Embassy HEADLINES Issue 416
AUSTRALIA/NZ
Medical cannabis education gets a boost as leading advocacy group and doctor implement Senate recommendations despite government inactivity
The recent Senate recommendations to substantially increase medical cannabis education for health professionals have scarcely even been acknowledged by the Government, let alone actioned. That hasn’t stopped the Director of United in Compassion (UIC) and leading patient advocate Lucy Haslam and Dr Caldicott from doing what is right by launching the Australian Medicinal Cannabis Course Online.
Medical Cannabis Now Available Online
In an Australian first, medical cannabis prescriptions will now be on-line and on-demand, as the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has just approved Australia’s first medical-cannabis app.
Current Clinical Trials of Medicinal Cannabis in Australia
There are a number of active clinical trials happening around Australia that are looking for patients and doctors to participate. Here is a list of the current studies that are ongoing or about to launch in Australia.
More Australians back legalising cannabis and 57% support pill testing, national survey shows
The 2019 National Drug Strategy Household Survey also shows Australians are drinking and smoking less, but some illicit drug use is on the rise.
NSW Police Seize $100.5 Million of Cannabis in the First Half of 2020
Despite the rest of the world rationally discussing legalising recreational cannabis, our very own NSW government is still taking a hard stance – pouring resources into busting illegal cannabis cultivators.
Minimum pricing and potency caps should be part of New Zealand cannabis rules
Citizens to vote this September whether or not to legalize adult-use weed.
What might happen if you vote…
An excellent summary from New Zealand’s Chief Science Advisor.
Voices from the Real World – Medical Cannabis Testimonials
As the struggle over medical cannabis intensifies and patients find themselves increasingly on the periphery of a debate in which their role should be central, we reproduce – with thanks – a selection of anonymous testimonials from individuals using cannabis medicines throughout Australia between late 2015 and 2020. The collection continues to grow . . . Got any true life mediweed stories of your own? If you’d like to include your personal experience among these important voices, please email [email protected] We’d love to hear from you!
NORTH AMERICA
Photo Tour: 4 Exceptional Cannabis Farms in the USA
Now, with the burgeoning cannabis movement having already attained a significant number of victories at the state level and more on the way, many of us have a choice in the matter of which cannabis we consume.
Traditional cannabis extracts are available in Canada
Traditional extracts, by historical definition include kief and hashish, are also accessible in the legal Canadian cannabis market – these products date to the medieval era and much earlier and don’t require cartridges, vape pens, batteries or specialized water pipes.
Hawaii Legislature Approves Bill Allowing the Sale of Cannabis Edibles
The legislation would also allow publicity for educational and scientific events, as well as the remediation of cannabis flower in certain instances, the news outlet reported.
California cannabis industry strives for geographic branding, just like wine
California’s legal cannabis industry, not yet 4 years old, yearns for the same system of tying plants to the soil perfected by the French over centuries and a key to the marketing success of the state’s premium wine grape growers.
Illinois, Wisconsin universities team up to test different hemp varieties with farmers’ help
The University of Illinois and the University of Wisconsin are recruiting Midwestern farmers to plant and test different varieties of hemp this year in exchange for discounted cannabinoid sampling.
Illinois Using $31M in Cannabis Taxes for Social Program Grants
Illinois is using $31 million from cannabis-derived taxes for its Restore, Reinvest and Renew Program, a grant program aimed at small businesses and non-profits in disadvantaged communities, the Quad-City Times reports. The state’s recreational cannabis law sets aside 25 percent of net tax revenues for reinvestment into communities most harmed by the drug war.
WORLD
French startup plans to make energy from hemp biomass
A French startup says it will soon go into trials using hemp biomass to produce energy, with plans to go into full production in 2022. Qairos Energies, based in northwestern France, said it will turn out hydrogen that will be converted into electricity for fuel cells to power buses and trains.
Mexico’s Cannabis Legalization Languishes as Narco-Wars Escalate
The country’s promised cannabis legalization is stalled by a paralyzed Congress.
Bahamas: Draft Bill On Marijuana Expected ‘In Short Order’
Speaking on the matter last week, head of the Ethiopia Africa Black International Congress (EABIC) Bahamas branch Priest Rithmond McKinney told The Tribune that the drug, if legalised, could help improve the high unemployment rate in the country, which now stands between 30 percent to 40 percent.
HEALTH & SCIENCE
Terpenes with Power: What Can Limonene-Rich Flowers Do for You?
One of the main points of interest with limonene is its potential as an anti-tumor agent.
Mind-Body Health: Cannabis & the Endocannabinoid System
A TED Talk by Elise Keller outlines the importance of cannabis and its integral role in maintaining health in both the body and mind.
A guide to growing autoflowering cannabis seeds
The concept of autoflowering strains is simple: in time, they will automatically flower as opposed to waiting for a specifically timed light cycle. In other words, the plants begin to flower all on their own after a relatively short vegetative period of 2-4 weeks.
Medical Marijuana Platform Offering Scholarships For Cannabis Research
A medical marijuana telemedicine service is supporting students in need.
Absorb All Your Cannabis: Innovator of the Year Explains
How quickly does your cannabis take effect? Is it the same every time? How much of what you pay for is actually being absorbed by your body?
Israeli Researchers Say Microdosing Marijuana Provides Most Effective Pain Relief
Microdosing marijuana offers pain patients an alternative method to reduce symptoms without receiving the plant’s psychoactive components, a new Israeli study found. Microdosing THC could represent a new relief for patients who don’t like or aren’t suited for the traditional “high” associated with cannabis.
Does cannabis really affect memory? Here’s what research currently says
Cannabis use has long been associated with memory loss. But until now, this notion was largely anecdotal. As researchers begin to look into cannabis and the effect that it has on human health, they’re beginning to better understand the effect it has on the human brain – and whether cannabis really does impair memory.
POLITICS & LAW
Police chiefs call for decriminalization of personal drug use
Canada’s police chiefs are calling for decriminalization of personal possession of illicit drugs as the best way to battle substance abuse and addiction.
The Marijuana Superweapon Biden Refuses to Use
Legalizing marijuana is extremely popular. So why won’t Joe Biden embrace the idea?
Cannabis taxes fund the police. Here’s how to change that
At a time of growing civil unrest over abusive policing, there’s now a growing debate over how much—if any—of the revenue generated by legal cannabis should go to the police.
Large Majorities Favor Police Reforms in Congressional Bills
When a representative sample of American voters were given a detailed presentation of ten police reform proposals in current Congressional bills, large majorities favored all of them.
Disabled Veteran Sentenced to Prison Time in Alabama for Legally-Obtained Cannabis
At a time when America is trying to right its wrongs when it comes to the treatment of people of color and the war on drugs over the past few centuries, a Black, disabled veteran is still being held in prison on minor cannabis charges.
BUSINESS & INDUSTRY
Why Investing in Delta-8 THC is a Smart Business Move
You will first need to understand: What is Delta-8 and what is its legal status in the United States?
Jane Fonda’s First Campaign With Uncle Bud’s Launches for National Hemp Month
Photo by John Russo
Mike Tyson Will Print (Yes, Print) Cannabis Beverages
But what does this even mean? How can you print a cannabis product? And even more so, how can you print a beverage?
An online business directory and marketplace for the Australian cannabis and hemp industry
EVENTS
Australian Medical Cannabis Research FREE Webinar [Online]
Medical Cannabis Live Series – Rhys Cohen & Adam Isaac Miller [Online]
Thursday, July 30, 2020 2:00 pm AEST: Five industry trends you need to know – with Rhys Cohen.
What is the next major cannabinoid? – with Prof. David Meiri, PhD [Online]
Thursday, 6 August 2020 7:30 pm AEST: Join one of Israel’s top professors, discussing his research on precision cannabinoid medicine.
Drug Policy Public Discussion Forum [Sydney]
Australian Medicinal Cannabis Conference 2020 [Melbourne]
Hemp, Health & Innovation Expo Postponed until 2021!
Garden States – Cultivating Plant Knowledge Postponed until 2021!
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.