AUSTRALIA
Health campaign as laws to legalise cannabis possession in ACT edge closer
A public information campaign has been launched with just weeks remaining before cannabis possession for personal use becomes legal in the ACT. The ACT government will run ads on accessing drug support services and the legal implications of the new laws in the coming weeks.
Curtin and Little Green Pharma partner on medicinal cannabis
Curtin University and Perth-based company Little Green Pharma Ltd have joined forces to develop a range of new medicinal cannabis products that have the potential to deliver more accurate and targeted treatment for a wide range of medical conditions.
Medicinal cannabis clinic company to list on the ASX
Emerald Clinics has four clinics in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and the Northern Rivers region of NSW, providing safe access to cannabinoid medicines for qualified patients in collaboration with referring doctors.
Medicinal cannabis events in Australia to watch in 2020
The Market Herald has compiled a list of five key medicinal cannabis events for 2020, covering topics from licensing, cultivation and extraction processes to the latest medical research.
Six charged after $17 million worth of cannabis seized near Grafton
In the mean time permission to grow cannabis in NSW is being given to a number of companies for medicinal use and research.
Medicinal cannabis user escapes drug driving charge
A Lismore lawyer has responded to a landmark drug driving case, saying it could strengthen the case for law reform. A driver with a prescription for medicinal cannabis oil has had a charge of drug driving dismissed by an Adelaide magistrate in a landmark finding.
New Zealand to overturn cannabis vaporizer ban, clearing the way for imports
New Zealand plans to reverse a law banning cannabis vaporizers before new regulations kick in for the launch of the country’s medical program in April, Marijuana Business Daily has learned.
NORTH AMERICA
Canadian cannabis industry facing a credit crunch as scrutiny, skepticism mount
Small and mid-sized cannabis companies say they are finding it increasingly hard to obtain basic credit facilities from some of Canada’s largest financial institutions amid heightened scrutiny on the struggling sector.
Controversial youth-targeted anti-cannabis ads in Michigan
Michigan has pulled its controversial anti-cannabis ad campaign following a public outcry from body image and cannabis activists alike, although one brief clip is still hanging on.
77,000 People Buy Adult-Use Cannabis On First Day Of Illinois Sales
Legal marijuana in Illinois causing someone to break the law
Despite Illinois’ legalization of recreational marijuana, the rules remain strict when it comes to possession and distribution of the drug.
Decriminalization & Home Grows Proposed In West Virginia
A West Virginia lawmaker is renewing her push to decriminalize possession up to 225 grams (about 8 ounces) by adults 21-and-older and allow them to grow up to 12 plants. The measure would allow individuals 21-and-older to “use, grow, possess, transport and give away cannabis and homemade cannabis products without remuneration.” The provisions would allow gifts of up to 30 grams and the transport of up to 60 grams. The previous version of the bill also included expungement provisions and would require the counties to “review all arrest and conviction record of every cannabis offender of every person convicted of a cannabis offense beginning in calendar year 1937 to the present.”
New York Gov. Includes Legalization in 2021 Budget
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has again included legalization tax revenues in his official budget for the year; Cuomo did the same last year, although the state ultimately failed to adopt legalization reforms.
Rhode Island Governor Includes Cannabis Legalization Proposal in State Budget Plan
Gov. Gina Raimondo’s proposal includes state-run adult-use cannabis retailers.
Washington state lawmakers bring bill to ban most cannabis concentrates
Citing concerns about a suspected connection between cannabis and psychosis, a group of Washington state lawmakers wants to slash the allowed potency of all non-medical cannabis concentrates, limiting THC levels to no more than 10%.
Lawmakers press Trump officials to change federal marijuana rules
House lawmakers are growing increasingly frustrated with restrictions on federal marijuana research and are putting pressure on regulators to change the rules. While 33 states have legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes, federal research is extremely restricted.
High demand: Ontario’s online Cannabis 2.0 products sell out fast
More than 3,000 people were waiting in a “digital queue” before the online sales began. Due to the high demand, the website experienced several crashes for some products, while all “soft-chew” items, or gummies, were sold out within the first 30 minutes.
WORLD
German pharmacies have new pharmaceutical CBD supplier
A Cologne, Germany-based distributor of medical cannabis started offering pure CBD in kits with which pharmacists can compound preparations according to a doctor’s prescription.
Cannabis House at Davos 2020 to tackle climate change, sustainability, healthcare
In a show of the growing acceptance of the pot industry, the World Economic Forum in Davos will host the Cannabis House for the second year in a row this week.
Barbados: Medicinal marijuana licensing ‘to begin next month’
Five months into the life of new legislation to allow the cultivation of medicinal marijuana, investors can start applying for a grower’s licence from as early as next month. But the price of licences is likely to be beyond the reach of “average” Barbadians, the Minister of Agriculture, Indar Weir, suggested.
World’s first government supported medical cannabis incubator in Israel
The new incubator (an organisation engaged in the business of fostering early-stage companies through the developmental) will develop technologies for the medical cannabis market.
Why is medical marijuana a high ranking priority for Thailand’s military?
Put simply, the military establishment recognises there are huge business and tax revenue-raising opportunities to be had.
UK’s First National Network of Medical Cannabis Clinics Ignites a Step Change in Patient Numbers
Doctors working for The Medical Cannabis Clinics are now breaking the mould to allow qualifying patients access to cannabis across the country
Cannabis shock: 1.4million Britons are treating their illnesses with illegal cannabis
Medical cannabis was legalised in 2018, but strict conditions mean only a few dozen patients have been able to obtain a prescription on the NHS. Patients who can afford to pay for a consultation and a private prescription are able to do so without restrictions, but the extremely high costs rule this out for most people.
HEALTH & SCIENCE
Can prescribed medical cannabis use reduce the use of other more harmful drugs?
We believe that the results of this survey support a positive decision to pilot the use of medical cannabis as a harm reduction intervention in the specialist substance misuse treatment setting.
European health agency links hemp food to THC exposure
The report concluded that THC levels in people ingesting large amounts of hemp products could exceed a safety threshold for THC in food set by the group in 2015 and potentially lead to effects on the central nervous system and an increased heart rate.
How CBD Gummies Can Help with Daily Stress
Along with simplifying your lifestyle and doing yoga, you can also try CBD gummies. These tasty morsels are designed to take the edge off of your stressful day-to-day without making you high.
Patient experience: medical cannabis and multiple sclerosis
Medical Cannabis Network spoke to the first patient in Australia to receive a medical cannabis prescription, Jason Jordan, about his experience with cannabis and multiple sclerosis.
Genetically Modified Cannabis: Is it Safe?
Biotech engineers in Israel are reportedly working on developing a genetically modified version of the cannabis plant, which is still largely uncharted territory.
Study reveals mixed results for cannabis as a sleep aid
The researchers from the University of Haifa in Israel found that people with chronic pain that frequently turn to marijuana reported more problems with falling asleep and more often woke up during the night.
The Feds Request Info on Cannabis & Migraines
The USA federal Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is putting out a call for research on marijuana’s impact on migraines.
Weed and weight: Why are cannabis consumers slimmer?
Dr. Stephen Glazer, chief medical officer at CannaWay Clinic and bariatric expert, says while research is still in its infancy, studies suggest the endocannabinoid system “contributes significantly to both obesity and metabolic disorders.”
Trial finds CBD reduces anxiety-related tremors in Parkinson’s disease
One of the more well researched therapeutic uses for CBD relates to its impressive anti-anxiety qualities. Heightened anxiety is one of the major non-motor symptoms often seen in patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease (PD) and a new study from a team of Brazilian scientists is reporting results from the first randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial exploring the effects of CBD on anxiety in Parkinson’s patients.
NFL Says Not Enough Science to Endorse Medical CBD, Marijuana for Players
“CBD is a promising compound, but the extent of its use in the United States outpaces the level of evidence,” the notice said.
GARDENING
Largest US farm group supports higher THC limit for industrial hemp
The goverment should triple the level of THC permitted in industrial hemp, and give farmers three times as long to harvest a field after it is tested, said national convention delegates in voting on American Farm Bureau Federation policy on Tuesday.
POLITICS & LAW
Hemp Export Included in New U.S./China Trade Deal
The new trade agreement requires China to import more American-grown hemp, opening trade flow for the next two years.
Law Enforcement Struggles To Differentiate Weed From Hemp: This 50-Year-Old Technology Might Be The Solution
Earlier this year, the USDA publicly asked for proposals for a portable and robust device to help them effectively distinguish between marijuana and hemp. As simple as this might sound, it’s not. Telling weed and hemp apart is hard. THC levels can vary among individual flowers, even within the same plant, depending on multiple factors, including the plant genetics, climate, soil and cultivation practices.
European Commission proposes unified EU vote on WHO cannabis scheduling recommendations
One of these supported changes would be positive for the global cannabis industry: removing cannabis and cannabis resin from Schedule IV of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961). Such a move would, in effect, recognize that cannabis and cannabis resin have medical value.
BUSINESS
Former DEA chief joins new CBD advisory panel
Karen Tandy, who led the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from 2003 to 2007 and was the first female DEA chief, is among a panel of former government officials looking at the CBD industry for the Consumer Brands Association, which represents consumer packaged goods companies.
‘High Times’ Will Open Two Cannabis Dispensaries
Taking its 46-year history in magazine publishing and its 32-year history of running the lauded Cannabis Cup events, High Times is getting into the retail game.
BLK MKT cannabis brand sparks controversy over racist marketing
A booth slogan at Vancouver’s Lift & Co. trade show last week sparked controversy over racism and diversity in the cannabis sector. A booth from BLK MKT, an adult-use brand launched in early December, had large text on one side reading “Once You Go BLK…” The term “Once you go black, you never go back” is widely understood to be sexual and refer to sexual stereotypes about Black men.
EVENTS
Medicinal Cannabis Masterclass: Cannabidiol, THC and Clinical Applications [Fortitude Valley, Q]
Australian Industrial Hemp Conference [Fremantle]
The Future of Medicinal Cannabis Conference [Melbourne]
3rd to 4th March 2020, Melbourne
HHI Expo [Canberra]
HHI EXPO – BCEC Brisbane 18 & 19 July
HHI EXPO – Sydney Olympic Park 31 Oct & 1 Nov
Nimbin MardiGrass [Nimbin]
Protest, Educate & Celebrate: 1st – 3rd May 2020
FUNDRAISERS/CAMPAIGNS/PETITIONS/SURVEYS
Senate Inquiry into Current barriers to patient access to medicinal cannabis in Australia [United in Compassion]
URGENT REVIEW of the medical cannabis delivery system model [MCUA]
Scott Morrison (ScoMo): Legalise Recreational Cannabis [Cannabis Club Australia]
Medical Cannabis Access – Patient Satisfaction Survey [Medical Cannabis Users Association of Australia, MCUA]
HELP GROW OUR CANNABIS CAMPAIGN [The Greens]
Next stop Canberra – we’re taking the fight to Parliament! [United in Compassion]
Inquiry into drug driving reform [Enpsychedelia]
E-Petition: Inquiry into drug driving reform [Parliament of Victoria]
Biological Flora Medicinal Research Initiative
EDUCATION
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MardiGrass Hemposium 2019 Talks now Available on YouTube [Hemp Embassy]
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EP202 – Roadside Drug Testing Panel at Nimbin Mardi Grass [Enpsychedelia]
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Nimbin Medican Workshops on YouTube [Hemp Embassy]
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DRUG WAR OVER! [Radio Documentary]