Embassy HEADLINES Issue 398

AUSTRALIA/NZ

Passionate Plea For Doctors To Take MedCan Opportunity

With exactly one month until the medicinal cannabis regulations come into effect, the industry is passionately appealing to doctors to attend New Zealand’s first ever medicinal cannabis summit in just over two weeks.

NORTH AMERICA

Illinois sells $1 million in legal cannabis—per day

Just two months into adult-use legalization and Illinois dispensaries are selling more than a million dollars of legal cannabis—per day. That number is based off revenue from steep taxes on legal sales. Robust marijuana sales started Jan. 1, 2020 to tens of thousands of state residents and tourists who braved freezing pre-dawn temperatures and hours-long lines to smoke a piece of state history.

South Dakota tribe votes to legalize cannabis on reservation

Members of an American Indian tribe in South Dakota voted to legalize medical and recreational marijuana on their reservation. The results of Tuesday’s referendum to allow MJ sales on the Pine Ridge Reservation will be certified next week. Voters approved medical marijuana by an 82% margin, and 74% approved legalizing adult-use marijuana.

Washington state to allow social equity applicants exclusive access to revoked cannabis licenses

Social equity applicants for marijuana businesses in Washington state will be able to apply exclusively for a number of revoked cannabis retail licenses after legislators passed a law Tuesday aimed at boosting the participation of minorities in the industry. According to the state’s Liquor and Cannabis Board, a total of 34 such licenses will become available to members of the community disproportionately impacted by – as the bill states – “the enforcement of cannabis-related laws” during state prohibition.

Trump’s new pick for chief of staff is vocal opponent of marijuana legalization

As Forbes wrote this week, Meadows, who previously chaired the conservative Freedom Caucus, has voted against every amendment and bill that would have led to marijuana reform since he joined the House in 2013.

New bill would change Utah’s medical marijuana program again

Among larger changes, HB425 would lengthen the time of validity of an initial medical cannabis card; allow patients with a letter from a medical professional to purchase medical marijuana from a pharmacy through the rest of the year without a card; and remove a limit on the size of signage a cultivator of pharmacy can use.

California passes $1 billion in cannabis tax revenue two years after launching legal market

Millions go to child care, public safety and research, but growth stagnates as regulated industry struggles to compete.

Florida: Why 2020 legalization failed in the Sunshine State

The two big problems are that the initiative doesn’t allow Floridians to grow their own, and it’s too oriented toward corporate interests, funded as it is by the cannabis companies Surterra and MedMen.

Colorado’s first licensed cannabis R&D firm to study marijuana’s effect on Alzheimer’s disease

MedPharm Holdings is the only company in the state that holds a marijuana research and development license.

WORLD

High hopes for a Thai weed gold rush

Western weed capitalists seek to lead and seed the kingdom’s newly legalized and fast growing medical marijuana industry.

Employee of US-owned hemp farm in Myanmar gets 20 years jail

A U.S. company accused of growing marijuana in Myanmar says the crop was actually hemp. But the country doesn’t differentiate between the two plants and sentenced one of the company’s workers to prison for 20 years. Shein Latt said he was responsible for installing the farm’s irrigation system.

Coming cannabis bill is good signal for South African hemp

While South African officials have said hemp may be approved as an agricultural crop as soon as May this year, some stakeholders remain skeptical of the government’s plans, questioning proposed allowable THC levels and a strategy to rely on imported seeds critics say are ill-suited to the South African environment.

Spannabis Postponed Due to Coronavirus

Organizers for Spannabis have postposed the event amid coronavirus fears, bringing the total of postponed cannabis industry events to at least seven. Spannabis was scheduled to take place in Barcelona, Spain this weekend, from March 13-15.

Mexican Senate commissions approve marijuana bill legalizing recreational use

Three Senate commissions in Mexico acting together passed legislation on Wednesday to legalize all forms of cannabis, bringing the Latin American country one step closer to launching the world’s largest adult-use program by population. The bill now goes to the full Senate and, once approved there, the lower legislative chamber.

Cannabis Patients In The United Kingdom Are Granted Faster Access To Their Medicine

Patients in the United Kingdom who receive prescriptions for cannabis-based medicines will be able to get their treatment in days –rather than months– as import restrictions in the United Kingdom changed on March 2nd.

HEALTH & SCIENCE

Cannabis Won’t Cure Coronavirus, but It Can Help Ease Certain Flu Symptoms

Obviously, there’s no dependable research on CBD’s or THC’s effect on COVID-19. But we do know a few things about cannabis and general wellness.

Hemp Tea and Respiratory Disease: Can It Help With The Symptoms?

People have been drinking hemp tea for thousands of years, not only for relaxation, but also to treat numerous different medical conditions. Is it good for treating viral infections?

Recommendations and Guidance on Medical Cannabis under Prescription 2020

The UK Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society has today re-issued a newly updated version of Recommendations and Guidance on Medical Cannabis under Prescription. The guidelines set out the facts about medical cannabis treatments – history, evidence and prescribing information. In conjunction with the Society’s recently published Roadmap for UK Doctors – a step by step guide to prescribing this treatment.

Does Cannabis Interact with Prescription Medications?

As more and more people turn to cannabis to heal their ailments, a common concern is whether someone should consume cannabis if they are on other prescription medications. It’s an important question – as it’s always important to know how different medications interact with each other – no matter what type of medicine you are taking. In this blog post, we interview a Maine medical professional who is focused on patient education and shares what you need to know when making this consideration.

Study Confirms CBD Could Protect Brain Against Neurodegenerative Diseases

While more research is necessary, a new study confirms CBD contains neuroprotective potential against degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Higher Profile: Granny Storm Crow, Grass Roots Advocate

For more than ten years Granny Storm Crow has been compiling studies on cannabis from around the world, maintaining a comprehensive database online. She does this to inform, evangelizing the fact that the plant has indeed been studied in depth for decades, contrary to the mantra, “We need more studies.”

CBD Levels In Products May Not Be What They Say

As millions of Americans increasingly rely on cannabidiol (CBD) products – to the tune of more than $1 billion in sales — to help with pain, depression, anxiety and even cancer, new Digital Citizens Alliance (Digital Citizens) research shows that CBD levels listed on product labels may often be inaccurate, putting consumers at risk and highlighting the need for federal standards and regulation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Here’s What You Should Know About CBD Canned Drinks

Consuming CBD in a can sounds like a promising idea, one that lends itself to producing quick therapeutic effects. Still, unless we get the science, we remain in the dark with these kinds of products. Although there’s almost nothing that suggests that CBD is harmful for your health, there is evidence that indicates these products might just be a waste of money.

What’s next for psychedelic decriminalization?

The movement to decriminalize entheogenic plants—psychedelics—is young, but has already succeeded in three cities, with many more in the works. The force behind this tide is an organization called Decriminalize Nature (DN), who uses an open-source format to help communities all over the world start healing.

LIFESTYLE

How to Properly Store Your Marijuana

Get the most out of your marijuana budget by storing your cannabis to preserve its potency, flavor, and more. Here we look at marijuana storage to help you keep your stash fresh.

POLITICS & LAW

Pebbles Trippet: The Activist With Her Own Legal ‘Standard’

One longtime California cannabis activist actually has a legal standard named in her honor. Pebbles Trippet established in the state’s courts that the 1996 medical marijuana law implies a right to transport cannabis — a precedent-setting case.

Re-Legalize it? Herer’s Legacy Lives on in Hemp Initiative

The legendary hemp crusader Jack Herer drew up a California ballot initiative for a cannabis economy based on maximum freedom. He did not live to see its passage. But amid growing disillusionment with the Prop 64 legalization model, his heirs believe that in 2020, his hour has posthumously arrived.

New Bill Seeks to Protect Pot Patients’ Employment

There is a new effort in Sacramento, California to protect the rights of medical cannabis patients when it comes to using cannabis off the clock.

Can You Take Your CBD Products On a Flight? – CBD Guides

CBD is becoming increasingly available and manufacturers are racing to add the ingredient to a constantly growing portfolio of products. As such, being aware of the legality of the compound is more important than ever. Unfortunately, the question of whether you can take your favourite CBD tincture on holiday with you doesn’t have a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer.

Why Do People Still Buy Black Market Cannabis in Legal States?

Booming black markets exist all across North America. There are good reasons why:

1) Tax on Cannabis Drives Up the Cost

2) The Hidden Cost of Lab Testing

3) People Trust Their Grower

4) Supply Issues

5) Dispensary Approval Can’t Keep Up With Demand

6) Authorities Aren’t Clamping Down

Marijuana Legalization Could Reduce Illegal Market Demand

The lack of legal stores forces consumers to approach the illegal market to obtain their favorite products, which causes a surge in illegal cannabis sales. Now, the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) agrees that state-level legalization could actually help lower the illegal market demand.

FDA pledges action against ‘unlawful CBD products’ while offering confidentiality for research

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it will continue to “take appropriate action against unlawful CBD products that pose a risk of harm to the public,” even as the federal agency implored the industry to collaborate with the government to study CBD’s possible benefits and dangers.

Expected delay in vote on WHO cannabis scheduling recommendations spurs US official to express ‘regret’ over decision

The expected delay by the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) involves several changes to how cannabis is scheduled in international drug control treaties, a decision that would have significant implications for the regulated industry.

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

The Marijuana Industry Already Employs A Quarter Million Workers

The U.S. marijuana industry supported 240,000 jobs nationwide as 2020 began, according to a Leafly study that focuses on the cannabis job market. That’s 15 percent more marijuana-related jobs than at the beginning of 2019.

City Could Consider Freezing Or Curtailing New Cannabis Permits Following Report On Declining Sales

A new report by the City of San Francisco’s Controller’s Office shows that individual cannabis retailers are seeing declining sales in the two years since full recreational legalization — and that’s due both to there being more permitted stores, and the still flourishing illegal market.

Coronavirus drives cannabis sales bump, then slump

Early reports indicate dispensaries and adult-use cannabis stores on the West Coast of the USA are seeing a mix of sales bumps, or sales slumps, depending on the level of local infection.

Canopy Growth is closing down greenhouses and laying off hundreds

Canopy Growth on Wednesday afternoon announced plans to close two cultivation facilities in British Columbia, resulting in the layoffs of 500 employees. The company also scrapped plans to open a greenhouse in Ontario. “Nearly 17 months after the creation of the legal adult-use market, the Canadian recreational market has developed slower than anticipated, creating working capital and profitability challenges across the industry,” the company said in the statement. “Additionally, federal regulations permitting outdoor cultivation were introduced after the Company made significant investments in greenhouse production.”