Drugs, driving and policing: Byron Community Forum [Greens]
15 September 6 – 8pm @ Byron Community Centre, 69 Jonson Street Byron Bay NSW. Free Admission. Come along to hear Greens MP David Shoebridge talking about the evidence-free roadside testing regime. We will also hear from locals and experts about broader concerns about policing and drugs, particularly as they apply in Byron and surrounds. Come with a comment, a question or just to learn about what’s going on! Limited number of tickets available.
South Australia Proposes Sensible Defence to Drug Driving [Sydney Criminal Lawyers]
Last month, the South Australian Legislative Council voted in favour of an amendment to drug driving legislation that would provide medicinal cannabis users with a defence if they fail a roadside drug test. Section 47AB of the bill states that “for a drug driving offence involving THC, it is a defence if the defendant proves,” they have a condition or disability requiring an approved medicinal cannabis product, and they have a medical certificate that states they’re fit to drive whilst using it.
Lateline highlights failure of the Government’s Legal Cannabis [Ozhemp.Rocks]
Lateline have done a follow up story on the failure of the Green’s Motion to Disallow that everyone thought would make medical cannabis available to the terminally ill. Everyone except the Bill Turner at the Office of Drug Control apparently, who has advised importers to ignore the law of the land and do what they want instead. Story at the bottom.
What Can Australia Learn from Portugal’s Approach to Drugs? [Talking Drugs]
Jeff Collins, the Assistant Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services in Australia’s Northern Territory (NT), has called for an end to the criminalisation of people who possess drugs for personal use. He said that it was important to treat people who use drugs as “having a health issue, not necessarily a criminal issue”, according to a statement reported by ABC. Collins’ remarks came as he completed a trip to Portugal.
Byron shire ‘hempcrete’ building takes out award [Echo Netdaily]
A Byron Bay company has won a prestigious award for a home that was constructed using hempcrete at Possum Creek. The company, Balanced Earth, took out the 2017 Energy Efficient Building award from Master Builders NSW, at a ceremony in Sydney on Saturday.
Green Light for Tassie Weed [National Geographic]
For now, Tasmania’s Cannabis will be imported from overseas and will be subsidised under the PBS scheme.
Olivia Newton-John’s cannabis crusade [Yahoo!]
Olivia said she uses the drug – which is legal in her home state of California – and it’s helped her during her second fight against cancer. “I use medicinal cannabis, which is really important for pain and healing,” she said. “It’s a plant that has been maligned for so long, and has so many abilities to heal.”
Tom Percy: Can drug tests pass the test? [Perth Now]
The notion that there is a significant percentage of welfare recipients who are funding a drug habit from their dole payments is simply misconceived. Any politician who believes that to be true probably hasn’t had to go out and attempt to buy a week’s supply of meth for themselves on a fixed income derived from social security benefits.
Policy series: where do the parties stand on cannabis and drug reform? [NZ Herald]
More political parties are lining up firmly or cautiously behind cannabis decriminalisation – with even stronger backing for making the drug available for pain relief in certain medical cases.
Election 2017: Strong support for cannabis law reform [Bay of Plenty Times]
The New Zealand Drug Foundation is urging political parties to make firm commitments to health-focused drug law after a poll found 65 per cent of people supported cannabis law reform.
Medical cannabis advocates march through Auckland [NZ Herald]
It is the fifth such rally, organised by the National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and the Auckland Patients Group, with protesters marching along Queen St calling for patients, caregivers and supporters to have safe, legal access to natural affordable cannabis.
Texas grants license to first medical marijuana producer in the state [Culture Map]
The Texas Department of Public Safety has granted a license to grow medical marijuana to Cansortium Texas, one of three companies that earned approval from the state. The grant was given on September 1, and it will allow the program to get underway after more than two years of planning.
How legalization caused the price of marijuana to collapse [The Washington Post]
All the diverse effects of legalizing recreational marijuana may not be clear for a number of years, but one consequence has become evident almost immediately: Pot has never been so cheap. Steven Davenport of the Pardee Rand Graduate School has analyzed marijuana retail prices in Washington state since legal recreational markets opened in July 2014. Remarkably, prices have fallen every single quarter since.
The legal cannabis market in the USA [Russell Webster]
The Profit – ‘Marijuana Millions’ [MedMen]
You can call it whatever you want, I call it the future.” Watch MedMen CEO Adam Bierman on CNBC’s The Profit. Host Marcus Lemonis explores California’s booming cannabis industry in this captivating one-hour documentary titled, ‘Marijuana Millions.’
American banks won’t turn their backs on the cannabis market for long [volteface]
The New York Times reported last week that American banks are putting pressure on their Uruguayan counterparts to close the accounts of anyone registering incomes from the commerce of cannabis in the country.
94% of Americans Support Legalizing Medical Marijuana, but Not Congress [The Motley Fool]
Yet in spite of an impressive performance in equities, and the rapid annual growth rate in the U.S. legal pot industry, the ceiling on the marijuana industry is pretty low — and Congress is to blame.
The DEA doesn’t think Trump’s border wall will stop drugs from coming into the country [Business Insider]
President Donald Trump says his wall at the US-Mexico border will help stem the flow of illegal drugs into the United States. There’s one problem with the plan: The drugs coming into the US Northeast often arrive by plane, boat, or hidden in vehicles, according to an intelligence report by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Marijuana sales fund $9.2 million in school pot prevention, health care programs [Denver Post]
Educators say they see the irony in hiring health care workers using $9.2 million collected from the sales of retail and medical marijuana. The state legislature determines how the Marijuana Tax Cash Fund is spent. However, state law requires the money go to things like health care, monitoring marijuana health effects, health education and treatment programs.
California is about to open its first legal cannabis shops and it’s posing a huge problem for local pot farms [Independent]
But, despite the grand opening of California’s recreational marijuana industry being mere months away, many of the people who have tended their plants beneath the evergreens and oaks of the state’s undulating hills aren’t sure they can stay in the business. A crop that should be becoming a boon risks becoming a burden, as many will have nowhere to sell what they’ve grown.
More and more US universities are adding ‘cannabis classes’ to their syllabuses [Metro]
Universities across the states are starting to offer the classes in the hope of delving deeper into the legal and biological ramifications of cannabis use.
Vireo Health to join $3.8 million NIH study on medical marijuana treatment for adults with chronic pain [News Medical]
The National Institute of Health has awarded a $3.8 million research grant to Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health System for medical marijuana research, and Vireo Health of New York will be partners in the study. This grant is the first long-term study to investigate whether treatment with medical marijuana can lead to a reduction in opioid use in adults with chronic pain.
Doctors and Patients In Florida Are Embracing Medical Marijuana [Entrepreneur]
In the state synonymous with retirement, cannabis is rapidly becoming mainstream.
First Ever Cannabis Ad Has Appeared In This Airline’s In-Flight Magazine [Herb]
Las Vegas recreational dispensary, Acres Cannabis just announced an unprecedented deal with Allegiant Air to advertise within their in-flight magazine. The company ran a full-page ad in Allegiant’s Sunseeker magazine on Sept. 1, making it the first time in history that a cannabis organization has been advertised directly to airline passengers. The campaign (which will run through October), comes on the heels of a decision made by Clark County commissioners to forbid cannabis advertising on taxis, as well as advertising for public consumption based events.
New York board rules that taxi drivers are allowed to use medical marijuana [SFGate]
A New York City administrative board has ruled that taxi drivers cannot be discriminated against for using medical cannabis.
Olympian Ross Rebagliati: ‘The Idea That There’s A Difference Between Medical And Recreational Pot Is Bullshit’ [Civilized]
“If you want to call it recreational, go ahead. But to me, it’s mental wellness,” the Canadian athlete – who became one of the first Olympians to come out of the cannabis closet – told Civilized recently. “There’s no difference between recreational use and medical use. It’s all medicinal. The whole idea that there’s a difference between medical and recreational pot is just a bunch of bullshit.”
In one record-breaking month, Alaska sold more weed than 3 month average [The Cannabist]
Alaska made nearly $600,000 in July on marijuana tax, which is equal to about 33 percent of the total marijuana tax revenue brought in last fiscal year.
Medical marijuana studied as replacement for opioids [Times Colonist]
A Nanaimo-based researcher believes cannabis could help reduce opioid overdoses and help people overcome addiction. Philippe Lucas, who works for medical-marijuana producer Tilray, published an academic paper in the Harm Reduction Journal that explores cannabis as a substitute for opioids. Lucas said doctors should consider prescribing cannabis as a safer, less addictive alternative to opioids for treating chronic pain.
Is turning a blind eye making for a more liberal cannabis policy? [volteface]
In his latest documentary, Cannabis: Time for a Change?, BBC Newsbeat reporter Jim Connolly explores the complexities surrounding cannabis law in the UK and concludes: “When it comes to say weed, do we already have one of the more tolerant approaches in Europe?”
People are Growing around 1000 Acres of [industrial] Legal Cannabis in Bulgaria [Novinite]
According to the ordinance, only cannabis with a negligible content of the psychoactive substance tetrahydrocannabinol (less than 0.2% by weight) will be lawfully considered. This production can be used to extract fiber, and the seeds – for feed, food and crop.
How Cannabis Legalisation is going in Uruguay [volteface]
We should pay more attention, in fact, than to the widely-publicised cases of state-level legalisation in the United States. If cannabis were to be legalised here it would happen at the level of the national government, and require a much broader framework that could successfully be applied to a number of regions with different histories of drug use and abuse.
To save her daughter, this mom became a medical marijuana pioneer [Salon]
Margarete de Santos Brito went to court in Brazil for the right to grow medical marijuana
Study: No Link Between Cumulative Cannabis Use And Kidney Disease [The Joint Blog]
Neither current nor the long-term cumulative use of cannabis is associated with negative effects on the kidneys, according to longitudinal data published online ahead of print in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
Is Anti-Drug Strongman of the Philippines in Bed with Narco Gangs? [High Times]
Is it really possible that Philippine President Rodirgo Duterte—who has unleashed a “War on Drugs,” which has now reached the point of mass murder, and used charges of narco-corruption to lock up his political opponents—is himself mixed up in the drug trade?
Narcos season three and the lies we tell about the drugs war [The Guardian]
Sadly, the narratives developed in those shows mean that audiences in the US and Europe understand it as a cops-and-robbers thriller, obscuring what narcos actually are: astute, ever-adapting businessmen in the legal and illicit economy, supplying products on which our society is more dependent than ever. The fight is seen as a just war against criminal organisations who are at war with us. Our good guys, their bad guys. But here’s the problem: it’s not true.
#notagame [Release Drugs]
Why is @GooglePlay promoting a game that is based on Filipino President #Duterte‘s extrajudicial killings?
New Druglawed film released! [Druglawed]
“Druglawed: Spokeswoman” has just been released. The production crew wants to thank all the fine Australians who supported this production! Special thanks go out to the good folk of Nimbin and the Nimbin Hemp Embassy. “Spokeswoman” is filmed on location in Sydney, Melbourne and Nimbin, featuring outspoken Member of Parliament Fiona Patten, the firebrand civil libertarian who is campaigning for an end to the War on Drugs. Also featured are Law Enforcement Against Prohibition campaigner Greg Denham, high-profile medical cannabis patient Ben Oakley, and the provider of his life-saving cannabinoid medicine, Jenny Hallam. Andrew Kavasilas, pioneering Nimbin hemp researcher, co-stars in the film, which showcases some of the celebratory scenes at Nimbin MardiGrass 2017. “Spokeswoman” can be downloaded for $4.20, all proceeds go towards funding post production of the final chapter of Druglawed Series 2, which was filmed in Uruguay. Click this link to download the film: https://druglawed.vhx.tv/buy/druglawed-2-episode-3-spokeswoman
Petition: Please help desperate terminally-ill and sick patients — medicinal cannabis is blocked [change.org]
The laws are so broken that just 18 sick patients have managed to access medicinal cannabis in NSW. I need your help now by signing my petition. I’ve spoken with NSW Health Minister personally about fixing the broken medicinal cannabis laws. But the government still hasn’t fixed these laws blocking doctors and patients from accessing medicinal cannabis, in fact it has added to them.
Family Friendly Fun Day For Paul Lawrence & family [MCUA]
10am 8 October, Fairy Meadow Bowls & Rec Club, Fairy Meadow NSW. This event is to raise funds to assist Paul and his family. This epic journey Paul has undertaken with his health has drained the family and taken a toll financially and emotionally on them all. Paul has remained stanch and independent in this battle and has been a strong voice as a cannabis advocate. The MCUA has made this event on Paul’s behalf so we can get the word out on social media to all who know and love him and invite them to attend. The day will commence at 10am with Barefoot Bowls til 12md. There are activities planned throughout the afternoon including Raffles & Silent Auction & Games during the afternoon. Paul assures me Club Bistro serves a nice lunch and says he will be there from 12.30 till as long as he can last..
Seedlings 2017: Medical Cannabis Event [BuddingTech]
Mon. 16 October 2017 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Tank Stream Labs Level 4 17-19 Bridge Street Sydney – We are proud to announce that we will be hosting our second Seedlings event on the 16th of October. Last year, Seedlings was launched and was noted as a resounding success highlighting the key challenges and opportunities that exist in the medical cannabis industry. This year we are putting together a smaller, more intimate event. We invite you to spend the evening with us learning about innovation and the latest advancements in the medical cannabis industry. Please note there are only 100 tickets available. This event will also include food and drinks. Book now before tickets are sold out.
Entheogenesis Australis 2017 Outdoor Psychedelic Symposium 8th – 10th of December [EGA]
It is our absolute pleasure to share with you Entheogenesis Australis (EGA’s) greatly-anticipated second program announcement – containing the full and 100 percent confirmed – Psychedelic Symposium lecture program. Bringing together a formidable panel of experts in the area of psychedelic studies from Australia and around the world, the lecture program forms the backbone of what will be THE most comprehensive and exciting conference of its kind in Australasia. Tickets to the 2017 Psychedelic Symposium are strictly limited to 500 and are available as pre-sale only. With less than 200 tickets remaining, please secure your ticket soon, as tickets will sell out. We hope very much to see you in December for this unique conference gathering. Buy your ticket now – www.entheogenesis.org/tickets