AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND
‘Where’s the dope, Daniel?’: Neil Mitchell wants to know what’s happened to government cannabis crops [3AW]
It has been more than 18 months since the Andrews government harvested the first crop of government grown cannabis, but questions remain over what is happening to the drug.
Govt knuckles down ahead of ‘reeferendum’ [Newsroom NZ]
The Prime Minister has directed her chief science advisor to carry out research on the harms and benefits of cannabis legalisation ahead of next year’s reeferendum.
Australians Importing Hemp Products Should Read This [Hemp Gazette]
Early this month, Australia’s Office of Drug Control updated guidelines for importing hemp products – what requires special permission and what doesn’t. “It is important to be aware that only the seeds of the hemp plant can be used for human consumption – extracts from the remainder of the plant are considered a drug,” says the ODC.
Medicinal cannabis to play “huge role” in beating cancer: Olivia Newton-John [Star Investing]
Speaking to The Independent’s Paul Hopkins, Newton-John, who has dedicated much of her life to charity after battling cancer on and off for more than two decades, said her Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre organisation was at the forefront. “The Australian government have this year given me a grant which I am using to investigate cannabis treatment with our cancer patients, men and women, in Melbourne,” she said.
Weed Week: Oz gets serious with medical marijuana, new clinics rolling out soon [Stockhead]
A new chain of medical cannabis clinics are set to roll out across Australia as part of a collaboration between Australian biopharma Zelda Therapeutics (ASX:ZLD) and Emerald Clinics.
Cann Group gains manufacturing licences for medicinal cannabis facilities [Proactive Investors]
How new medical cannabis clinics opening across Australia are helping patients [9 News]
NORTH AMERICA
Cannabis Demand and Supply [Government of Canada]
Health Canada has published a more detailed summary of data reported to the Cannabis Tracking System, as well as data pertaining to cannabis for medical purposes.
Woodstock Weed? Judge Rules Woodstock Can License Its Name To Cannabis Brands [Digital Music News]
The company that owns the rights to the Woodstock music festival can legally associate the name with cannabis products. Woodstock Weed, anyone?
Utah to Rework Cannabis Distribution Rules [Ganjapreneur]
Utah lawmakers are planning to change the state’s medical cannabis program, which was created in the first place as a legislative replacement for the voter-approved program that lawmakers said would be untenable, as the current program conflicts too directly with federal rules.
Ohio’s Governor Just Signed a Bill Legalizing the Sale of Hemp and CBD [High Times]
The new law also requires that CBD oil previously confiscated be returned to the seller.
Canada’s first legal cannabis pop-up? [The Growth Op]
In what might be a Canadian first, New Brunswick’s only legal retailer of recreational cannabis, Cannabis NB, set up a legal, non-permanent, pop-up retail cannabis store at the recent World Cannabis Congress (WCC), an industry convention held in June in Saint John that was presented by media company, Civilized Worldwide Inc.
New CBD Law Could Create More Hassles For New York Bodegas [Cannabis Now]
Legislators in New York want to license the CBD marketplace.
Which State Will Be Next to Legalize Cannabis? [Cannabis & Tech Today]
Only a few months into the new year and numerous states have made progress on adult-use cannabis legislation. However, some of the states expected to legalize next may be held up for one reason or another. In other cases, bills are making their way through once restrictive states. Here is the latest on some of the states most likely to legalize in 2019.
Ontario’s cannabis retail lottery system stacked against small and legacy players hoping to go legit [The Growth Op]
“The lottery system is perceived by many as an unfair entry point into [the] market,” Sa’d said in the interview. “There have been people who have an immense amount of expertise and knowledge, these craft producers are entrepreneurs, who are being shut out from the very industry they effectively helped legalize.”
420 In 2020: Every Democratic Presidential Candidate’s Cannabis Position [benzinga]
Many of the 20 Democrats participating over two days in the CNN Democratic Presidential Debates in Detroit favor cannabis legalization. Where the candidates differ the most is in past policies that may contradict their positions today — and in how legalization would look under their administration.
BUSINESS & POLICY
States Want Pot to Grow Greener as Legal Cannabis Expands [Bloomberg Environment]
As more states legalize recreational and medical marijuana, they’re confronting the reality that cannabis production involves using huge amounts of pesticides, energy, and water, while generating tons of plant and packaging waste.
Billionaire Launches First Cannabis-tied Cryptocurrency and Global Hemp Exchange [Global News Wire]
Alkiviades David has created the Swissx Bank of Cannabis to facilitate legal cannabis transactions worldwide. SWX Coin is backed by a bank of proprietary hemp strain seeds worth $750 million and $250 million in Swiss Francs pegged to global price of hemp.
CBD And Hemp May Be Legal But Discrimination Continues [Forbes]
It’s a problem that virtually all cannabis professionals have had to face at least one time—or a succession of times—in their careers. For Sabina King, 42, CEO of Ashland, Oregon-based Hempure CBD, a maker of hemp-derived CBD products, the industry’s prevalent banking challenge has been the scourge of her once promising startup.
Hemp Laws Causing Less People to be Arrested for Marijuana [The Marijuana Times]
As hemp laws are enacted in various states around the country, many of you may have heard of a “problem” cropping up in places like Texas and Florida. Many prosecutors in Texas have stopped pursuing marijuana cases because of the cost involved in determining whether the plant matter in question is hemp (legal) or marijuana (illegal). A similar situation has arisen in Florida as many in law enforcement simply have no way of knowing out on the road – or even in a lab – whether something is hemp or marijuana, so some are being told not to make any cannabis arrests at all.
More Research-Marijuana Grow Sites Needed, Say Scientists, Congressmembers [Filter]
The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has now failed to approve any new medical marijuana research supplier licenses for the third year and counting. This is after it agreed in August 2016 to “take steps … to increase the lawful supply of marijuana available to researchers” by allowing producers to apply for supplier licenses.
The Guardian view on the case for legalising drugs: time to be reasonable [The Guardian]
HEALTH & SCIENCE
Managing chronic pain with medicinal cannabis [ABC RN]
Medicinal cannabis has been legal in Australia for three years, but only for a limited number of people with a few, very specific conditions. A new survey by Chronic Pain Australia says thousands more people could be benefiting from taking medicinal cannabis but stigma and regulatory issues are creating barriers.
FDA warns top marijuana company for making CBD health claims [ABC News]
The Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday it warned Curaleaf Inc., of Wakefield, Massachusetts, for illegally selling unapproved products. Curaleaf’s claims could lead people to delay medical care for serious conditions like cancer, the agency said.
Certain Kinds of Cannabis May Help Kill Cancer Cells, Study [Civilized]
Past research has suggested that medical marijuana might have the ability to slow the growth of cancerous tumors. Now, new research suggests that cannabis could also help kill certain cancer cells. brings us a little closer to understanding how to maximize this potential.
U.S. study finds cannabis lowers insulin levels in obese type 2 diabetics [The Growth Op]
Obese adults in the U.S. who used marijuana had significantly lower fasting insulin than those who don’t use cannabis, a recent study found. The U.S. study concluded marijuana use is associated with lower fasting insulin levels in obese adults and that using pot as little as four times a month is associated with lower levels. Even adults who smoked cannabis frequently in the past had lower fasting insulin levels.
CBD and genetic testing provide hope for ‘intractable’ epilepsy in children [The Conversation]
Recently, the use of CBD derivatives has gained popularity as a treatment for intractable epilepsy.
USA Today Report: Cannabis Consumers Reduce Use of Pills, Booze [Leafly]
A new report by Gannett, the publisher of USA Today and dozens of other publications, has found that cannabis use by new consumers correlates with a reduction in their use of painkillers and alcohol.
CBD oil: Have the benefits been overstated? [BBC]
Alongside reputable sellers, the rapid growth of the industry has attracted “CBD cowboys” – opportunists trying to make a quick profit – according to Mark Reinders, president of the European Hemp Industry Association.
OTHER DRUGS
Efforts To Decriminalize Magic Mushrooms Beginning To Sprout Nationally [Forbes]
Denver and Oakland recently passed measures decriminalizing magic mushrooms, and it appears to be part of a larger, slow-moving movement to make psilocybin (the mushrooms’ psychedelic ingredient) available for treatments for depression and other medicinal purposes, and, of course, recreational purposes.
Panic over flesh-eating Russian zombie drug: the story that rose from the dead [A.O.D. Media Watch]
In June 2019, most Australian news outlets reported on a man who presented to a NSW healthcare service after experiencing problems from injecting a drug called desomorphine – better known as Krokodil.
EVENTS
Pills, Powder and Smoke – Book Launch and Panel Discussion [Drug Policy Australia]
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.