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Despite being signed into law in July 2019, many of the improvements touted by Jake Honig’s Law, which expanded the state’s medical marijuana program, have yet to be implemented, frustrating physicians, healthcare professionals and attorneys operating in the healthcare space.

With more than 86,000 patients signed up for the medical marijuana program in New Jersey, and a ballot question asking voters to decide whether or not to legalize recreational cannabis, health care experts say many in their industry remain under informed about the medicinal value of cannabis and when or how to prescribe it.

Dr. David Nathan, founder and president of Doctors for Cannabis Regulation, said there were numerous issues the medical cannabis program still needed to address in order streamline the program including the sign-up process for patients and physicians, increasing the number of dispensaries, delivery, home cultivation and allowing nurse practitioners and physician assistants to recommend cannabis.

“My feeling is that anybody who is eligible to prescribe medication in the state of New Jersey should be eligible to recommend cannabis,” Nathan said.

Sheila Mints, a healthcare attorney with Capehart Scathard, said Jake Honig’s Law authorized nurse practitioners and physician’s assistants to register patients for the medical marijuana program but, in practice, that change has yet to take effect.

While most of Washington, D.C. is distracted by the Supreme Court drama, a buzz is building around one particularly green issue — namely whether the U.S. House of Representatives could be set to pass a bill to legalize cannabis as early as this month.

The Hawai‘i State Department of Health issued a formal notice to proceed to Hawaiian Ethos LLC on the island of Hawai‘i and Manoa Botanicals LLC, dba Noa Botanicals on O‘ahu, after both passed their final onsite inspections for their third retail facilities.

Hawaiian Ethos’ new retail location in Hilo at 578 Kanoelehua Avenue expects to begin sales on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020. Noa Botanicals’ new retail location in ʻAiea at 98-302 Kamehameha Highway expects to open today.

The Cannabis Control Commission filled in the blanks Thursday of its long-discussed marijuana home delivery rules, agreeing upon a framework that creates two types of delivery licenses and settling on a timeline that would have new cannabis industry rules in place in about a month.

The CCC adopted draft delivery regulations Thursday that would create two distinct delivery license types: a “limited delivery license” that would allow an operator to charge a fee to make deliveries from CCC-licensed retailers and dispensaries, and a “wholesale delivery license” that would let an operator buy marijuana wholesale from cultivators and manufacturers and store it in a warehouse. The licensees would augment retail stories and serve as a new means for people to acquire recreational marijuana.

“What we’ve done in addition to creating those two license types is also to establish new fees and fee structures, to require warehousing for wholesale delivery licensees, to authorize white labeling for wholesale delivery licensees, we’re defining specific operational requirements that will be in addition to the general operational requirements, and we are amending existing relevant regulations to incorporate the license types and the activities that they can undertake,” Commissioner Britte McBride, who led the regulation writing process, said

McBride said the limited delivery license “isn’t much of a change at all from the delivery-only license that had been included in our regulations.” When it started this latest round of regulatory revisions earlier this year, the proposed rules would have limited delivery operators to a courier role, sourcing marijuana and marijuana products from CCC-licensed retailers and making same-day deliveries. Several prospective cannabis delivery operators told commissioners during a public hearing that the framework for delivery would not work as initially written.

Last month, commissioners voted to allow delivery companies to source the marijuana and products they offer for delivery from CCC-licensed cultivators and product manufacturers on a wholesale basis, a change that one regulator said is key to equity in the newly-legal industry. That policy decision manifested itself Thursday in the form of the new wholesale delivery license type

The DEA recently issued an interim final rule addressing the implementation of hemp provisions of the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (aka the Farm Bill). But the rule has left many hemp companies confused and concerned. Specifically, the DEA seeks to criminalize certain cannabinoids in what appears to be a direct contravention of the letter and spirit of the Farm Bill. 

Many in the industry are specifically worried about the rule’s possible impact on Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the use of which has rapidly expanded lately due to its vast and therapeutic benefits, including appetite stimulation, nausea reduction, and relief from anxiety and pain. 

I believe that the DEA’s proposed criminalization of Delta-8 THC and other cannabinoids exceeds its authority and that the production and use of Delta-8 THC should remain compliant with the law. 

Some background of Delta-8 THC

Delta-8 THC is an isomer derived either from the hemp plant or from cannabidiol (CBD). Currently, most of the Delta-8 THC on the market comes from CBD because hemp extraction does not generally elicit high enough concentrations or quantities to make it a profitable option. But while Delta-8 THC is no doubt a cousin of Delta-9 THC, they are not the same.

Delta-9 THC is the most abundant and well-known cannabinoid. It produces the euphoric effects commonly associated with cannabis use. Delta-9 THC is significantly more psychoactive than Delta-8 THC, which is why it is still listed as a controlled substance in the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The impact of the Farm Bill on Delta-8 THC is quite different from Delta-9 THC. 

Everyone loves a little self-care, and right now, we probably all need to devote some extra time to ourselves to de-stress.

CBD (cannabidiol) and self-care seem like a match made in heaven. There are claims galore assuring you that adding CBD to your self-care routine will not only chill you out but it’ll do wonders for your anxiety. But what does the science say?

There are a plethora of CBD self-care products available to buy; from earthy deodorants, sumptuous body creams and dewy facial serums, to oils for pulse points, tension and pain relief. You can ingest CBD drops or you can soak in some hemp bath salts. All of these activities on their own are soothing and can do wonders for your anxiety when you take the time out to do them, however, there is some actual science to back up the claims that incorporating cannabidiol could lower your anxiety.

We know that CBD is currently used to treat insomnia and the chronic pain that is associated with various diseases. Studies have shown that CBD has anti-inflammatory properties which soothe physical pain and they also suggest that CBD helps people to fall and stay asleep. Both are important factors for physically relaxing your body.

But if you’re looking to address anxiety with your self-care products (which should never replace the advice or medication given by a medical practitioner), studies indicate that CBD decreases anxiety and social phobias by producing an anxiolytic effect in both animals and humans. CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system to help restore homeostasis, meaning it helps to create a stable equilibrium within the human body and mind. In fact, CBD interacts with several receptors in the body that regulate anxiety and it’s manifesting behaviours.

Potentially hundreds of thousands of Michiganders could soon be in line to have previous marijuana offenses expunged, thanks to a sweeping legislative package that is on the verge of becoming law.

A total of six bills are heading to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s desk after clearing the final round of approval in the legislature, and all would significantly change the criminal records of many in the state. And the effort to wipe clean the records of some who were previously busted for pot comes in the wake of Michigan voters approving a measure to legalize recreational marijuana use in 2018. 

According to the Detroit Free Press, the legislative package that was approved by lawmakers includes a proposal to “create a process to streamline expungement of marijuana offenses if the activity that led to the conviction would have been legal under the recreational marijuana law.”

House Bill 4982 allows “people convicted of one or more misdemeanor marijuana offense to apply for expungement, streamlining the process,” while also providing a “rebuttable presumption that the conviction was based on activity that would not have been a crime if committed after the use of recreational marijuana by adults became legal in December 2018,” according to the Free Press.

“In challenging the application, a prosecutor would need to prove by a preponderance of evidence that the conduct would constitute a criminal violation after recreational marijuana was legalized. Courts would move to set aside convictions that are not contested after 60 days,” the newspaper explained. 

Cannabis and sleep go great together. Here’s a few things you should keep in mind when using the herb to help you rest.

Marijuana can be a great tool for sleep. Just talk to any friend who smokes weed at night or who found themselves nodding off in the middle of a party because the herb they smoked was a little too relaxing.

Anecdotal evidence from people with varying degrees of insomnia shows how effective marijuana can be for sleep by helping users feel relaxed and allowing them to achieve hours of uninterrupted rest.

Despite marijuana’s powerful sleep inducing effects, it’s important to understand that the relationship between cannabis and sleep isn’t as clear cut as so many believe it is.

Here are 5 things you should keep in mind when using marijuana as a sleep aid:

Can These 3 Pot Stocks to Watch Continue to Outperform the Market?

Despite the pandemic, cannabis sales in Illinois continue to increase. But it’s not just in-state sales. Sales to out-of-state consumers in Illinois has nearly doubled since January.

Of the nearly $64 million in total adult-use cannabis sales in Illinois for August, $17.2 million was in “out-of-state resident sales.” That’s nearly double the $8.6 million in out-of-state sales back in January.

Pam Althoff, executive director of cannabis business group CannaBiz, said people are more anxious because of COVID-19.

“The knowledge is now common that Illinois did pass recreational cannabis use, is now out there and people are coming in and trying,” Althoff said.

A new measure would prioritize minorities, women, and those disproportionately affected by the War on Drugs for a marijuana business license.

A bill that would create a licensed recreational marijuana market in Vermont is headed to Gov. Phil Scott’s office. Residents could legally possess and consume marijuana for the past two years, but had no legal means to acquire it. This legislation would change that.

When Vermont Legislature introduced and passed cannabis legalization in 2018, the state became the first to end prohibition through lawmaker impetus instead of a ballot initiative led by advocates. However, Vermont lawmakers failed to create a legal system of cannabis sales in the process.

The new measure underwent a lengthy back-and-forth between the Vermont House and Senate. Following compromises by both sides, the bill passed each chamber and still requires Scott’s final approval. The Republican Governor hasn’t indicated whether he’ll sign the bill, though commented that lawmakers addressed many of his concerns and have “come a long ways.”

“Vermont legislators should be applauded for their hard work fine-tuning the cannabis regulation bill and sending it forward to the governor’s desk,” Matt Simon, New England political director at the Marijuana Policy Project, told The Fresh Toast. “This was a difficult compromise, but legislators worked hard to ensure that a wide range of concerns were addressed.”

Chronically ill Australians desperately trying to access medicinal cannabis could soon be given a helping hand.

Melbourne-based medicinal cannabis company Montu has created a nationwide network of doctors who support the use of controversial cannabidiol (CBD) as a treatment and can help more than half a million patients access the drug for a range of medical conditions, regardless of their location.

It will come as a welcome relief for thousands of Australians including Melbourne mother Annee Angell, whose daughter Lindsey has epilepsy.

Ms Angell said it had been an ongoing battle to find the right treatment for her 40-year-old, blind and non-verbal daughter, who would feel the debilitating effects of seizures for days after an episode.

Speaking to NCA NewsWire, Ms Angell said she discovered CBD four years ago, but she was forced to seek out a “backdoor supplier” in a bid to treat her daughter’s lifelong and “unpredictable” condition because the product was illegal.

As the deadline to begin operating under the 2018 Farm Bill rapidly approaches, hemp growers following their state pilot programs may soon be getting the relief they’ve been asking for.

The U.S. House of Representatives has introduced a bill (H.R. 8319) with a provision that would allow hemp growers to continue operating under their pilot programs through September of 2021, extending the interim period by nearly a year.

The current deadline for states to end their hemp pilot programs established by the 2014 Farm Bill and begin operating under the 2018 Farm Bill is Oct. 31 of this year.

The proposed extension of hemp pilot programs answers the call of industry leaders and lawmakers alike to give hemp growers more time to adjust to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) interim final rule (IFR) on hemp, which aligns with regulations under the 2018 Farm Bill and is generally seen as a more stringent set of rules.

Nearly two dozen states chose to operate under their pilot programs for the 2020 growing season, according to the U.S. Hemp Roundtable.

Some people report a dramatic change after just one serving of raw cannabis juice, while others may take four to eight weeks to see full results. 

Cold-press juices enable one to partake of the nutrients present in raw fruits, vegetables, and herbs that get lost once the products are heated or cooked. In a similar vein, consuming raw cannabis leaves and buds as a dietary aid increases the anti-oxidant and neuroprotective properties of this plant.

Raw cannabis can contain 500mg to 1,000 mg of non-psychoactive THCA, CBDA, and CBGA. In comparison, the same amount of cannabis once heated contains 10 mg THC. Also, as the THC in cannabis only becomes psychoactive when heated, consuming raw cannabis allows one to get the benefits of the plant in a non-intoxicating way.  

In particular, raw cannabis appears to be particularly beneficial in treating inflammation and autoimmune disease. As reported by Project CBD, “Unheated CBDA and unheated THCA (THC-acid) both have medicinal attributes, but there has been comparatively little scientific research into cannabinoid acids.” Hence, while the anecdotal accounts about cannabis’s benefits as a dietary supplement look very promising, further scientific research is needed. 

As with any other cannabis product, results vary according to an individual’s unique endocannabinoid system. Some people report a dramatic change after just one serving of raw cannabis juice, while others may take four to eight weeks to see full results. 

Hemp farmers—who have been hard hit by the COVID-19 crisis and hampered by slow reforms to federal drug regulations—are now eligible for federal aid under a second round of pandemic economic relief.

The original installment of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP1), which contained $16 billion in funds, was distributed in the spring. Hemp farmers were not eligible to apply.

President Donald Trump and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the second round of CFAP relief on September 18. An additional $14 billion in funds has been earmarked for farmers, bringing the amount of pandemic relief funding for the U.S. agricultural sector to $30 billion so far.

A USDA press release announcing the aid package classified hemp as a “flat-rate crop,” and said, “Crops that either do not meet the 5-percent price decline trigger or do not have data available to calculate a price change will have payments calculated based on eligible 2020 acres multiplied by $15 per acre. These crops include alfalfa, extra long staple (ELS) cotton, oats, peanuts, rice, hemp, millet, mustard, safflower, sesame, triticale, rapeseed, and several others.”

The U.S. Hemp Growers Association (USHGA) said after hundreds of industry members contacted the USDA, as well as a phone call between the trade organization and USDA officials, hemp farmers were added to the proposal at the last minute.

With cannabis prohibition on the decline and medical marijuana now legal in 33 states, it’s a great time for innovators to create new and exciting technology to improve how people cultivate and consume cannabis. 

However, it hasn’t always been this way. 

For many decades THC was the most popular and well-known cannabinoid.

That has changed in recent years to some extent.

THC is still very popular, however, other cannabinoids have seen their popularity increase recently, with CBD seeing the most dramatic increase in popularity and awareness.

Google search trends show that CBD is queried more often than THC, and that has been the case for a few years now.

Interest in CBD is clearly on the rise, but what about actual use? 

New research out this month suggests that medical cannabis is extremely prevalent among patients looking to treat symptoms for a serious tissue disorder.

The study, which will be published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics, found that more than one-third of patients diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) have used marijuana to manage symptoms.

NORML, which reported on the study last week, said that the researchers found that 37 percent “reported having used cannabis therapeutically,” with cannabis use particularly prevalent “among patients who reported experiencing either moderate or severe pain.”

“Of all of the traditional and complementary therapies used by respondents, ‘marijuana was self-rated as most effective,’” NORML noted in its write-up.

What is EDS?

The National Institute of Health defines Ehlers-Danlos syndrome as “a group of disorders that affect connective tissues supporting the skin, bones, blood vessels, and many other organs and tissues,” the outlook for which can “range from mildly loose joints to life-threatening complications.” The hallmark symptoms of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome are extremely flexible joints and elastic-like skin that is susceptible to bruising.

It can reduce anxiety, promote healing, and relax the body and mind. Here are some other ways athletes use cannabis to enhance performance.

Anna Symonds, Education and Partnership Manager for East Fork Cultivars, has been a  rugby player for 18 years and attributes a lot of her longevity as a professional athlete to cannabis. 

While she experimented with cannabis as a teenager, she discontinued this practice when she got more serious about sports. After she smoked with some teammates after a game, she experienced immediate healing and muscle relaxation. “I started to have this mental shift of seeing cannabis as medicine.” About five years ago after she got a back injury, cannabis proved to be the only thing that would provide her with pain relief and muscle relaxation, while increasing her functionality without the side effects from other medications.

Some time ago, Symonds observed how she would play better if she smoked the night before. “In addition, it  helped with the anxiety that comes before a competition, as well as relaxing the mind and body.” Also, the munchies enabled her to take in enough good calories so she could power up for the next day.

By microdosing before practice with a 1:1 full spectrum chocolate edible containing 1 mg THC, Symonds found the sweet spot where her pain would reduce and her mind would get into flow state where she was fully present and performing fully optimally. 

Cannabis is safer than alcohol.

How much so?

According to at least one peer reviewed study the cannabis plant is 114 times safer than alcohol.

In fact, the cannabis plant is safer than many substances that are common around households across the globe.

With that being said, that is not the same as saying that cannabis does not have any side effects.