Embassy HEADLINES Issue 423
TOP STORIES
In USA nationwide sales of adult-use cannabis further eclipse those of medical marijuana
While the United States has three times as many state medical marijuana markets than adult-use programs, recreational sales are expected to be roughly 30% or more above MMJ in 2020. Legal adult-use sales in the U.S. likely will top $10 billion this year, while medical sales are expected to bring in $5.8 billion-$7.1 billion, according to estimates from the eighth edition of the Marijuana Business Factbook, available now.
Global survey of cannabis cultivators
We are a group of researchers interested in better understanding domestic cannabis cultivation, especially by small-scale growers. We want to better understand who grows cannabis, reasons for growing, methods of growing, and experience with the criminal justice system – and how these factors differ across national borders.
Michael Balderstone’s Submission to Victoria’s Cannabis Inquiry
Primarily, drug use is simply all about people trying to feel good, relax, have less pain or worry, enjoy their day. It’s important to learn about the history of prohibition and how it was introduced.
AUSTRALIA/NZ
NZ Cannabis referendum too close to call – poll
The same poll – commissioned by medicinal cannabis company Helius Therapeutics and conducted by Horizon Research – found the race is neck-and-neck, with 49.5 percent for and 49.5 percent against.
Interview with Helen Clark: UK Kiwis, Enrol and Vote Yes to the Cannabis Bill
There are an estimated 60,000 New Zealanders based in the United Kingdom at this moment in time. The Oceanic nation has a once in a generation opportunity to open up the door to drug policy reform by voting yes in the upcoming cannabis referendum, due to take place on October 17th.
New Zealand company develops world’s first hemp-based fake meat
While us Australian’s are busy worrying about the scheduling of CBD oil, a food manufacturer in New Zealand has developed the world’s first fake meat made of hemp.
Medibis unveil plans for $180 million medical cannabis facility
Australia’s cannabis capital is about to be the home of yet another medical cannabis facility, as Medibis announce plans to built a $180 million facility in Toowoomba, Queensland.
NORTH AMERICA
Canadian police crackdown on contraband cannabis
In February, a report released by the Canadian Government revealed that 40% of Canadian cannabis users were still getting their cannabis on the black market.
Manitoba man challenging provincial ban on homegrown cannabis
Under federal law, residents can legally grow up to four cannabis plants, but Manitoba’s laws ban home cultivation, and only allow people to buy cannabis at licensed stores. With home cultivation banned, Manitobans are losing out on a cheaper way to enjoy cannabis. One cannabis retailer said home-grown pot isn’t a threat to business.
Canada hasn’t imported any commercial medical cannabis, new data shows
Canada has imported a relatively small amount of cannabis since late 2018, and none for sale commercially. The data offers additional ammunition to critics who charge Canada has in effect imposed a ban on commercial imports of medical cannabis.
Louisiana Will Expand Its Medical Marijuana Market
The most impactful is a new law that allows physicians to prescribe cannabis for any patient, not just those with a handful of specific medical conditions. The law states that physicians can prescribe medical marijuana for “any condition” that is “debilitating to an individual patient.”
Nebraska Gov. Claims There’s ‘No Such Thing As Medical Marijuana’
Ricketts has spoken out against medical cannabis on multiple occasions and claimed that in legalized states, people “show up to work stoned” and cause a greater number of accidents.
California Wildfires Continue to Ravage State Agriculture, Including Cannabis Farms
Since mid-August, wildfires have burned through more than 1 million acres of California land. It’s another echo of a recurring environmental catastrophe in a state that more than 5,000 licensed cannabis growers call home.
California bill to allow hemp CBD-infused products fails
A California proposal to allow hemp extracts in food and beverages has again failed amid broad disagreement on how to allow cannabinoids outside licensed marijuana retailers.
WORLD
Mexican Senator Decorates Desk With Marijuana Plant As Legalization Bill Is Poised To Advance
Indonesia Takes Away “Medical Plant” Designation for Cannabis
Indonesia made a splash when a decree from earlier this year declaring cannabis a “medical plant” in the eyes of the government officially got on the public’s radar. Now, the Agricultural Ministry in Indonesia is revising this decree, as cannabis is still illegal in Indonesia with no legalization in sight.
Malta Runs Out of Cannabis, Patients Furious
The nation of Malta has run out of cannabis – both medical and unregulated – leaving the country’s estimated 40,000 cannabis users with no options, Lovin Malta reports. This is the second medical cannabis shortage in Malta since 2018 – but two years ago the country didn’t face a shortage of illicit products.
Brazilian cannabis advocates, critics attend virtual hearing on draft cultivation law
South America’s largest economy took another step toward legalizaing cannabis cultivation on Tuesday when parents, clergy members, physicians, growers and regulators logged online to attend a public hearing on a draft law that would legalize the cultivation of cannabis in Brazil.
German hemp wholesaler sues city of Düsseldorf over CBD sales ban
Hempro International, a producer and wholesaler of hemp-derived food, clothing, accessories and cosmetics in western Germany, has filed suit against the city of Düsseldorf for its ban on the sale of hemp-derived CBD food products.
France introduces €200 spot fine for drug use from today
The new law states that from September 1, instead of being taken into police custody, people aged 18 or over found to be using cannabis or cocaine will be given an on the spot fine of €200.
Iran Still Hands Out Death Sentences for Cannabis
With a range that goes from practically decriminalized recreational cannabis to death sentences for selling large amounts, Iran runs the gamut when it comes to cannabis toleration, and exemplifies the issue of religious law vs penal law.
The Great Dutch Cannabis Experiment Morphs On
The government is now moving forward with an experiment with ten municipalities to create a regulated seed to sale market for Dutch recreationally consumed cannabis. That the biggest cities are still sitting this one out is a sign that there is clear political clash on the horizon between competing municipalities if not regulations and laws.
In Poland, hemp production growing fast despite legal ambiguity, uneven enforcement
Polish farmers nearly doubled the area they cultivated for hemp last year, and the country has developed a reputation as a European hub for CBD processing due to the growth of small extraction operations.
SCIENCE & TECH
The Effect of Prohibition on Cannabis Research in the UK
In 2019, Drug Science announced in 2019 that they would be launching the largest medical cannabis patient registry in Europe. The registry, Project Twenty 2021 is now live in the UK with an aim to recruit up to 20,000 patients by the end of 2021.
New study finds older adults using cannabis at higher rates than ever before
According to a report from NBC news, baby boomers in the United States, especially men, have seen their cannabis use rise in the past few years.
Maryland University of Integrative Health Launches Cannabis Science Program
The 15-credit certificate program is approved by the Maryland Higher Education Commission and will focus on the plant’s holistic uses.
5 Cannabis Harvest Tips for a Successful Outdoor Season
Harvest is the most exciting and also the most stressful time of the entire outdoor grow cycle. Here are some of the most important things to do before harvest to ensure success and avoid common mistakes.
HEALTH
Follow the Money: Why Marijuana Research Tells Us the Same Old Story
Scientific research enriches minds but drains wallets. In the US and globally, public and private funders have directed more money to cannabis research in recent decades—but the research that gets funded is primarily focused on marijuana’s potential to harm, rather than heal.
4 CBD-Centric Books for Your Alternative Reading List
Doing research and learning more about how to incorporate CBD into your lifestyle can be helpful, especially if you’re struggling with health problems and looking for an alternative to prescription medication. If you’re feeling like you need to brush up on your CBD knowledge or learn about it for the first time, these books will set you in the right direction. These reads might also be a good resource for someone in your life who could use some schooling on how you’re choosing to treat your condition and why.
Choose Cannabis for Wellness, Not Intoxication
An excerpt from “The Cannabis Manifesto,” published by North Atlantic Books.
Anthocyanins in Cannabis – Purple Pot With Enormous Therapeutic Potential
Aside from cold temperatures, the real reason cannabis ends up being purple is because of a class of pigmented flavonoids known as Anthocyanins. These compounds are responsible for the fruity/berry flavor profiles and those beautiful purple, blue, and magenta tones we often see in top-shelf flower.
Marijuana and pregnancy: There’s no evidence that exposure is safe
The associations between prenatal cannabis use and learning are not yet fully understood. However, it is clear that infants exposed to cannabis in utero are at higher risk of pre-term birth and being small for gestational age.
Free distribution of cannabis as harm reduction service
SOLID, an organization of people with lived experience of substance use, is seeking a three-year temporary use permit that would allow them to distribute cannabis, in addition to the other harm reduction services offered, for a pilot overdose prevention project, in consultation with the University of Victoria’s Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research.
Study Shows Cannabis Could Help Reduce Diabetes Risk in Hepatitis C Patients
A recent study looked at how cannabis can help those previously diagnosed with hepatitis C avoid risk of diabetes. It revealed that those who use cannabis are less likely to develop diabetes as a result of the hepatitis C.
This new compound in CBD products can help with sleep, anxiety, and focus
Approximately 40 million American adults suffer from anxiety. CBD can help tremendously, as well as with sleep issues and burnout, but did you know that some CBD products also contain an amino acid called L-theanine, which is primarily found in green and black teas?
POLITICS & LAW
Cannabis retailers ask RCMP to enforce illicit market activity on Weedmaps
Several prominent Canadian cannabis retailers are asking the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to take a hard look into Weedmaps to stamp out illicit marijuana operators on the popular online platform.
U.S. Hemp industry struggles with federal regulations
Hemp — and the CBD products that can be made from it — may have been legalized by the 2018 federal farm bill, but members of the nascent industry say new federal rules make it almost impossible to make hemp products without breaking the law. An alphabet soup of federal and state agencies oversees the growth, processing and distribution of hemp and its byproducts.
What’s on Your Cannabis? The Differing Regulations When It Comes to Pesticides
Though organic for cannabis might not be the trend right now, I have no doubt that as the legal systems grow and expand, lower quality, higher chemical-laden cannabis will exist, but so will a top shelf organic option, which will likely be much more expensive, but offer one of the only ways to know what’s been sprayed (or hasn’t been sprayed) on your cannabis flowers.
The unintended consequences of marijuana decriminalization
Crime data show that even in the most permissive legal environments, minority youth continue to be disproportionately arrested and convicted on marijuana charges. Arrest data show that in Colorado, legalizing recreational use for anyone 21 and over caused a significant increase in the arrest rates of African Americans and Hispanics under that legal age limit. At the same time, arrests for underage whites decreased.
USA: Historic House vote to legalize marijuana expected this month
According to statements from leading Democrats, the House will vote on the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act around Sept. 21—the strongest step toward federal legalization ever taken by Congress.
CULTURE & HISTORY
High Tea: How To Start Sipping Cannabis
We’ll go over some best practices for how to infuse cannabis into your tea as naturally as bergamot into a cup of Earl Grey. While we can’t read your tea leaves for you, we do know that there are some floral, budsy and delicious drinks in your immediate future.
President Carter Talks About His Son Smoking Marijuana At The White House With Willie Nelson
In a trailer released last week, Carter is shown talking about his relationship with the music industry—including his friendship with artists like Nelson and Bob Dylan. At one point, he mentions how Nelson, a cannabis culture icon, disclosed in a biography that he smoked marijuana during a trip to the White House.
BUSINESS & INDUSTRY
StatsCan: Legal pot spending beat black market for first time in Q2
Canadian household spending on legal cannabis in the second quarter of the year outpaced the illicit market for the first time, marking a significant milestone for the licensed pot industry.
The Critical Importance Of Social Equity In The Cannabis Industry
Social equity deals with justice and fairness within social policy. These programs attempt to ensure that people of color, and those with marijuana offenses prior to legalization, be afforded an opportunity to participate, meaningfully, in this burgeoning industry.
With more than 420+ cannabis companies across 50+ categories, The Green List helps hemp and cannabis companies to promote their products, services, and events online.
EVENTS
What are the trends in cannabis clinical research? [online]
Thursday, 3 September 2020 7:00 pm AEST: Join one of Israel’s lead Government scientist as she discusses trends in Israel’s cannabis research field.
Top international industry trends: A deep dive into the key cannabis markets [online]
Thursday, 17 September 2020 11:00 am AEST: Join me as a speak with Matt Lamers about the key markets across the globe. Matt is one of the most informed cannabis experts on the plan. Matt’s territories cover North and South America, Asia Pacific, Europe and Africa.
Five key policy insights (New Zealand) – A Conversation with Tara Creaven-Capasso [Online]
Wednesday, 23 September 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.
Drug Policy Public Discussion Forum [Sydney]
Hemp, Health & Innovation Expo Postponed until 2021!
Garden States – Cultivating Plant Knowledge Postponed until 2021!
FUNDRAISERS/CAMPAIGNS/PETITIONS/SURVEYS
Nimbin Hemp Embassy’s New Online Store
New Parliamentary Friends of Medicinal Cannabis Group
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!