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Today, the Office of Marijuana Policy, a part of the Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services, unveiled plans for the issuance of Maine’s first active licenses for adult use marijuana establishments. The Office intends to issue the first active licenses to recreational cannabis businesses on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. Retail sales of adult use marijuana to consumers 21 years of age or older will be permitted starting on Friday, October 9, 2020.

The issuance of active licenses will continue the Office of Marijuana Policy’s structured rollout of Maine’s nascent adult use industry, which had been indefinitely postponed in April in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The public’s health and safety are at the forefront of every decision we make at the Office of Marijuana Policy,” said OMP Director Erik Gundersen. “While we were poised to launch this new industry earlier this year, we were unwilling to sacrifice the high standards we have set for this program by launching during an emerging public health pandemic and in the absence of a testing facility. With the support of the public health community, municipalities across the state, and the industry we regulate, we have used the last few months to ensure this new industry is introduced to Maine consumers in a manner that is as responsible as possible.”

Active licensure is the culmination of a three-step application process which also includes conditional licensure and local authorization, respectively. An active license is required for adult use establishments to come into possession, process and sell adult use marijuana, including initiating plant transfers from Maine’s existing medical marijuana program.

It is expected adult use licensees will utilize the time between active licensure and Maine’s retail sales launch date to harvest and process marijuana, ensure those products satisfy the mandatory testing requirements, and move product through the supply chain to stock retail store shelves. Additionally, businesses which will conduct retail sales will prepare to implement and support social distancing and other public health guidance at a time when public interest may attract a significant consumer presence to their retail locations.

There’s a lot of misinformation and exaggeration regarding the benefits of CBD. Here are some conditions that the compound can help alleviate.

Despite the incredible popularity that CBD has amassed over the past couple of years, there’s a lot that scientists and experts still don’t know about the compound. While it’d be great if CBD could do all of the things many companies promise it does, it’s a compound like any other, with its fair share of limitations. It’s also one that stands on rocky legal ground, meaning that it needs much more research in order for us to get a clearer picture of what it does and how it functions with our bodies.

While there’s a lot of misleading marketing regarding a large percentage of CBD products, there are a few benefits that have been associated with CBD and that have some scientific support. Here are three conditions that CBD can actually treat and provide relief from:

Epilepsy 

Photo by KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images

The most significant results that support medicinal CBD oil show that the compound is effective at treating seizures and rare forms of epilepsy. In 2018, Epidiolex, an oral CBD medicine, was approved by the FDA. The drug can be used to treat two kinds of epilepsy: Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gestault syndrome. According to the research, it’s believed that CBD helps suppress seizures by decreasing inflammation in the brain and thus slowing down the messages that it’s receiving.

The designation of the cannabis business as essential caught some states and some state officials off guard. 

It was a classic watershed moment when 20 of the 33 states across the U.S. that allowed some form of sale and consumption of marijuana had those businesses designated as essential businesses in March during the early days of the coronavirus outbreak. 

And while that designation of what is “essential” was just an advisory from the Department of Homeland Security, and not a federal directive or standard, meaning that it’s open to wide interpretation by various jurisdictions, cannabis advocates jumped on the opportunity in March to remind state governors about the importance of the cannabis industry. 

A letter from the Marijuana Policy Project states that governors and legislative leaders played up the significance of access to medical cannabis in times of a pandemic: “As leaders of states with medical cannabis or cannabidiol (CBD) laws, we write to urge you to ensure patients can safely access their treatment option in a way that is consistent with public health. Cannabis is a crucial part of the treatment regimens of hundreds of thousands of individuals, including many who have vulnerable immune systems because of their advanced age or a serious medical condition.” 

The designation of the cannabis business as essential caught some states and some state officials off guard. 

Cannabis shouldn’t create anxiety. Depending on the strain you use, it should ease anxiety, so let’s start there.

As marijuana’s popularity spreads, more people are open to trying it. Perhaps they’ve heard that their medical condition is eased or treated by medical marijuana. Maybe it’s simply time to try something other than a glass of wine at the end of the day. No matter the reason, it’s important to get the dosage right.

The thing is, like most mind-altering substances, cannabis effects people in different ways. And with the myriad of choices as to how one can imbibe, it can become complicated. Cannabis shouldn’t create anxiety. Depending on the strain you use, it should ease anxiety, so let’s start there.

Indicas, Sativas And Hybrids 

These are the three types of marijuana plants that are harvested. Indicas are known for sedation and appetite stimulation, while sativas create more of a “heady” high: cerebral, creative and more active. A hybrid is a cross between sativa and indica and many people new to pot start with a hybrid. Though it’s sativa dominant, a very good strain for newbies is Jack Herer. Its uplifting high is a good start for almost anyone. If you’re looking for something more indica dominant, Bubble Kush is a very popular choice.

Ways to get cannabis into one’s system vary. From smoking, vaping, and dabbing to edibles, tinctures and topicals, it can be tough to know where to start. Especially if the newcomer is enthusiastic. The best advice is don’t try everything at once, because you may freak out. The biggest risk with marijuana is the potential panic attack from being “too high.” It’s easily avoidable, however, if you just follow a few rules.

The cannabis industry is no stranger to automation.

Connected sensors that monitor temperature, humidity and soil conditions help achieve optimal grows; trimming and bucking machines are commonly used for processing; curious consumers can receive advice from medical chatbots; and, increasingly, automated budtenders are popping up in dispensaries and other locations.

That was the case last week in Colorado, where “anna”, an automated weed vending machine, made its debut in a Strawberry Fields dispensary in Pueblo, reports the Denver Post. The machines will also be heading to Starbuds, a second Colorado-based dispensary, later this year.

“There are experienced cannabis customers who don’t necessarily need that one-on-one interaction with a budtender,” Matt Frost, founder and CEO of anna, told the Post. “They know what they want before they walk in, they’re ready to go in and out. By doing this, we’re giving more time back to the people who do need hand-holding and want that education from a live person.”

Four machines are up and running at Strawberry Fields. Customers need to show identification to an employee before they can access the machines, which come equipped with a real-time touchscreen menu of what’s available in the dispensary, and allow consumers to pay with cash or card, before dispensing the item. Customers can also place orders ahead of time using the anna app.

Vice President Mike Pence took to Lou Dobbs Tonight on Fox News earlier this week to gripe that Democrats were attempting to include legislation related to marijuana and banking in the latest coronavirus relief bill.

"I heard the other day the bill mentions marijuana more than it mentions jobs," Pence said to Dobbs. "The American people don't want some pork-barrel bill coming out of the Congress when we've got real needs for working-class families."

Maybe he's trying to remind everybody that Joe Biden isn't the only vice president who's still resisting marijuana legalization?

There are two ironies here. First, the bill Pence is complaining about makes it possible for cannabis businesses to safely engage in banking in states where cannabis is legal, which helps those "working-class families" who rely on the cannabis industry. Second, the bill he's referring to will actually save taxpayers money, unlike much of the rest of this relief legislation.

The "Secure and Fair Enforcement Act of 2019," a.k.a. the "SAFE Banking Act," would allow legally operating cannabis businesses to have the same legal access to banks, loans, and deposit protections as other legal businesses. Because the sale and possession of marijuana are still forbidden by federal law, banks are reluctant to have any dealings with dispensaries and growers, even when they're legally operating within their home states.

Do you wonder if medical marijuana can help you feel better? You aren’t alone! Many people with lung cancer consider whether or not medical marijuana can make them feel better as a complementary therapy, alongside a prescribed treatment course. The answer is it certainly could… but like all diagnoses, it’s an individual matter and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach that works for everyone.

From a medical standpoint, “there’s very little clinical data” on the topic, Dr. Edward Garon, a medical oncology and hematology specialist at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, told SurvivorNet. “It is an area where there is some preclinical data, such as animal data, but not a lot of data on humans, that would be sufficient for clinical evidence for us to recommend it to people.”

So let’s break down how medical marijuana works, explore why it works, and what doctors say about it based on what they do know at this time.

It is important to understand why marijuana can be so helpful for symptoms of cancer and its treatments. First, it’s both an anti-inflammatory and a pain reliever. “When you take plant-based cannabis, marijuana, you’re decreasing inflammation, and you’re relieving pain at the same time,” Dr. Junella Chin, an integrative cannabis physician in New York, told SurvivorNet.

Dr. Garon says, “In general, we have always advised patients diagnosed with lung cancer, not to smoke anything.”

Have you ever wondered why you have butterflies in your stomach when you are stressed? Or why you run to the bathroom before speaking in front of an audience? These are clear examples of how your gut responds to stress. There is a gut-brain connection that links the nervous system to the digestive system.

There are two competing components to your nervous system: the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. The sympathetic system is the “fight or flight” response. This system kicks into gear when you have to speak publically, meet a deadline, or exercise. The sympathetic system causes your pupils to dilate, heart rate to increase, blood pressure to rise, and body to sweat. 

The parasympathetic system helps you digest your food, sleep, dream, and relax. Especially during these stressful times, many of us are living in a perpetual state of “fight or flight.” We are overworked, exhausted, and anxious about what the future holds. This constant state of “fight or flight”  results in digestive ailments such as bloating, irregular bowel movements, acid reflux, and rapid weight gain/loss. Overexertion on the sympathetic system may also cause a decrease in blood flow and oxygen to the stomach, which can lead to cramping, inflammation, or an imbalance of gut bacteria.

The ever-increasing importance of the ECS system

The endocannabinoid system, or ECS, is a vast and essential system that modulates and interfaces with all of the other systems throughout your body. It regulates physical functions, such as movement, pain sensation, and immune responses, as well as cognitive or mental capacities, like perception, mood, and memory. The ECS naturally produces cannabinoid-like molecules that stimulate the body's cannabinoid receptors. These receptors are in many areas of the body, such as the brain, muscles, and gastrointestinal (GI) tract. 

Why and how does CBD affect the nervous system? 

Did you know that our brains make their own internal cannabis molecules (endogenous cannabinoids)? Anandamide (named after the Sanskrit word for bliss, ananda), helps temper stress and balance the nervous system, so we are not spiraling out of control on high sympathetic overdrive. Sympathetic overdrive takes a toll on the body that can eventually lead to a state of adrenal fatigue if left untreated. Adrenal fatigue causes everything from a compromised immune system to a decreased ability to handle stress to and memory problems. 

There has never been a more crucial time to automate your cannabis operation. With the COVID-19 crisis settling in for the long haul, businesses are starting to think about how to increase efficiency and profit, while operating a facility safely and comfortably for workers and managers.

As the cannabis sector becomes more competitive, the margins get tighter, and the manufacturing and production environment encounter new challenges, businesses must embrace automation to survive.

Need convincing? Here are the top five reasons to automate your cannabis business now.

How Will This Big Issue Affect Pot Stocks

As we’ve seen in 2020, the demand for marijuana has shot up dramatically. For anyone who watches the cannabis industry, they know that this demand rise is due solely to Covid-19. But, with so much marijuana demand one would think that the cannabis industry is headed in the right direction. And for the most part, this is true. Since mid-March, pot stocks have seen a major amount of growth in their share prices. And, estimates for the future worth of the cannabis industry are continuing to go up.

With a plethora of cannabidiol (CBD) beverages in the marketplace, it surprises some to learn they are technically illegal. It is not a gray area, nor is it something some states allow. They are illegal, but they are out there. In fact, the CBD drink category had more new product introductions than any other no-alcohol, ready-to-drink beverage category in the first quarter of 2020, according to Beverage Marketing Corp.

Derived from hemp or marijuana, both part of the herbaceous flowering plant known as Cannabis sativa, CBD is a non-psychoactive compound known for its health and wellness properties. Consumption is associated with relaxation, pain relief, improved sleep, positive mood, better memory and stress response. It is not to be confused with delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the compound responsible for the feeling commonly referred to as “stoned.”

In the United States, as of Dec. 20, 2018, hemp-derived cannabis ingredients with less than 0.3% on a dry weight basis of THC may be sold in commercial consumer products such as tinctures or extracts. The US Food and Drug Administration does not recognize CBD as a food or beverage ingredient nor as a dietary supplement; however, the agency is currently not stopping its use in most cases, and innovators are taking their chances.

“The CBD-infused beverage market is currently in limbo as the federal government has yet to issue final guidelines on whether CBD is permissible in food and drink, and, if so, at what dosages,” says Gary Hemphill, managing director of research at Beverage Marketing Corp. “Initial hearings were held in spring 2019, but there still has been no guidance, hampered not only by the inherent slowness of government but also other issues taking obvious priority.

“A recent FDA report seemed to splash further cold water on the segment, claiming that about half of products contain more than 0.3% THC by dry weight, but are not identified as containing THC on labels, and that a majority of the products it tested contained either 20% less or 20% more CBD than what is stated on labels.”

It would appear that changing over the Senate is even more important than who is President on this particular issue.

Many in the cannabis industry have, understandably, backed Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for President and VP, presumably for a variety of reasons which include a belief that they are more likely to support legalizing cannabis at the federal level. Many are not as aware that President Donald Trump has stated that he is, in his words, “100%” in favor of legalizing medical marijuana, and that he believes recreational or adult use should be decided by the states, although early in his 2016 campaign he said he opposed legalizing adult use.

The truth is, as many have discovered, the Biden campaign has almost the same view as Mr. Trump. The former VP will support the legalization of cannabis for medical purposes, leave decisions regarding legalization for recreational use up to the states, and reschedule cannabis as a Schedule II drug. If Trump supports legalization essentially in this manner, then why has it not been enacted since his inauguration? There are primarily three barriers to this, and their names are Republican Sens. Mitch McConnell, Mike Crapo and Lindsey Graham. But let’s step back.

In January 2018, then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded the Obama-era Cole Memo in the Justice Department which deemphasized federal prosecution of state legal cannabis enterprises. In response to this, Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) told the President he would hold up all his judicial nominees until he addressed the issue. A few months later he was able to talk to Trump, who assured him that if a bill came to his desk legalizing medical marijuana and leaving adult use to the states, he would sign it. Gardner then backed off his resistance to Trump’s judges.

Shortly thereafter, Gardner, along with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), introduced the Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) Act, then reintroduced it a year later. A companion bill was also introduced in the House. The bill would take the steps Trump said he would accept in legalizing medical marijuana and allowing states to legalize adult use.

A study of consumer attitudes released recently found that residents of states with legal cannabis have a positive view of the regulated marketplace. Results of the research, “Consumer perceptions of ‘legal’ and ‘illegal’ cannabis in US states with legal cannabis sales,” were released online last month ahead of the publication of the study in the journal Addictive Behaviors early next year.

To conduct the study, researchers with the University of Waterloo’s School of Public Health in Canada surveyed adult consumers in states with legal cannabis and asked them about their views of the regulated marketplace. Investigators surveyed 5,530 respondents residing in Alaska, California, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. 

The study examined consumer perceptions of quality, price, convenience, and safety of use and purchasing cannabis from legal versus illegal sources in U.S. states with legal retail sales. The study also attempted to examine associations between cannabis use, length of time since legal sales began, and perceptions of legal cannabis.

Well over half (59.2%) of the survey participants reported that, compared to an illicit supplier, cannabis was more convenient to obtain from a licensed source and 56.1% said it was a safer way to purchase cannabis. Additionally, 37.6% of consumers said that they believed the quality of the cannabis offered at licensed businesses was superior to what can be purchased from unlicensed sellers, although more than 30% of respondents said that legal cannabis is more expensive. Less than 15% of respondents in any state reported that legal cannabis was less expensive than that purchased from unlicensed sources. The study also found that 40.3% of those surveyed felt that cannabis purchased from legal sources was safer to use than unregulated products.

Better Over Time

Researchers also found that consumer perceptions varied according to the length of time since legal cannabis sales began. Respondents living in more mature legal markets that had legalized marijuana earlier were more likely to perceive legal cannabis as being of higher quality. The survey also found that consumers in mature markets were less likely to say that legal pot was more expensive.

Two separate cannabis initiatives have qualified for the general election ballot in Montana, making it the sixth state in the nation that will be voting on a legalization measure in November. On Thursday, the office of Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton revealed that supporters for Initiative 190 and Constitutional Initiative 118 had collected enough signatures to qualify both measures for the ballot.

Initiative 190 would legalize the possession and sale of small amounts of marijuana for adult use and establish a regulatory system to license cannabis businesses. The measure also levies a tax of 20% on recreational marijuana and reduces the existing tax on medical cannabis from 1% to 2%. The initiative also authorizes the home cultivation of up to four mature cannabis plants and four seedlings.

Revenue from the tax on adult-use cannabis would be allocated to land, water, and wildlife conservation programs, veteran services, substance abuse treatment, long-term health care, and local governments. Proponents of the measure have estimated that it would raise $48 million in tax revenue by 2025.

Constitutional Initiative 118 would amend the Montana Constitution to allow the state legislature to set the legal age to make cannabis purchases at 21. Currently, the constitution grants all of the rights of an adult to all persons age 18 or older, except for the purchase of alcohol.

More Than Enough Signatures Collected

Petitions for both initiatives were circulated by New Approach Montana, which collected more than 130,000 signatures to put the measures on the ballot. To qualify, Initiative 190 needed approximately 25,000 verified signatures, while the constitutional initiative required about 50,000 signatures. The group reports that it spent approximately $2 million on its signature-gathering effort and other expenses related to qualifying the two initiatives for the ballot.

The cannabis start-up is a place where dreams are born. A place where exuberance pulses through the bloodstream, fueling visions of world domination. It’s a place where the new and the old, the novice and the experienced, the tried and the true have all taken their shot. And most of them have failed.

Many others are waiting for the right moment when they come off the sidelines and show the rest how it’s done. Many equate cannabis to a “gold rush” for all these reasons and more. Not the least of which is the notion that this emerging industry is a lot of fun to be a part of. The parties are sensational. What’s not to love?