Embassy HEADLINES Issue 363

AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND

World’s leading medicinal cannabis researchers converge on Wollongong [The Illawarra Mercury]

Set up two years ago – with hubs in Newcastle and Wollongong – the Australian Centre for Cannabinoid Clinical and Research Excellence (ACRE) researchers are working hard to develop a national research and policy framework to ensure Australians have access to products that are safe and effective for certain conditions.

NZ Royal College endorses cannabis masterclass [Scoop Health]

A New Zealand masterclass in medicinal cannabis has been formally endorsed by The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (RNZCGP) – marking a significant first for the country. Set to take place later this month in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, the medicinal cannabis training is available free of change to doctors and healthcare professionals.

NORTH AMERICA

Hawaii has decriminalized marijuana [Vox]

Hawaii is now the 26th to legalize or decriminalize pot.

Downturn in California lab-tested marijuana [Marijuana Business Daily]

The number of marijuana product batches undergoing laboratory testing in California has dipped in recent months, sparking worries among some industry officials over the health of the state’s cannabis market and the possibility that product supply is dwindling.

1 in 4 medical cannabis users claim supply harder to access since legalization [Bloomberg]

Medical marijuana patients in Canada believe it’s getting harder to access their cannabis now that recreational pot is legal in the country. According to a recent survey jointly commissioned by Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana, the Arthritis Society and the Canadian Pharmacists Association, one in four medical cannabis users say supply issues are hindering their ability to access the medicine they need. As a result, 64 per cent of medical cannabis users are either under-dosing or stretching out their supply. One other key finding from the survey: just as many patients access their medical cannabis via mail order from a licensed producer (38 per cent) as they do via the illicit market (37 per cent).

WORLD

Recreational Drug Use Surges Worldwide, UN Study Reports [Bloomberg]

Some 271 million people globally, or more than one in 20 of the population aged 15 to 64, used recreational drugs in 2017, according to newly released data from the United Nations World Drug Report. That’s a 30% increase from 2009.

‘World Drug Report’ Reveals United Nations Still Not Supporting Cannabis Legalization [Forbes]

While hundreds of journalists around the globe have been reporting that the U.N. supports cannabis legalization or at least decriminalization, these claims seem fairly unsubstantiated. The confusion probably derived from the World Health Organization recommending a rescheduling of cannabis and several of its key components under international drug treaties. But, under the current leadership of the U.N. Office of Drugs and Crime, the world body is only advocating for alternatives to incarceration in the form of “drug courts.” And this approach is still not comprehensive or transformative enough.

Cannabis board approves a list of guidelines for recreational marijuana use [Pacific Daily News]

Responsible adults can grow and consume recreational marijuana at home, but selling it or trading it for something of value still is illegal, according to Guam’s Cannabis Control Board, which on Tuesday approved a list of 10 things the public should know about using it.

56% increase in amount of cannabis seized by Revenue this year [Irish Examiner]

According to details released by Ireland’s Revenue under the Freedom of Information Act, €5m worth of cannabis herb and resin was seized in the first five months of 2019. The figure is up from €3.2m in the same period last year.

China: A Hemp Growing Superpower [Ministry of Hemp]

While China grows more acres of hemp than any other nation, in some ways their regulations are far more strict than the U.S. For example, China is only just starting to allow hemp’s use in beauty products! Even so, at once time China grew 70% of the world’s hemp, and its the source of most of the imported hemp in the United States.

Chinese cannabis? It’s complicated…but it’s coming [Stockhead]

China has a long history with marijuana and hemp and the former was a widespread crop in Yunnan. But national authorities intervened and banned the lot after the province became known by backpackers in the 1980s and 90s as a prime spot to get high.

From Cocoa to Cannabis: Nigerian Farmers Seek Fortunes Inside Forbidden Farms [This Day]

Farmers who produced cocoa, the mainstay of the economy of South-west Nigeria in the past, but have now abandoned the crop for a more rewarding but illegal one, cannabis.

Belgium enforces stricter rules on legal marijuana sales [The Brussels Times]

Sale and purchase will be prohibited online, while all importers must register their product and provide more information to the authorities.

Romanian lawmakers propose legalization of cannabis for medical purposes [Romania Insider]

Almost 100 Romanian MPs from all parties proposed the legalization of cannabis for medical purposes. Patients with chronic terminal illnesses in Romania may have access based on prescriptions to cannabis painkillers using a special procedure (as currently, for morphine). A bill to this effect was filed on July 4 in Parliament.

France on verge of launching trial medical cannabis program [Marijuana Business Daily]

A key government committee in France has set the stage for a two-year medical cannabis trial program that’s expected to kick off later this year, providing an opportunity for overseas companies to export product to the new market during its early stages.

Health Ministry announces new rules for medical cannabis [The Jerusalem Post]

Users of the drug are skeptical that the new system will actually make it easier for patients to access medical cannabis in Israel.

63 per cent of Londoners think UK should follow Canada and make drug legal [Evening Standard]

Sixty-three per cent of residents in the capital back legalisation and regulation of the class B drug, with just 19 per cent opposing the idea. In the country at large, 47 per cent back legalisation, with 30 per cent against and 23 per cent undecided.

Malaysia plans to decriminalize drug use to battle addiction [ABC News]

Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said in a statement Thursday that the proposal for the decriminalization of drug addiction will be a significant game changer. He said drug addiction is a complex, relapsing medical condition and throwing an addict into jail will not cure them.

BUSINESS & POLICY

Subscription Service Ships Concentrates Directly to Consumers [High Times]

Instead of letting extracts age on a dispensary shelf, Apex is offering consumers an opportunity to receive their extracts while they’re at the freshest point.

How Consumers Are Shaping Cannabis Consumption [Visual Capitalist]

The cannabis industry continues to reach new heights, and according to market analysts, global legal spending on cannabis could reach $32 billion by 2022 — a majority of which is thanks to U.S. and Canadian consumers.

A master’s in marijuana [ABC News]

As more states move to legalize marijuana, both medically and recreationally, a number of schools are creating graduate and undergraduate programs aimed at studying the field to supply a more educated U.S. marijuana workforce.

HEALTH & SCIENCE

Study: Teen Cannabis Use Declines Post-Legalization [Ganjapreneur]

A team of researchers looking at post-legalization high school surveys found a decline among teenage cannabis use following the local legalization of medical and adult-use cannabis.

Why Weed Strains with the Same Levels of THC/CBD Can Produce So Many Different Effects [Marijuana Break]

We look at the science.

The Parachute Pill [The Marijuana Times]

A man in Michigan is combining two things in the form of a “parachute pill” whose main ingredient is cannabidiol (CBD), designed to help cannabis users come down from being “too high”.

Doctors not prescribing medicinal cannabis due to lack of clinical trials [The Guardian]

U.K. Commons’ health committee warns patients’ expectations are being disappointed.

Study shows how cannabis could be effective for both pain relief and insomnia [News Medical]

The study, published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, which looked at 1,000 people taking legalized marijuana in an American state found that among the 65% of people taking cannabis for pain, 80% found it was very or extremely helpful.

How good is hemp for your health? [SBS]

Hemp used to be smoked but now low-THC forms of hemp seeds are readily eaten as a health food. So how good are hemp foods for your health, really?

U.S Scientists Sue DEA Over Marijuana Cultivation Application Delay [Marijuana Moment]

The researchers argued that cannabis produced by the only federally authorized cultivation facility at the University of Mississippi is of poor quality and inadequate for their clinical trial on the use of marijuana to treat post-traumatic stress disorder among veterans.

CULTURE & SOCIETY

Extractors Celebrate Their 710 Holiday – Dab Day [Green Market Report]

Extractors get their own holiday every year. July 10, also known as 7/10 has been fondly named “Dab Day” within the cannabis community. Spelling “OIL” when flipped upside-down, 7/10 is the day when cannabis concentrates and extracts are celebrated.

How Psychedelic Surf Smugglers Invented Dabs [Leafly]

Who invented the dab? All too often in the world of cannabis such monumental achievements end up lost to history, particularly those that date back to the bad old days of total prohibition. But in this case, we actually have a primary document to work off. Because on October 3, 1973, the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary held a rather unique hearing entitled Hashish Smuggling and Passport Control: The Brotherhood of Eternal Love.

Forming a Sisterhood of Cannabis Nuns [Ganjapreneur]

Sister Kate is the founder of Sisters of the Valley, a collection of self-described cannabis nuns who grow CBD-rich cannabis in California.

How to Tell the Good Weed from the Bad [Marijuana Break]

How to choose high-quality bud and avoid getting ripped off.

Jay-Z joins cannabis company as chief brand strategist [The Guardian]

The billionaire rapper is the latest celebrity to get into the marijuana business as its legalization for recreational use has spread to 11 US states.

EVENTS

Pill testing & Roadside Drug Testing [Australian Council of Civil Liberties]

Join us for a relevant and insightful panel discussion with Mick Palmer(former AFP Commissioner) and Dr Alex Wodak (former Director of the Alcohol and Drug Service). The panel will cover Roadside Drug Testing and Pill Testing and will be followed with light refreshments.

Australia’s largest hemp and cannabis event – HHI Expo

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]

Driving while impaired is a serious matter but the current laws do not reflect an appropriate and just response to this. Broad community opposition to the program threatens to undermine legitimate strategies to address road safety. The situation is worse for medical cannabis users. If they choose to benefit their health, they may have to give up their right to drive, even when not impaired by medication.

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.