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Marijuana legalization in South Dakota could see daylight in 2020. The state passed measures to legalize both recreational and medical marijuana. Luckily, both of the measures collected the required signatures before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The only issue was if the pandemic didn’t retreat by November, it would be hard for people to vote on the measures. Now that lockdown restrictions have been easing, voting should be possible. So, the fate of legalization in South Dakota lies in voters’ hands.

South Dakota voters will decide on marijuana legalization

The state’s marijuana legalization group “South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws” initiated two proposals. The good news amid the pandemic is that both of the measures gathered enough signatures. As a result, they qualified for the ballot. The voters will decide on both proposals in the upcoming November elections.

The support for marijuana legalization is huge in the state. Many members of the campaign group think that cannabis being illegal at the federal level prevents productive people from getting jobs. People have to deal with drug conviction charges related to marijuana even though it’s legal in most states. As reported by KELOLAND News, the group held a zoom conference recently. The group presented a case stating how “legalizing and regulating marijuana would free up prisons and jails” and additionally bring in “$30 million of tax revenue by 2024.”

However, some local law enforcement questioned approving the measure. The group said that there would be restrictions as well. Marijuana legalization will be in voters’ hands. They will decide whether or not to legalize recreational and medical marijuana in the state this year.

Legalization would boost cannabis companies

The soaring demand for cannabis amid the pandemic shows that it’s important in the US. More states have been focusing on legalization efforts despite the pandemic. They think that legalization could help states recover financial losses amid COVID-19. Notably, the states include Texas and New Mexico. The U.S. Virgin Islands’ governor also stressed that marijuana legalization could lead to economic recovery. To learn more, read U.S. Virgin Islands’ Governor Supports Marijuana Legalization.

An increased tax on flower has forced legally operating dispensaries to increase their prices, which makes it hard for them to compete with the black market.

Steeped in history, brimming with mythology, and home to beautiful beaches, rich Mediterranean food, and sights like the Parthenon, Greece is also a country fighting economic fallout, and trying to revive its wounded economy. Could the legal medical cannabis industry be Greece’s ticket back to economic security?

U.S. cannabis sales stayed strong in April even as broader retail sales fell by double digits, indicating that the March increase in demand was more than just pantry loading.

Total U.S. retail sales fell 21.6 per cent in April from the year prior, yet pot sales in several states posted significant year-over-year gains -- in some cases, even bigger than in March when demand spiked ahead of Covid-related shutdowns, according to data firm BDS Analytics. Many legal states declared cannabis an essential service during the pandemic, allowing for delivery and curbside pickup.

Depending on your relationship with your dad or the father figure in your life, cannabis may or may not be a comfortable topic of discussion— especially if you factor in his personal perspective on cannabis and cannabis consumption.

But cannabis entering more prominently into the discourse of the day, and with Father’s Day coming up to boot, now is a great time to break the ice once and for all and talk to your dad about his views on the matter.

But it’s probably smart to temper your approach based on where your dad stands and what kind of guy he generally is. Whether he’s the “cool dad” who you can talk to about anything or one of those dads who requires a PowerPoint presentation to understand who Rihanna “is,” you can use some of these tips as starting points to get the conversation with your pops moving in the right direction.

The Dad Who Used to Smoke

Maybe he hasn’t lit up in a couple of decades, but when he was younger, he could hold his own blowing clouds with the best of them. You can ease him into a conversation by piquing his interest in some of the new ways cannabis is being consumed and transformed into other products. Talk to him about all the different strains, let him know about terpenes and delight him with videos on how much the art of joint rolling has evolved. You can also ask him to share some stories of his weed-loving glory days — most dads love talking about the good old days, right?

The Chill Dad Who Smokes Now

Just admit it: You kinda want to smoke with your dad. And you might even want to swap tips or even take a trip to a dispensary together. If you’re waiting for your dad to ask you to join him, just take the lead and invite him yourself. Since it’s Father’s Day, it only makes sense that you would generously treat your old man to your favorite strain or a gourmet edible. This is the perfect opportunity to make sure that he knows that the two of you can share (and match!) without any awkwardness.

A study by researchers in Israel has shown that prolonged treatment with medicinal cannabis may reduce the frequency of migraines. Results of the study, “Migraine Frequency Decrease Following Prolonged Medical Cannabis Treatment: A Cross-Sectional Study,” were published this month in the journal Brain Sciences.

The goal of the research was to assess the impact that prolonged use of medical cannabis may have on the frequency of monthly migraine attacks. To conduct the study, 145 migraine patients aged 34 to 54 who had been using medical cannabis for a median duration of three years were surveyed. The subjects included 97 women, or 67% of the study group. All patients who participated in the research had been licensed to use medical cannabis. The data collected for the study included a self-reported questionnaire from the study group and information on the characteristics of the medical cannabis treatment used.

Monthly Migraines Reduced By Half

The researchers found that 89, or 61%, of the test subjects reported a 50% or more reduction of monthly migraine attacks following medical cannabis treatment. This sub-group of the study, classified as responders for further data analysis, also reported lower current migraine disability and a lower impact of migraine attacks. Responders also reported better sleep quality and lower rates of consumption of opioids and triptans compared to non-responders, the sub-group of test subjects that reported a less than 50% reduction in monthly migraine attacks with medical cannabis treatment.

“These findings indicate that MC [medical cannabis] results in long-term reduction of migraine frequency in [more than] 60% of treated patients and is associated with less disability and lower antimigraine medication intake,” the authors of the study wrote.

The researchers offered a possible explanation for the effect of medical cannabis reported by responders, noting that “migraine is classified as a pain condition. Mechanistically, endocannabinoids have been shown to have an inhibitory effect on serotonin receptors in vivo, which is shown to modulate pain and emetic responses.”

Michigan retailers sold more recreational marijuana products than medicinal for the first time last week.

Since the sale of recreational marijuana became legal back in December, the weekly sales of adult use cannabis have been creeping up and up. But the sale of medical marijuana was always higher.

Until last week.

The Marijuana Regulatory Agency reports last week state retailers sold just over $10 million worth of recreational marijuana products compared with $9.9 million in medical marijuana. 

Michiganders voted to legalize recreational marijuana use in 2018. State regulators spent most of 2019 crafting rules for the adult use industry, before allowing retail sales to begin in December.

Three hundred to one. Those were the odds against the U.S. legalizing marijuana at the federal level that I calculated 10 months ago. I didn't just pull those numbers out of thin air. They were based on a reasoned analysis of all the dynamics in play last summer.

But a lot has changed since August 2019. The chances of a change in U.S. marijuana laws are much greater than they were just a few months ago. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that U.S. marijuana legalization is now likely on the way as soon as 2021. 

Why federal changes haven't already happened

Before we get to why my view has flipped 180 degrees, let's look at why federal anti-marijuana laws haven't already changed. After all, public support for marijuana legalization is at all-time highs (no pun intended). Thirty-three states have legalized medical cannabis. Eleven states have legalized recreational pot. More states will probably be added to both lists after the November elections.

The lack of federal marijuana legalization hasn't been due to a lack of trying. In November, the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee even passed a bill that would, among other things, remove marijuana from the list of federally controlled substances and allow states to establish their own marijuana policies. 

A bill to legalize cannabis use was approved by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation on Sunday, passing its first hurdle on the way to becoming law.

The legislation will decriminalize the possession of up to 50 grams of marijuana while fully legalizing the possession and consumption of up to 15 grams by individuals above the age of 21.

If the bill becomes law, selling and purchasing marijuana for personal use will be legal for those above 21 and authorized shops will be allowed to sell cannabis product, through growing marijuana at home will still be illegal. The legislation also outlined medical cannabis reform.

“For the first in the State of Israel’s history, my legislative move is officially beginning to regulate the cannabis market in Israel,” Likud MK Sharren Haskel, who co-sponsored the legislation with Blue and White MK Ram Shefa, wrote in a Facebook post. “I’m proud to bring good news to over one million cannabis users and tens of thousands of sick people.”

Housing Minister Yaakov Litzman of the ultra-Orthodox United Judaism Party and Jerusalem Affairs Minister Rafi Peretz of the national-religious Jewish Home both voted against the bill.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a Lebanon County policy that banned the use of medical marijuana by those on probation or parole, even if they have a state-issued identification card authorizing them to do so. The unanimous decision was handed down by the court on Thursday morning and applies to all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties.

“This decision provides further validation that cannabis is medicine and that those Pennsylvanians who rely on it should not be treated any differently or be denied any rights under the law,” Paul Armentano, the deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said after the decision was handed down.

The case stems from a Lebanon County policy issued in 2019 by Judge John Tylwalk that prohibited those being supervised by the county’s probation department from using medical marijuana, even with a doctor’s recommendation and an identification card from the state. Tylwalk cited the federal prohibition on cannabis as rationale for the policy, writing that the probation department “should not knowingly allow violations of law to occur.”

The American Civil Liberties Union, representing three medical marijuana patients affected by the ban, sued to have it overturned. The plaintiffs use medical marijuana for a variety of conditions, including epilepsy, nausea, and chronic pain. The ACLU lawyers argued that the 2016 law establishing Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program gave registered patients “sweeping immunity” from prosecution and other penalties.

The justices agreed with the plaintiffs, writing in their opinion that in enacting the state’s medical marijuana statute, “the Pennsylvania Legislature proceeded pursuant to its independent power to define state criminal law and promote the health and welfare of the citizenry.”

Over the course of the past decade, a large number of scientific studies have analyzed the effects of CBD for nausea. 

Some focused on nausea resulting from chemotherapy, while other studies were dealing with how CBD works for nausea in general. 

This collection of works conclusively showed that CBD is a very promising compound for both nausea and vomiting.

Let’s check out some of the most important research. 

According to this 2011 review, considerable evidence suggests that the manipulation of the endocannabinoid system is capable of regulating nausea and vomiting in humans and other animals.

So, there you are, pondering your finances, there are many expenses and costs that go into running your business and when your budget is already tight, should you add or increase training to the expense list? Why frustrate yourself, looking for ways to train people, when you could be focusing on things like technology, product development or sales that help with business growth?

We all know that product development and sales are important. But what differentiates training from other expenses is that while on the surface training might appear as an expense, it’s not.

Missouri has had a rocky road to cannabis reform and medical cannabis expansion so far, but now, the state is poised for success with their own, commercial cannabis grow facility now fully up and operational. 

In the desert, Republicans and Democrats have found something to agree upon: A majority in both parties plan to vote to make marijuana legal in the upcoming Arizona election if they get the chance.

A new survey by public affairs consultants HighGround of Arizona voters found that 65 percent of them plan to vote “yes” on the Safe and Smart Arizona Act if it makes the November ballot. The act would make weed possession legal for those over 21 and set up a state-regulated adult-use cannabis market. 

Only 25 percent of those surveyed said they oppose the measure. About nine percent have not made up their mind.

The survey asked if the voters, knowing what they know not about the act, would vote “yes” or “no.” The responses were:

The support mirrors that found at the national level. A Gallup survey from fall 2019 found that about 66 percent of U.S. citizens support making weed legal, the same number who said the same thing in 2018. The survey also found support from older people and those from both parties.

Malta Enterprise has played a pivotal role in ensuring support for research and industry in the face of the COVID-19 epidemic. It says Malta’s COVID-19 response is promising for the cannabis industry.

For most of 2020, coronavirus has shaped our lives and the world in which we live. The outbreak and official responses to it have affected all industries and businesses all over the world. The good news is that Malta has been very effective in mitigating and navigating this scenario – so much so that Hans Kluge, General Regional Director of the World Health Organization, singled the country out as the model that other countries should look up to and emulate. This is good news for the cannabis industry in Malta.

Malta cannabis industry: weathering the COVID-19 crisis

Even from an economic point of view, Malta has been praised for the way in which we have handled the situation and supported the local industry in this time of need. In its report titled ‘The great lockdown’, the International Monetary Fund predicts that, of the EU Member States, Malta will be the jurisdiction to suffer the least. The GDP contraction for Malta is expected to be the lowest amongst the EU28, standing at -2.8% in comparison to the average EU contraction of -7.5%. In the post-virus economic landscape, Malta is predicted to grow its GDP by 7% in 2021.

The local manufacturing industry has weathered the first part of this crisis very well. Our sturdy manufacturing ecosystem, which operates in different niches, exports to different markets and trades in different international currencies, has managed to overcome the initial impact of COVID-19. In no uncertain terms, this has been supported by the fact that the country never went into total lockdown, resulting in no days lost from production. In fact, some manufacturers effectively increased production and are now further expanding their operations.

This is very reassuring news to the booming and evolving medical cannabis sector, which is currently setting up its operations on this Mediterranean island. In fact, Malta’s cannabis sector has continued its activities as planned and predicted, with five projects having set up their facilities and applied for the requisite licence from the Malta Medicines Authority. Later on this year we should be seeing the first exports of medical cannabis originating in Malta.

Hexo Corp. says it has sold its facility in Niagara Falls, Ont., for $10.25 million to an undisclosed buyer.

The cannabis company announced in March plans to list the facility after reviewing its cultivation assets.

Hexo determined that it no longer expected to restart operations, which it halted in November 2019, due to an excess of cultivation capacity in the market, forecasted demand for cannabis products and expected market development.

The sale of the Niagara facility included land and greenhouse facilities, as well as certain equipment.

The company says it expects to use the proceeds to fund additional expansion of its Belleville, Ont., facility and for working capital and other general corporate purposes.

nly 3 per cent of Australians using medical cannabis access it through the government’s regulated program, a new study found. 

Medical cannabis has been legal in Australia since November 2016, when the government created a system where doctors could prescribe weed to treat various ailments.

The chief executive officer of Canopy Growth said this week he expects the United States will legalize recreational marijuana at the federal level in 2022.

Speaking to CNBC’s Jim Cramer on his show Mad Money, David Klein said that the growing number of U.S. states legalizing weed will inevitably lead to broader support in Congress that will, in turn, eventually force lawmakers to remove cannabis from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.

A new comprehensive survey found many consumers still need help understanding basic cannabis concepts like THC and alternative delivery methods.

Despite various efforts by numerous companies big and small, education remains the biggest obstacle in the cannabis industry, a new survey conducted by Oasis Intelligence found. The firm’s research showed the majority of legal consumers still lack foundational knowledge about marijuana’s effects, risks, and benefits. One explanation? The number one resource customers use when seeking out information about cannabis and potential products is their friends.

The survey places stark contrast between the conversations occurring inside cannabis spaces and how people discuss marijuana at home.

“We inside the industry have a real advantage when it comes to understanding the plant from a scientific, regulation and usage perspective that is generally a requirement for those in the space,” Oasis Intelligence co-founder Laura Albers told The Fresh Toast. “However, when it comes to the average consumer, we see the needs for education are not about more advanced topics that the industry may prioritize—think terpenes, minor cannabinoids gaining popularity or even the endocannabinoid system.”

According to the Oasis study, over 70% of people are unfamiliar with terms like the “entourage effect” and “endocannabinoid system.” Instead, Albers said, many are still grasping the basics. Subjects that most interest consumers include different available products, CBD:THC ratios, and alternative consumption methods. A significant portion of consumers still seek more understanding around tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.