AUSTRALIA/NZ
Grow pot, pay tax, create jobs says Eden-Monaro candidate
‘Why can’t we all grow a couple of plants like in Canberra which is surrounded by this electorate? If we were allowed home-grown for personal use across Australia, we could save billions in health care and policing costs. We could be saving money instead of wasting it,’ he said launching his campaign.
Retired Magistrate David Heilpern critical of NSW drug driving laws
In northern NSW, Lismore Local Court Magistrate David Heilpern has just retired at the age of 58. In a candid conversation about his working life, its challenges and stresses he also outlines his misgivings about the NSW drug driving laws which played a big role in his decision to step down.
Canada’s Cannabis Oil Exports Rose More than 450% in 2019
Australia, Germany, and Denmark account for 90% of Canada’s exports. In 2019, Canada exported 3,700 liters to Australia, 790 liters to Germany, and 336 liters to Denmark.
Meet Australia’s marijuana terrorist
George Dickson is a cannabis law reformer. After an altercation with police, he was also classed as a high risk terrorist offender.
Medical cannabis use in the Australian community following introduction of legal access: 2018–2019 Cannabis as Medicine Survey (CAMS-18)
Conclusions: Chronic pain, mental health and sleep remain the main clinical conditions for which consumers report using medical cannabis. Despite 2 years of legal availability, most consumers in Australia reported accessing illicit cannabis products, with uncertainty regarding the quality or composition of cannabis products.
A 500-day journey prescribing medicinal cannabis in Australia
“The two major cannabinoids Cannabis Doctors Australia [CDA] prescribed last year was a pretty even split, with THC accounting for 48%, CBD at 42% and the remaining 10% in blends of both cannabinoids. This is to be expected, as the research keeps demonstrating that the most effective medicinal cannabis therapy provides the full spectrum of cannabinoids. This synergistic dynamic between the cannabinoids and terpenes is a widely known theory referred to as the ‘entourage effect’; ultimately, the interaction of the combined plant constituents, when taken together, determine that chemovar’s therapeutic effect.”
Dose-Measuring Inhaler Available in Australia
RYAH Medtech Inc announced today the completion of the first shipment of RYAH’s Dose-Measuring Smart Inhalers and proprietary cartridges to its partner Cannatrek, Australian vertically integrated seed-to-patient medicinal cannabis enterprise.
$21.6 Million Worth of Cannabis Seized In “Fields of Green”
A New South Wales raid has uncovered one of the largest cannabis crops ever found in Australia.
NZ Drug Foundation stands by ad campaign after being labelled ‘misleading’
The ad, which encourages people to vote “yes” in the upcoming cannabis referendum, mentions “medicinal treatment”. Ross Bell, executive director of the Drug Foundation, said the reason they included medicinal cannabis was because the current regime was restrictive and, through legalisation, there will be easier access.
Australian Ethnobotanical and Psychedelic Community Video Call Out
Entheogenesis Australis invites the Australian ethnobotanical and psychedelic community to contribute original video content to our livestream on Sunday 28th June. Click here for more details.
NORTH AMERICA
Illinois Social Equity Cannabis Licensing Could Begin Next Month
Social equity cannabis licenses in Illinois could be awarded as soon as next month after Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) suspended moving forward with the licenses in late April indefinitely amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to Block Club Chicago. The report notes that some businesses may have to wait as long as August to receive one of the 75 licenses.
Portland, Oregon Pulls Cannabis Tax Funding From Police
Portland, Oregon officials will no longer use cannabis-derived tax funds for the city’s police budget, the Chicago Tribune reports. Last week Mayor Ted Wheeler announced they city would redirect $12 million from the police department budget toward communities of color – at least $2 million of which comes from cannabis taxes and fees.
Canada’s ‘Croptober’ looms as outdoor pot production set to soar
A different sea of green will greet Canadian farm fields this year as licensed producers begin planting their cannabis outdoors, a move that could exacerbate an existing glut in the market and potentially cause further industry writedowns.
Colorado marijuana sales hit a record $1.75 billion in 2019
Cannabis sales have now reached a total of $7.79 billion in the 6 years since legalization.
Colorado Lawmakers Pass Cannabis Pardons Bill
Colorado lawmakers passed a bill on Monday that would allow the governor to issue pardons for low-level marijuana convictions without input from the judges and prosecutors involved in the original court cases. The measure, House Bill 1424, now heads to the office of Democratic Gov. Jared Polis for his signature.
Denver Working Group Digs Deeper on the Future of Cannabis Equity in Colorado
On the heels of a report that found that Denver’s cannabis industry is predominantly white, a working group expands its discussion about how to create an equitable industry.
Bernie Sanders And Cory Booker Talk Racial Injustices Of Marijuana Criminalization At Virtual Town Hall
Booker said that in 2017, “there were more marijuana possession arrests than all the violent crime arrests in America combined. And again, they’re arresting people of color.”
Decriminalize Nature Canada Webinar and Petition
Mounting evidence from leading medical research institutions such as Johns Hopkins, UCLA, and NYU tell us that plant medicines are uniquely effective in treating depression, trauma and addiction, and end-of-life anxiety. These potentially life-saving medicines are currently illegal. Canada, it’s time to decriminalize.
New York hemp growers, processors decry delayed CBD rules
A group of hemp growers and processors in New York is calling on the state Department of Health to release regulations so that hemp and CBD businesses can make business decisions.
WORLD
Cannabis bill in Nepal would help hemp, but THC limit questioned
Long-known as a cannabis mecca, Nepal would establish a formal program to develop medical cannabis and the hemp sector under a bill that has been proposed in the country’s parliament. However the bill’s recommended THC limit of 0.2% – which follows the current European standard – would challenge those who want to farm hemp, likely requiring years of breeding to develop cultivars that would come in under that benchmark.
Uruguay – About the First Country in the World to Legalise Cannabis
Uruguay has become well known for its position as a global cannabis pioneer. The country owes this reputation to becoming the first country in the world to legalise the recreational use of cannabis. Since the legislation was introduced in 2014, only one other country, Canada, has legalised the drug at the federal level. However, the motion is being increasingly replicated in other countries around the world, including New Zealand and Luxembourg.
Trinidad and Tobago: The Good, the Bad, and the Confusing From the First Six Months of Cannabis Decriminalization
Arrests are down, illicit crops are up, and everyone awaits further legislation.
Support. Don’t Punish: Challenging the war on drugs in the Philippines
An unflinching, verité-style exposé, The Nightcrawlers follows a determined group of photojournalists on their mission to chronicle the deadly battle being waged against the Philippines’ drug epidemic — and the tragic cost of this brutal crusade.
Netherlands to open applications for cannabis grow experiment next month
The Dutch government will start accepting applications in July from potential cultivators for its adult-use cannabis experiment. From July 1 until July 28, companies will be able to apply to grow adult-use marijuana for supply to coffee shops in 10 municipalities around the country.
Cannabis growing facilities up for sale across B.C.
Large cannabis growing facilities are up for sale in communities across the province as the industry comes to grips with slower-than-expected sales of government-sanctioned cannabis products.
Canada exported record amount of dried cannabis in 2019, but mostly to one market
Germany was the main destination for Canada’s dried cannabis. Just over 94% of the 3,740.232 kilograms of dried product exported from Canada last year went to Germany.
Germany faces potential temporary supply shortage of cannabis flower
The Dutch government agency responsible for exporting medical cannabis sent an email Thursday to its German customers informing of a delay of up to six weeks in the next shipment of medical cannabis.
HEALTH & SCIENCE
What are Flavonoids? From Cannabis and Beyond
Cannabis has a number of medicinal, therapeutic, and recreational uses, and though some of the compounds found within the plant are gaining increasing attention, there are still some that are not widely understood. An example of this is a group known as Flavonoids, which are present in cannabis as well as all other plants in the world! So, what are flavonoids?
A Cancer Survivor’s Guide to Using Cannabis to Cope With Chemotherapy
A medical marijuana regimen can help cancer patients manage the negative effects of chemotherapy.
What To Know About CBD And Eczema
Although there’s a lack of scientific research on CBD due to the compound’s strange legal standing, many experts are hopeful in the effect it could have on eczema.
The Endocannabinoid System Explained – Why Cannabis Is Good for Our Bodies
Cannabis has been pinned as a treatment option for many different disorders lately, many of them seeming completely unrelated. Everything from physical pain to mental disorders and even cancer are said to respond to cannabinoid treatments, but how exactly is that possible?
Study shows cannabis temporarily relieves PTSD symptoms
People suffering from post-traumatic distress disorder report that cannabis reduces the severity of their symptoms by more than half, at least in the short term, according to a recent study led by Carrie Cuttler, a Washington State University assistant professor of psychology.
Protesters gather at the Seattle Police Department’s West Precinct after marching from the police-free zone known as the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) on June 15, 2020 in Seattle, Wash. USA
How the War on Drugs Enables Police Brutality Against Black People
The authorities have used drugs as a pretext and justification for ultra-violence against Black people for over a century.
Racism and Policing Are Global Problems. Drug Control is a Vehicle.
Criminalization that never should have been: Cannabis
In short, the prohibition and criminalization of cannabis were, and still is, a racially motivated public policy response to personal behavior that is, at worst, a public health matter. But this should have never been a pretext for expanding police powers to search, incarcerate and arrest millions of American citizens.
How Police Unions Became Such Powerful Opponents to Reform Efforts
Over the past five years, as demands for reform have mounted in the aftermath of police violence in cities like Ferguson, Baltimore and now Minneapolis, police unions have emerged as one of the most significant roadblocks to change.
How We Got Here: A 10-Year Look Back at Cannabis Reform in USA
This special three-part series reflects on legislative, financial and regulatory developments that have altered state-legal cannabis programs during the past decade.
CULTURE
Say My Name: On Speaking the Indigenous Names of Plants
Banda, Yarra, Gulgadya, Wargaldarra. These are some of the names the First Nations people of the Sydney area gave to the plants behind my house. Within these words is a world, a way of seeing vastly different to the one I’ve inherited. A way that has grown from the land itself.
William Shatner says he uses ‘magical’ cannabinoids to treat aches and pains
The 89-year-old actor said that he has been taking cannabis extracts to help manage pain and swelling in his joints. Speaking to the PA news agency, the Star Trek star said: “I’ve got some aches and pains I didn’t have a few years ago. But, I’m finding out there are many things that help aches and pains that we didn’t know about just a few years ago.” He continued: “Well, THC and CBD, and that kind of thing. It’s magical. I’ve had swollen joints where it hurts, you rub some on and while you’re rubbing it on, the pain disappears. It’s magical.”
Four summer recipes to bring cannabis to the dinner table
The newly formed Culinary Cannabis Association promotes safe, legal enjoyment of infused foods. As well, the CCA offers a certification program to teach foodies and weed enthusiasts everything they need to know about using cannabis as an ingredient.
BUSINESS & INDUSTRY
Science Reveals The Cannabis Industry’s Greatest Lie: You’re Buying Weed Wrong (And So Is Everyone Else)
THC shopping is almost as bad and dumb as buying wine based on how cool the label looks (which is also how some people buy weed). Not only does THC content have nothing to do with how “good” the weed is, as recent research conducted by the University of Colorado and published in JAMA Psychiatry found, THC content is also a poor indicator of potency. High-THC weed doesn’t even get you “more high”!
Capturing the Market – Lessons from Canada’s legal cannabis market
On 9th June, 2020 Transform and México Unido Contra la Delincuencia (MUCD) hosted a webinar on cannabis regulation in Canada, the second in a two-part series from Transform on lessons from cannabis regulation. This webinar coincides with the launch of Transform & MUCD’s new report, ‘Capturing the Market: Cannabis regulation in Canada’.
What is behind the impressive market growth of CBD?
Of the two components, THC creates the euphoric effects that marijuana is famous for and for which it has been classified as a narcotic in the past while CBD on the other hand has many medicinal benefits without the psychedelic side effects. In fact, this may be the main reason behind the impressive growth of CBD in recent years.
Cannabis Sales Continue to Soar Through The Pandemic
Every day, people across the United States demonstrate how legal cannabis could save the nation’s economy from the virus-caused downtown. They do so by buying record amounts of weed. Almost all legal cannabis states made medical and adult-use dispensaries essential businesses that could stay open as lockdowns began. The lone exception, Massachusetts, has since changed course.
Hemp entrepreneurs set sights globally in new push for collaboration
Europe’s dominant hemp industry association unveiled plans this week to form an international hemp association that could advocate for the industry before global authorities such as the World Health Organization and United Nations.
An online business directory and marketplace for the Australian cannabis and hemp industry
EVENTS
HEMP Party Protest in Eden-Monaro by-election
The Help End Marijuana Prohibition (HEMP) Party will provide a protest vote for Cannabis law reform at the Eden-Monaro by-election on Saturday 4 July 2020.
Australian Ethnobotanical and Psychedelic Community Video Call Out
Entheogenesis Australis invites the Australian ethnobotanical and psychedelic community to contribute original video content to our livestream on Sunday 28th June. Click here for more details.
Hemp, Health & Innovation Expo [Sydney]
Drug Policy Public Discussion Forum [Sydney] Postponed until October!
Australian Medicinal Cannabis Conference 2020 [Melbourne]
Garden States – Cultivating Plant Knowledge [Melbourne]
Saturday 6 December 2020 at 9:00am
Springvale City Hall, 397 – 405 Springvale Rd, Springvale VIC 3171
FUNDRAISERS/CAMPAIGNS/PETITIONS/SURVEYS
Legalise Cannabis Queensland launched!
To combat the decades-long discrimination against cannabis users, activists from the MCUA and HEMP have joined to form Legalise Cannabis Queensland to support candidates campaigning to legalise cannabis in the approaching 2020 elections. The war on drugs is unsustainable and counter-productive. Help legalise cannabis in Queensland in 2020.
2020 Cannabis Awards are here!
After an incredible first year (and an overwhelming amount of support) we’re super proud to announce that nominations for the 2020 Cannabis Industry Awards are now open! Make a nomination. Here is a link to 2019 winners.
Help Entheogenesis Australis [EGA] fundraise for a new website
We have launched a new crowdfunding campaign to fund the development of a new online platform for EGA. We have outgrown our old website from 2016 and need to replace our interim holding page with two new websites – a main EGA site and a separate site for EGA conferences.