AUSTRALIA & NZ

Clearing the air: A response on medical cannabis [Asia & Pacific Policy Society]

Want to improve Australia’s policies on medical cannabis? Give doctors the freedom to treat it like any other unregistered medicine, Rhys Cohen writes.

Legal experts call for changes to NSW roadside drug testing advice [News.com.au]

Legal experts are calling for reforms to confusing government advice on ‘drug-driving’ after hundreds of drivers say they have tested positive for marijuana despite being sober. Some drivers even say they have tested positive almost two weeks after taking the drug. Some say they have even been punished after inhaling passive smoke, eating hemp seeds or rubbing hemp balm on their skin — which is perfectly legal. The NSW Centre for Road Safety website states THC (the active ingredient in cannabis) can typically be detected in saliva by a Mobile Drug Testing (MDT) stick for up to 12 hours after use.

Australian Patients Can Now Access Endoca Medicinal Cannabis [ABN Newswire]

The Hydroponics Company Limited (THC or the Company), Australia’s leading medicinal cannabis company advises that THC’s wholly owned subsidiary, Canndeo Limited, has released its first medicinal cannabis products, imported from European partner, Endoca. The products are available through the Medicinal Cannabis Medicines Portal (MCMP: mcmp.com.au) under the Approved Prescriber and Special Access Schemes.

Why this tweak on THC is a game-changer for the NZ cannabis industry [The Spinoff]

A change to the Medicinal Cannabis Bill could ensure New Zealand made products are affordable and available as early as next year. We have a great opportunity to provide affordable access to people who desperately need it.

‘Decriminalisation by stealth’ suspected driver behind plunge in cannabis offences [NZ Herald]

The number of people appearing before our district courts on cannabis offences has halved over the past decade – a phenomenon being attributed to “decriminalisation by stealth”.

 

 

NORTH AMERICA

Missouri Will Vote on Three Medical Marijuana Initiatives in November [Medical Marijuana Inc]

All three measures would allow patients to obtain marijuana for medical purposes and create regulated systems of cannabis production, processing, and sales.

Pennsylvania’s youth more accepting of marijuana, but not using it more, report shows [EurekAlert!]

“While what we found shows that attitudes toward marijuana are becoming more accepting, or normalized, use has not increased,” said Philip Massey, PhD, an assistant professor in Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health, who head up the report. “This is important because many people fear that legalizing marijuana will lead to greater use and potential abuse.”

Decriminalizing Marijuana Does Not Lead to Increased Youth Use, Study Finds [Medical Marijuana Inc]

The research is the latest to indicate that loosening cannabis laws has no adverse impact on the rate of use by teens. Reducing penalties for possessing small amounts of marijuana use does not lead to a rise in use by young people, according to research led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America Backs Regulating Marijuana Like Alcohol [The Marijuana Times]

Most cannabis consumers would be satisfied if cannabis was considered on par with alcohol in terms of legality and societal acceptance. It looks like alcohol companies may be ready to publicly agree with that path, which can only help it become a reality quicker.

Oklahoma Group Meets Signature Goal for Recreational Marijuana Ballot Initiative [Medical Marijuana Inc]

Oklahoma group Green the Vote has collected the minimum number of signatures needed to put recreational marijuana on the statewide ballot, less than two months after voters approved a measure to legalize medical marijuana.

Prices for legalized pot are plummeting in Colorado, Oregon [The Morning Call]

Two of the first states to broadly legalize marijuana took different approaches to regulation that left Oregon with a vast oversupply and Colorado with a well-balanced market. But in both states prices for bud have plummeted. A new Oregon report by law enforcement found nearly 70 percent of the legal recreational marijuana grown goes unsold, while an unrelated state-commissioned Colorado study found most growers there are planting less than half of their legal allotment — and still meeting demand.

1st year of Nevada marijuana sales smokes expectations [ABC News]

Nevada regulators and industry insiders say the state’s first year of broad marijuana legalization has exceeded even their highest expectations, with sales and tax collections already surpassing year-end projections by 25 percent. Numbers from June are still outstanding but are expected to push taxable sales past $500 million, netting total tax revenue in the neighborhood of $70 million — with about $25 million devoted to schools.

Georgia might allow medical marijuana growing and dispensing [Politically Georgia]

It’s still illegal to buy or transport cannabis oil in Georgia, even though the state authorized registered patients to use it three years ago. That could soon change. Georgia legislators are holding the first in a series of public meetings this month about how to improve access to cannabis oil. The meetings of the Low THC Medical Oil Access Commission could result in legislation to change Georgia’s medical marijuana law next year.

Federal government set to approve first device for testing drivers’ saliva for cannabis [National Post]

The federal government’s crackdown on drug-impaired driving has taken a big step forward, as the Justice Department is set to give its blessing to Canada’s first roadside saliva test. Once in use, police officers will be able to swab a driver’s mouth to test for the presence of THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. Roadside saliva-testing devices were authorized by Bill C-46, a massive overhaul of Canada’s impaired driving laws that passed in June. The science around detecting drug-impaired driving is much less established than it is for detecting alcohol-impaired driving, and the reliability of the devices is likely to be challenged in court by defence lawyers.

 

 

UK & EUROPE

Middlesbrough cannabis club ‘has support of police’ [BBC]

A cannabis club in Middlesbrough says it is helping to “remove the stigma” of using the drug. The Teesside Cannabis Club, which has about 180 members who pay £45 a year, offers the opportunity to use cannabis in a “safe and controlled space”. Organisers say the club, which was set up in 2014 and whose oldest member is 75, has the support of police. The Teesside force says it takes all illicit drug use seriously – but it has to “prioritise work”.

Medical cannabis on the NHS [the bmj]

Last week’s recognition by the UK government that cannabis has medicinal value and should be available on prescription is an important step. It offers the hope of potentially safe and effective treatment for thousands of children and adults with conditions that are currently beyond the help of licensed drugs, and it brings the UK in line with 40 other countries and 29 US states where medicinal use of cannabis is already legal. It also greatly opens up the prospects for research.

A cannabis oil coffee shop is opening in Swansea city centre [Wales Online]

Customers can have a shot of cannabis oil in their drinks for £1.

This Man Is Making Cannabis Oil And Giving It Out For Free To Help Terminally Ill People [Huffington Post]

It is estimated that over a million people in the UK rely on medical marijuana for pain relief.

Everybody Must Get Stoned! Its Time To Legalise Cannabis in the UK [gonzoworld]

Drugs are not bad in the way that people like Anslinger and Nixon would like us to believe, though this lie is still so powerful today that many people will never even try drugs, besides the ones they will take without question from their doctors, which are often more dangerous. But recently, something has happened that has tipped the scales somewhat, which just seems to be part of natural cultural evolution: People are waking up to the fact that drugs are not, as we are told blankly at school, ‘bad’. These people are young people obviously, and are liberal free thinkers, often brought on by their decent education and a wide range of news sources. Below are the reasons to legalise weed.

 

WORLD

Cat nabbed smuggling drugs into prison [The Week]

A cat carrying seven grams of cannabis and amphetamines has been caught trying to enter a Russian prison. It had previously lived in the prison yard, before being adopted by a prisoner being released. Officials have arrested two men who were seen placing the cat near the prison, in the hope it would carry the drugs into its former home.

 

 

HEALTH & SCIENCE

Do Cannabis Users Have a Better Chance of Surviving a Heart Attack? This Study Says Yes [Medical Marijuana Inc]

The researchers found that those with a history of cannabis use were less likely to die from complications after a heart attack.

Can medical marijuana help treat intractable epilepsy? [EurekAlert!]

“The emergence over the past 12 months of the first successful double-blind randomized controlled trials of cannabidiol is good news for some desperate families of children with severe epilepsy. These studies are a reminder though that this drug is no miracle, and we still have much to learn,” said co-author Dr. John Anthony Lawson, of Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, in Australia.

Cannabis oil with THC may help treat kids with severe epilepsy [CTV News]

A cannabis oil that includes a small amount of the drug that gives pot smokers a high appears to be effective in helping kids with a severe form of epilepsy, a new Canadian study has found. Researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children have conducted a small study on an experimental oil using 20 children with a form of epilepsy that is notoriously hard to treat, called Dravet Syndrome.

Marijuana Less Harmful Than Tobacco, Say Most Americans [Medical Marijuana Inc]

Americans are in nearly universal agreement that marijuana is far harmful than tobacco products, according to the results of a new survey by Gallup.

 

 

POLICY & BUSINESS

High times: The City gears up for a medicinal cannabis boom [City A.M.]

Boss of Israeli cannabis company iCAN, Saul Kaye, says: “We have seen a massive entry of companies into public markets specifically in Canada and more recently in Israel with companies like Tefen. It makes sense that UK companies are tapping into the public markets. Unfortunately, the UK companies are creating penny stocks traded on the Nex and not the major exchanges.” That could change with new legislation, something that Sativa boss Thomas is betting on. “We were the first mover in terms of quoted companies in London and have ambitions to be a lead player in the development of the UK medical marijuana market,” he says.

New Study Links Marijuana Legalization to Better Police Effectiveness [Medical Marijuana Inc]

Police effectiveness for certain crimes improves after marijuana is legalized, suggests the findings of a new study published in the journal Police Quarterly. Researchers from Washington State University used data from Colorado and Washington to examine the effects of marijuana legalization on public health and safety. In 2012, Colorado and Washington became the first two states to make marijuana legal for adults aged 21 and older. The researchers found that police clearance rates — the number of cases solved — for violent and property crimes improved significantly in the two states after recreational marijuana was legalized. Throughout the rest of the nation, according to FBI data from 2010 through 2015, clearance rates remained essentially unchanged.

 

CULTURE & SOCIETY

Making The Most Out Of Your Wax Concentrates [The Marijuana Times]

Wax concentrates are precious to most cannabis consumers, especially the ones who use them for medication. They provide a fast and effective means of medication compared to consuming the actual plant matter. Remember, find the best portable wax vape for your concentrates to make sure they’re heated properly, keep them in a dry and clean container and handle them with care by using gloves or a piece of parchment paper.

 

 

 

FUNDRAISERS/CAMPAIGNS

Support Tony Bower’s Legal Fees [gofundme]

21 June Breaking news! Tony has been released on bail. Tony of Mullaway’s Medical Cannabis has once again been arrested for growing his cannabis medicine! Tony makes cannabis tincture for children with epilepsy and countless others with cancer, chronic pain, ms and the list goes on. Tony Bower has dedicated his life to helping others and now needs your help. All Donations would be greatly appreciated.

Supporting Andrew Katelaris [gofundeme]

30 July Breaking news! Andrews has been released on bail. As a result he can now prepare for 05 November trial.

LEGALISING CANNABIS [The Greens]

Let’s get real about cannabis. The “war on drugs” has been lost. These days, millions of Australians choose to use cannabis and countries all around the world are changing their laws after realising prohibition does more harm than good. It’s high time we joined them and legalised it. That’s why I’m proud to announce today that the Greens are launching our national plan to legalise cannabis for adult use.

 

 

EVENTS

Seedlings [Budding Tech]

Essentials of Medicinal Cannabis [Medicinal Cannabis Education]

Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 September 2018, 9am-5.00pm
Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, 88 Broadway, Chippendale, Sydney, NSW 2008
Link to PRAC SYD Flyer

Cutting through the Haze [Medicinal Cannabis Education]

Date: Monday 10 September 2018 Time: 6.00-8.30pm
Venue: University of Sydney Business School
Abercrombie Building H70, Abercrombie St & Codrington St, Darlington NSW 2006

Speakers: Dr Sue Sisley [USA], “Amazon John” Easterling, and Carol Ireland [Epilepsy Action Australia]

MEDICAN WEEKENDS at the BUSH THEATRE, Nimbin [Hemp Embassy]

The next Medican Workshops will be on the weekend of October 20/21 and then January 19/20, 2019. Entry by donation, beside the river at Nimbin’s Bush Theatre. Starting at 11 am and aiming to finish by 420! Learn how to make and use Cannabis as medicine!

Nimbin Medican Workshops on YouTube [Hemp Embassy]

Speaker presentations from the Nimbin Medican Workshop, last weekend 23-24 June 2018, are now online. Big thanks to Disco Sista for documenting the many medican workshops that the Embassy has hosted in Nimbin over the past 3 years. If you’ve missed these amazing gatherings, then you can still watch the speakers online: Click on this link to head to Disco Sista’s Nimbin Medican YouTube Channel.

MardiGrass Hemposium 2018 Talks now Available on YouTube [Hemp Embassy]

Speaker presentations from the Nimbin MardiGrass Hemposium, 4-6 May 2018, are now online. Also check out previous years’ Hemposium speakers as well as our Medican Workshops.

CannaTech

BuddingTech is partnered with the world’s premier medical cannabis conference! Save the date 29-30th October 2018 Sydney.

DRUG WAR OVER! [Radio Documentary]

IF YOU WANT IT: When Phil Bromley moved from Sydney to one of Australia’s most famous and surprisingly largest tourism destinations, Nimbin he felt like he’d found home. Six years on, after observing and experiencing the
relentless police harassment and mainstream media victimization of his new hometown, Phil felt it was time to let the town tell their story in their own words. ‘Exposing The War On Drugs’ is an eight part radio documentary series that looks at how the war on drugs has affected Australia and the rest of the world. Broadcast around Australia on the Community Radio Network, from the 18th April and podcast at https://player.whooshkaa.com/shows/exposing-the-war-on-drugs . With the spotlight on Nimbin, Australia’s most famous “alternative” town, the team from NIM FM, (Nimbin’s local community radio station), explore drug prohibition, medicinal cannabis, addiction and Nimbin itself; and offer some solutions to the costly drug war that has raged since the early 1930s.

Entheogenesis Australis Shop Now Open [EGA]

Entheogenesis Australis (EGA) would like to thank the psychedelic community for it’s ongoing support and attendance at our recent Psychedelic Symposium. Since the event we’ve had a lot of inquiries about obtaining copies of the new EGA Journal 4 and other special merchandise. To browse, please feel free to head to the EGA Shop online or click on the items below. This is also your chance to pick up classic and new T-shirt designs. Please keep in mind much of the stock is very limited so don’t delay!