Embassy HEADLINES Issue 374
AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND
Australian Capital Territory votes to legalise cannabis for personal use [The Guardian]
Territory becomes first jurisdiction in Australia to legalise possession of up to 50 grams of marijuana and two plants.
Peter Dutton: government may override ‘dangerous’ ACT decision to legalise cannabis [The Guardian]
Minister says attorney general Christian Porter is looking at ‘trendy’ law change.
Why the popularity of these Australian cannabis clinics is soaring [Commercial Real Estate]
It’s one of Australia’s fastest growing businesses but its premises are among the lowest profile in the country. For, while customer numbers are going up 1000 per cent year-on-year, Southern Cannabis Holdings doesn’t advertise the exact addresses of its five medicinal cannabis clinics in Australia and one in New Zealand, as well as another newly opened in the United Kingdom. “We started off listing where our clinics are, but now we don’t,” said company founder and director Tim Drury. “We had a lot of people walking in and asking to see a doctor so they could have some cannabis.
Why Australians are still being forced to the black market for medicinal cannabis [Yahoo! News]
“The issues most patients are having now are affordability-related … It’s far cheaper to access the black market but you’re potentially putting yourself at risk.”
Medical Cannabis System So Tricky, ‘Doctor Google’ Used By Epilepsy Patients [10 Daily]
Australian doctors lack knowledge about medical cannabis, a leading epilepsy group has said, as it launches a new tool to educate those with the condition about how marijuana could help in their treatment.
Australia’s Underground Medicinal Marijuana Growers [Vice Asia]
In Stealthcare, VICE embeds with illegal growers and the patients they service, exploring the issues surrounding access to medicinal cannabis. These growers, essentially cannabis enthusiasts, often donate their product for little or no cost, at great personal risk. Scarred by jealous drug dealers, police raids and government persecution, these “Compassion Clubs” are forced to operate on the black market where they can deliver the medicine to sufferers.
Helius Therapeutics will pay more than $43,000 for cannabis growers [Stuff]
Want to grow cannabis, legally? New Zealand’s largest licensed medicinal cannabis grower Helius Therapeutics is looking for two “cultivation technicians” to help grow its crop. Chief executive Paul Manning said the company was looking to add 20 staff to its small team of eight full-timers by the end of the year. Other roles included specialist medical liaison, innovation manager and extraction manager.
Trailer: Green Light [Film Ink]
Medical Cannabis Access – Patient Satisfaction Survey [Medical Cannabis Users Association of Australia, MCUA]
MCUA is keen to get feedback on how the government’s Medical Cannabis delivery system is working for Australian patients 3 years after it was implemented.
URGENT REVIEW of the medical cannabis delivery system [MCUA]
Your petitioners ask that the Senate: Take the necessary steps to initiate an Independent Inquiry by the Australian Advisory Council on the Medicinal Use of Cannabis (AACMC) to review the current delivery system with the view creating a fairer, more affordable delivery model in consultation with the end users.
NORTH AMERICA
BREAKING: U.S. House Approves Cannabis Banking Bill [Ganjapreneur]
The House of Representatives passed the SAFE Banking Act this afternoon in a historic and bipartisan landslide of support for giving state-legal cannabis companies access to banking services.
Seattle Dispensary Tests Vapes for Vitamin E Acetate, Finds 100% Pass Rate [Ganjapreneur]
In response to the vaporizer-linked pulmonary disease sweeping the nation, Uncle Ike’s cannabis dispensary in Seattle recently submitted vaporizer cartridges from its store shelves for lab testing. 100 percent of the tested cartridges came back clean of vitamin E acetate, the compound found to be responsible for the recent hospitalizations.
Marijuana Legalization Continues: Wisconsin Steps Up! [Market Realist]
Recently, lawmakers in Wisconsin introduced a bill to legalize medical cannabis. If the new bill is passed into law, it will allow patients to use cannabis if they’re registered with the state. Also, the bill will create a licensing system for growers.
Medical Marijuana Users Outnumber Recreational Consumers 2 To 1 [The Fresh Toast]
Twice as many Americans report using marijuana to alleviate medical conditions than for recreation, new study finds.
Cuomo: ‘We are serious about legalizing recreational marijuana in this state.’ [WKBW]
Governor Cuomo will travel to Connecticut this week to meet with state leaders and discuss a “regional strategy” on marijuana and e-cigarettes.
Marijuana Delivery Service & Cafes Coming To Massachusetts [High Times]
One of the regulations is that delivery drivers must wear body cameras to record all transactions.
Massachusetts Bans All Vaping Products [Green Market Report]
Many feel that banning all vape products is like throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Most of the illnesses have resulted from consumers using non-regulated and black market products.
Hemp experts criticize THC state testing protocols [Natural Products Insider]
“Whether or not a plant meets regulatory compliance literally matters what state you’re growing in,” said ProVerde Laboratories Inc. which provides analytical testing and consulting services in the marijuana and hemp industries.
Governor of Utah Signs Revised Medical Cannabis Law [High Times]
The new bill aims to make medical marijuana much more accessible.
After a Slow Start, Canada’s Legal Marijuana Sales Are Steadily Increasing [The Marijuana Times]
The things that bring more people into the legal market are no surprise or secret at this point – good quality, good variety, convenience and competitive prices. As more people feel they can find these things in the legal market, the more they will shift to do so.
Canadian Cannabis Packaging: What Does it All Mean? [Leafly]
Whether you’re a new consumer or a connoisseur, Canadian cannabis labels can be a bit hard to unpack. When you buy flower, or even a single preroll, you receive a package that is dense with details. What do those labels and text mean? Here’s how to make sense of the details included on Canadian cannabis packages.
BUSINESS & POLICY
What AI (Artificial Intelligence) Will Mean For The Cannabis Space [Forbes]
So how might AI impact things? “The use of AI in sensors and high-definition cameras can be used to keep track of and adjust multiple inputs in the growing environment such as water level, PH level, temperature, humidity, nutrient feed, light spectrum and CO2 levels. Tracking and adjusting these inputs can make a major difference in the quantity and quality of cannabis that growers are able to produce. AI also helps automate trimming technology so that it is able to de-leaf buds saving countless hours of manual labor. Similarly, it can be applied to automated planting equipment to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of planting. And AI can identify the sex of the plants, detect sick plants, heal or remove sick plants from the environment, and track the plant growth rate to be able to predict size and yield.”
Shopify expands its cannabis e-commerce platform into U.S. CBD market [Regina Leader-Post]
Shopify will offer online store design, payment, shipping and marketing in more than 40 states to merchants of hemp-derived cannabidiol.
Bruce Linton’s next act: Pot shops, pets and psychedelics [BNN Bloomberg]
Linton, the former co-chief executive officer and founder of Canopy Growth Corp., announced Tuesday he’s joining three companies in an advisory role for: a Michigan-based cannabis dispensary chain, a CBD pet food maker, and medical psychedelic provider Mind Medicine Inc.
HEALTH & SCIENCE
Prohibition not the answer to vaping hysteria, professor says [The Growth Op]
But a rush to ban vaping altogether will likely just push more consumers to the black market where the bigger problems lie, said David Hammond, a public health professor at the University of Waterloo in southwestern Ontario. “I don’t think prohibition would make sense. If you prohibit it, you might increase cases of contaminants because you don’t get chance to apply proper standards to products,” Hammond said.
How Access to Cannabis Can Affect Mental Health Treatments [Leafly]
Regardless of where these patients get their medicine and what form they take, two women with PTSD are interacting with the world, getting an education, and making a living. Their access to cannabis may not be perfect, but they’re not having nightmares, and that alone is a great gift.
Cannabis during breast cancer treatment: What are the benefits? [The Growth Op]
Here are five ways cancer patients may use cannabis or CBD oil to alleviate symptoms during cancer treatment.
How to Spot a Fake Vape Cartridge [Leafly]
From cannabis industry professionals, to testing lab experts, to California’s consumer affairs and public health agencies, everyone we spoke to reiterated the point that cannabis from the legal market is likely to be safer given factors like increased accountability and the rigorous testing required by state law.
Human Testicles Contain Endocannabinoid System Components [The Scientist]
Proteins that synthesize, bind, and degrade endocannabinoids are present in the body’s sperm factories, suggesting that the use of cannabis may directly affect them.
Psychedelics and Seniors: Can Drugs Such As Marijuana And Psilocybin Improve Quality Of Life? [Forbes]
Now, medical researchers are starting to take a hard look at both the clinical and policy implications of marijuana use by older adults. And it isn’t just weed. Johns Hopkins Medicine is beginning a new research initiative into the therapeutic use of psychedelics such as psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) for treating a wide range of medical issues, including dementia.
‘CBD lubricant is a bestseller’: cannabis oil products are booming – but does the science stack up? [The Guardian]
It’s been hailed as a wonder ingredient, added to everything from ice-cream to hummus. But is CBD more than just a wellness trend?
CULTURE & SOCIETY
The Green Rush [The New Yorker]
It was just seven years ago that Washington and Colorado became the first states to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. Today the drug is legal in eleven states and counting, with polls showing that sixty per cent of Americans support legalization. How did i t happen so fast? This episode of The New Yorker Radio Hour looks at the end of reefer madness—and the early days of corporate cannabis; the politics and the public-health aspects of legalization; and how legalization tries to undo decades of harm that marijuana prohibition has done to communities of color.
China Preparing To Impose Controls On Vaping E-Cigarettes [High Times]
China has the most tobacco users in the world.
6 Things Every Beginning Cannabis Homegrower Should Know [Leafly]
Growing your own cannabis is an educational experience. Not only do you develop hands-on cultivation skills, but you’ll also learn lessons that can be applied to just about anything. Crucial life skills like patience, forethought, restraint, and attention to detail all figure hugely into the cannabis cultivation process. As you develop confidence as a grower, you also may see the things you learn spill over into other areas of your life.
David Cameron reveals he used to ‘get off his head’ on cannabis while at Eton [Yahoo! News]
Former UK prime minister David Cameron has revealed he used to sneak out of Eton in a rowing boat to get ‘off his head’ on the Thames.
‘Simpsons’ writer reveals secret marijuana joke from this iconic episode [The Growth Op]
Every once in a while, ‘The Simpsons’ likes to sneak in some clever weed humor for its fans
EVENTS
Rethink Reform [Greens]
Greens are hosting a public forums about our drug laws in NSW: Braidwood, Lismore and Mullumbimby. Come along to find out why the war on drugs has failed, what evidence-based public policy that prioritises harm reduction looks like, and what we can do to move towards decriminalising people who use drugs.
Medican Workshop [Nimbin Hemp Embassy]
Annual General Meetings
Nimbin Hemp Embassy AGM 2019
11am on Saturday 16 November 2019 at the Town Hall, 45 Cullen Street, Nimbin.
MardiGrass Organizing Body AGM 2019
12pm on Saturday 16 November 2019 at the Town Hall, 45 Cullen Street, Nimbin.
Australian HEMP Party AGM 2019
2pm on Saturday 16 November 2019 at the Town Hall, 45 Cullen Street, Nimbin.
Australian Industrial Hemp Conference
FUNDRAISERS/CAMPAIGNS/PETITIONS/SURVEYS
URGENT REVIEW of the medical cannabis delivery system [Medical Cannabis Users Association of Australia, MCUA]
Your petitioners ask that the Senate: Take the necessary steps to initiate an Independent Inquiry by the Australian Advisory Council on the Medicinal Use of Cannabis (AACMC) to review the current delivery system with the view creating a fairer, more affordable delivery model in consultation with the end users.
Medical Cannabis Access – Patient Satisfaction Survey [Medical Cannabis Users Association of Australia, MCUA]
MCUA is keen to get feedback on how the government’s Medical Cannabis delivery system is working for Australian patients 3 years after it was implemented. This survey is only open to Australian residents who have have qualified for approval by the TGA under the SAS. We have suggested to the Federal government that a Review / Inquiry be held into the current pharmaceutical delivery system and we want collate the information we get here to use it to demonstrate how well the pharmaceutical model is working for the end user ie the patients. We thank you for participating and appreciate your support.
Next stop Canberra – we’re taking the fight to Parliament! [United in Compassion]
When Barnaby Joyce recently showed just how ignorant he was about medicinal cannabis, comparing it to “pulling bongs”, I realised something: the majority of Australians support medicinal cannabis. It’s the politicians who need to be convinced.
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.