Category: All Medical Marijuana News

Oregon Recreational Marijuana License “Temporary Rules and Application Process” Video

I came across this video from the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) via the Cannabis Collaborative Conference’s website and felt it was worth passing along. I know there are a lot of people getting their rec apps in order in Oregon, and even if you aren’t, it’s still an interesting video to watch. Permanent rules

The Cannabis Collaborative Conference Starts Tomorrow, Tickets Still Available

I have heard from several people that attended the Cannabis Creative Conference that it was one of the best organized and well run cannabis industry events of all time. The amazing people behind that event are back with a second installment, the Cannabis Collaborate Conference, which starts tomorrow in Portland, Oregon and goes from 9:00

Kings of Pain: Watching a Broncos Game with Ex-NFL Player Nate Jackson Will Lay You Out

Playing in the NFL is dangerous. Smoking cannabis is not. So why won’t the NFL allow its players to use a substance with proven pain-relieving properties — even in states where it’s legal? Leafly writer Rod O’Connor met up with former Denver Broncos tight end Nate Jackson in the Mile High City, at a Broncos game, to discuss the pain inherent in America’s most popular game and the hypocrisy of the NFL’s continuing ban on cannabis.

Nate Jackson remembers his first injury as a football player: He was playing receiver for Pioneer High School in his hometown of San Jose, Calif., and a linebacker crushed him as he was cutting across the middle on a passing route. Boom! His young body gave out, crumpling like a cheap suit. Concussion.

It was the 1980s. Injury protocols were decades away. “I know now that it was [a concussion] — because I couldn’t get up for two minutes and I had a headache for a week,” the former Denver Broncos tight end tells me. “I got laid the fuck out. I think it was a fateful coincidence that I started smoking weed at the same time I started playing football. I think it actually protected my brain in the long run.”

Jackson and I are sitting on the back flap of a classic hardtop pickup in Section J of the parking lot of Sports Authority Field at Mile High. It’s a gorgeous Sunday afternoon in mid-November. The Broncos crazies are out for today’s tilt against the division rival Kansas City Chiefs. Until a few weeks ago Denver had been undefeated, the team’s stingy defense masking the accelerated downslide of legendary quarterback Peyton Manning. A three-point loss to the Colts the previous Sunday has done little to dampen the enthusiasm of the orange-clad tailgaters.

With the sun shining down as he sips his pale ale, Jackson, 36, seems to be enjoying himself. He doesn’t keep in touch with many ex-players, but Jake Plummer, the quarterback who tossed him his first NFL touchdown, is an exception. It’s Plummer’s truck that Jackson is resting on when I find him. He’s sporting a dark beard, a Cali-style flat-billed hat, and an orange-and-blue striped T-shirt. Jackson now lives in California but maintains a house in the Denver suburbs. He’s excited to be hanging out with his old pal Jake “the Snake,” who lives an hour away in Boulder.

As players, both carried themselves a little differently. They bonded over their shared iconoclasm, their determination to maintain some semblance of free thinking amid the military-like rigor of professional football. In recent years Jackson and Plummer have also urged the NFL to change its zero-tolerance policy toward marijuana. Jackson has spoken publicly about the issue as a member of the Gridiron Cannabis Coalition, a group dedicated to the advancement of medical marijuana as a treatment option for injuries and illnesses. He and Plummer have argued that the medical benefits they experienced from using it should be open to all players, not to mention the general public.

Since retiring in 2008, Jackson has attended only two NFL games. This will be his third. He still loves football, but his relationship with the game and the NFL is complicated. “[There are] a lot of complex emotions,” he says. “Not that I’m trying to avoid them.” Still, he seems excited to revisit the field where he carved out a solid, six-year career.

When Jackson suggested we meet at a tailgate party I expected a private VIP affair. But that’s not how Jackson rolls. The other attendees at our modest gathering include a couple of friends he met through Plummer. Shortly before we head into the game, former Broncos wide-out Charlie Adams, another ex-teammate, pops by and offers Jackson sideline passes. “I’ve got extras if you’re interested,” says Adams. But Jackson declines without giving it a second thought. Today he’s hanging with me in the nosebleeds.

Over the past few years the connection between cannabis and pain relief has become impossible to ignore. In 2012, a series of randomized clinical trials at the University of California Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research (CMCR) found that “cannabis significantly reduced pain intensity.” Those results are consistent with last year’s findings from McGill University Health Centre in Montreal, which deemed medical marijuana a safe treatment option for pain. And back in 2011, a study from the University of California San Francisco showed that patients suffering from chronic pain experienced greater relief when they added cannabinoids — the main active ingredient in cannabis — to an opiates-only treatment.

Cannabis-based pain medications are already approved in Canada and in some parts of Europe. Even the U.S. government, which demonizes marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, holds a patent on the use of cannabinoids as neuroprotectants, helpful in the recovery and regeneration of the nervous system in sufferers of strokes and other traumatic injuries, such as concussions. And yet for NFL players, the only way to experience these benefits is in the shadows. Those who get caught are punished with suspensions, lost paychecks, and career setbacks.

As game time approaches, Jackson locks up Plummer’s truck — the Snake decided to head in early — and Jackson and I amble toward the turnstiles. Jackson enjoyed six seasons as a Bronco, but he’s anonymous among the fans in the security line. That is, until a guy in his late 20s wearing an old-school Broncos cap recognizes him. “Nate Jackson! I really dug your book,” says the young dude, referring to Jackson’s entertainingly gonzo 2013 memoir, Slow Getting Up: Life at the Bottom of the NFL Pile.

“Thanks man,” Jackson says. “Thanks a lot.” He seems genuinely appreciative. Unlike other ex-jocks who trawl for endorsements and milk their past glories, Jackson is committed to having a second act of his own choosing. “You have to figure out who you are outside the NFL or else you’re going to be carrying water for them the rest of your life,” he tells me. These days, he sees himself first and foremost as a writer. And he should — he’s a damn good one. His book, about his longshot tenure in the NFL, is honest and hilarious, profane and poignant. His byline has appeared in the New York Times and on Deadspin, and his second book, which he tells me has something to do with fantasy football, hits the shelves later this year.

With the health of football players becoming a front page issue — whether it’s the concussion crisis or the class-action lawsuit from ex-pros alleging the NFL illegally pushed dangerous painkillers — Jackson’s voice has become a vital one in a battle between the league and its players.

Clearly, many current players are already using cannabis. You only need to glance at the ever-growing list of NFL players suspended for positive marijuana tests — even names from Denver, Seattle, and Washington, D.C., where it’s legal. Jackson and other former players have estimated that at least half the players in the NFL consume marijuana in some form. But to truly understand why a substance with analgesic benefits and powerful neuroprotective properties remains outlawed by a league populated with the very men who stand to benefit from them the most, Jackson says you have to consider the cultural and institutional bubbles that professional football players live in.

“Really, marijuana is about choice,” Jackson says as we climb the stairs toward our 500-level seats. “And these guys,” he says, speaking of the players stretching below us on the field, “don’t have a choice. The food they eat, the plays they run on the field, the medicines they take … this is all predetermined for them.”

To most fans, NFL players are disposable characters, gladiators who don’t bleed. But once you start to think about those gladiators as real people (and especially if you sit down and talk with one), you begin to understand the freedoms they relinquish to keep their NFL dreams alive.

One of the first pieces of autonomy they forfeit, Jackson says, is their freedom to choose the best treatment for their constant, unrelenting pain. “Based on the condition of their bodies, NFL players could go to any doctor in this city and get a prescription for [marijuana],” he says.

“The interesting thing about football is, there are very few industries that you know [that there’s a good chance] you’re going to get a brain injury,” he adds as we reach our seats in the second-to-the-last row, which is almost literally in the clouds. (It takes me a minute to catch my breath, but I take solace in the fact that Jackson, who has stayed in solid shape after his playing days, also needs a moment to recover.) “And [studies now show that marijuana] helps the brain heal. The NFL might be acting negligibly by not studying it and denying it to players. Instead, they get pushed into the arms of more dangerous products.”

From the league office to the team doctors to coaches and players, the winning-is-everything culture of the NFL has created a system geared toward getting injured players back on the field at whatever cost. That means pills. Lots and lots of pills.

“The anti-inflammatories were always something I took without question,” Jackson tells me. “I finished those bottles. But the Vicodin and Percocet I didn’t really like. They made me feel high and slow and dreamy. And that’s not how I want to be.”

So after a game or practice, Jackson would fire up a joint, replacing as much of his opiate cocktail as he could with cannabis. “I used it to let my mind and body escape,” he says. “My body always healed very fast. I’m not going to say that it’s because of cannabis, but I think it helped.”

What about before a game? I ask him.

“I would never smoke weed and go into work,” he says, emphatically. “But I never took pain pills before work, either. Football is high alert all the time. I needed to be sharp.”

[Football] was the most violent, visceral, emotional part of my life — and weed helped me deal with that.

A majority of Americans now believe that marijuana’s outlaw status is absurd. A 2015 Pew poll found that 53 percent believe marijuana should be legalized. But cultural change often moves at a glacial pace. Until, of course, it doesn’t. On issues ranging from gender equality to marriage rights, the federal government eventually caught up to shifting public opinion.

Don’t look for the NFL to embrace that change anytime soon, though. Jackson believes the NFL will likely remain one of the last holdouts when it comes to medical marijuana. Why? Look at the commercials that air on most Sunday afternoons: big pharma ads pushing boner pills and drugs that combat opiate-induced constipation. Two years ago NFL commissioner Roger Goodell promised that the league would “follow the science” on medical marijuana. Some read that as a sign of thaw. But for now the league appears very comfortable with the status quo.

“[The NFL’s] constituency is old-school America — right wing, with, generally, more conservative sensibilities,” say Jackson. “It’s [about] cultural fear: What does it mean to be a marijuana user? [To some], it’s a group of thugs, smoking blunts in the corner with their pants sagging, about to harass some white grandma.”

“They’re definitely not going to be ahead of the curve,” he adds. “They are going to wait until they have to do it.”

After settling into our seats for a few series, I hail the beer guy for two Coors Lights. While Jackson locks in on the action on the field, I strike up a conversation with a young couple sitting in front of us. Based on their comments, the NFL’s feet-dragging on the issue might not be the smartest move if it wants to appeal to the next generation of season ticket holders.

“If it’s something a team doctor could get credentials to prescribe, then I think it makes sense,” says Owen Diver, a 21-year-old Denver University student wearing a Champ Bailey jersey.

Jazz Lahsaizudeh, a fellow student wearing a Broncos knit cap, puts in more bluntly: “If you’re good enough to be a professional athlete, you should be able to make the call as far as what you want to do after a professional football game,” she says. Just then, the Broncos quarterback tosses a wobbler that the Chiefs’ Sean Smith picks off.

Diver, irritated and sounding a little drunk, turns around again and interjects. “But, if you told me that Peyton was using medical marijuana right now, I’d be pissed,” he says. “The way he’s playing, at least he would have an excuse.”

Mile High Stadium — I still can’t make myself say “Sports Authority Field” — is a fantastic place to watch a football game. I soak in the scene of downtown Denver in the distance, sprawled along the high plains on the eastern edge of the snow-capped Rocky Mountains. Jacked up by high-energy tunes, the crowd cheers every hit by the Broncos defense. But every time the offense takes the field, there’s a sense trouble is afoot.

After a promising 7–0 start, Denver’s season is suddenly looking shaky. The fans aren’t confident that Peyton Manning can make it through the next game, let alone the rest of the season. Today’s start offers little assurance. The game has barely started and he’s already thrown his first pick. He redeems himself a few minutes later by offering the fans a piece of history: Manning completes a three-yard pass and breaks Brett Favre’s all-time yardage record. By the end of the first quarter, however, the cheers turn to boos as another feeble toss is intercepted.

“Oh no!” Jackson exclaims, gasping alongside the two old-timers sitting next to him. Jackson puts his hands over his face, barely able to look. Manning is imploding.

This being my first Bronco game, I’m surprised by how quickly the stadium is turning on the future Hall of Famer. “I thought Bronco fans would be more forgiving,” I say.

Jackson takes his hat off and flips it around. He’s felt that heat before. “They’re spoiled is what it is,” he says. “They’re rabid, but they expect perfection.”

Nimble second-stringer Brock Osweiler soon replaces the hobbling 39-year-old veteran, who has been nursing a series of injuries all year. This too may be a piece of history, though not one any of us wanted to see. We may be witnessing the end of Peyton Manning’s career.

Jackson nods in sympathy with Manning. “Football guys are tough guys,” he says. “They don’t tell you when they’re hurt. The guys who make it the furthest are the ones who endure it the best. That’s the culture. To move up the ladder, you don’t show pain.” Or, in Manning’s case, you have to fight through lingering foot, neck, and rib injuries to stave off the young, mobile heir apparent.

Chart Source: National Football League

Jackson played for Menlo College, a small Division III school near his home in San Jose, and landed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent. He lived a very different football life than the celebrated Manning, a No. 1 draft pick who became one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. What they shared, however, was an unnatural ability to endure pain.

“Look at those guys,” he adds, motioning toward the Chiefs as they line up to punt on fourth down. “This is their frequency. It’s flight or fight.”

“So, at this point in the game, how banged up would you feel?” I ask him.

He glances at me with a look that says, You have no idea what you’re asking about, do you?

“I never felt pain during a game. You don’t feel pain while you’re playing. But, you come home and your adrenaline goes down. And then you feel it. Everyone does.”

When he was down there on the field, a special teams play like this was Jackson’s bread and butter. To prove his worth as a nonstarter, he had to make an impression — so he didn’t hold anything back when he went screaming down the field to crush the return man.

In fact, when I ask him his favorite memory as a player, he doesn’t recount his first touchdown catch or his first experience lining up as a pro. “There was never, like, this one moment,” he says. Instead, he talks about the strange allure of the physicality and violence that’s inherent to the game.

“You become desensitized,” he says. “And that’s something you have to adjust to” in life after football, he says.

I enjoyed contact. I enjoyed the banging. I enjoyed fucking somebody up. It felt good to me. I didn’t mind being hurt.

That’s a good thing, because he was hurt a lot. By the time Jackson’s playing days were over, his medical file looked like a dictionary. Over six years, he shattered his left ankle, broke his right wrist, crushed his ribs, suffered multiple shoulder separations, popped his groin off the bone, and tore both hamstrings. Those were the major ones. The minor were too numerous to recall.

“I just couldn’t stay healthy,” he tells me. “It was so frustrating. But you are pushing yourself to do things on the field that aren’t natural. You’re trying to go further every time … until your body doesn’t want to do it anymore. And that’s what a lot of these [players] do. They keep doing it until they snap.”

And when they do, there’s a team doctor waiting to get them back onto the field, pronto. “The medical attention is very good,” says Jackson. “But they might not always tell you what’s going on in a way that allows you to make the best decision for yourself.” They’re called team doctors — not player doctors. “They have the team’s best interests in mind, not necessarily the player’s.”

By the fourth quarter, the jolt of enthusiasm provided by Osweiler’s fresh legs starts to wane, and the reality of the 29–13 deficient sinks in for Bronco fans. All around us, the seats start to empty. Across the row, a guy in a floppy orange hat and an Ed McCaffrey jersey is talking on his phone with his feet kicked up. Ironic clapping accompanies any positive yardage. No one could have predicted they would see the first-ever benching of Peyton Manning’s career. A few weeks later, these same fickle fans will embrace the old workhorse when the tide turns and a second-string Manning leads a comeback against the Chargers. That win would ultimately spark the Broncos’ improbable Super Bowl run — and the chance for the great Manning to follow the path of Broncos legend John Elway and ride off into the sunset a champion.

But today, less than a week from Thanksgiving, the mood in Denver is cold as the mountain chill that overtakes this once-glorious day. As the game staggers to a finish, Jackson and I bond not over football, but about the grind of the writing process.

Jackson says he writes for four hours every day, usually in the morning. I tell him that reminds me of Hemingway’s writing regiment. Papa was a stickler for getting words down on the page early, before heading out into the world to fight, drink, and fish. I ask Jackson how he got into writing, and he opens up about about how he used to write for his high school newspaper, how he’s kept a journal since he was 19.

“I’m going through a new phase of my life, learning new parts of myself,” he says. “The words are just pouring out of me right now.”

With eight minutes to, we decide to abandon ship. Jackson is unfazed by the home team’s poor performance. He’s more interested in talking with the woman sitting behind us, in the black bangs and leather jacket. She kicked him with her suede boots in the second quarter — and hasn’t stopped chatting him up since.

Throughout their flirtation, Jackson never plays the ex-jock card. In fact, he messes with me a bit and tells the woman and her friends that I’m a famous writer. “Watch what you say in front of this guy,” he says, smiling broadly. When I let them know that Jackson used to play for the Broncos, they laugh. They don’t believe me.

And that’s how he likes it. Walking anonymously among the fans who once cheered him, Nate Jackson can be himself, not the former gladiator who sacrificed his long-term health for their game-day pleasure.

As we continue down the concourses toward the exits, I think I see Jackson struggling to walk a bit. Earlier that day, I’d asked him how his body was holding up these days.

“I had an ankle surgery a few months ago to get rid of some old bone spurs,” he told me. “My hamstring’s not great. I have some other aches and pains that pop up every once and a while. But, for the most part, I’m pretty good.”

Unlike many other ex-players, Jackson has been able to not only survive, but thrive after living through the NFL meat grinder. He doesn’t have a peer-reviewed study to prove that marijuana was responsible, but it certainly seems to have been a factor. Now he wants to give the guys who came after him a fair and legal shot at something that’s still too elusive: a healthy life after football.

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

Alcohol Effects on Driving-related Skills of Young Drivers

Primary Outcome Measures: Secondary Outcome Measures: Subjective alcohol effects [ Time Frame: Approximate Time Frame: 30 minutes before drinking, 5, 15, 30 minutes and 1, 2, 3, 24 and 48 hours post-drinking ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ] Visual analogue scale measures how participants feel before and after drinking alcohol. administration. Cognitive testing [ Time Frame: Approximate Time Frame: 30 minutes before drinking, and 1, 24 […]

Georgia: 4th Annual Cannabis Awareness Day On March 2nd

If you are in Georgia, check out the following event which is taking place on March 2nd from 9 AM to 3 PM at the Georgia State Capital. Below is more information, via the event’s Facebook page: Atlanta GA: Georgia C.A.R.E. Project is pleased to announce the 4th Annual Georgia Cannabis Awareness Day at the

Reminder: FREE Cannabis Career Readiness Workshop In Portland Tomorrow

Oregon is home to some of the best cannabis companies on the planet. It’s a very exciting time to work in Oregon’s industry, especially with full recreational marijuana licenses coming later this year. If you are trying to get into the industry, there is a free job fair and cannabis readiness seminars tomorrow in Portland,

Fundraiser To Support Show-Me Cannabis Tomorrow In Denver

This is a reminder that there is a fundraiser for Show-Me Cannabis tomorrow in Denver. The event is being put on by Vicente Sederberg LLC.Below is more information about the event, via the event’s Facebook page: Join us on the evening of Tuesday, February 2nd from 5:30-7:30 PM as we celebrate and support the efforts

Puffs and Pappardelle: Inside Top Chef's Hosea Rosenberg's Latest Cannabis-Paired Dinner

If you’re not a cannabis consumer, you may be surprised to learn the ways it’s becoming more infused into our culture. Side industries are stemming from the rapidly-growing cannabis industry. Weddings, for instance, are starting to feature cannabis bars and other canna-friendly touches. You’ll find the plant working its way into yoga sessions. And cannabis-friendly accommodations are opening around the world, making it easier for visitors to come and consume.

But what to do if you’re a newbie to partaking in cannabis? Wandering into a dispensary and knowing what to buy, how much to use, and where you can use it can be overwhelming. Luckily, there’s a creative company out there making this prospect possible: Mason Jar Event Group, a Colorado-based event planning organization that hosts elegant farm-to-table meals (among other events) with cannabis pairings. These events are the perfect opportunity for a non-smoker like me to give it a try. And so, I did.

On Thursday, January 28, I boarded the event shuttle to Shupe Farm in Longmont, Colorado, for a farm-to-table experience called simply “Winter.” On our way we stopped at Headquarters Cannabis Co. to pick up our pre-assembled goody bags for the evening.

The Leafly-designed bag contained:

• A Strawberry Cough rolled joint from Headquarters Cannabis Co.
• Cannabis-infused rosemary parmesan crackers from Love’s Oven
• Canna-Tsu from Headquarters Cannabis Co.
• Rolling papers from Headquarters Cannabis Co.
• Cannabis-infused toasted marshmallow drops from Canyon Cultivation
• Marley Coffee
• A lockable goody bag by Anonymous Bags
• Sunglasses from Headquarters Cannabis Co.
• A lighter

Once everyone was outfitted for the evening, we continued our trek to the farm. The building looked lovely with twinkle lights on the trees and fire pits blazing outside the barn, and the interior resembled a beautiful winter wedding reception venue. To my right was a large fireplace surrounded by lit Christmas trees. To my left was a long bar surrounded by professional people making up a spectrum of ages and career fields, chatting and drinking.

I headed straight for the bar in search of a little something to take the edge off since I had no idea what I was in for this evening. Craft cocktails by 3 Chicks Bartending were flowing — some sort of strawberry jalapeño concoction — and they were delicious. A perfect way to start the evening.

Servers floated about the room with plates of delicious pork cheek empanadas — warm and flaky. I wandered around a bit and chatted with a few strangers until a friend pulled me outside to a nearby fire pit. A pungent, yet sweet, smell hung in the air. Several people were enjoying the Strawberry Cough joint from their goody bags. The strain is known for delivering an uplifting cerebral euphoria, offering a great start for this buzzing event.

Soon, a soft ringing bell sound floated out the door. Dinner, catered by talented chef (and season 5 Top Chef winner) Hosea Rosenberg’s Blackbelly Market, was about to served. Two long dining tables were filled with beautifully mismatched glassware resting atop layers of antiqued linens. Earthy beetle-kill pine disks served as chargers or placemats made of stitched together slim sticks. Tall floral arrangements protruded from wooden vases. A smooth jazz band played in one corner of the room, providing the perfect mellow score for the evening’s activities.

The first course was a rust-colored roasted red pepper soup, which paired nicely with the rosemary parmesan bite-sized crackers from Love’s Oven. With only 10 milligrams of active THC each, the crackers were the perfect treat to keep the buzz going. Table talk was engaging, with the diverse crowd making its way to the fire pits and back to the tables again throughout the evening.

“Winter” served its second course, roasted organic winter brassica salad, in large bowls to be passed family style. The seasonal flavors of Brussels sprouts, Romanesco, and broccoli with sweet, crisp apple and dates exploded in my mouth.

The dinner paced nicely, offering time between courses to make a trip outside or to visit the vape bar where you could enjoy a nugget of Canna-Tsu from your treats using Healthy Headie’s PAX2 vaporizer — the only form of smoking allowed inside the building. Wine pairings mysteriously appeared before me thanks to the quick, quiet event staff.

Blackbelly’s main course was a hearty coq au vin with pappardelle on the side. It, too, was served in large dishes passed family style among the neighbors I was getting to know at my table. With each new course, I found myself more and more pleased with the entire experience. I had a gentle buzz going, as did everyone else in the room.

By the time dessert rolled around, I was bowled over. The dense chocolate torte with caramel and sea salt melted in my mouth. Coffee was served with a dash of chocolate liqueur for the final pairing of the evening: cannabis-infused toasted marshmallow drops. What better treat than s’mores to round out a decadent evening?

Clinging to the final minutes, I was happy to chat with Kendal Norris, the woman behind Mason Jar Event Group, and creator of the trendy cannabis parties. From my experience, these events will skyrocket in popularity as out-of-staters and more professional individuals look for ways to enjoy fine food, fine company, and fine cannabis.

Image Source: Mason Jar Event Group

Long-term marijuana use associated with worse verbal memory in middle age

Marijuana use over time was associated with remembering fewer words from a list but it did not appear to affect other areas of cognitive function in a study of men and women followed up over 25 years, according to a new article.

Study on Cannabinoid Receptor Expression in Gastrointestinal Diseases

Verified March 2016 by Medical University of Graz Sponsor: Information provided by (Responsible Party): Medical University of Graz ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02735941 First received: February 1, 2016 Last updated: April 6, 2016 Last verified: March 2016 The purpose of the study is to investigate phospholipid ligands and their receptors in inflammatory bowel diseases and colon cancer. […]

US WA: Pot Shops Sue State, Call Licensing Process 'A Mess'

Seattle Times, 30 Jan 2016 – Several longtime Seattle medical-marijuana businesses filed a lawsuit Friday against the state Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) alleging that regulators are not following their own rules in issuing a new round of licenses for retail stores. At issue is the process of bringing medical businesses into the state’s licensed recreational-retail system. The Legislature last year gave the LCB authority to license new stores, with priority given to longtime medical players seen as good actors, in following rules and paying taxes.

Reciprocity, Baby: Leafly's Medical Cannabis Guide to Las Vegas

Nevada isn’t the only state to recognize out-of-state medical marijuana cards, but it is the most permissive, and its enormous tourist trade has made it the most visible test case for MMJ reciprocity. The state’s first dispensaries opened last August, and they’ve seen a steady flow of fly-in traffic.

“Our patients are about 50 percent out-of-state,” Las Vegas ReLeaf co-owner Al Fasano told me recently. Fasano and I were talking in the upscale, club-like atmosphere of his dispensary on Paradise Road, in the shadow of the Stratosphere tower. It was a Thursday afternoon, and Fasano’s budtenders were bustling.

Dispensaries like ReLeaf are likely to get even busier. About 11,000 medical-card holders live in southern Nevada, but Las Vegas welcomes 40 million visitors a year. If only 1 percent of those tourists hold MMJ cards, that’s a potential market of 400,000 patients.

The state sparked fierce competition when it earmarked 12 dispensary licenses for the city of Las Vegas. Applicants were graded in a host of categories — security, financing, environmental plan, etc. — and the most robust business plans won the coveted licenses. For patients, that means the dispensaries are well financed, beautifully designed, and expertly managed.

Stepping into a Vegas dispensary, in fact, can be a jarring experience. Outside might be a gritty, sun-blasted streetscape or an obscure strip mall, but push through the door and you’ll enter a plush, upscale retreat. Las Vegas ReLeaf features modern lounge seating and a massive, flat-screen menu. Sahara Wellness, just up the street, has the cool feel of a destination medical resort. “We wanted the interior to be respectful, safe, clean, and comfortable,” Sahara Wellness co-owner Brenda Gunsallus told me. Behind us, a water feature burbled down the wall. “We wanted to offer a calming effect when people come in.”

Vegas is known for its cutthroat competition, but so far the dispensary business runs counter to that vibe. “This industry is still so small here,” Gunsallus said. “We’re in the same business, but we’re not really competitors. We had one guy run out of bags last week, and we all pitched in to help him out.”

What to Know If You Go

• Valid MMJ cards from all medical marijuana states are accepted. You’ll also need to present government-issued ID.
• Purchase limit: 2.5 ounces every 14 days. Your purchase will be entered into a state database with real-time tracking, so you’ll be denied if you try to exceed the limit. Calculating flower is easy, but it gets tricky when you start adding edibles and other products. One-on-one budtender consultations are essential.
• There are odd state rules regarding product touching in the dispensary, so take it slow, don’t grab, let your budtender guide you through the process. Just like table games at the casino.
• As in other states, public consumption is illegal.
• Product selection is a little limited, as producers and processors are still ramping up. A variety of flower strains, edibles, topicals, tinctures, transdermals, and concentrates are available.
• Prices are higher than Colorado, Washington, and Oregon patients are used to. The $18 gram is common here.
• Nevada has weird regulations. It’s illegal to water ski or surf while under the influence of medical marijuana. Not a joke. Also illegal to possess a firearm while under the influence. Also illegal to “embark on an amusement ride.” So if you’re medicating, maybe skip the SlotZilla Zip Line.
• Nevada has tough DUI laws. Its blood level per se limit is 2 nanograms per milliliter, which is far below the 5 ng/ml of Washington and Colorado. Nobody should be driving in Vegas anyway. Nothing good can come of it. Uber or cab it, always.

Some of our favorite dispensaries are located near the northern end of The Strip, not far from the Stratosphere. Las Vegas ReLeaf remains one of the most popular, with budtenders who know how to handle the lively, out-of-state trade. Sahara Wellness, which just opened this week, features a female-friendly, patient-centered vibe, more spa than club. Coming soon: Essence Vegas, the first dispensary actually on Las Vegas Boulevard (aka The Strip), which expects to open in early March.

Leafly Recommends

Las Vegas ReLeaf

2244 Paradise Rd.
Las Vegas, NV
702-209-2400
11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Sunday – Thursday
11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Friday – Saturday

“Things were slow in the beginning, but as you can see, people are now flowing in,” Las Vegas ReLeaf co-owner Al Fasano told me during my visit last month. He ain’t kidding: On its first day, ReLeaf saw a grand total of eight patients. Those days are over — ReLeaf is now one of the most popular dispensaries in the city. “We had to adjust a little,” Fasano said. The shop originally opened at 8 a.m., but this city doesn’t stir till noon. “So now we’re open at 11 a.m. and it seems to work out.” ReLeaf stocks flower from Green Life Productions, one of Nevada’s most visible up-and-coming grow operation, and stocks a number of familiar brands: Dixie tinctures, JuJu Joints, and Mary’s Medicinals CBD patches.

Distance from Bellagio Fountain: 2 1/2 miles north
Vibe: Where the experienced California MMJ patient shops
Look for: High-quality flower and an expanding line of concentrates

Sahara Wellness

420 E. Sahara Ave
Las Vegas, NV
702-379-7817
10 a.m. – 7 p.m. daily

If you’re not deep into cannabis culture, don’t worry. Neither was Sahara Wellness co-owner Brenda Gunsallus. “When we found our location two years ago, we didn’t even give the address a second thought,” she said with a smile. “We didn’t know what 420 meant!” Gunsallus, a former tennis pro, came to cannabis through adult friends who found medical relief from seizures. After looking into the medical research, she found her calling. She and her business partners took over an old gold-exchange building on Sahara Avenue and gave it a radical makeover, with warm weathered-plank walls, water features, artwork, and a calming atmosphere. “We want to spent time with our patients, get to know them. I’m in this industry to help people,” she told me. “We’re going to focus on high-quality CBD, maybe not the highest THC,” she said. “A lot of our patients are managing glaucoma, PTSD, and anxiety disorders. We want this to be a warm, welcoming place for them.”

Distance from Bellagio Fountain: 2 3/4 miles north
Vibe: Female-friendly Sahara caters to patients who want a little more consult time at the counter.
Look for: Expanded line of high-CBD products, topicals, tinctures

Image Source: Las Vegas ReLeaf

Do Cannabis-Infused Suppositories Actually Work? We Put One to the Test

If you’re one of the approximately 3.4 billion women on Earth, you recognize that awful, all-too-familiar feeling. Each month, your monthly visitor “Auntie Flo” comes to visit and your uterus basically explodes.

As a female of child-bearing age, I am no exception. It was “that time of the month,” when abruptly during my workday, I became aware of a terrible sensation in my gut. My inflamed uterus had expanded and my entire midsection began cramping, leaving me feeling bloated, nauseous, and generally uncomfortable.

I couldn’t help picturing that scene from Alien, only with my uterus as a sentient being, trying to forcefully rip itself through my stomach. Or perhaps it had transformed into a personified cartoon, complete with ovaries as fists – “Quit hitting yourself! Quit hitting yourself!” My reproductive organ was being a total bully.

Thankfully, I may have had a solution to my cramping. Foria, the makers of an arousing cannabis-infused pleasure spray for women, recently debuted a new product called Foria Relief.

The Product

In Foria’s own words, Foria Relief is a cannabis-infused suppository “intended to maximize the muscle relaxing and pain relieving properties of cannabis without inducing a psychotropic ‘high.’” Each serving contains 60mg of THC and 10mg of CBD, and is designed to be inserted vaginally to deliver the dose as close to where the discomfort and cramping is originating as possible.

Admittedly, I was wary to try this new product. Just the word “suppository” brings to mind awkward connotations, but by the end of the day I was desperate and ready for relief. Assuaging my trepidation was the suppository’s ingredient list, which contained only three items: organic cocoa butter, CO2 distilled THC oil, and CBD isolate.

The Experiment

Once home, I immediately consumed a cannabis-infused edible, hoping the analgesic effects of therapeutic THC might also help soothe my angry womb.

Upon carefully reading the instruction booklet, I popped the suppository into the freezer for 15 minutes to make sure it was firm (and therefore unlikely to dissolve too quickly upon insertion).

At this point, my significant other arrived and I informed him of my intention to insert 60mg of THC straight up into my honey pot. He didn’t seem fazed by the idea, but then again, when you’re dating a cannabis writer, even the most ridiculous concepts induce a blasé reaction.

I opened the packet to reveal a small, white, pearl-sized bullet. It was a slippery little devil, and I was glad I’d taken the extra step of freezing it so it didn’t dissolve in my hand. My first impression was that it reminded me of a tiny torpedo on a fast track to my cervix.

Then I noticed the scent, and so did my partner. We both noted that it smelled ahhhhh-mazing, like creamy, buttery chocolate and coconut.

I leaned back and inserted the little white torpedo, lifting my hips with a pillow for full effect, as recommended. As we waited for the full effects, we watched true crime documentaries and snuggled.

My S.O., kind soul that he is, offered to rub my back and neck while we were waiting, knowing that this is one of my favorite activities and would help put me at ease.

As he stroked my neck and hair, I began to feel the effects of the Foria. The combination of the edible I’d eaten earlier with the massage and the suppository began to work magic on my internal organs. Warm, golden waves emanated from my vagina throughout the rest of my body.

All of the muscles that had been cramped and clenched so tight gradually released and my body relaxed. Where I had been painfully aware of every inch of my midsection, suddenly it felt as though I had no midsection at all. From my waist down to my thighs, it was almost as if my groin had simply dissolved and was floating in some galaxy far, far away.

It’s important for me to note here that although Foria Relief promises no psychoactive effects, I cannot speak to the truth of this as I tainted the experiment when I consumed an edible ahead of time. I can say that for the experienced cannabis consumer seeking relief from menstrual cramps, the combination of the two was spectacular.

I laid back and closed my eyes, letting the waves wash over my body. After a day of constant disruption from my inflamed internal organs, the relief was palpable and pronounced. The only downside was that the feeling was unfortunately short-lived. It takes about 20 minutes before you begin to feel the effects, which, for me, lasted a little less than an hour. But what a glorious hour it was.

The Conclusion

If you suffer from debilitating cramps, I cannot recommend this product highly enough. It was absolutely worth the cost and if it’s available in your area (currently only in California and Colorado), do yourself a favor and take a chance by diving (figuratively) into the great unknown.

Also, it made my crotch smell delicious.

Weekend Weirdness: Men Driving with Illegal Cannabis Call the Cops on…Themselves?

Idaho is one of the most restrictive states in the union for cannabis, a fact two self-proclaimed “dumbasses” must have known as they were driving through it with 20 pounds of product. The men were making their way from Las Vegas to Montana when, convinced they were going to get pulled over in Idaho, they threw up the white flag and called 911 on themselves to “just end it” and get arrested already.

The car was not, in fact, being followed by police officers, but the men’s guilt seemed too much to bear. Said one of the men, Leland Ayala-Doliente, to the 911 dispatcher:

“Hi, uh, we’re the two dumbasses that got caught trying to bring some stuff through your border and all your cops are just driving around us like a bunch of jack wagons, and I’d just really would like for you guys to end it. If you could help me out with that, we would like to just get on with it.”

Listen to the 911 call below:

When the police arrived at the location where the call was made, Ayala-Doliente and his friend Holland Sward were already standing with their hands behind their heads and proclaimed that they were “surrendering.” Now the two are each facing a felony charge of cannabis trafficking, which can carry a penalty of three years in prison and a $50,000 fine.

Fundraiser To Support Show-Me Cannabis Next Week In Denver

There is a fundraiser going on next week that supports Missouri activism efforts. What is really cool is that the event is taking place in Denver, and is beinghosted by Vicente Sederberg LLC. The people at Vicente Sederberg LLC helped lead reform efforts in Colorado, and I think it’s awesome that they are also helping

Want To Work In The Cannabis Industry? Then Check Out Viridian Staffing At The Cannabis Collaborative Conference!

I would say that the most common e-mail/message that I get from readers involves asking for tips on how to land a job in the marijuana industry. I have people contact me from all over the world asking how they can get in on the most exciting industry on the planet right now. I can’t

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!

US CA: Column: Dissed By The Dispensary

Sacramento News & Review, 28 Jan 2016 – I am wondering what recourse patients have if they feel that a collective has taken advantage of them? I recently made a purchase, and when I got home I noticed that several items were missing. I called the dispensary and they pretty much gave me the runaround. I tried to ask for a manager, but I have had no success resolving this issue. I am very upset. Cannabis is expensive and I need it for my various medical issues. Any advice? – -Holden D. Bag

US CA: Column: The Cannabis Legalizers Opposing Legalization

SF Weekly, 28 Jan 2016 – “They didn’t even call me,” says Dennis Peron, perched on one of the fold-up chairs arranged around his Castro District kitchen table on a recent evening. “Why not even call?” “They” are the people who are continuing Peron’s work, his life’s mission: to make marijuana legal. At 70, his hair white and his speech still rapid but softened by a stroke, Peron has been at it for almost 40 years – ever since he arrived in San Francisco fresh from Vietnam, his Air Force duffel bag stuffed with southeast Asian ganja. And his body bears the scars.

Tommy Chong Endorses Trump! (Just Kidding, He's Feeling the Bern)

In the least shocking news of the week, the coveted endorsement of everyone’s favorite cannabis celebrity, Tommy Chong, has gone to none other than Bernie Sanders.

Chong is feeling the Bern and wants the world to know it. In a quote that could only come from his lips, Chong offers the endorsement of the century:

“Bernie’s like a kush, like the best kind of weed you can get, because he’s the answer to all our problems.”

Rocking a Bernie shirt, Tommy Chong has released a catchy, heartfelt endorsement video throwing his support whole-heartedly behind the wild-haired presidential candidate from Vermont.

Chong’s video is fairly tongue-in-cheek, making references to the “Commander-in-Kush” (new strain name, anyone?), and using clips from old Cheech and Chong movies to illustrate his point. But his support for Bernie extends beyond the obvious.

“Only one candidate that has said things I truly believe in, like supporting the legalization of…” he trails off and looks knowingly at the camera before continuing, “a fair and human immigration policy.”

“The legalization of…a real living wage.”

And of course, he finishes, the legalization of “the super-medicine” known as cannabis.

This is the first official stance from the actor-comedian-activist, though he was recently quoted likening Bernie Sanders to “Donald Trump with brains, he’s like a Donald Trump with a soul!”

Comedian @tommychong: @BernieSanders is “Donald Trump with brains” http://t.co/y0wplQ5995 http://t.co/RxW77QWjzk

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) January 29, 2016

Sanders is easily the strongest competitive candidate in support of cannabis, having not only pledged to legalize cannabis at a federal level, but even introducing legislation to that effect.

After a rousing speech last October, Sanders sponsored a federal bill, the “Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2015,” which would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act entirely, effectively legalizing marijuana federally. Unfortunately, the bill still lacking support from his fellow members of Congress. Still, if Sanders is elected, he’ll face high hopes from supporters that he’ll end prohibition while in office.

Take this as a reminder to register to vote! Chong knows it: 2016 will be a big year for cannabis.

Obama Punts on Cannabis Reform

Really putting the lame in “lame duck,” the Obama administration on Friday suggested the president has no plans to push for cannabis reform during his remaining time in office.

As far as President Obama is concerned, any effort to loosen federal restrictions on cannabis would need to come through Congress, White House press secretary John Earnest told reporters.

Obama expressed a similar position a day earlier to Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., one of a number of federal lawmakers pushing for legal reform. Cohen related the exchange to Chris Ingraham at the Washington Post:

Obama’s answer on the rescheduling was “disappointing,” Cohen said in an interview. “On marijuana, he gave the same answer as when I asked him seven years ago: ‘If you get me a bill, and get it on my desk, I’ll probably sign it,’ ” Cohen said (emphasis his).

After Friday’s briefing, Earnest sounded almost dismissive when he responded to a reporter’s question about rescheduling:

“There are some in the Democratic party who have urged the president to take this kind of action, and the president’s response was, if you feel so strongly about it and you believe there’s so much public support for what it is that you’re advocating, then why don’t you pass legislation about it and we’ll see what happens.’”

The president’s past offers to work with Congress on rescheduling have always been coy. I’m on board, he seemed to say, but don’t expect me to stick my neck out.

Obama, remember, was the presidential candidate who told us he “inhaled frequently. That was the point.” Early on he seemed willing, even eager, to challenge the kinds of stereotypes and misinformation that have perpetuated the war on drugs. But since taking office he’s sent mixed messages on where he stands.

The White House website says the president “steadfastly opposes legalization,” but he told the New Yorker‘s David Remnick, “I don’t think it is more dangerous than alcohol.” The Justice Department under his watch has zigged and zagged. Prosecutors first announced a hands-off approach in states where cannabis was legal. Then they shuttered hundreds of dispensaries in California. Not exactly stewardship of a cause.

With one hand Obama giveth, commuting the sentences of 46 drug offenders. With the other he taketh away.

Unhappy with Obama’s weak stance cannabis? Expect more of the same from Hillary Clinton.

Dispensary Showcase: CHR in Los Angeles, California

California has long been a proving ground for cannabis. Every time I return to Los Angeles and the surrounding areas, I’m reminded of the pungent, piney stronghold that OG Kush has on the region. Every dispensary shelf is lined with a seemingly endless count of OG phenotypes and spin-offs of the famed West Coast favorite. The shelves of California Herbal Remedies (CHR) are no different. But their commitment to quality flower, the finest shatters, and live resins — along with their focus on patient care — give CHR an edge over other shops nearby.

Where to Find Them

CHR is located at the north end of the 710 freeway. The dispensary is situated right behind Cal State Los Angeles at 5470 Valley Blvd.

Their Philosophy

CHR is dedicated to making sure that every patient leaves happy and with the best meds for their needs. Most of their regulars know what they want when they arrive, but the friendly folks at CHR are happy to help find the right strain for newcomers, too. Lexi, a manager at CHR, explains:

“If they don’t know what they want, then we have our awesome budtenders here to help them out.”

Why We Love Them

CHR goes above and beyond to show that their patients are appreciated. They regularly host patient-appreciation celebrations at the dispensary, featuring deals, giveaways, and celebrity guests such as rapper Too $hort. Aside from their great patient parties, CHR lists over 70 lab-tested strains on their menu, including shop favorite CHR Super OG.

Learn More About Cannabis Dispensaries Near You

Looking to find out more about the cannabis dispensaries near you? Check out the Leafly List to find some of the best places to access medical and recreational cannabis.

Hawaii Lawmakers Enacting Stricter Medical Marijuana Rules

Hawaii has had a medical marijuana program for 15 years. But now, stricter regulations are being thrown on the program. In Hawaii, edibles, accessories, vape pens and pre-rolls are not permitted. Dispensaries are not even permitted to sell rolling papers or cones. Advertising is also not permitted. Hawaii is considered to be a national leader […]

US CA: Column: California Medical Cannabis Regulations Fire Up

East Bay Express, 27 Jan 2016 – The medi-pot industry is racing to professionalize itself and lobby Sacramento before new rules remake the multibillion-dollar sector. California’s medi-pot industry is racing to organize itself and lobby Sacramento lawmakers before local and statewide rules remake the Golden State’s multibillion-dollar legal weed sector.

Former Super Bowl QB Jim McMahon used medical marijuana to quit painkillers

http://blog.sfgate.com/smellthetruth/2016/01/29/former-super-bowl-qb-jim-mcmahon-used-medical-marijuana-to-quit-painkillers/

Oregon Medical Marijuana Program Too Expensive for Patients

“The proposed rules are a direct assault on the (medical marijuana) program and the small family farm,” said Prozanski. Oregon’s medical marijuana advocates say the state’s proposed rules for production impose expensive and unnecessary burdens on growers and will ultimately harm patients who rely on the drug to cope with a wide range of health […]

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!

Congress Members to VA: Let Veterans Smoke Marijuana

A group of 21 Senators and Representatives send letter urging VA to permit doctors to discuss and recommend marijuana as a treatment option in states where it’s legal Under the current system, VA doctors are not allowed to give recommendations for patients to receive medical marijuana, even in states that have legalized it. January 27, […]

PGT Episode #284- Velvet Ditch -Live From Omara’s

  Hosted by attorney Michael Komorn from Komorn Law and Chad from Birmingham Compassion Contributions from Rick Thompson from The Compassion Chronicles, Jamie Lowell from Third Coast Tonight- Autism and cannabis treatments. Update on Max Lorincz, Amsdill family, Al Witt and their respective legal cases from around the state. Tonight’s guests will include Dr. Christian […]

Medical Cannabis Headed Back to Florida Ballot

After narrowly failing to legalize medical cannabis in 2014, advocates in Florida are headed back to the ballot. Organizers announced Wednesday they’ve secured more than enough signatures to qualify a measure for the November election.

The matter will appear on the ballot as Amendment 2. If approved, it would allow cannabis use by patients with the following conditions:

Cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, positive status for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, or other debilitating medical conditions of the same kind or class as or comparable to those enumerated, and for which a physician believes that the medical use of marijuana would likely outweigh the potential health risks for a patient.

Production and distribution and would be regulated by the state health department, which would also be responsible for issuing cards to patients and caretakers. The complete ballot language is available here.

“Every day, doctors prescribe dangerous, addictive, and potentially deadly narcotics to their patients but can’t even suggest the use of marijuana, which has never killed a person in thousands of years of human civilization,” campaign manager Ben Pollara said in a statement. “Very soon, Florida doctors will finally have that option.”

A similar effort won 57.6 percent of votes just two years ago, but as as a constitutional amendment it needed 60-percent approval to pass. This time around, however, proponents are convinced public opinion has shifted in their favor. On its website, the group claims that over 70 percent of voters support legalizing medical cannabis.

“We feel very good that 60 percent plus of Florida voters will finally approve a true medical marijuana law,” Pollara told the Associated Press.

The campaign has set up a contribution page to accept donations.

We Speak with Rep. Allen Peake, Georgia’s Medical Cannabis Bulldog

Georgia isn’t known for being particularly cannabis-friendly, but one state lawmaker has made it his personal mission to bring medical marijuana to the notoriously conservative state no matter what.

Rep. Allen Peake, R-Macon, was a vocal proponent for House Bill 1, known as the Haleigh’s Hope Act, which faced numerous objections and revisions before becoming law last April. The measure legalized low-THC cannabis oil for epilepsy patients, allowing possession and use. But in order to gain support from opponents, the bill was amended to leave out manufacturing or distribution.

This legislative session, Peake is back with a vengeance. House Bill 722 would set up a dispensary system modeled after Minnesota’s and expand qualifying conditions beyond epilepsy to include post-traumatic stress disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, intractable pain, HIV/AIDS, autism, and terminal illnesses.

Leafly spoke with Peake, known to some as the godfather of the medical marijuana movement in Georgia, about what inspired him to take action and what’s next for medical cannabis in the Empire State of the South.

Leafly: What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced during the fight for medical marijuana in Georgia?

Rep. Allen Peake: I’m a conservative Republican in a very conservative state, and a guy that has never done any drugs whatsoever. Never. Never smoked marijuana, wouldn’t know what a plant even looked like two years ago. [laughs] I’ve got plenty of other vices — some of them have been documented — but drugs was never one of them, so for me to jump into this thing two years ago, I was just completely out of my element.

For me, it was the story of this four-year-old little girl named Haleigh Cox. Looks just like my granddaughter. And when I saw her and heard her story and her family’s story, I had to ask the question that any of us would have to ask: “What would I do if this was my child?” And that’s what spurred me into action. The more I got to know the family, the more I got to know their story, the more I got to realize that this is beyond politics, that this is worth any political risk, any potential cost it might be to me to try to find a solution for not only this little girl and her family, but, as I come to find out, there are hundreds of other parents with children in the exact same situation.

That’s what has motivated me over the last two years. And I was able to learn more about the medical cannabis industry and the impact it can have on lots of different diagnoses.

The biggest challenge — I mean, there’s a multitude. For one, it was having to overcome my own bias and perceptions, but then it became, OK, I’ve got to convince my colleagues, the majority of the Legislature and the Governor, to think like me — that this is a route we need to go down. It’s been a huge challenge, a huge learning curve, a huge education for all of my colleagues. The great news is that last year, they got it. They realized that we ought to find a solution for kids with seizures and other hurting Georgians.

We’ve had a challenge with law enforcement, who have said all we’re doing is opening the door to legalizing for recreational use, which is an absolute no-go, no-starter in Georgia. We’ve had challenges from the faith-based organizations, including a church group that I am a member of has come out against us. We’ve had it from all fronts.

And then I also have people mad at me because they don’t think I’m going far enough. Some of the angriest people have been those who have said I won’t support you because I don’t think you’re moving the ball far enough.

I’ve read reports that you’ve brought medical cannabis back to Georgia from other states, essentially breaking federal law. Is there any truth to that?

Well, I’ve got to be very careful what I say. This is what I’ve told folks: We’ve made sure that the parents and citizens that are properly registered with the state have gotten access to medicine that they can legally possess within the state.

Do you ever feel you’re risking your career?

There is absolutely a certain amount of risk in this, but it’s no greater risk than every other parent and every other citizen who are properly registered and want access to medical cannabis, not any greater risk than what they’re facing.

Me putting myself on the line just shows the lunacy of our laws to make criminals out of parents and citizens that only want medicine to improve the quality of their life. At some point, we’ve got to wake up to that — not only in Georgia, but in our country.

I can tell you this: Any risk I’ve taken has been worth every bit of it. When I check with the mom of a child whose life has been transformed — not healed, not made completely whole, but their quality of life has been made better through the use of medical cannabis — I’m telling you, I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

Gov. Nathan Deal has said he’s against your proposal to expand medical cannabis. Do you think he would veto HB 722 if it passes?

We’re working diligently with the governor and his team to try to come up with a bill that he could get comfortable with. We’ve decided to address all of the concerns and the issues that he has expressed. Most of those have to do with law enforcement concerns, so we’ve tried to address those. And so I’m hopeful that we can get to a point that he could, if not wholeheartedly support, not veto. But I’ve got a tough road ahead of me to get there. We’ve gone down this path with the governor before, where he had concerns in the bill that we had started to introduce last year and we were able to get to a compromise solution. A step one, if you will. I’m hopeful that by working with the governor to address his concerns and working with my colleagues, we’ll come up with something that does work, that allows access to safe, lab-tested, consistent product here in Georgia.

There are currently seven pieces of cannabis-related legislation pending in the Legislature. Do you support any others?

I can tell you this: I am laser-focused on one, and I think that mine is the most comprehensive and has the best chance of passage. It has the support of the Speaker of the House [David Ralston] who just made a very courageous decision to support this next step, the next logical step for Georgia. I’m going to stay focused on that. Any others, if they get to the House floor for a vote, then we’ll debate them and consider them at that time.

You’ve come to be known as the godfather of the medical marijuana movement in Georgia. Have you heard that one before?

I have. [laughs] I’ve heard a few things. It’s almost comical, the idea. A conservative Republican, never smoked marijuana in my life, to be now known as the godfather of medical cannabis is really quite comical. I’ve been captured by the plight of families and citizens that are hurting in Georgia, and all they want is access that could potentially improve their quality of life, and that’s what’s captured me.

The courage that these families show who have special needs children is just overwhelming. They face challenges and difficulties on a daily basis that most of us cannot even relate to at all. To see them fight for this issue and to fight for their children and the courage that they show, it’s made me very proud to be even a very small part of their lives, and it challenges me to keep fighting what I’m facing: nearly insurmountable odds. That’s been a very special part of this process.

One thing Leafly advocates for is a change in federal policy, rescheduling cannabis from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule II (or lower) substance, which would open the door for medicinal cannabis in all states.

You know, we hadn’t talked about that yet, but that’s the logical answer for a lot of the challenges Georgia faces and a lot of other states are facing. We need action at the federal level. Believe me, we are working our senators and our [representatives] and congressmen, but you know what? We can’t wait on them. Because while we’re waiting for the government to act, children are dying. Citizens are suffering. Grandmothers with multiple sclerosis are hurting.

And so, while the ultimate solution is some congressional action, we’ve got to control the destiny for our own citizens here in Georgia by passing logical, sensible, safe legislation for access to medical cannabis here in Georgia.

Is this a legacy issue for you?

I have to say it’s not the legacy I had in mind! I’ve done banning texting while driving, I’ve done stuff for Alzheimer’s. Never thought this would be what I was known for. But it’s been worth it, every bit of political capital I’ve spent. It’s been worth every bit of financial resources that I’ve invested, which has been significant, helping some of these families go to Colorado and come back. We started an organization called Journey of Hope, where we provided six months of rent and airfare and accommodations for these families to go to Colorado and back, when our original legislation failed in 2014.

You can do tax law all day long, but boy, being able to be a part of legislation that changes the quality of people’s lives? It doesn’t get any better than that in politics.

Oregon Sees Consumption Rise, Arrests Plummet

When we first put humans into capsules and shot them into space, we weren’t exactly sure what would happen. So with electrodes and blood-pressure cuffs we meticulously tracked astronauts’ vital signs as they ventured into the unknown.

The same thing, in a sense, is happening in Oregon. As the state blasts into the cannabis frontier — recreational markets opened Oct. 1 — officials want to keep tabs on the vitals. This month the Oregon Health Authority published its first-ever report on cannabis use by residents, full of brightly colored charts and detailed demographic information. It’s meant to be a snapshot of attitudes and behaviors at the dawn of a new era.

“The purpose of this report was not to lay out any policy,” Oregon’s state health officer and epidemiologist, Katrina Hedberg, told Leafly. “The policy is being discussed, and I believe strongly that it’s important to ground that in data.”

Hedberg, who oversaw the report’s production, said at least one takeaway is clear: Oregon loves its cannabis. In the past decade, while consumption in the rest of the nation rose just a smidge, the percentage of Oregonians 25 and older who use cannabis regularly has more than doubled. It stands at 11 percent, according to the latest available numbers, much higher than the U.S. average of 7 percent. “There are different attitudes out here in the Pacific Northwest,” Hedberg said.

A grain of salt: Those numbers, from 2013, already are stale. More current surveys suggest adult use nationally had climbed to 11 percent by mid-2015. And the most recent numbers from Colorado, where cannabis is also legal, show 13.6 percent of adults consume regularly — a big increase from less than 8 percent reported back in 2012. Given how fast the cannabis landscape is changing, how much should people trust the report’s numbers?

“I don’t think that anybody should look at these figures and say, ‘Aha!’” Hedberg said. The health authority plans to release reports annually, with certain data being updated more often. “It’s less about what’s the absolute number and more about what are the trends.”

Trend-wise, it’s safe to say more Oregon adults are using cannabis. But what about the kids? Most adults surveyed said they worried legalization would boost underage consumption. Has it? No.

Use among young people in the state has actually fallen in recent years, both in absolute terms and with respect to the rest of the country. Nine percent of surveyed eighth graders and 19 percent of 11th graders had used cannabis within the past 30 days, the report found.

Oregon’s data add to the limited but growing evidence that more tolerant policies on adult use don’t translate to higher rates among teens. Plenty of eyes will be watching those numbers.

Another promising sign: Cannabis arrests have plummeted. Possession charges dropped by more than half between 2011 and 2014, from 4,223 to 2,109. In 2011, an average of 140 people out of 100,000 were arrested on cannabis charges. By 2015, that fell to about 36.

Unfortunately, racial disparities are still striking. In 2014, black or African-American Oregonians were 2.3 times more likely than whites to be arrested on cannabis charges. That difference, the report notes, “did not significantly change from 2007 to 2014.” There may be good reasons to believe legalization can address racial inequality, but Oregon has yet to see it.

Driving remains another sticking point, both for youth and adults. Nearly half of 11th graders who use cannabis reported driving within three hours of consumption. And roughly two-thirds of adults, 63 percent, said they didn’t know when it’s legal to drive after using cannabis. Seventy-five percent of adults, however, agreed that driving under the influence increases the risk of a crash.

Sixty-two percent of eighth graders said they have easy access to cannabis, reporting that it’s easier to obtain than cigarettes but harder to get than alcohol. Whether they actually want cannabis is another story: Not only are fewer kids choosing to consume, they’re also more concerned about its dangers. Health fears among students in Oregon were greater after legalization, in 2015, than they were just two years before. (Separate data, from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, indicate teens nationwide are actually less concerned about health risks than they were in 2010. That survey, however, polled students about monthly use, while Oregon asked about weekly use.)

One of the biggest challenges for policymakers, Hedberg said, is trying to educate kids about the potential consequences of cannabis use without resorting to war-on-drugs–era scare tactics.

“There are a number of studies to show that, at least for young, developing brains still in high school, regular use is not going to be beneficial for them,” she said. “How do you give a message about moderation that doesn’t say the sky is falling?”

Breaking down Oregonians’ use by demographics, the survey found some groups stood out. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults used cannabis at nearly three times the rate of straight respondents — 30 percent to 11 percent, respectively. People with disabilities also consumed at a slightly higher rate (14 percent), though the report didn’t clarify how much of the use was for medical reasons. Only 6 percent of veterans said they were current users, roughly half the rate of the general population.

Medical patients made up less than a third of total adult users, with 3 percent of all surveyed adults identifying as patients. Most who did apply for a medical card were approved. On average, only 4 percent of applications since 2001 were rejected.

So what does it all mean? Is the Oregon Health Authority a friend to cannabis, or a foe? Hedberg says neither. “At this point, we actually tried pretty hard in this for the report to have just the facts and not to spend a lot of time talking about policy implications,” she said.

A government body making decisions about cannabis based on facts? How refreshing.

Halogen Technology in Cannabis Vaporizers: How NASA-Level Science Revolutionized Vaping

This article is sponsored by Herbalizer, one of the leading suppliers of table-top vaporizers. Herbalizer provides you with the ultimate vaporizing experience as you honor your flower with our power. Check out Herbalizer’s exclusive Leafly discount offer here.

Given that his last job was as a prime contractor to NASA – a position that amounted to a great deal of autonomy, with decisions based heavily on technical merit – we asked Herbalizer’s Chief Technology Officer Bob Pratt if people thought he was crazy to start working on vaporizers.

“Absolutely!” he exclaimed. “[NASA] was a really, really fun job. Everything was a new design, and you could take a lot of license to do special things. I say to people, ‘You’ll never guess what I’m doing now’ – and they never do.”

So what drew him away from a successful career in the aerospace industry? A sense that vaporizers could be done better, coupled with the idea that doing things better would make a difference. “People truly receive almost one-of-a-kind relief,” says Pratt of cannabis vaporization. “Some of the stories are amazing. When I hear about people who have used vaporization and gotten off a prescription drug regimen that negatively influenced their lifestyle, it’s impactful.”

Building a Better Vaporizer

The first thing that clued the Herbalizer team into the fact that there might be room for improvement in the tabletop vaporizer field was the fact that in 2011, when brainstorming began, nothing groundbreaking had been released in years. “Usually your best guide as far as what’s possible [in an industry] is what the competition’s doing,” says Pratt. By those measures, reaching operating temperatures in under four minutes would have been lofty enough. Given their background in microelectromechanical systems, the team members set their sights higher, honing in on concrete goals of reaching operating temperature in under 30 seconds and filling a bag with vapor in under a minute – which, Pratt admits, “seemed like pie in the sky.” The ultimate objective was an incredibly responsive device that coupled ease of use with unprecedented accuracy.

With goals laid out, the team set about brainstorming, which is how the idea of halogen technology surfaced. As Pratt explains, “The halogen bulb actually is kind of interesting. They’re not necessarily utilized in our society in the best way – they’re a much better heater than they are a light source.” This is because the electromagnetic spectrum devoted to light is very small – the majority of the electromagnetic byproduct put out by halogen bulbs is not light, but heat.

“There were alternatives on the table,” says Pratt of the brainstorming process. “Inventing our own heater was one of them. But when we looked at it, the halogen bulb was almost an epiphany-type moment. It is very very fast to heat up, so you can get a lot of power. It basically makes our unit behave like a Ferrari, if you like performance analogies.”

Having settled on the superiority of halogen technology, the new challenge became to control it. A microprocessor and a custom control algorithm entered the picture. These modifiers govern the amount of heat available as the air moves through the device, which allows for the ultimate heating of the herbal material through convection. A small blower was put in place to push air past the halogen bulb, which is cloaked in glass. Air, in close proximity to the halogen bulb, is heated quickly and precisely, then transfers this heat to the vaporizer’s magnetic bowl, where the herbal material awaits. Important to note is the fact that the path through the vaporizer is completely inert – liner materials like glass, ceramic and stainless steel ensure that nothing undesirable is volatized into the airstream.

The final result? The team exceeded its original goals for speed and temperature control alike. “Nothing is perfect, but we guarantee temperatures within five degrees of the goal temperature – and I can tell you that realistically, it’s generally in the order of plus or minus one degree,” says Pratt. The patented thermal reaction chamber hits its operating temperatures in less than 15 seconds.

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Herbalizer – Relief By Design

We once believed man would never walk on the moon.Meet Bob Pratt.A former NASA engineer. He has spent his entire career creating things most people only dream about.He dreamed of putting technology to use, to create a healthy, more beautiful world. So something healthy and intensely beautiful was born. There is nothing else like it on Earth. For centuries we’ve been using herbs to relieve pain, anxiety, stress and all sorts of discomfort. And now we use technology in a very simple yet powerful way. Beyond anything that’s currently available. The most effective means ever imagined of delivering instantaneous relief with herbal remedies. For the first time you can control the intensity and effect of your experience.Temperature controls quality. Whether you’re using lavender, peppermint, concentrates, extracts, or anything else.It also diffuses essential oils making it a unique aromatherapy tool as well.It is more accurate to call it an aromatherapy vaporizer it prevents combustion giving you the smooth smoke free effect that you want.The question is what kind of experience do you want? Mild and uplifting? Or heavy and intense? Lower heat produces light vapor with lots of flavor and gentle effects. Higher heat a dense cloud with lots of intensities. Precision temperature control dictates what you extract from the herb. That determines how you feel. Because it heats up instantly, you achieve immediate results. It’s good for pain, it’s good for relief, and it’s good for a party. This level of control is critical for people who are hurting out there. Not only an aesthetic marvel, the Herbalizer delivers a superior vapor therapy experience that represents a revolution in all-natural herbal relief. Herbalizer, the world’s first smart vape.

Posted by Herbalizer on Thursday, January 14, 2016

The Effects of a Controlled Vaporization Experience

So why should cannabis consumers care about these achievements? Aside from the ability to access to the benefits of cannabis at the touch of a button, temperature control affects the psychoactive experience. Different cannabinoids are released at different temperatures, meaning that by selecting varying temperatures for vaporization, consumers can control the compounds entering their bodies. “Because of the extremely tight temperature control, you have the ability to really tailor your experience,” Pratt explains. “There are about 28 well-known cannabinoids with varying concentrations available with most flower. You can experiment, find something you like, and then repeat it. The next time you vaporize the same strain at the same temperature, you’re going to have exactly the same ingredients entering your lungs. There’s all kinds of things to get into as far as selective extraction.” For medical consumers, especially those who consume cannabis on a regular basis, this level of jurisdiction over the experience can be invaluable for addressing specific conditions while maintaining control over quality of life.

The Herbalizer was released early in 2014, and although the team continues to work on refining the product, customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and Pratt confesses that he’s equally happy with the product. “Surprisingly enough for someone who always wants to tinker with things and improve them, we did a really good job of hitting most of the bullet points that we wanted,” he says.

Has he ever looked back to his days of working with stealth bombers and satellites? Not so much. “The whole venture has been kind of a life-changing thing…to do something outside the box was such a leap of faith that it’s liberated me, in that regard, for life,” says Pratt. “If I had to do it all over, I’d do it the same way.”

Ep. 44 – He's a pot policy pro; She leads women in industry

Published: Jan 28, 2016, 11:49 am • Updated: Jan 28, 2016, 11:49 am Cannabist Staff Featured guests: Marijuana Policy Project communications director Mason Tvert and Women Grow founder Jane West. Podcast: Play in new window | Download We’re talking about the ways states can get marijuana legalized; new developments in the push for social pot […]

Marijuana survey finds medical users more likely to consume edibles and vaporize

A new study provides some of the first evidence about patterns of marijuana use in states that have legalized medical marijuana. It finds that medical marijuana users are more likely to vaporize or consume edible forms of the drug than recreational users. Researchers also found that 41 percent of people reported having used marijuana recreationally […]

Investigation of Cannabis for Pain and Inflammation in Lung Cancer

Primary Outcome Measures: Change in pain ratings using The McGill Pain Questionnaire [ Time Frame: 6 weeks ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ] Participants will be asked to rate their pain over the 6 weeks of receiving active cannabis vs placebo. Change in sickness-related impairment using the Sickness Impact Profile Questionnaire [ Time Frame: 6 weeks ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ] Participants will be asked to rate physical symptoms for […]

Broncos Strains vs. Panthers Strains: What to Consume for the Big Game

As this year’s wild ride of a football season winds up for a super-sized finish, the 50^th iteration of “The Big Game” is taking place on February 7. Now the question remains: Which cannabis strains should you enjoy while you watch to see who will take home the trophy?

Like last year, we have a few suggestions up our sleeves. Whether you’re a ride-or-die Broncos supporter, a fanatical Panthers fan, or simply want to see what happens, we’ve lined up five strains for each team, plus three that are perfect for football regardless of who you support. Shout out the team you’re rooting for and what you’re planning to consume on Super Sunday in the comments!

For Broncos Supporters

303 OG

It won’t surprise anyone that this indica-dominant strain, which pays homage to the Broncos’ home area code, is Colorado-born and -bred. Its euphoric effects would pair perfectly with a home team victory.

Cat Piss

Broncos fans can only hope that their big-cat opponents are a little nervous for the Big Game. Cat Piss, a social sativa, is thus the perfect accompaniment to any game day party.

Do-Over OG

When Denver faced Seattle two years ago in the historic first championship to pit two legal states’ teams against one another, the term “bowl game” took on new meaning – but unfortunately, Denver fans’ hopes went up in smoke that year. Here’s to a do-over.

Kryptonite

After watching “Superman” build momentum in leading the Panthers to two big playoff wins thus far, Denver fans could do worse than stocking up on plenty of Kryptonite for Super Sunday.

Trifecta

With this year’s trip to Levi’s Stadium, the Broncos tie the record for most championship appearances ever, with eight. Unfortunately, they also hold the record for most losses ever, with five. This year, they aim for their third championship win to date.

For Panthers Fans

Blue Blood

Die-hard Panthers fans already claim to bleed blue blood, so they won’t have any trouble getting behind this spirited indica-dominant strain.

Orange Skunk

Facing off against a team with far more championship appearances under their belts than the Panthers themselves can count, Carolina fans will nevertheless be hoping that the team in orange gets skunked on February 7.

Pink Panther

Anyone looking to pay homage to Carolina’s mascot this weekend should stock up on this Panther-friendly hybrid strain, which promises euphoric effects to pair with a Panthers win.

Super Blue Dream

In the 20 years since their team was founded, the Panthers haven’t yet been able to bring the Lombardi trophy home to Charlotte. This year, their Super Dream is a Blue victory.

Superman OG

It’s no secret that Cam Newton, a.k.a. Superman, has led his team in blazing a trail to this year’s championship game. Pay homage to his suitable nickname with a strain that matches up.

No Matter Who You’re Supporting…

Bay Dream

As fans of all affiliations make their way to the Bay Area for Super Sunday, light up this social sativa and gear up for some football. Bonus: it provides an appetite boost, meaning you’ll be able to snack on the usual chips, dips, pizza, cupcakes and more classic football fare all day long.

Face Off OG

This indica-dominant strain promises relaxing effects, so if big sports games tend to be stressors for you, here’s a perfect way to enjoy yourself as Colorado and Carolina face off on-field.

Game Changer

If you just want to watch, and don’t care one way or the other, make a game of the Big Game and take a hit of this hybrid every time a touchdown is scored. No matter the outcome, given Game Changer’s euphoric effects you’re guaranteed to have a good time.

Treating MMJ Patients in Illinois: One Doctor’s Perspective

Illinois’ medical marijuana pilot program is finally off the ground, with 25 dispensaries now operating. Since the program’s November debut, the state has recorded more than $1 million in sales. Some are worried, though, that the program could be in trouble before it’s had a chance to succeed due to low patient enrollment. Although there are over more than 4,000 patients registered, officials anticipated that there would be closer to 30,000 patients at this point in the implementation process.

To gain a better understanding of the inner workings of the state’s Medical Cannabis Pilot Program, Leafly had a chance to speak with a qualifying general practitioner registered to make medical marijuana recommendations, Dr. Rahul Khare of Innovative Express Care in Chicago.

Leafly: What have been some of biggest challenges you’ve faced in entering the medical marijuana sector?

Rahul Khare: Honestly, it’s that there are a lot of conditions in Illinois that are not considered qualifying. It’s been incredibly difficult to have so many patients coming to me asking for help, but who are unable to get a recommendation for medical marijuana based on their condition. It’s an unfortunate situation. Many patients come to me as a general practitioner, rather than their own [doctor], which is frustrating for me to see. Often, they have asked their own physician about medical marijuana. For whatever reason, their doctor does not feel comfortable certifying their patient. The patients often get frustrated, ask their family or friends, and somehow come to me to switch their primary care to someone who is open to [cannabis] as a medication.

Leafly: Have your peers been surprised to find out that you’re working with medical marijuana patients?

Khare: It does surprise some, but I’ve been more surprised by how supportive my peers have been. Many of my colleagues work for hospitals, which are considered federal institutions, and they can’t get certified. Many people that I didn’t think would be supportive – friends, family – so many have reached out to me and are grateful to have someone who can answer their questions. I was hesitant to make it known to everyone, but everyone is very excited.

Leafly: One of the more controversial issues in Illinois concerns the expansion of qualifying medical conditions. If you could personally expand the qualifying conditions for the program, which additions do you think patients would most benefit from?

Khare: I’ve thought about this a lot, actually. If I could expand the qualifying conditions, I would include:

• Dysthymic disorder – otherwise known as clinical depression
• Panic disorder – I would much rather see patients using cannabis to manage their symptoms than addictive drugs like Xanax or “benzos” [benzodiazepines]
• Intractable pain
• Neuropathy, particularly in diabetics, can cause a constant, stinging sensation
• Lyme disease – after the acute illness, patients experience chronic pain and aches, which has not been considered [as a qualifying condition]

These are the main conditions I would like to see included.

Leafly: What made you decide to get certified to recommend marijuana to begin with?

Khare: I had many patients who came to me asking about medicinal marijuana. I’m an advocate of medical marijuana – I’ve been to California and Colorado and heard a lot of success stories. These patients [who asked about medical marijuana] are taking large amounts of narcotics and opiates. There are studies coming out that show a decrease in the use of narcotics with the legalization and use of medical marijuana.

Leafly: Are patients worried about signing up? What is the general attitude that you see?

Khare: There are two groups of patients that I generally see. There are patients who are fearful of medical marijuana, some who have teenage children and want to be discreet – those patients are very aware of the stigma attached. The second group is those who are aware that there is a huge, nationwide discrepancy between federal and state laws. This is the group that questions, “Will this be taken away from me?” They recognize that it’s a very gray area, because it is, technically, a federal offense, but in all practicality a patient is very safe with a medical marijuana certification.

Leafly: Do you think the Illinois Medical Cannabis Pilot Program will be extended beyond the 2017 deadline?

Khare: I believe so. The state of Illinois is in financial trouble and the amount of revenue they’re already seeing from the program is encouraging. There hasn’t been a lot of backlash from patients or opponents and this has already been done successfully in other states. The truth is that the dispensaries, the laboratories, the lobbyists, the physicians, they all want more people to have access and in that regard, the medical marijuana industry is much more aligned than the pharmaceutical industry. We are all in the same boat and there’s no conflict of interest. It’s interesting to see, right now, that all the people involved in the medical marijuana industry want the same thing: more patients signed up for medical marijuana. That will all change when there’s competition for patients, but for right now, they all want to help qualified patients to get certified for medical marijuana.

Oregon Edibles May Soon Be Half-Strength

Oregon doesn’t want people to end up like Maureen Dowd.

In 2014 the prim and prolix New York Times columnist, staying in a Denver hotel and tickled by the prospect of legal cannabis, “nibbled off the end” of an infused candy bar. It sent her spinning:

I was panting and paranoid, sure that when the room-service waiter knocked and I didn’t answer, he’d call the police and have me arrested for being unable to handle my candy.

Oregon politicians think that’s a bad look for cannabis. So state health officials are tinkering with cutting edible THC limits in half. Proposed rules would curb single servings of THC to 5 milligrams — yes, half the currently allowed limit in Washington and Colorado. The limits wouldn’t apply to medical products.

Under the proposal, whole chocolate bars could contain no more than ten servings, or 50 milligrams of THC. Again, that’s half of what’s allowed in other states. Drinks, ice cream, and other products that aren’t easily separated into single servings would be limited to 20 milligrams per package.

Edibles aren’t yet available to recreational buyers in Oregon, but the state hopes to adopt rules by summer. The Oregon Health Authority, tasked with overseeing serving sizes, packaging, and labeling in the state, still hasn’t decided which limit to go with.

“I don’t know, truly, whether we’ll end up at 10 milligrams or 5 milligrams,” Dr. Katrina Hedberg, Oregon’s state health officer and state epidemiologist, told Leafly. “I don’t know.”

The goal is to give consumers what they want while still addressing common concerns, Hedberg said. Plenty of edibles in other states — chocolate bars, jelly beans, Sour Patch Kid knockoffs — no doubt look familiar and appeal to kids. Officials want to minimize both risks to children and newcomer horror stories like Dowd’s. “We do focus on particular concerns about the edible market because we’ve heard so many stories about it,” Hedberg said.

Of course, it’s not clear whether potency limits would actually fix problems. A rookie might still ignore instructions, and a toddler who downs an entire bag of gummies, half-strength or not, would still be in for an uncomfortable night. Will cutting potency in half mean fewer instances of youth use or overconsumption? “Very good question,” acknowledged Hedberg, “and I don’t know the answer.”

“Even though cannabis has been around for millennia, there’s a lot in terms of modern science which we’ve not been allowed to do because it’s Schedule I at the federal level,” she continued. “We don’t know the answer. What we see is what some of the problems are, and we’re faced with: How do we try to address what those problems are while avoiding reefer madness?”

Advocates for the cannabis industry call the rules well intentioned but ineffective. Bakers, chocolatiers, and ice cream makers aren’t as likely to sell as much product, they argue, because customers won’t be as interested in a watered-down buzz. “I mean, a lot of this is really just proper parenting,” John Bayes, owner of Green Bodhi, told the Oregonian.

Today, even in Colorado, where 10-milligram limits are in place, the state encourages beginners to be cautious. Informational cards at dispensaries read: “Start low. Go slow.” Friends and budtenders are quick to warn beginners to eat or drink a small portion and then wait — and keep waiting — until they’re sure it’s kicked in.

A cannabis overdose, while uncomfortable, won’t kill you. It’s a drug, yes, but its extremes are less extreme than overdoses of alcohol. If you’ve had too much, there are a number of ways to help ease what you’re going through.

One lesson, maybe, is that it’s more important to have information than limits. Dowd was by her own admission a “novice” consumer. First she nibbled “and then, when nothing happened, nibbled some more.”

The health authority had a public hearing on serving sizes earlier this month, and they’re hoping to finalize rules by spring. If all else fails, Hedberg at the Oregon Health Authority has at least one fallback option in mind to keep children far from cannabis.

“Put in in caviar!” she quipped. “No kid in their right mind is going to eat caviar. Put it in spinach!”

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

Mettrum Health Corp. Launches Premium Cannabis Oils Product Line

Mettrum Health Corp. (TSXV:MT), a fully-integrated licensed producer of premium cannabis products, launched its much-anticipated line of Mettrum Cannabis Oils.

As quoted in the press release:

Mettrum Cannabis Oils will be priced at $90 for one 40 ml bottle, which contains the equivalent medicinal content of five grams of dried marijuana. Mettrum produces whole-flower cannabis extracts using state-of-the art supercritical fluid CO2 extraction technology. The process extracts the major cannabinoids (THC and CBD), as well as the minor cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids that contribute to the overall medicinal value of medical cannabis. The result of this process is a highly concentrated resin. This extract is then suspended in an oil to make it easier to administer orally.  Mettrum uses medium chain triglyceride oil (MCT) in our formulations.  MCT is naturally occurring and used widely in the food, pharmaceutical and natural products industry. It is highly stable, flavourless, odourless, and allows for increased absorption making it ideal to use in cannabis oils.

Today, Mettrum is launching three oils in the Red, Blue, and Yellow categories, in line with the Mettrum Spectrum™, a trademarked system that helps physicians and their patients select the cannabis strain or strains that are most appropriate for their particular medical need. The Mettrum Spectrum™ allows for the categorization of medical cannabis products based on different ratios of key medicinal cannabinoids: cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The Blue and Yellow category oils are notably unique as they are derived from rare strains of cannabis with a high ratio of CBD to THC  ̶  making them a relevant treatment for an expanded population of prospective patients. In the coming weeks, additional products will be added to broaden the selection across the categories that make up the Mettrum Spectrum™.

The launch comes on the heels of the announcement that Mettrum received a license from Health Canada for the production of cannabis at its new 60,000-square-foot production facility in Bowmanville, Ontario.

Mettrum Health CEO, Michael Haines, stated:

As Canada’s second LP to receive a license to sell cannabis extracts, we’ve been working hard to deliver accessibly priced, premium oils for our clients. We are responding to the demand from patients and health care professionals alike for alternative consumption methods of medical cannabis.

The post Mettrum Health Corp. Launches Premium Cannabis Oils Product Line appeared first on Investing News Network.

Event: Sabertooth Micro Fest VIP Bus Tour Presented By The Daily Leaf And Oregon’s Cannabis Conceirge

Came across a cool sounding event. Check it out if you are in the area. Below is more information, via the event’s Eventbrite page: You’re either on the bus or off the bus, so grab your ticket and climb aboard!OCCandThe Daily Leafhave partnered up to provide the ultimate VIP experience in conjunction with the Sabertooth

Why Has Arkansas’ MMJ Initiative Been Rejected 7 Times?

What’s going on in Arkansas?

News out of the Razorback state last week had Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge rejecting a seventh marijuana ballot initiative since taking office in 2014. As with her previous rejections, Rutledge said her latest denial was based on the “ambiguous language” of the proposal. David Couch, the attorney who submitted the most recent proposal, has had his two previous proposals rejected based on ambiguous language as well.

The Arkansans for Compassionate Care, or Arcompassion, has been working for years to try to get a medical marijuana initiative before voters. The campaign came within inches of success with Issue 5 in 2012, when it lost by a slim margin of 49 percent in favor to 51 percent against.

In 2014, Arcompassion came back with the Arkansas Medical Cannabis Act, a ballot initiative approved during the final days of former Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel’s term in 2014, before Rutledge took office.

When reached for comment, a spokesman for the office, Judd Deere, released the following statement to the media:

“Attorney General Rutledge states, ‘neither certification nor rejection of a popular name and ballot title reflects my view of the merits of the proposal. This Office has been given no authority to consider the merits of any measure when considering the sufficiency of a proposed ballot title.'”

The Attorney General’s statement reflects an awareness that her office is coming under increasing scrutiny for rejecting multiple marijuana proposals during her brief time in office. But rejecting proposals based on ballot titles is nothing new in Arkansas, according to the advocates at Arcompassion.

Ryan Denham, the Deputy Director of Arkansans for Compassionate Care, isn’t surprised at the constant pushback from the AG’s office. His group endured extraordinary delays during its effort to get a signoff on Issue 5 in 2012.

“When we applied back in 2012, we weren’t approved either the first time,” Denham told Leafly. “We had to resubmit our initiative four times before it was approved on the fifth try. I think the Attorney General just wants to make sure the ballot title accurately reflects the law, especially when the bill is a dozen pages long.”

The current medical marijuana campaign has been gathering signatures in preparation for the 2016 ballot and will need to obtain 67,887 total signatures in the next six months in order to qualify, but Denham is hoping to exceed that number.

“We want to get 150 to 200 percent of the signatures that we need,” he said. “We have approximately 55,000 signatures in hand right now and we want to gather another 40,000 before we turn them in.”

The Arkansans for Compassionate Care’s initiative, the Arkansas Medical Cannabis Act, is the most likely bet for a medical marijuana bid in 2016. The campaign will hold a Super Tuesday Signature Surge on March 1st at locations around the state, so sign up as a volunteer if you want to see change for Arkansas this year.

“Arkansas has seen states like New York and Illinois legalize,” Denham said. “We’ve seen that the sky hasn’t fallen, terminally ill people are gaining access to medicine, and it’s generating tax revenue. Arkansas borders seven states, which have almost no cannabis laws… This is more than just a local or state issue, this is a national issue and we’re hoping that we can influence some of the more conservative states around us.”

Cooking With Cannabis Live Stream Event (Free!)

Almost everyone I know wants to know more about cooking with cannabis. There is an event coming up that is going to be free to all, and you don’t even have to leave your house! Check out the details below, via the event’s Eventbrite page: Legalized marijuana is one of the fastest growing industries in

Clinton Vows Tepid Leadership on Cannabis

You’re aware the year ahead could be a big one for cannabis, yes? You’ve read those articles? You know prohibition has torn apart families, dashed futures, and cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars? You know more Americans than ever support legalization?

Seems you’ve been paying more attention than Hillary Clinton.

In a radio interview Monday with a CBS affiliate in Boston, the Democratic presidential candidate doubled down on her wishy-washy, parade-following position on cannabis:

I think that states are the laboratories of democracy, and four states have already taken action to legalize, and it will be important that other states and the federal government take account of how that’s being done, what we learn from what they’re doing. And I do think on the federal level we need to move marijuana from the Schedule One of drugs, move it to Schedule Two, which will permit it to be the basis for medical research. … A lot of experts in the field are telling me we’ve got to learn a lot more. For example, you’re taking marijuana for medical purposes, how does it interact with all the other drugs you’re taking? What should be the right dosage?

Nothing in that answer is flat-out wrong. But it’s a series of true statements that add up to nearly nothing. Clinton’s essentially saying she’d consider loosening rules on cannabis by regulating it like opium or cocaine. The bare minimum of reform. A great half-shuffle forward.

Clinton is a politician. If she wanted to convey righteous outrage over the drug war’s atrocities, she’d be well equipped to do it. From overcrowded prisons to racial inequities, there are plenty of failings to exploit. But instead she continues to offer safe, mealy-mouthed responses about an issue on the verge of massive change.

It’s hard not to see parallels to Clinton’s historically slippery stance on same-sex marriage. After more than a decade of opposition, she began publicly supporting marriage equality in 2013, only after it had become politically safe to do so. She landed on the right side of history, but only moments before history made clear her previous position was the wrong one. One can only guess where she’ll stand come November.

Chile Unveils the Largest Cannabis Farm in Latin America: The Leafly Roundup

With 2016 well underway, legislative sessions are in full swing around the nation. Cannabis bills are cooking in Vermont, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Utah. Texas’ CBD law is on track for a 2017 opening, but efforts are stalling in Indiana and Kansas. In the meantime, Israel is expanding medical marijuana patient access, and Chile just opened the largest cannabis farm in Latin America. Read more about these updates and more in this week’s cannabis legalization roundup.

U.S. Cannabis Updates

INDIANA

Senator Jean Leising, a longtime champion for medicinal cannabis advocacy, has said any bill to legalize cannabis or cannabis-derived products is unlikely to get a Senate committee hearing this legislative session. “There just isn’t the appetite in the Senate for approving any kind of medical marijuana, not with the current makeup of the (50-member) Senate,” Leising said. “You need 26 votes and they’re just not there.” Previously, Sen. Patricia Miller, chair of the Health and Provider Services Committee, said her committee would not hear any cannabis-related legislation this session. In addition, Rep. Thomas Washburn, chair of the House Courts and Criminal Code Committee, stated that his committee will not be considering House Bill 1158, which would exempt doctors and patients from criminal penalties for using high-CBD cannabis oil.

KANSAS

A voter-approved initiative for lessening marijuana penalties in the city of Wichita was thrown out by the Kansas Supreme Court last week based on a technicality. The high court concluded that petition organizers did not follow state law in filing the ordinance with the city. The ruling allowed the court to sidestep the larger issue of whether the initiative violated state law forbidding cannabis possession. The proposal would have made the possession of up to an ounce of cannabis punishable by a civil fine of $50 for first-time offenders 21 and over.

OHIO

Ohio is back in the cannabis game with a new medical marijuana task force. Created by the Ohio House of Representatives, the task force includes lawmakers, business owners, law enforcement officials, and two former members of last November’s ResponsibleOhio campaign, Jimmy Gould and Chris Stock. The creation of the task force doesn’t guarantee that new medical marijuana legislation will be introduced, although officials with the Legalize Ohio 2016 campaign say they’ll continue with efforts to legalize for medical and recreational purposes, and would support any new legislation for cannabis.

NEBRASKA

A group known as Nebraska Families 4 Medical Cannabis has hired a leading lobbying firm, Radcliffe & Associates, to assist in a campaign to bring support and awareness to a medical marijuana bill for the state. Last year Sen. Tommy Garrett, R-Bellevue, introduced Legislative Bill 643, inspiring testimony from patients from across the state in an emotional public hearing. That hearing helped advance the bill out of committee, but opponents killed it with a threatened filibuster. Sen. Garrett introduced a new version of the bill as the new legislative session opened. The latest bill uses Minnesota’s medical marijuana infrastructure as a model for Nebraska’s program and would only allow the consumption of cannabis pills, oils, or tinctures.

PENNSYLVANIA

A bill to legalize medical marijuana sailed through the Pennsylvania Senate. Senate Bill 3, sponsored by Sen. Mike Folmer, R-Lebanon, was approved with a 40–7 vote and now moves to the House. Folmer’s legislation would legalize the use of edibles and oil concentrates, but would prohibit the smoking of whole leaf cannabis. It would also create a system of licensed dispensaries for the distribution of the cannabis products and approve 16 qualifying medical conditions.

The conditions include:

• Cancer
• Seizures
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• Cachexia or wasting syndrome
• Parkinson’s disease
• Traumatic brain injury and post-concussion syndrome
• Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Spinocerebellar Ataxia (SCA)
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Fibromyalgia
• HIV/AIDS
• Glaucoma
• Crohn’s disease
• Diabetes
• Chronic pain

A similar medical marijuana bill passed the Senate last year but never made it to the House floor for a vote.

TEXAS

Texas officials are making progress on the Compassionate Use Program, a low-THC, high-CBD cannabis oil initiative signed into law in June by Gov. Greg Abbott. The Department of Public Safety approved preliminary administrative rules for the program in December, and the rules took effect Jan. 10.

Next up: developing a registry of patients and physicians. The Texas Department of Safety is seeking vendors through the Texas Department of Information Resources to assist with their efforts. The winner of the vendor contract will be announced in June, and work on the registry is scheduled to begin in July, although the department won’t begin accepting applications for dispensaries until the registry’s framework is complete.

UTAH

Sen. Mark Madsen, R-Saratoga Springs, introduced one of Utah’s first bills to allow for the medicinal use of “whole plant” cannabis. Madsen’s Senate Bill 73 would direct the Utah Department of Agriculture to oversee the regulatory process for cannabis cultivation and processing facilities. The Utah Department of Health would be charged with distributing medical marijuana patient cards to those with qualifying conditions. Another bill, introduced by Rep. Brad Daw, R-Orem, and Sen. Evan Vickers, R-Cedar City, would legalize cannabidiol through a similar distribution structure.

VERMONT

Vermont looks like it’s heading for legalization with support of Gov. Peter Shumlin as well as a resounding endorsement from former Vermont Attorney General Kimberly Cheney. The Vermont Senate Judiciary committee held a public hearing to collect testimony from the public before making any moves on the topic.

There are currently two cannabis legalization bills up for debate in the legislature. S.95 was introduced last February, but no action was taken to advance the bill aside from recommending a hearing in the Judiciary committee. S.241 was introduced by Senator Jeanette White earlier this legislative session, on Jan. 5, and holds the most promise for legalization in 2016. The Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on the measure on Jan. 29.

International Cannabis Updates

CHILE

A ceremony in the town of Colbún last week marked the opening of what is now officially the largest medicinal cannabis farm in Latin America. Located about 200 kilometers south of Santiago, the farm is capable of cultivating up to 6,900 plants. Under the supervision of Chile’s Agriculture and Livestock Service, organizers are hoping to cultivate as much as 1.5 million tons between March and May, said Ana Maria Gazmuri, Executive Director of the Daya Foundation, the organization leading the cultivation charge.

The farm carries 6,000 plants of varying species, which will be used to treat 4,000 patients — 200 in each of 20 participating municipalities. The Chilean National Congress approved a measure legalizing the cultivation and sale of cannabis for medicinal purposes in December 2015. “Even if people do not believe it,” Gazmuri said, “Chile is now the regional pioneer in medicinal cannabis cultivation.”

ISRAEL

Health Minister Yaakov Litzman is leading a push to reform cannabis policy. Litzman told the Knesset Health Committee and the Knesset Committee on Controlled Substances about his plan to allow more doctors to recommend the drug to their patients. Currently only 36 doctors across the country can prescribe cannabis. “If the reform moves ahead without problems, I’ll allow practicing doctors to give cannabis prescriptions to their patients in keeping with Health Ministry regulations,” he said.

Litzman also cautioned that the move would not lead to broader recreational use. “I want to emphasize that we will implement strict oversight on this issue,” he said, “and we will make sure that only those who need cannabis will get access to it.” If Litzman’s plan goes into effect, pharmacies are also expected to begin carrying cannabis.

Don’t forget about last week’s roundup — catch up on it now!

Prohibition Breeds 'Hypocrites and Lawbreakers,' Ex-Attorney General Tells Vermonters

Former Vermont Attorney General Kimberly Cheney will be breaking across the TV screens of Vermont this week in a new ad that backs legalization in the Green Mountain State. “We all know that prohibition was a disaster,” Cheney says in the 30-second spot scheduled to premiere Tuesday. “It forced alcohol into the underground market where it was controlled by criminals. And consumers did not know what they were getting.” Cheney continues:

It made us a nation of hypocrites and lawbreakers. Marijuana prohibition has caused a lot of the same problems. That’s why most Vermonters agree it’s time for a more sensible approach.

The ad, produced by the Marijuana Policy Project on behalf of the Vermont Coalition to Regulate Marijuana, is expected to bolster Gov. Pete Shumlin’s effort to pass a legalize-and-regulate bill through the Vermont Legislature this session. The Vermont Senate Judiciary Committee currently is holding hearings around the state on S-241, a 41-page bill co-authored by Sens. Jeanette White and Joe Benning. Committee Chairman Dick Sears told Vermont Public Radio to expect revisions to that proposal in the coming days. During public testimony last week in Brattleboro and Bennington, “we picked up some ideas that we’ll probably put into the bill,” he said.

The more Vermonters hear about regulated legalization, the more they seem to like the idea — or at least temper their opposition. A Castleton Polling Institute survey in February 2015 found 54 percent support for legalization, with 40 percent opposition and 6 percent undecided. The same poll taken in September 2015 found 56 percent support, 34 percent opposition, and 10 percent undecided.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Sears said last week he’d like to pass the legislation out of committee this Friday, Jan. 29, at which point it would go to the full Senate floor.

Read more about former Attorney General Cheney and the thinking behind his support for regulated legalization in an exclusive Q&A with Leafly associate editor Ben Adlin.

The Best Dab Rig for You

Dabbing is evolving fast, and it seems like every other day there’s a new tool, technique, or technology. One day it’s nothing but titanium nails, torches, and BHO; the next it’s quartz bangers, e-nails, and rosin. Its rapid evolution can be a lot to keep up with, and if you’re like me, you probably switch up how you dab depending on what the situation calls for.

When a friend visits and wants to socialize over fresh-squeezed rosin, my preferences are much different than when I get home from a long day and prefer to have everything set up and ready for me to unwind. And when I’m dabbing on the go, I need a rig that’s portable and efficient while still providing the full dabbing experience. After many personal trials and tests, I’ve nailed down my favorite ways to dab and the tools needed to get the most out of every drop of oil.

Daily Rigs for Regular Dabbing

The daily driver is your go-to piece, so it should be functional, sturdy, and easy to clean. The key to this setup for me is the electric nail, or “e-nail.” I use the MiniNail because it’s small, offers precise temperature control, and doesn’t require the use of a torch. I’s always hot and ready when I want to dab or pass one to a friend.

This setup is perfect for high-volume dabs in social settings or for dialing in your preferred settings for low-temperature dabs. The only downside is that is that you’re limited by the cable length and the need for electric power.

Quartz Buckets for the Dab Connoisseur

A setup like this is perfect for getting the smoothest, most flavorful dab. When it comes to flavor, I prefer quartz buckets known as bangers because they don’t interfere with the natural terpene profile of the saps and shatters that I dab. The deep bucket can handle large amounts of concentrate without a mess, and the clear aesthetic is much cleaner on artistic glass and heady rigs.

The one drawback to this setup is that it uses a torch. While there are some attachments that will allow you to use an electric nail with your quartz bucket, I’ve found that the cord attachments can cause some chaos. So I stick with my STOK R-Series double-barrel torch. It has two side-by-side barrels that help heat the bucket quickly and evenly.

E-Rigs for the Dabber on the Go

I’ve found it difficult when I’m traveling to achieve the same functionality I get from my daily-driver setup. Concentrate pens, even ones with percolator attachments, just don’t quite hit the mark. Luckily, new technologies marry the portability of concentrate pens with the capabilities of standard dab rigs. The result is electric oil rigs, or e-rigs. I use the Boost from Dr. Dabber because it offers the portable performance that I’m looking for. With just a few clicks of the power button, the nail is hot and ready in about 30 seconds, and the battery lasts a solid 40 to 50 dabs before it needs to be recharged.

The only shortcoming of e-rigs currently on the market is the size of the nails and the vapor chambers, which make it difficult to take more than a small dab at a time. It’s an understandable tradeoff given the mobility of e-rigs, and I expect this feature to evolve as the technology improves.

Everyone has their own personal preferences when it comes to the ideal way to dab. What’s yours? Share your dab setup in the comments and let everyone else know your favorite way to take the best dab.

Georgia: Hearing Tomorrow On Medical Cannabis (HB-722)

Another action alert out of Georgia. If you are in the area, go check it out and remember to be respectful: Friends, last week was a productive time at the Georgia State Capitol. We met with lawmakers and new activists about several bills pending in the General Assembly. Next week there will be two important

Weekend Weirdness: “Sorry for Robbing You, Here's Some Cannabis”

Being held up at gunpoint is a traumatizing experience, which is presumably why a robber in South Carolina tried to soften the blow by offering his victim a little consolation prize. A delivery driver in Spartanburg, South Carolina was returning to her car after dropping off a pizza order when she was robbed. The perpetrator pointed a gun at her head and demanded she fork over the cash she had on her, and when she complied, he took the money and started to walk away.

Curiously, the man didn’t get very far before he turned around and re-approached the driver. It appeared as if in addition to struggling with a sense of right and wrong, the robber was also battling the munchies, as he asked the woman if she had any extra pizza orders in her car. She did, so she gave him some food. The man then wanted to know whether or not the delivery driver smoked, and when she confirmed that she did, he handed her a bag of cannabis before leaving for good.

Now, we all know that cannabis can help with symptoms such as anxiety and PTSD, which this poor woman could very well be experiencing after such a harrowing ordeal, but I’ve never heard of a criminal try to simultaneously offer up a solution to the problem he created. It’s a nice gesture on paper, but I’m guessing the driver would have preferred to not be robbed at gunpoint over some free cannabis.

Quiz: Can You Pick the Real Strain Name From the Fake?

So, you think you’re a strain savant? That you’ve tried every indica, sativa and hybrid out there, and know them all by heart? Not so fast. There’s a helluvalotta (technical term) strains out there to know, and with their intertwined genetics and mix-and-match names, it’s tough to keep them straight.

To find out if you’re truly a grandmaster strain wizard, take our multiple-choice quiz. For each question, three of the answer options represent real strain names, while a fourth option is an imposter that we invented. (We know, we know – you can easily find the right answers in our strain explorer, but no cheating!) Ready to test your expertise? Tell us how you do – or even make up your own quiz question – in the comments.

Poll: Majority Of Maryland Voters Support Regulating Cannabis Like Alcohol

By Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director A majority of registered Maryland voters believe that cannabis use should be legally regulated in a manner similar to alcohol, according to statewide polling data provided by Gonzalez Research & Marketing Strategies and commission by the Marijuana Policy Project. Fifty-three percent of respondents said that they favor a change

Three Things You’ll Learn At ICBC San Francisco

On February 13th and 14th, the cannabis world convenes at the International Cannabis Business Conference in San Francisco. Attendees will hear from those with success on the ground in commerce, politics, art and activism, learning important business tools as well as how to best improve and protect our marijuana laws. The 2014 ICBC in Portland

Dabbing vs. “Dabbin”: The Dance Craze That's Confusing Cannabis Consumers

There’s a new phenomenon sweeping the globe, and it’s called “dabbin.” Before you scoff and say, “Yeah, I know what dabbing is, I read Leafly,” let me first say, “Good for you, you earn your Leafly gold star for today,” before clarifying that I’m not talking about concentrated doses of cannabis, but rather a dance craze that’s overtaken the NaeNae, the Cat Daddy, the Harlem Shake, and whatever other absurdly squirmy hip hop move has been trending over the past couple years.

Unfortunately, the rising popularity of the dab dance has left a lot of cannabis-savvy people scratching their heads and thinking that the consumption method is what everyone’s talking about instead of the dance move. For example, recently Seattle Seahawks Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett were asked at a press conference, “Do either of you guys dab?” Because both athletes play in Washington state, where recreational cannabis is legal, their responses were amusingly appropriate:

“That’s illegal in, in…no, actually it’s legal in Washington!” Bennett said while Avril chuckled beside him and insisted, “It’s legal, it’s legal in Washington.” The reporter then clarified that he was talking about the dance move, and Avril laughed even harder while Bennett responded, “Oh the DANCE move. I thought you was talking about…I don’t know, you said ‘dab’, I said, ‘I know that’s what the kids are doing but uh…” before addressing the “trendy dance” that happens to be the dab this year.

So as a public service announcement, right now there are two types of “dabbing” making headlines right now. If you’re interested in learning how to dab cannabis concentrates, follow our handy guide.

If, however, you want to learn how to pull off the dab dance move, it’s quite simple. Just drop your head while you raise an arm and rest your face inside your elbow as if you’re sneezing into it. Sports Illustrated put it best, saying:

“The dance is pretty simple; one leans in to their elbow like they’re sneezing. That’s it, literally. You’ve dabbed before.”

Here’s a handy video tutorial in case you need a visual reference:

Happy dabbin’, everyone!

Image Source: T-Jay Hayes via YouTube

The Leafly Marketwatch: What Percentage of Your Dispensary Visitors are Out-of-State?

We usher in 2016 with the hope that a few states will join Washington, Colorado, Oregon, Alaska, and Washington, D.C. as newly minted members of the legal cannabis club. In the meantime, we took a closer look at the states that are currently operating legal retail cannabis dispensaries to see where exactly their visitors are coming from. What percentage of out-of-state folks is curious about what Colorado, Washington, and Oregon have to offer?

Colorado

We took a look at the last six months of data and broke out visits to Colorado dispensary pages by their state of origin, excluding Colorado so we could focus on out-of-state visitors.

Click on the image for a larger version

As you can see from the bar graph, the top two states sending traffic to Colorado’s dispensary listings on Leafly are Texas at nearly 33% and Florida at close to 11%. Interestingly, neither state has a legal recreational or medical marijuana market in place, although they did recently pass low-THC, high-CBD cannabis oil laws. Florida has selected growers for its program, but no cannabis oil has been dispensed yet. Texas, meanwhile, does not expect to be operational until 2017.

Why are two highly restrictive states so interested in Colorado? An obvious answer is tourism. Unlike Washington and Oregon, which are tucked away in the northwest corner of the United States, Colorado is ideally situated closer to the middle of the country, making it an ideal location to visit. And despite the Colorado tourism director insisting that cannabis is not a major tourism draw for the state, both a state survey and our data suggest there’s definitely growing interest in checking out Colorado’s legal cannabis market.

Colorado is also becoming a more attractive place to live for a myriad of reasons. A number of people from illegal states, dubbed “marijuana refugees,” have migrated to Colorado for legal access to cannabis that can help treat themselves or their family members suffering from diseases. Young college graduates are also flocking to Colorado, and the real estate market has increased by double-digits post-legalization thanks in some part to a population boom and the cannabis industry producing more jobs (which means more people can afford to buy homes). It’s possible that in addition to tourist interest, pro-cannabis or cannabis-curious people who are considering moving to Colorado may be checking out the state’s dispensary pages to see what the legal market has to offer.

Washington

As with Colorado’s data, we analyzed the last three months’ worth of visits to Washington dispensary pages.

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Nearly 40% of out-of-state visits to Washington dispensary pages come from California, with Oregon taking 2nd place with just over 14%. Both states’ proximity to Washington makes the data largely unsurprising, as it’s a relatively easy road trip or flight away for a quick getaway.

Another possible explanation for California’s traffic numbers is that there’s been a recent influx of people relocating from California to Washington. Between 2004 and 2013, over 339,000 moved from the Golden State to the Evergreen State. Washington’s recent tech industry boom, comparatively cheaper cost of living, and yes, legal cannabis are certainly all perks to moving further north.

Oregon

Oregon’s traffic data looks like a reversal of Washington’s, with over 39% of out-of-state traffic coming from its northern neighbor and 30% originating from California.

Click on the image for a larger version

Again, tourism is a likely factor here since Oregon is sandwiched between Washington and California, making it an appealing destination for a quick cannabis-friendly weekend getaway.

Business Takeaways

Why should dispensary owners and managers care about which out-of-state visitors are coming to their dispensaries? From a business perspective, it’s always an advantage to know your customers and their background so you can cater a personalized experience and convert their interest into a sale. Consider the following tips to help your business seem especially appealing to an out-of-towner:

Educate and Inform.

Out-of-state customers may need a little more education about cannabis, so offer more dedicated customer service and guidance to make your visitors feel at ease. Remember, they’re not experts and may even feel a little intimidated surrounded by a roomful of products that are still illegal in their state, so make them feel comfortable and be available to answer any questions they have. You may even want to put together a pamphlet or binder that contains some basic Cannabis 101 information that may benefit your out-of-state clientele.

Personalize the Experience.

Make your business seem appealing to a diverse pool of tourists or visitors. For example, if you have a retail dispensary in Colorado and know that a lot of people from Texas are likely to frequent your business, consider going the extra mile and work on your Texas charm – talk barbecue, Texas sports teams, local fashion, or anything that might put a smile on your visitor’s face. Or you could offer a few vanity strains, such as Cali Kush to a California native or Blue Bayou for someone hailing from Louisiana.

Offer Out-of-State-Friendly Products.

Pre-rolls are great for visitors since they might not have traveled with a vaporizer or bong, and lower-THC strains or edibles are a good idea as well for any tourists that are new to cannabis and don’t want to feel overwhelmed. (Just make sure you explain proper edibles dosing to your customers!)

Embrace Cannabis Tourism.

Colorado seems to be having an identity crisis with its cannabis tourism and doesn’t want to be cemented as the place to go for legal green. But honestly, what’s so bad about embracing the tourism angle? Sure, Washington, Colorado, and Oregon have a lot more to offer than just legal retail cannabis, but if the appeal of it brings visitors across state lines, it’s a win-win for the local economy. There’s a saying that goes “A rising tide lifts all ships,” meaning retail cannabis attracting visitors from different states brings in not just cannabis tax income, but benefits hotels, restaurants, local attractions, etc. So why not put a smile on your face and greet your out-of-state visitors with outstretched arms and an open mind? They’re bringing you business, after all!

Check out our previous Marketwatch analyses, and learn more about how Leafly can help grow your cannabis business.

Leafly's Guide to Surviving the Snowpocalypse

The entire East Coast, from New York through D.C. and all the way down to North Carolina, is bracing for one of the worst snowstorms in years. “Crippling!” forecasts The Weather Channel. “Life and death!” warns Reuters. Skies this weekend are expected to dump two feet of snow or more. If you haven’t hit up the grocery stores yet, we invite you to join the canned-food panic and pick up a cartload of bottled water and non-perishables (although let’s face it, judging from #Snowmaggedon2016 posts, the shelves by now are barren as the bleachers at a Jeb Bush rally).

Buckle down, sit tight, and ride out this storm. We’ll help you not only survive, but maybe even enjoy the next few days.

Stay Warm

It’s going to be cold, but that doesn’t mean you have to be. If you haven’t stocked up on wood, grab some extra logs and kindling to keep handy in case you need to build a fire. Don’t have a fireplace? Don’t build a fire. Instead, gather a pile of pillows and blankets and curl up in a nest next to your radiator or heating vent. If you’re worried your heat might go out, you can also make a quick and easy space heater using a ceramic pot, a cake pan and a few tea light candles.

PSA: Do not use your BBQ or Hibachi to cook indoors. People die this way. No joke.

Keep Yourself Entertained

Charge your phone and laptop now. Before the storm hits. Seriously. Go plug them in. Next, inventory the books stacked next to your bed. If the power goes out, your electronics will stay charged long enough for you to play a few games or binge-watch a few episodes of “Jessica Jones.” (If the power does go out, remember to unplug your electronics to protect them from a power surge.) When your devices die, those books are going to start looking mighty entertaining. Dust ‘em off and crack the spine. There’s no better time than a snowstorm to curl up with a good page-turner!

Note: A little strategery is important here. It’s hard to read in the dark. Maybe save your battery power for dark-thirty entertainment and read the bestsellers in daylight.

Embrace the Cold With These Frozen Blast Movies

• The Day After Tomorrow

This movie is a little silly, but a fun disaster movie fits the theme of Snowpocalypse. Let Jake Gyllenhaal do your worrying for you, and be thankful you don’t have to outrun an ice age or set a library on fire to stay warm.

• Fargo

One of the funniest Coen brothers’ movies — now with an excellent television spinoff (if you haven’t watched Season 2 of Fargo on FX, now is the time to cue it up) — this classic crime movie is witty and ridiculous. You’ll wish you had Margie’s toque to keep your ears warm, oh sure, you betcha. Darn tootin’.

• The Thing

Maybe comedy isn’t your style. Looking for something a little creepy and mysterious? This campy John Carpenter sci-fi flick is set in Antarctica and features the bad-assery of Kurt Russell fighting a terrifying, unknown force in a cold, forbidding wasteland. Your 65-degree abode will seem cush and toasty by comparison.

• March of the Penguins

If you’re looking for lighter fare, check out this nature documentary with a heart of gold. It’s got breathtaking cinematography in the style of Planet Earth, touching tales of animal families, and the cutest, fuzziest baby penguins you’ve ever seen.

• Frozen

Duh. Who says this is a movie just for kids? It’s frozen outside, baby, you might as well sing along with the weather. There’s no reason not to belt out “Let It Go” and dance around with Elsa. We don’t judge — you do your thing.

Warm Up in Your Head With These Tropical Movies

• The Beach

Watching Leo’s escapades on a remote beach in Thailand will make your winter blues dissolve like the turquoise water he swims in. Close your eyes. You can almost feel the sun on your face and the white sand between your toes!

• Blue Lagoon

Choose the 1980 classic, not the horrid Lifetime channel remake. This romantic island film features a young Brooke Shields as half of a marooned pair who grow up on a deserted tropical island. With all of the dangers they encounter in their time in “paradise,” you might be relieved to find yourself at home in a snowstorm rather than having to face cannibalistic islanders or poisonous fish.

• Forgetting Sarah Marshall

A perfect movie to get your giggles going as you watch Jason Segal take the most terrible getting-over-an-ex vacation in the history of movie breakups. Filmed on the island of Oahu at Turtle Bay, the views will have you in a Hawaiian Dream of delight as you immerse yourself in the tropical scenes. Also, there are Dracula puppets.

• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

The first installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies is a classic for a reason. It’s exciting and funny, with sword fights, daring escapes, and Johnny Depp doing the weirdest Keith Richards impression you’ve ever seen. Whether it’s your first time or your hundredth, this silly, swashbuckling, Disneyland-inspired affair is the height of entertainment.

Order In

If you didn’t snag a few sad remnants from the grocery store and your pantry is a ghost town, fear not! GrubHub and Eat24 are still delivering and will be until drivers’ fingers freeze off. The brave souls who deliver pizza for Dominos and Pizza Hut will be venturing onto the icy roads to bring the gift of joyous pies to anyone who needs it. We only ask one thing: If you order delivery, tip generously. Anyone who’s on the roads in this mess deserves an extra dollar or five.

Make Food. Eat Food.

Baking on a cold day is one of the best ways to warm up your home and fill your place with the pleasant aroma of delicious goodies. If you’re feeling adventurous, why not try out a new cannabis-infused edible recipe? You can find easy steps for basic cannabis-infused butter here, and we’ve got yummy recipes for days — check out our favorite: blueberry lavender chocolate-chip muffins!

Note: Do not use your oven as a primary heat source! Carbon monoxide poisoning is a real danger, especially when you’re cooped up in an enclosed space.

Get Busy Between the Sheets

Can’t go for a run in the frigid weather? There’s a better way to get your heart rate up… If you know what we mean (wink wink, nudge nudge). Whether you’re in a committed relationship or trawling the casual encounters section on Craigslist (please be safe), there’s no better way to pass the time than with a little steamy adult action in the bedroom. Did you know that cannabis can enhance your love life? If nothing else, it will take your otherwise dull Snowmageddon experience to the next level.

Buckle Down and Ride Out the Storm

The majority of the East Coast doesn’t have access to legal cannabis. There are a few exceptions. New York and Connecticut medical patients, we hope you made a dispensary stop before the storm. If you’re in D.C. and have been taking advantage of those legal home cultivation rights, this is the perfect occasion to bust out your stockpile of homegrown. For surviving a snowstorm, we recommend a nice, heavy indica or calm hybrid, such as Granddaddy Purple or Blueberry, respectively. We don’t recommend using an energizing sativa, mostly because it could make you feel antsy or stir-crazy. Avoid cabin fever if you can and go for something a little more relaxed.

On the other hand, if you do have an uplifting sativa, such as NYC Diesel or Blue Dream, put it to good use and take care of some of those projects you’ve been putting off:

• Pick up that art project you’ve been planning for months. If you don’t have one in mind, start one! A pile of old magazines + glue = collaging for days
• Clean out your closet and make a giveaway pile: Someone will want that ratty AC/DC shirt, we promise.
• If you’re up for a real challenge, trim your pet’s toenails. We recommend using a towel and oven mitts for best results.
• Do your taxes. Gross, we know, but it’s about that time — and future you will be extra grateful when April 15th rolls around.
• Do your laundry. There’s nothing better than warm clothes straight from the dryer. Nothing.
• Write a novel: A little cannabis creativity can go a long way. Put a pen in your hand, paper in front of you and let ‘er rip! (Or just doodle.)
• Clean out your fridge: This will remove any remaining guilt you have about ordering delivery and give you an excuse to wipe up that mysterious sticky spot that keeps grossing you out.

Fingers crossed! Here’s hoping that all this media hype over the storm ends up being a false alarm (or at worst a good excuse for a snowy weekend in).

Quiz: How Can LED Lighting Impact Cannabis Growth?

This article is sponsored by National Bright Lighting, who built, researched and tested their LED Grow Light Fixtures with engineers and growers. Learn how these grow lights can help you save up to 70% on your power, and how superior engineering and high tech innovations in LED lighting will bring you outstanding yields!

Proper lighting is an integral part of any successful cannabis grow – and as cannabis is legalized for medical, recreational or research purposes in state after state, there’s lots to know before you grow. So we chatted with the team at National Bright Lighting, whose grow lights were developed by growers, for growers. With twenty years of research, development and manufacturing experience in the industry, National Bright Lighting had plenty to share. How much do you know about using LED lighting in your cannabis grow? Find out by taking our quiz!

Ep. 43 – Her pot parties are legendary; He crafts brands and ads

Published: Jan 21, 2016, 11:49 am • Updated: Jan 21, 2016, 11:49 am Cannabist Staff Featured guests: Mason Jar Event Group founder Kendal Norris and Blank Space creative director Zac Cohen. Podcast: Play in new window | Download What we’re talking about: The many obstacles an event planner faces when throwing 420-friendly dinners and brunches; […]

'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!

What's in Store for Ohio? Legalization and a New Medical Cannabis Task Force

Ohio’s Issue 3 for legalization failed last November, but Ohio lawmakers are not deterred. The Ohio House leaders created a task force of policy makers, local business owners, members of law enforcement, and a few familiar faces from the ResponsibleOhio campaign in an effort to study how to legalize medical marijuana.

Ohio businessman and ResponsibleOhio founder Jimmy Gould joined the task force, along with Issue 3 author Chris Stock. The members behind ResponsibleOhio were backing a renewed effort known as the Fresh Start Act, but dropped the proposal in lieu of joining the medical marijuana task force.

The members of the medical marijuana task force are as follows:

• Representative Dr. Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City)
• Representative Dan Ramos (D-Lorain)
• Dr. Brian Santin, Ohio State Medical Association
• Nick Lashutka, president of the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association
• Former Ohio attorney general Betty Montgomery
• Chris Stock, author of Issue 3
• Jimmy Gould, co-founder of ResponsibleOhio
• Bill Sopko, chair of the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association
• Lora Miller, Ohio Council of Retail Merchants
• Linda Hondros, Ohio Chamber of Commerce
• Matt Szollosi, Affiliated Construction Trades
• Larry Moliterno, Ohio Alliance of Recovery Providers
• Gary Wolske, Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio
• Matt Lutz, Muskingum County Sheriff and third vice president of the Buckeye State Sheriffs’ Association

The appointment of former ResponsibleOhio members has put many cannabis advocates ill at ease, remembering the lessons learned after last November’s failed legalization attempt in Ohio. Despite a few reservations, however, there’s no denying that the campaign certainly put Ohio firmly in the national spotlight for cannabis endeavors.

Leafly had a chance to speak to Jake Cabrera with Legalize Ohio 2016 to see how these new developments for medical marijuana in Ohio could affect their campaign, for better or for worse. Said Cabrera:

“This could be good because the conversation on cannabis is going in the statehouse, but we’re certainly concerned about the lack of diversity and patient advocacy on the new task force.”

The campaign organizers did say, however, that if there were to be any sort of legislation for medical marijuana in the coming months, they would wholeheartedly support the efforts as patient access advocates.

“We really have to thank ResponsibleOhio for spending $25 million to put this issue in the mind of the electorate, because we get the opportunity to build on that discussion,” Cabrera insisted. “We’re hoping eventually, Ohio will get sick of hearing about it and say, hey, let’s just legalize and get it over with.”

See Portland Trailblazer Legend Cliff Robinson At Upcoming The Cannabis Collaborative Conference

I am the biggest fan of former NBA player Cliff Robinson. I’m sure there are others that will make that same claim, especially in Oregon, but I personally feel I win that fan competition. I first met Cliff Robinson at the Oregon State Fair in the early 90’s. I was in grade school, the Portland

US MA: Court Official Hears Allegations Against Marijuana

Boston Globe, 20 Jan 2016 – Downing Says He’s Being Singled Out Over Cannabis-Oil Sale One of the state’s leading proponents for the legalization of marijuana – who now faces possible criminal drug distribution charges for selling a cannabis-based oil – told a clerk magistrate Tuesday that he believed he was selling a legal product known as CBD, recognized across the country for its medical benefits.

Know Someone Skeptical Of Medical Marijuana? Invite Them To Watch The Free Virtual Cannabis Health Summit

We all know that one friend or family member that is very stubborn about their stance against medical marijuana. You can tell them until you are blue in the face about the medical benefits of marijuana, about how the federal government has patents involving the medical benefits of marijuana, and about all the science and

Legal, policy changes can lead to shifts in use of medical marijuana

Policy changes since 2001 had varying effects on the number of people consuming medical marijuana.

New Study Confirms That Cannabis Can Help Migraine Sufferers

Cannabis has long been used for the treatment of migraines, but only in recent years have scientists closed in on the reasons why. A new study published this week from Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Colorado looked at the effects of inhaled and ingested cannabis in migraine sufferers, and the results confirmed what previous studies had begun to unearth.

Researchers reviewed reports from 121 adult participants and collected the following data:

• The average number of migraine headaches decreased from 10.4 per month to 4.6
• Almost 40% of subjects reported positive effects
• 19.8% of subjects claimed medical marijuana helped to prevent migraines
• 11.6% of subjects reported that cannabis stopped migraine headaches
• About 85% of subjects reported having fewer migraines per month with cannabis
• About 12% saw no change in migraine frequency with cannabis
• Only about 2% experienced an increase in migraine frequency

Inhalation methods appeared to provide the fastest effects and were more likely to stop migraine headaches in their tracks. As expected, edible cannabis took longer to provide relief and was more likely to induce negative side effects like sleepiness and overly intense euphoria (which was reported in 11.6% of participants).

Past studies attempted to understand why cannabis tends to help migraines, citing endocannabinoid deficiencies and activation of CB2 receptors as possible explanations. This particular study didn’t help to answer those questions, but it did add to the growing body of research supporting the use of cannabis as a migraine medication, given the fact that over 85% of participants saw a reduction in migraine frequency.

The next frontier in this field of research is figuring out which cannabinoids, strains, and delivery methods are most effective in treating headaches and migraines. In the meantime, we’ll have to continue relying primarily on anecdotal evidence. If you’re struggling with migraines, be sure to explore all the strains other Leafly users have used to manage their pain here.

Which strains, products, or delivery methods have you found most effective in treating migraines? Share your thoughts with the community below!

View From the Pinstripes: How a Banker Sees a Cannabis Account

In the aftermath of last month’s federal court setback for Colorado’s Fourth Corner Credit Union, banking officials and cannabis business owners in other states are searching for creative ways to open legal bank accounts. Leafly recently highlighted the success that small Washington state banks and credit unions have experienced by working within Justice Department, FDIC and NCUA policies.

That model isn’t traveling well, though. Or maybe other state banking officials simply aren’t aware of Washington’s system. California, Nevada and Vermont are among many states trying to solve the problem on their own, without much success.

For a banker’s point of view, Leafly asked Steve Kemmerling to give us his perspective on the marijuana business. Kemmerling, a former mergers and acquisitions investment banker, is the founder of MRB Monitor, a consulting firm that advises banks, credit unions and other financial institutions about handling marijuana related businesses (or in banking parlance, MRBs).

Leafly: Banks and credit unions that serve the cannabis industry tend to do so partly as a public service, to enhance public safety by ensuring businesses don’t have to safeguard large amounts of cash. But is it profitable? What’s keeping other banks from opening accounts?

Steve Kemmerling: Bankers are concerned about the public safety issue. But they’re also concerned about regulatory examiners coming in and raising red flags about their marijuana related business accounts. The guidance memos from FinCEN and the Justice Department don’t provide a safe harbor. Even if the bankers do everything they’re told to do, there’s no guarantee they won’t be penalized for it under a new administration. Also, establishing a compliance program just for one industry is a big up-front cost for the banks — so much so that even with relatively high fees the accounts still may not be profitable. So, given both regulatory and profitability uncertainty, both of which may be cleared up over the next year or two, most banks will continue to avoid the industry.

Leafly: Is there an advantage to a banker to be a first mover in this area?

Kemmerling: At this point, not really. Right now, the financial and human capital costs to set up MRB accounts, and continually monitor them, don’t justify the perceived risks. And this is an industry, from a banker’s perspective, that might go from a billion-dollar business to zero under a new administration, as unlikely as that may be. More likely, it could go the other way. If marijuana becomes federally legal, banks could then jump into the industry [and open accounts to MRBs] with potentially much less capital cost and regulatory risk. Although I do expect current first mover banks to get some benefit from customer loyalty, in my opinion competition will quickly eat into that. So expect the vast majority of banks to continue taking a wait-and-see approach.

Leafly: What will it look like after federal legalization?

Kemmerling: One of the biggest misconceptions about marijuana banking is the expectation that if federal legalization arrives, most banks will rush into the industry. I don’t want to sound like a Negative Nancy, but in my opinion, that’s not going to happen. Do this: Google “bank de-risking” and “Operation Choke Point, which was a Justice Department initiative a couple years ago that investigated banks for opening accounts in industries considered high risk for money laundering — areas like payday loans, pawn shops, firearms sales and coin dealers, even though the industries are legitimate and legal. As a result, some businesses in these industries reported experiencing trouble opening or keeping bank accounts.

The Justice Department and FDIC got into some trouble for that operation and have since pulled back, but it serves to highlight the risk that banks take with any industry deemed high risk. I expect a lot of bankers will continue to keep marijuana-related businesses in the high-risk category even if it’s federally legalized. Furthermore, I think bankers still have to do “enhanced due diligence” on MRBs, which means a higher level of scrutiny for the client and a higher level of scrutiny from the bank examiners. So if and when things change at the federal level, I still think marijuana will remain an under-banked industry with higher fees.

Leafly: Does that open a niche market for a bank that can specialize in these accounts and lower those fees?

Kemmerling: I’m skeptical about a first-mover advantage, but if federal legalization happens, there may be an opening for financial institutions specializing in the unique risks and compliance challenges posed by the marijuana industry. But expect higher fees. In a way, that’s what Fourth Corner is trying to do right now.

Leafly: And so far getting blocked by the Federal Reserve.

Kemmerling: Yes — and the NCUA for depository insurance. The fact that it’s a credit union focused on what’s currently a federally illegal industry is Fourth Corner’s main problem, obviously. But it’s also relevant to know that they’re trying to enter the banking sector at a time when it’s been difficult and rare to open any new banking institution at all.

Leafly: How do you mean?

Kemmerling: In 2014, more than 550 credit unions closed. Since 2010 there have only been three new banks opened in the entire country. That’s it. That’s a function of the 2008 financial crisis and current very low interest rates, among other things. And then from a risk perspective, Fourth Corner would have a tough time of it even if marijuana was a federally legal business.

Leafly: Why?

Kemmerling: It’s complicated. Credit unions have a “common bond,” such as employers or geography, but they aren’t supposed to have too much exposure — in other words, loans — to any one industry. For example, although WestStar Credit Union in Nevada serves casino employees, I don’t believe all of its business accounts or loans are solely casinos. Regulators will look at this and examine banks’ customer and loan portfolios. So with Fourth Corner, you’ve got people wanting to start a new credit union during a time when no one is really doing that, your accounts will be almost completely drawn from a single industry, and that industry is federally illegal. It fails all three of those sniff tests.

Leafly: What about alternative payment systems: Bitcoin, PayPal? Are those possible alternatives?

Kemmerling: Maybe. But alternative payment systems seem like short-term workarounds that will go away if and when marijuana is federally legalized. From a consumer’s point of view, it’s a lot easier to just use your debit or credit card versus going through the trouble of using something else. Most of the companies I’ve seen in this space operate as “closed-loop” payment systems, which is basically how PayPal operates. In a closed loop system, the consumer first funds his or her account, and then uses it to purchase from a retailer, who then uses its account to purchase from suppliers and vendors. All the cash stays within the system and moves from account to account on a spreadsheet. But to make a closed loop system work, you need to create what’s called a “network effect,” which means you have to convince a lot of consumers, MRBs, and vendors and suppliers to get on board with it. Also, the alternative payment company itself is going to need a bank account and become a registered money service business in every state it plans to operate in, neither of which are a given. After all, if a bank isn’t going to give an account to a MRB directly, why would it give one to an alternative payment company working with MRBs? Even as I say this, I’m aware of a number of companies trying to do exactly this, so perhaps I’ll be proven wrong.

Leafly: When you look for best practices right now, where are you finding them? What’s working?

Kemmerling: Washington state is a good example of a legalized state trying to help its marijuana industry get banks accounts by providing data. The state agency [the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board] publishes data that includes a licensee’s sales, inspection history and their violation history, which are necessary under the current guidance. So it’s much easier for a bank or credit union to compare those sales reports to the client’s deposit and the industry as a whole to identify potential anomalies indicative of illicit activity. For example, if a MRB is doing $100,000 in sales a month but depositing $300,000 a month, the banker needs to know that and start asking questions.

If a state is serious about helping their marijuana industry find banking services by helping banks meet their compliance burdens, they should look at Washington’s model. In Arizona and New Mexico [which are both medical marijuana states] they don’t even publish a list of dispensaries, let alone sales numbers or inspection histories. Banks need both company-specific and broader industry data to perform effective due diligence.

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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Italy Marches Closer to Decrim, Draws Line at Terrace Grows

Italy spent last week reforming policies related to a number of minor offenses, including lessening penalties for the cultivation of cannabis for medical reasons.

Justice Minister Andrea Orlando approved the bill to decriminalize growing cannabis for medical use, but warned, “This does not decriminalize those growing weed on their terrace,” an exceptionally Italian way to phrase it. Cultivating cannabis for personal use still carries a harsh penalty — up to a year in prison and a fine of €4 million.

The bill will notably lighten punishments on medical researchers who grow more crops than they’re allotted, for which case they’d incur a fine rather than a prison sentence.

One of the motivations for making reforms to the laws, which also decriminalized driving without a license and intentional deception, was to ease congestion in the Italian justice system.

In a statement issued after the cabinet meeting, the justice minister stressed that benefit. “It will free up courts from issues of little relevance,” he said, “and make sanctions more effective.”

Last March a bipartisan group of more than 60 members of the Italian parliament signed on to a motion to legalize cannabis. Lawmakers have yet to deliver on legalization, but a step towards decriminalization is a step in the right direction.

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.

14-Day Deadline Sends Seattle Dispensaries Scrambling

Seattle medical dispensaries got a shock when they were slapped last week by notices from the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) telling them they had 14 days to relocate outside the city or risk being shut out of the state’s licensing process. The problem, according to LCB officials, is that there are approximately 100 dispensaries in Seattle and about half meet the criteria to be Priority 1 businesses, which receive first consideration for a state license.

The state has just 21 additional licenses available for all of Seattle. That means as many as 30 qualified dispensaries won’t receive licenses and could be forced to shut down.

The letter was sent out as a courtesy, according to LCB spokesman Mikhail Carpenter. Carpenter said the board wants to keep lines of communication open to the dispensaries vying for licenses. “The problem is that there are more Priority 1 applicants than there are licenses available,” he explained, “so we wanted to let them know that they have 14 days to choose a new location [outside the city], to increase their chances of getting a license. The last thing you want as a regulator is to issue those 21 licenses and have everyone come back to you after the fact saying they had no idea this was happening.”

The letter went out only to Priority 1 dispensaries that met criteria to be the top tier of applicants in Seattle. While 14 days may seem like a major time crunch, the time period is standard for applicants whose location doesn’t fit the bill. The letter is a courtesy notice to the many qualified applicants, letting them know that they’ll need to apply sooner, rather than later, and if they choose to apply outside of the Seattle city limits to increase their likelihood of getting a license, they will have 14 days to choose the location.

The city has already issued two of the coveted new licenses, which means there are just 19 remaining. With at least 30 dispensaries on the chopping block, it’s clear there’s demand for more than 21 dispensaries citywide.

Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes wrote a letter to the LCB in 2013, expressing concern that 21 licenses would be inadequate to serve the entire city. “However, the Liquor and Cannabis Board has shown that they are open to continually making readjustments,” Holmes told Leafly, “and they may up that limit.”

Holmes said he sympathizes with medical dispensaries scrambling to get their paperwork done and prepare for city inspections. But he was firm on the question of delivery services. “Delivery services are illegal, period,” he said. “They are subject to prosecution under both state and federal law. They are committing the felony of illegal distribution. These people are opportunists taking advantage knowingly of both the situation and the patients.”

Delivery services are illegal under both I-502 and Washington’s recently passed Cannabis Patient Protection Act, but Holmes said that he hasn’t completely closed out the possibility of legal delivery services. Rather, he would support a pilot licensing program for medical and recreational stores to offer deliveries to those who want or need it. “I’d like to get this state-sanctioned because this is a public safety issue,” he said. “People are less likely to purchase pot from the store and smoke in their car on the way home if they have the option of a delivery. Many medical patients lack mobility and can’t always go to the dispensary. Out-of-state visitors, also, may want to have it delivered to where they are staying.”

House Bill 2368 was just introduced in the Legislature. The bill would establish a two-year pilot program by which licensed retailers and dispensaries could conduct deliveries legally, based on endorsements issued by the WSLCB.

”The city does care about this. We want to get it right. Nobody thought that we’d see legalization happen ever, let alone within my first term as city attorney,” Holmes said. “We’re backing down from the war on drugs, and people are really committed to making this happen and doing it right.”

In Case You Missed Chris Christie’s Latest Dumbass Comment

It’s an eternal debate here at Leafly News World Headquarters: Report Chris Christie’s latest moronic anti-cannabis tantrum or allow his rude outburst to dissipate naturally, like so much gas passed on a windy mountaintop.

We can’t help it. He’s mesmerizing.

Despite historic nationwide support for legalization, Christie continues to fight on like the soldier of a lost war — or the leader of a lost presidential campaign; take your pick. In his mind it’s still 1984: Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” tour sells out the Brendan Byrne Arena, the Tigers win the World Series, and Ron and Nancy crank up the war on drugs. During last week’s Republican debate (which occurred while you were wisely catching the epic Olivia Munn–Kevin Hart showdown on “Lip Sync Battle”) the hapless New Jersey governor let loose with this grand ripper:

“And this president turns his back — this president doesn’t enforce the marijuana laws in this country because he doesn’t agree with them. And he allows states to go ahead and do whatever they want on a substance that’s illegal. This president allows lawlessness throughout this country.”

Yes, lawlessness throughout the country. Sigh. Governor, please. Break out of the weird time bubble you find yourself trapped inside. Join us out here in the future. It’s pretty great. We’ve got cars that park themselves; tiny phones that go anywhere; and legal, well-regulated cannabis in four states with more on the way. Springsteen and the band are still (mostly) alive and well, too. Come on out and catch them next time they swing through Denver. You might learn something.

Cancer Sucks and Cannabis Can Help – If the Feds Would Let It

The past few weeks have been rough in the fight against cancer. 2015 ended with Motörhead founder Lemmy (né Ian Fraser Kilmister) passing away from cancer at the age of 70. The new year fared no better, with 69-year old music icon David Bowie succumbing to cancer on January 10th. Four days later English actor and director Alan Rickman, known for his iconic performances in Die Hard and the Harry Potter film series, died of pancreatic cancer. He too was 69.

On January 12th, President Obama gave his final State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress, where he assigned Vice President Joe Biden the Herculean task of leading the charge to cure cancer. Said Obama:

“For the loved ones we’ve all lost, for the family we can still save, let’s make America the country that cures cancer once and for all.”

It’s difficult to find someone whose life hasn’t been touched by cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that this year there will be nearly 1.7 million new cancer cases diagnosed and close to 600,000 deaths. President Obama’s words resonated with everyone who knows how devastating a disease cancer is, especially Biden, whose son Beau died seven months ago from a stroke caused by brain cancer.

Biden’s actions following the State of the Union address have been swift. Even prior to Obama’s speech, Biden met with scientists at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center in Philadelphia to learn about the “phenomenal breakthroughs” being made there. He cited “cancer politics” as a huge impediment to eradicating the disease, criticizing a medical community that’s done a poor job of sharing information among researchers. And just this morning, Biden revealed that he recently hosted a summit–at his own house–between officials with three major drug companies and the head of the FDA to discuss fast-tracking the approval of drug combination therapy.

The vice president’s dedication is admirable. He’s right that politics are a large reason why cancer treatment isn’t progressing as quickly as it otherwise might. But it’s not just “cancer politics,” it’s also “cannabis politics.”

Cannabis’ Schedule I status means the federal government believes:

• It has a high potential for abuse
• It has no accepted medical use
• There’s a lack of accepted safety for its use under medical supervision

The United States government continues to believe cannabis has no accepted medical use, despite the fact that 39 out of 50 states in our union have some form of legal medical cannabis. Cancer is considered a qualifying condition in nearly every legal state. Even the National Cancer Institute, an organization mandated by U.S. law to educate Americans about cancer, has admitted that cannabis has killed cancer cells in a laboratory setting.

It’s frustrating to hear of millions of patients turning to cannabis to help ease their symptoms and to read about studies that show remarkable progress in cannabis’ ability to impact tumor size, all while the U.S. government refuses to entertain the idea of rescheduling cannabis. The CARERS Act was a historic bill that would have rescheduled cannabis to allow government funding to be spent on research, but it’s essentially dead in the water. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders introduced a bill in 2015 that would remove any mention of “cannabis” or “marijuana” from the Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. Instead of moving on any of these potential breakthroughs, we’re expected to praise drug companies and the FDA for fast-tracking cancer drug cocktails.

We’re living through a renaissance period in cannabis reform, but change can’t come soon enough for the millions of people suffering from cancer. If the Obama administration truly wants to lead the charge in the war against cancer, it should set its sights on cannabis and acknowledge the plant’s potential to make a lasting positive impact in both the alleviation of suffering and possibly even the eradication of certain types of cancer.

If we can find a cure or treatment that can truly make a difference, we can save the next Lemmy or David Bowie or Alan Rickman. Or we might save your neighbor, your friend, your aunt, your parents, your children. Cancer doesn’t discriminate. It affects rich and poor, the famous and obscure, young and old. Why then is our government so obstinately selective about which treatment options and avenues of research it approves? Cannabis might make a huge splash or perhaps it only causes a moderate ripple. But we can’t know until we research it, and can’t really study cannabis until it’s rescheduled. That’s a bold step Biden’s boss could take today — and it’s an action that would truly be worth our praise.

Shades Of Green: The State Of Cannabis In California For People Of Color (Event)

I saw a fantastic event come across social media today, and thought that it’s cool enough to pass along. If you are in the area, you should check it out (thanks Amber for posting about it!). Below is more information, via the event’s Eventbrite page: Supernova is pleased to present a FREE seminar for the

CannaCon: The Making of a Cannabis Industry Event Without the Cannabis

This article is sponsored by CannaCon, Where The Cannabis Industry Does Business.

The way Bob Smart dreamed up a cannabis convention is anything but conventional. “I was watching a TV show called Toy Hunter, and the main guy took some of the toys he had found to a Comic-Con, and for some reason, the word CannaCon floated into my head,” says CannaCon founder Smart. While most would have let this wayward thought come and go, Smart latched onto it. “I almost immediately started thinking about how to execute on this idea. I come from a home and garden show background, so I thought, ‘Okay, let’s make it like a home show.’” Today, CannaCon – which will return in its fourth iteration on February 18–20, 2016 – is the industry’s largest event for cannabis professionals and the general public alike.

Creating a Non-Cannabis Cannabis Convention

Informed by his home and garden show expertise, Smart had been growing cannabis for nearly 40 years and had published a well-received growing guide online under the alias Agent 86, but in his own words, “Nobody had a clue who I was.” He attended a few industry events for the sake of research, and was dismayed by the stereotypes on display there. Smart felt strongly that anyone should feel comfortable attending a cannabis business convention, regardless of whether or not they worked in the industry. He launched his new show in August of 2014 with that goal in mind.

“The first show we were really only trying to reach growers and processors,” recalls Smart. Advertising was minimal, and word of mouth was the primary traffic driver. Says Smart, “It amazed me how fast people found out and showed up.” Even though he had to work to fill the booth spaces, the event netted a respectable 6,000 attendees in its first year, and Smart realized that there was a much larger market than he had expected for a convention that steered clear of cannabis jargon, symbolism, activism – and even the plant itself. In a fledgling industry where over 200 business shows have sprung up nationwide in the past few years, Smart is confident that strict attention to these stipulations set CannaCon apart.

“CannaCon is a business show – a safe niche,” he explains. “We made a space where any business guy who’s not in the industry can show up, walk around, and feel comfortable. CannaCon is a federal trademark holder, and is held on federal property with security cameras everywhere. We want the public to see us doing business in suits and not getting high.” Every product and service a cannabis professional could require is there, but no actual cannabis is present. CannaCon is even open to the public, and attractions like glass-blowing demonstrations, food trucks, and live music draw attendees from around the world. Soon, Smart found himself scrambling to make room for a surge of exhibitors and attendees – by 2015, booth spaces were selling out in advance, the show was already outgrowing its event space, and he was having to turn prospective speakers away.

CannaCon 2016: What to Watch For

As the industry has grown, so has the breadth of topics that attendees ask to have covered. This year’s 45 seminars address such wide-ranging themes as marketing, rosin technology, law, business development, and cultivation. A lineup of high-profile speakers includes Katherine Grimm, Kyle Kushman, Bruce Barcott, and Aaron Pelley. Also debuting for 2016 is a one-of-a-kind budtender certification course designed to set industry standards. Panels will bring entities like Washington’s Liquor and Cannabis Board, Department of Health and Department of Agriculture together for question-and-answer sessions unlike any that have been set up before. And new this year is a focus on women in the cannabis industry, with the entirety of Friday dedicated to female speakers.

On the exhibitor side of things, about 25 percent of CannaCon 2016 vendors are from outside the cannabis industry, and for each show, more registrants who said they couldn’t be associated with cannabis because of politics have had a change of heart. Companies like House & Garden, American Air Filter, General Hydroponics, and more are among those who have had policy changes since the show’s inception, and will be in attendance in 2016­.

Looking at the industry as a whole, Smart conjectures that cannabis policy reform will reach critical mass in 2016 or 2017, at which point the stigma surrounding the industry will be broken down to the point that the sort of hesitations exhibitors have expressed in the past will no longer be a factor. And when the industry reaches that point, Smart wants to be in a position where if you can only go to one cannabis industry show per year, CannaCon is it.

CannaCon returns to Pier 91 in Seattle on February 18–20, 2016. To purchase tickets, visit www.cannacon.org.

Changing Perspectives: A Q&A With Vermont's Cannabis-Friendly Former Lawman

Vermont may soon become the first state to legalize cannabis through legislative process instead of voter initiative. Earlier this month Gov. Peter Shumlin unveiled a plan to legalize, tax and regulate cannabis for recreational use.

Soon after Shumlin’s announcement, an unexpected supporter lined up behind the governor’s proposal. Kimberly Cheney, a Republican who served as state attorney general from 1973 to 1975, revealed that he would star in a series of ads for the Vermont Coalition to Regulate Marijuana, the legalization advocacy group. A regulated system, Cheney said, would mean quality assurance, limited access, and a safer Vermont.

Leafly caught up with Cheney a few days after the release of the ads. He spoke about the pros of legalization, the cultural hang-ups around cannabis, how to grapple with DUI-law limitations, and the difficulties faced by law enforcement officials who’ve shouldered the burden of beating back the black market. A more sensible policy, he said, requires a different harm-reduction approach, one involving educators and health workers as well as law enforcement authorities, a model that isn’t possible under prohibition.

Leafly: Why did you decide to take a public stance on this?

Cheney: I began in law enforcement in the late ‘60s and continued into the early ‘70s, and that was the beginning of the war on drugs. I think every American family has an alcoholic in it, and when I became part of the prosecutions of people who were coping with drugs or alcohol, it seemed to me that the old story of prohibition was a bad one. I mean, AA is such a good example for alcohol and other social measures rather than criminal enforcement. It seemed to me to make sense.

Also, during the Vietnam War, which was going on at the same time the war on drugs began, it was class warfare. The whole effort seemed to me misguided, and from the beginning when I ran into it as a responsible law enforcer, I didn’t think it was a good policy. At the same time, the votes were in making busts. There was a lot of fear and a lot of folks who saw significant social change going on that they didn’t like. So it was a mixture of forces at work then, but it didn’t seem to me that criminal law was the way to deal with them.

L: Given that law enforcement have such a front-row seat on the ravages of the drug war, why do you think so many officers remain so staunchly against legalization?

C: I need to start by saying I really think police officers believe and think that their policies are helpful to society. I don’t think there’s cynicism about it. When you see the ravages of the social structure that drug abuse creates, and you’ve been brought up and charged with stopping it, you get that mindset that this is what you’re there for and what you need to do. On the other hand I’ve talked to several members of LEAP — Law Enforcement Against Prohibition — who say, “Look, I am just doing penance. I participated in a war that had all kinds of casualties to a lot of people, and I feel badly about that and want to take steps to make amends.”

L: So many LEAP members are retired. Do you get a sense it’s difficult when someone’s in an official capacity to be able to take a public stance on this?

C: Yeah, I think the social expectation — this has become a police problem. By definition people look to the police to solve what is a socially disturbing and destroying event. And where you become a spokesman, and advocate for a point of view, you’re subverting that from within. You’re in for trouble. I think the problem is essentially making it a police problem. It’s really a broad public health problem, and the people who should be coordinating it or speaking for it are not the ones that are out making the busts. It’s the people who are running the education system, the rehabilitation system and, yes, the police system in a coordinated way. I think it requires a whole change in perspective on harm reduction.

L: It seems there are some good intentions behind prohibition. Who do you think are the most important people to win over in this debate, and how do you talk to them on their level?

C: That’s the whole dilemma of democracy, isn’t it? When there’s a problem and when things you’re doing now don’t resolve them — and it becomes obvious to a lot of people — then you’ve got a mix of people who want change. But I think the racial impact of the war on drugs is so plain in the bigger cities. As people see what is happening, change is in the air. People can — you know, we went through alcohol prohibition, “The Noble Experiment,” but when it failed and produced all the collateral damage, people were ready for a change. I think that’s what’s going on today and I think it’s taking time.

LEAP’s position, and mine, is that all drugs wrongfully used are harmful. We’re not advocating people take drugs. We’re saying that harm reduction requires a different strategy.

L: How hopeful are you that things will change in Vermont? You started by mentioning Vietnam and the cultural revolution that was happening at that time. What we saw in the 1980s was a swing back in the other direction, and the war on drugs. Do you think this is changing for good, or could things still go the other way?

C: There’s definitely a link between the tolerance for alternate lifestyles that has grown up and the tolerance for individual risk taking. I think there is a recognition that the war on drugs simply hasn’t worked. The evidence is all over. The opiate abuse problems that every state has, that every city has. If the war on drugs was successful, we wouldn’t be having those problems.

I just want to stress that, to me, this isn’t about the drug, it’s about the system. Prohibition I think has been harmful. Einstein said it best: Insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result.

L: I’ve seen you making the point that legalization would let you set sensible regulations. Can you talk a little about driving under the influence? One of the biggest fears among cannabis users is that, because of how long cannabis stays in the body, you might test positive even if you’re no longer impaired.

C: Well, as you point out, there’s no simple blood or breath test that’s going to tell whether you’re under the influence. I think there are crimes, just like driving recklessly or driving negligently are criminal offenses, and presumably if somebody’s driving is erratic, that’s a criminal offense; it doesn’t matter what the cause is. You have to prosecute the behavior and not so much worry about the cause with marijuana. All the DWI cases I tried, people were stopped and they’d blow high alcohol numbers. I don’t know that there is any great solution for that problem. I personally am unaware whether any of the personal balancing tests or any kind of indicators, whether you’ll get any normative departures from marijuana intoxication; I just don’t know. I suspect if marijuana causes a disability to drive a car properly, there ought to be a way to detect it.

L: Even research on that front would be easier if prohibition were lifted, is that right?

C: Well yeah, at least you could do what we used to do, is have cocktail parties among prosecutors. And anyone being ready to spend the night in the hotel, you’d take breath tests in the evening so you could get an idea of what a BAC felt like. I guess if marijuana is illegal to possess or use, you can’t very well do those experiments.

L: I recognize a Republican in Vermont may be different than Republicans elsewhere, but traditionally the party has been more lukewarm on legalization. Would that be fair to say? And if so, how does it begin to change?

C: I don’t whether it makes sense to generalize. I think there are Libertarians who want people to have personal freedom even if they’re being hedonists, as long as they don’t hurt somebody else. That’s a very sensible position, you know? The hurting other people — it’s kind of like the motorcycle helmet law in a way. Sure, you may think you’re just hurting yourself, but when you smash your head up it’s going to cost a lot of money to try to fix it. So these things are mixed issues. I don’t think you can pigeonhole people by their political persuasion.

L: Are there other states that you, just as a former state official, are looking at with interest around this issue?

C: Obviously the states are social experiments. I think the main thing is that if you have the opportunity to have a carefully done law instead of a ballot issue, I think you have a chance to have a sensible outcome.

L: That’s a big one for a lot of people who’ve worked in government. Can you speak a bit more about that difference?

C: You’ve got to look at alcohol again. This is a complicated problem. If you’re going to have a legal distribution system and you’re going to regulate purity and regulate branding and everything else that goes into a legalized system, this is not something that is simple. It requires a real knowledge of the whole pharmacology of marijuana — which I certainly don’t have — and assumptions about a distribution and economic system. These are complex issues.

US CA: Editorial: More Chaos Ahead For Medical Pot?

Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan 2016 – If L.A. Doesn’t Start Rethinking Its Rules, the Cannabis Industry Could End Up Rewriting Them. In October, when Gov. Jerry Brown signed three bills establishing a statewide system to regulate medicinal cannabis, he called it a long-overdue framework that would “make sure patients have access to medical marijuana, while ensuring a robust tracking system.” He should have added: “Everywhere in the state, except Los Angeles,” because it turns out California’s strict licensing regime won’t apply to the state’s largest city. What’s more, under the terms of the new state law, if L.A. doesn’t change its existing rules, all medicinal pot shops in the city’s boundaries will be illegal in 2018.

Learn The Truth About CBD At The Virtual Cannabis Health Summit

Cannabidiol (CBD) has been in the news a lot lately, and for good reason. CBD has proven to be very effective in helping treat a lot of different conditions. The one that is in the news a lot is epilepsy, but CBD is good for a lot of things. Because of increased media coverage, the

Why is Ben & Jerry's Keeping Mum on Legalization?

Vermont is making headlines this week with major players stepping up in support of cannabis legalization. In his State of the State address, Gov. Peter Shumlin outlined his plan to end cannabis prohibition. Former state Attorney General Kimberly Cheney followed suit the next morning, officially endorsing the Vermont Coalition to Regulate Marijuana.

Cheney’s endorsement is no small thing, coming from a staunch Republican and the state’s former top law enforcement official. Shumlin has spent the past year studying legalization lessons from Colorado, and his push bodes well for major change in Vermont this year. Presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, another Vermonter, famously proposed ending federal prohibition late last year.

So where are Ben & Jerry?

It seems odd that the men and brand synonymous with both cannabis and Vermont have kept mum when it comes to legalization.

Ben & Jerry’s, the company, isn’t afraid of taking on large social issues. In 2009, the ice cream maker came out in support of marriage equality, temporarily renaming its Chubby Hubby flavor to Hubby Hubby to celebrate and support same-sex marriage. Last summer Ben & Jerry’s launched the Climate Justice tour, giving away free ice cream to raise awareness for climate change.

But when Leafly reached out to the company for an official statement on legalization, public relations director Sean Greenwood (officially, “Grand Poobah of PR”) replied that “we do not have a company position on that issue.” In an email Greenwood added: “If you want to talk about GMO labeling legalization — then we’ve got lots to discuss!”

Clearly the company’s not afraid to take a stand. It’s just chosen not to stand for this particular issue. Which seems odd for an ice cream maker famous for tongue-in-cheek, cannabis-inspired names such as Half Baked, Cherry Garcia, Phish Food, and Hazed & Confused.

We reached out to Juda Engelmayer, Senior Vice President at 5W Public Relations, to get a better understanding of the opportunities and obstacles companies face when taking a stand on the complex topic of cannabis legalization. Englemayer handles strategic and crisis communications for clients ranging from entertainment acts to national retail brands.

Engelmayer acknowledged the possibility of negative blowback.

“There could be advocacy groups, anti-legalization groups that might try to besmirch the name or the brand, making the argument that they’re promoting drug use and marijuana, people who follow the issue very closely, but the fact is that this is not El Chapo we’re talking about.”

The upside could be big, though.

“The Ben & Jerry’s brand is Vermont hipsters,” Engelmeyer said. “They’ve always been ahead of the curve – exciting and cutting edge. I don’t believe [supporting legalization] would hurt the brand at all. I feel like this could be part of the brand. They’ve always appealed to adults and primarily college students. … This could help the issue and it really speaks to who Ben & Jerry are. They’ve always been current and on-trend.”

Although the company has taken no official stance, they know how to target the cannabis demographic. Last year the company released a Half Baked BRR-ito on April 20, the unofficial cannabis holiday. At the time, co-founder Ben Cohen was asked whether the founders would consider releasing their own line of cannabis-infused ice cream. “Makes sense to me,” he replied. “Combine your pleasures.”

We asked Engelmayer about the potential risks and rewards of creating a cannabis-infused ice cream for sale in a legal recreational market.

“Any products they created or sold would be subject to rules and regulations. They would have to take special consideration to avoid obvious marketing to children, but [creating a product for adults] would be good for the bottom line,” he said. “They would be making money and it would funny, kitschy even. Any criticism would fall by the wayside as long as they pay close attention to their marketing to keep it directed at adults.”

Image Source (Resized, Curves, Gradient): Paul Stein via Flickr Creative Commons

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.

The U.S. Constitution vs. the U.S. Department of Health vs. the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency

If nothing else we can all be certain that the U.S. Federal government can no longer agree on the value of Cannabis. Should an agreement be reached between health officials and law enforcement officials before prohibiting the use of Cannabis? The following evidence suggests, any law prohibiting the use of anything can be created and strictly enforced […]

US IL: OPED: More Work to Be Done for Medical Cannabis Industry

The News-Gazette, 17 Jan 2016 – Medical cannabis has been available to Illinois patients for nearly two months and we have already witnessed countless success stories about how this natural remedy is helping people live an improved quality of life. In many cases, this improvement comes after all other treatment options have failed. The medical cannabis industry has invested more than $250 million in Illinois while training a new workforce, employing more than 500 people and becoming an economic engine for communities still reeling from the recession. Local mayors who are happy to see residents back to work, restaurants full and a renewed interest in real-estate development support the program. Operating at about half-capacity, the industry has the potential to change the landscape of Illinois.

Get Expert Medical Cannabis Info For Free At The Virtual Cannabis Health Summit

Getting quality medical cannabisinformation is not as easy as people would think. You can search online all day, and be left wondering what information you read was credible and what wasn’t. Likewise, you can go to your doctor for advice but chances are they either won’t want to talk about it at all, or don’t

Help The World Famous Cannabis Cafe Fight For Freedom

I have never been to the World Famous Cannabis Cafe, but I know a lot of people that frequent there, and the people behind it have fought for reform a ton. They deserve support. Below is more information about their current battle, via their GoFundMe page (you can donate at this link here): When the

Weekend Weirdness: Cannabis Disguised as Carrots Has Agents Saying “What's Up, Doc?”

Leave it to drug smugglers to come up with creative ways to sneak product across the border. On Wednesday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents confirmed that they intercepted 2,493 pounds of cannabis coming into the United States from Mexico disguised as the most hilariously fat carrots you’ve ever seen.

Whoever stuffed these must be a joint rolling master (image courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

The phony produce was nabbed in Pharr, Texas, after a “non-intrusive imaging inspection” raised some eyebrows and warranted a closer inspection. A canine team swiftly sniffed out the carrots’ hidden contents that were reportedly worth about $500,000. Said Port Director Efrain Solis Jr. in a prepared statement:

“Our officers are always ready to meet those challenges and remain vigilant towards any type of illicit activities.”

Take note, smugglers: border patrol agents are onto you. Maybe it’s time to switch to zucchinis?

US CA: Dispensary Foes Cry Foul Over City Email

Appeal-Democrat, 16 Jan 2016 – An anti-marijuana group against a proposed Marysville cannabis dispensary ordinance claims the city is manipulating the process to favor locating a facility in a vacant building along B Street. Buck Weckman of Families Against Cannabis Trafficking cited a December email from City Manager Walter Munchheimer to City Council members as evidence of a “behind closed doors manipulation of the process …”

See Steve DeAngelo Speak At The Upcoming Free Virtual Cannabis Health Summit

There is an event coming up that I’m very happy to voluntarily push. It’s free, people can stream it live over the internet in the privacy of their own homes, and it’s going to feature a laundry list of cannabis experts from doctors and scientists, to medical cannabis industry professionals and beyond. It’s called the

Too Stoned to Watch Anything? Zone Out to the Oscillating Fan

You picked up a potent cannabis strain with plans to zonk out this weekend relaxing in front of the TV while streaming your TV show or movie of choice. There’s just one problem, though: you’ve gotten a bit too stoned to pay attention to intricate plot points or compelling drama. What now?

Fret not, my canna-loving chum! I’ve got the perfect video for you to zone out to. According to InstantWatcher.com, which logs the content that Netflix and Amazon Prime video subscribers are watching, there’s a rapidly-trending option on Netflix that’s, well, blowing the competition away. The name of this red-hot video?

Oscillating Fan For Your Home.

No joke, this 60-minute video of a table fan gently oscillating back and forth is even more popular than Netflix’s insane documentary series Making a Murderer (which you should totally watch when you’re of sound mind). Lest you think the video is on a repeated loop, the shot includes a tall glass of ice that slowly melts, proving that you are indeed watching a fan blowing air around a room for an hour.

Much how viewers enjoy watching a yule log burn down to glowing embers during the holiday season, the Oscillating Fan video is perfect background fodder while you chat with friends, multitask, or just zonk out with a packed bowl of your favorite strain. The video even has its own tongue-in-cheek trailer that’s rated “F” for “Fans” and was approved for “all fans of fans”:

So if things are feeling a bit too intense for you, don’t worry — just sit back, relax, and enjoy the fake relaxing breeze.

Image Source: Netflix

Feeling Flirty? 5 Ways Cannabis Can Help You Land That First Date

We live in an alcohol-dominated culture. Most magazines feature ads for liquor, grocery stores are stocked with alcohol (in many states), and one of the most ubiquitous pick up lines is, “May I buy you a drink?”

Social outings and meet and greet events are often held in bars, and for that reason I often dread them. Each time someone offers to get me a drink and I politely decline, they look puzzled. Sometimes they even look concerned. “Oh are you sober?” they inquire. “No,” I reply. “I prefer cannabis to alcohol.” At this point, they tend to either become uncomfortable and sputter something incomprehensible about a bad experience with cannabis, or they lament that cannabis isn’t readily available.

Where is the cannabis-focused flirting? It occurs to me that because cannabis is really starting to move from the realm of secrecy into mainstream consciousness, some folks might be unsure how to work cannabis into their flirting game. Here are some tips that I’ve crowd-sourced from other sex and relationship geeks, and things that I’ve found effective in my own life.

Redefine “Netflix and “Chill” to Specifically Include Cannabis

A great first date could be a THC cinema evening where you each bring your favorite strains and watch classics like Cheech and Chong, Clerks, or Half Baked. You can also cuddle together to watch some funny Conan O’Brien cannabis segments and say which are your favorites. Laughter actually promotes social bonding, according to a 2011 study, so you can’t go wrong with going the humorous route.

Offer an Infused Refreshment

“May I buy you a drink?” could become “May I offer you a cannabis infused beverage?” I suggest Sprig’s THC soda (which just won 2015 Best of Edibles List for best soda) because it comes in 15mg/serving and 45mg/serving sizes, so consumers can choose the appropriate dosage for their needs.

With the ever-growing number of edible products on the market, you could offer a prospective flirtee anything from mints to granola to salad dressing. If they’re a foodie, propose making a cannabis-infused meal together!

Show Off Your Skills

Can you roll epic joints? Can you blow smoke rings? Offering to demonstrate cannabis related skills–or even better, teaching them–is a great opportunity to bond. I cannot roll a joint to save my life. The other night I met someone who rolled a perfect joint in less than 30 seconds. Needless to say, I was impressed. I told them of my pitiful attempts and said I would happily provide the flowers and rolling papers if they could teach me their techniques. It was a neat way to use vulnerability to open up a dialogue.

Share Your Cannabis Knowledge

If you’re a Star Wars nerd, you’re probably thrilled to come across another human with the same level of devotion. This can easily translate to cannabis flirting culture. If you’re an expert on flowers, here’s your chance to talk about your favorite strains the way a wine connoisseur would discuss vintage, grapes, and flavors. This would be a great way to open up a dialogue when you’re sitting in a group passing around a bowl or joint. Imagine spying a cutie a few people down in the circle and saying something like, “Don’t you love the way the citrus flavor comes across so powerfully in this OG Kush? Did you know the terpene Limonene is responsible for that scent profile?”

Be Direct

A direct approach saves time, so try cutting to the chase and being up front about your cannabis consumption. Said Shane Doull, CEO of the U.S. Weed Channel:

“I was standing in line at a coffee shop and there was an attractive woman in front of me. We made eye contact and I asked, ‘Are you a 420 honey?’ She smiled back and said, “’Yes I am!’ I suggested we take our coffees to go and smoke a joint together around the corner. She happily accepted! It was a great ice breaker!”

How do you incorporate cannabis into your flirting style? Share your tips in the comments!

Ep. 42 – He's a marijuana lobbyist; He's a 'power volunteer'

Published: Jan 15, 2016, 11:24 am • Updated: Jan 15, 2016, 11:24 am Cannabist Staff Featured guests: 36 Solutions president Shawn Coleman and legalization activist/volunteer Jordan Dietrich. Podcast: Play in new window | Download We’re talking about: How lawmakers are being kept informed about cannabis issues; grading Colorado’s recreational sales system; the shortcomings of local […]

Leafly List: The Top Cannabis Locations in the U.S., January 2016

THE LEAFLY LIST

January 2016

Every month we update the Leafly List in an effort to answer a question we hear all the time: “Can you recommend a great dispensary near me?” The list is a snapshot of the most talked-about medical cannabis dispensaries and retail locations in seven major cannabis markets across the US. The top locations are determined using an indexing system that ranks locations across a variety of customer engagement metrics like reviews of each location’s quality, service, and atmosphere.

The Leafly List index score is a proprietary statistic created by Leafly to measure the performance of medical cannabis dispensaries and retail cannabis locations across Leafly’s digital platform. It is designed to be a comparative metric that offers context as to which locations are generating the most positive buzz and pushing the cannabis industry forward through exceptional service and digital engagement. Check out the Leafly List FAQ for more information on how dispensaries are ranked.

Select your region below to find the most relevant Leafly List for you, or read on for an overview of each active region. And remember, if you don’t see your favorite dispensary on the list, make sure you follow, rate, and review your favorite cannabis locations to let the world know where you find the best cannabis.

• Arizona
• Northern California
• Southern California
• Colorado
• Michigan
• Oregon
• Washington

Want to see your business on the Leafly List?

The Leafly List is by no means a comprehensive list of your options when it comes to cannabis access points. You can use Leafly’s Find Nearby tool to find the complete list of dispensaries or recreational stores in your area. The Leafly List is designed to let you know which locations are being reviewed, followed, and have their Leafly menus visited the most, and it also provides other web-based engagement factors. Simply put, these are the places that the Leafly community is talking about, so if you don’t see your favorite location listed, make sure you follow, rate, and review your local dispensary to let others know it’s the best.

Arizona

Top Ranked: Tru|med in Phoenix
Biggest Mover: Arizona Natural Selections in Scottsdale
Most Positively Reviewed: Nature’s AZ Medicines in Phoenix
Most Followers: Nature’s AZ Medicines in Phoenix

Northern California

Top Ranked: Caliva in San Jose
Biggest Mover: Purple Star MD in San Francisco
Most Positively Reviewed: Caliva in San Jose
Most Followers: Purple Star MD in San Francisco

Southern California

Top Ranked: CHR in Los Angeles
Biggest Movers: Kush Kingdom, Bellflower Cannabis Garden, and Surf City Collective
Most Positively Reviewed: CHR in Los Angeles
Most Followers: CHR in Los Angeles

Colorado

Top Ranked: Infinite Wellness Center in Fort Collins
Biggest Mover: Lightshade – Holly in Denver
Most Positively Reviewed: Medicine Man Denver
Most Followers: Lightshade – Holly in Denver

Michigan

Top Ranked: Healing Tree Wellness Center in Detroit
Biggest Mover: First Class Wellness in Lansing
Most Positively Reviewed: Healing Tree Wellness Center in Detroit
Most Followers: Healing Tree Wellness Center in Detroit

Oregon

Top Ranked: Blue Sky Portland in Portland
Biggest Mover: CannaDaddy’s in Portland
Most Positively Reviewed: CannaDaddy’s in Portland
Most Followers: CannaDaddy’s in Portland

Washington

Top Ranked: Cannabis & Glass in Spokane and World of Weed in Tacoma tie with the same index score!
Biggest Mover: Seattle Tonics in Seattle
Most Positively Reviewed: Bud Hut in Everett
Most Followers: Bud Hut in Everett

Last Month’s Leafly List – December 2015

• Arizona
• Northern California
• Southern California
• Colorado
• Michigan
• Oregon
• Washington

Want to see your business on the Leafly List?

French Drug Trial Tested Endocannabinoid Meds, Not Cannabis

The big health news Friday was that a botched drug trial in France had left four people with “irreversible” brain damage. One man is now brain dead and at least five others have been hospitalized, according to the latest reports.

Before details about the trial drug could be confirmed, AFP, France’s largest news agency, quoted an unnamed source “close to the case” who claimed the painkiller under trial contained cannabis. The story spiraled from there, picked up by panicked news media in France and the U.K. and spreading across the Internet.

RT dubbed the clinical trial “cannabis-laced.” Vice News screamed that “The Drug Trial of a Cannabis Painkiller Has Left One Person Brain Dead.”

Let’s be clear: That’s not true.

Shortly after the news broke, French Health Minister Marisol Touraine began correcting erroneous reports. The drug being tested, she said, contains neither cannabis nor cannabis derivatives.

Developed by the Portuguese pharmaceutical company Bial and tested in France by Biotrial, the drug in question is intended to address mood, anxiety and motor problems linked to neurodegenerative diseases. It works by affecting the endocannabinoid system, a set of brain receptors that cannabis interacts with. But there are other known substances, beyond cannabis, that affect the endocannabinoid system.

Media outlets quickly revised their headlines and stories, but the damage had been done. When it comes to cannabis, deeply-rooted fears have a tendency to seek out reinforcing evidence, no matter how erroneous that evidence may turn out to be. Pairing “cannabis drug” with “brain damage” creates a sticky meme that’s tough to un-stick.

Here’s the story you’re not hearing. There’s currently a scramble going on among researchers and pharmaceutical companies to develop non-cannabis drugs that affect the endocannabinoid system. FAAH and MAGL inhibitors in particular have shown promise as non-cannabis enzymes that could interact with the endocannabinoid system to produce healing results. Bial’s experimental drug could be part of that effort — or not. We don’t know enough about the trial drug yet to say for sure.

All of this begs the question: Why develop non-cannabis drugs when the plant is already available? One possibility: Proprietary drugs and patents. If you invent it and patent it, you own it. Nobody owns Charlotte’s Web or Harlequin.

La Jolla, California-based Abide Therapeutics, for instance, is developing a small-molecule inhibitor that interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system and could potentially treat pain and neuroinflammation. (To be clear: Abide has no connection to the news out of France.) You can read more about Abide’s effort here.

We’ll continue to follow the story out of France as it develops, and we’ll also continue to look into developments in endocannabinoid research, both cannabis-related and non-cannabis-related. Stay tuned.

New Strains Alert: Dutch Thunder Fuck, Early Skunk, Blackberry Diesel, Super Chronic, and More

Ready to re-up on some new strains? Check out these seven recently added varieties! For fans of the famed sativa Alaskan Thunder Fuck, there’s a new hybrid in town you should meet. And Sour Diesel fans, rejoice: Blackberry Diesel combines the old school qualities of your favorite sativas with an amazingly flavorful indica, Plushberry. Super Chronic resurrects classic indica genetics, while Four Star General continues the line of famous Chemdawg hybrids. Read up on these and more below, and review any of the strains you’ve tried!

1. Dutch Thunder Fuck

Dutch Thunder Fuck by Sirius Buds is a sativa-dominant hybrid strain that combines genetics from an award-winning cut of Dutch Treat and the illustrious Matanuska Thunder Fuck. Taking after its Dutch Treat parent in structure and aroma, these round bulky buds carry a strong citrus aroma with sharp minty pine undertones. Its relaxing body effects leave the mind unencumbered and soaring with euphoric inspiration.

Click here for a full list of locations currently carrying Dutch Thunder Fuck

2. Blackberry Diesel

Blackberry Diesel is an 80/20 sativa-dominant cross between East Coast Sour Diesel and Plushberry. This sativa mainly takes after its Sour Diesel parent, inheriting that signature fuel aroma and potently blissful cerebral effects. Its tangy flavor is sweetened by the ripe berry flavors of its Plushberry parent. Tinted with lavender and purple hues, Blackberry Diesel is almost as pleasant to the eyes as it is to the nose.

Click here for a full list of locations currently carrying Blackberry Diesel

3. Early Skunk

Cannabis Cup winner Early Skunk is an indica-dominant hybrid cross between Skunk #1 and Early Pearl. This easy-to-grow strain is favored for its short flowering period, resistance to mold, and heavy yields, making it ideal for a novice grower. Expect large harvests of large buds that deliver a long-lasting, smooth, pungently sweet taste and smell.

Click here for a full list of locations currently carrying Early Skunk

4. Super Chronic

Bred by Luke Myers of Golden State Greenery, Super Chronic is an indica-dominant cross between a pre-‘98 Chronic and Critical Kush. Super Chronic brings you a smooth, sweet flavor with hints of skunk, lemon, and pine. Cultivated for potency and strong medical benefits, Super Chronic is a sublime strain with high levels of THC and CBD for a calming cerebral high.

5. Four Star General

Four Star General from Fire Bros. is an indica-dominant cannabis strain that brings together genetics from two Chemdawg hybrids, Stardawg and Tres Dawg. Its buds are a vibrant show of purple and green calyxes wrapped in red-orange hairs, all shrouded by a sparkling coat of frosty resin. Sweet and earthy with sour notes, Four Star General’s effects weigh down the mind with serene, dreamy euphoria.

Click here for a full list of locations currently carrying Four Star General

6. Electric Lemon G

Electric Lemon G is a sativa-dominant strain that combines an unknown lemon-flavored hybrid, G13, and Northern Lights #5. Bred by TH Seeds, these pungent buds fill the air with the smell of zesty lemon. This sativa will hit you with electrifying buzz, making it ideal for lifting the mood throughout the day.

Click here for a full list of locations currently carrying Electric Lemon G

7. Alchemy

Alchemy is a 50/50 hybrid cannabis strain that was conjured by combining Chemdawg and Querkle. This creation from TGA Genetics comes wreathed in purple fan leaves and lavender-tipped buds. With an aroma of sour grapes and earthy musk, Alchemy delivers a balance of relaxing body effects and engaged cerebral invigoration. Boasting high levels of THC, Alchemy is sure to restore both your mood and appetite.

Click here for a full list of locations currently carrying Alchemy

Browse through our other new strains that were recently added to the Leafly Explorer, or check out last week’s newest additions!

Crowdfunding Cannabis: Inside the Cannabis Industry’s First Attempt at Equity Crowdfunding

This article is sponsored by Med-X, Inc., an emerging cannabis company working to secure equity crowdfunding for its venture. By innovating all-natural products, Med-X will provide safe and healthy cultivation practices and education to the emerging $3 billion cannabis industry.

On June 19, 2015, the floodgates of equity crowdfunding were opened with a historic legislative provision: Regulation A+ of Title IV of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act of 2012. And with cannabis among the fastest-growing industries in America, it was only a matter of time (and a short one at that) before the two nascent industries collided. On December 16, 2015, Med-X, Inc. became the first cannabis company in the nation to kick off an equity crowdfunding campaign.

Signed into law by President Obama, the JOBS Act tasked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) with developing and enacting regulations that both “facilitate capital formation and promote investor protection,” with an eye toward bolstering the national economy. With the SEC’s enactment of Title IV, individuals without accreditation became eligible to invest directly in private companies for the first time since the 1930s. Unlike on standard crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo, equity crowdfunding allows investors to receive a compensatory stake in the company, instead of the company amassing money given freely by participants.

In effect, the SEC’s decision opened the door to millions of accessible dollars that private companies hadn’t been allowed to reach for, let alone touch, in the past. Yet this money wasn’t just ripe for the taking. Before becoming the first cannabis company to pursue it, Med-X spent years laying the groundwork for a multi-faceted company that not only earned the qualification from the SEC but also appealed to an intrigued yet tentative audience of potential cannabis industry investors.

The Making of Med-X

Med-X was officially founded in 2014, but co-founders Matthew Mills and Dr. David Toomey, along with Med-X board member Dr. Allan Kurtz, had been networking together since 1999, and the idea for Med-X had begun percolating as early as 2011. Explains COO Mills, “We decided when this sector started to ripen, ‘Hey, we could create a lot of jobs and get cannabis into a more natural state where it’s safer for everyone.’” Given the medical background of Dr. Toomey and others on the team, the company took a natural “first, do no harm” stance on medical cannabis, espousing principles of health and education and positing that the products used to grow and cure medical cannabis should be strictly regulated.

In the five years leading up to the company’s official launch, the founders worked on research and development of the Nature-Cide All-Purpose product line, Med-X’s all-natural and exclusively licensed insecticide. Nature-Cide All-Purpose was registered with the EPA in all 39 of the required registration states, and the product began to receive acceptance and approval from the agricultural departments of states including Washington and Colorado for use on cannabis. At the same time, Med-X set out to expand into cannabis education and cultivation. The company launched The Marijuana Times, a digital media magazine, and built a laboratory for the cultivation, extraction, and research of concentrated high-CBD medical cannabis strains.

The funding for these initiatives didn’t come out of thin air; prior to the passage of Title IV, Med-X had already launched an equity offering that targeted traditional private investors and secured an initial round of funding. Still, the Med-X team was keeping an eye on the rollout of the JOBS Act, and making advanced plans to pursue equity crowdfunding. “One of the reasons why we were the first is because we were preparing for it,” says Mills. “Back in 2014, we launched an accredited investor offering that enabled us to do a general solicitation of investors. We knew Regulation A+ was coming, but we wanted to be ready.”

Before any companies, cannabis or otherwise, could pursue equity crowdfunding, they would need to qualify with the federally-administered SEC. Given cannabis’s problematic presence on the federal government’s list of Schedule I drugs, Med-X was aware that the nature of its business might be a sticking point. Still, it was among the first to apply and receive qualification once Title IV had been enacted.

“We were astonished by the rapid response from the SEC [on our qualified application],” recounts Mills. “The response was very favorable to us. We were surprised by that, and so was everybody else…As far as we know there were only two other companies that were qualified prior to us, neither of which was in the cannabis industry.”

Cannabis Investment: Why Equity Crowdfunding?

Shortly after Title IV went into effect, equity crowdfunding marketing agency CrowdfundX (unaffiliated with Med-X) accepted Med-X as one of its inaugural clients. Given that Med-X had seen success in securing traditional funding from accredited investors, the team is frequently asked why it chose to pursue equity crowdfunding, too.

“We’ve been asking ourselves the same question,” says Mills, who explains the conclusion the group reached: “Think of people who invest in companies to say they were a part of it even without getting equity – what will it be like when they get equity? People want to be a part of this kind of thing.”

This spirit of inclusion mirrors the communal spirit that has traditionally surrounded and supported the cannabis industry regardless of its legality. Admittedly, as the first cannabis company to pursue these sorts of investments, Med-X must contend with the newness of equity crowdfunding (and accompanying confusion over rules and regulations), as well as potential hesitations of would-be investors as they consider whether to participate in an industry that has yet to be legalized federally. Still, Med-X contends that its team’s combined years of experience in natural product development, digital media, medicine, and finance will be enough to quell investor uncertainties.

To date, Med-X has received over $1.2 million in reservations. While these indications of interest are non-binding, they do suggest that Med-X’s conjectures aren’t unfounded. There indeed seems to be a receptive market for crowdfunding cannabis and an engaged community willing to bring legitimacy to a highly stigmatized industry.

To learn more about Med-X, visit their equity crowdfunding campaign page at .

Disclaimer regarding forward-looking statements:

MED-X, INC. does not sell or distribute any products that are in violation of the United States Controlled Substances Act (US.CSA). The company does grow cannabis for research and development purposes only.

An offering statement regarding this offering has been filed with the SEC. The SEC has qualified that offering statement, which only means that MED-X, INC. may make sales of the securities described by that offering statement. It does not mean that the SEC has approved, passed upon the merits or passed upon the accuracy or completeness of the information in the offering statement. You may obtain a copy of the offering circular that is part of that offering statement from.

MED-X, INC. 8236 Remmet Avenue, Canoga Park, CA 91304

You should read the offering circular before making any investment.

This campaign may contain forward-looking statements regarding predicted business performance, operating results, financial condition and other aspects of the company, expressed by such language as “expected,” “anticipated,” “projected” and “forecasted.” Please be advised that such statements are estimates only and there is no assurance that the results stated or implied by forward-looking statements will actually be realized by the company. Forward-looking statements may be based on management assumptions that prove to be wrong. The company and its business are subject to substantial risks and potential events beyond its control that would cause material differences between predicted results and actual results, including the company incurring operating losses and experiencing unexpected material adverse events.

PGT Episode #282- Growing Up

Listen LIVE 8-10 pm EST at www.planetgreentrees.com or call in 347-326-9626   Hosted by attorney Michael Komorn from Komorn Law and Chad from Birmingham Compassion   Contributions from Rick Thompson from The Compassion Chronicles, Jamie Lowell from Third Coast   Tonight- The Michigan State Bar Marijuana Law Section gets started with the first meeting attended […]

Learn More About Cannabis And Cancer At The Free Virtual Cannabis Health Summit

I absolutely hate cancer. If you know someone that is suffering from cancer, is a cancer survivor, or lost their life to cancer, than I’m sure you feel the same. It’s absolutely horrific. My stepdad is fighting cancer for the second time, and it makes my heart heavy just thinking about it. But that’s not

If You Want a Hawaii Dispensary License, You Better Apply Soon

Hawaii is one step closer to opening medical dispensaries on the islands. On Jan. 12, the Hawaii Department of Health began accepting applications from those hoping to land one of eight licenses for cannabis production and distribution.

Each license is valid for two dispensaries and two production sites. Qualifying criteria are strict. Prospective business owners must be legal residents of Hawaii and have at least $1 million in the bank. The application fee is $5,000, non-refundable.

The state plans to spread 16 dispensaries across the islands according to population: six on Oahu, four on the Big Island, four on Maui and two on Kauai.

Entering the medical marijuana industry means navigating a series of legal challenges, which were compounded last September when the Disciplinary Board of the Hawaii Supreme Court, an 18-member body that deals with legal misconduct, released a recommendation that would’ve barred Hawaii lawyers from providing legal services to cannabis clients.

The Hawaii Supreme Court reversed the decision and allowed Hawaii lawyers to assist “a client regarding conduct expressly permitted by Hawaii law, provided that the lawyer counsels the client about the legal consequences, under other applicable law, of the client’s proposed course of conduct.” In other words: Beware federal prohibition. The court’s reversal came just in time for attorneys to advise potential dispensary owners on the application process.

Applications can only be filed online and must be completed by Jan. 29 at 4:30 p.m. HST. The Department of Health is expecting to announce license winners by April 15. From there, accredited dispensaries can begin distributing of medicinal cannabis after July 15.

Drug curbs marijuana use, but with tough side effects

Doctors have no approved medicine to help treat marijuana dependence and abuse, but in small new clinical trial, topiramate reduced the amount of cannabis heavy smokers used when they lit up. The results also show, however, that many volunteers couldn’t tolerate the drug’s side effects.

Emerging Markets Update: Illinois Eyes Expanding Qualifying Conditions

Qualifying conditions are the backbone of any medical marijuana market, establishing which diagnosed conditions qualify a patient to access cannabis for medicinal purposes. Each new market maintains its own set of qualifying conditions, which can range from pain to complex diagnoses like Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Expanding qualifying conditions can be a difficult, but often necessary process.

Illinois, where the medical cannabis program approached nearly $2 million in sales during its first few months, is in the midst of a debate over whether to include additional qualifying conditions. New York, on the other hand, just rejected plans to do exactly that. Hawaii this week opened its doors to licensing applications from cannabis businesses, and meanwhile Alaska is still weighing the prospect of cannabis cafes. Here’s a quick roundup of what’s happening around the country.

Alaska

The Alaska Marijuana Board is considering allowing non-smoking consumption on site at licensed cannabis cafés, causing an uproar among a large number of local jurisdictions. Many are now drafting ordinances to ban the clubs along with other cannabis operations. Fairbanks has proposed a city ordinance to outlaw cannabis clubs, and the Wasilla City Council is considering a proposal that would ban cannabis businesses entirely. In Anchorage, municipal leaders are hoping to institute a city cannabis tax of up to 12 percent, above and beyond the $50-an-ounce excise tax paid to the state by growers. That tax won’t be flowing from cannabis lounges, though, unless the Anchorage Assembly amends the city’s current regulations, which outlaw the clubs.

Hawaii

Hawaii began accepting medical marijuana dispensary and producer applications this week. The application window will stay open until Jan. 29. One of the major issues expected to be discussed during the state Legislature’s upcoming session: banking. Hawaiian law requires all depository institutions to be federally insured by the FDIC or the NCUA. Industry professionals hope officials notice and learn from the banking solutions other legal states have embraced that allow cannabis busineses access to financial services. Another area that may see some traction during the current legislative session is job protection for medical marijuana patients and a possible expansion of qualifying medical conditions.

Illinois

The Medical Cannabis Advisory Board is considering expanding its qualifying medical conditions to include chronic pain, autism, osteoarthritis, irritable bowel syndrome and post-traumatic stress disorder. The Board is required to consider petitions from the public every January and July, although it ultimately rejected the last two efforts to expand the conditions. Supporters of expansion are currently gathering signatures on a petition to Gov. Bruce Rauner and the public health director Nirav Shah. The Illinois Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program, which will last until only 2017, has been rolled out much more slowly than expected. Original estimates anticipated enrollment of 30,000 patients by this point, but as of Jan. 6, only 4,000 patients had been approved by the state health department. Here’s the good news: Even with only 4,000 patients, Illinois has already collected nearly $1.7 million in the first few months of sales, which could bode well for the program’s possible extension.

New York

New York’s medical program opened as scheduled last week, a remarkable achievement for any medical marijuana program. Industry experts, however, are already finding flaws in the scheme. Health Commissioner Howard Zucker announced Monday that the state will not be expanding qualifying conditions to include post-traumatic stress disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, muscular dystrophy, dystonia or rheumatoid arthritis, citing a lack of scientific evidence to support the additions. Due to a restrictive range of qualifying conditions and the late opening of the patient registry, the medical cannabis program as of Jan. 12 had more doctors enrolled (226) than patients (166).