 million.

Taking a look at the company’s most recent report for the quarter ended September 30, the situation hasn’t improved much. Cannabis Science had $4,791 in cash, $138,000 in assets and $5.1 million in liabilities. Revenues came in at $4,150, but the company also recorded a $3.9-million net loss.

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Naturally Splendid Enterprises Ltd. (TSXV:NSP) is the only publicly-traded company in the world offering investors an opportunity to gain exposure to the hemp-based healthy foods and omega markets. Connect with Naturally Splendid Enterprises to instantly receive their next catalyst.

However, despite those numbers, one analyst still appears to be positive on the company. On Novemeber 24, Cannabis Science shared an independent analyst report from Charles Reed of Caprock Research; in it, the firm gives Cannabis Science an ‘Accumulate’ recommendation, a near-term share price target of $0.05 and a long-term target of $0.10.

In the 33-page report, the Reed admits that Cannabis Science stock has been under significant pressure, but states that the company appears to have a “first mover” advantage in terms of targeting particular applications for cannabinoids. The report was disseminated via Wall Street Corner.

To be sure, Cannabis Science is still a long way off from reaching the price targets mentioned above, and its balance sheet isn’t so healthy. Still, interested investors will no doubt be standing by for updates.

The Cannabis Science stock price is currently sitting at $0.0132. It has traded within a 52-week range of $0.01 to $0.07, with an average daily trading volume of 6.76 million shares. The company has a market capitalization of 17.19 million.

Securities Disclosure: I, Teresa Matich, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

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Science Revisited: Will Using CBD Hemp Oil Lead to a Positive Drug Test for THC?

This article is sponsored by CannaVest, one of the leading suppliers of agricultural hemp-derived CBD from seed to finished products.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this column is intended for educational and informational purposes only. CannaVest is not engaged in rendering legal or medical advice, and any information provided is not a substitute for professional legal or medical opinion.

You may recall part one of our now two-part series that explores whether a person using CBD hemp oil could test positively for THC or marijuana. The study cited concluded the following:

“…a consumer who uses a high-quality, scientifically vetted hemp-based product at the standard serving size is highly unlikely to test positive for THC and/or THC-COOH. However, it’s important to be cognizant that extremely high doses may result in a positive urine screen (that would be subsequently shown to be false via GC/MS). “

An additional study conducted by Leson, et al dove further into the subject, examining the effects of THC administration on subjects who had positive drug screens for THC. What were their findings, and do they align with Part 1’s findings or contradict the initial study’s results?

The Latest Study

Leson and colleagues’ recent study involved 15 adult subjects (10 females, 5 males) who had not previously been exposed to THC. The subjects were given single daily THC doses in an oil matrix, ranging from 0.09 to 0.6 mg, over four successive 10-day periods. Their urine samples were screened for cannabinoids using radioimmunoassay, a method of measuring very small amounts of a substance in blood.

Unfortunately, radioimmunoassay is prone to producing false positives, and it confirmed the presence of THC-COOH. The radioimmunoassay results showed that daily ingestion of up to 0.45 mg of THC in an oil matrix did not screen positive at a 50 ng/mL cutoff. When the daily intake was increased to 0.6 mg, one sample screened “positive”. At the lower cutoff level of 15 ng/mL (which is used by some employers, law enforcement agencies, and drug treatment programs), 19% of urine samples screened “positive” for THC.

However, when the samples were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), an analytical method of identifying different substances within a test sample, none of the samples screened positive. In fact, under the GC-MS method, the highest value obtained was only 5.2 ng/mL, well below the lower cutoff level of 15 ng/mL.

The researchers concluded the following:

“Practicing routine GC-MS confirmation of urine specimens screening positive appear to minimize the risk of producing confirmed positive urine tests from hemp oil.”

So there you have it. If you keep your consumption of CBD-rich hemp oil to less than 200 to 300 mg per day, you are highly unlikely to screen positive for THC use via the confirmatory (and most important) GC-MS test. Therefore, less than 100 mg to 150 mg daily is very unlikely to result in a positive preliminary immunoassay-screening test.

But Wait, There’s More

One caveat is that CBD, THC, and other cannabinoids are known to interact with a subclass of a very important family of enzymes known as the cytochrome P450 group (abbreviated as CYP). CBD is known to inhibit the same P450 enzymes that are known to metabolize it, and some of these enzymes (e.g., CYP3A4 and CYP2C9) are also responsible for THC metabolism along with the hepatic metabolism of ~ 60% of clinically prescribed medications. Co-administering cannabis and CBD may cause THC levels to be elevated to a greater extent, for a prolonged period of time.

Medical marijuana patients who utilize high doses of CBD concentrates should keep in mind that there are multiple potential drug interactions. Moreover, there is also the issue of pharmacogenetics– the degree of variability with which an individual’s genetics causes differences in drug metabolic pathways, which can affect how someone responds to the therapeutic benefits as well as adverse effects of drugs. Hence, the actual dose that causes a potential “positive” screen or confirmatory test for THC from consumption of CBD-rich hemp oil will change from one individual to another due to these genetic differences in the CYP450 enzyme system.

New References:

Bergamaschi et al. Safety and Side Effects of Cannabidiol, a Cannabis sativa Constituent. Current Drug Safety, 2011, Vol. 6, No. 4.

Leson et al. Evaluating the impact of hemp food consumption on workplace drug tests. Journal of Analytical Toxicology, Vol. 25, November/December 2001 691-698.

Can Industrial Hemp Deliver CBD to Cannabis Patients

CBD – Industrial hemp is emerging as a potential low-cost source of CBD, but faces an uncertain regulatory future. In the past year, we observed that high-CBD varieties of cannabis frequently commanded higher prices due to their relative rarity and the exploding demand from medical patients for CBD-based products. Since high-CBD plant material is overwhelmingly […]

Can Industrial Hemp Deliver CBD to Cannabis Patients

CBD – Industrial hemp is emerging as a potential low-cost source of CBD, but faces an uncertain regulatory future. In the past year, we observed that high-CBD varieties of cannabis frequently commanded higher prices due to their relative rarity and the exploding demand from medical patients for CBD-based products.

Since high-CBD plant material is overwhelmingly processed into infused products – many medical patients are unable to smoke for health reasons – the quality and appearance of the flowers themselves is not a high priority.

Hence, farmers of industrial hemp – defined in law as containing 0.3% THC or less – have realized that they could grow acres of a CBD-containing variety for a fraction of the cost of traditional indoor cannabis cultivation and potentially reap large profits.

Despite existing nationwide commerce in CBD products, the non-psychoactive cannabinoid remains a Schedule 1 controlled substance.

The FDA earlier this year stated that CBD could not be sold legally as a dietary supplement, sent warnings to companies making claims that their CBD products could treat specific ailments, and published test results showing that many products did not in fact contain what they claimed.

On a state level, due to the configuration of Colorado’s regulatory systems for cannabis and hemp, high-CBD infused products made from hemp cannot enter the state’s legal cannabis market, as they are not produced within the MED’s licensed system.

However, an opinion from the Office of Legislative Legal Services on the classification of CBD – reported on in the Forward Curve report for November 27th – suggests that state lawmakers may be considering this issue.

Oregon essentially put a hold on its industrial hemp program this year to update regulations to address the unanticipated production target of CBD.

Kentucky, which has perhaps the largest and most advanced industrial hemp program in the nation, passed a bill in 2014 allowing the use of CBD oil by epilepsy patients, but it is considered unworkable due to the omission of any language regarding the production and distribution of the products it authorizes.

This year’s Spending Bill does include continued protections for hemp growers operating under the provisions of the 2014 Farm Bill, and Section 763 of the 2016 Spending Bill prohibits federal funds from being used to prohibit the transportation, processing, and sale of hemp “within or outside” the state in which it was grown.

While this provision apparently authorizes interstate hemp commerce, numerous alterations to existing state law and new rulemaking will likely need to be carried out to truly facilitate the opening of this potentially massive new market.

The threat of federal intervention in the CBD realm persists. Such intervention could eliminate current interstate commerce in CBD products, restricting their production and sale to states with legal medical cannabis systems and driving up prices for CBD-rich plant material drastically.

Despite current uncertainties, some businesses are already moving to establish necessary infrastructure,
specifically the

planned conversion of a former Boeing plant in Pueblo into a processing facility to produce high-CBD hemp oil by CBD Biosciences, a joint venture of Thar Process and O.penVape, a Denver-based manufacturer of vaporizer pens and infused products that already serves the state’s recreational and medical cannabis markets.

Notably, the project is being partially subsidized with public money in the form of a nearly $5 million grant from the Pueblo Economic Development Corporation, which will be drawn from the city’s sales tax fund.

The Cannabis Benchmarks™ weekly prices index report is generated from data collected by New Leaf Data Services & Signal Bay Research.

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Ep. 34 – Love’s Oven owner Peggy Moore and National Hemp Association vice chair Samantha Walsh

Published: Nov 20, 2015, 6:34 pm • Updated: Nov 20, 2015, 6:34 pm Cannabist Staff Our guests on The Cannabist Show this week: Love’s Oven owner Peggy Moore and National Hemp Association vice chair Samantha Walsh. Podcast: Play in new window | Download TOP MARIJUANA NEWS • Michigan and Nevada are among the U.S. states […]

Cannabis And Hemp Business Accelerator Bringing Ancillary Cannabiz To The East Coast

I received the following press release and am passing it along. I know there are a lot of people out there that are looking for help growing their business: Monday, September 21st Greenhouse Ventures (GHV) – a business accelerator driving ancillary startups in the cannabis and hemp industries – launched its pilot semester with three

California Clears ‘California Cannabis Hemp Initiative 2016’ For Circulation

California’s Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced this week that the organizers of the California Cannabis Hemp Initiative (CCHI) 2016 can begin collecting signatures to qualify the initiative for the November 8, 2016 California state election. The grassroots organization has 180 days to circulate petitions and collect 365,880 registered voters signatures that must be submitted to county

US OR: Editorial: U.S. Stance On Pot, Hemp Seems Silly

Corvallis Gazette-Times, 05 Oct 2015 – The private recreational use of marijuana by adults in Oregon has been legal for months, and last week, you could start buying recreational marijuana at medical dispensaries that elected to join in on early sales of pot. But Oregon’s grand experiment with legalized marijuana won’t have any effect on the state’s colleges and universities, including Oregon State University.

A WILLIAMSBURG COMPANY AIMS TO ‘ELEVATE’ TEA DRINKERS WITH AN INFUSION OF HEMP

By Madison Margolin The Village Voice

Williamsburg techie Michael Christopher wants to merge the cannabis industry with the herbal wellness movement and “tea renaissance.” With a name inspired by the Brooklyn loft culture, Loft Tea is a line of “natural remedy” teas infused with CBD — a non-psychotropic cannabinoid, or chemical compound found in the cannabis plant. Christopher publicly launched Loft Tea in June.

Tell The Senate To Support Hemp

I received the following message from Vote Hemp: The Industrial Hemp Farming Act, S.134, only has nine (9) cosponsors. The most recent cosponsors are Senator Bennett (D-CO), Senator Tester (D-MT) and Senator Baldwin (D-WI). We are grateful for their support but we need many more. This important legislation would greatly benefit opportunities in terms of jobs

Wyoming parents mull hemp oil for children with epilepsy

By Laura Hancock Casper Star Tribune

Gretchen Wheeler knows her 21-year-old daughter will never be able to drive, marry or have her own children. Katelyn will likely live with her mother “forever,” Wheeler says.

She is willing to accept some of those facts. Her daughter has epilepsy and autism.

What Wheeler can’t accept is Katelyn’s constant seizures.

New Mexico’s Industrial Hemp Farming Act Passes State Senate with a Super Majority

SANTA FE, NM – Yesterday, for the first time in history, the New Mexico Senate voted in favor of a measure allowing hemp cultivation. On a vote of 33-8, New Mexico State Senator McSorley’s (D-16-Bernalillo) Senate Bill 94 (SB94) passed the Senate Floor. The bill now heads to the House of Representatives.

SB94 would allow for the New Mexico Department of Agriculture to provide for the growing of industrial hemp for research and development purposes. And, upon passage of the legalization of hemp, the provision will permit growing of industrial hemp by New Mexicans issued a license by the department.

“Today’s vote shows that New Mexicans across the political spectrum are ready for hemp to be an option for the agricultural sector and to improve our economy,” said Emily Kaltenbach, New Mexico state director with the Drug Policy Alliance. “Our elected officials are finally recognizing that federal drug laws are outdated and have created unnecessary barriers for our farmers.”

If SB94 is passed through the House and signed into law New Mexico will join Kentucky, Hawaii and Colorado, which have already created industrial hemp research programs.

The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) is the nation’s leading organization of people who believe the war on drugs is doing more harm than good. DPA fights for drug policies based on science, compassion, health and human rights.

Author:
Date Published: March 3, 2015
Published by Drug Policy Alliance

DEA Allows University of Hawaii to Import Hemp Seeds from Australia | Ganjapreneur

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has allowed officials from the University of Hawaii to import Australian hemp seeds to kick off the state’s Industrial Hemp Research Project. “This project is just the first step in establishing Hawaii as a leader in the growth and production of industrial hemp and its products,” University Representative Cynthia Thielen explains. […]

Final Year-End Federal Spending Bill Prohibits Justice Department from Undermining State Medical Marijuana and Hemp Laws

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The final “cromnibus” federal spending bill that Congress passed over the weekend contains historic language prohibiting the U.S. Justice Department from spending any money to undermine state medical marijuana laws.

The spending bill also includes a bipartisan amendment that prohibits the DEA from blocking implementation of a federal law passed last year by Congress that allows hemp cultivation for academic and agricultural research purposes in states that allow it. It also contains an amendment allowing Washington, D.C.’s voter-approved initiative legalizing marijuana possession and home cultivation for personal use to move forward, but prohibits D.C. policymakers from using any local or federal 2015 funding to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol.

“For the first time, Congress is letting states set their own medical marijuana and hemp policies, a huge step forward for sensible drug policy,” said Bill Piper, director of the Drug Policy Alliance’s office of national affairs. “States will continue to reform their marijuana laws and Congress will be forced to accommodate them. It’s not a question of if, but when, federal marijuana prohibition will be repealed.”

Earlier this year, 219 members of the U.S. House voted for a bipartisan amendment that was sponsored by Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Democrat Congressman Sam Farr (D-CA) and ten other members of Congress prohibiting the DEA from undermining medical marijuana laws in nearly two dozen states, as well as eleven additional states that regulate CBD oils. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced a similar amendment in the Senate but a vote by the Senate on the amendment was never held.

The House amendment made it into the final appropriations bill, marking the first time Congress has ever cut off funding to marijuana enforcement. Another House amendment sponsored by Republican Congressman Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Democrat Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) prohibiting the DEA from undermining a federal law that allows industrial hemp research under certain circumstances also made it into the final appropriations bill.
The spending bill also contains a provision affecting legalization efforts in D.C. In November 70 percent of D.C. voters approved Initiative 71, a ballot measure that legalizes small amounts of marijuana for personal use. Members of Congress have offered differing opinions on whether the language in the spending bill stops Initiative 71 or just prohibits D.C. from going further.

To the Democrats who fought to protect the right of D.C. to set its own policies and negotiated compromise language with Republicans, it is clear that the final rider protects Initiative 71. So says Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA); Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC); Rep. Jose Serrano (D-NY), the ranking member on the appropriations subcommittee that funds D.C.; and Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY), the Ranking Democrat on the Appropriations Committee. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) also spoke on the Senate floor last week in defense of D.C.’s right to reform its marijuana laws.

The rider that passed the Appropriations Committee earlier this year prohibited D.C. from spending money to “enact or carry out” any law or regulation lowering or eliminating penalties for marijuana or other Schedule I drugs. Democrats opposed that language in final negotiations over the “cromnibus” though.

The compromise amendment that Republicans were forced to accept eliminated the words “or carry out”, meaning any D.C. law that has ready been enacted is protected. Under the D.C. Home Rule Act, a ballot measure becomes “an act of the council” when the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethic certifies that voters approved it. Initiative 71 was officially enacted on December 3rd when the Board certified that 70 percent of D.C. voters approved it.

The Drug Policy Alliance urges the D.C. Council to side with D.C. voters and transmit the initiative to Congress in January.

“D.C. voters passed Initiative 71 because they want to see an end to racially unjust marijuana arrests,” said Grant Smith, deputy director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance. “It is now the Council’s turn to honor the will of the people and move forward with legalization, even if doing so means standing up to Congress on the issue.”

The campaign to pass Initiative 71 was driven by public demands to end racially-biased enforcement of marijuana laws and was seen as the first step at taking marijuana out of the illicit market. A broad base of community support from multiple civil rights organizations, faith leaders and community advocacy groups supported Initiative 71, viewing it as an opportunity to restore the communities most harmed by the war on drugs.

Two independent studies of marijuana arrest trends in the District of Columbia documented enormous racial disparities in marijuana possession arrests. Despite the fact that African American and white residents of the District of Columbia use marijuana at roughly similar rates, ninety-one percent of all arrests for simple possession of marijuana are of African Americans and are eight times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than whites.

Whatever the fate of D.C.’s legalization effort, the national medical marijuana victory in Congress will further solidify drug policy reform’s relevance as a mainstream political issue and build upon victories by drug policy reform advocates at the state level. Dozens of states have legalized marijuana for medical use in recent years.

Voters in Colorado and Washington State voted in 2012 to legalize and regulate marijuana like alcohol. In November, voters in Oregon, Alaska and Washington, D.C. also approved legalization, while voters in California and New Jersey passed groundbreaking criminal justice reforms.

Polls over the past few years have consistently found that a clear majority of Americans support marijuana legalization and other drug policy reforms.

“The war on drugs is unraveling at both the state and federal levels,” said Piper. “It’s taken a lot of work by a lot people working hard across the country for decades but from marijuana reform to sentencing reform punitive drug policies are finally coming to an end. The American people want change and policymakers are giving it to them.”

Author:
Date Published: December 15, 2014
Published by Drug Policy Alliance

Kentucky Hemp: First Crop Successfully Harvested, Industry’s Future Looking Strong | Ganjapreneur

In May of this year (2014), Kentucky sued the federal government for confiscating the state’s legally-acquired Italian hemp seeds, sparking a fiasco that enraged hemp supporters nationwide. The seeds were eventually returned and planted as part of a pilot crop for Kentucky’s industrial hemp industry. That pilot crop was harvested earlier this week and has been called a great success.“There’s a great […]

5 Differences Between Hemp and Marijuana

Hemp and marijuana are two popular names for the cannabis plant. The word cannabis often brings to mind images of a burning joint or a bong filling up with white smoke. Most of the time, the term wouldn’t be equated with plant-based plastics, durable paper or military grade fabric. But in reality, cannabis has just […]

Illinois: Governor Signs Hemp Research Measure Into Law

Democrat Governor Pat Quinn has signed legislation, House Bill 5085, authorizing state universities to cultivate industrial hemp for research purposes.

The new law takes effect in January.

Illinois joins more than a dozen states — including Hawaii, Indiana, Nebraska, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah earlier this year — that have enacted legislation redefining hemp as an agricultural commodity and authorizing state-sponsored research and/or cultivation of the crop.

In February, federal lawmakers approved language in the omnibus federal Farm Bill authorizing states to sponsor hemp research absent federal reclassification of the plant.

…read more

Easy Ways To Add Hemp Seeds To Your Diet

Hemp seeds are packed with nutrients and can be effortlessly added to many recipes. Hemp seeds are one of the most wholesome and nutritious foods available today. Despite being closely related to the cannabis plant, hemp seeds have become widely popular as a health food in recent years. The list of reasons to eat hemp […]

Planet Green Trees Episode 192-The Hemp Show

March 27, 2014 Tonight 8-10:00 p.m. or call 347-326-9626    www.planetgreentrees.com Hosted by attorney Michael Komorn from Komorn Law and Chad from Birmingham Compassion-   Contributions from Rick Thompson from The Compassion Chronicles and Jamie Lowell from The 3rd Coast Compassion Center-   Tonight- Two bills HB 5439 and HB 5440 have been introduced in the Michigan […]

The Future of Healthy Snacks? Hemp Crackers, Say Scientists

Gluten-free hemp tortilla chips are available in some stores. (Photo: theimpulsivebuy/Flickr) No two phrases are better known in the health food community as ‘gluten-free’ and ‘antioxidant.’ Now, scientists say they’ve developed a snack from hemp that could offer both these benefits — and more. A team of Canadian and Serbian food scientists have come up […]

Why Your Next Pair Of Running Shoes Could Be Made From Hemp

(Photo: Trevor Brown Jr/Outside Online) Hemp seems to be making strides, in more ways than one. The age-old industrial crop is now capturing the attention of the most forward-thinking clothing manufacturers, including footwear company Vibram FiveFingers. While the FiveFingers may not look like the most hi-tech pair of sneakers, the concept behind its minimalist design […]

Planet Green Trees Episode 188-Let’s Talk about Hemp

February 27, 2014 Tonight 8-10:00 p.m. or call 347-326-9626 www.planetgreentrees.com Hosted by attorney Michael Komorn from Komorn Law and Chad from Birmingham Compassion-Contributions from Rick Thompson from The Compassion Chronicles and Jamie Lowell from The 3rd Coast Compassion Center- Tonight- Michigan House members in Lansing hold a public hearing to discuss allowing Industrial Hemp cultivation […]

$30 Million Hemp Factory Coming To Alberta

Dr. Jan Slaski and Dr. John Wolodko of Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures conduct research on hemp fibre products at an Edmonton lab. (Photo: AITF) A hemp processing company is planning to move its manufacturing operations from China to southern Alberta. Cylab International says it is finalizing plans for the construction of a $32 million factory, where […]

Kentucky Moves First On Hemp Research Projects

Hemp seed plant (Photo: D-Kuru/Wikimedia Commons) The Kentucky Department of Agriculture has announced plans to conduct some of the first U.S. hemp studies, which are now legal under the new farm bill. The state will partner with universities to investigate different aspects of hemp cultivation, Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer said on Monday. A provision […]

Scientists Develop New Line Of Cooking Oil From Hemp

A major breakthrough now allows hempseed oil to compete with other vegetable oils for cooking. Scientists at the University of York have developed a new line of hemp that produces oil with a much longer shelf-life and higher temperature stability. The breakthrough, published this week in Plant Biotechnology Journal, is believed to be a major […]

For The First Time, U.S. Law Allows Hemp

(Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr) On Friday, President Barack Obama signed into law the new farm bill, which includes an amendment allowing industrial hemp to be grown for research purposes. While the farm bill only permits research in states with existing hemp laws, advocates still celebrated the turning point in federal policy. “This is the first time […]

9 Surprising Health Benefits Of Hemp Seeds

Hemp seeds, or hempseed, have drawn more attention in recent years from researchers and health advocates alike. Hempseed is considered a ‘superfood’ for many reasons. And while its link to the cannabis plant remains a barrier, scientists are continuing to discover new benefits of the seed and its derivatives. Last month, the American Chemical Society […]