WeedLife News Network

The quest for Westland to become a major destination in the marijuana industry took another step this month.

A third marijuana business, this one planned on the north side of Cherry Hill west of Newburgh, recently received recommendation from the city's planning commission for a special land use and site plan. 

The business, which would be a collocated facility that contains retail space for medicinal and recreational marijuana, would be on the property near the Hush Haunted Attraction and The Legendary Axe bar. 

Advocates in Ukraine have called on the global cannabis community for support.

“The smell of cannabis in Europe always gave me a sense of freedom,” says Nazariy Sovsun, a resident in the city of Kyiv.

“This is something we want for Ukraine too.”

Nazariy has worked in drug policy since 2011. He and Maksym Kharkavyi, are members of Freedom March, a longstanding movement, which has advocated for the legalisation of cannabis in Ukraine since 2005.

“For generations we have been fighting for adoption and implementation of the drug policy strategy in Ukraine, organising rallies, campaigns and advocating for cannabis patients in the courts,” Nazariy explains.

Advocates in Ukraine have called on the global cannabis community for support.

“The smell of cannabis in Europe always gave me a sense of freedom,” says Nazariy Sovsun, a resident in the city of Kyiv.

“This is something we want for Ukraine too.”

Nazariy has worked in drug policy since 2011. He and Maksym Kharkavyi, are members of Freedom March, a longstanding movement, which has advocated for the legalisation of cannabis in Ukraine since 2005.

“For generations we have been fighting for adoption and implementation of the drug policy strategy in Ukraine, organising rallies, campaigns and advocating for cannabis patients in the courts,” Nazariy explains.

The authors stated that “the better results could be due to the medicinal properties, including anti-inflammatory effects, of some cannabinoids.”

A new study found that “cannabis consumption is associated with lower COVID-19 severity among hospitalized patients.” (Benzinga)

According to the researchers “cannabis may actually lead to reduced disease severity and better outcomes despite a five-fold greater concomitant use of tobacco amongst cannabis users compared to non-users in our study population.”

Researchers aimed to assess whether cannabis users hospitalized for COVID-19 had improved outcomes compared to non-users.

The study published in the Journal of Cannabis Research showed that cannabis users had better outcomes, including a decreased need for ICU admission or mechanical ventilation.

Missouri voters will have the ability to legalize recreational marijuana use through a constitutional amendment, now that the petition has gained enough signatures to go on the ballot.

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft ruled on two petitions Tuesday. One, dealing with ranked choice voting, did not gain enough signatures, but the petition on recreational marijuana did.

The marijuana petition received the number of needed signatures in six of Missouri’s eight congressional districts, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.

The petition will appear as Amendment 3 on the ballot, and if a majority of Missouri voters approve it, recreational marijuana will be legal in the state.

While Detroit's new recreational cannabis law survived one legal attack this week, others are still on deck.

Catch up quick: 

City Council passed the recreational marijuana law in April to provide a limited number of recreational licenses while setting up a "social equity" framework that helps Detroiters enter the market.

Driving the news:

The Detroit Election Commission rejected a ballot initiative Monday designed to overturn the law because it lacked enough valid petition signatures, city clerk Janice Winfrey, who sits on the commission, tells Axios.

But, but, but: 

Driver in Texas charged after travelling 130 km/h (81mi/h) in a 97 km/h zone (60mi/h).

A wanted man in Texas must have decided to throw caution to the wind when he opted to speed through a highway construction zone while carrying cannabis. Predictably, Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office (TGCSO) corporal conducting traffic control at a work zone on Highway 87 stopped the driver on Aug. 4 after he was allegedly clocked at 130 kilometres/hour in the 97 km/h work zone.

There were workers present when the driver made his way through the zone, notes an incident report from the TGCSO.

Upon stopping the speedster, it was determined the driver was wanted in Ector County, Tex. The man was arrested and over the course of the ensuing investigation, the corporal located and seized just over four kilograms of cannabis and $1,806 in cash. Recreational cannabis is illegal in Texas, per the Texas State Law Library. “In addition to criminal penalties, illegal use of cannabis may affect other aspects of a person’s life. For example, employment or release on probation or parole may depend upon abstaining from controlled substances,” the information notes.

Possessing 113 grams to 2.3 kilograms of cannabis in the state is a felony charge punishable by 180 days to two years of incarceration as well as a $12,900 fine upon conviction, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). The next highest amount for weed-related possession, namely 2.3 kilograms to 22.7 kilograms, carries a maximum penalty of two to 10 years in prison and a $12,900 fine, NORML reports.

Following the recent incident, the driver was charged with the latter offence and failing to appear on manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance of greater than 400 grams, TGCSO reports. The stop in Texas clearly shows how speeding can get a person noticed, but the driver’s pace was far from a record. Earlier this summer, a driver in Saskatchewan who tested positive for THC received a $1,011 fine and a 60-day licence suspension for travelling 169 km/h in a 100 km/h zone.

A post on Facebook, shared hundreds of times, claims that a “60 gram supply of Cannabis Oil” is “enough to treat one cancer patient”. It also includes an image of several plastic syringes which it claims contain cannabis oil, with the caption “Cancer Cure”.

While there is evidence some cannabis products can be beneficial to cancer patients, and research on this is ongoing, there is no current proof that cannabis oil can cure cancer. 

Claims that cannabis products can cure cancer are ‘misleading’

The Facebook post doesn’t provide any source for its claim that 60g of cannabis oil would be enough to treat one cancer patient, nor does it include any specific information about what types or stages of cancer could allegedly be treated with cannabis oil. 

SLEEPY EYE — The Sleepy Eye City Council will hear an update Tuesday on the newly adopted edible cannabis law.

The new law effective July 1, enacted at the end of the 2022 legislative session, allows certain edible and beverage products infused with THC to be sold.

Under current law, the products can be manufactured in Minnesota but also imported from other sates. Growing hemp in Minnesota is governed by the state Department of Agriculture, although the MDA Hemp Program does not regulate cannabis extracts, development and manufacturing of cannabis extracts, or the retail and marketing of cannabinoid products.

Cities could consider zoning implications for manufacturing and production of cannabinoid products, according to the LMC.

The new law limits the sale of CBD and THC products to persons over age 21. The council meeting starts at 8 p.m. in the council chambers. It is broadcast on the local cable access channel.

Legal cannabis states offer plenty of options, from desserts to forests, for the adventurous at heart

Road trips are back in fashion in a big way, with the pandemic catapulting them back into popularity so much so that vans and other road trip vehicles were snatched up and rented in record time. Current gas prices and uncertain economic times, however, may have some people in the U.S. are staying close to home. Still, if a person happens to be a cannabis lover getting a bit stir crazy while waiting for prices at the pump to return to normal, there are some great road trips in states where marijuana is legal that are worth investing in and investigating. Some might require saving, while others are more approachable if timed right.

Here are five unforgettable road trips that are worth saving up for if someone loves both the open road and recreational marijuana.

This is, in many ways, the Mecca of weed road trips. It is best to start in San Francisco, as it is easier to load up on essentials and rent a car in the city rather than the wilderness. San Francisco is the first place to ever have a medical marijuana dispensary in the U.S., at The San Francisco Cannabis Buyers Club, opened by Dennis Peron. Enjoy the slow pace of Route 1 along the coast, and soak up the natural beauty. Eventually drivers will arrive in the Emerald Triangle’s most famous area, Humboldt County. Humboldt is known for cultivating some of the best marijuana in the world, and its small towns have all sorts of cannabis-themed activities. This area is also home to some of the largest trees in the world. Avenue of The Giants is perhaps the most breathtaking wooded drive a person may take in his or her life. Visitors don’t even need any weed to marvel at the wonder of the ancient giant Redwoods throughout Humboldt county. Shelter Cove and Trinidad are two fantastic Humboldt coastal towns worth one’s time before beginning the return towards the Golden Gate. It is important to note that while this is certainly a must-do for any true marijuana and road trip lover, it is also a bit pricey. California gas, hotel and car rental prices are some of the highest in the entire U.S., so this might be a trip to save up for.

Arizona to New Mexico

Offence carries a minimum sentence of five to 10 years “deprivation of freedom,” along with a fine.

The sentencing of WNBA star Brittney Griner to nine years behind bars and a fine of 1 million rubles — between US$10,000 and US$20,000, depending on the exchange rate — should come as no surprise to those familiar with Russian law.

The country has long enforced strict drug laws and has a well-deserved reputation for zero-tolerance jurisdiction.

Indeed, the crime Griner was prosecuted of — smuggling narcotics of a “significant amount” in violation of Article 229 (2)(c) of the Russian criminal code — carries a minimum sentence of five to 10 years “deprivation of freedom,” along with the fine, although the upper end of the spectrum seems to be common.

The prosecutor in Griner’s case asked for 9.5 years and, presumably, the maximum fine. He got most of what he wanted.

The backdrop of the case — worsening ties between Moscow and the Washington — may lead some observers to wonder if Griner was handed an unduly harsh sentence to up her worth as a bargaining chip during discussions over a potential prisoner swap.

PINE RIDGE, S.D. — In a growing number of U.S. states, people can both drink alcohol and legally smoke recreational marijuana. In others, they can use alcohol but not pot. But on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, the opposite is true: Marijuana is legal, but booze is banned.

Citizens of the Oglala Sioux Tribe overwhelmingly voted in 2020 to legalize recreational and medical marijuana on their sprawling reservation, which has prohibited the sale and consumption of alcohol for more than 100 years.

GORHAM, NY – By Tuesday night, residents in Gorham may know if a town law opting out of the sale of marijuana in retail stores and its onsite consumption will stay on the books. 

Registered voters will decide to either keep the town law in place or repeal it in a vote scheduled from noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 9, at the Crystal Beach Fire Department, 4468 state Route 364, and Gorham Fire Department, 4676 Kearney Road. 

If the law is repealed, then the issue of whether to opt into allowing sales and consumption or not will go directly to the voters, this time to be included on a general election ballot rather than a Town Board vote.

In an effort to open the newly legal marijuana market to those most harmed during the years it was criminalized, Connecticut lawmakers set strict standards for who may own the emerging businesses.

But they didn’t legislate anything about profits.

Last month the state’s Social Equity Council approved the applications of 16 marijuana growers and disqualified 25. Several were disqualified for failing to satisfy a provision that says a business may have financial backers only if 65 percent of it is owned by a so-called social equity partner – someone who lives in a community with a historically disproportionate number of convictions for drug crimes.

But owning and profiting are two different things, and the law does not stipulate how a small entrepreneur and a big backer must split what they earn. 

A spokesman for Gov. Ned Lamont confirmed that the law is silent on profit-sharing agreements.

Kristina Diamond, communications and legislative program manager for the Social Equity Council, said the same.

MANILA: A bill that aims to legalise marijuana or cannabis as a "compassionate alternative means of medical treatment" has gained support in the Philippines.

The bill was proposed to the senate by Senator Robin Padilla, the Philippine News Agency reported.

Philippine Cannabis Compassionate Society (PCCS) spokesman, Dr. Donnabel Cunanan, said once the proposed bill becomes law, marijuana can be used for research and medications.

The PCCS is a group of patients, parents and caregivers seeking to institutionalise the legal use of medical marijuana.

"On behalf of our group, I want to thank you for your boldness. Finally after nine years of advocating, we have a bill in the Senate," Cunanan said in a statement on Thursday.

She said it is imperative that medical marijuana and its potential not only be used as a pain reliever for the dying but also as a cure for those who have a fighting chance to survive.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and Mendocino County have teamed up to hold a series of cannabis technical assistance workshops in August and September.

These technical workshops are ideal for new and legacy farmers as well as cannabis consultants. Mendocino County’s permitting staff and CDFW’s cannabis program staff will be available to discuss project specific technical questions, compliance and cannabis grant program opportunities. Representatives of the Department of Cannabis Control and the State Water Resources Control Board will also be available.

To simplify the state’s regulation of the legal cannabis industry while working to reduce litigation and the specter of politics, some in Illinois are looking to create a statewide cannabis commission.

As it is right now, entrepreneurs in the adult-use and medical cannabis industry in Illinois have multiple state agencies they have to work through to get licensed and regulated. Application fees can be expensive and meeting various other requirements like being an social equity applicant can add more burdens.

State Rep. Marcus Evans, D-Chicago, wants to reduce the touch points by creating a cannabis commission similar to the state’s liquor or gaming commissions.

The acquisition was announced in March this year, and APIRx stakeholders received almost 218.17 million new Incannex shares at a notional value of $0.573 each. The new shares are subject to a 12-month escrow for the vendors.

As part of the deal, APIRx founders Dr George Anastassov and Lekhram Changoer have joined Incannex as non-executive director and chief technical officer, respectively.

Commenting on the acquisition, Incannex chief executive officer and managing director Joel Latham said it follows a long relationship with Dr Anastassov and Mr Changoer that began in 2018.

“After extensive due diligence and corporate strategy assessments of the APIRx assets, we are excited and ready to commence development activities over our newly acquired portfolio of drug candidates.”

World’s largest medicinal cannabis drug portfolio