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Defence asks that the accused be dismissed from the Canadian Armed Forces and demoted to the rank of private.

The defence and prosecution have made final submissions in the sentencing of Chelsea Cogswell, a bombardier who dosed soldiers with cannabis-infused cupcakes during a live-fire exercise in 2018. Cogswell, 28, was found guilty on nine charges in August , including one count of behaving in a disgraceful manner, which carries a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment.

“My consent was stripped from me,” wrote Lyann Lechman, per the Canadian Press . “As a person, our consent is one thing that we have to protect our well-being and to know that someone blatantly disrespected and abused that is horrifying. After this incident I find myself questioning the intent of my peers.”

Liam Jarbeau said the incident broke his trust in the chain of command at the school.

Several citizens spoke at the Nov. 9 meeting of the Essex Planning & Zoning Commission as its members continue to juggle two proposals related to cannabis facilities in town.

The first proposal is from an Essex resident, Roger Kern, whose text amendment would ban any type of cannabis facility. The second proposal has been developed by the commission for a temporary, six-month moratorium where no application would be considered, nor would any zoning permits be issued, related to cannabis.

No action was taken on either application, with the commission extending public hearings on both proposals to its Thursday, Dec. 9 meeting.

“It’s going to become the law of the land that we’re allowed to do this in the State of Connecticut,” said Steven Everly of Ivoryton. “If we want to push economic development elsewhere, I think that’s a mistake for the town.”There were mixed opinions from citizens regarding Kern’s proposal to ban cannabis in town. The commission received three pieces of correspondence in favor of his proposal while those attending the public hearing spoke against it.

Everly added that he does not support a moratorium.

A new bill introduced by a House Republican and strong earnings are causing big moves.

The U.S. cannabis industry remains one of the most interesting investing opportunities today. Although the companies still operate in a technically illegal business, most U.S. states have legalized cannabis, at least on a medical basis, and over two-thirds of U.S. citizens are pro-legalization.

Those numbers make it seem as if federal prohibition will be repealed at some point. Yet while many had thought action would occur earlier this year, cannabis legalization measures have stalled in Congress. With hot money pouring into U.S. cannabis stocks after Democrats took control of Congress in January, that money has since grown impatient and left the space throughout the spring and summer. No wonder the AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF (NYSEMKT:MSOS), an ETF that owns most of the leading U.S. multistate operators (MSOs), is down 14.9% on the year and a stunning 42.6% from all-time highs set back in February.

But after a long slump, could these stocks be in for liftoff once again? Many cannabis stocks have surged this month, with MSOS up 14.6% just through the first two weeks of November.

A Republican legalization bill surfaces

But on Nov. 5, Marijuana Moment picked up on a scoop that Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) was circulating a draft of her own legislation. Cannabis stocks climbed by double digits on the news, as the prospect for Republicans to join the congressional effort led to optimism over legalization.

But the unveiling of the bill was a "sell the news" event

Yet after a huge run in which several leading pot stocks were up 20%, 30%, or even 40% on the news of the proposal, most sold off when Mace's bill was unveiled two weeks later.

Ontario’s Durham Region Police Service (DRPS) is still on the hunt for the sticky-fingered thief who absconded with cannabis products last month. The DRPS is hoping the public can provide a helpful assist in identifying the culprit.

 Rolling up on what the police describe as “a little red BMX bike,” the thief broke into the shop in Courtice, Ont. at around 3 a.m. after throwing a rock through the storefront window.

Slipping into the store, the man described as thin and in his 20s made off with “numerous items,” the police say.

The owner and employee at smoke shops in Westchester are facing charges after being busted by investigators selling to minors during an undercover investigation, police announced.

On Thursday, Nov. 11, members of the Greenburgh Drug and Alcohol Task Force and Street Crime Unit launched an investigation into the underage sale of tobacco and concentrated cannabis to underage shoppers at Hartsdale Tobacco on East Hartsdale Avenue.

The investigation led to the arrest of 29-year-old Muhemmed Abisse, the owner of the store, who was issued a desk appearance ticket for selling concentrated cannabis and tobacco products to a minor.A second bust at The Smoke Shop on Saw Mill River Road in Elmsford led to charges for an employee, 19-year-old Rylee-Ann Domogma, was also cited and scheduled to appear in court for selling tobacco to a minor, police said.

Both Abisse and Domogma are scheduled to return to the Greenburgh Town Court on Friday, Dec. 17 to answer the charges.

While Robert Califf did not share his stance on marijuana while serving with the FDA, back in 2016 at a cannabis-focused research summit, he acknowledged the healing possibilities of the plant.

The Food and Drug Administration may get a new commissioner who has experienced the medical benefits of cannabis first hand.

On Friday, President Joe Biden revealed his plans to nominate Dr. Robert Califf, a cardiologist and clinical trial specialist, as the new FDA commissioner. Califf, who served as FDA head for a short stint during the Obama administration, was prescribed a cannabinoid drug by his physician, reported Marijuana Stocks.

“We understand that people have identified a number of possible uses of marijuana and marijuana-derived products. For example, AIDS wasting, epilepsy, neuropathic pain, treatment of spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis, cancer, and chemotherapy-induced nausea,” Califf said. “And I had the chance to prescribe some of this in my cardiology practice in people with extreme heart failure who get a wasting cachectic syndrome.”

At the summit, Califf highlighted that the FDA has already allowed synthetic cannabis products like Marinol.

Taking into account all that Califf has said on the topic, one might assume that if he becomes commissioner he will push the FDA to undertake further marijuana-related research. And, in view of the FDA’s influence, it could end up playing an important role in the possible rescheduling of marijuana.

New Jersey is finally going to start accepting licenses for recreational cannabis businesses, more than a year after the measure passed.

Cannabis regulators in New Jersey announced this week that the state would begin accepting applications for marijuana business licenses next month, more than a year after voters in the state legalized recreational pot in the 2020 general election. At a meeting of the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) on Tuesday, officials revealed applications for adult-use marijuana cultivators, processors and testing labs. 

The agency also announced that it will begin accepting applications for recreational cannabis dispensaries on March 15, 2022. Applications for cannabis delivery services, distributors and wholesalers will be accepted at a later date once regulations for those business types have been drafted and approved.

Applications from businesses owned by women, veterans and minorities will receive priority review, as will companies owned by individuals who have been arrested for a marijuana-related offense or who live in economically disadvantaged areas or municipalities with a disproportionate rate of cannabis-related arrests. Applications from microbusinesses with 10 or fewer employees will also be reviewed on a priority basis.

New Jersey Regulators Behind Schedule

New Jersey voters legalized adult-use cannabis with the approval of Question 1 in the November 2020 general election, which passed with 67 percent of the vote. The law set a September 2021 deadline for the CRC to begin accepting applications for business licenses. Regulators missed the deadline, however, and instead announced that they were establishing the process to accept the applications at a later date.

The legislation also mandated that legal sales of recreational cannabis begin by mid-February of next year or within six months after the commission adopted its initial regulations. But in September, Democratic Governor Phil Murphy said that the launch of dispensary sales would also likely be delayed.

The Confederation of All India Traders is urging national drug authorities to launch a probe after the company’s packaging material was found with suspects.

Madhya Pradesh Police has reportedly arrested two men in India who are alleged to have sold 390 packets of cannabis weighing 1,000 kilograms.

Praveen Khandelwal, general secretary of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), told Business Today that the group has asked that the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) carry out a probe into the matter.

A CAIT statement to the publication notes that Amazon India would have received a commission if the website was used and that would represent a contravention of India’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.

Governors across U.S. states and territories have penned a letter to congressional leaders, urging for cannabis banking access.

The governors of 24 states and U.S. territories sent a letter to congressional leaders on Thursday calling on lawmakers to pass legislation that would permit financial institutions to provide banking services to the regulated cannabis industry. The letter from the bipartisan group of two dozen governors seeks passage of the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act, which was approved by the House of Representatives in September as part of a comprehensive defense spending authorization bill.

In the letter, which was sent to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress, the governors of 21 states, Washington, D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam, call for provisions of the SAFE Banking Act to be included in the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act for the 2022 fiscal year.

Relief for a Cash-Heavy Industry

If passed by the Senate and signed into law, federal banking regulators would be prohibited from penalizing banks that choose to serve cannabis firms doing business in accordance with state law. Under current regulations, banks are subject to penalties under federal money laundering and other laws for servicing such companies, leaving the cannabis industry to operate in a risky environment heavy in cash. The legislation was initially introduced in the House in 2013 by Democratic Rep. Ed Perlmutter of Colorado, who has reintroduced the bill each subsequent congressional cycle.

“Medical and recreational cannabis sales in the U.S. were estimated to total $17.5 billion last year, but because of antiquated federal banking regulations, almost all cannabis transactions are cash-based,” the governors wrote in their letter. “Not only are cash-only businesses targets for crime, cannabis businesses are further disadvantaged compared to other legal businesses by being unable to open bank accounts or obtain loans at reasonable rates.” 

The SAFE Banking Act was passed by the House of Representatives in 2019 and again last year as part of a COVID-19 pandemic relief bill. The House passed the bill again in April as standalone legislation and has included the measure in the defense authorization bill currently under consideration, but the bill has so far failed to be passed by both houses of Congress and signed into law by the president.

Leon County Commissioners scheduled a workshop for this spring that looks to explore alternatives to arrest for people caught with small amounts of marijuana. 

The issue has been on the wish list for several years and has had some success already after a 2018 program launched by State Attorney Jack Campbell aimed at issuing civil citations for such offenses. 

Still, on March 22, Campbell is likely to join Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil and county commissioners to address continued efforts to reduce penalties for possession of marijuana. 

McNeil will also join a workshop the same day where issues with bail, reentry initiatives and a review of the County’s electronic monitoring program will be addressed.

For years, a committee formed by McNeil has looked to examine monetary bail and Leon County’s pretrial release program.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and two other Democratic senators sent a letter on Tuesday to President Biden pressing him to make good on campaign promises and pardon federal nonviolent cannabis convictions. 

“After over a century of failed and racist cannabis policies, we write to urge a change of course: we request that you use your executive authority to pardon all individuals convicted of non-violent cannabis offenses, whether formerly or currently incarcerated,” Warren said in the letter co-signed by Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.).

Democrats have been pushing Biden since the beginning of his presidency to reform cannabis laws, which have disproportionately affected communities of color.

"Number one, I think we should decriminalize marijuana, period," Biden said at the time. "And I think everyone — anyone who has a record should be let out of jail, their records expunged, be completely zeroed out."

The senators wrote that marijuana laws must be overhauled but that the president can also act immediately on his own. 

A large majority of Americans are in favor on cannabis legalization. The time is now to tell our lawmakers that we have ‘Cannabis in Common.’

Headcount, a non-partisan organization that strives to get people registered to vote through music, has announced a new effort to legalize cannabis on a federal level and clear the records of thousands of people who have been convicted of cannabis-related crimes.

On November 9, Headcount and the U.S. Cannabis Council launched a nationwide education project called Cannabis in Common to mobilize cannabis-friendly citizens to start contacting their political representatives. In one YouTube video related to the announcement, Sarah Silverman narrates the current state of cannabis in the United States, inspiring people to rise up and take action.

Courtesy Cannabis in Common

“There’s at least one thing most Americans have in common: More than two-thirds of us agree cannabis should be legalized. And we have a real shot at getting federal legalization done now if we speak up,” Silverman says in the video. “If we don’t make a change soon, settling for laws that disproportionately land people of color in prison. We’re leaving hundreds of thousands of jobs on the table and giving up tax revenue that can go toward education and other community investments.”

Rogen proposes that people hit up their representatives via email or phone to get their attention. “Legalizing cannabis for good is long past due, but if we make enough noise, we can make it happen.”

Cannabis in Common makes reaching out to House and Senate Representatives a breeze. By visiting its website, individuals can send a quick email with the click of a button or instantly locate the phone number of the desired representative to open up a discussion about federal legalization. See where each of state representative stands on the issue here.

Regulations establishing New York State’s Cannabinoid Hemp Program make things very clear on the issue of Delta-8 THC. But this doesn’t mean it’s game over for the controversial cannabinoid.

Delta-8 THC can be created by manipulating hemp-derived cannabidiol. Its legality at a federal level is a topic of some heated debate, with a perceived loophole resulting in a flood of Delta-8 products hitting the US market. Like Delta-9 THC, Delta-8 has intoxicating effects and it is claimed to have similar potential therapeutic benefits.

Various states have clamped down on the rapidly growing hemp-derived Delta-8 industry and New York is joining them.

Regulations approved by the Cannabis Control Board for the Cannabinoid Hemp Program prohibit the sale of Delta-8 THC products, and the NYS Office of Cannabis Management urges consumer caution on buying and consuming them. However, this doesn’t shut the door, with the Office saying such products are better left to be regulated in New York State’s future Adult-Use program.

Texas Delta-8 Battle Continues

In other Delta-8 THC related news, we recently reported on Hometown Hero, an Austin company involved in a lawsuit against the state of Texas in relation to the state’s stance on Delta-8 THC. 

In a recently released video dissecting a June Town Hall with the US Department of Agriculture and Drug Enforcement Agency, Hometown Hero CEO Lucas Gilkey says it provides confirmation from the DEA that Delta-8 is federally legal; or more accurately, the DEA liaison states the Agency doesn’t consider Delta-8 THC a controlled substance. While the DEA’s position isn’t crystal clear, no specific ruling has been made and this is at a federal level,  it could have some weight in the Texas action.

Last week marked among the most-sweeping spurts of raids aimed at cracking down on illegal cannabis farming in the High Desert in the more than two months since "Operation Hammer Strike" began.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said Saturday that since Nov. 1, its five specialized Marijuana Enforcement Teams had arrested 34 people and seized various lucrative black-market goods as a result of 26 search warrants served across nearly a dozen different areas — from Barstow to unincorporated Lucerne Valley, and to Rancho Cucamonga and the city of San Bernardino.

The total number of arrests last week marked the fourth highest in a single week since Hammer Strike began Aug. 30. Sheriff's spokesperson Mara Rodriguez said Monday that she believes five of these arrestees were booked into jail on suspicion of charges, though she could not confirm their names or the context of each booking at the time.

The black-market goods seized last week add to a voluminous total that the sheriff's department has been piling up. The seizures include:

"Investigators eradicated a total of 211 greenhouses found at these locations, as well as two indoor locations," the department said, adding that they "mitigated one electrical bypass" during the raids.

Various arrestees last week list residences that are far from the High Desert, or even California.

Thousands of immigrants working on southern Oregon's illegal marijuana farms are living in squalid conditions, reported Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB), prompting Jackson County and Douglas County to declare a state of emergency. County officials requested state funding and other resources, including deployment of the National Guard, to enforce cannabis laws. (Article originally appeared on Benzinga)

Oregon State Rep. Lily Morgan noted that some of the workers have no identification papers, do not speak English and have no food.

Jackson County Sheriff Nathan Sickler said workers are forced to use holes in the ground for toilets, cook in unsanitary kitchens and sleep in shipping containers.

Oregon's labor bureau is investigating wage complaints from workers at the illegal cannabis farms and advocacy groups are getting involved.

In September, $50 million in illegal marijuana was found at a grow operation in Douglas County.

Thailand’s Public Health Minister says he wants to make cannabis a cash crop… just not the parts of the plant that get you high. Anutin Charnvirakul, who also serves as the deputy prime minister, made a visit to a cannabis learning centre in the northeastern province Bueng Kan, which borders Laos, and posted photos on Facebook of himself walking through a cannabis greenhouse. Image: Bueng Kan cannabis learning centre. | Photo via Public Health Minister

Anutin has been a vocal supporter of cannabis when it comes to the CBD, or cannabidiol, the relaxing and said to be medicinal component of the plant, but has stayed fairly quiet on actions to take regarding the psychoactive component, THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol.

“We are opening a wide field to allow the use of marijuana, but it must be done as per established rules and criteria.”

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) signed a bill into law this week that would expand the pool of individuals who are eligible to receive medical marijuana business licenses, lifting the ban that had disqualified individuals with a cannabis-related felony or misdemeanor convictions on their records. Article originally appeared on Benzinga

Though the measure, House Bill 4295, contains an exception for those convicted of distributing marijuana to a minor, according to the bill available on Gov. Whitmer's webpage.

The new law takes immediate effect.

The legislation is meant to resolve a problem that legalization and social equity advocates, not only in Michigan but around the country, have constantly highlighted.

Why? Given that people of color are more likely to have been targets of marijuana criminalization in the past, restrictions on participation in the industry are viewed as discriminatory. Despite roughly equal usage rates, Blacks are 3.73 times more likely than whites to be arrested for marijuana.