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Less than a month after Governor Northam signed the bill to legalize medical marijuana, the Virginia Board of Pharmacy voted to deny MedMen's request for an extension and rescinded their conditional license to operate a medical marijuana dispensary in Staunton. 

The Board of Pharmacy voted to move forward with a Request For Applications with the timeframe to be announced, according to Virginia NORML's website. This means medical cannabis companies can once again apply for a license in the state.

But this also means the location for the facility can be anywhere in our health service area. Staunton is located in health service area one, which encompasses the Shenandoah Valley and Charlottesville. The Staunton location was tied to the facility that was awarded the conditional permit in 2018. Originally, this facility was PharmaCann. 

"As with the initial round of applications to the Board of Pharmacy, I hope Staunton is still a point of interest for other potential entities," said Billy Vaughn, Staunton's Community and Economic Development director. "Maybe the PharmaCann/MedMen site in Green Hills comes in to play."

In May 2019, PharmaCann Virginia purchased the land at 3 Industry Way in Green Hills Industry and Technology Center for $212,352, according to city records.

A group of Montana cannabis activists said on Friday that it had collected enough signatures for two proposed ballot measures that would legalize the recreational use of marijuana in the state to qualify for the November election. The group, New Approach Montana, submitted petitions for the two initiative proposals to government officials, who will begin the verification process.

The group submitted more than 80,000 signatures for Constitutional Initiative 118, an amendment that would set the legal age for purchasing cannabis in Montana at 21. Another 52,000 signatures accompanied a petition for Initiative 190, a separate statutory ballot measure that would permit recreational marijuana commerce in the state while setting a 20% tax on retail sales.

For the constitutional amendment initiative to qualify for the ballot, supporters must submit at least 50,936 valid signatures from registered voters and must meet a minimum threshold of signatures in at least 40 of the 100 Montana state House of Representatives legislative districts. For the statutory initiative to be certified for the November election, 25,468 verified signatures including a minimum from at least 34 districts must be turned in to government officials.

Broad Support For Legalization

Pepper Petersen, a spokesman for New Approach Montana, said that the campaign had taken precautions to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus while collecting signatures. Those gathering signatures wore masks and supporters were given wrapped, single-use pens to sign the petitions. Despite the extra measures and the limited time to canvass following a mandated stay-at-home order, the campaign was able to gather signatures from every one of the state’s House districts.

“We think it represents what’s going to happen in November,” Petersen said. “There’s going to be an overwhelming support for this in every corner of the state. There’s not a legislative district that’s not represented in the signatures. We feel like the support out there is deep and wide, and it’s really exciting.”

These Two Pot Stocks Could Prove to be Important For The Last Week of June

The year 2020 may go down as the worst in memory, but not for cannabis beverage manufacturers.

According to a report by Prohibition Partners, the global cannabis drinks market will be worth $1.82 billion by the end of the year. That number is driven by consumers looking for cost-friendly relief from the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Why are so many obeying their thirst?

“When facing an economic crisis, consumers will be more willing to buy less costly luxury goods," says Stephen Murphy, Managing Director of Prohibition Partners. "Cannabis-infused drinks are an ideal example of this and Prohibition Partners has found that cannabis products are expected to benefit from this period of self-isolation."

The stockpile effect

Consumers are stockpiling cannabis products in a bid to ensure that their supplies are secured indefinitely. As part of the “home entertainment line-up” in regions where cannabis is legal, beverages can expect to benefit from this trend in hard times to watch more television and spend more on little extras for their in-home leisure. The current stressors of 2020 have already proven to be a boost to cannabis-based products. Despite the current inevitable economic downturn, cannabis is still set to record impressive growth as consumers look for products to help them relax and de-stress and as the most popular format, drinks will likely be the greatest beneficiary.

Dosage is very important for cannabis products. The accuracy of them allows people to understand how the drug and its compounds interact with their bodies, helping to prevent overdoses and providing a point of reference when trying new brands and strains.

A recent report found that 27 per cent of leading CBD brand products in the U.S. don’t contain the dosages they indicate in their labels. The percentage is worrisome, but is nonetheless one that has improved over the past couple of months.

While the city of Denver, and the state of Colorado as a whole, has been on the forefront of recreational and medical cannabis, Denver just issued the first official research and development license this past Tuesday. Med Pharm, the group granted the license, will be looking at how cannabis could potentially provide relief for Alzheimer’s patients. 

Although it has been approved on a local level, the group still needs to submit their study plan to the state. But the researchers at Med Pharm are feeling good about the venture. They have already decided that they will host a trial in which 150 Alzheimer’s patients will be administered either cannabis or a placebo. Those in the non-placebo group will take cannabis orally once daily. 

“It’s really exciting,” explains Dr. Tyrell Towle, Director of Chemistry and Research at Med Pharm. “We’re finally doing research that we should have been doing decades ago, quite frankly. “We’ll be giving caregivers surveys. The caregivers of these patients will be filling out “are they sleeping better, are they easier to deal with, are they experiencing less agitation, are they maybe forgetting fewer names”.”

“We really want to understand how these Cannabinoids and the compounds we put together can help people,” adds Albert Gutierrez, CEO of Med Pharm.  “We’ll be monitoring that throughout the study so that we can see if the symptoms that are improving, are correlating to an improvement of blood flow in certain areas of the brain.” 

“We are excited for the possibilities for this type of medical research to find effective research for a whole host of illnesses,” says Ashley Kilroy, director of Excise and Licenses and Office of Marijuana Policy for Denver. “Also, we really see this license-type in particular, a license that could attract some of the best and brightest to Denver to attract this type of work.”

Women tend to experienced the same acute effects of cannabis as men at a lower dose of THC, according to new research published in Psychopharmacology which sought to mimic real-world smoking practices.

“We know from population survey data that men are more likely to use cannabis than women, but it seems like women experience more severe cannabis-related harms,” said study author Justin Matheson, a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto.

“Research in animals suggests that this is because females are more sensitive to the effects of THC, the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis, and that this might be due to differences in the way THC is metabolized in females. However, there has been relatively little human laboratory evidence to suggest sex differences in the acute effects of THC.”

In the double-blind study, 91 healthy cannabis users smoked a single cannabis cigarette (12.5% THC or placebo) before completing subjective effect scales and cognitive tests. The researchers also monitored their vital signs, such as blood pressure and body temperature. The participants used cannabis about 1 to 4 times per week and were 19 to 25 years old.

The researchers found that female participants tended to smoke for just as long a duration as males. However, women tended to smoke less of the cannabis cigarette.

The hype surrounding the use of CBD all over the world has been attributed to the fact that it is very potent. Scientists have done a great job of enlightening people with every new finding that they discover. Additionally, CBD does not have side effects since it is free of THC, a cannabinoid responsible for intoxicating the brain and giving people a euphoric feeling.

CBD has a close connection with the health of the liver. It has been found to boost its health by preventing or mitigating various liver illnesses. When people consume the compound, it interacts with the endocannabinoid system, particularly the CB1 and CB2 receptors, which are connected with the functionality of the liver.

Apart from the liver, CBD is also used to manage other health conditions such as cancer, arthritis, epilepsy, anxiety, and schizophrenia, just to mention a few. However, we will focus on its benefits on the liver for now. Without further ado, let us dive deep into great insights that you should know on how CBD helps in dealing with liver diseases.

How the Liver Works

The liver is a very active organ in the body. First, it is involved in the detoxification of the body. A couple of biological metabolisms of the body also occur in the liver. That is why a lot of medications, supplements, steroids, and alcohol take a toll on the liver. Furthermore, the organ plays a role in the production of digestive enzymes in the body.

The liver is prone to a plethora of illnesses such as hepatitis, cancer, cirrhosis, and many others. Current research shows that CBD oil or extract is medically used by doctors in the management of some of these diseases.

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.