Embassy HEADLINES Issue 346
AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND
Greens NSW plan to legalise, regulate and licence cannabis [News]
The Greens are set to announce a plan to legalise, regulate and licence cannabis for recreational use in NSW — which will allow you to own up to six plants and light up anywhere where it’s legal to smoke tobacco.
Cannabis referendum to cost more than $2.2m [RNZ]
A Cabinet paper shows the health and justice ministries will receive the bulk of the funding, $1.9m, to provide dedicated, expert resources. The remaining $296,000 is billed for the Electoral Commission, to carry out the binding referendum in 2020. Mr Little also noted the need to inform people to avoid confusion between the cannabis legalisation referendum and ongoing work on medicinal cannabis.
‘It will take courage’: Coroner urges summit on drug decriminalisation [The Sydney Morning Herald]
A NSW coroner has described illicit drug prohibition as futile and likely to exacerbate drug-related harm in calling for the state government to stage a drug summit in which decriminalisation should be discussed.
Don’t Kill Live Music Rally 2019 [DanceWize]
On Thursday the 21st February 2019, music lovers from across Sydney gathered in Hyde Park to strike back against proposed strict regulations on the festival industry by the NSW Government under Gladys Berejiklian. The new scheme began on March 1st, with multiple festivals announcing their closure or move interstate. Show your support for live music and art, no matter which state it’s in or what the venue is. WEB: http://dontkilllivemusic.org/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/DKLMAustralia
NORTH AMERICA
Marijuana legalization is winning the 2020 Democratic primaries [Vox]
From Cory Booker to Bernie Sanders to Elizabeth Warren, presidential candidates are rallying around legalizing pot.
Medical Marijuana Sales in Oklahoma Exceeded $7 Million in February [High Times]
February sales data show that Oklahoma’s medical marijuana program is flourishing. Despite coordinated efforts to restrict and block key provisions of the voter-approved measure, Oklahoma is crafting one of the most accessible medical cannabis programs in the region. And February’s $7.2 million in medical cannabis sales makes a compelling case that they’re succeeding.
California Lawmakers to consider nearly 60 marijuana-related bills [Marijuana Business Daily]
There are 58 bills pending before the California Legislature in 2019 that include the word “cannabis” or “marijuana,” which means the state’s industry could be in for another tumultuous year of big changes.
New Mexico Enacts Emergency Rule Raising Cannabis Plant Count to 2,500 [UltraHealth]
The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) filed an emergency rule on March 1, 2019, temporarily raising the medical cannabis plant count limit to 2,500 plants per producer. This marks the most significant collaboration between the State and the cannabis industry on behalf of New Mexico’s 70,000 patients. Continuous cooperation will determine a proper regulation that will provide an adequate supply for current and future medical cannabis patients statewide.
Guns or cannabis? Ohio patients must choose [420 Intel]
Guns or cannabis? That’s the choice facing some medical marijuana patients as the first legal cannabis dispensaries in the Cincinnati area prepare to open in the coming weeks. Federal law prohibits gun purchases or the possession of firearms by illegal drug users or addicts. Surely, that doesn’t include registered medical marijuana patients in Ohio, does it? Yup.
Ohio Medical Marijuana Patients Claim Lack of Access is Leading to More Arrests [High Times]
Due to a lack of access, some medical marijuana patients in Ohio are crossing state borders to get their medication.
West Virginia approves banking fix to medical marijuana law [Marijuana Business Daily]
The West Virginia Senate has passed a bill addressing banking services for the state’s medical cannabis program, removing an obstacle that had slowed the MMJ industry’s rollout in the state.
New Jersey Governor Includes Legal Marijuana Revenue In Budget Proposal [Marijuana Moment]
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) reiterated his commitment to legalizing marijuana during his budget address on Tuesday. But he said he’d only sign legislation to end cannabis prohibition if it included provisions to expunge records for prior convictions.
Ontario could be a cannabis tourism hotspot, market researcher suggests [CBC]
Untapped opportunities in the tourism sector could make Ontario a pot destination, conference hears.
BUSINESS & POLICY
Cannabis Producer Cannbit Snags THC Research Pioneer Raphael Mechoulam [CTech]
Mechoulam, a professor of medicinal chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, was the first person to identify the main psychoactive constituent in cannabis, THC. Mechoulam is also the subject of a 2015 documentary titled The Scientist.
Legal Marijuana Industry Employs Over 200,000 Full-Time Workers [Weed News]
The USA state-licensed cannabis industry gained over 64,000 new employees in 2018, and now employs over 200,000 full-time workers, according to data compiled by Whitney Economics and the online content provider Leafly.com.
Weed Packaging Rules Are Wasteful Overkill [Vice]
On both sides of the [Canadian/US] border, the regulations around keeping cannabis away from kids means excessive packaging that can take a toll on both profits and the environment.
Rise in medical cannabis trade marks in Australia [Dentons]
Legalising access to medical cannabis has had a flow on effect on the Australian Trade Marks Register with now 240 pending and registered trade marks claiming the term ‘cannabis.’ In Australia, traders have secured trade mark registrations containing the words cannabis, hemp and cannabis leaf devices.
Colorado lawmakers taking second crack at bill that would allow publicly traded marijuana companies [The Denver Post]
A bill that opens the door for out-of-state investors and private equity firms to wade into Colorado’s heavily regulated marijuana business waters passed its first lawmaking hurdle Monday.
Landmark Bipartisan Marijuana Reform [Weed News]
The Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2019 would remove marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances list and allow states the freedom to regulate marijuana as they choose, without federal interference.
What Trump said in private conversations about cannabis revealed [MSN]
During his conversation with the president, Gardner cautioned that states like Colorado would be put in jeopardy if the Justice Department followed through on Sessions’ threats. But Trump said, “we’re not going to do that, it doesn’t mean anything.”
Health Canada looking into 2 pot firms’ sponsorship of children’s charity event [CBC]
Promoting cannabis and displaying brands in sponsorships are prohibited.
How Blockchain Can End Cannabis Looping And Smurfing Schemes [Forbes]
Smurfing isn’t really all that creative, a customer simply purchases the maximum daily allowable marijuana products (one ounce of flower in Colorado, for example) in one dispensary, then heads on over to another and buys more. Looping is even easier and doesn’t necessarily require driving. Simply purchase the maximum allowed amount of product, depart the store, return, and make another transaction (sometimes with a different budtender).
HEALTH & SCIENCE
This ER doctor is about to launch the first marijuana breathalyzer, and it could completely upend how we do drug testing [Business Insider]
There is currently no clearly-defined legal limit for driving after using marijuana and the science on cannabis use and driving remains in its early stages. In addition, the company has not published any of its clinical trials, although it said one is currently awaiting publication. Finally, it remains to be seen how Hound Labs’ device will impact marijuana policing, which research suggests has been influenced by racism.
Study reveals the structure of the 2nd human cannabinoid receptor [EurekAlert!]
A Chinese research team joined forces with Russian and U.S. biologists to obtain the crystal structure of the human type 2 cannabinoid receptor. Their findings will help develop drugs against inflammatory, neurodegenerative, and other diseases. The authors of the paper in Cell compare the newly discovered structure to that of the type 1 cannabinoid receptor, deeming the two receptors to be the “yin and yang” of the human endocannabinoid system.
What Current Research Tells Us About Cannabis and Autism Spectrum Disorder [WeedMaps]
As of 2019, 14 states allow medical marijuana as a prescription treatment for severe ASD, according to the Autism Support Network.
CBD Oil for Depression, Schizophrenia, ADHD, PTSD, Anxiety, Bipolar & More [Psych Central]
How effective is CBD oil in the treatment of mental disorder symptoms?
So You Have Some Questions About CBD [The New Yorker]
CBD, or cannabidiol, is one of many cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. It can be extracted and turned into oils, gummies, and a multibillion-dollar industry.
Why CBD Water Is Not Really A Thing And May Even Be Dangerous [Forbes]
CBD water is a perfect example of capitalism at its phoniest. While plenty of companies are looking to cash in by claiming their products contain beneficial CBD, CBD water is the easiest example of how a fool and his money are soon parted.
FUNDRAISERS/CAMPAIGNS/PETITIONS/SURVEYS
Gateway to Good Health [Weed Billboards]
The war on drugs and in particular cannabis is well past its use by date in Australia and in an effort to keep the issue on the agenda we have started a weed billboards campaign. Excited that our first billboard is up just north of Grafton in NSW.
It costs $5K for a year, and we’d like to grow weed billboards all around the country. We’d love your help to spread the weed, so there is a gofundme site where you can donate.
Please send in billboard suggestions! We’d like this campaign to support messages from various cannabis and drug law reform groups around Australia, so it would be great to pool resources to create more and more new billboards. We are open to all creative ideas, and any size donations.
We just want an end to being criminals for using one of nature’s absolute gifts.
E-Petition: Legalise cannabis for recreational use [Parliament of Victoria]
Petition: For a Referendum on Recreational Cannabis Use during 2019 NSW Election [Liberal Democrats]
Cannabis as Medicine Survey: 2018 [The University of Sydney]
Support Tony Bower’s Legal Fees [gofundme]
Just Reform It! Let’s Get Real about Drugs [The Greens]
Survey: What’s the link between cannabis use and psychotic experiences? [The University of Queensland]
EVENTS
Medicinal Cannabis Symposium [United in Compassion]
22-24 March 2019, Tweed Heads NSW
Harvest Festival & Cannabis Cup [New Zealand]
20-21 April 2019, Dunedin NZ
27th Nimbin MardiGrass [Hemp Embassy]
3-5 May 2019, Nimbin NSW
Garden States – A forum for cultivating ethnobotanical plants & knowledge [Entheogenesis Australis]
12 May 2019, Melbourne VIC
Hemp, Health & Innovation Expo & Symposium [HHI]
18-19 May 2019, Rosehill Racecourse, Rosehill, Sydney NSW
EDUCATION
‘Sex, Drugs and the Electoral Roll’: MP’s Memoir Goes On Sale [Reason]
Medicinal Cannabis & Hemp Tasmania & “the leaf” Newsletter [Facebook]
Nimbin Medican Workshops on YouTube [Hemp Embassy]
MardiGrass Hemposium 2018 Talks now Available on YouTube [Hemp Embassy]
DRUG WAR OVER! [Radio Documentary]
View five new EGA video presentations on ethnobotanical plants and psychedelics [Entheogenesis Australis]
To mark the anniversary of our special gathering and end the year on a high note, we’ve released five new videos of talks from the Psychedelic Symposium that are now available to watch online and can also be found below in this email.