WeedLife News Network

Legislation to wipe convictions for possession of small amounts cannabis off the records was tabled in the House of Assembly.

The Expungement of Convictions Act was designed to remove the stigma of past convictions for people who were caught with small amounts of the drug before it was decriminalised three years ago.

Kathy Lynn Simmons, the Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, said cannabis laws had penalised young black men and damage their education and job prospects.

Ms Simmons added the 2017 Misuse of Drugs (Decriminalisation of Cannabis) Amendment Act decriminalised possession of 7g or less of cannabis.

She said on Friday: “At the time, the wider social justice policy objective was to discontinue the longstanding practice of criminalising individuals for personal cannabis use.

If you think the U.S. will soon legalize marijuana at the federal level, you're not alone. Canopy Growth CEO and former Constellation Brands CFO David Klein expects that it will happen in 2022. I've speculated that marijuana could be legalized nationwide as early as next year.

But could presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden be putting the brakes on the pot legalization train? Some might think so after reviewing recommendations from a task force that the former vice president formed along with Sen. Bernie Sanders. However, there's more to the story.

Slow-mo Joe?

The Biden-Sanders "unity task force" created a 110-page document chock-full of policy recommendations across a wide array of issues. Among the issues that the task force considered was marijuana legalization. Anyone hoping that the team would recommend full legalization of pot in the U.S. probably came away a little disappointed after reading the task force's document.

The task force called for the decriminalization of marijuana using executive action. This includes automatically expunging all previous marijuana convictions for the use and possession of marijuana. In addition, marijuana would be removed from the list of offenses for which individuals can be deported from the U.S.

There were no recommendations to completely legalize marijuana at the federal level. Will Biden will be "slow-mo Joe" when it comes to legalization if he adopts his task force's recommendations? Not really.

In early September 2019, President Trump expressed an urgency to ban vaping products.

In the wake of this announcement, the Center for Drug Control (CDC) reported that 1,299 confirmed and probable lung injury cases were associated with e-cigarette or vaping products.

In addition, the CDC confirmed 26 deaths related to vaping products. However, this wasn’t the first instance of bad press for vaping.

A History of the Vaping Crisis

Like many of today’s technologies, vaping and e-cigarettes seemed to skyrocket in popularity overnight. The credit is largely due to Juul.

Founded in 2015, the company set out to develop a cigarette alternative for those trying to wean themselves off of smoking. Since then, the company has become a verb, and in 2017 claimed over a third of the e-cigarette market, generating $224 million in revenue.

Earlier this week, the US Department of Agriculture approved hemp production plans under the nation’s Domestic Hemp Production Program for Minnesota, Tennessee and Puerto Rico.

The addition of the three brought the total number of state, territory and tribal plans approved so far to 53. These plans provide details on practices and procedures that enable local hemp producers to operate according to the relevant state plan and in compliance with federal laws.

Where a state doesn’t have a plan but will allow hemp production, a national plan will provide regulation and licencing. So far, one state is noted as having a USDA Hemp Producer License – New Hampshire. As we recently mentioned, Hawai’i will also head down this path.

Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen welcomed the approval of his state’s plan, saying it was a major step forward – but noted ongoing concerns relating to regulations including hemp testing requirements. While the plan is now approved, Minnesota will continue to operate under its 2014 pilot program, which is permissible for this year. Minnesota is by no means alone in this – the USDA status list indicates 23 states have expressed their intention to operate under 2014 pilot programs.

Last year more than 7,300 acres and 400,000 indoor square feet of hemp crops were planted in Minnesota. This year, 511 people currently have grower and/or processor licenses, and  8,605 acres and 4.66 million indoor square feet of growing space is registered with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

According to a new report by The Denver Post, marijuana sales in Colorado set a new monthly record in May. The sales in May break a record that’s been in place since legal sales begin way back in 2014.

According to the report, licensed legal marijuana retail outlets and medical marijuana dispensaries sold $192,175,937 worth of products in May. This is based on data from the Department of Revenue’s Marijuana Enforcement Division. The Denver Post notes that these numbers mark 29% from April and an increase of 32% from May 2019.

Sales at both medical and recreational pot shops hit monthly all-time highs, at $42,989,322 and $149,186,615, respectively. Collectively, both sectors have sold more than $779 million in 2020 and paid more than $167 million in taxes and fees to the state.

Roy Bingham, co-founder and executive chairman of BSDA analytics firm, said a confluence of several factors caused by the pandemic are likely causing the increase in sales. For one, many people may have more leisure time and are spending more time at home, where cannabis is typically consumed. Existing marijuana consumers also are buying more each time they go to the dispensary, a trend that started with stocking up in March when Colorado went under a statewide stay-at-home order.

“Everyone has perhaps become more used to consuming a little more,” Bingham said.

After over a century of irresponsible treatment of our environment, our plant -humanity is in need of a quick solution. Hemp may just be one of the pieces to this giant puzzle.

Unfortunately, hemp didn’t have the opportunity to help us until recently due to poor regulation. Back in the 1930s, marijuana was criminalized as a dangerous substance that caused violent behaviors and had a high potential for addiction. When this happened, hemp was criminalized all the same even though it causes absolutely no psychoactive effects.

Hemp and marijuana are both apart of the cannabis sativa plant and, on a surface level, look almost identical. However, marijuana contains higher amounts of THC – the cannabinoid responsible for getting people “high” – while hemp contains higher amounts of CBD. It’s unclear whether or not people were aware of this information when cannabis was criminalized.

But what was most certainly common knowledge was all the different uses hemp had. This plant is one of the most versatile found in the wilderness and can be used for 20,000 different necessities, from food to rope to clothing.

In the last two decades, hemp has become a mainstream topic of discussion again. People have finally woken up to the ridiculousness of having such a robust plant be criminalized. And maybe they’ve done so just at the right time.

As COVID-19 puts a crunch on the state’s coffers, the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration is targeting California’s multi-billion dollar underground cannabis economy to get a piece of the pie.

CDTFA announced last week it has taken  sweeping actions against 12 illegal cannabis retailers across SoCal, from Los Angeles to San Bernardino County, in recent weeks. The CDTFA served tax warrants to the dozen in collaboration with the California Highway Patrol, who also assisted with the investigations.

In the process of the tax raids, the state also seized nearly a million dollars in pot products on top of $100,000 in cash. CDTFA said that money will go toward the tax liabilities involved with the various retailers.

“The CDTFA’s collaboration with the CHP is an important deterrent to tax evasion,” stated CDTFA Director Nicolas Maduros said in a statement announcing the actions. “Tax evasion unfairly shifts the burden onto all other taxpayers and makes it tough for those businesses that are playing by the rules to survive.”

CDTFA went on to note that under the California Revenue and Taxation Code, if you are willfully evading or attempting to evade the cultivation tax, the cannabis excise tax or the sales tax you’re committing a crime. But it’s worth noting these actions target retailers that were completely illegal, as opposed to anyone who may be fudging the numbers in a legal operation to mail a few packages East.

Many of the 55 or so state-licensed cultivators who now grow medical marijuana for the three existing dispensaries have their eye on winning one of the licenses.

The state Department of Business Regulation will begin accepting applications Friday from businesses hoping to win a license to operate one of six additional medical marijuana dispensaries.

But it likely won’t be until the end of next year at the earliest before any of the applicants who eventually win one of the lucrative licenses — chosen through a lottery — is selling marijuana, DBR officials say.

The DBR released regulations in March for how those new dispensaries must operate, with the expectation of opening the application period soon thereafter.

Last week, the FDA released a report to Congress on their findings after randomly testing a broad range of CBD brands and products on the market. The findings were shocking: More than half the CBD products tested were inaccurately labeled, in many cases containing significantly more or less CBD than indicated on the packaging. Alarmingly, nearly half of the CBD products tested were found to contain the psychoactive compound found in recreational and medical cannabis—THC.

According to a new study published in the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, marijuana inhalation is associated with short-term reductions in depressive feelings. The study was epublished by the National Institute of Health, and is titled The effectiveness of cannabis flower for immediate relief from symptoms of depression.

For the study researchers examined the effects of marijuana inhalation on depressive feelings in 1,819 subjects over a one-month period. Study participants self-administered marijuana and reported symptom changes in real time on a mobile software application.

According to researchers “almost all patients in our sample [96 percent] experienced symptom relief from using cannabis to treat depression.. with an average symptom intensity reduction of –3.76 points on a zero-to-ten visual analogue scale.”

Marijuana varieties that were dominant in THC were used. Researchers reported “minimal evidence of serious side-effects in the short run,” though they acknowledged that prior studies have shown “mixed findings on the association between cannabis use and symptoms of depression, with unclear conclusions as to the direction of causality.”

A Look at How Cannabis can help with the treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Medical cannabis is one area of the applications of cannabis that slowly continues to gain prominence and acceptance in different climes. With the increase in the legalization of cannabis in different regions, there has also been an increase likewise into studies on the numerous medicinal benefits that are present in cannabis. Cannabis is readily used and prescribed by some physicians to help with the regulation of inflammation and used internally for certain ailments.

One such condition where the medicinal benefits of cannabis can be illustrated is the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome which is a painful condition associated with the median nerve of the hand and wrists and compression by the carpal tunnel. Before going into the role cannabis can play in alleviating the pain and dealing with the inflammation associated with carpal tunnel syndrome, it is important to first have a concrete and balanced understanding of the condition, the cause of the condition, the symptoms, and common modes of treatment.

What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a persistent painful health condition characterized by inflammations, severe pain, nerve damage, and so on. Studies show that enormous pressure and compression of the carpal tunnel on the median nerve is the major factor that causes it. The carpal tunnel is a narrow opening that runs through the wrist and hand and protects the median nerve. The carpal tunnel also holds tendons in the wrist area and allows for bending of the fingers. CTS is an entrapment neuropathy because the median nerve is one of the large nerves of the hand and it is the compression of swelling around the carpal tunnel that affects its activity thereby causing pain and inflammation.

Aurora Cannabis Inc. is closing some of its European operations as the cannabis producer opts to consolidate its presence in the continent amid soft demand for medical pot, according to an internal memo obtained by BNN Bloomberg. 

Aurora told its employees last week that it will shut its offices in Portugal, Spain, and Italy while reducing its European workforces by one-quarter in select countries and its regional office, the memo said. The Edmonton-based company will shift its European headquarters from Germany to its Denmark office while acquiring the remaining 49 per cent of its Danish business that it doesn't already own, the company said. 

A systematic review of 14 existing studies in animals has concluded CBD could possess “important” therapeutic potential in the treatment of people addicted to crack cocaine. 

According to the study published in the journal Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, CBD or cannabidiol was shown to reduce addictive behaviors in animals dependent on cocaine, meaning the non-psychoactive compound found in marijuana could act as an adjunct therapy for people struggling with cocaine addiction. 

The reason scientists believe CBD could help alleviate the symptoms of addiction is due to its effects on anxiety, cocaine consumption and reward effects, neuronal proliferation, behavioral responses, hepatic protection and safety. 

“Cannabinoids may have an important therapeutic potential for the treatment of dependence on crack cocaine. Cannabidiol (CBD), in particular, has anxiolytic, antipsychotic and anticonvulsant properties and plays a role in regulating motivation circuitry and controlling sleep disorders,” the team behind the review wrote. 

However, as always, more clinical trials are necessary in order to determine whether the results of animal studies can be replicated in human test subjects diagnosed with cocaine or crack cocaine use disorder. 

The Seventh Circuit’s ruling is important because courts and legislatures may follow its interpretation of the 2018 Farm Bill with respect to smokable hemp.

The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (“2018 Farm Bill”) legalized hemp by removing hemp and its derivatives from the definition of marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The 2018 Farm Bill also provided a detailed framework for the production of hemp and directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to promulgate regulations and permitted states to maintain primary regulatory authority over hemp cultivated with their border by submitting a plan to the USDA.

In 2019, Indiana passed Senate Enrolled Act 516 (“Act 516”) to bring Indiana’s definition of hemp in line with the 2018 Farm Bill and to establish a regulatory framework for hemp production. Act 516 criminalized the possession of “smokable hemp,” which it defines as any industrial hemp product “in a form that allows THC to be introduced into the human body by inhalation of smoke.” Ind. Code § 35-48-1- 26.6. The law provides that “[a] person who knowingly or intentionally manufactures, finances the manufacture of, delivers, finances the delivery of, or possesses smokable hemp … commits dealing in smokable hemp, a Class A misdemeanor.” Ind. Code § 35-48-4-10.1.

In short, Act 516 made it a crime to manufacture, deliver, or possess smokable hemp.

Days before Act 516 was to go into effect, a group of hemp sellers and wholesalers (collectively referred to here as “CY Wholesale”) filed a federal lawsuit challenging Indiana’s prohibition on smokable hemp (we first covered that here). In its filing, CY Wholesale sought a temporary injunction to stop Indiana from enforcing the smokable hemp ban.

Breonna Taylor was a 36-year-old Black emergency medical worker who was killed in March while police in Louisville, Kentucky carried out a no-knock warrant as part of a narcotics investigation.

“Breonna Taylor died as a result of the war on drugs,” said Josh Alb as he shouted to demonstrators on the steps of Newark City Hall on Friday. “The police went into her house for a no-knock warrant for drugs that were never there. This is one of the biggest pieces missing from the conversation surrounding her.”

The war on drugs was a narcotics prohibition campaign that was created under former President Richard Nixon in the 1970s. Alb said the policy is still being used today to harm Black people like Taylor.

Alb, a William Paterson University student who lives in Newark and works in the cannabis industry, led about 30 demonstrators down Broad Street on Friday while shouting her name. They called for the legalization of marijuana to begin to end the war on drugs.

Legalization could happen soon - at least in New Jersey. Voters will decide if it should become legal on Nov. 3.

In less than two years after the country legalized recreational cannabis, Canada has reached an important milestone. According to a report in BNN Bloomberg, the country's dispensary count crossed the 1,000 mark as of July 17, landing at 1,010.

Of all the country's provinces and territories, Alberta in the West has the highest number, at 494. No. 2 is the province where some of the highest-quality Canadian cannabis has traditionally come from, British Columbia (211 dispensaries).

As any marijuana stock investor can tell you, the past 15 months haven't been pretty for pot stocks. Since April 2019, the vast majority of cannabis stocks have lost 50% or more of their value as growing pains have taken shape. In Canada, supply issues have led to everything from shortages to bottlenecks. Meanwhile, high tax rates on legal product in the U.S. have ensured that black market demand remains robust.

But in spite of these problems, the marijuana industry is slowly but surely finding its footing and maturing before our eyes. This isn't going to be an overnight process, but we're witnessing the initial stages of this shakeout and maturation taking place.

As we motor on through this unprecedented year, here are the five biggest cannabis catalysts you should have your eyes on for the remainder of 2020.

1. The 2020 elections

One of the more intriguing questions to be answered this year is, what's going to happen on the marijuana front come November when Americans head to the polls? No matter who wins the presidency, there's a pretty good chance that legalizing cannabis is out of the question. However, state-level legalizations could provide ample opportunity for the U.S. pot industry.

Right now, we know that three states are, for certain, voting on a cannabis measure come November -- New Jersey, Mississippi, and South Dakota. South Dakota is of particular interest since it's the first state to vote on a separate medical marijuana and adult-use weed measure in the same election.

Low-priced cannabis products will be key to converting consumers from the illicit market to the legal market, but once that’s done they’ll be willing to spend more on pricier items like vape pens and edibles, according to Aurora Cannabis Inc.’s new chief commercial officer.

Cannabis is “unlike tobacco or alcohol because of the presence of this massive black market,” said Miguel Martin, who joined Aurora with its acquisition of U.S. CBD company Reliva LLC in May. “There are some underpinnings to make the pie bigger in a way that you traditionally wouldn’t with discount brands.”

Some Canadian pot companies were caught off guard last winter by avid consumer demand for low-priced flower and had to rush to develop new offerings. In February, Aurora said its market share in flower declined in the prior quarter “as the market shifted significantly towards value brands,” and announced the launch of Daily Special, a cheaper product designed to “compete strongly with the gray market and help grow the overall size of the legal segment.”

In May, Aurora said Daily Special was the top-selling flower brand in Ontario for the previous two months and attributed the company’s 24% quarterly growth in recreational pot revenue to the brand’s popularity.

However, the cannabis market changes rapidly and “what’s popular today may not be popular tomorrow,” said Martin, who was previously president of Logic Technology Development LLC, a manufacturer of electronic cigarettes, and a senior executive at tobacco giant Altria Group Inc. “I do think like with any other category, things will start to settle and then you’ll have the ability to move people up the value chain or the pricing chain.”