Embassy HEADLINES Issue 418
AUSTRALIA/NZ
MP Fiona Pattern Calls For Changes To Regressive Drug-Driving Laws
A Victorian minister has called for changes to their regressive drug-driving laws this week, as the number of Australians with medical cannabis prescriptions rises to 50,000.
Land Transport (Drug Driving) Amendment Bill proposes random roadside drug testing in New Zealand
Under the new law, officers will be able to saliva-test drivers for commonly used drugs such as cannabis, methamphetamine, cocaine, ecstasy, opiates and benzodiazepines. Proposed penalties include on-the-spot fines, licence suspension and demerit points – or harsher penalties.
Hemp seed exporters to benefit from reduced red tape
The first successful export of Australian hemp seed to New Zealand has been completed under amended legislation designed to remove cumbersome regulatory barriers for the industry.
Nimbin Hemp Embassy ONLINE shop! Fundraising for Cannabis Law Reform!
NORTH AMERICA
Nearly Seven-In-Ten New Jersey Voters Support Marijuana Legalization Ballot Measure, Poll Finds
The survey shows that 68 percent of respondents back the policy change.
New Mexico medical marijuana industry booming during pandemic
The industry says the effects of COVID have dramatically increased demand and they’re trying to keep up.
Marijuana prices down, demand surging across Michigan
With recreational marijuana introduced locally, the industry is becoming more of an influence in the state’s economy reports WOOD-TV 8. The state’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency shows that prices are falling, while sales are on the rise.
Maryland Judge: Cops Can’t Search You Because They Smell Weed
Merely claiming to smell cannabis on a suspect is no longer enough for Maryland police to make an arrest and conduct a warrantless search, a state appeals court has ruled. Advocates for drug policy reform and racial justice see the opinion as a major win for the movements to end the war on drug users and to defend Black lives.
We ranked Canada’s cannabis-friendly provinces from worst to best
The GrowthOp crunches the data on price, consumption habits, retail, public consumption options and the rules on growing at home to rank a single weed-loving province #1.
Record Canadian cannabis sales in May imply CA$2.2B annualized market
Retail sales of regulated cannabis ascended to a new high in Canada in May, growing nearly 4.2% from April. But a quarter of all sales occurred in only one province, Alberta – the result of retail-store imbalances across the country.
WORLD
First woman in Scotland prescribed cannabis legally after years of chronic pain
The mum-of-five suffers from health conditions which cause her to experience paralysis and muscle spasms, and she was routinely being prescribed morphine which knocked her out and left her bedridden.
The EU May Designate CBD Foods As Narcotics (Yes, You Read that Right)
In mid-July 2020, it was reported (see here and here) that the EU was halting novel food applications for foods containing CBD and is apparently considering designating such CBD-bearing foods as narcotics. And here we were thinking that the United States’ policy on CBD in foods was bizarre.
Slovenian Loophole Allows Residents to Grow Their Own Medicinal Cannabis
Some European countries are getting rather open with their cannabis policies, some European countries are not. Slovenia fits more into the latter, albeit with some interesting laws that’ll make you scratch your head, and some definite possibility for changing laws in the near future.
Legal for a Day – The Mahashivaratri Festival and Nepal’s Changing Cannabis Laws
From a cannabis heaven in the 60’s and 70’s to a restricted country after caving to international pressure, Nepal has some interesting cannabis laws, and might be looking at some substantial updates toward legalization in the near future.
Three years in, Uruguay’s recreational cannabis market ‘tangible’ success
Three years after Uruguay became the first country in the world to start sales of legal, commercially produced adult-use cannabis, the former head of the country’s national drug agency has deemed the move a “tangible” success.
Danish medicinal cannabis program continues to struggle in early 2020
In the first quarter of 2020, the number of unique patients receiving a prescription for products included in the pilot scheme was 341, slightly higher than the 333 reported in the previous quarter.
NHS England to Explore Manufacturing Medical Cannabis Product
The UK’s National Health Service [NHS] is exploring the possibility of manufacturing medical cannabis products for clinical trials of children who suffer from severe epilepsy.
HEALTH & SCIENCE
UC Riverside research team fuels the hemp revolution
A new hemp pulping method that converts 100% of the plant to useful components moves toward commercialization.
Is there a Cannabis Grading System?
Making a purchase is one thing; purchasing good quality is another. Is there a way to tell the difference?
Tests show potential for medicinal cannabis to kill cancer cells
Laboratory tests conducted at the University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute have shown that a modified form of medicinal cannabis can kill or inhibit cancer cells without impacting normal cells, revealing its potential as a treatment rather than simply a relief medication.
A doctor and chronic pain sufferer discusses the benefits of cannabis
“Having suffered in pain for so long, I know what it feels like to say to your doctor, ‘I’ve tried everything, and nothing has helped.’”
Breaking the Monumental Myths Of Medical Cannabis
While evidence-based research continues to support the use of medical cannabis for over 200+ hard-to-beat diseases and conditions, several myths and misconceptions remain and occasionally gain traction in the media and throughout the general public.
POLITICS & LAW
Cannabis Dispensaries Raise Funds and Awareness for Criminal Justice Reform
How cannabis companies, and their consumers, are supporting Last Prisoner Project’s efforts to advocate for the release of inmates with non-violent cannabis convictions.
Democrats Decline To Include Cannabis Legalization In Party Platform
The Democratic National Committee seems to favor decriminalization over legalization.
Grey Market and Black Market in the World of Cannabis
Legal cannabis markets don’t look much like the black-market setup, and they certainly seem to cost more, but they offer specification in products, and enhanced forms of otherwise scarcely-found cannabinoids, and if safety regulations ever really get firmed up, a way to control for pesticides and other bad substances.
Veteran Faces 5 Years in Prison for Medical Marijuana
In Alabama, a Black disabled vet was sentenced to five years for cannabis that he uses medicinally in a legal state.
CULTURE
Shepard Fairey’s 76-acre cannabis crop art will blow your mind
Late last year, Fairey, who’s best known for his iconic 2008 Obama “HOPE” poster, collaborated on Charlotte’s Web’s Trust the Earth campaign. They decided to craft a visual statement using a wheat field in the farm town of McPherson, Kansas.
Archaeologists Discover Ancient Society That Smoked Weed to Get High 2,500 Years Ago
A research team consisting of archaeologists and chemists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing discovered significant traces of THC at the Jirzankal Cemetery, an ancient burial ground located in the darkest regions of the Pamir mountains in western China.
When, Why & How to Take a Tolerance Break
If you’ve been feeling like you may not be getting as high as you used to lately, you just might be right.
BUSINESS & INDUSTRY
Tough fiber: Hemp making (slow) inroads into the textile market
Currently, 100% hemp textiles cannot be made in the United States because of a lack of equipment.
An online business directory and marketplace for the Australian cannabis and hemp industry
EVENTS
Medical Cannabis – Patient Stories [Online]
Wednesday, Aug 12, 2020 07:00 PM AEST: Join us as we hear patient accounts of their experience with medicinal cannabis for a range of different conditions.
Medical Cannabis Cultivation Webinar [Online]
Wednesday, Sep 2, 2020 07:00 PM AEST: Join us as we speak to Australian cultivators growing medicinal cannabis. We will discuss strains, lighting, fertiliser and exactly what it takes to grow a medical crop.
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.
5 NZ policy insights you need to know with Tara Creaven-Capasso [Online]
Wednesday, 12 August 2020 2:00 pm AEST: Join one of New Zealand’s top regulatory advisors, sharing their insights on New Zealand’s newly formed cannabis regulations.
3 Important Patient Treatment Statistics [online]
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!
2020 Cannabis Awards are here!
Help Entheogenesis Australis [EGA] fundraise for a new website
Make a submission: Inquiry into the use of Cannabis in Victoria
Petition: Help Stop Suicides – Legalise Cannabis Now
Story Lab: It’s time for a new conversation about drugs in Australia.
Queensland’s prison crisis: Some modest proposals
Australian Senate committee issues report on medical cannabis barriers
117 Public Submissions for Senate Inquiry
Scott Morrison (ScoMo): Legalise Recreational Cannabis
HELP GROW OUR CANNABIS CAMPAIGN
Next stop Canberra – we’re taking the fight to Parliament!
Inquiry into drug driving reform
EDUCATION
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!