Tag: All Medical Marijuana News

Emerging Markets Update: NY Set to Go Live on Thursday

With the new year comes the opening of a plethora of new medical and recreational markets, and January is packed with exciting developments.

Alaska is getting nearer and nearer to issuing licenses to new retail cannabis businesses. Hawaii has officially established the rules for the system of medical dispensaries, despite some valid criticisms. In Maryland, a medical program that seemed so promising just a few weeks ago is facing a setback that could keep patients waiting until 2017 for medicine. Farther up the East Coast, New Hampshire is speeding up its process and issuing patient registry cards now. And last but not certainly least, New York is preparing for the debut of medical cannabis, which is sure bring hype to the Big Apple. We’re keeping an eye on these new markets as they blossom.

Alaska

The Marijuana Control Board of Alaska is tasked with writing the rules and regulations for a brand new retail cannabis system, and the process is taking longer than expected. They’ve already established some key guidelines:

• Owners of cannabis businesses must have been an Alaska resident for at least one year.
• There will be licenses issued for cultivators, manufacturers, testing labs and retail marijuana shops, including a “consumption endorsement” for the on-site consumption of cannabis inside licensed shops
• Municipalities can enact tighter restrictions on marijuana businesses, including moratoriums and zoning laws
• Edibles will be allowed, with a standard serving size of 5 mg of THC per piece.

It’s expected the Marijuana Control Board will begin accepting applications for recreational marijuana licenses on Feb. 24, 2016, in anticipation of licenses being issued beginning May 24.

Hawaii

The Hawaii Department of Health posted on Dec. 15 the interim administrative rules for licensing the new medical marijuana dispensary program. They will remain in effect until July 1, 2018, or until other rules are adopted. The criteria for awarding dispensary and cultivation licenses will depend largely on a written proposal that applicants may submit during a brief window from Jan. 11 to Jan. 29. The criteria are as follows:

• Business background outlining education and knowledge of the industry and related industries, such as agriculture and pharmacology
• A business plan and timeline for opening a dispensary location
• Proof of financial stability
• Capability of meeting needs of qualifying patients
• Ability to comply with requirements for security, inventory, testing, patient confidentiality, packaging and safety
• A plan for the secure disposal of cannabis and cannabis-derived products

Although officials and applicants must adhere to these rules for the time being, there are several proposals Hawaii may still consider. Some include allowing sales on Sundays, allowing the transport of cannabis products between islands (an act that technically violates drug trafficking laws) and expanding the program to allow an extra license for the Big Island, which has a smaller population than Oahu but boasts a higher number of medical marijuana patients.

Maryland

Medical patients in Maryland were dealt a blow when the state’s Medical Cannabis Commission announced it will not be issuing licenses for medical cannabis cultivators and dispensaries until the summer of 2016, and, given expectations that any harvest will take at least another 4 to 6 months, it’s looking like patients will not gain access to medical cannabis until 2017. That’s nearly four years after the state’s medical program was signed into law. This is not the first time it’s faced setbacks, but it seemed as though the program was on track after the commission received more than 1,000 applications from hopeful organizations looking to open cannabis businesses in Maryland. The commission was originally scheduled to issue licenses in January.

New Hampshire

After a would-be medical marijuana patient sued the state, seeking access and patient identification, New Hampshire will now be issuing patient ID cards, even though the first dispensary isn’t scheduled to open until the spring of 2016. The law to approve medical marijuana was passed in 2013, but so far has been slow to implement. Linda Horan, the patient who sued, has late-stage terminal cancer and has been desperately seeking access, even going so far as to petition the state of Maine to allow her to visit their dispensaries. But she initally wasn’t able to because of her lack of a New Hampshire patient registration, which is required to visit dispensaries in states that offer reciprocity. Horan won her lawsuit and was able to visit Wellness Connection of Maine in Portland to receive cannabis-infused edibles, oils and tinctures she’d been seeking to treat her illness. The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services has already received 100 patient registry applications and is planning to issue the first round of ID cards to about 40 patients this week.

New York

New York’s medical marijuana program is on track, with at least one dispensary — and as many as eight — preparing to open this week. Columbia Care, PharmaCann and Empire State Health Solutions are prepared to open Thursday, although it’s uncertain how many patients will be registered in time to visit. The doctor and patient registry only opened to the public in December, which means that doctors have hardly had a chance to pay the $200 fee and take the 4-hour course required to recommend cannabis. Patients must be seen by a registered doctor, and, as of Wednesday, there were only 150 doctors registered to participate in the program. The opening date marks almost exactly 18 months since the program started, an impressive display of determination on the part of those involved in the creation and implementation of the program. Kudos to the hardworking folks who worked to open dispensary doors on such a strict timeline!

Fourth Corner Loss Could Be a Gain for Banking Reform

Fourth Corner Credit Union’s dream is dead — for now. But the Colorado credit union’s defeat in federal court yesterday could end up having positive implications for the political fight over cannabis banking when the U.S. Senate reconvenes next week.

U.S. District Judge Brooke Jackson dismissed Fourth Corner’s bid for legitimacy on Tuesday, declaring that he could not use the court’s power “to issue an order that would facilitate criminal activity.” Leafly has obtained Jackson’s full nine-page order.

Fourth Corner, formed in March 2014, has been granted a charter by the state of Colorado but needs a master account with the Federal Reserve. Without it, as Jackson wrote, “The Fourth Corner Credit Union is out of business.”

The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City denied Fourth Corner’s application in July, and the credit union sued in federal court. Jackson’s decision ends that suit unless Fourth Corner appeals the ruling at the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Jackson’s ruling is a setback, but it isn’t all bad for those awaiting the next generation of cannabis banking. The decision contains strong language criticizing the federal government’s current “look the other way” approach to marijuana-related businesses (MRBs), and calls on Congress to resolve a situation Jackson termed “untenable.”

Over the past two years, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) have outlined a rough path that banks and credit unions must follow to offer services to MRBs. (See Leafly’s recent analysis, “Here’s How Cannabis Companies Are Banking Legally on the Down Low.”)

Jackson calls those policy memos “something of a sleight of hand.” Which is, actually, a step up from how he described them in court a couple weeks ago, when he coined the instant-classic legal term of art “nothingburger.”

One such document, the Cole banking memo, “directs federal prosecutors to apply certain priorities in making enforcement decisions, but it does not change the law,” he wrote. And federal law clearly states that marijuana is illegal. Prosecutors and banking regulators might ignore that fact, the judge said, but “a federal court cannot look the other way.”

Interestingly, Jackson cited a recent decision by the 10th Circuit regarding a marijuana-related bankruptcy case, In re Arenas. In that case the court held that “while the debtors have not engaged in intrinsically evil conduct, the debtors cannot obtain bankruptcy relief because their marijuana business activities are federal crimes.”

In the end, Jackson seemed to sympathize with the plight of marijuana-related businesses and the credit union that would serve them. But he found his hands tied by one simple fact that could not be overcome: Cannabis remains federally illegal. If there is an upside here, it’s that Jackson’s decision may put more pressure on Congress to move federal banking reform into law in the coming year. The “untenable” situation, the judge ruled, is one only the House and Senate can resolve.

Fourth Corner Credit Union v. Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City — Dismissal Order

WTF, DC? Council OKs Cannabis Clubs, Then Bans Them

In a whiplash-inducing session on Tuesday, the Washington, D.C. Council voted to drop its ban on cannabis use at private functions — then minutes later reversed itself and voted to outlaw it once again.

Aaron Davis reports for the Washington Post:

For a brief time Tuesday, the D.C. Council embraced a new, much more relaxed version of marijuana legalization, voting to allow pot smoking at rooftop bars, sidewalk patios and most any other place a city resident declared to be a private pot club.

That lasted just about 30 minutes. After appeals from Mayor Muriel E. Bowser, who argued there would be no way to rein in open pot use once existing restrictions were lifted, the council reversed itself.

The city has no ability to license pot clubs, of course, because Congress has specifically denied the District permission to fully implement its 2014 legalization vote. U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., has repeatedly blocked attempts to open a legal avenue for recreational cannabis and continues to draw the ire of cannabis proponents in both the District and in his home state.

In other words, cannabis possession is legal in D.C., but Congress continues to block the District’s ability to regulate it.

Washington City Paper writer Will Sommer caught the spirit of the day perfectly:

If you like seeing confused councilmembers, tune into Channel 13 right now.

— Will Sommer (@willsommer) January 5, 2016

D.C. government can’t license private marijuana clubs. So this could get wild.

— Will Sommer (@willsommer) January 5, 2016

Never mind, looks like DC Council has changed course and will keep ban on private pot clubs.

— Will Sommer (@willsommer) January 5, 2016

Officials aren’t done yet. According to the Post, the Council plans to revisit the issue soon and could reverse it’s own reversal:

Several lawmakers said their change of heart could be short-lived, and the council agreed to reconsider the issue again within four weeks. That leaves open the question of how the council, Bowser and perhaps Congress will resolve a major disagreement about how lenient the city should be in regulating the smoking of pot in public.

How Would You Describe 2015 Using Strain Names?

Before 2015 drew to a close, we turned to Facebook to ask our followers to sum up the year in one strain. Some of you opted to share your laundry lists of strains consumed, with one Leafly fan rattling off 17 strains he tried last year (and they say cannabis consumers have poor memories). Others simply responded by naming their favorite strain, with Super Lemon Haze, White Rhino, Dr. Who, Jack Herer, Blue Dream, Girl Scout Cookies, Dutch Treat and many others cracking the list.

Our favorite responses, however, were the strains that could truly summarize 2015. Without further ado…

Skywalker

This indica-dominant hybrid basically sums up the last month of 2015, when Star Wars fever eclipsed the globe. “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is the seventh film in the iconic series (fourth if, like most of us, you conveniently choose to forget that episodes 1-3 ever existed) and picks up about 30 years after the conclusion of “Return of the Jedi.” Since its release date on Dec. 18, the movie has made over $750 million domestically and $1.5 billion worldwide. The relaxing and happy Skywalker could be the perfect chaser to seeing the film, helping you drift off to sleep dreaming of galaxies far, far away.

Snoop Dogg OG / Chong Star

2015 was a big year for cannabis-positive celebrities, with several announcing their own line of cannabis products. Snoop Dogg and Tommy Chong are two cannabis veterans-turned-entrepreneurs, with Snoop launching Leafs by Snoop and Chong debuting pre-rolled cones. Naturally, both legends have their own strain, which is why we feel both Snoop Dogg OG and Chong Star exemplify last year’s growing trend of celebrity product lines.

Trainwreck

Whether you attribute this hybrid to the madness known as the 2016 presidential election, the continuing implosion of celebrities like Justin Bieber and Shia LaBeouf, hot-button topics like gun control or Amy Schumer’s hit comedy of the same name, Trainwreck is an apt description of 2015’s many milestones. Considering the strain can deliver euphoric and happy effects, we’ll go with the latter and suggest pairing it with an evening viewing of the summer hit that grossed over $110 million and introduced people to LeBron James’ more humorous side.

Liberty Haze

Speaking of the 2016 election, this past year had us all in a bit of a Liberty Haze, making us want to reach for this potent hybrid as we ponder the possibility of a Trump presidency. With so many candidates and an excruciatingly long election cycle, expect to see even more craziness in 2016 as we march towards the November election. One thing’s for sure: Cannabis is shaping up to be a hot topic for the politicians.

Game Changer

Indeed, last year was a Game Changer for cannabis, with the introduction of the CARERS Act (even though it’s now stalled in committee), the debut of recreational cannabis in Oregon, Canada’s election of a cannabis-positive prime minister who intends to legalize cannabis nationwide, and many more milestones. This year is destined to be an even bigger one for the movement, with a number of states eyeing legalization. You better pick up some of this hybrid and buckle up for what’s bound to be a wild ride for the industry this year.

Honorable Mention: Rosin Tech

Okay, so it’s not technically a strain, but interest in rosin gained momentum in 2015 as cannabis consumers started to get concentrate-curious. Since rosin is a safer, DIY-version of solventless concentrate that can resemble shatter, people are reaching for their hair straighteners in an attempt to “press” their luck in making a batch of their own.

Which strain do you think best sums up 2015? Share in the comments!

Can Industrial Hemp Deliver CBD to Cannabis Patients

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Calm Down, East Coast: Cannabis “Shatter” Media Coverage Woefully Overstates Its Dangers

Last week, a flurry of news stories broke on the East Coast warning readers about the highly potent cannabis extract known as shatter. They’re calling it a “dangerous new drug” that has now infiltrated states like New Jersey, and they leave it to police officers and anti-cannabis groups to describe the extract and its dangers.

“Butane is highly flammable,” Angelo Valente of Partnership for a Drug-Free told New Jersey’s News 12. “In many situations, you have explosions taking place.”

“Authorities say the high concentration of the drug can be extremely poisonous and destructive to human nerve tissue,” an Illinois news source wrote. “Hallucinations, confusion, and violent behavior are some of the symptoms caused by [shatter].”

“In fact, police departments across the country are reporting explosions, fires and injuries after teens lit the drug on fire to smoke it,” another New Jersey news source reported.

These are just some of the inaccuracies, exaggerations, and half-truths you’ll find in these stories, and if you were to read them in their full face-palmy glory, you’d think we were talking about some hardcore back alley drug that has no business in any well-adjusted adult’s life. And you’d never believe that patients actually use extracts medicinally.

Shatter and other types of cannabis extracts should absolutely be approached responsibly and with caution (the guides below will help you do so). Some contain up to five times the amount of THC as your traditional bud, and you can certainly have an uncomfortable experience if your setting isn’t right or if you take too big of a dose. However, indulging safely and responsibly requires education of realistic threats and dangers.

For those of you less familiar with cannabis extracts, we’d like to straighten out a few of these media hiccups:

• Butane extracts like shatter contain only trace amounts of butane and heating them does not cause explosions. These are caused by open home extractions with improper ventilation. Never attempt to make your own – safe butane extraction requires closed-loop botanical equipment.
• No, shatter is not “poisonous.” There are still no overdose deaths associated with cannabis or its concentrated forms. The controversial effects of residual solvents may be a concern of yours, which is where legalization and regulation come into play. States with marijuana laws that mandate product testing won’t allow you to stock anything with excess solvents.
• “Hallucinations” and “violent behavior”? Okay, these are the most extreme, unlikely side effects high potency extracts could possibly cause. You might get paranoid, anxious, dizzy, or couch-locked, but the intensity of these other side effects sounds like something ripped from this satirical Facebook page. Still, if you’re new to cannabis, don’t start with a high-potency extract – you’re more likely to experience unpleasant side effects than someone who’s spent a long time becoming comfortable with that mindset.

High-THC cannabis concentrates aren’t new (humans and hash, for one, have an ancient relationship), and the extent to which we could call them “dangerous” relies entirely on how much the consumer knows about the product. Most people don’t know any better because they don’t know what this strange glass-looking substance is, and if their information is coming from mainstream news sources, they definitely aren’t going to know how to obtain, dose, and consume them safely.

#JustSayKnow

MassRoots Now Has Over 725,000 Users

MassRoots (OTCMKTS:MSRT), a social network for Cannabis users, has crossed over 725,000 users.

As quoted in the company’s press release:

Over the next several weeks, MassRoots expects the SEO value from its new web platform, the introduction of new features for its users, and performance updates from its backend migration will continue to fuel its rapid user growth.

MassRoots CEO, Isaac Dietrich, said:

Scaling our platform to one million users is our main objective for early 2016. We believe that a large userbase will benefit our continued efforts to close advertising contracts with national brands, be a significant barrier to entry for any potential competitors, and have a meaningful impact on the legalization initiatives slated for this year.

Click here for the full press release.

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There’s Too Much Cannabis in Washington and Prices Could Plummet

There’s too much product in Washington state, and Marijuana Business Daily tells consumers to expect rock-bottom prices ahead.

Supply in Washington outpaced demand between July 2014 to November 2015, according to state records, with licensed growers producing about 16,000 pounds more during that period than retail stores sold.

What does that mean for you? MBD says prices may plummet—but you won’t be getting top-shelf quality.

Scores of cultivation companies have gone out of business in large part because of the oversupply issue, said Christopher Macaluso, a longtime cultivator in California who co-founded Canna Group, which provides consulting to cultivators in Northwest states.

Producers are now sitting on a substantial amount of surplus inventory, and the future of many of them is in jeopardy. Some could try to unload low-quality inventory at fire-sale prices, flooding the market and exerting artificial downward pressure on the broader wholesale price.

While it might mean a cheap eighth, a market-wide surplus generally isn’t a good thing. It can cause headaches for budding companies and destabilize industry leaders. But it’s not unexpected in such a young and volatile market.

“A lot of people really got into this for the money, with sort of hungry eyes, and aren’t able to produce the results that consumers, let alone the retailers, are looking for,” Macaluso told MBD.

In relative terms, the surplus is shrinking. In November 2014, the market had 3.5 months’ worth of excess inventory, state data show. It’s now at roughly 1.7 to 2 months, suggesting the market is moving closer to equilibrium.

Washington’s decision to grant more retail licenses could continue to close the gap. More stores could lead to more sales, especially if shops open in towns where consumers don’t already have access to legal cannabis.

Colorado markets also saw fluctuations early on. Prices tumbled from 2014 to 2015, according to financial services firm Convergex, and began to stabilize late last year.

From June 2014 through our prior survey this past June, prices declined from an average of $50-$70 to $30-$45 for an eighth, and $300-$400 to the lower end of about $300 for an ounce. Some stores even sell an ounce for as low as $200.

Prices then remained flat through at least mid-September.

Increased competition was largely responsible for the drop in prices as more businesses began growing and selling cannabis. Retail stores jumped from 156 in early 2014 to 385 in this past August, according to the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division. The number of cultivators grew from 204 to 496 during the same period.

Until markets stabilize, look on the bright side: You might be able to scoop up some pretty delicious deals.

Image Source: The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board

Which States are Eyeing Cannabis Decriminalization in 2016? The Leafly Roundup

Welcome to 2016! It’s sure to be an exciting year, and state legislators are already jumping on board to make progress. Legislators in Georgia, Illinois, Wyoming, and Virginia are all seeking to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of cannabis, and some of these states are making a second or third attempt to change policies. New Mexico is trying to join four other states (and one district) by legalizing cannabis in 2016.

Speaking of legalized states, Colorado and Oregon are still in a financial pickle, with Colorado in court over federal banking issues and Oregon hoping to increase medical marijuana fees along with its newly implemented tax hike.

Make your new year’s resolution to keep up on as much cannabis news and legalization updates as possible, starting with this one!

U.S. News Updates

COLORADO

The complicated case of cannabis banking in Colorado is seeing its day in court, and one federal judge is faced with a tough decision. U.S. District Judge R. Brooke Jackson made it clear that although he offers his sympathy for cannabis businesses trying to adhere to contradictory regulations, he must uphold federal law as it stands and his hands are tied. He felt it was inappropriate to force the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas to grant a master account to Fourth Corner Credit Union, the bank that sought to serve marijuana businesses exclusively.

Judge Jackson did say that were he a member of Congress, he would be inclined to vote in favor of allowing marijuana business banking, but as he is a federal judge, it is his duty to uphold federal law.

GEORGIA

Georgia State Senator Harold Jones (D-Augusta) is pre-filing a bill to reduce the penalties for the possession of cannabis from a felony down to a misdemeanor. As it is, the current policy is that you can be charged with a felony if you are in possession of an ounce or more of cannabis, and this bill would change the charge a misdemeanor regardless of the amount of cannabis in one’s possession. The bill would not change the law that states that it is still a felony to sell or distribute cannabis, but Senator Jones is insistent that by changing this law, the state could reduce court costs and re-focus law enforcement efforts on more pertinent issues.

HAWAII

The Hawaii Department of Health is preparing to accept applications for licensing prospective medical marijuana businesses, but there has already been criticism of the rules and their lack of definition. Several issues have been brought up, such as the lack of sales on Sundays, a ban on greenhouses and pre-rolled joints, and a lack of the definition of marijuana as a “plant,” which puts the island state in a precarious situation as it seeks to expand.

Some lawmakers are even going so far as to say that the Department overstepped its authority by making policies that differ from the dispensary law. The ban on greenhouses, for example, could increase the cost for growers significantly by forcing growing operations to be moved indoors rather than taking advantage of the sunny climate available.

The program rules were officially signed off by Governor David Ige on December 13th in anticipation of the application period, which will be open from January 12th through January 29th.

ILLINOIS

Illinois is in its third year of a seven year pilot medical marijuana program, and it’s taken this long just to get the dispensary doors open. Unfortunately, although the state’s medical marijuana pilot program has only just begun, it’s already struggling due to low patient enrollment. There are currently 3,600 patients registered in the program, well below the projected estimate of 30,000 patients enrolled by this point. The problem has less to do with the patients, however, and more with doctors who are reluctant to sign off on medical marijuana cards.

Illinois currently has 39 qualifying conditions, but the number may be increasing soon. The Illinois Department of Public Health began accepting petitions for new conditions to be added to the program from January 1st until the end of the month. By law, the IDPH must accept new petitions for proposed medical conditions in January and July, consider them, and make the according recommendations, although the IDPH has rejected the last two attempts to expand on the number of conditions. If you’d like to submit a medical condition for consideration, you can find the petitions here.

Meanwhile, Representative Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) is making another go at decriminalizing the possession of cannabis in Illinois. The General Assembly had originally endorsed Cassidy’s proposal, which reduced penalties for the possession of small amounts of marijuana, but Governor Rauner rewrote the legislation to impose steeper fines for a small amount of cannabis. Whereas Cassidy proposed fines of $55 to $125 for the possession of 15 grams or less, Rauner’s language imposed fines of $100 to $200 for the possession of 10 grams or less.

MICHIGAN

Representative Sam Singh (D-East Lansing) introduced a new bill this year that would ban employers from firing employees for having a medical marijuana card. House Bill 5161 is being cosponsored by Representative Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor) and would offer legal protections; however, it also includes a provision that would allow employers to fire patients if the cannabis use interferes with their job performance. The Michigan House passed major changes to the medical marijuana system last year, but legislators felt that the lack of legal protections for patients left a gap that needed to be addressed.

NEW MEXICO

New Mexico Representative Bill McCamley (D-Dona Ana) just filed the Cannabis Revenue and Freedom Act, which has been revised from a previously submitted bill to include stronger language on limits and protections for federal laws. Unfortunately, this bill will most likely face serious opposition once the legislative session starts, as McCamley’s last attempt at legalization was killed in committee last February. Governor Susana Martinez has also repeatedly stated that she would veto any efforts to legalize cannabis, so it may take a few more years before legalization makes its way to the Land of Enchantment.

OREGON

Oregon recreational purchases are getting a tax hike starting today, and soon medical marijuana growers may be facing higher fees if the Oregon Health Authority agrees to a proposal under consideration. As it currently stands, medical marijuana growers pay an annual $50 fee for each patient that they take on as a caregiver, and they may grow for up to four patients. The proposal would increase the fee to $200 per patient per year and would help cover the agency’s expenses to expand the oversight of production and processing. It is estimated that this fee alone would boost the state’s revenue obtained from grower fees from $1.3 million to $5.2 million during the 2015-2017 budget cycle.

VIRGINIA

Everyone’s favorite progressive Virginia Senator Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) is making another go at decriminalizing cannabis with Senate Bill 104. During the last legislative session, Sen. Ebbin proposed Senate Bill 686, which would have reduced the criminal penalties for the possession of small amounts of cannabis from a $500 fine and 30 days in jail down to a simple $100 civil fine.

Luckily for Virginia, Sen. Ebbin is not easily dissuaded and his efforts to change the Virginia state criminal code are part of a more comprehensive attempt to remain in accordance with the Constitution, while still offering legal protection to medical cannabis patients and reducing criminal charges.

WYOMING

Representative Jim Byrd (D-Casper) is seeking to reduce penalties for the possession of less than an ounce of cannabis for the third year in a row. The penalty for those caught with up to a half ounce of cannabis would face a $50 fine, which would increase to $100 for anyone with more than half an ounce but less than an ounce. Unfortunately, the penalties for the possession of more than an ounce of cannabis would be steep and include mandatory counseling, fines of $500 to $1,000, up to 30 days in jail, and probation for up to a year.

House Bill 3 will be considered by the Legislature once the legislative session resumes on February 8th.

International News Updates

AUSTRALIA / TASMANIA

It looks like Tasmania will be growing the first official cannabis crops in Australia for the upcoming clinical trials in New South Wales, which are expected to commence early next year. Tasmania is the obvious choice of location, as it already has a heavily regulated agricultural system in place and grows commercial opium poppies to produce the majority of the world’s legal pharmaceutical supply. There’s no word on which strains will be produced for the trials, although it’s likely that they will be high in CBD and low in THC.

New South Wales has invested $9 million for the clinical trials, and although Australia allows the import of cannabis for clinical research, supply is limited and having a local source will be critical in the coming months.

Top 10 Cannabis Strains in California

California has its own unique strain landscape compared to the rest of the world. With a geography that favors outdoor grows, the Golden State has championed some of the world’s finest strain genetics. OG Kush crosses flourished throughout the state, and today you’d be hard-pressed to find a strain that hasn’t been crossed with this illustrious hybrid. What other strains have risen to the top of California’s market? You’re about to find out.

Using Leafly menu data from California dispensaries, we determined which strains appeared most often and synchronized these results with local search terms. Here are the top 10 according to our data – dispensary owners and budtenders, are these strains on your shelves?

1. Blue Dream

This hybrid tops the charts in every major market, California included. Even in the state where OG Kush is expected to reign supreme, it would appear that Blue Dream still maintains a stranglehold. Leafly reviewers rant and rave over this uplifting berry-flavored hybrid, but do you think Blue Dream’s quality justifies its notoriety?

2. Girl Scout Cookies

This California native has sprinted its way to fame in recent years, gobbling up awards left and right for its potency. Itself a descendent of OG Kush, Girl Scout Cookies is given an extra sativa lift from a Durban Poison parent. In masterful balance of soaring euphoria and deeply relaxing physical effects, it’s no wonder that Girl Scout Cookies ranks #2 in the California market.

3. Sour Diesel

No doubt, Sour Diesel is a staple sativa that holds an esteemed position in most major markets. While some don’t like the strain’s funky fuel flavor, its weightless cerebral high is often worth it. The uplifting effects can help you get up and out, making this strain a perfect pair for those warm, sunny California days.

4. OG Kush

OG Kush, the flagship strain of California genetics, ranks #4 among its top strains. Reviewing this list, however, you’ll notice many of the forerunners are bred using OG Kush genetics. Countless other hybrids not mentioned here also contain OG genetics, so much so that you can attach “OG” to the end of almost any strain name and assume that some California breeder has already made it. OG Kush phenotypes are also marketed under a variety of monikers, many of which play off celebrity names and pop culture references. If we were to include all those branded OG Kushes, OG Kush might actually be the top California strain, period.

5. Green Crack

Though rare in many markets, Californians are lucky to enjoy better access to this ridiculously stimulating sativa strain. Green Crack’s racy cerebral high seems to have no ceiling, and hands down, no other strain on Leafly seems to yield as hilarious reviews as this one. California’s warm climate could very well be the reason for the abundance of this delicacy, because it sure isn’t due to lack of demand up in the cold north.

6. Jack Herer

Jack Herer is the tried-and-true sativa you’d expect to find on any market’s top 10 list. Beautifully crafted genetics from Sensi Seeds give way to a balanced effect profile that promotes happiness, creativity, and an uplifting sense of energy. That, plus its rich woody pine aroma, explains why this Amsterdam transplant has been so widely embraced overseas.

7. Skywalker OG

When Skywalker met OG Kush, a beautiful baby was born. That baby is Skywalker OG, a strain that has earned its way to fame not by name (although that probably helped), but through potency and flavor. The THC content of this indica-dominant hybrid is certainly one to write home about, and I’ve seen the loud earthy and lemon flavors of this hybrid literally raise eyebrows.

8. Bubba Kush

Bubba Kush has roots in California, so it’s not hard to imagine how this powerhouse indica carved a name for itself since its inception in the 90s. Earthy sweet aromas introduce tranquilizing mind and body effects, making this strain a perfect companion for lazy day relaxation or for a smooth transition into a restful night’s sleep.

9. Fire OG

The predominant OG family has another prestigious strain in California, and its name is Fire OG. A cross of different OG Kush phenotypes, Fire OG takes on a fiery appearance with vibrant orange hair stretching out from a bed of crystal resin.

10. SFV OG

Born and bred in California’s San Fernando Valley, this OG Kush phenotype is another unsurprising appearance on this list. Oozing trichomes as sticky as glue blanket the buds in a show of this hybrid’s potency. Sweet lemon and woody aromas lift from SFV OG’s crystal-covered buds in a testament to this strain’s true OG heritage.

Are you a business looking to get a leg up on the competition in the crowded California market? Leafly can help you stand out among the others!

How to Make Rosin

Dabbing enthusiasts everywhere, rejoice! Rosin is here, and its making some big waves in the extract community. This emerging solventless extraction technique allows anybody to make their own high quality hash oil from the comfort of their home.

The best part about rosin is that it can be made safely and inexpensively in just minutes by using ordinary household tools. This method utilizes heat and pressure to squeeze the cannabinoid-rich resin from your flowers, bubble hash, or kief. Your average hair straightener, some parchment paper, and a collection tool are all you need to produce a hash oil that rivals hydrocarbon extraction methods in flavor, potency, and effect.

Aesthetically, rosin is almost impossible to distinguish from shatter or sap. However, the difference between the two is that rosin is completely free of the residual solvents often left behind by hydrocarbon extraction processes (e.g. butane, propane, etc.). You can also make rosin at home in minutes without the dangers associated with using butane.

Rosin is certainly making an impact in the cannabis market. Dispensaries all over the country are beginning to stock their shelves with this easily crafted, incredibly potent, and flavorful product. Let’s make some!

Ingredients Needed to Make Rosin at Home*

* Please exercise caution when handling the hair straightener and use heat-resistant gloves as an added safety measure — we don’t want you to burn yourself!

Four Simple Steps for Making Rosin

STEP 1: Turn on your hair straightener to the lowest setting (280-330F) and cut yourself a small 4×4” piece of parchment paper. Now fold it in half and place your material in between the folded parchment paper before giving it a light preliminary finger press.

STEP 2: Carefully line the buds inside of the paper together with your hair straightener and apply a very firm pressure for about 3-7 seconds. You will want to hear a sizzle before you remove the pressures — it indicates that the resin has melted from the plant material.

STEP 3: Remove your sample from the hot surface and unfold the parchment paper. Now pluck the flattened nug away and grab your collection tool. This is a very sticky process so be patient and careful. For larger batches, use different clean sheets of parchment and collect your samples together at the end.

(OPTIONAL) STEP 4: Remove any visible plant material if you wish. Fold the finished product between the parchment and flatten it to your preference. Then use a clean tool to pick out any plant particulates. You may place the substance on a cold surface for a few seconds if you desire a more stable material to work with.

Now load a nice fat dab of your fresh new rosin and celebrate! You just became an extract artist!

Help A Disabled Veteran Who Had His Kids Taken Because Of Cannabis

I just read a heartbreaking article on theDaily Haze.A disabled veteran named Raymond Schwaband his wife Amelia had their children taken away while they were in the process of moving to Colorado so that Raymond could received legal cannabis treatment for PTSD and chronic pain. Per theDaily Haze: The Schwabs decided to relocate to Colorado,

Why Do the Feds Keep Targeting California?

Nearly 20 years ago, California became the first state to give patients legal access to medical marijuana. It happened with a voter initiative that was short and simple enough to fit on the back of a postcard. And ever since, locals’ relationship with federal law enforcement has been thorny, plagued by waves of FBI and DEA raids in which authorities seize property, break up families and put well-intentioned citizens behind bars.

As a thoughtful piece in the Los Angeles Times last week shows, it’s a pattern that has continued even as other states have implemented their own policies with comparatively little pushback from the feds. While hundreds of millions of dollars in cannabis is now freely bought and sold in recreational states, federal prosecutors continue to pursue cases in California.

So what accounts for the difference?

It’s easy to fault U.S. officials. Federal law regulates cannabis more tightly than opium or cocaine. But while the government’s position is extreme, that’s not the whole story. People on all sides of the issue admit that California law itself is largely to blame. And with more than a dozen states eyeing cannabis legalization in one form or another this year, there are lessons to be learned from the Golden State.

Consider the 1996 initiative that first allowed medical marijuana there. It’s extremely short, and while it clearly protected patients from legal penalties, it left basic questions unanswered: Where were patients supposed to obtain cannabis? How much could they have? And what specific ailments qualify?

The biggest gaps were around growth and distribution. So in 2003 the Legislature passed the cheekily named Senate Bill 420, allowing patients to “associate … in order collectively or cooperatively to cultivate marijuana for medical purposes.” But the law never explained what that meant.

“The early medical marijuana laws were Trojan horses designed to allow effective legalization for anyone who could fake an ache,” Carnegie Mellon University public policy professor Jonathan Caulkins told the L.A. Times. “California is in that category.”

As a lawyer described it to me during the height of the federal crackdown, state lawmakers failed to delineate clearly what was and wasn’t allowed. “They’ve designed an inherently ambiguous system to allow people to enact whatever they want,” said Todd R. Wulffson of Greenberg Traurig. “From a pragmatic standpoint, it leaves everyone kind of in the lurch. And until someone tests it in court, it’s difficult to know what will fly and what won’t.”

Here’s a fun fact: Even when dispensaries in California reportedly outnumbered Starbucks or McDonald’s outlets, officials weren’t sure whether they were allowed under state law. Over the course of just a few months, one court ruling prevented a city from banning dispensaries while another ruling called them flat-out illegal.

That’s a big reason things get hairy with the feds. The Department of Justice and now Congress have announced the government won’t go after cannabis operations that comply with state law, but in California it’s not always clear what that means.

And even when growers or dispensaries make every effort to comply, prosecutors accuse owners of “hijacking” state law to sell cannabis to just about anybody. Experts say the wide scope of California’s medical law has motivated prosecutions of respected dispensaries like Oakland’s Harborside Health Center, the nation’s largest.

As the Times reports:

Even in the case of Harborside, which state and local officials often hold up as a gold standard for the medical marijuana business, California’s loose rules about who is permitted to buy medical pot have left the operations a natural target for prosecutors, Caulkins said.

‘Harborside is gigantic, and the Justice Department thinks it is not providing marijuana just for kids with epilepsy or people with cancer or people with HIV,’ Caulkins said.

States that have more recently adopted medical marijuana provisions are not seeing their legitimate medical marijuana businesses targeted because they serve a much narrower group of clients, he said.

Legislative changes could slow prosecutions. Two federal lawmakers from California, U.S. Reps. Sam Farr and Dana Rohrabacher, teamed up in 2014 to pass a measure that prevents prosecutors from targeting anyone selling medical cannabis legally under state law. Local officials have cited that change, known as the Rohrabacher–Farr amendment, in efforts to curb federal cases from proceeding. They’re starting to get traction in courts, but prosecutors don’t show any sign of relenting.

Changes to California law could also help clarify what it means to be state compliant. Gov. Jerry Brown has signed three measures to clean up existing laws, but they don’t take effect until 2018. And initiatives to legalize cannabis recreationally are headed to the 2016 ballot.

It’s easy to see legal cases as statistics, measured by fluctuations in the number of businesses here or there. But prosecutions don’t simply close stores or shut down growers. Aaron Sandusky, who operated medical dispensaries in Southern California, is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence, the minimum under federal guidelines. He’s expected to be released on May 8, 2021.

Two decades ago, California led the nation in legalizing cannabis. As other states weigh their options, it’s important to learn from those early experiments — and their side effects. Voters might agree cannabis should be legal, but it’s still hard to iron out how to reasonably regulate the stuff. What do we want legalization to look like?

The Best Cannabis Strains for Wintertime Activities (According to Leafly Reviewers)

From all of us here at Leafly, happy new year! No doubt you’ve already crafted your list of resolutions for 2016. Perhaps one of your new to-dos is to get moving after a solid few weeks of chowing down mostly on Christmas cookies and hot cocoa. But alas, winter weather can get in the way of good intentions.

Don’t be deterred! For one thing, the days are already getting longer, and for another, certain cannabis strains are great for beating the winter blues. Whether you’re planning on hitting the slopes or tromping through the snow, here are just a few Leafly user-recommended strains perfect for wintertime activities.

For Snow Sports

“I smoked this on a fresh ½-ft powder day skiing on the mountain and I’ll just say that I’ve never had any spiritual experience like this before.” –showell961

“I just got back from a day of snowboarding…it completely eliminated the soreness.” –JaredBrueckner

“I’ve smoked this strain hiking, and fully connected with Mother Nature. I could feel the peace around me…snow would drop from the trees and lightly fall on my face. I watched a deer run past me with a confused look on his face, and enjoyed watching him, wondering what it was like to be him.” –EntropicFlower

For Snow Leisure

“Awesome strain, made me feel adventurous as I traversed through the snow and started messing around in the snow with my friends like little kids.” –burnholesinmymemory

“We were all walking in the snow, I felt like I was in a winter f****** wonderland or some shit. Everything was so vivid.” –hemispheres2112

“Feels like you’re Christopher Walken in a Winter Wonderland.” –FoolofaTook

For Getting Out of the House

“This one keeps away the winter blues, SAD, and depression.” –avonsac

“I first felt it in my face, but instead of the pressure behind the eyes I got a warm glowing sensation under my eyes on top of my cheeks. Next as it spread over my body I became extremely euphoric and talkative. I also became very energetic which was perfect as we decided to walk old Amsterdam and with the Kali Mist in my system…the exciting hustle and bustle made for a memorable experience.” –London_1985

“Gets you out of the house to get some vitamin D and beat the winter blues.” –Puffalo

For Après-Activity Coziness

“I get couched easily, but this had me in the kitchen, cooking dinner, playing my songs through my speakers on full blast.” –arp716

“Endless rainy days and nights getting to you? Us too, but not after a couple of inhalations of this. It simply does all the things a strong sativa-dominant hybrid should do…Perfect for those endless winter days.” –lamabso

“Such a cozy, creative high. The flavor of smoke is so yummy and smooth. One hit, and it’s like being snuggled in blankets with a warm cup of tea.” –StarlingDarling

So, what are your favorite wintertime activities, and what strains do you use to accompany them? Tell us in the comments!

Weekend Weirdness: Pigeons Reveal Secret Cannabis Grow

Pigeons sure seem to be attracted to cannabis in some way, whether they’re delivering it over prison walls or inadvertently ratting (or would it be “birding” in this instance?) out illegal grow operations, the latter of which happened in Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, England.

Police officers happened to notice hundreds of pigeons preferring to rest on a particular roof in town that appeared to be suspiciously absent of any frost despite the cold winter temps. A subsequent raid uncovered 14 cannabis plants, and the heat lamps used in the illegal grow were acting as a makeshift radiator, warming the roof enough to attract about 300 pigeons that wanted their undersides nice and toasty.

An onlooker told The Sun that it didn’t take a genius to figure out something shady was going on in that warmed up warehouse:

“It seems obvious when you think about it. It’s like the criminals were waving a sign saying they were growing cannabis. The birds blew their cover.”

Seems like a flimsy reason to conduct a raid, but I guess that’s what happens when a little birdy (or 300) tips off the cops.

What Will Happen In The Marijuana World In 2016?

2016 Will Be A Very Big Year For Cannabis Since the end of the 2012 election, all eyes from the marijuana reform movement and industry have been set on 2016. Campaigns held off on 2014 efforts to ‘wait for 2016.’ People in the industry anticipating big victories on Election Day 2016 have said the words

The 6 Best Cannabis-Inspired SNL Skits

While we gear up for the 2016 Leafly Comedy Tour, which kicks off January 2nd with T.J. Miller of HBO’s “Silicon Valley” headlining at the Crocodile Café in Seattle, we wanted to start your new year with a laugh! We sifted through old Saturday Night Live archives to find the funniest cannabis-related sketches from the last 40 years. It was a tough job, but we managed to narrow the results down to the top six funniest SNL skits pertaining to cannabis. Enjoy the laughs, and happy new year!

1. Weekend Update: Michael Vick – Really!?!

This skit is less about marijuana and more about Michael Vick, football player of infamous dog-fighting shame. In 2007, Michael Vick was confronted in the Miami airport as he tried to board a plane with a water bottle filled with cannabis. Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers expertly take down his attempt, piece by piece, in a gut-busting news segment that’ll leave you dying. From his obvious (and terrible) choice of hiding spots to the possibility of the Miami airport of all places checking for drugs, the Weekend Update hosts get into a delightful back-and-forth rendition of one of my favorite segments, “Really!?!”

2. Out of Africa – Put Your Weed In It

We open in a store filled with cultural artifacts to see a 1993 incarnation of Rob Schneider playing the hippie store employee. It’s clear he knows what he’s talking about and exactly what to do with all of these artifacts. “That’s a Tanamano ancestral idol from Brazil…You put your weed in there!”

It seems that for every customer, he’s got a gift – that they can put their weed in! Whether it’s tribal masks, talking drums, or rain sticks, don’t worry, there’s a compartment for that…until Charles Barkley shows up in a police uniform and Rob Schneider completely loses his cool. C’mon, man, be chill!

3. Nancy Grace – Legal Pot

This sketch takes place immediately after Colorado legalized recreational cannabis and features Noel Wells as the sharp-tongued, squinty-eyed news host who, yes, has already made up her mind. First, she interrogates a cannabis bakery owner played by the delightful Kate McKinnon, who is completely on board the cannabis train. When confronted by Nancy Grace about being pro-pot, her reply clearly has a grain of truth in it: “Nancy, last week I made $650,000. That’s more money than I’ve made in the last 15 years! You’re freakin’ right I’m pro-pot.”

Nancy turns to Katt Williams, played with convincing nasality by Drake, complete with tempered hair flips and velvet suit. After trying unsuccessfully to convince him of the evils of cannabis, “Katt” dismisses her concerns with a colorful description of her less-crazy counterpart.

4. The Mellow Show: Jack Johnson

Featuring Andy Samberg as the ultra-mellow songster Jack Johnson, and with random witticisms spoken aloud to the camera as “vegan cookies” and “hemp necklace,” this sketch is extra funny if you’re a fan of the mellow musicians visiting. Samberg’s Jack Johnson is prone to losing his canna-friendly pets, including a jester hat-wearing gecko who “is unique in that he can both roll and smoke doobies.”

Joseph Gordon-Levitt visits the set to scat a few tunes about fedoras as Jason Mraz, and Bill Hader plays a nervous Dave Matthews who gets freaked out when the real Dave Matthews comes out pretending to be Ozzy Osbourne in all of his mumbly, long-haired, incoherent glory.

5. A New Day – New York Marijuana Policy

This gem is from one of the more recent seasons of SNL and it was, of course, inspired by true life. As you all may remember, New York City made a change of policy for low-level marijuana possession, reducing charges to a civil fine rather than jail time. In this skit, we see New Yorkers look up from their television, dust the crumbs from their lap, and step out into the New York sunshine with a bag of cannabis in tow. It quickly turns into a celebratory parade, complete with Woody Harrelson emerging from a cloud of smoke while carrying a bong among crowds waving the Rastafari flag.

Suddenly, everyone run into the NYPD. Will police try to harsh the buzz? No, instead of handcuffs, they give a tip of the hat, and the celebration continues….until someone tries to spark up a joint. Oops. Public smoking is still not allowed. Sorry New Yorkers, time to return to your couches and Funyuns to watch more “Rugrats.”

6. The Marijuana Doctor

Featuring the magnificent Kevin Spacey as, you guessed it, a physician recommending medical marijuana, this skit was filmed in 1997, just months after cannabis was legalized in California via Proposition 215, and it’s exaggerated for absolutely hilarious effect. For a sore throat, Kevin Spacey’s MMJ doctor writes a prescription for “two huge bags of weed,” with the recommendation of “huge bong tokes” to follow it up.

Darrel Hammond’s Harvey Weinstein makes an appearance, fingers orange with Cheetos dust, looking for a prescription refill in the form of a baggie from Jamal Wilkes Booth, an in-house “pharmacist” who looks suspiciously like a stereotypical dealer that reminds his patrons, “You know, Blue Cross Blue Shield don’t cover that!” Amen, Jamal!

BONUS:

American Dope Growers Union

We went digging through the archives to find this little clip from 1977, which just shows how far the cannabis movement has come. Laraine Newman opens with a somber face, advising the camera that “Every time you buy pot from Mexico, or Colombia, you’re putting an American out of work.” She urges you to buy locally sourced, American-grown cannabis, which you can identify by the “American Dope Growers Union” label on the bag.

As the camera pans out, the whole cast joins her with potted pot plants, shovels, and watering cans to sing the song of the American Dope Growers Union. Amazingly enough, while this skit was purely comical at the time, with legal marijuana becoming an industry, unions are, in fact, starting to pop up. Life imitates art!

American Dope Growers Union from Joe Turner on Vimeo.

What Are The Best Marijuana Events In 2016

What Are The Top Cannabis Events In 2016? It seems like every time I hop on social media, check my e-mail, or look on media websites it seems like there is a new marijuana event being announced. There are events for just about anything and everything cannabis related these days, from shark tank type events

How Does Depression Impact Your Sex Life, and Can Cannabis Help?

Depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the United States, according to the National Institute on Mental Health. Despite its prevalence, psychiatrists and other mental health professionals rarely speak to the impact depression can have on sexuality, and even more rarely suggest utilizing cannabis as an alternative therapy. I spoke with JoEllen Notte, a sex educator, writer, and creator of the first sex-positive online survey on sex and depression, to get her take on dealing with depression and whether cannabis can help revitalize a depressed person’s sex life.

JoEllen Notte, sex educator

Ashley: How long have you lived with depression and in what ways has it affected your sex life?

JoEllen: I have been acknowledging the depression for the last 11 years, but the symptoms have been there for about 17 (since I was 19). As for my sex life, it has differed. I always say my depression comes in two distinct “flavors”:

A: Which one tends to be more common for you?

J: The first one. When that happens, I lose all interest and the idea of sex can be stressful, almost like the world is demanding more from me.

A: You created an online survey on sex and depression and received 1,100 responses. How did that come about?

J: The survey came about because I had done a little writing about my own experience with sex and depression (first when a new drug killed my libido and orgasms), and I started hearing from people about their experiences. The recurring theme I noticed was people weren’t feeling heard. Partners of people dealing with depression were often the loudest voices in my comments fields (but what about ME?!), drowning out the depressed folks, and that just pissed me off.

I did the survey for two reasons: First, because I wanted data on how widespread the experience of depression damaging one’s sex life was and that data didn’t exist. Second, because I wanted to give this experience and the people who are having it a voice.

A: What were the most surprising results of the survey?

J: Of the 1,100 people who participated in the survey, I interviewed 20. Some of the most interesting stuff came out of the interviews. Before I started the project, several people dismissed it based on the assumption that “depressed people don’t want to have sex, anyway,” so they wouldn’t be able to differentiate between medication side effects and depression. We didn’t ask about sexual side effects of depression when people were not medicated on the survey but we did in the interviews, and over 2/3 of those respondents reported that when their depression was untreated they had/wanted MORE sex.

Another thing that came out of the survey was the information about communication with doctors. We found that a lot of people were not talking to their doctor about symptoms. When asked why, we found an interesting combination of bad experiences with dismissive/sex negative doctors, shame, and fear, and also just some possibly unfair assumptions about the willingness of doctors to listen/help. A lot of people are afraid to talk.

A: I’m so glad you’re giving them a voice. I’ve experienced a lot of relief with depression-related side effects when I incorporate cannabis into my sex life. Have you also found that to be helpful?

J: For me, because my sex and depression relationship manifests in anxiety about sex, I find that cannabis is frequently the thing that can get me over the hump (so to speak) and back into the place where things sound pleasant again. I found this out completely accidentally when I was smoking for pain, but it was a really happy discovery. OG Kush and Girl Scout Cookies are my favorites for sexy time. I always picture those old-school round dimmer switches (like my aunt had on her “classy” dining room chandelier), and for me it feels like someone comes along and turns one of those down on my anxiety. The rest of me is still there, but the unpleasant stuff is turned way down. Also, GSC always makes me a little goofy.

I also chatted with Stephen Biggs, RP, who assisted JoEllen with the survey and provided his psychological expertise when designing the questions and analyzing the results. He added:

“I think that for some people who experience a lot of anxiety or negative cognition, people who are self conscious and distracted by performance anxiety… Anything that helps them relax and takes them out of their heads can enhance sexual experience. Of course, this all depends on the person’s response to the cannabis. There are number of patients that I see who report that they use cannabis as an anxiolytic [anxiety inhibitor]– it may not have a direct impact on their mood, but they feel less agitated.”

There is much more research to be done regarding cannabis, sex, and depression, but thanks to these two sexuality professionals, people are finally getting to speak out about their experiences! Do you live with depression? Does cannabis help you get out of your head and enjoy your body? Tell us your stories!

Smuggler’s Blues: U.S. Legalization is Crashing Mexico’s Cartel Market

For decades, if you came across a pinch of cannabis in the U.S., odds were good it came from Mexico. Moreover, it was probably smuggled across the border by someone affiliated with a massive and often violent criminal enterprise.

Now that’s changing.

Medical and recreational legalization in the United States has caused a market crash in Mexico. According to an article this week in the Los Angeles Times, prices in some areas have tumbled as much as 70 percent.

Growers in the state of Sinaloa, one of Mexico’s biggest production areas and home to the infamous Sinaloa Cartel, told reporter Deborah Bonello the amount they make on cannabis has fallen over the past four years from $100 per kilogram to $30.

That’s taken a toll on traffickers, too. Officials on both sides of the border say the drop in profits has curbed both production as well as the amount of cannabis smuggled into the U.S. by cartels.

“Changes on the other side of the border are making marijuana less profitable for organizations like the Cartel de Sinaloa,” Antonio Mazzitelli, the representative in Mexico for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, told the Times.

Only a few years ago, cannabis comprised as much as 20 to 30 percent of cartels’ revenue from drug exports, according to estimates by the Mexican Institute of Competitiveness and the RAND Corporation. So a falloff in profit is likely to hit organized crime hard.

As recently as 2008, about two-thirds of cannabis consumed in the U.S. came from Mexico, according to RAND. Current estimates peg that figure at approximately one-third. That’s likely caused by two factors: increased production north of the border and scaled-down operations by growers and smugglers in Mexico.

“The big argument for drug legalization is reducing drug cartels’ power around the world,” wrote Vox in response to the Times story. While it’s certainly not the only reason to legalize — let’s not forget the thousands of Americans behind bars, racial disparities in the enforcement of cannabis laws, or the risks faced by patients who must still obtain medicine illegally — dealing a blow to ruthless drug cartels is a cause that should rally both government officials and cannabis users.

Free-market economics have long stymied the war on drugs. Efforts by the Mexican government to encourage farmers to grow legal crops fell flat because high profits from cannabis cultivation were so appealing. But it now seems market forces may actually be curtailing illegal activity.

On top of all this, Mexico is currently considering changes to laws that would legalize or decriminalize cannabis. That could further reduce cartel profits by adding small-time growers and smugglers into the mix, the BBC reported last month.

But while piecemeal legalization in U.S. states has reduced cannabis payouts to cartels, experts say that so long as federal prohibition in the U.S. continues, trafficking by organized criminals will persist.

“If Mexico legalized marijuana production for domestic consumption and exports to the U.S. remained illegal,” RAND Drug Policy Research Center co-director Beau Kilmer told the BBC, “there would still be incentives to smuggle marijuana to the U.S.”

The Best of Cannabis Best-of Lists for 2015

If you’re reading a top-10 list today, it can mean only one thing: The old year is about to die. And websites across the interwebs are eulogizing it in a shameless attempt to capture eyeballs and boost pageviews.

Count us in.

We decided to wrap up 2015 with a top-10 meta-list, tying some of our favorite best-of lists into a master bundle. One list to rule them all, so to speak. Consider it our tabulation of tallies totting up the year in cannabis.

10. Russ Belville’s Top Ten Marijuana Data Stories of 2015 — Marijuana Politics

Radical Russ, one of our favorite cannabis radio yakkers, is also a bit of a data hound. Here he rolls up his top mining expeditions of 2015. Good stuff on youth-use surveys, the role of cannabis in the California drought, road safety and rehab admissions.

9. What Americans Googled in 2015 — Estately

The folks at Estately put out another “What Americans Googled” map with a year-end twist. What’s the cannabis connection? Check out our friends in Ohio.

8. Top 5 Cannabis Moments of 2015 — Chalice Farms

The growers and budtenders at Oregon’s Chalice Farms put out a list that’s just a wee bit self-referential. (We’re not sure Chalice’s big win at the 2015 DOPE Cup will rank so high on other tallies.) It makes our list, though, in part for recognizing Women Grow, which began 2015 as a tiny startup and ended the year as a burgeoning cannabis group with national influence.

7. Top 10 Marijuana News Stories of 2015 — CelebStoner.com

We could come up with a Top Ten list of Celebstoner’s best headlines of 2015 (No. 1: “Frank Sinatra Was Not a Stoner”), but that’s another story. Their year-end list puts the Ohio legalization debacle in the top spot, followed by a lot of state decriminalization measures and celeb calls to end prohibition. Expected: Bill Walton. Unexpected: Morgan Freeman.

6. Top 10 National Marijuana News Stories of 2015 — Chicago Sun-Times

Illinois’ medical marijuana opening drew the Sun-Times onto the cannabis beat this year, and its list leans heavily on politics. Top story: Bernie Sanders’ call to end federal prohibition, becoming the “first U.S. Presidential candidate” to do so. We could argue it was Jimmy Carter, but he only promised decriminalization, so we’ll give Bernie the nod.

5. Top 10 Marijuana Policy Victories of 2015 — Rob Kampia

Marijuana Policy Project Executive Director Rob Kampia looks back at the political ground gained over the past 12 months, including a lot of local decriminalization victories, medical marijuana expansions, and five statewide legalization campaigns on track for 2016 (see our take here).

4. 2015: The Year of the Cannabis Industry — Cannabis Wire

We think you’re calling this a little early, Cannabiswire. If you thought 2015 was big, wait ‘til you see 2016. We like Cannabis Wire’s list because No. 2 is the ouster — finally, mercifully — of DEA head Michele Leonhart, whose blockheaded views on cannabis were embarrassing even to those on her side.

3. NORML’s 2015 Year in Review — NORML

NORML tops its list with one winner and one loser. Upside: Congress’ reauthorization of protections. Downside: Federal Judge Kimberly Mueller upholding marijuana’s Schedule I status.

2. (Tie) Top 10 Cannabis Studies of 2015 — LiveScience and The Joint Blog

These two sites tot up the scientific breakthroughs of 2015, including new insights into conditions helped by medical cannabis, problems with labeling inaccuracies in unregulated markets, and a new understanding of the mechanism that triggers the munchies.

1. Top 10 Weed Songs of 2015 — WeedStream

Aww, yeah. From Pop Evil’s heavy “Ways to Get High” (No. 9) to Snoop Dogg’s chill “California Roll” (No. 2), the researchers at Weedstream cover the full spectrum in 2015. We’ll let you click through to reveal who sparked up at No. 1. WeedStream’s list lends itself to a natural New Year’s Eve game: Name the single best cannabis lyric of 2015. Enjoy.

Surgeon General Report Could Sway Federal Policy

A top U.S. health official is putting together a first-of-its-kind report on substance abuse that could help set the tone for future policymaking, the federal government announced Thursday.

The report is being prepared by the office of U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and will examine “the state of the science on substance use, addiction, and health” surrounding both illegal substances and legal drugs such as alcohol and prescription pills.

Reformers are cautiously optimistic. Murthy in February acknowledged the medical benefits of cannabis, adding that “we have to use use that data to drive policymaking.” But he seemed later to backtrack, saying that “neither the FDA nor the Institute of Medicine have found smoked marijuana to meet the standards for safe and effective medicine for any condition to date.”

Intended to be broad and comprehensive, the report will focus on an array of issues surrounding substance abuse, according to a summary in the Federal Register:

Areas of focus in the report may include the history of the prevention, treatment, and recovery fields; components of the substance use continuum (i.e., prevention, treatment, and recovery); epidemiology of substance use, misuse, and substance use disorders; etiology of substance misuse and related disorders; neurobiological base of substance misuse and related disorders; risk and protective factors; application of scientific research in the field, including methods, challenges, and current and future directions; social, economic, and health consequences of substance misuse; co-occurrence of substance use disorders and other diseases and disorders; the state of health care access and coverage as it relates to substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery; integration of substance use disorders, mental health, and physical health care in clinical settings; national, state, and local initiatives to assess and improve the quality of care for substance misuse and related disorders; organization and financing of prevention, treatment, and recovery services within the health care system; ethical, legal, and policy issues; and potential future directions.

Cannabis advocate Tom Angell, who drew attention to Thursday’s announcement, noted the surgeon general’s report could be useful if President Barack Obama moves to relax the federal prohibition of cannabis before he leaves office:

The last clause about “ethical, legal and policy issues” is likely to be of most interest to advocates of reforming marijuana laws and ending the broader war on drugs.

Under the Obama administration, federal drug agencies have made a point to talk about addiction as a medical problem, but the drug control budget continues to devote far more resources to arrests, punishment and interdiction than to health strategies like treatment and prevention.

If President Obama intends to bring federal drug polices and budgets into line with his administration’s rhetoric before he leaves office, he could hardly find a better or more effective way to do it than through the nation’s top medical doctor.

A number of other changes are unfolding at the federal level that could sway U.S. policies on cannabis. Among them, the Department of Health and Human Services recently provided guidance to the Drug Enforcement Administration regarding cannabis’s potential reclassification under the Controlled Substances Act. While the advice isn’t yet public, it’s one of the many signs that the government may slowly be opening its mind to at least the medical potential of cannabis.

Image Source: United States Department of Health and Human Services [Public Domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Recreational Cannabis Sales Tax Coming Soon to Oregon

Oregon recreational consumers have been living the high life since October, enjoying easy access, no sales tax, and the best Oregon-grown cannabis they could ask for. Unfortunately, the harsh reality of recreational legalization is about to crack down on the green utopian landscape Oregonians have come to love in the form of a 25 percent tax increase.

Starting January 4th, 2016, all recreational purchases of marijuana will be taxed at 25 percent, increasing the cost significantly. On a small scale, it’s not so bad – a $10 gram will only jump up to $12.50. However, on a larger scale, the cost is a bit more jaw-dropping — for a $125 ounce, customers will end up shelling out over $30 in sales tax.

Before you Oregon cannabis lovers jump to the worst conclusion and swear off your new favorite dispensary, don’t forget that the revenue from these sales will be going to an excellent cause (and also provided a convincing argument for legalization to begin with). Recreational marijuana sales tax will be disbursed to the following programs after July 1, 2017:

• 40 percent to the Common School Fund
• 20 percent to mental health, alcoholism, and drug services
• 15 percent to the Oregon State Police
• 10 percent to city law enforcement
• 10 percent to county law enforcement
• 5 percent to the Oregon Health Authority for alcohol and drug abuse prevention, early intervention, and treatment services
• Dispensaries are allowed to keep up to 2 percent of taxes collected

Dispensaries will need to register with the Oregon Department of Revenue’s Marijuana Tax Program and submit quarterly tax returns in addition to monthly tax payments.

In preparation for the influx of cash coming from the retail industry, the Department of Revenue has stepped up its security and employee training for the handling of large cash sums, and hired an additional team specifically for cannabis-related tax payments.

Another upside to consider is that although the tax jump is extreme, it’s also only temporary. Once the program is off the ground and firmly established, the tax rate will decrease back down to a much more reasonable 17 percent permanent sales tax. Not only that, but Oregon medical marijuana patients will continue to be tax-exempt.

New York Opens Medical Marijuana Registration for Doctors and Patients

The five companies chosen to cultivate and distribute for New York’s medical marijuana program are hurtling towards January’s debut date and firing on all cylinders to make it happen. Prospective patients have been anxiously awaiting the launch of a much-needed medical marijuana program, and at long last the time has come.

New York’s State Department of Health launched the Medical Marijuana Patient Certification and Registration Program. Doctors must be registered in order to make the recommendation, which involves a $200 fee and a four-hour training course.

In order for patients to qualify for the program, they must adhere to the following guidelines:

• Create an account with my.ny.gov
• Have a photo identification
• Be able to prove he or she resides in New York state
• Pay a $50 application fee (unless it is waived for financial hardship)
• Receive a DOH Medical Marijuana Program certification from a registered doctor before applying for a registry identification card, which will be mailed upon approval
• Qualify under the conditions specified in the law:
  • Parkinson’s Disease
  • Cancer
  • AIDS/HIV
  • Lou Gehrig’s Disease
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Epilepsy
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Neuropathies
  • Huntington’s Disease

As for the state’s five dispensing organizations, here’s an update on when they’re expected to open:

• Columbia Care — CEO Nick Vita confirmed that the organization was on track for the opening regulatory date of January 5, 2016, and it will be opening a dispensary location in Rochester first.
• Etain, LLC. — It’s optimistic that it will open its five dispensaries on a rolling basis starting in late January with its Syracuse location on Erie Blvd.
• Empire State Health Solutions — It’s planning to open its Westchester location on January 5, 2016, but it’s been under radio silence to the media for the past couple of months, so we’re not sure how far along it is with the process.
• Bloomfield Industries — Its first dispensary will be located on Marcus Ave in unincorporated Lake Success. Although it anticipates a January premiere, it has not set a firm opening date yet.
• PharmaCann — It’s been quite busy in the recent months pioneering the rough terrain of Illinois’ new medical market, but it looks like this organization will also be ready to open doors at its Liverpool location by the second week of January.

Quite an impressive display of determination, which should give some hope to the patients that have been eagerly watching and waiting for access. January can’t come soon enough!

US IL: OPED: Make Cannabis Legal To Revitalize Illinois

Rockford Register Star, 29 Dec 2015 – The state of Illinois collected more than $5 million in fees from more than 350 applications for only 81 licenses to become a cultivator or distributor of medical cannabis. Rural Illinois saw a surge of interest in creating new jobs and boosting some small-town economies. The reason for this interest is to grow and distribute a plant, but not the usual ones like corn, soy or wheat.

Shh! Here's How Cannabis Companies are Banking Legally on the Down Low

For cannabis companies in need of bank accounts, the news out of Colorado hasn’t been good. In a court hearing this week, a federal judge balked at the notion of forcing federal bankers to license a credit union catering to the cannabis industry.

“I would be forcing the reserve bank to give a master license to a credit union that serves illegal businesses,” U.S. District Court Judge R. Brooke Jackson said at the hearing.

At stake in the court battle is whether the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City must issue a master account, which is required for lending institutions, to Fourth Corner Credit Union, a startup created earlier this year to serve state-regulated cannabis businesses. Cannabis is still illegal under U.S. law, so while Fourth Corner has won Colorado accreditation, it’s hit a wall with the federal reserve bank.

While the judge hasn’t issued a formal ruling, an executive for the credit union vented his frustration after the hearing.

“In 2016, $1.2 billion in cash will be transacted by the cannabis industry in Colorado,” Executive Vice President Mark Goldfogel told the L.A. Times. “That’s all in $20 bills. At some point somebody will die. And then we will be allowed to bank.”

But will the cannabis industry really have to wait for a changing of the guard? Goldfogel’s statement is a beauty of a quote, but it’s not exactly true.

The Fourth Corner case draws a lot of media attention, but dozens of cannabis businesses in Oregon, Colorado and Washington state already have accounts with a established banks and credit unions. These aren’t national brands like Bank of America or Wells Fargo. They’re small, state-chartered institutions with names you’ve probably never heard of: Salal, Maps, Timberland, Numerica.

It’s the industry’s quiet little secret — only it’s not exactly a secret. A few financial institutions are open about their cannabis clientele. Salal Credit Union in Seattle has been serving the cannabis sector since mid-2014.

“After talking about it at great length with our board of directors, we decided that this would be a fit,” Senior Vice President Sheryl Kirchmeier said in an interview this year. “We saw it in part as a public safety issue” for their local community, she said.

Bankers at Salem, Ore.-based Maps Credit Union, which has been doing business with medical dispensaries for more than a year and now works with state-licensed recreational businesses, were also motivated by public safety concerns. “The thought of some guy walking out of his business at night, and going to an environment where there might be lots of people, with $25,000 in cash in his backpack to buy money orders just doesn’t sit right,” Vice President Shane Saunders told the Salem Statesman-Journal.

No Colorado bank or credit union has publicly acknowledged opening cannabis accounts. But a few accounts are open. Talk off-the-record with some of the bigger players in the state’s cannabis industry, and they’ll acknowledge that they’ve managed to obtain banking services — but they almost never give up the name of their banker. Those who have accounts don’t want to lose them by exposing the bank to unwanted attention or criticism.

Data is limited, but it tends to back up the chatter. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), the Treasury Department bureau that fights money laundering, reports that 266 depository institutions nationwide currently maintain accounts with marijuana-related businesses, known in banking jargon as MRBs. In a recent survey of 400 respondents in the cannabis industry, Marijuana Business Daily reported that 40 percent had bank accounts.

Make no mistake: Banking is still an enormous headache for MRBs. And it’s technically illegal, federally speaking. But a lot of people are finding workarounds.

How are They Doing It?

As with everything in the cannabis industry, it depends on the state. A handful of Washington and Oregon banks are open about their business with MRBs. But those accounts, usually very basic merchant accounts, are expensive and cumbersome. In Colorado it’s very hush-hush — and it’s still expensive and cumbersome.

Washington pushed ahead of Colorado in the banking realm by being proactive with smaller banks and credit unions. Three years ago the state’s Department of Financial Institutions (DFI), which regulates banks and credit unions, took extraordinary measures to find a path to banking legalization.

DFI director Scott Jarvis spent more than a year working with federal regulators to make legal cannabis banking happen. His agency now posts specific guidelines and documents to help businesses and bankers make their way through the thicket of regulations to bank legally.

Colorado’s counterpart agency has no such guidance. Officials there thought the better way to go would be to have the state encourage the formation of marijuana banking co-ops. To that end, the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies posts information about starting cannabis-focused credit unions.

Which, of course, is how Fourth Corner Credit Union ended up in federal court this week.

But wait: Banking MRBs is still federally illegal, right? Yes and no. Here’s how it works.

The big scary law is the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), a 45-year-old federal statute that outlaws money laundering. FinCEN is the main federal agency enforcing the act. If you’re a bank that wants to accept cash from a business selling a federally illegal substance, you’ve got to get FinCEN’s approval.

FinCEN has given that approval. Sort of. It’s tricky.

In February 2014, the Justice Department and FinCEN issued concurrent guidance documents (you can find them here and here) that created a way for banks and credit unions to bank MRBs without technically running afoul of the Bank Secrecy Act.

But the documents are only guidance; they’re not laws. They don’t legalize money laundering. Rather, they give financial institutions some assurance that FinCEN won’t come after them for handling cannabis-related accounts provided they follow a stringent set of rules.

FinCEN said, essentially, that it will allow banks and credit unions to handle state-legal cannabis cash as long as the banks report it to the agency and conduct extraordinary initial and ongoing due diligence on those clients.

Credit unions like Salal must file quarterly Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) on their cannabis clients with FinCEN. That sounds bad, but it’s actually good. An SAR filed under the category “marijuana limited” means the client is operating a cannabis-related business that adheres to federal enforcement priorities as outlined in the Justice Department’s 2013 Cole memo. If the credit union discovers activity that may violate those priorities, it’s reported as a “marijuana priority” case. If the credit union closes out an account, it’s reported as a “marijuana termination.”

In a way, the FinCEN guidance turns banks into another set of eyes watching to make sure cannabis businesses follow the Cole memo priorities.

All that vetting and reporting is labor-intensive, which makes these accounts expensive for the banks and their clients. Charges for a basic MRB account can run from $400 to $1,000 per month. So even if a bank or credit union is willing to open an account, a merchant might flinch at the price. Toni Savage Fox, owner of Denver’s 3D Cannabis Center, isn’t working with a bank “and it’s mostly by choice,” she told Leafly. “I won’t pay $1,000 a month for someone to store my money. It’s not worth it for me.”

Washington state is working with the FinCEN guidance, mainly because Scott Jarvis, the state’s head banking regulator, continues to put effort into making it work. When federal bank examiners looked as though they might obstruct cannabis accounts, for example, Jarvis and his agency intervened.

“We had a couple instances early on where an examiner maybe came in from out of the region and was unfamiliar with the issues,” Jarvis told Leafly. “We followed up with them and took care of the problem. And our folks,” he said of his office’s examiners, “are all pretty schooled up.”

Colorado, by contrast, has taken a “Congress must change it” stance. The state’s financial regulators have told banks and credit unions only that they must abide by the FinCEN guidelines and recent Justice Department memos. Beyond that, banks are on their own.

Don Childears, CEO of the Colorado Bankers Association, has lamented that the FinCEN guidance is too weak to offer banks the assurance they need to open cannabis accounts. “We believe it literally takes ‘an Act of Congress’ to attract banks to this business,” he advised in a letter to association members.

Such an act may finally stand a chance in both the House and Senate in 2016. (See various attempts that stalled this past year, here and here.) Until then, banking for cannabis businesses will continue to be a drag. But don’t believe the hype about cash-only being the only option. Accounts exist for those who are willing to find them — and pay.

West Virginia Veterans For Medical Cannabis Rally Next Month

I saw the following event on Facebook. If you are in West Virginia, you should definitely come out and support the cause: Sign the petition! http://actionnetwork.org/petitions/support-our-troops-west-virginia-veterans-for-medical-cannabis We are uniting at the West Virginia State Capitol Building on Tuesday, January 26th, 2016 to call on our state legislators to act now to allow VA medical centers

Colleges Ease Athlete Punishments for Cannabis

Colleges across the country have been slowly easing penalties facing student–athletes who fail screenings for cannabis, a new Associated Press analysis has found. And statements by the NCAA’s medical chief suggest the organization is shifting its focus away from recreational drugs and toward substances it considers cheating.

“The NCAA last year cut in half the penalty for athletes who fail screenings for substances like marijuana at its championship events, and its chief medical officer is pushing for college sports’ governing body to get out of the business of testing for rec drugs altogether. The AP found that some of the nation’s biggest universities, from Oregon to Auburn, have already eased their punishments as society’s views on marijuana use have changed.”

AP looked at policies from 57 of the 65 schools in the Southeastern Atlantic Coast, Big 12, Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences, as well as Notre Dame.

Since 2005, 23 of the schools have either reduced penalties for failed tests involving cannabis and certain other substances or allowed athletes to test positive more times before facing suspension or dismissal. In Washington state and Oregon, which legalized recreational cannabis use during the time period AP analyzed, punishment has eased significantly despite the fact that schools still prohibit it:

“At Oregon, an athlete doesn’t lose playing time until a third failed test; at Oregon State, a third failed test used to mean dismissal, but athletes are now given one more chance.

“At Washington, a third failed test used to be a one-year suspension but is now just 30 days.”

Schools in other states adopt an array of policies, but many have become more lenient toward cannabis and other so-called street drugs, even in states where cannabis remains illegal. Athletic directors say the focus is increasingly on rehabilitation rather than punishment, especially as cultural attitudes toward cannabis change.

“It’s a moving target, and we have to find that balance between being too punitive and not punitive enough, and making sure that we help people that have a problem,” Utah athletic director Chris Hill told AP.

The changes also reflect the NCAA’s focus on performance-enhancing drugs rather than recreational ones. Athletes who test positive for PEDs usually face a one-year suspension, while an initial positive test for cannabis typically results in counseling but no suspension.

Such policies align with views of the NCAA’s top doctor, who told the AP he feels focus the body should focus on cheating, not policing morality:

“NCAA medical chief Dr. Brian Hainline said his organization should concentrate on busting athletes who use PEDs and leave it to the schools to deal with the rest, preferably through treatment rather than punishment.

“‘The most important thing that I can’t emphasize enough is that as a society, we have to make a clear distinction between recreational drug use and cheating,’ Hainline said. ‘I really believe that they require two different approaches. One is more nuanced, and one is hard core.’

“What about marijuana being against the law in most states?

“‘If we’re going to test at championship events for things that are illegal, then we shouldn’t just test for pot,’ Hainline said. ‘If there are any kids under the age of 18 smoking cigarettes, we should test for that. We certainly should be testing for alcohol for everyone under the age of 21. Then we ask ourselves, “Where does the moral authority stop?” I’m all for moral authority as long as there is a philosophical consistency to it.'”

It’d be a mistake not to mention reports Tuesday night that three Clemson football players headed for the Orange Bowl have been suspended for failed drug tests. As of Wednesday afternoon, however, it still wasn’t clear what substances were detected.

What to Expect if You Try to Fly with Cannabis

Say you spent the holidays in one of the four states — or one district — where cannabis is legal. You get to the airport and realize you’ve accidentally left a gram or two in your pocket (OK, it might’ve been on purpose). You start to sweat. What will happen on your way through security?

Chances are good you’ll be better off than you would’ve been just a few years ago. It’s still against the law to cross state lines with cannabis, but a number of airports have relaxed their policies on how to handle offenders.

Let’s be clear: The Transportation Security Administration is a federal agency, and its website warns travelers that state laws are “not relevant to TSA screening.” If screeners do find cannabis, the agency says, it will refer the matter to law enforcement. In other words, just because you bought that joint legally doesn’t mean you can bring it on your flight.

Well, unless you’re staying in Oregon. Portland International Airport allows adults 21 and over to travel with cannabis as long as they’re flying to an in-state airport, according to a July announcement.

Washington state hasn’t gone quite that far, but Seattle-Tacoma International Airport told USA Today that officials won’t make a fuss provided travelers are complying with state law.

Leave the Pacific Northwest, though, and you might have a tougher time. Authorities at the Denver International Airport make travelers toss their cannabis, but you’re likely to get off without a citation despite posted warnings about fines.

In California, where only medical use is legal, you might be OK if you can show a doctor’s note. Cannabis Now noticed an Instagram post by an employee of an extract-maker who was stopped after a TSA screener mistook kale chips for a bag of cannabis. The official said he would’ve let it go, the poster wrote, “had I shown my medical recommendation. Gotta love SFO!”

The tsa employee thought my bag of kale chips were a big bag of weed going through the scanner! He said it would have been all good if it was, had I shown my medical recommendation. Gotta love SFO! #goodvibesgoodhash #treadlightly #kalechips

A photo posted by @treometry on Dec 23, 2015 at 7:34am PST

We still don’t advise taking your chances. An arrest is no way to ring in the new year.

Canada and the Logistics of Legalization

More than two months after a landslide election of both a party and a prime minister whose campaign platforms focused significantly on the legalization of cannabis, Canada remains firmly in the international spotlight, with eyes watching globally to see the how the country handles the logistics of a national retail cannabis market.

Speculation is rampant. Regarding when and how the first steps towards legalization will occur, the most logical first step would be to use the 27 already-licensed producers of Health Canada to expand on legalization. But with the current production rates, will that be enough to meet the demand from Canadian recreational cannabis consumers?

A recent poll from Forum Research suggests that a solid majority, 59 percent, support Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s proposed legalization. About 18 percent of those surveyed admitted to using cannabis in the past year, although use was nearly double among 18 to 24 year olds, at 34 percent. Notably, 13 percent of respondents who said they don’t currently use cannabis indicated they would be “very likely” to consume it if it were legalized.

On a large scale, that means 31 percent, or somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 million Canadians, could very well participate in a legal recreational market.

Another factor to consider is the potential introduction of an international market. Canada’s stringent regulations and quality control makes the possibility of internationally importing and exporting products an attractive, not to mention lucrative, opportunity. Last year there were about 40,000 registered medical marijuana patients, a far cry from the 10 million Canadians who would potentially participate in a retail market.

The reported production rate for licensed producers in the first quarter of 2015 was about 8,848 kilograms per year, which means that if the anticipated user rate of about 1.1 grams a day is even near accurate, there’s no way for licensed producers to meet recreational demands at the current production rate.

However, many licensed producers are not currently producing at full capacity and could easily ramp up productions. And with the clear regulations and safety measures already in place, using the complex system of licensed producers seems like the most logical place to start.

The latest debate among local provinces is whether or not to sell cannabis through licensed liquor store-type outlets. Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne suggested that perhaps les Société des alcools du Québec (SAQs) may be a viable means for selling cannabis to the public. While the proposal struck some as convenient, others argue vehemently that cannabis and alcohol should not be sold side-by-side.

If the government does not decide to sell cannabis in liquor stores, will they continue to exclusively sell cannabis through licensed producers, perhaps by expanding the outreach to include retail consumers? And what will come of the dispensaries currently operating across the Canadian landscape in a legal gray area?

Trudeau’s election could mean big things for cannabis, but it won’t come without some major complications along the bumpy road to legalization.

Cannabis Business Conferences are Booming. Is It a Bubble?

Where there’s a booming industry, a bevy of business conferences usually isn’t far off. And in the past few years, that’s exactly what’s been happening around cannabis.

Only a single business conference existed in the U.S. back in 2013. By the next year, the number had risen to six. And 2015 saw the rollout of a whopping 31 conferences.

Those numbers come from research by Marijuana Business Daily, which hosts conferences of its own. And while MBD sees the skyrocketing number of gatherings as an indication of the rapid legitimization of cannabis, it also warns “there are signs that a shakeout in the cannabis conference scene could be on tap.”

Look at the cannabis market’s recent growth — $1.6 billion in sales in 2013, a predicted $3.1 billion in 2015 — and it’s easy to see what both conference organizers and participants are after. Event attendees network, share best practices and industry information, and hawk products and services to one another.

The explosion of conferences parallels much of what’s going on in cannabis. As the previously black-market industry steps into a legal, regulated space (remember, for decades even legitimate medical patients were obtaining and using cannabis illegally, and many still are) entrepreneurs are jumping in to get a piece of the pie. With sales expected to jump to almost $4 billion in the coming year, the bustle doesn’t show signs of slowing anytime soon.

Is it a bubble? Only time will tell. Marijuana Business Daily predicts that “eventually there will likely only be a handful of national business-focused trade shows and major gatherings, as is the case in other industries.”

Meet the Guy Who Gave Away 1,000 Joints on Christmas Eve

For Nick DiCenzo, it all started with a problem: He had too much cannabis on his hands. “I had all this flower left over from my personal grow,” the 40-year-old Denver resident told Leafly. “You’re allowed to have six plants in a home grow here in Colorado, and it’s amazing how much one person can produce.”

As an occasional consumer, DiCenzo found himself with a growing supply and only so much personal demand. He wasn’t licensed to grow or sell, so the stuff had no legal commercial value. “I had a bunch of friends sitting around my porch in Denver last summer. We were trying to figure out what to do with it. Somebody said: Why don’t we give it away?”

DiCenzo had a further thought. What if they donated it in a way that would help the local community?

“That’s how Cannamas came about.”

Cannamas was the answer to DiCenzo’s problem. On Christmas Eve he and a handful of volunteers with his nonprofit group Cannabis Can passed out 1,000 joints — more than a pound and a half of Blue Dream and Caramelicious — to the homeless on the streets of Denver. It was a way, DiCenzo said, to both brighten the holiday for the less fortunate and bring some attention to the problems faced by those living on the streets.

Done and done. The 5-hour gifting tour garnered attention from local television stations as well as coverage in the New York Daily News, the Chicago Sun-Times, the Washington Times and Russia Today. Word on the street was good too. “Merry Christmas and a puff puff, New Year’s,” said one happy recipient.

Giving is easy. The hard part’s the rolling — and logistics.

How do you give away 1,000 joints? It’s tougher than you might think. Because first you have to roll 1,000 joints.

“We had a cannabis roll-a-thon the Sunday before Christmas,” DiCenzo said. About a dozen friends and volunteers, most with little rolling experience, spent nearly twelve hours grinding, sprinkling, and twisting. Chris Hill, founder of the Great American Rolling Paper Co., donated rolling machines and papers. “It took a lot longer than we thought,” DiCenzo said. “And without those rollers we wouldn’t have made it to 1,000.”

Then came the logistics. It’s legal to give away a single joint in Colorado. But an individual can possess no more than one ounce, so you can’t just lug hundreds of joints in a shopping bag down Colfax Avenue. “It was really tricky,” DiCenzo said. “Depending on how they’re rolled, thirty to fifty joints together contained an ounce. So we had to have a team of runners to refill our supply as we walked the streets.”

The volunteers met up around 11 a.m. at Sancho’s Broken Arrow, a Deadhead bar on East Colfax, and made their way west toward the Capitol Building, Broadway and the Catholic Charities building near Speer Boulevard. It took about 5 hours to give away every last gift.

DiCenzo isn’t your typical philanthropist. He doesn’t come from money, and he hasn’t made a lot of money. He works occasionally in film production and manages an Airbnb for his family. He’s just a guy who found himself sitting on a pile of cannabis and wanted to do something to help the homeless folks he met in Denver. His giveaway reaped a heap of free media but so far hasn’t resulted in an avalanche of donations for the homeless cause.

“We ran into a lot of people who wanted to give us donations, something for Cannabis Can,” DiCenzo said, “but we couldn’t accept,” because that could be considered an unlicensed sale.

Instead he’s asking donors to hit up the group’s GoFundMe campaign, “Restrooms & Grooms,” which is raising money to offer free showers and haircuts to Denver’s homeless. DiCenzo is hoping to raise $10,000 to purchase and retrofit an RV with showers and a hair-styling station. “When we talk with people on the street, so many of them mention the need for a haircut and regular showers,” DiCenzo said. “It’s one of the biggest obstacles they face in getting employment.”

A few days after Christmas, DiCenzo was out looking at a used RV priced around $700. “It was in terrible condition, but I gotta start somewhere,” he said. “Maybe I can renovate it and get it down to a parking lot where we can offer these services. If we can do that, then this whole thing will be a success.”

Justice Department Shuts Down Major Property Seizure Program

Threatening to seize property has been one of the most effective tools federal prosecutors have used in their stop-and-go efforts to close cannabis businesses across the country. When U.S. attorneys shuttered hundreds of dispensaries and growers across California a few years ago, it was a tactic deployed across the state.

This week the Justice Department announced it would shut down one of the most controversial pieces of its asset forfeiture operations. Under the “equitable sharing” program, a big chunk of what federal prosecutors seize can be funneled to local law enforcement agencies. That practice is over — at least for now.

“We explored every conceivable option that would have enabled us to preserve some form of meaningful equitable sharing,” M. Kendall Day, chief of the DOJ’s asset forfeiture and money laundering program, wrote in a letter to state and local law enforcement, but congressional spending cuts to the department “totaling $1.2 billion made that impossible.”

Critics contend the opportunity for police to pad their budgets has led to overuse of asset forfeiture, which allows authorities to take property — cash and real estate, most commonly — from citizens who haven’t been convicted or even charged with crimes.

Lots of money is at stake. In California, local law enforcement get to keep 66.25 percent of what’s seized under state law, but 80 percent of what’s seized through federal equitable sharing. And indeed, federal forfeiture far outpaces the local route. In 2013, California police seized $28 million in cash and property, but $98 million in federal courts, according to the Institute for Justice. And recent reports suggest that forfeiture is on the rise.

According to this week’s DOJ letter to local officials, that faucet of money has been turned off:

“While we had hoped to minimize any adverse impact on state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners, the Department is deferring for the time being any equitable sharing payments from the Program.”

The DOJ letter said payments will resume “as soon as practical and financially feasible.”

For now, law enforcement agencies have condemned the move. “Those seeking to do us harm can rest easier knowing one less tool can be used against them,” the National Sheriff’s Association wrote in a statement. “While Congress and the President vacation in peace and tranquility, law enforcement knows all too well that the criminals, terrorists, and criminal aliens do not take a holiday.

That stance suggests that asset forfeiture is off the table for police and prosecutors. It’s not. The move doesn’t prevent authorities from using asset forfeiture to seize property; it merely changes their ability to keep what they take.

The change “does not stop police and prosecutors from chasing criminals,” Lee McGrath, legislative counsel for the Institute for Justice, said in a statement. “They’re frustrated because Congress put on hold their chasing cash.”

As far as cannabis enforcement goes, cities even in states where medical marijuana is legal have used the program to fund efforts to shutter dispensaries and halt growers. In 2011, Lake Forest, Calif., managed to close every dispensary in the city in using forfeiture as a chief tactic.

Prior to enlisting federal help, the city had spent nearly $600,000 on prior enforcement actions. But after the forfeiture actions, a lawyer for the city said he was confident that “we’ll get every cent back.”

It’s no secret that cannabis-related businesses have been booming in recent years. According to San Francisco defense attorney J. David Nick, the suspension of the equitable sharing program could ease scrutiny on dispensaries and growers.

“Law enforcement opposition to cannabis legalization is almost single-handedly motivated by one factor: losing the forfeiture money,” he wrote in an email to Leafly. “This is a great step to a more just society and will erode paranoia felt by landlords and banks who want to do business with the cannabis community.”

'Stoner Sloth' Creators Defend Hapless Three-Toed Critter, Tell Haters They're Too Old to Get It

After watching the social media world mock their anti-drug campaign, the creators of Australia’s infamous Stoner Sloth PSAs are punching back. In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday, a Saatchi & Saatchi spokesman defended the ad agency’s work as a “significant return on investment and involvement.

“The videos have truly gone viral,” the agency rep told Herald writer Eamonn Duff. Global media derision “is now providing a platform for parents and teenagers all over the world to have ‘the conversation’ about cannabis in an engaging way.”

Fair point, that. For a $360,000 budget, the New South Wales government got more than 4 million views on YouTube and Facebook, and a globally recognized symbol of the adult-teen generation gap.

As for the social media derision that greeted the ads, the S&S official spun it as a classic Old People Problem. The videos were designed “specifically for teens; the audience is not for adults or long-term cannabis users,” the spokesman said. A rep for media agency UM, which handled the media buy, said its research indicated “the majority of negative comments are not from our target audience, which is teenagers.”

In other words: It’s not our worry if you don’t get it, Dad. It’s not meant for you.

Mmm, no. Here’s a curious case of an agency simultaneously arguing the success of the campaign (The kids get it even if you don’t) while heralding the social media FAIL fuel (4 million views!) as a sign of its global reach.

Let’s give Saatchi half credit. Look, the kids think the sloth ads are just as ridiculous as adults do. But 4 million views are 4 million views. And if humor provides an easier entry point into the awkward teenage conversation about cannabis use, the legal age and the effects of consumption, the government has gotten more than its money’s worth.

As a bonus, the poor Stoner Sloth has provided entertainment for all of us stuck at work during this holiday interim week. In the weeks since going viral, an entire genre of parody videos have been turned out by people with a lot of creative time on their hands. They include:

The anti-salt brigade: “Say NO to the White Death.”

We’re not saying salt is heart-healthy, but “the White Death” seems a bit of an overreach…

The straight-up message reversal, Snoop Dogg remix

The standardized testing rebel, throwback Pink Floyd version

The inevitable Star Wars mashup

And this one

Frankly we’re not sure what this one’s all about.

Image Source: Stoner Sloth

7 Giggly Cannabis Strains for Inducing Laughing Fits

In your experience, are there any particular cannabis strains that lead to more laughing fits than others? You might already know what your go-to giggly strain is, but we’ve got some recommendations for the next time you need a companion strain to that funny movie, comedy show, or time spent kicking back with friends. With the help of Leafly user-submitted reviews, we uncovered the strains that consumers like yourself rated as most giggly. Here are seven top contenders; you can also browse an expanded list of gut-busting strains in the Explorer.

Blue Diesel

Introduced by strong flavors of sour blueberry, Blue Diesel is a hybrid to elevate you to an uplifted and jovial mindset. Its nimble cerebral effects make Blue Diesel a perfect daytime companion strain, and the giddy euphoria is sure to bring on spells of laughter (unfortunately to an exaggerated degree for one Leafly reviewer).

“I laughed so hard that I threw up. And that made me laugh more.”

Laughing Buddha

Laughing Buddha’s effects can be understood simply by reading its name: a relaxed state of mind gives way to joyful elation. With an earthy and herbal sage aroma, this sativa helps you let go of stress and unlock a more lighthearted outlook on life. This strain is a favorite for weekend nature excursions with friends, or for getting your day started with a smile.

“Made me feel like nothing could annoy me, I just laughed it off! Very giggly, and made me take myself less seriously.”

Church OG

A serious name for a non-so-serious strain, Church OG is a heavy indica that’ll knock you into stupefied episodes of laughter (especially if friends are around to trigger it). The OG Kush descendent packs a sleepy punch in large doses, so take this one slowly if bedtime is still far off.

Chemdawg

The effects produced by Chemdawg’s high THC content can manifest in many ways, one of which is clearly fits of laughter. This one’s a personal favorite of mine for creative collaborations and chilling with close friends, since it lends both social and artistic energy. However, mind the word of caution from the Leafly reviewer below.

“Prepare for laugh attacks and an extremely heavy body and head high. Everything becomes funny as hell and I legit pissed myself while laughing so hard at a Steak and Shake drive-thru.”

Sweet Diesel

With a champion heritage from OG Kush and Sour Diesel, Sweet Diesel masterfully captures everything we love about sativas: a little boost of wakefulness, creative energy, social engagement, and nonstop giggles.

Black Diamond

Sometimes the best way to unwind after a long, active week is to sit down with a sedating couch-lock strain and a Netflix comedy marathon. Black Diamond is a perfect match for lazy weekends or long bedrest recoveries that take a toll on your mood.

“One of the main things I noticed when I’m on this is that the smallest things trigger the biggest laughing spell you will ever see in yourself again. I swear I saw the funniest shit ever on it, and it was the first time any strain made me laugh for more than 20 minutes straight.”

Mango Kush

First comes that unforgettable mango flavor, and then it’s all giggles. Few strains have more to offer the flavor enthusiast and the social butterfly alike than Mango Kush. Named for its strong fruity mango aroma, this hybrid keeps you chatty and upbeat for social outings or when you’re just kicking it with best friends.

“Two bowls put me and a buddy into a fit of giggles for a good 45 minutes while munching down on a bag of Cheetos. Then we got serious for a bit and had just about the most beautiful in-depth talk ever.”

2016 Outlook Free Reports

INN has created a series of Free Reports for investors, reviewing highlights of 2015 and looking forward to 2016. Over 50 articles covering over 40 investing topics including insight and forecasts from hundreds of sources, these Free Reports offer incredible value to investors.

All new for 2016, these free reports are mobile and tablet friendly. This means you can take them to go or read these free reports at your leisure. Feel free to share with your friends and family – anyone you feel should be looking at the investing opportunities that 2016 presents.

Critical Metals Outlook: The Potential for 2016

Jon Hykawy of Stormcrow Capital Talks Rare Earth Prices 2015
Rare Earth Market Outlook 2016
Graphite Outlook 2016: Megafactory Deals on the Horizon?
Cobalt Outlook 2016: Near-term Deficit Still Expected
Tungsten Outlook: Does 2016 Have Potential?
Tantalum Price Trends 2015
Magnesium Mining Outlook 2016
Manganese Outlook 2016: Weak Steel Demand a Threat
Scandium Market Trends for 2015

Precious Metals

Gold Trends 2015: CEOs Recap the Year
Gold CEO Outlook
Gold Analyst Outlook
Silver Predictions 2016: Watch China and the Gold Price
Top Silver Investments of 2015
Platinum Price Forecast 2016: Market to Balance
Palladium Price Forecast 2016
Diamond Outlook 2016: Summer to Bring Higher Prices?

Energy

Uranium Outlook 2016: Supply Deficit in the Cards
Analysts Look Back at the Lithium Market in 2015
Junior Lithium Miners: 2015 in Review
Lithium Company Outlook
Lithium Outlook 2016: What are Analysts Saying?
Oil Price Outlook 2016: Turnaround Targeted in late 2016
Natural Gas Outlook 2016: Prices to Stay Down on Oversupply

Industrial Metals (Coming Soon)

Coal in 2015: Another Tough Year
Coal Outlook 2016: Near-term Rebound Highly Unlikely
5 Top Vanadium Articles of 2015
Aluminum Outlook 2016: Weakness to Prevail on Oversupplied Steel Industry
Tin Outlook
Molybdenum Outlook
Chromium Outlook

Base Metals (Coming Soon)

Copper Price Forecast 2016: Producers Under Pressure
Copper Outlook 2016: Companies Weigh In
Zinc Forecast 2016: Will Strong Fundamentals Boost Price?
Iron Price Forecast for 2016 and Onward
Lead Outlook 2016: Watch China for Cues
Nickel Outlook

Agriculture

Investing in Cannabis 2016: Legalization and FDA Approvals to Revolutionize the Market
Potash Outlook 2016: SOP Expected to Shine
Phosphate Outlook: Steady Demand on the Horizon

Technology (Coming Soon)

2016 to Bring Big Changes for Cleantech Investors?
3 Social Media Future Trends for 2016
Year in Review: The Bitcoin Market in 2015
Data Mining Trends for 2016
Investing in 3D Printer Companies in 2016
3 Top App Investing Trends for 2016
Nanotechnology Future Outlook 2016
Graphene Outlook
Cybersecurity Outlook
Cloud Outlook

Life Science (Coming Soon)

Top Trends for Genomics Stocks in 2016
2016 Outlook for Pharmaceutical Investors
Top Longevity Research Trends: Life Extension in 2016
Top Medical Device Trends for 2016
Biotech Outlook

Have other topics you’d like us to cover?

Please let us know!

The post 2016 Outlook Free Reports appeared first on Investing News Network.

US DC: Arrests In Mobile Marijuana Outfit

Washington Post, 24 Dec 2015 – ‘Kush Gods’ Took ‘Donations’ Cannabis-Laced Treats Traded on Streets of D.C. For months, a brightly painted Mercedes SUV and a Lexus coupe plied the hipster spots of the District along H and U streets and Adams Morgan, their operators openly doling out brownies, cupcakes, cookies and gummy bears that police say were laced with marijuana. The vehicles, with out-of-state plates and bearing pictures of marijuana plants, were as common in some neighborhoods as food trucks, and the proprietors of “KushGods” did little to hide their enterprise. They talked to the media about trading pot for “donations,” and patrons could follow them on Twitter and call the mon a phone advertised on the vehicles.

US AZ: Columm: New Conditions

Tucson Weekly, 24 Dec 2015 – NEW CONDITIONS The State Is Failing to Meet the Requirement to Allow New Medical Conditions The Arizona Medical Marijuana Act has provided safe legal access to medical cannabis to sick Arizonans since the passage of Prop 203 in November 2010. The program is regulated by the Arizona Department of Health Services. New conditions can be added to the program during open application periods twice a year, but the rules surrounding the process and the specific standards by which these conditions are approved or denied are largely left to the AZDHS administration. AZDHS has fought hard against all the petitions filed in the history of the program. Only PTSD, with the help of the Arizona Cannabis Nurses Association has been successfully added as a qualifying condition. AZCNA Attorney Ken Sobel appealed the AZDHS denial of PTSD and prevailed.In a huge victory for patient rights, this was special because is it is the first mental health condition to be approved for treatment under the AMMA.

US CO: Column: Cannabis Clubs Take Organizing Steps, Solicitor

Colorado Springs Independent, 23 Dec 2015 – Cannavengers assemble A few Colorado Springs cannabis clubs are moving to self-regulate. On Dec. 7, Jaymen Johnson announced on Facebook the formation of the Association of Cannabis Social Clubs.

US: Power-hungry Pot Industry Taxing U.S. Electrical Grids

Seattle Times, 23 Dec 2015 – Growing Market Cannabis Industry Canceling Out Efforts for Low-Carbon Footprint Pot’s not green. The $3.5 billion U.S. cannabis market is emerging as one of the nation’s most power-hungry industries, with the 24-hour demands of thousands of indoor growing sites taxing aging electricity grids and unraveling hard-earned gains in energy conservation.

Tell Senator Grassley To Give The CARERS ACT A Hearing

The CARERS Act would do a number of things to help suffering patients that find relief from using medical marijuana. Cannabis Radio has a petition circulating calling on Senator Chuck Grassley to schedule a hearing for the bill. So far the biggest hurtle to the bill has been Senator Grassley’s lack of movement. If Senator

US MD: Delay In Licenses For Medical Pot

Washington Post, 22 Dec 2015 – People who want to buy marijuana in Maryland for medicinal purposes are probably going to have to wait until 2017, nearly four years after the state made it legal. The Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission announced Monday that it will not award licenses to grow and process the drug until sometime in the summer – and industry officials say it will take an additional four to six months after that for the product to be ready to sell.

The Difference Between A Marijuana ‘Edible’ And A Cannabis ‘Consumable’

Marijuana edibles are very popular. I once seen a statisticthat stated 40-50% of all legal marijuana-related product sales in America are of edibles. I wouldn’t be surprised if that number grew in upcoming years. More and more people are either consuming marijuana for the first time now that recreational is legal in some states, or

US CA: Mellow Moments At Cannabis Fair

Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec 2015 – The Emerald Cup Draws a Crowd Who Discussed Pot and Consumed It in Innumerable Ways. SANTA ROSA – The Emerald Cup is not like any country fair you have ever visited. Photographs by Robin Abcarian Los Angeles Times AN EMERALD CUP visitor takes a hit of waxy cannabis extract from a glass pipe. The booth offered free hits of its organic cannabis products. Panel discussions focused on plant genetics, pest and mold management, and how to create medicinal grade extracts.

US OR: Column: The Cannabis Holiday Gift Guide

Portland Mercury, 17 Dec 2015 – CANNA CLAUS, Marijuanakkah, Chronicwanzaa-however you choose to observe, it’s the holidaze! Right now! And you need to buy gifts! Lots of them, and hurry! No-more than that, ya cheapskate! And look, the good ones are nearly gone! Wait! Can’t you get that for $10 less by buying it online?

US WA: Additional 222 Medical-Marijuana Retail Stores

Seattle Times, 17 Dec 2015 – Liquor and Cannabis Board Would Double Number of Stores in Seattle Trying to fold medical marijuana into the state’s retail system, state Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) staff are recommending an additional 222 retail stores around Washington, including 21 in Seattle.

What To Do If California’s Marijuana Regulations Suck?

I received the following press release for the International Cannabis Business Conference. With the evolving situation in California, I felt it was a timely piece that I should pass on: Business and politics: At San Francisco’s International Cannabis Business Conference in February, entrepreneurs will learn about California’s new marijuana policies — and how to change

US CA: Cannabis Dispensary Initiative Likely; Petition Has

Appeal-Democrat, 13 Dec 2015 – A second marijuana-related special election will likely be conducted in Yuba County in June following certification of petitions seeking to allow cannabis dispensaries in the county. County election officials determined last week enough signatures on the dispensary initiative petitions are of registered voters to force an election. The announcement comes a week after County Clerk Terry Hansen certified separate petitions calling for a less restrictive ordinance for growing marijuana in the county.

Largest Study Ever On Marijuana And Epilepsy Shows Effectiveness Of Cannabis

Marijuana has been proven to be tremendously effective when it comes to treating epilepsy. It seems like most of the time that I see medical marijuana being talked about on the news or in print media, it’s almost always talking about how CBD can help epilepsy, with countless success stories. There are a lot of

Grow For Vets – California Holding 2-Day Free Cannabis Giveaway For Members At The Emerald Cup

If you are in the area. More info via the event’s Facebook page: Grow for Vets – California will be holding a 2-day Free Cannabis Giveaway for members at the Emerald Cup. To receive a free cannabis gift bag, eligible members must hold a valid medical marijuana recommendation from a licensed California physician and comply

Every Study Shows Cannabis Works As Medicine For Patients

When California voters passed Proposition 215 in 1996, the Golden State became the first to legalize medical cannabis in the United States. There was one hitch. No scientific studies and clinical trials demonstrating the effectiveness of cannabis as medicine were available to researchers.

Some

“My recommendation was, look, establish a center to study this,” said Grant, who’d previously looked into whether moderate marijuana use causes long-term brain damage (conclusion: it doesn’t).

“It’ll cost you some money but these studies have not been done before,” he told the legislators.

Soon, Grant found himself in charge of the new state-funded Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research.

It was an enviable position. Many scientists in the United States would love to do experiments using pot, but it’s been incredibly difficult to study. The Drug Enforcement Administration lists marijuana as a schedule one drug alongside heroin and ecstasy.

It’s a category reserved for drugs with “no currently accepted medical use.” Grant said his work challenging that assumption wouldn’t have been possible without Sacramento fully behind him.

“Without the state of California saying, ‘Yes, we support this work,’ we probably would’ve never gotten federal approval,” Grant said.

Grant worked with scientists throughout the UC system to complete a series of small human trials. They sourced their samples from the only federally sanctioned grow operation, a pot farm at the University of Mississippi.

“It would be a joint basically,” Grant said. “But very professionally rolled, I might say. It looked like a cigarette.”.

The joints all looked and smelled the same, but not all of them got subjects high.

These studies required placebos, so some joints contained no THC, sort of like the pot version of decaf coffee. Grant had to convince DEA agents these samples would not leave the lab.

“The DEA has to come locally and say, ‘Where are you going to store it? Let’s look at your research pharmacy,’” Grant said. “In one case they said, ‘Is that safe bolted to the floor?’”

Subjects smoked their joints in hermetically sealed rooms with no ventilation leading toward non-participants who might unwittingly inhale stray fumes.

Grant and his colleagues had to jump through lots of regulatory hoops to pull off the experiments. But once they were done, the findings surprised him.

“I kind of expected, well, we’re going to have a few studies that say yes and a few that will say no, and then at the end of the day we’ll still be arguing,” Grant said. “But in fact every single study showed benefit.”

Grant said it’s now well-established that cannabis is effective in treating neuropathic pain in patients with diseases like HIV/AIDS. It can reduce spasticity in multiple sclerosis. And — perhaps obviously — it can stimulate appetite in underweight patients.

Grant said more research is needed before reaching conclusions about marijuana’s usefulness with other diseases, like epilepsy and schizophrenia. He also admits some purported uses have little to no scientific support. But taken altogether, Grant says there’s now more than enough evidence to justify rescheduling marijuana.

Other scientists agree. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently called for rescheduling. Even U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has acknowledged marijuana can be helpful in treating certain conditions.

Alex Kreit, a professor at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law, said learning more about pot will be difficult without rescheduling.

“It makes it very hard for researchers to get access,” Kreit said. “There are a whole host of hurdles that schedule one drugs come with, as far as research, that schedule two, three and so forth simply don’t have.”

 “It’s completely incongruous that it’s sitting in schedule one with other useless, dangerous drugs.”

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Kyle Turley And The Gridiron Cannabis Coalition Are A Huge Asset To The Reform Movement

I first heard about the Gridiron Cannabis Coalition from my buddy Kaliko. He had ran into some of the people that are with the organization, and sent me some texts and links. The more I checked them out, the more I was intrigued. The organization has a very unique message.Below is more information about the

US OR: Column: Puff, Puff, Publish: Cannabis In The News

Portland Mercury, 10 Dec 2015 – This column increased in size by 50 percent a few weeks ago, and yet there is still barely enough space for all the canna-news. Light one up and let’s jump right in. PUFF, PUFF, PUBLISH-Portland made national news this week when our branch of the USPS put out a memo to area newspaper publishers. In it, they reminded our modern-day William Randolph Hearsts that it is still illegal “to place an ad in any publication with the purpose of seeking or offering illegally to receive, buy, or distribute a Schedule I controlled substance.” It went on to say, “If an advertisement advocates the purchase of clinical marijuana through a Medical Marijuana Dispensary, it does not comply” with federal law.

Study Suggests Cannabis Will Replace Adderall & Ritalin For ADD/ADHD Treatment

Adderall and Ritalin are DEA Schedule II substances. This means, they have a “high potential for abuse,” can “lead to severe psychological or physical dependence” and are considered “dangerous”

“When we look at upperclassmen, the number really begins to jump,” says Alan DeSantis, professor of communications at the University of Kentucky who has conducted research on  use in college. “The more time you stay on campus, the more likely you are to use.”

Two-thirds of college students are offered Adderall and other prescription stimulants by their senior year, and about half of that group (or 31 percent overall) are just saying yes, according to a 2012 study published in the Journal of American College Health.

Medicinal cannabis is proving to be just as or more effective than common ADD/ADHD prescriptions without the risks and unpleasant side effects.

The with ADHD who had limited success with conventional treatments for the disorder (Adderall and Ritalin). All 30 reported “improved concentration and sleep” and “reduced impulsivity” after using medicinal cannabis, according to the case report.

Moreover, 22 out of the 30 patients decided to forgo their previously prescribed medications once the study was over and continue using medicinal marijuana to manage their symptoms.

Albeit with a very small sample group, this study provides some of the first clinical data on the potential of marijuana in treating ADHD, which, as we know, is characterized by difficulty concentrating, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and forgetfulness.

Dr. David Bearman, a so-called figurehead of cannabis research, a.k.a. a “cannabinoidologist,” explains the effects of marijuana in treating ADHD symptoms as having to do with the brain’s dopamine levels.

“Cannabis appears to treat ADD and ADHD by increasing the availability of dopamine,” Bearman explains (via Leafly). “This then has the same effect but is a different mechanism of action than stimulants like Ritalin and dexedrine amphetamine, which act by binding to the dopamine and interfering with the metabolic breakdown of dopamine.”

Cannabis  (more specifically, the cannabinoids)  possibly corrects dopamine shortages in the brains of people with ADHD. As of now, two states in the United States—California and Colorado—allow the prescription of medical marijuana to treat ADHD, but if more studies prove out the results in this one, don’t be surprised if more states follow suit.

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7 Tips to Juicing Fresh Cannabis in a Healthy Diet

Cannabis is one of the most beautiful plants on Earth with few others  matching its versatile medicinal uses. Many scientific publications have shown the cannabinoids from juices and extracts are very effective against diseases such as cancer, epilepsy & seizures, asthma, migraines, MS, IBS, Alzheimer’s and many other diseases. Some believe that raw cannabis should be treated as a dietary staple.

The body is able to tolerate larger dosages of cannabinoids when cannabis is consumed in the raw form. This is because when you smoke cannabis, the THC actually acts as a CB1 receptor agonist and your body can only absorb about 10 mg at a time

CBD works on receptors, and as it turns out, we have cannabinoids in our bodies, endogenous cannabinoids, that turn out to be very effective at regulating immune functions, nerve functions, and bone functions. The endogenous cannabinoid system acts as a modulator in fine-tuning a lot of these systems, and if something is deranged
biochemically in a person’s body, it may well be that a cannabinoid system can bring things back into balance.

Now we know all this is very exciting, but do not go throwing your dispensary buds in the juicer thinking your about to make a magic healing potion. Here are 7 tips on juicing raw cannabis:

When juicing raw plant material, no psychoactive THC is consumed because the molecule simply is not present in the plant. Thus, patients who juice experience no euphoria.

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Six Board Members Of CCPR Officially Endorse The California ‘Adult Use Of Marijuana Act’

I received the following press release: Today, in the wake of a majority of the Board of Directors for the Coalition for Cannabis Policy Reform (CCPR) agreeing to vote to withdraw its own measure (known as “ReformCA”), six members of the CCPR Board immediately announced their endorsement of the recently-amended statewide ballot measure known as

Cannabis Might Be the Cure to Drug Addiction

Las Vegas – A new study suggests that cannabinoids may play a crucial role in helping with stimulant addiction.

“A growing number of studies support a critical role of the ECBS and its modulation by synthetic or natural cannabinoids in various neurobiological and behavioral aspects of stimulants addiction.

Thus, cannabinoids modulate brain reward systems closely involved in stimulants addiction, and provide further evidence that the cannabinoid system could be explored as a potential drug discovery target for treating addiction across different classes of stimulants.” – US Natural Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health [1]

In a study published by the ‘National Institute of Health,’ researchers discovered cannabinoids affect the brain’s reward system, which includes the components of an individual’s brain responsible for determining their behavior and the amount of pleasure they feel in response to a substance, in a manner similar to that of stimulants.

Evidence suggests that the endocannabinoid system (ECBS) produces neurological processes similar to ones present in the brains of individuals suffering from stimulant addictions. Researchers at ‘The Psychiatry Research Unit at
Centre Hospitalier de Montreal’ in Canada claim this discovery opens the door for further exploration regarding the possibility of the cannabinoid system as a “potential drug discovery target for treating addiction across different classes of stimulants

It is no secret that methamphetamine addiction only continues to dramatically increase with each passing year, especially in the United States.

Although a wealth of diverse research focused on stimulant addiction has been executed over the past few decades, a pharmacological therapy that is able to successfully treat primary symptoms of stimulant addiction withdrawal such as anxiety and cravings, or one that aids in reducing the risk of relapse, has yet to be clearly identified.

Several pharmacological agents have been tested to no avail including antidepressants, anticonvulsants and antipsychotics. However, all hope remains far from lost as evidence continues to surface proving that the endocannabinoid system (ECBS) plays a major role in cognitive and physiological activities related to ones present during stimulant addiction.

Such activities include the “reward” feeling stemming from stimulant abuse, responsiveness to stress and drug induced synaptic plasticity, which relates to the power of brain synapses to strengthen or weaken with time as a result of activity increase or decrease.

Read More at Collective Evolution

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Georgia Governor Nathan Deal Should Look At Medical Cannabis Facts

I received the following press release from the Georgia C.A.R.E. Project (donate here): Last week Georgia Governor Nathan Deal fired a warning shot across the bow of the medical cannabis ship, a warning shot to law makers that he may veto any legislation allowing for in-state cultivation of cannabis for medical use. This week the

Portland NORML Legislative Committee Meets Dec. 7 At NW Cannabis Club At 8pm

By Jennifer Alexander The Portland NORML Legislative Committee will meet December 7th at 8pm at the NW Cannabis Club located at 1195 SE Powell. The Committee will discuss Legislative strategy that will benefit consumers at this meeting, especially the most vulnerable consumers – therapeutic cannabis consumers, with Leland Berger as Chair. The OMMP Rules Advisory

US CA: Column: How To Buy A Cannabis Dispensary In SF

SF Weekly, 03 Dec 2015 – A curtain made from milk jugs cut into various patterns and shapes hangs in the locked doorway of 70 Second Street, a drab, three-story white brick building a few steps from Market Street in downtown San Francisco. Behind this middle-school-worthy art project is one of San Francisco’s most lucrative business opportunities, advertised by a handwritten sign hanging in a nearby window. “AVAILABLE BUILDING,” it reads, “WITH MEDICAL CANNABIS DISPENSARY.” Commercial real estate in San Francisco is currently fetching $703 a square foot, according to LoopNet, which would peg this 7,600-square-foot building’s value at a little under $5.4 million. But the asking price for this opportunity is rumored to be $15 million or higher.

Medical Marijuana Rally In Cranberry, Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania Medical Cannabis Society (PAMCS), along with many concerned state residents, including those suffering from diseases which could be treated with medical cannabis and their families, will be rallying at the Regional Learning Alliance and Conference Center, in Cranberry Township, 16066 on Saturday, Dec. 5, from 2 to 4 pm. More than two weeks

High NY Presents: An Evening with Steve DeAngelo

Invitation to the Media: Come hear one of the most influential leaders in the national legal Cannabis industry, address New York’s largest Cannabis Community. An inspired and undisputed national leader, Steve DeAngelo has been a cannabis activist, advocate, entrepreneur, and educator for almost four decades. DeAngelo co-founded the national dispensary model Harborside Health Centers, the

Cannabis increases the noise in your brain

Several studies have demonstrated that the primary active constituent of cannabis, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, induces transient psychosis-like effects in healthy subjects similar to those observed in schizophrenia. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects are not clear. A new study shows that this active ingredient increases random neural activity, termed neural noise, in the brains of healthy human subjects. The findings suggest that increased neural noise may play a role in the psychosis-like effects of cannabis.

Study: Marijuana Improves Outcomes In Opioid-Dependent Subjects Undergoing Treatment

By Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director Cannabis use is associated with improved outcomes in opioid-dependent subjects undergoing outpatient treatment, according to data published online ahead of print in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Researchers at Columbia University assessed the use of cannabinoids versus placebo in opioid-dependent subjects undergoing in-patient detoxification and outpatient treatment with

The New Missouri Medical Marijuana Video Is Fantastic

I just got done watching a new medical marijuana ad from the Show-Me Cannabis campaign. It’s very well done. One of the most effective things that I have seen when it comes to changing minds about marijuana is putting a face to prohibition. It’s much easier to not like something or oppose something when you

Seed To Sale: Oregon Cannabis Business Seminar

Beginning in 2016, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission will be requiring cannabis cultivators, processors, distributors and dispensary owners to apply for licenses, and the Oregon Health Authority will have a similar process. The City of Portland has also created a separate license for cannabis businesses, and other districts maydo the same. With multiple licenses to

Support The Parents 4 Pot POW And Cannabis Community Holiday Drive

One thing that I love about the cannabis community is that there are so many thoughtful, compassionate members of the community. Tis the season for giving, and we shouldn’t forget those from the cannabis movement that are locked up and/or are in great need. Below is information for a holiday drive, please consider participating: It

US MI: Make The Right Choice: Support MIlegalize

Seattle Weekly, 25 Nov 2015 – HIGHER GROUND We’re heading into the final rounds of the petition drives to legalize recreational marijuana here in Michigan. The MILegalize petition drive is expected to round things up by the end of December. The competing petition circulated by the Michigan Cannabis Coalition (MCC) is expected to finish up in January.

US AZ: A Call To Action

Tucson Weekly, 26 Nov 2015 – Now’s the time to get involved in the cannabis social movement Many social movements have been taking hold in our nation recently. For example, same-sex marriage has moved from social acceptance to being fully legal. Cannabis law reform is a hot topic in politics and the media, as well as more and more states jumping onboard. Times are good, and there is much fulfilling work to be done on these and other humanitarian fronts. However, I am making a public call to action, asking for your participation in these movements. It isn’t hard, there are events happening all the time.

US CO: Column: Cannabis Club Reopens After Renovations, City

Colorado Springs Independent, 25 Nov 2015 – West-side weed The west side’s newest cannabis club, Canna Canyon (1507 W. Colorado Ave.), is open. Owner and CEO Aaron Stone has a strong background in the weed business, having worked on both the medical and recreational sides. The former JP Wellness owner ended a year-long stint as operator of The Lazy Lion in August to create his own club, aiming for what he describes as the pure club experience – something less like a nightclub and more like an Elks lodge or brewers union.

US CO: Column: Mainstream Cannabis Comes To Colorado

Boulder Weekly, 26 Nov 2015 – Celebrities Bring Big Money and Big Names to a Capped Marijuana Industry On Nov. 9, Colorado’s weed scene gained its capstone endorsement – Snoop Dogg launched his very own line of marijuana products including flower, chocolate bars, shatter, wax, drops and other candies.

US MI: Column: Make the Right Choice: Support MILegalize

Metro Times, 25 Nov 2015 – We’re heading into the final rounds of the petition drives to legalize recreational marijuana here in Michigan. The MILegalize petition drive is expected to round things up by the end of December. The competing petition circulated by the Michigan Cannabis Coalition (MCC) is expected to finish up in January. In case you were wondering, the MILegalize petition is clearly the one you should support and the law you should vote for when the time comes.

The Cannabis Industry Gives Thanks 2015

I was recently asked, along with other members of the cannabis community, what I was most thankful for from 2015. That was a very easy answer for me to provide. Below is an infographic that was made with the answers, including mine. Feel free to put what you are most thankful for in the comments

Oregon Cannabis Industry Social With Senator Floyd Prozanski

Join New Economy Consulting for a happy hour fundraiser for State Senator Floyd Prozanski on Thursday the 10th of December from 5:30 until 7pm at Laurelwood Public House & Brewery! Floyd has been one of the industries greatest allies in fighting for patients rights and advocating for reasonable rules and regulations for well over a

Seattle: Fundraising Raffle For Current And Former Cannabis Prisoners

This is a raffle for commissary funds for Jimmy Romans and also the George Martorano/Jeff Mizanskey Travel to Hempfest 2016 Fund. Tickets are priced at $10.00 each. Drawing to be held 04/21/2016 @ 4:20 PM at Hempfest Central and you need not be present to win. The TWO winners must claim their prizes no later

‘Historic’ Turnout For Deschutes Cannabis Businesses At County Planning Commission

Nearly 75 Deschutes County business owners and allies wearing green ribbons filled the room at the Deschutes County Planning Commission meeting last night. The group delivered a petition signed by more than 200 local business owners, farmers and residents urging the Planning Commission to support licensed cannabis farming and other businesses in unincorporated Deschutes County.

US CA: 3,500 Signatures on Yuba County Pot Dispensary Petitions

Appeal-Democrat, 24 Nov 2015 – Supporters of allowing medical marijuana dispensaries in Yuba County have filed petitions containing more than 3,500 signatures in their effort to force a countywide vote on the issue. County election officials confirmed that the Safe Patient Access to Regulated Cannabis group submitted initiative petitions on Friday afternoon. They were filed nearly three months ahead of a Feb. 13 deadline.

‘Reefer Madness’ In The Home Of The Republican Party

A benefit to support the legalization of marijuana in Michigan is being held in the birthplace of the Republican Party- Jackson, Michigan. Jackson County NORML is hosting a movie night fundraiser for MILegalize on November 27th. MILegalize is the Michigan Comprehensive Cannabis Reform Initiative; they are in the final weeks of a petition drive to

US: Cannabis Social Network Proves A Big Draw

The Guardian, 18 Nov 2015 – Stoned Conversation Leads to Business With 600,000 Users and Serious Investors The idea for a social network specifically aimed at cannabis users came to Isaac Dietrich, appropriately enough, while he was smoking a joint with his best friend. “We thought of all our friends who smoked,” said Dietrich, who has been smoking cannabis “on a daily basis” since he was 15.

NCIA 5 Year Anniversary Video: Looking Back, Moving Forward

This blog started in 2010, and so did the National Cannabis Industry Association. I have watched, and supported, their work from the very beginning, and will continue to do so. Their work has added to the momentum for marijuana reform in a way that no other organization has. That’s not to take away from other

Danish cannabis is stronger than ever

The concentration of the euphoriant THC in cannabis has tripled in the space of 20 years in Denmark. The reason may be a systematic processing of the cannabis plants, some of which are being grown in skunk farms in Denmark. Cannabis of such high quality can lead to a greater risk of harm and adverse side effects. This is in particular a problem for the large group of young people who smoke it several times a month.

Food Drive Donations Are Being Collected At Participating Los Angeles Dispensaries For Food4Cannabis

There are few things that I love as much as highlighting when members from the marijuana community step up to help worthy causes. There is currently a food drive underway in Los Angeles, with participating dispensaries accepting donations. All of the donations go towards families that are in need. I have always said that the

US WA: OPED: Align U.S. Cannabis Law With State Laws

The Herald, 15 Nov 2015 – ALIGN U.S. CANNABIS LAW WITH STATE LAWS The U.S. Smart Act Would Protect Marijuana Users and Businesses in States Where It Has Been Legalized. In 2012, voters in Washington state passed Initiative 502, which legalized the sale, consumption and taxation of marijuana products. Including Washington, 23 states and the District of Columbia have legalized some form of marijuana, and in 2016, several more states are expected to consider marijuana legalization ballot initiatives.

Congresswoman Lee Recognized With National Cannabis Industry Association’s 2015 Legislative Leadership Award

I received the following press release from Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s office: Yesterday, Congresswoman Barbara Lee received the 2015 Legislative Leadership Award from the National Cannabis Industry Association at the organization’s 5th annual gala dinner. “It is truly a humbling honor to receive this award. I’d like to thank the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA), Board

Medford, Oregon Votes To Ban All Residential Marijuana Grows

By Keith Mansur – Oregon Cannabis Connection Medford Oregon’s City Council, a few weeks after approving medical marijuana dispensaries in the city, voted to ban all growing of cannabis in residential zones in town. Mayor Gary Wheeler had threatened to veto the controversial dispensary ordinance even though it had passed with a overwhelming 7-1 vote.

Grow For Vets – Oregon Hosting A Free Cannabis Giveaway Event Today

Save A Million Vets, in association withGrow for Vets – Oregon, Grow for Vets U.S.A. are hosting this Free Cannabis Giveaway and Rally, on Saturday, November 14, 2015, at Samurai Grower Supply in Albany, OR. Grow for Vets U.S.A. is a national, veteran-based, 501(c)(19) nonprofit organization. In addition to numerous national sponsors, the event is

Medical Cannabis and Its Impact on Human Health – Cancer, Aids, Crohn’s, IBD

Cannabis is a Schedule I drug in the United States. That means the government has designated the plant as having no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Medical Cannabis and Its Impact on Human Health – Cancer, Aids, Crohn’s, IBD is a great  resource

No accepted medical use? There are scores of studies that say differently.

Rick Simpson is a medical marijuana activist, and he has been on a crusade of healing. He considers Cannabis to be the most medicinally active plant that humans can use on this planet.

Marijuana has been shown in some cases to effectively treat numerous types of cancer, improve immunity, and fight anxiety and pain.

Here’s the full list of studies:

Cannabis kills tumor cells

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1576089
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20090845
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/616322
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14640910
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19480992
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15275820
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15638794
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16818650
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17952650
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20307616
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16616335
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16624285
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10700234
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17675107
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14617682
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17342320
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16893424
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15026328

Uterine, testicular, and pancreatic cancers

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/cannabis/healthprofessional/page4
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20925645

Brain cancer

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11479216

Mouth and throat cancer

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20516734

Breast cancer

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18454173
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16728591
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9653194

Lung cancer

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25069049
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22198381?dopt=Abstract
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21097714?dopt=Abstract

Prostate cancer

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12746841?dopt=Abstract
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3339795/?tool=pubmed
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22594963
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15753356
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10570948
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19690545

Blood cancer

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12091357
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16908594

Skin cancer

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12511587
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19608284

Liver cancer

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21475304

Cannabis cancer cures (general)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12514108
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15313899
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20053780
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18199524
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19589225
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12182964
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19442435
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12723496
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16250836
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17237277

Cancers of the head and neck

http://ww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2277494

Cholangiocarcinoma cancer

http://ww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19916793
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21115947

Leukemia

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15454482
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16139274
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14692532

Cannabis partially/fully induced cancer cell death

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12130702
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19457575
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18615640
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17931597
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18438336
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19916793
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18387516
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15453094
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19229996
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9771884
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18339876
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12133838
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16596790
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11269508
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15958274
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19425170
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17202146
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11903061
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15451022
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20336665
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19394652
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11106791
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19189659
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16500647
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19539619
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19059457
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16909207
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18088200
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10913156
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18354058
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19189054
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17934890
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16571653
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19889794
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15361550

Translocation-positive rhabdomyosarcoma

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19509271

Lymphoma

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18546271
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16936228
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16337199
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19609004

Cannabis kills cancer cells

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16818634
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12648025
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17952650
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16835997

Melanoma

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17065222

Thyroid carcinoma

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18197164

Colon cancer

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18938775
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19047095

Intestinal inflammation and cancer

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19442536

Cannabinoids in health and disease

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18286801

Cannabis inhibits cancer cell invasion

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19914218

The post Medical Cannabis and Its Impact on Human Health – Cancer, Aids, Crohn’s, IBD appeared first on CANNAiQ.

US CA: Column: Selling Cannabis To Asians

SF Weekly, 12 Nov 2015 – A few years ago, State Controller Betty Yee went to the funeral of her close friend’s mother, who had died of cancer. At the service, after prayers and eulogies had been made and the proper respect paid to the deceased, Yee’s friend stood up. Instead of more words of comfort, she issued a proclamation that shocked her mother’s straight-laced, “very conservative” family and friends.

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

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

Alaska’s Draft Recreational Cannabis Need Public Comment Now!

By Lindsey Rinehart Alaskan’s are anxiously waiting for their recreational market to begin licensing in February of 2016. Once approved, recreational cannabis sales will begin as early as May 2016, but first the rules need finalized. Often when rules are being formed, there is a medical cannabis program to balance with, but this is not

Leading Marijuana Market Research Firm Partners With Leading Cannabis Data Firm

From the stage at ArcView’s private investor forum at the Hilton Lake Las Vegas, ArcView Market Research, the top selling publisher of cannabis market information, and New Frontier, the leading Big Data provider in the cannabis industry, will announce a strategic partnership to co-produce at least ten market reports on the cannabis industry over the

Anthony Wile, Motley Fool Caution Early Cannabis Investors

Lately it seems that everything is falling into place for the cannabis industry and early investors. Canada is on its way to legalizing marijuana and Australia and Britain may soon be considering legalization as well, certainly when it comes to medicinal cannabis. The potential profits seem sweet. But this may or may not be the

Minnesota Advisory Panel Recommends Adding Intractable Pain As Qualifying Condition For Medical Marijuana

The Minnesota Office of Medical Cannabis Intractable Pain Advisory Committee posted its recommendations on the question of whether intractable pain should be a medical cannabis qualifying condition late Wednesday. A majority of the panel opposed adding intractable pain, despite marijuana’s relative safety when compared to commonly prescribed pain medications. The panel also listed a variety

New Economy Consulting And Cannabis Industry Leaders To Hold Fundraiser For Portland Mayor Campaign

On Thursday, November 5th New Economy Consulting (NEC) and cannabis industry leaders will hold a fundraiser for State Treasurer and Portland Mayoral Candidate Ted Wheeler. The intimate gathering will be held downtown at 7pm in the EcoTrust building and will focus on issues that directly relate to the Cannabis industry in Portland and across the

California Clears ‘California Cannabis Hemp Initiative 2016’ For Circulation

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

Marijuana Jobs Report For October 2015

The Cannabis Jobs Board has released the October jobs report. October saw an 11% increase from the previous month (September) making it a total of 442 cannabis job openings. Most states saw an increase in marijuana job openings, California was the largest with a 4% increase. The Cannabis Jobs Board gathers almost every cannabis job

US OH: Ohioans Mull Marijuana Legalization

The Blade, 01 Nov 2015 – 2nd Statewide Ballot Question Could Nullify Yes Vote for Cannabis COLUMBUS – Two issues on this week’s ballot stand alone, but the fate of one may depend on the other. Ohio is about to make a historic decision on Issue 3. Should the state become the first east of Colorado to legalize marijuana for recreational, medical, and commercial purposes?

US HI: Cannabis In Candies Has Officials On High Alert

Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 31 Oct 2015 – Tainted Treats Send Several High-Schoolers to the Emergency Room Manufactured cannabis-laced fruit candy that has sickened Oahu teens in recent weeks may be touching off anxiety among parents of trick-or-treaters this Halloween.

American Chemical Society Announces Cannabis Chemistry Subdivision

On October 8th, 2015 the Division of Chemical Health and Safety (CHAS) of the American Chemical Society voted to form the Cannabis Chemistry Subdivision (CANN). The CANN subdivision previously existed under the Small Chemical Business Division as the Cannabis Chemistry Committee, but will be located within CHAS following the expansion to official subdivision status. CHAS

The Best Way To Deal With Powdery Mildew On Marijuana Plants Is To Prevent It In The First Place

Getting Rid Of Powdery Mildew On Cannabis Plants Is Extremely Difficult, So Be Proactive And Get Out Ahead Of It Like many Americans, I have a weather app on my phone. I was looking at it today on my morning break at work, and it looks like there is nothing but rainy days in the