Embassy HEADLINES Issue 396

AUSTRALIA

Renting space with room to “grow” within the ACT, 100% legally

PotPlace.com.au is a local, Canberra born Real Estate portal dedicated to the letting of designated garden space to those wishing to grow marijuana, all 100% legally and by the book. Using our special, legally binding – whilst in accordance with the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 – agreements and contracts, we are providing anybody who has unused garden space at their place the ability to earn $80-$100+ extra cash each week in exchange for allowing a lawful, marijuana-friendly place to grow cannabis in the ACT.

The pursuit of influence: how the Pharmacy Guild works Canberra

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia knows what it wants, and it knows how to get it.

Cannabis Law Australia

A handy summary and update from February 2020, thanks to HEMP EDIFICATION.

Was Australia Colonised to Grow Cannabis?

Some scholars believe New South Wales was a secret hemp farm. They’re not as crazy as you think.

NORTH AMERICA

Canada’s Marijuana Sales Topped $110 Million in a Month for the First Time

The expectation had long been that Canadian pot sales would skyrocket as soon adult-use weed received the green light in licensed dispensaries. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned, with persistent supply issues keeping product off retail shelves, thereby allowing the black market to thrive.

Illinois Nets Nearly $10 Million in Tax Revenue From First Month of Adult-Use Pot Sales

The figure blows the governor’s office industry estimates out of the water.

USDA Approves More State Industrial Hemp Plans

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) last week approved another five hemp plans under the nation’s Domestic Hemp Production Program. The states of Washington and Wyoming were given the go-ahead, and also the Otoe-Missouria Tribe, the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation and the Santee Sioux Nation.

Kansas Lawmakers Reject Proposal to Reform Marijuana Laws, Reduce Penalties

Kansas legislators aren’t ready to declare that marijuana possession never should be a felony, rejecting proposals Monday to lower penalties for third-time offenders and to release others from prison.

Outside Pressures Could Force NY To Legalize Recreational Marijuana This Year

A poor medical marijuana program and recreational markets outside New York could force the state’s hands this year.

Cannabis Research Center Opens at Michigan’s Lake Superior State University

Michigan’s Lake Superior State University (LSSU) launched Cannabis Chemistry and Cannabis Business majors in the fall of 2019, and on Feb. 21, the university held a ribbon cutting for the opening of a new cannabis research center, which will provide hands-on training for students in the Cannabis Chemistry program, according to an MLive.com report.

Labor unions flex their muscle in fight with California cannabis industry

The California Cannabis Industry Association is in a bind after powerful labor unions accused the organization of distributing an anti-union document and asked Democratic politicians to “refrain from engaging with” the group in a display of organized labor’s immense political muscle at the state Capitol.

Victoria private cannabis workers first to unionize in Canada

On Tuesday, two Clarity Cannabis retail locations joined the United Food and Commercial Workers Union B.C. branch to better bargain for fair wages, workplace safety and job education and training. Of the retailer’s seven locations across B.C., just the Victoria locations have voted to unionize. The union represents over 250,000 workers across Canada and 24,000 people in B.C.

Florida veterans warn lawmakers against capping THC in medical marijuana

Veterans are pushing back against a proposal backed by Florida House leaders that would limit the amount of THC in medical marijuana, an effort they say is not based on science and could be harmful to veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Montana medical marijuana patient count continues rapid growth

Montana’s medical cannabis program – already one of the largest in the nation on a per-capita basis – posted year-over-year, double-digit patient count growth in January.

WORLD

Tourists in Amsterdam Could Soon be Banned from Buying Cannabis

Amsterdam experiences massive overcrowding due to tourism, particularly in the Red Light district, where an abundance of coffee shops and dispensaries can be found. Mayor Femke Halsema has spoken often of her plan to reduce the number of coffee shops in the city, in order to target mass tourism.

UK clears path for CBD food sales but adds dosage limits and safety deadline

British food regulators have given the CBD industry a little over a year to apply for safety evaluations in order to remain on shelves, a landmark advancement as many nations have yet to decide whether cannabidiol can be sold in food.

Bahamas Cannabis Legalization Plan May Depend, in Part, on a Survey

The survey comes after a preliminary version of the National Commission on Marijuana’s report, presented in Parliament by Prime Minister Hubert Minnis last week, indicated that the Commission is split on whether to recommend legalizing cannabis for adult use. So before proposing legislation on cannabis reform, the Commission agreed to consult the public.

HEALTH & SCIENCE

Understanding The Effects of Cannabis

A breakdown of the science of how cannabis works with our bodies through compounds such as cannabinoids, flavonoids and terpenes.

Cannabis And the Fight Against Multiple Sclerosis

Dealing with the physical and neurological effects of multiple sclerosis can be quite harrowing, and new research shows how MS sufferers often turn to cannabis for relief.

First clinically verified cannabis insomnia treatment set to release this year

A university-run clinical trial showed a significant reduction of insomnia with minimal side effects.

Stoned people’s memories can be manipulated easier: study

Researchers gave study participants around 21 milligrams of THC and then had them answer memory-testing questions. They found the high participants were more susceptible to falling for trick questions and having their memories confused.

Can Cannabis Cure Cancer? What The Research Says, And Claims To Avoid

No, cannabis does not “cure” cancer. But cannabinoids work well on symptoms, and doctors report in a new study that cannabis inhibits cancer cell growth.

Study: Cannabis Use Among Seniors Increased 75% In 3 Years

According to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, the number of U.S. adults over 65 that reported using cannabis increased from 2.4 percent in 2015 to 4.2 percent in 2018, an increase of 75 percent. The study’s respondents were 55.2 percent male and 77.1 percent white.

GARDENING

Minor cannabinoids offer higher prices and less federal oversight, but risks abound

More hemp plant breeders are offering genetics for CBG production in 2020, while others are working to select CBN- and CBC-dominant genetics to develop the market and fulfill demand for minor cannabinoids that offer unique benefits.

POLITICS & LAW

Everyone Scared of Legal Weed Was Freaking Out Over Nothing: Report

Despite fears of children getting high and stoned driving, a new Stats Canada report has found that things are pretty much fine.

Is legalization bad for medical cannabis patients?

Legal cannabis isn’t new to Canada—in fact it’s been available to patients with qualifying medical conditions since 2001. There’s no doubt that when cannabis became legal to all adults in 2018, it was made possible in large part by the persistence and advocacy of patients. But legalization for all adults hasn’t necessarily benefited medical users. In fact, some cannabis industry experts say increased barriers to access and affordability are setting patients back.

How Elizabeth Warren would legalize marijuana and fight ‘Big Tobacco’

Sen. Elizabeth Warren said she would reduce federal funding to states that refuse to legalize marijuana and prevent “Big Tobacco“ from dominating the burgeoning industry in her wide-ranging plan to overhaul the country’s drug laws, which she announced Sunday in Denver.

Cannabis Reform Remains Unlikely Under the Trump Administration

In the last month, the Trump Administration once again proposed eliminating the rider provision in the budget plan that protects medical marijuana from prosecution by the Department of Justice (DOJ). When signing the 2020 budget bill, Trump specifically noted that he could ignore these provisions, in order to carry out federal law.

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

How coronavirus in China could be a boon for US hemp producers

The coronavirus outbreak in China likely will benefit American hemp companies that compete with Chinese suppliers on the global and domestic markets.

Millennials Are Fueling The Cannabis Economy

Marijuana consumption is still a taboo, but it seems like the millennial generation is working hard to change this fact. They are the pioneers of recreational weed usage and the major reason why nine states decided to legalize marijuana since 2012.

Hemp Farmers Still Searching For Companies To Buy Crop

In Wisconsin, a report from the Department of Agriculture shows that 94% of the state’s hemp crop has gone unsold. As sad as it sounds, only 6% of the hemp plants grown across the state have been turned into cash. And only a few farmers are reaping those benefits; the rest have been left with pipe dreams, more farm debt and a heap of hemp that no one wants.