WeedLife News Network

Medical marijuana patients in Louisiana will now be able to buy the smokable flower form of the drug under a new state law.

Gov. John Bel Edwards recently signed House Bill 391. It passed the state House of Representatives, 75-18, earlier this month and was approved, 23-14, by the state Senate in late May.

The measure allows approved patients to buy 2.5 ounces of marijuana leaf every two weeks from one of the state’s nine medical marijuana pharmacies. Previously, patients could only get non-smokable forms of the drug, such as gummies, ointments and inhalers.

The new law takes effect Jan. 1, 2022, and both of the state’s licensed medical marijuana growers have said they would have smokable marijuana for purchase on that date.

Louisiana lawmakers approved the medical marijuana program in 2015 and products became available to patients in 2019.

North Macedonia’s government cannabis regulation body is working on drafting legal framework for decriminalisation, legalisation and use of the substance, the government said on June 24.

The country legalised use of medical cannabis in 2016. In November 2020, Social Democrat Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said that he supports the decriminalisation, but also legalisation, of cannabis consumption saying that this will help the tourism and hospitality industry in the country.

Travel industry publication Travel Daily News reports that cannabis tourism is a growing area. Rather like wine tourism where enthusiasts visit vineyards, cannabis tourists visit areas where the drug is legal.

At the second meeting, the working group adopted definitions of the terms ‘decriminalisation’, ‘legalisation’ and ‘depenalisation’ regarding cannabis use, the government's statement said.

The definitions of terms are needed to better understand the levels of permitted use of cannabis, including recreational use.

In recent years, the number of states that have approved cannabis for both medicinal and recreational use has grown substantially. Yet many doctors are still reluctant to endorse cannabis as a treatment for various ailments — and with good reason.

One group, the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), issued a statement in February 2021 saying, “There is not enough high-quality human clinical safety and efficacy evidence to allow IASP to endorse the general use of cannabis and cannabinoids for pain at this time.”

To get a better understanding of why the IASP issued the statement and what the group is looking for in the future, we spoke to psychologist Judith Scheman, PhD.

Who is the IASP and what did they do?

Made up of over 7,000 pain specialists from 125 countries, the IASP is the primary organization for pain specialists in the world. “The IASP is very interested in finding the best and safest way of helping patients manage pain,” says Dr. Scheman.

As the availability of cannabis increased thanks to legalization efforts, the IASP recognized the need to assess the risks and benefits of using it to treat pain. A systematic overview of cannabis and cannabinoids was especially important in light of the opioid epidemic of the last few decades.

The array of consumption methods available might seem overwhelming if you are new to the cannabis world.  How difficult is smoking a joint after all? In fact, it is not that hard, but there are some rules and insider tips to help you consume with confidence- by yourself or with your friends. Have the most important tools like the rolling papers, a light and/or hemp wick and a grinder to have the best experience.

Joint

You may not feel comfortable rolling one if you are new. Until you get the hang of rolling your own, head to your lead dispensary for a pre-roll. If you wish to learn how to roll one, however, no worries, you can just search "How to roll a joint" and a multitude of videos on YouTube are readily available. It’s that simple. Now, to the best part, you don’t smoke a joint like a cigarette. You're going to want to roast, meaning that you light the end without inhalation. Turn it slowly over the flame for an even burn.  Now you are ready to inhale, try not to "lip" meaning don't moisten the joint with saliva.  Rest it on your lip, and then take small inhalations lightly on the joint. Just inhale, pause and exhale after 2 to 3 seconds. You will surely drink some water between hits to soothe your throat.  Then repeat to the desired effect you want.  If you have had enough and you can relight it later by letting the joint go if you want. 

Sharing with Friends

You’d be surprised by the number of etiquettes put into consuming recreational marijuana with your friends but in short “puff, puff, pass”. Or another way of saying it is to take two reasonably long puffs, ash your hit and pass it to your left. No matter who begins the rotation, going to the left (i.e. against the clock) is the traditional universal direction in which to pass a joint. Don't babysit, i.e. take an unnecessarily long time, lip the joint or blow smoke in someone's face to be a more conscientious joint sharer.

Blunts

The same steps are taken as smoking a joint. So, what's the difference and what's right for you? Blunts are visually fatter and recognised by their brown wrappers. Blunt is also made from using a cigar wrap, then adding and rolling up (whether alone or mixed tobacco). They are bigger and contain tobacco.  Blunts isn't for everybody, as the mix has a different kind of high. But it's easy to go tobacco-less blunt in today's market with hemp wraps available.

The company that owns the UK’s biggest cannabis production site for use in pharmaceuticals has called for changes to immigration policy following labour shortages after it was excluded from a visa scheme for farm workers.

Peter Watson, agriculture director of British Sugar — which grows cannabis for use in epilepsy medicines at Wissington in Norfolk — blamed the recruitment problems on the rules of the seasonal agricultural workers’ scheme.

The labour problems come as investments in cannabis companies soar after several countries, including the UK, legalised the use of medicines using extracts from the plant.

The NFL, through a committee formed with the player’s union, plans to fund up to $1 million in research into the potential use of marijuana to treat pain. Former players have strongly pushed for this policy in the past few years as an alternative to prescription opioids.

The initiative is the work of a committee formed in 2020 by the NFL and the NFL Players Association, called the NFL-NFLPA Pain Management Committee (PMC). 

The PMC focuses on all pain-related issues for NFL players, including finding alternatives to using prescription opioids. Past studies show that people outside professional sports have taken the issue into their own hands. For example, several studies show opioid prescriptions drop in places that legalize marijuana. 

Focus of the research 

In 2020, the PMC held two forums about CBD, gathering information on its potential uses. In 2021, the committee sought information from researchers who study pain management alternatives. They’ve learned enough to move forward with new research.

The committee recently requested research proposals that focus on “pain management and the potential effects of pain and cannabinoids on athletic performance in elite football players.”

A recent bill to legalize CBD and other non-psychoactive ingredients of the cannabis plant for the use in food and dietary supplements introduced in the US Senate is just one of a landslide of initiatives that have put the hitherto demonized marijuana and its harmless cousin, hemp, into the mainstream.

The bill also highlights the fact that more and more US citizens and in fact people around the world make the plant a part of their diet. Let us briefly survey the various ways in which this natural medicine and wellness product can help you achieve and maintain a healthy body mass and contribute to your general well-being.

Blood Sugar, Body Mass, and Waist Circumference

Let’s start with the effects of the psychoactive form of medical marijuana—the one that is full of THC, produces the so-called ‘high’ in users, and more often than not is consumed by smoking.

Though a persistent stereotype pictures pot smokers as lazy couch-potatoes constantly stuffing their face with junk food, epidemiologic studies have found that marijuana users have lower prevalence of obesity and diabetes than the general population. Probably there is a link between the regular recreational use of the substance and peripheral metabolic processes. A large-scale survey of 4657 adult men and women has found that “marijuana use was associated with lower levels of fasting insulin and HOMA-IR, and smaller waist circumference”.

But before you decide that a visit to your local dispensary is the best way to treat or prevent diabetes and overweight, check out the study that suggests there is a double risk of a life-threatening condition called diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA, for marijuana smokers with type 1 (not type 2) diabetes.

Analogies between the patterns and paths that cannabis legalization is taking—between Canada and Europe, and more recently, the U.S. and Europe—are certainly in the room this year. Especially as different European states begin to at least engage if not normalize parts of the cannabis discussion—from medical and CBD to full boat adult use.

To some extent, the political fight over legalization has certainly been divided between the cannabinoids in a way not really seen in either the United States or Canada—and that has been a deliberate strategy by advocates and the industry alike as medical reform has either stalled or moved too slowly for real progress to be made. Ultimately, patients pay the steepest price.

To some (notably patients) the parsing of legalization between THC and CBD is unbelievably frustrating. However, to lobbyists and commercial interests, the opening, finally, of a European market for at least one part of the plant is a strategic place-marker that has advanced some parts of reform in some countries—while leaving other conversations hanging.

To some extent, the recent victories over CBD in the European Union (EU) are clearly a sign that at least one part of the plant is normalizing. On the other hand, that such advances have only come post legal action is a sign of how treacherous and legally challenging the path to market actually is—and all over Europe—and how much CBD reform is a weak substitute for either medical use that is integrated into healthcare systems, much less adult use.

Recent Significant European Victories

The entire CBD discussion has been put to the test over the last six months in both France and Germany, and further in ways that the rest of Europe is clearly watching, if not merely skipping on the road to full recreational reform.

The Norway City Council on Monday struck growing facilities and microbusinesses from its ordinance allowing marijuana establishments within city limits.

Such operations will not be allowed in Norway to avoid odor issues, City Manager Ray Anderson told The Daily News.

The council requested the change at the June 7 meeting and can revisit the issue in the future if it wishes, Anderson said.

Because of the amendment, a resolution that would have defined the process for accepting, evaluating and approving applications for licenses to operate marijuana businesses was removed from Monday’s agenda, as it had several references to growing facilities and microbusinesses.

Additionally, the city needed more time to refine the rubric for evaluating the businesses, Anderson said.

For cannabis operators, being compliant and efficient at the same time often feels like an impossible feat.

This is especially true for cultivators, who must go to great lengths to ensure their cannabis is both high-quality and produced within the constructs of the laws of their individual state. 

In 2017, Matt Mayberry, Karen Mayberry, and Benjamin Wong (all passionate cannabis advocates) were exploring a foray into the legal market when they discovered the multitude of issues producers were facing.

One of the main challenges was the archaic systems being used for the vast amount of data needing to be collected for regulators.

With parliamentary approval this month of a bill to legalize medical, cosmetic, and industrial cannabis, Morocco edges closer to establishing a legal cannabis industry. Developed by the Ministry of the Interior, the bill regulates activities related to the cultivation, production, manufacture, transport, and marketing of cannabis as well as its export and import for medical and therapeutic purposes. The National Agency for the Regulation of Activities Related to Cannabis was established to authorize all cannabis-related activities.

Morocco is considered one of the most stable countries in the Mediterranean and North African region. In December 2020, Israel and Morocco officially normalized a long-standing informal relationship that has fostered Israeli tourism and business ties over many years. But the bond between Morocco and Israel extends far beyond a few tourists and fortune seekers.

Morocco was once the home of a significant Jewish population that fled Ancient Israel in the 6th century BCE. By the time Israel was recognized as a state in 1948, Morocco’s Jewish community numbered some 250,000. Over the next few decades, the majority of Moroccan Jewry immigrated to Israel, becoming one of the most significant cultural groups in the country. To this day, Moroccan culture is influential in Israel’s culinary, music, business, and religious realms. Coming on the heels of normalization with the UAE, Bahrain, and Sudan, no one was surprised by the Israel-Morocco handshake.

Morocco’s cannabis black market is a huge part of the country’s informal economy. The U.N. International Narcotics Control Board reported in 2018 that 400 tons of cannabis deriving from Morocco were seized in 2017, almost 86% of seizures in all of Europe. More than 107,000 people were prosecuted for drug crimes in 2017 according to Mustapha El Khalfi, then Morocco’s government spokesperson. Arrest warrants have been issued for another 50,000 people. These people are subject to blackmail and the threat that they will be exposed to the authorities, forcing them to live clandestinely and have limited freedom of movement.

The vast majority of Morocco’s cannabis is cultivated in the Rif region, one of the poorest areas in the country and the seat of much public unrest and outcry over state corruption. The Rif mountains are known for a highly prized landrace called Beldia Kef (or Kief) which is considered particularly adapted to the local terrain and climate. This strain is valued for its high CBD content and low need for water. But as market demand for THC, the intoxicating cannabinoid, increases new strains that are less hardy and require a great deal more irrigation are being introduced in an area that is increasingly becoming more arid. Unregulated cannabis cultivation incurs ecological consequences such as deforestation, soil erosion, and water source depletion, that impact the entire region.

The implementation of a seed-to-sale tracking system for medical marijuana products in Oklahoma has been delayed by a lawsuit that seeks to transfer the costs of the program to the state. In April, the rollout of the program was postponed until the end of June by a Okmulgee County judge in the case brought by a group of medical marijuana businesses.

Rhode Island just made history by approving a legal cannabis bill. The proposed legislation passed 29-9 earlier this week. 

The bill is sponsored by Michael McCaffrey, Democrat and the Senate Majority Leader and Health & Human Services Chairman Joshua Miller, another Democrat. It was introduced back in March, and another legal cannabis proposal was brought up in the state by Governor Dan McKee. 

“It is a historic day, as it is the first time a bill to legalize and regulate cannabis has reached the floor of either legislative chamber in Rhode Island,” Miller said regarding the bill. “It is important that we act expeditiously to enact a regulatory framework. 

“Cannabis legalization is as much about reconciliation as it is revenue,” McCaffrey added regarding the reasons behind introducing this bill. “[P]olicies of prohibition have disproportionately impacted communities of color, and I believe we must ensure any effort to legalize cannabis recognizes and rectifies those wrongs. Low barriers to entry, expungement reform, and broad access to programs designed to increase access for individuals and communities impacted by the failed War on Drugs are an important and necessary component.”

Not only do the Senate and governor have bills introduced, the House does, too. Rhode Island’s House of Representatives also has a bill backed by Scott Slater, a Democrat. However, the House will not be considering the bill until summer or all, while the Senate is moving forward. 

The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission fined both TILT Holdings Inc. (CSE: TILT) (OTCQX: TLLTF) and Ayr Strategies (OTC: AYRWF) last week for over $200,000 each as both companies try to resolve issues each blamed on previous management. The settlement also allows each company to move forward with plans in the state.

Tilt Holdings

Tilt Holdings agreed to the settlement resolving concerns of the CCC, which cleared a path for the provisional licensure for the retail sale of adult-use and medical cannabis in Massachusetts. Tilt CEO Gary Santo said in a statement, “With today’s decision, TILT has fully resolved the dispute regarding certain agreements entered into by the original management team of TILT with other license applicants. In February, TILT terminated all remaining contractual relationships between the company and prospective applicants. At yesterday’s meeting of the CCC, the commissioners ratified a stipulated agreement resolving the related investigation pursuant to which TILT has agreed to make a $275,000 payment to the CCC Marijuana Regulation Fund.” TILT said it is now positioned to complete the licensing process and increase its retail footprint in Massachusetts with the opening of two additional dispensaries in Cambridge and Brockton following final inspection and approval by the Commission. Both facilities are fully built out.

“We worked diligently with the Cannabis Control Commission to resolve the investigation that has stalled our remaining state licenses for the past two years,” said Santo. “We appreciate the time, effort and professionalism afforded to TILT by the CCC staff and are thrilled to have come to an amicable resolution with the Commission. Since joining the TILT team, I have made it a point to reinforce our focus on building a culture of compliance and have taken steps to build out our compliance team across the organization, making key hires that reflect both depth of industry knowledge and integrity in processes. The conclusion of this investigation marks the turning of a page for TILT and we look forward to serving many new patients and customers in our communities later this year.”

Ayr Strategies

A new measure, proposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, was approved by the California Legislature on Monday and aims to help legal cannabis operators acquire permanent licenses.

According to Newsom’s office, about 82% of the state’s legal operators still hold provisional licenses as of April 2021. These provisional licenses are due on Jan. 1, 2022.

Dealing with the bottleneck

While adult-use cannabis was made legal in the Golden State in 2016, most growers, retailers and manufacturers have been unable to transition from provisional licenses to permanent ones, which need to be renewed on an annual basis. 

This is due to the high cost of auditing operations to comply with environmental regulations, according to a report by the Los Ageles Times.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said the money is “essential in supporting a well-regulated, equitable, and sustainable cannabis market.”

The top five cities that are Google searching terms like “state cannabis legalization” are all places where cannabis is completely illegal.

As of April 2021, seventeen states, two territories and the District of Columbia have enacted legislation to regulate cannabis for adult use. In addition, Connecticut and Rhode Island seem poised to legalize adult use cannabis, Louisiana has decriminalized marijuana possession and Montana is establishing its own marketplace. Those are big gains, and they just keep coming. According to a recent analysis conducted by cannabis marketing company Digital Third Coast, consumers want even more access, more convenience, and also more restrictions, at least when it comes to advertising cannabis.

Digital Third Coast analyzed Google searches in all 50 states and 34 of the largest U.S. cities where cannabis is not yet fully legal. The analysis was rounded out by a survey of over 1,000 Americans who were asked to offer their views on cannabis legalization, use, and marketing. The drive for legality as expressed by respondents appeared centralized in the West, with Wyoming at number one and North Dakota coming in second. West Virginia took a surprising third ranking, making it an outlier among its western counterparts, including Iowa and Nebraska, which rounded out the top five.

Photo by 377053 via Pixabay

States with mixed legality that includes medicinal programs, different laws governing CBD usage and, in some cases, decriminalized cannabis, ranked lowest in “cannabis curiosity”. The Google search data revealed a high volume of interest in legalization from those living in states where cannabis is already legal.

U.S. researchers say there’s simply not enough information available yet to determine if using cannabis does or does not influence brain development or functioning in adolescents and young people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

That conclusion is part of a detailed new review published last week in the July/August issue of Harvard Review of Psychiatry.

“[T]he evidence to date does not clearly support either an addictive effect or an interaction — whether protective or harmful — with cannabis use,” write Dr. Philip Cawkwell of the Stanford University School of Medicine and his study colleagues.

Getting more confident about conclusions either one way or the other demands additional research “to clarify possible effects of cannabis on brain structure, function and behaviour in young people with ADHD,” according to Wolters Kluwer Health, which publishes the journal.

Trying to pin down the combined effects of cannabis use and ADHD in adolescence, investigators looked at 11 studies that assessed any type of neurodevelopmental outcome in the age group who did or did not use weed.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards (D) has signed legislation into law, House Bill 391, repealing the state’s ban on herbal cannabis for medically authorized patients.

The new law, which takes effect on January 1, 2022, will for the first time allow state-registered patients to obtain “raw or crude” cannabis for the purpose of “inhalation.” The state’s access program currently limits patients to non-inhaled forms of cannabis, like infused oils.

Beginning next year, registered medical cannabis patients will be able to purchase up to two and a half ounces of medical cannabis flower per 14 day period from licensed providers.

Similar legislation legalizing medical cannabis flower was enacted in Minnesota earlier this year. Louisiana and Minnesota were among the only states barring medical cannabis patients from accessing flower.

Governor John Bel Edwards (D) also signed legislation into law last week removing the threat of jail time for low-level marijuana possession offenses. The reduced penalties law takes effect on August 1, 2021.