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Cannabis stocks were a growth machine for investors following the 2015 Canadian federal election. The hype for recreational legalization ramped up, and Liberal leaders Justin Trudeau managed to deliver on the promise. However, the reality of the rollout started to sour investors on the sector. As it stands today, the Canadian cannabis market is in desperate need of a boost to bring it back in the eyes of investors. Today, I want to look at Canopy Growth (TSX:WEED)(NYSE:CGC) and Aurora Cannabis (TSX:ACB)(NYSE:ACB), two top producers whose shares have plunged in 2021. Which is the better buy today? Let’s jump in.

Marijuana Company of America Inc. (OTCMKTS: MCOA) has completed a stock-for-stock acquisition of cDistro Inc. cDistro is a fast-growing distribution company in the hemp industry that will deepen Marijuana Company of America distribution footprint in North America.

MCOA acquires cDistro

Marijuana Company of America Inc. (OTCMKTS: MCOA) will operate cDistro as its wholly-owned subsidiary. The former shareholders of cDistro will hold 5.23% of outstanding and issued stock of MCOA and will gain additional stock in the next year if cDistro meets specific revenue targets. The acquisition is an arm’s length deal completed subject to meeting certain conditions that include execution of definitive agreement and completion of due diligence. 

Originally viewed on Benzinga - Andrew Ward

Cannabis companies have never had a stable relationship with social media. The tense status has made cannabis a bit scrappier regarding social marketing, coded language and geotagging.

However, all too often, brands still face shadow bans, suspensions and account deletions. Pot-focused social media platforms and advertising options have come online but haven't gained traction like powerful platforms to date.

Campaigner fought lengthy battle to obtain Bedrocan for sick daughter Ava

Vera Twomey has spoken of her joy at decision. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw

Campaigner Vera Twomey, who fought a lengthy battle to obtain medicinal cannabis for her sick daughter, Ava, has spoken of her joy after hearing the Bedrocan drug will now be funded up front.

Ms Twomey, of Aghabullogue, Co Cork had to find thousands of euro on a regular basis to pay for Dutch medical cannabis Bedrocan, which was excluded from the Medical Cannabis Access Cannabis programme (CAP).

Ms Twomey said about 60 per cent of existing medicinal cannabis patients are on Bedrocan under an individual license system.

As expected, marijuana-related arrests are down and tax revenue is up, but other trends are less clear.

ore than seven years since Colorado became the first state to allow cannabis to be sold at stores for recreational use, pot arrests are down, marijuana-impaired driving cases are up and school expulsions are both up and down.

It's no secret that studies show that sexually diverse youth - in particular, lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) youth - use more cannabis and experience more mental health challenges than their heterosexual peers.

But what about the changes that occur in the rates of cannabis use: do they precede those related to mental health or is it the other way around? A new study from Université de Montréal offers some answers.

In the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Kira London-Nadeau, a doctoral student and CIHR Vanier Scholar in the Department of Psychology at UdeM and the CHU Sainte-Justine Research Centre, provides an update.

In her study, conducted under the direction of Professor Natalie Castellanos-Ryan and with the support of Professors Jean Séguin and Sophie Parent, London-Nadeau analyzed data collected from 1,548 adolescent boys and girls - including 128 LGB adolescents - as part of the Longitudinal Study of Child Development in Quebec supported by CIHR and the Institut de la Statistique du Québec.

Participants were followed from the age of five months and the study was based on their responses to questionnaires collected at ages 13, 15 and 17. Although there was an association between depressive symptoms at age 15 and increased cannabis use at age 17 in the general sample, the association was five times stronger among LGB youth.

Ayr Wellness Inc. (OTC: AYRWF) is buying Nevada-based Tahoe Hydroponics Company, LLC in a deal valued at $17 million. It is a cash and stock deal that will consist of $5 million in cash, $3.5 million in debt, and approximately $8.5 million in stock.

Following the closing of the merger between Aphria and Tilray, Inc. (TSX: TLRY) (Nasdaq: TLRY), former Tilray CEO Brendan Kennedy took a backseat to Irwin Simon who was appointed as CEO of the combined company. Originally viewed on Technical420

After the transaction closed, Tilray appointed Kennedy as a Director and a Board Member of the combined company and we are favorable on his decision to remain involved with the advancement of the Canadian Licensed Producer (LP).

Maryland legislature announced it will place a cannabis measure on the 2022 ballot and will establish a work group to begin studying potential issues of legalization.

(image: shutterstock)

Maryland state lawmakers announced last week that the legislature will turn to the voters on the issue of cannabis policy reform by placing a marijuana legalization measure on the statewide ballot next year. Maryland House of Delegates Speaker Adrienne A. Jones said in a statement on Friday that she would establish a legislative work group in the fall to begin studying the issues surrounding cannabis legalization.

“While I have personal concerns about encouraging marijuana use, particularly among children and young adults, the disparate criminal justice impact leads me to believe that the voters should have a say in the future of legalization,” Jones said in a statement. “The House will pass legislation early next year to put this question before the voters but we need to start looking at changes needed to State law now.”

Photo by Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

A few weeks ago, Carol Bartz, former CEO of Autodesk and Yahoo, was all over the news after seed-to-sale cannabis company Caliva announced she was part of a group that had invested $75 million into the company, alongside NFL legend Joe Montana – found here talking about cannabis and football.

Surprisingly, the 70-year-old tech industry superstar, was very open about her cannabis use, disclosing her predilection not only for the super trendy, non-psychoactive CBD, but also for THC, the psychoactive compound found in cannabis that makes people feel “high.”

The high cost of Biogen’s newly approved and controversial treatment will be compounded by a misguided Medicare policy that incentivizes doctors to prescribe the priciest medicines.

Disclaimer:This article was originally published on The Fresh Toast. The views expressed in this article solely belong to the author.

It is easy to understand why everyone is desperate for anything that will help with Alzheimer’s Disease. Patients and their families dread its relentless onslaught. Consequently, there was tremendous pressure for the FDA to approve Aduhelm (aducanumab), by Biogen and Eisai.

However, its approval was met with widespread criticism because it is both expensive, with an expected annual price tag of $56,000, but of limited effectiveness.

Aducanumab is taken as an infusion administered in a doctor’s office for one hour every four weeks. That might be difficult for a patients suffering from agitation who might not understand why they are there.

The high cost of Biogen’s newly approved and controversial treatment will be compounded by a misguided Medicare policy that incentivizes doctors to prescribe the priciest medicines.

With the growing acceptance of the legal cannabis industry across the United States, more states are diving deeper into regulatory questions. The latest push around legislatures has been THC Caps, which would limit the potency of THC in various products depending on the state's guidelines.

Lawmakers believe that limiting the strength of marijuana will be in the interest of public safety, which seems like a commonsense argument. However, when one looks at how manipulating the potency of THC would impact our bodies and society, it's clear that they are not the answer to responsible legislating of the cannabis industry.

At the Blinc Group, we wrote a white paper, "Six Reasons that THC Caps Are a Bad Idea," examining the implications of THC Caps on the vaping industry. It demonstrates, backed by existing research that THC Caps will endanger the public, lead to dangerous products entering the market, and keep necessary medicines out of patients' hands.

It also would require manufacturers to dilute their concentrates with additives to meet the lower standards. While regulations are up in the air from state to state, the unsafe additives will pose a greater health risk to consumers, possibly resulting in an uptick in EVALI cases.

The Colorado Cannabis Manufacturers Association (CCMA) agrees that THC Caps are not in the industry or consumers' best interests.

If you are wanting to cash in on New Mexico's green rush, it is not too late.

Linda Trujillo is the superintendent of the New Mexico Licensing and Regulation Department. She said those who want to grow cannabis should be able to get their provisional license by Aug. 22.

“The provisional license does not let you start functioning or operating as a cannabis business, but it does at least give you that assurance so that you can then go on and get the things that you must pay for and your local stuff and then come back to us and show us that you have got it and then get licensed to start operating,” said Trujillo.

Those wanting to sell will have to wait a little longer to get their provisional license.

Former Mexican President Vicente Fox expects cannabis will be a part of the new North American free-trade deal following the country's Supreme Court decision to loosen some of the rules on how the drug can be consumed.

 "Cannabis has to be part of the trading between United States, Canada and Mexico," Fox said in a broadcast interview.  "Canada is an open market for cannabis, so, too is Mexico today. For the moment today for medical use, in September for recreational use."

Fox's comments come after Mexico's Supreme Court ruled to strip prohibitions against consuming marijuana last month despite lawmakers failing to formally pass legislation to establish the rules behind a recreational market. The court also ruled that it will now allow anyone who wants a permit for recreational cannabis to receive one. 

The ruling doesn’t decriminalize the sale of cannabis or its use without a permit. Mexico legalized medical cannabis in 2017 and regulations on how the country will manage its recreational marketplace are expected to be announced later this year. 

"The Supreme Court finally corrected the law in order to proceed with the opening of the market," Fox said. "Congress was resistant but the Supreme Court made the final decision."

Walking into a grocery store, do you question whether or not the meat at the deli is safe to eat or if the frozen meals were prepared in a clean environment? Chances are, you've probably never thought twice about it. But when stepping into a medical or recreational cannabis dispensary, you may be less confident about the safety of the products on the shelves.

Herein lies the difference between an established, well-regulated industry (food) and a brand new emerging industry with no federal regulation or guidance (cannabis).

Most consumers assume that products sold on grocery store shelves are safe. For good reason—the current regulations enforced by the FDA or the USDA on the food industry ensure the quality, safety, and efficacy of the products you purchase.

As the cannabis industry inches towards federal legalization, it would be wise for product manufacturers to implement the same rules followed by the food, dietary supplement, and drug industries. Here's what they are.  

GMP and cGMP

Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) outline the conditions and practices the industry should follow for processing safe products under sanitary conditions, including personnel, plant and grounds, sanitary operations, sanitary facilities and controls, equipment and utensils, processes, and controls, warehousing, and distribution, and defect action levels considerations. 

Scientists in New Zealand are planning to run a Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) micro-dosing trial with late-stage cancer patients to see if the drug improves their quality of life.

Dr. Lisa Reynolds, the Director of the Postgraduate Diploma in Health Psychology at the University of Auckland, will lead the trial.

“The research I’ve seen so far suggests that psychedelics such as LSD might have the potential to improve quality of life, reduce fear of death, reduce anxiety and depression, increase spirituality,” Dr. Reynolds told Radio New Zealand. “There’s a whole lot of early-stage findings that are pretty compelling.”

The University first announced the trial in May. The study seeks to understand if micro-dosing LSD holds similar benefits to large doses, which have shown to significantly reduce psychological distress in advanced patients, but can also lead to ‘bad trips.’

The micro-doses will not lead to altered perceptions and may hold similar benefits in reducing anxiety, depression and existential distress.

The University of Florida has brought its two-year Industrial Hemp Pilot Project for a landing with guidance that the crop might be a viable commodity for Florida growers in the future, with caution for economic and environmental challenges.

The UF/IFAS-led pilot project began in spring 2019 after federal and state legislation established an industrial hemp pilot program with research and education priorities that support hemp cultivation.

“From our research, including the on-farm trials with growers around the state, we have found that hemp can grow in Florida, but there is more work to be done on the way to a viable crop,” says Zachary Brym, UF/IFAS agronomy Assistant Professor and hemp pilot project lead scientist. “There are a variety of environmental and management factors that influence hemp productivity that we need to spend more time understanding. We’ll keep up that work as long as there is support to do so.”

According to UF/IFAS, key observations from the pilot project include:

Hemp research and education efforts continue beyond the end of the two-year pilot program. This includes the online hemp research workshop and the newly established cultivar approval program that provides science-based evaluation of industrial hemp varieties. The approval program is led by Brian Pearson, Assistant Professor of crop management at the UF/IFAS Mid-Florida Research and Education Center in partnership with Roseville Farms.

Delta-8 THC is a popular cannabis product which offers slightly different benefits from its half brother delta-9. Though delta-8 is a product of delta-9 in nature, it’s also quite possible to source delta-8 THC from CBD. Read on to find out how its done.

Let’s be honest, you’re probably not going to set up a science experiment to make delta-8 THC at home from CBD. And that’s okay. Unless you’ve got a chemistry degree, or some incredible natural know-how, it’s just not a beginner’s activity. On the bright side, you don’t need to! Plenty of delta-8 products abound, as well as even newer offerings like THCV, delta-10, and THC-O-Acetate. We’ve got a bunch of great delta-8 THC deals, and way, way more. So take a look at our constantly expanding catalogue, and buy your finished product without worrying about a chemistry set.

First off, what is delta-8 THC?

Delta-8 THC is growing in popularity, but what it is, isn’t always understood. Delta-8 is an isomer of delta-9, meaning it shares the exact same chemical formula of: C₂₁H₃₀O₂, but with a different configuration of atoms. Delta-8 and delta-9 (and all other delta-THCs) are stereoisomers of each other, meaning they differ on nothing more than the placement of a double bond. For delta-9, the standard THC associated with marijuana, it’s on the 9th carbon atom in a chain, for delta-8, its on the 8th.

Delta-8 is a naturally occurring cannabinoid, which is produced in nature through the oxidation of delta-9 THC. When delta-9 comes into contact with oxygen, it loses electrons, thus creating delta-8, a more stable compound with a longer shelf life, since further oxidation is not an issue. Delta-8 only transforms from delta-9 at extremely low rates, meaning what occurs naturally is not in a high enough volume for any kind of product. In order for enough for actual use, it requires synthetization by humans, which we’ll get to soon.

The two isomers, delta-8 and delta-9, share many of the same medicinal characteristics, but differ in a few important ways, which can greatly affect both user experience, and user preference. Delta-9, for starters, is known to cause anxiety in many users. Delta-8 does not, meaning it’s a better treatment for anxiety, as well as not as likely an agent to produce it, in those not attempting to treat it. Delta-9 is also known for an intense high, cloudy head, and couch locking – when a person is so stoned they literally feel like they can’t move off the couch.

The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe is poised to open the first adult-use cannabis shop in New York State, beating out the non-tribal retailers by up to a year…or more.

The tribe, located in northern New York along the U.S.-Canada border, adopted its own ordinance regarding legal marijuana last month, following New York state’s April 1 legalization.

How and why

Their ordinance went further than the state’s law, created under the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA), by setting up rules for growing and processing cannabis, licensing retail shops and declaring that everything, from seed to sale, must take place on tribal territory.

The plan includes licensing tribal entrepreneurs, rather than running the businesses themselves. The tribal council has already received more than a dozen applications to be reviewed and issued by a tribal cannabis control board, reported Syracuse.com.

“We want to ensure that our community is prepared to utilize this opportunity to support our local entrepreneurs’ efforts to help diversify our local economy and support community programs and services through tribal licensing fees,” the St. Regis tribe said in a statement.

Although states with legal recreational marijuana programs have been notably careful to ensure product safety, as with any industry, mistakes happen. 

This time, the state of Michigan recently recalled 10,000 cannabis-infused chocolate edibles dubbed Covert Cups, having discovered the products had not undergone adequate inspection after being manufactured in Bay City, reported MLive.