WeedLife News Network

Righting the wrongs of the War on Drugs is in full gear in Arizona. According to an August 30 press release, the Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County granted 3,643 petitions for expungement of cannabis-related charges since the process started last month.

The court announced that following the passage of Proposition 207 in 2020, an average of 650 people per week are filing petitions with the Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County to have felony cannabis-related convictions wiped off their records.

Before filing a petition for expungement, people should check with their respective court. In the event that the conviction was adjudicated in a justice or city court, that court should be contacted for more information. If the case was resolved in the Juvenile Department of Superior Court, there is a separate juvenile petition to expunge. Anybody who has been arrested but not charged will need to file a civil petition to expunge the record. 

A fee is not charged for the petition to expunge the conviction.

For the longest time, marijuana was seen as pathological in the eyes of the research community. This was not because researchers believed so, but rather that the vast majority of the grants were given to studies that supported this premise.

These days, we’re changing our tune and some scientists and medical researchers are asking for a new standard in cannabis research. In fact, in this Psychiatric Times article, Dr. John Miller points out some glaring issues with cannabinoid research that needs to be addressed.

Here, I’ll be walking you through the basics of the article, focusing on his 10 suggestions for cannabinoid research.

One of the issues that Dr. Miller pointed out is that cannabis isn’t a single drug. Unlike all other drug research that focuses on a singular substance, cannabis is comprised of over 500 compounds that include cannabinoids, terpenoids, and flavonoids.

Perhaps there is a greater ratio of THC:CBD in one strain compared to another, which would undoubtedly affect the outcome of a study. Maybe there’s a greater presence of myrcene, a monoterpene that is often found in cannabis.

At its two bi-monthly meetings in August, the Hopewell Township Committee discussed COVID cases, food truck licenses, and the next phase of the cannabis ordinance.

As the COVID Delta variant continues to prolong the pandemic, Township Health Officer Dawn Marling explained at the August 2 meeting that Hopewell has seen a spike within its own residents. “We were doing about four cases a week during July, and I had five cases this past weekend, so that was a big uptick there. We are seeing cases among vaccinated residents, but again, given that a large number of our residents are vaccinated, that’s not unexpected,” Marling said.

Mayor Julie Blake explained that, even if residents are fully vaccinated, they are encouraged to continue to wear their masks to help stop the spread of the Delta variant. “I do want to remind them to use their best practices. Even I am having a hard time remembering to take a mask into public spaces. As you know, fully vaccinated or not, it’s really important. The CDC has been saying that we [may be] carriers of the virus even despite our vaccination status,” Blake said.

In a previous meeting, the Committee had discussed going back to in-person meetings in September. However, Marling advised that the pandemic is ever-evolving and could change within a month. “I think a lot can change by mid-September. Hopewell Valley isn’t considered one of the high transmission areas at the moment, but to have a crystal ball and say by the middle of September, it would be a wise decision to have a bunch of residents together in a meeting room, that could very well be something we need to pull back from,” she said.

On August 2, the Committee also discussed allowing licensed food trucks to operate within the Township without requiring a permit each time they “set-up shop.” The Committee considered, instead, a streamlined permitting process that would allow a food truck to come into the Township to different venues throughout the year under one annual license. Scott Miccio, an attorney for the Committee, presented the Robbinsville ordinance for the Committee to examine. “I turned to the Robbinsville ordinance [because] they had the scope, and the purpose of their ordinance, [which] I think is similar to what we might be trying to accomplish here in Hopewell,” Miccio said.

Halo Collective Inc. ("Halo" or the "Company") (NEO: HALO) (OTCQX: HCANF) (Germany: A9KN) today entered into definitive agreements to acquire Food Concepts LLC, the master tenant of an approximately 55,000 square foot indoor cannabis cultivation, processing, and wholesaling facility in Portland, Oregon operated under the Pistil Point name (the "FC Acquisiton"), and the related licenses issued by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission ("OLCC") and other operating assets owned by the entities doing business as Pistil Point (the "Pistil Point Acquisition")). The FC Acquisition is expected to close within the next week upon the filing of articles of merger filed with the Oregon Secretary of State.

The decision to take an early-morning drive with cannabis debris clearly visible inside his vehicle turned out to be a bad one for a 20-year-old California man with a weed-sounding moniker.This past Saturday proved anything but relaxing for Kody Idica — just one letter shy of Indica, a cannabis variety long associated with sedating effects — when police stopped his vehicle at about 3:30 a.m. in Redwood Valley, Calif.

That find prompted a search of the vehicle, where the officer “found other evidence associated with the transportation and sale of illicit drugs.”

Recreational cannabis is legal in California, with adults 21 and older able to buy, possess and consume up to 28.5 grams of weed in their private residence or an establishment that has been licensed for consumption, FindLaw reports. The drug can not be consumed, whatever the method used, when a vehicle is in motion, adds Chambers Law Firm.

Under the Controlled Substance Act, first offenders for possessing cocaine could face imprisonment for as long as a year and a fine ranging from US$1,000 ($1,260) and US$100,000 ($126,000). Penalties increase with second or third convictions, according to McElfresh Law Inc.

When the U.S. government eventually legalizes marijuana, there will undoubtedly be a lot more businesses looking to expand into the growing industry. The current federal ban on pot means that large companies with robust logistical abilities don't generally see the point of getting involved, since marijuana can't cross state lines. But there's hope that with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer leading the charge and pushing for marijuana reform (which includes legalization), significant changes could be coming soon.

Want to know how I know that weed is going to be legalized on a federal level fairly soon Insurers are getting ready. That’s right! One of these days you’ll be able to get weed insurance on your crops, cannabis-related business ventures and much more.

There is no denying that cannabis is BIG business. Some estimates believe that by 2026 the cannabis industry could hit $41b annually. Despite the yearly earnings for the cannabis industry, insurers only wrote out about 250 million in policies and in many cases are charging far more than typical retailers with extreme limits in place.

This might not be of significant importance to consumers, but if insurers do get a chance to play with the cannabis industry, it could revolutionize the industry within a matter of months.

When Colorado became the first state to legalize recreational marijuana in 2012, it didn't have a playbook.

While the state worked out the early rules regarding sales and taxation, it didn't initially consider how years of marijuana criminalization had impacted historically marginalized communities, and whether those communities should get special access to opportunities in the cannabis industry. (As originally posted on Westword by HILAL BAHCETEPE)

But in the years that followed, other states that legalized recreational marijuana did consider those issues and built social equity provisions into their programs.

Colorado is now playing social equity catch-up. On October 1, Governor Jared Polis pardoned 2,732 past marijuana possession convictions. When he signed Senate Bill 111 earlier this year, he approved $4 million going to support social-equity marijuana entrepreneurs. And on April 20 — that unofficial stoner holiday – Mayor Michael Hancock signed into law Denver’s social equity program, which began accepting applications for licenses in June.

The more a person uses cannabis, the more likely it will be to develop a tolerance. As with many other substances, cannabis tolerance occurs naturally as the body gets used to weed and reduces its response to the drug.

While tolerance may be a fix for such issues as bad highs, wild munchies and paranoia, it usually also ushers in a new set of problems.Fortunately, cannabis tolerance is a fairly simple enough problem to solve.

Tolerance breaks are popular for a reason, and by taking a break from weed for a couple of weeks, the body is likely to experience a stronger and revitalized response to the drug.

It’s best to keep an eye out for these three problems associated with developing a high THC tolerance.

Less therapeutic effect

Developing a high tolerance for cannabis means that a person won’t get as high as previously. For everyday users, this can be a bummer, but for people who use cannabis for therapeutic or relief purposes, it’s likely to be more significant.

As different as they may seem, there's some overlap between the cannabis industry and biotech that's worth understanding as an investor. Cultivators can use biotechnology to manipulate the genes of marijuana plants to increase their yield, and biotechs can use the bioactive chemicals contained in cannabis as jumping-off points for drug development efforts. 

Both of the companies I'll analyze today conduct their business within these overlapping regions. And, if their efforts continue to pan out as planned, they'll be valuable stocks to own, especially as the biotech sector becomes more sophisticated and as the cannabis industry scales to match global demand. 

There is a major debate about the loss of Afghanistan, but for the most part, it has followed the Prime Directive: “Don’t mention the Drug War!”

Nonetheless, it seems relevant that Afghanistan is still the world’s largest opium poppy producer.

According to Reuters, “Despite the threats posed by Afghanistan’s illicit drug business, experts noted, the United States and other nations rarely mention in public the need to address the trade, estimated by the UNODC at more than 80% of global opium and heroin supplies.”

So, we controlled the country? And our Drug War was subsidizing the Taliban?

This summer three U.S. senators released a discussion draft of legislation that would remove cannabis from the schedule of controlled substances under federal law and provide for federal taxation of cannabis products. Greg Kaufman of Eversheds Sutherland outlines the key provisions and urges lawmakers to consider data collected at the state level to get it right.

Currently, 18 states and the District of Columbia have the broadest allowances for marijuana use, legalizing medical and adult recreational use; a handful of other states have passed legislation allowing medical marijuana.

Overall, 47 states have some form of cannabis allowance, only Idaho, Kansas and Nebraska do not have any public programs for marijuana use. But marijuana laws and programs remain a highly contested topic and often see modifications as political power changes. (See also: State Marijuana Laws from 2019 Map)

Earlier this year, Mississippi overturned a 2020  medical-use marijuana measure, which could make the state’s already limited laws even tighter. South Dakota, which currently allows medical marijuana use, ruled earlier this year that a 2020 measure for nonmedical usage was unconstitutional and is awaiting appeal. Colorado, the first state to legalize marijuana in 2012, will limit high-potency concentrates in 2022 in an effort to decrease teenagers’ access to cannabis. But other states, including Alabama and Virginia, saw expansions of their marijuana programs within the last 18 months and Connecticut was the latest state to legalize recreational use of cannabis with the passage of SB 1201 in June.

Despite most states approving its use, marijuana is still considered a Schedule I illegal substance by federal law. But pressure is mounting to legalize cannabis nationally as the industry grows. Insurance lenders, testing labs and retailers are eager to keep up with the increasing demand (some businesses were even offering free weed as an incentive for getting vaccinated against COVID-19). Legal cannabis sales increased 45 percent last year and are predicted to reach $41 billion by 2026, but until there are federal policies, states will be left to determine how they will navigate the growing business.

Medicinal Marijuana

Psoriasis is a chronic medical condition that has severe implications on an individual’s physical and mental health, which is why the treatment plan has to be holistic and practical.

Approximately 125 million people worldwide have psoriasis. The widespread prevalence of this skin condition makes it a global health concern, which is why experts have been working rigorously to find a solution for this disease.

There is no proven cure for psoriasis, but there are some ways to treat or manage the symptoms of this disease. One solution that has been discovered recently and has become increasingly popular is CBD oils on the skin affected by psoriasis to heal and consume the CBD oil orally to help with the immune system.

If you have psoriasis and are looking into using CBD oil for your treatment, wondering what the possibilities of this treatment are, here is all the information you need to make up your mind and understand this new medical approach. Let’s talk about the symptoms of psoriasis and how CBD oils can target them before discussing the effectiveness of CBD oils in treating psoriasis.

It almost goes without saying that the cannabis industry is one of the fastest growing verticals in the United States, offering a variety of opportunities for existing or prospective corporations, management services organizations (MSO), business owners and developers as many seek to capitalize on the continued state deregulation of medical and recreational cannabis. In the face of global shutdowns, shelter in place orders, loss of jobs and the ever-present threat of illness, cannabis sales skyrocketed in 2020. A study conducted by Leafly, using state tax and revenue data, showed cannabis sales were up 71 percent over 2019 to the tune of $18.3 billion – a $7.6 billion increase. To date, 19 states have legalized marijuana recreationally, while 36 states have medicinal programs. Some jurisdictions are just now issuing licenses, and more are coming online.

Marijuana’s continued status as a Schedule I drug on a federal level certainly doesn’t make it an easy landscape for prospective newcomers to navigate. Whether you already operate a facility or hoping to open a dispensary, processing or grow operation, there are many regulations to keep in mind – most of which also dictate electronic and physical security requirements. Below we discuss a few ways cannabis grow operators, dispensaries and processors can leverage a video management system (VMS) as a part of their overall open platform security plan.

Licensing Requires a Security Plan

Like any business operation, cannabis requires certain licenses, approvals and audits before you can open your doors. While every state’s regulations and security requirements differ, almost all of them require some form of electronic alarm and surveillance system and audit trails, be it paper or electronic, that must be archived.

Every state, and in some cases, even individual cities or municipalities, that has legalized medical or recreational marijuana has stringent licensing requirements that you must meet before you open, whether you’re a grow operation, edible manufacturer, processing plant, dispensary, or in transportation and the newer delivery services. While these regulations may be different, in almost all cases, it includes having an acceptable security plan in place.

Delta 9 Cannabis Inc. (OTCMKTS: DLTNF) has announced the appointment of David Kideckel to the newly created EVP Head of Strategy, Corporate Development & Capital Markets position to spearhead the company’s next growth expansion phase. David has around 20 years of combined experience in capital markets and industry. 

Delta 9 appoints David Kideckel to head the expansion phase 

Delta 9 CEO John Arbuthnot said, “I am extremely pleased to welcome David to our team, propelling our capital markets strategy and reach, through his wealth of experience. David was one of the leading cannabis analysts and has an exceptional network of contacts with an in-depth knowledge of the cannabis industry and its subsectors. David’s appointment reflects our commitment to having best-in-class talent to advance the Company’s growth trajectory strategically and expeditiously.”

David commented, “Of all the companies I have evaluated over the last several years, Delta 9 has incredible potential and I’m proud to join a seasoned team that is on the verge of steady and continuous growth within an explosive industry.”

Amyris launches first of the Terasana Clinical skincare products 

Amyris Inc. (NASDAQ: AMRS) has launched the Terasana Clinical clean skincare brand. The launch is the first of the three brand launches the company anticipates launching this summer. The first skincare brand, Clear + Control Healthy Skin Serum, addresses irritation, skin flaking, dry skin, and redness. The proprietary formulation in the product combines Cannabigerol (CBG) and Squalane. 

CEO John Melo said, “CBG has a variety of proven skin benefits and through our well-established fermentation technology, we are able to manufacture CBG at scale and at a much lower cost than existing alternatives. We believe that clean CBG has opened up new avenues for innovation in sustainable and effective skincare and that it has the potential to be a breakthrough in addressing the acne market. We are on track to launch three new clean beauty consumer brands this month.”