WeedLife News Network

Insurers are quietly gearing up for a potential ten-fold increase in sales to the booming $17.6 billion-a-year cannabis industry as Congress inches closer to legalizing pot at the federal level.

While 36 U.S. states and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis for medical or recreational use, insurance for growers, testing labs and retailers is being held in check largely by strict federal laws that criminalize pot alongside heroin, methamphetamine and LSD.

U.S. legal cannabis sales jumped 45% last year and are expected to hit $41 billion in 2026, Colorado-based research firm BDSA said.

The Strawberry Fields dispensary in Denver plans to kick off a soft launch of its marijuana delivery services on Thursday, alongside transporter business DOOBBA. 

The dispensary plans to officially start delivery on Monday.

“We are super excited to be the first in Denver. We are ready to crush it and make it our own and hopefully lead by example for others that follow,” Strawberry Fields COO Faline Vanlandschoot said. 

Humboldt County just offered a support program for its cannabis growers at a critical time for the industry.

Bedeviled by the ever-falling price of cannabis, growers in Humboldt County, California have been offered a lifeline by local officials.

Gallup found that almost half of the adults in the US have tried cannabis at some point in their lives.

Almost half of adults in the United States said they have tried marijuana, according to the results of a new Gallup Poll released on Tuesday. At 49 percent, the figure is the highest that Gallup has recorded in its more than 50 years of asking Americans about their cannabis use. 

When Gallup first began surveying Americans about cannabis in 1969, only four percent of adults said that they had tried marijuana. Since that time the rate has increased steadily, rising to more than 20 percent in the 1977 survey. Roughly a third of adults surveyed in 1985 said that they had tried cannabis, and by 2015 the percentage had surpassed 40 percent. Gallup noted that much of the increase in marijuana experimentation reported over the last 50 years can be explained by generational patterns in the United States.

The generational data on marijuana use trends was taken from Gallup’s annual Consumption Habits surveys from 2015 to 2021. Gallup noted that it does not yet have enough information on the trends of Generation Z, the oldest of whom are only 24 years old now. This year’s Consumption Habits poll was conducted from July 6 to 21.

Only 12 percent of those surveyed said that they “smoked marijuana,” a percentage that has held steady since 2017. In 2013, the first year Gallup asked if respondents smoked marijuana, only seven percent replied in the affirmative. The figure rose steadily to 11 percent by 2015 before peaking at 13 percent in 2016. Gallup did not ask the poll’s respondents if they consumed marijuana in any way other than smoking.

While the percentage of those who said they have tried marijuana varies little among baby boomers and subsequent generations, Gallup noted that younger Americans are more likely to say that they currently smoke marijuana. The combined data from 2015 to 2021 show that about 20 percent of millenials smoke marijuana. For Gen Xers the figure is 11 percent, while nine percent of baby boomers and only one percent of traditionalists say they currently smoke pot.

Hawaii’s Department of Health last week adopted interim rules for hemp processors and products – and not everyone is happy.

The rules, which came into effect on August 9, prohibit a bunch of hemp-derived products including:

Additionally, products must be tested by a qualified lab and there are various other regulatory and record-keeping requirements needing to be observed.

Chuck Schumer’s dream of advancing nationwide cannabis reform must come now, or else it might not get another chance.

Democrats are on borrowed time with respect to their control of Congress, which means they either must work extra hard to ensure the votes necessary to stay in power, or beg, borrow, steal, and call in every favor to see that the party’s agenda is well-served before they are snuffed out by Republicans.

Among the many issues the Democrats are trying to pass, nationwide cannabis reform is a hot topic. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said earlier that legalizing marijuana at the federal level was a top priority for the upper chamber, but he has so far come up short. Unfortunately, the clock is ticking for the Democrats to get something on the books.

As it stands, next year’s midterm elections aren’t looking good for Democrats. Early indicators show that the Republicans are poised to take back control of the House majority, further dividing Congress. “Based on all factors, you’d have to consider Republicans the early favorites for the House majority in 2022,” David Wasserman with the nonpartisan Cook Political Report recently told NBC News. As for the outcome of the Senate, it seems to be any party’s game at this point.

Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Some politicians believe that history is repeating itself — and it’s not going in favor of the Democratic Party. Senator Lindsey Graham said earlier this week that next year is looking like another 1994. That’s when the GOP swooped in with a vengeance and gained total control of Congress. “I think a tidal wave is brewing,” he said. “When you look at rampant inflation, out-of-control crime, and a broken border and just [a] general lack of knowing what you’re doing, lack of competency … the Republican Party’s going to have a great comeback if we recruit the right people.”

Seven pot stocks rank among the 100 most popular stocks on Robinhood's (NASDAQ:HOOD) trading platform. But only one of them is in the top 10 on the list -- Sundial Growers (NASDAQ:SNDL). Actually, Sundial claims the No. 4 spot, beating out quite a few larger and more successful companies. 

Hopewell Township is prohibiting all six cannabis business class licenses – for now.

Members of the Township Committee adopted an ordinance prohibiting any cannabis class business from operating in the township during a virtual meeting held Aug. 16. The ordinance’s adoption is before the state deadline for municipalities to opt in or opt out of recreational cannabis.

“This is the only way we can control our own destiny, which is to opt out. If we do not opt out we have no control,” Mayor Julie Blake said.

The decision to prohibit all classes is temporary and makes certain that the township meets the state deadline of Aug. 21.

“To make sure that we meet our state deadline, this ordinance would opt the township out of all cannabis activities for now. The main objective of that is to meet the state deadline,” said Scott Miccio, township attorney from law firm Parker McCay. “If we do not meet the state deadline it will be forced upon the Township of Hopewell and the township would not have a choice of rolling the aspects it wants to opt into.”

Texas’ medical marijuana is best known for being one of the most restrictive in the county, limiting its medicinal relief to fewer than 6,000 and only to those with neurological disorders or terminal cancer.

However, a new law that passed during the Legislature -effective September 1st– will now allow people with PTSD and cancer patients to use low doses of THC cannabis, as part of the Texas Compassionate Use Program.

This new law will also increase the previous THC cap in medical marijuana to 1%, which experts say it’s still a pretty small quantity.

“Because [the program] was so narrow for so long, many patients were forced to go to the neighboring states around Texas that have robust medical programs to gain access to the plant,” said Jax Finkel, the executive director of Texas’ chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

“And in fact, many patients have had to actually leave the state permanently for access — medical refugees,” Finkel added.

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 17, 2021 / Buzz around INTEGRATED NATIONAL RESOURCES INC.'s WeedGenics continues to grow both in the cannabis industry and now the mainstream business world as well. Named by "Global Business Leaders Magazine" as one of the 20 innovative companies to know in 2021, the company was featured by the Atlanta, GA-based publication both in print and online thanks to WeedGenics' place as the manufacturing partner of choice for premium medical marijuana products.

The state Medical Marijuana Advisory Board voted Tuesday to reject five requests to add to the list of conditions that qualify people for medical marijuana, even while board members acknowledged that, in several cases, patients with the conditions could benefit from using medical cannabis.

The board rejected bids to allow medical marijuana to be used to treat traumatic brain injury, hepatitis, Hepatitis C, chronic insomnia that isn’t responding to other treatments and major depressive disorder that isn’t responding to other treatments.

Pennsylvania’s 367,925 active medical marijuana patients have all been diagnosed as having one or more of 23 serious medical conditions, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, anxiety disorder, cancer, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, post-traumatic stress disorder and opioid use disorder and chronic pain.

A move to amend the applications by the board was stymied by the board’s own policies.

Under the board’s existing policies, board members don’t have the option to amend an application submitted to them – the board must either refer the proposed new condition to one of its subcommittees to recommend the change or the board can notify the applicants to resubmit the request with the changes sought by the board, said Carol Mowery, assistant legal counsel for the Department of Health.

STRATHROY, Ontario, Aug. 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eve & Co Incorporated (“Eve & Co”, “we”, “us” or the “Company”) (TSX-V: EVE; OTCQX: EEVVF), is pleased to announce that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Natural MedCo Ltd. (“NMC”) has successfully entered into a Medical Cannabis Supply and Purchase Agreement (the “Agreement”) with TCann Pty Ltd., Australia (“TCann”), an import/export and distribution company of para-pharmaceutical, medicinal and narcotic products located in Thornleigh, New South Wales.

These days, there are numerous reasons why you should be cutting back on your alcohol consumption.

For one, we’ve long known that it causes several illnesses including heart disease and cancer and two, with the pandemic, alcohol can compromise your immune system. During the pandemic, so many people took up the habit of drinking at home, during Zoom parties, and these so-called “quarantinis” can have a majorly negative impact on our health – at a time when we need it more than ever.

Excessive consumption of booze can turn around our lives for the worse. It can cause domestic abuse problems, and affect our families as well as personal relationships. However, a tip over the edge can turn a booze lover into a full-fledged alcoholic, which is already advanced abuse of alcohol.

If you’re having a hard time cutting back on your drinks, new research supports the hypothesis that cannabis can help – in more ways than one.

Learn Sativa University's curriculum includes marijuana history, laws, careers, growing procedures, and even popular cookbook recipes. Photo Courtesy of Learn Sativa University

The University of Florida has the Swamp, Notre Dame has Touchdown Jesus, Clemson University has Death Valley, and Learn Sativa University, a cannabis college in Apopka, Florida, has a five-acre weed farm.

“We received reports from a local factory of a strong smell of cannabis permeating through the building. It transpires it was being taken in via air-conditioning systems.”

Police in the U.K. were called after the smell of cannabis was brought inside a local factory by linked air-conditioning units.

Officers went to the factory’s rooftop and were able to determine where the smells were coming from by a “process of deduction,” eventually seizing about £200,000 ($350,000) worth of cannabis from two nearby properties, reports Yorkshire Live.

The bust was part of a string of arrests in the area over the last week, with officers seizing just under £1 million ($1,741,402) worth of cannabis.

Earlier this year, police in Scotland busted a $1 million illegal grow-op after the smell of weed and sound of fans led them to inspect a warehouse.

These companies are securing their future by becoming indispensable to their customers.

Over drinks with his alleged accomplice Saturday night, an off-duty Portland firefighter decided to “teach a lesson’' to a man who he had learned reportedly burglarized the marijuana dispensary he owned, according to police, prosecutors and state records.

Meanwhile, an Uber driver had called police at 10:39 p.m. Saturday and reported seeing a man forced at gunpoint into a black Range Rover near Southwest Taylor Street and Broadway. The man being forced into the SUV unsuccessfully tried to brace himself against the door frame to avoid being pushed inside the vehicle, the Uber driver told police, according to the affidavit.

The Uber driver and the victim’s friends confirmed that the occupants of the stopped Range Rover were involved in the abduction, Molina wrote in the affidavit.

Police searched inside Oregon Hemp House for the man abducted but didn’t find him there either, according to the affidavit.

Lee, when interviewed by two Portland police detectives, said that Bourland had learned that a man had recently burglarized his business and had stolen marijuana, according to the affidavit.

Cannabis companies still have to be concerned about social media marketing, and in fact, any kind of social media presence.

Cannabis reform may be progressing in America, but access on social media remains an uncertain landscape. While brands have thrived, reaching millions of followers and verified status, many others have been cut short, suspended and deleted along the way.

Even those succeeding appear only to have a glimmer of an idea about what’s right and wrong when marketing cannabis. With so much uncertainty, brands proceed cautiously in a direction that may or may not be the correct path. 

San Bernardino County Sheriff, Shannon Dicus, Sent out a letter to local legislators today.

Legislation to legalize cannabis at the federal level recently proposed by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and a group of Senate Democrats is long overdue. While it aims to fix injustices done to communities of color that have been most harmed by the war on drugs, it excludes one very important demographic: patients.

The bill is presented as “comprehensive” cannabis reform. It makes cannabis legal in the United States for recreational use and has many provisions for expanding the cannabis industry. It also adds taxes that provide revenue to the federal government and stipulates that some of the money collected be used to enhance the lives of communities that have been most hurt by the failed war on drugs.

Leaving out patient care overlooks the largest group of people who will or may be affected by this new law.

An estimated 115 million Americans over age 50 will develop one or more illnesses such as osteoarthritis, anxiety, insomnia, or cancer that are treatable with cannabinoid medicines. Not providing for them in the discussion draft underscores that lawmakers are not paying attention to the needs of patients, the ways in which patients differ from recreational users, and the ways in which a recreational paradigm does not support needed clinical care.

First, legislation should decouple medical and recreational cannabis. While legalization of recreational cannabis may address the needs of healthy people, it does not address people’s medical needs. People need competent care based on sound science that is aligned with the same fundamental values that apply in all areas of medicine, including respect for patient choices through informed consent, beneficence through sound medical advice that ensures patients benefit while minimizing harm, issuing exact prescriptions to ensure that patients get the right medicine, and justice by ensuring that everyone is treated fairly and all have the same treatment opportunities.