AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND
The NSW Cops Spent An Eye-Watering Amount Of Money Policing This Small Town Festival [Junkee]
Every year, the northern NSW town of Nimbin hosts MardiGrass, an event that’s part festival, part protest, and 100 percent committed to all things weed. Naturally, a celebration of all that cannabis has to offer attracts a fair few cops, and we now know how much the police spent on MardiGrass in 2019: more than a quarter of a million dollars.
High as Mike being screened for Barnaby Joyce to watch with Tamworth community [Northern Daily Leader]
“Our politicians are supposed to be representing the community, but I am not sure that is the case with medicinal cannabis,” Mrs Haslam said. “This is still a major political issue – the majority of the community seem to be in support of it – the same as the rest of the world – but in Australia we have adopted the wrong system.
High as Mike is playing at The Bush Theatre, Nimbin
Saturday 22nd June
Starts at 6.30pm
Tickets $10
Medical marijuana in Australia is on the rise, despite the high restrictions [7 News]
The cultivation of cannabis for medicinal and research purposes was made legal in 2016 – but figures released last month show that while medical marijuana use is on the rise in Australia, access remains highly restricted.
Seven ACT doctors can prescribe medicinal cannabis [The Canberra Times]
There have been 49 prescriptions of medicinal cannabis in the ACT since it was approved for use in November 2016. ACT Health says it has approved seven doctors to prescribe medicinal cannabis for a total of 28 patients. The ACT Greens say it’s too hard for patients in the ACT to access medicinal cannabis. They previously called on the government to extend the proposed laws allowing small amounts of cannabis for personal use.
Cannabis Legalisation Is Creeping Closer for Canberra [Sydney Criminal Lawyers]
The ACT Legislative Assembly health committee last week tabled its report on the legislation that would see the personal possession and use of cannabis legalised in the capital territory. The Personal Cannabis Use Bill was introduced into ACT parliament by Labor backbencher Michael Pettersson in November last year. The legislation provides that the possession of up to 50 grams of cannabis be made lawful, along with the home growing of a number of plants.
The medical study you pay to be in [Financial Review]
In the nascent field of medicinal cannabis, research can make you money. And no, not in the normal way. Listed skin care and health products company Bod Australia last Wednesday announced a “landmark” 12-month medicinal cannabis trial this week, focusing on the plants’ effects on PTSD treatment. The release contained the peculiar news that the trial will “generate revenue” while “underpinning medical cannabis product sales for its Pharma business”.
NEXT MEDICAL CANNABIS WEEKEND WORKSHOP IN NIMBIN JUNE 22/23 now includes the movie “High as Mike” on Saturday night
HEMP Embassy hosts High Tea for Peacebus
The Nimbin HEMP Embassy will be hosting a High Tea for Peacebus
4.20 pm Friday 21 June 2019 at the Hemp Bar, Cullen Street, Nimbin
The event will raise funds to keep Graeme Dunstan’s Peacebus rolling. See https://chuffed.org/project/ke
NORTH AMERICA
Health Canada Caps Edibles at 10mg of THC Per Package [Ganjapreneur]
Under new Health Canada regulations, single-serving cannabis edibles will have their THC content capped at just 10 milligrams of THC per package. Industry advocates call it regulatory overreach and warn that the rules will lead to excessive packaging waste.
Most US drug arrests involve a gram or less [The Conversation]
U.S. drug laws are designed as if every offender was a dedicated criminal, treating the possession or sale of even small quantities of illegal drugs as a serious crime requiring serious punishment. Last December, my colleagues and I published a study on U.S. drug arrests, showing that roughly two out of every three arrests by state and local law enforcement target small-time offenders who are carrying less than a gram of illegal drugs.
How the New ‘420 Bill’ Could Completely Revolutionize Marijuana in USA [Marijuana Break]
The purpose of the 420 bill is to federally regulate, decriminalize, and tax cannabis products; just as we currently do with alcohol. In other words, it would completely change the face of the marijuana industry forever.
BUSINESS & POLICY
Cannabis industry desperately needs to become credit card-friendly [Green Camp]
In some U.S. states, it’s been years since cannabis was legalized for medical or recreational purposes, yet you still can’t buy it with a credit card.
The Church Of England’s $10.5 Billion Fund Will Now Invest In Cannabis [Forbes]
When you look at it from a historical perspective, there is nothing in the basis of Christianity against medicine. Jesus himself was (and still is for many, today) a healer.
Beijing says US legalization of marijuana is a ‘threat to China’ [CNN]
Beijing’s leading drug enforcement body has blamed the legalization of marijuana in Canada and parts of the United States for a spike in the amount of drugs smuggled into the country, describing it as a “new threat to China.” At a press conference in Beijing Monday, Liu Yuejin, deputy director of the China National Narcotics Control Commission, said that the number of cannabis users in China had grown by more than 25% in 2018, rising to about 24,000 people.
HEALTH & SCIENCE
Marijuana Damages Young Brains [The New York Times]
States that legalize it should set a minimum age of 25 or older.
Cannabis quality involves careful science and carefree highs [The Conversation]
Canada’s legal cannabis industry continues to make progress. Product shortages are decreasing. Store numbers are increasing. And edible cannabis regulations have just been finalized. With these basics falling into place, the industry and its regulators can focus more on competing with black markets. Product quality is one area where legal suppliers might have advantages. But to deliver good quality cannabis, producers must simultaneously aim for both careful science and carefree highs.
Metabolic engineering of cannabinoids – are we there yet? [News Medical]
As the legal regulations on the use of cannabis continue to become more lenient around the world, researchers have become increasingly interested in establishing techniques that will meet the growing demand to harvest this plant.
Does Endocannabinoid Deficiency Play a Role in These Common Illnesses? [Leafly]
Ethan Russo M.D., Director of Research and Development of the International Cannabis and Cannabinoids Institute has theorized that clinical endocannabinoid deficiency could be the cause behind irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, migraine, and other treatment-resistant syndromes. The ECS is present in every major bodily system, which is how its dysfunction can theoretically cause such a variety of conditions—and how cannabis manages to treat them.
Veterans Often Substitute Medical Cannabis for Alcohol, Prescription Drugs [NORML]
Military veterans who participate in a state’s medical marijuana access program frequently report substituting cannabis for alcohol and other controlled substances, according to data published in The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse.
A New Study Shows that Cannabis Can Be Good for OCD [Civilized]
A new review of cannabis studies shows that cannabinoids can help treat symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, by targeting the endocannabinoid system, which plays a role in regulating the signalling in a person’s neurotransmitters.
CULTURE & SOCIETY
There is No Legalization without Home Growing [The Marijuana Times]
Not only is home growing a necessary part of legalization, it is inevitable. In a world where marijuana is being sold out of stores all across town, how would a prohibition on home growing be enforced? A ban on home growing is hard enough to enforce under full prohibition, how would it work under quasi-legalization?
What Are Cannabis Concentrates, Oils, and Extracts? [Leafly]
Cannabis concentrates, oils, and extracts offer many unique benefits that you won’t find smoking flower. From easy, precise dosing to clean and refined flavors, concentrates focus on the ingredients in cannabis that matter most. In this 4-part series, you’ll learn the fundamentals of concentrates, explore product options, discover how extracts are made, and more.
Police stats reveal the Queensland island where drug offences are rife [The Brisbane Times]
Someone is caught making, buying or taking drugs nine times an hour on average in Queensland, police statistics reveal. A total of 81,430 drug offences were committed in 2018, which included everything from large-scale ice trafficking to possessing small amounts of marijuana.
EVENTS
Medican Workshop, 22-23 June 2019, Nimbin NSW [Nimbin Hemp Embassy]
Will This Doco Push Medicinal Cannabis Into Mainstream Australia? [Pedestrian]
High as Mike is playing at The Bush Theatre, Nimbin
Saturday 22nd June
Starts at 6.30pm
Tickets $10
The Australian Cannabis Summit, 5-6 July 2019 – Cannabis Education Available to Everyone in Australia [Greendorphin]
We are very excited to announce the first of its kind Australian Cannabis Summit (ACS). Greendorphin Media has teamed up with PlantMed to bring cannabis education to anyone interested for free of charge. The Australian Cannabis Summit is going to be live streamed to your computer, smartphone or tablet screen.
FUNDRAISERS/CAMPAIGNS/PETITIONS/SURVEYS
Inquiry into drug driving reform [Enpsychedelia]
The National Drug Driving Working Group clearly states that drug driving laws are specifically a driving offense and not a drug offense. Despite this, people who are not impaired, but may still have trace amounts of one of three prescribed substances in their bodily fluid, are frequently charged with a road offense. There is a significant economic and social burden from these unjustified infringements.
E-Petition: Inquiry into drug driving reform [Parliament of Victoria]
Gateway to Good Health [Weed Billboards]
Celebrating Cannabis [Australian Cannabis Awards]
E-Petition: Legalise cannabis for recreational use [Parliament of Victoria]
Just Reform It! Let’s Get Real about Drugs [The Greens]
Survey: What’s the link between cannabis use and psychotic experiences? [The University of Queensland]
EDUCATION
MardiGrass Hemposium 2019 Talks now Available on YouTube [Hemp Embassy]
EP202 – Roadside Drug Testing Panel at Nimbin Mardi Grass [Enpsychedelia]
‘Sex, Drugs and the Electoral Roll’: MP’s Memoir Goes On Sale [Reason]
Medicinal Cannabis & Hemp Tasmania & “the leaf” Newsletter [Facebook]
Nimbin Medican Workshops on YouTube [Hemp Embassy]
DRUG WAR OVER! [Radio Documentary]
View five new EGA video presentations on ethnobotanical plants and psychedelics [Entheogenesis Australis]
To mark the anniversary of our special gathering and end the year on a high note, we’ve released five new videos of talks from the Psychedelic Symposium that are now available to watch online and can also be found below in this email.