Embassy HEADLINES Issue 394

AUSTRALIA

Melbourne gets its first cannabis dispensary – and it may be the first of many

Melbourne’s first stand-alone medical cannabis clinic and dispensary opens in St Kilda this Saturday – and it’s tipped to be the first of many. The Releaf Clinic will include a dispensary, doctors who specialise in prescribing medical cannabis, complementary medicine services, and a shop selling hemp-based products and organic honey.

NORTH AMERICA

University in Louisiana to harvest first crop of medical marijuana next week

The first crop of medical marijuana grown for Southern University’s program will be harvested next week, and products made with the crop should be sold in Louisiana dispensaries in the next month or two, the head of the school’s agriculture department said Monday.

Ontario eyes OK’ing cannabis lounges, cafes

Premier Doug Ford’s government said it is considering allowing cannabis lounges and cafes as it moves toward an open market for pot in the province, and is asking the public to weigh in on the proposal.

Western Illinois University Latest to Offer Cannabis Curriculum

Western Illinois University has announced it will offer a minor in cannabis production including 18-19 credit hours and additional coursework from the department of biological sciences.

Girls Scouts Selling Cookies in Front of Chicago Dispensary

An entrepreneurial Girl Scout troop sold 230 boxes of cookies over four hours outside of Chicago’s Dispensary33; the dispensary, which supported the cookie sales, has asked the troop to return for the rest of the month.

Capitol Confidential: How cannabis laws are changing in U.S. states this week

This week we introduce Capitol Confidential, a pop-up column tracking dozens of cannabis bills and initiatives across the USA.

First medical cannabis store coming to Arkansas’ capital

Arkansas regulators have licensed 33 medical marijuana dispensaries, and 17 have opened since May.

Trump Budget Proposes Ending State Medical Marijuana Protections And Blocking DC From Legalizing

President Trump proposed ending an existing policy that protects state medical marijuana programs from Justice Department interference as part of his fiscal year 2021 budget plan released on Monday.

President Trump requests additional funds to regulate CBD, hemp

Hemp and CBD would get new attention by federal agencies under a 2021 budget plan released this week by President Donald Trump. Trump’s proposal asks for an additional $5 million next fiscal year for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to regulate cannabis and its derivatives, including CBD. The president also asked for more money to oversee hemp farmers.

Bernie Sanders Pledges Legal Marijuana In All 50 States On Day One As President

“We will end the destructive war on drugs,” the 2020 Democratic presidential candidate said at rally in Cedar Rapids. “On my first day in office through executive order we will legalize marijuana in every state in this country.”

Some struggling US cannabis companies may look to Canada for possible bankruptcy protection

Troubled U.S. cannabis companies have tried the bankruptcy route at home, but given the federal illegality of marijuana, that has not proved to be a successful path. Some U.S. firms now are looking north, where Canadian cannabis companies are allowed to seek such legal shelter from creditors.

WORLD

Fact Check: do U.K. police spend over a million hours a year fighting cannabis?

The point the Liberal Democrats are making, that in a legalised-cannabis- world police would have more time to deal with more serious offences, is a strong one. But quantifying exactly how much extra time they would have in such circumstances is fraught with difficulty.

MPs in Nepal Demand Legalisation of Cannabis Cultivation

A total of 46 MPs of the ruling Nepal Communist Party have submitted a motion to parliament advocating for the legalisation of Cannabis. The cultivation, processing, and trade of the plant has been illegal since 1973. The lawmakers argue that many leaders of prohibition in the 20th century have already changed their stance on the drug – at least for medical uses.

Can Bulgaria Help with EU Regulation for CBD in Food?

As a showing of how we so like to get around the rules, Bulgaria might be the first EU country to openly sell CBD items – even the edible kind.

Netflix Blocks Marijuana Content Due To Singapore Government Pressure

According to Netflix, canna-centric titles will be pulled from their services in Singapore due to government restrictions.

Medicines Authority Malta: cannabis for medicine and research

The production of cannabis for medical and research purposes has been legal since 2018, and in 2019, medical cannabis was made legal for patients to access.

CBD cosmetics: Japan will be the ‘single largest market’ in Asia for the next decade

04-Feb-2020 By Amanda Lim: Swiss-British company AP Organics is setting sights on Japan’s cosmetics market for growth outside of Europe, with the firm believing it holds great prospects for its CBD ingredients and services.

HEALTH & SCIENCE

Why Patients Should Always Start With Microdosing Medical Marijuana

Regardless of the patient’s age or medical background, the best approach is always to start with a small dose, which can be increased if and when necessary.

GARDENING

A new CBG hemp strain is now available in the United States

While THC and CBD have long been the cannabinoids of focus, researchers and hemp breeders are now teaming up to better understand CBG. Hemp genetics experts are aggressively breeding new strains that deliver high yields of CBG, over other cannabinoids.

POLITICS & LAW

Enforcing Freedom: The Insidious Nature of Drug Courts

The structure of the drug court brings much greater state control over the disproportionately nonwhite and poor populations that are targeted through the War on Drugs.

Rescheduling the Drug Schedule

Legal action launched for son denied access to cannabis-based medicines

This week the spotlight has been on the UK government as families of children who need cannabis-based medicine held a protest calling for increased access.

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

What is the Environmental Impact of Commercial Cannabis?

Now that jurisdictions are once again opening the door to legal cultivation of Cannabis (including industrial hemp), what is the environmental impact of the new industry?

Cannabis edibles: Labels should convey THC levels more accurately

Most young adults do not understand the advertised levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in edibles, a new study finds, but the researchers have come up with better way of communicating this information on labels.

Report: Cannabis Jobs Grew 100% Over Last 4 Years

According to Leafly’s 2020 Jobs Report, the industry supports about 243,700 full-time-equivalent as of early 2020. Over the last four years the industry has created nearly 121,000 full-time jobs – doubling in size and representing a 100 percent growth rate, the report says.

Many landlords will take cash from marijuana tenants, report says

In states where both recreational and medical marijuana are legal, 41%-47% of the landlords will accept cash for rent, according to the report, “Marijuana and Real Estate: A Budding Issue.”

Why CBG (Cannabigerol) Is One Of The Most Expensive Cannabinoids To Produce

First discovered by researchers in the 1960’s, Cannabigerol, or CBG, is the precursor from which all other cannabinoids are synthesized, which is why it’s often referred to as the “mother” or “stem cell” of cannabinoids. This unique property imbues CBG with enormous therapeutic promise, making it a subject of great interest for researchers and consumers alike.

LIFESTYLE

What to do when your partner hates weed

Leafly sat down with sex coach and CannaSexual founder Ashley Manta to get the dish on how keep your relationship out of the weeds.

Seniors, it’s okay that you still love cannabis

We caught up with some of our elder cannabis fans, getting their perspective on matters of today, and some great tidbits from times past. Read on to find out (or remember) what a ‘lid’ is, munchie memories of the ‘60s, and lots more.