5 Things to Know about Canada's Marijuana Legislation
This month, Canada finally released its much-anticipated marijuana legislation, making it the second country in the world after Uruguay to legalize marijuana for recreational usage. This is an important moment in the development of cannabis as a global industry and we are all watching Canada take on this new challenge.
At Surna, we like to stay up to date on everything cannabis-related and have been watching these developments closely. Now that legislation has been presented, we’ve put together 5 things you should know about how Canada got here and what adult-use marijuana will look like for the nation.
5. They did the Research
Canada began this process in 2001 when it legalized medical marijuana. But in 2015, now Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made adult use legalization a mainstay of his bid for office. Once he was elected, he promptly ordered a task force to investigate the industry and make recommendations for Canada’s legalization. The task force was exhaustive, surveying 30,000 people, meeting with territorial and provincial governments, interviewing experts and medical patients and investigating regulations in places like Uruguay, Colorado and Washington. After five months of research and consultation, the task force presented a 106-page report that detailed recommendations in December 2016. These recommendations focused heavily on safety and keeping legislation flexible and fluid. For the most part, recommendations have been followed in the legislation presented last week.
4. Temperance over prohibition
The first thing to understand about Canada’s legalization efforts are that they are aimed at keeping cannabis boring. After decades of dealing with black markets, Canada has come to realize that prohibition simply does not work and has focused instead on temperance, which allows marijuana to be used safely and responsibly by adults. This is in stark contrast to the glamorous American cannabis market. In states that have legalized in the US, loud and flashy packaging and innovative products are the norm, creating excitement and intrigue into the budding industry. In Canada, they intend to approach this differently. Bill Blair, former Toronto Police Chief and current advisor to Trudeau on Marijuana Policy, explains that the real goal of this legalization is to take the mystery and excitement out of the product and ensure responsible usage among adults. As of now, edibles are prohibited and there is still some question about concentrates. The intent of the legislation is to create tight restrictions now that can be relaxed later if needed. Blair explains that a temperance approach allows the country to regulate the supply and allocate law enforcement efforts towards more important goals.
3. The goal is safety first and foremost
In the US, one of the major drivers for states that have legalized cannabis has been economic. Colorado alone made $200 million in tax revenues in 2016, providing much needed funds for education. While that is impressive, Canada has a different motivation. They hope to regulate an existing illegal market with the goal of keeping it away from children and ensuring safety standards. A study in 2013 by UNICEF found that Canada leads the developed world in usage of cannabis among teens. For this reason, dispensaries will have to strictly enforce age requirements, packaging will have to be kept simple and products that could appeal to children will be prohibited. Marijuana will be marketed like cigarettes, with a heavy focus on educating consumers of the effects rather than enticing them to buy.
In addition, the regulation of the market means that consumers can ensure they’re ingesting safe products. In an illegal market, it is difficult for consumers to be sure they are not consuming pesticides or mold when consuming marijuana. With regulation, testing protocols will be mandated, ensuring only safe and healthy products are available to consumers.
2. Legislation has been introduced but nothing is legal yet
While legislation was presented to Parliament for approval last week, there is still much work to be done. Now the bill goes to Parliament for changes and, ultimately, approval. It looks promising for the bill as Trudeau’s Liberal Party controls a majority of the House of Commons and they are also supported by an even more liberal New Democratic Party.
However, there is still the very real possibility of changes to the law before it is adopted. In particular, regulations around licensing types and processes have yet to be created and must be decided before legalization. Regardless, the government intends to have legalized adult-use cannabis by July 2018 which gives them some time to finalize the details but means they will be working hard on this for the next year. This means Canadians and visitors alike should be able to consume cannabis legally in time for Canada Day (July 1) 2018.
1. It will be a team effort
The legislation released last week details which governing bodies will have control over the different aspects of regulation. While the Federal government will be tasked with designing regulations concerning cultivation and licensing cultivation facilities, individual provinces and territories will have to determine how retail sale and distribution will be managed. The government will also have to collaborate to develop a system for testing impaired drivers. Different bodies from all over federal, provincial, and local government must come together to create an overall regulatory structure that runs smoothly and efficiently. This is no small undertaking. The world will be watching Canada, taking note of its trials and successes in the movement toward cannabis legalization
At Surna, we stay up to date on all legislation and regulation concerning cannabis cultivation. Understanding the environment our customers must navigate is important to our role as experts in the industry. If you’re considering starting a cultivation facility in Canada or anywhere else, reach out to us for advice and guidance.
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/01 ... egislation
News in English 2017
Alueen säännöt
Politiikka ja media
Tämä alue on tarkoitettu kannabis- ja päihdepolitiikasta keskusteluun.
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Kirjoita viestisi asialliseen ulkoasuun. Ylläpidolla on oikeus muuttaa epäasiallisen viestin sisältöä tai poistaa viesti.
Politiikka ja media
Tämä alue on tarkoitettu kannabis- ja päihdepolitiikasta keskusteluun.
Alue on erittäin tiukasti moderoitu; lue ohjeet ennen kirjoittamista. Alueelle kuulumattomat keskustelut siirretään Tuhkakuppiin.
Kirjoita viestisi asialliseen ulkoasuun. Ylläpidolla on oikeus muuttaa epäasiallisen viestin sisältöä tai poistaa viesti.
Re: News in English 2017
March for the decriminalization of cannabis in Paris
In rap and reggae tunes, the procession, composed of many young people but also of sick people, militant for the use of cannabis for therapeutic purposes, departed shortly after 15 hours from Place de la Bastille to Place de la Bastille. Republic, behind a banner proclaiming: “Worldwide marijuana cannabis decriminalization self-production cannabis therapeutic. Another drug policy is possible “. This year, the march was advanced to stand between the two rounds of the presidential.
“In 2012, there was great hope in Francois Hollande, at least that he opened a debate on the European plane, but he lacked courage, he betrayed his electorate,” said Farid Ghéhiouèche, one of the organizers of the March and founder of Cannabis without borders, interrogated by AFP. A few days before the second round of the presidential election, the activist compared the candidate of the Front National and his rival of En Marche !: “Marine Le Pen, it wants to reinforce the repression, Macron, it rhymes with legalization, end of the repression, More consultation. I hope that he embodies what Justin Trudeau embodies in Canada. ”
The government of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wants to legalize cannabis by July 2018. Canada has already allowed the use of cannabis for medical purposes since 2001.
Emmanuel Macron’s program provides for a simple ticket for the use and possession of cannabis. “If it goes towards a contravention, it will be a good effort, but if it is to be effective, we must go towards legalization,” said Farid Ghéhiouèche.
Cannabis is banned in France since 1970, with a maximum of one year in prison and 3750 euro fine. In practice, if imprisonment for use is exceptional, fine continues. In 2014, 17 million people reported having cannabis in their lifetime and 700,000 in consume daily, according to the French Observatory of Drugs and Drug Addiction.
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/01 ... abis-paris
In rap and reggae tunes, the procession, composed of many young people but also of sick people, militant for the use of cannabis for therapeutic purposes, departed shortly after 15 hours from Place de la Bastille to Place de la Bastille. Republic, behind a banner proclaiming: “Worldwide marijuana cannabis decriminalization self-production cannabis therapeutic. Another drug policy is possible “. This year, the march was advanced to stand between the two rounds of the presidential.
“In 2012, there was great hope in Francois Hollande, at least that he opened a debate on the European plane, but he lacked courage, he betrayed his electorate,” said Farid Ghéhiouèche, one of the organizers of the March and founder of Cannabis without borders, interrogated by AFP. A few days before the second round of the presidential election, the activist compared the candidate of the Front National and his rival of En Marche !: “Marine Le Pen, it wants to reinforce the repression, Macron, it rhymes with legalization, end of the repression, More consultation. I hope that he embodies what Justin Trudeau embodies in Canada. ”
The government of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wants to legalize cannabis by July 2018. Canada has already allowed the use of cannabis for medical purposes since 2001.
Emmanuel Macron’s program provides for a simple ticket for the use and possession of cannabis. “If it goes towards a contravention, it will be a good effort, but if it is to be effective, we must go towards legalization,” said Farid Ghéhiouèche.
Cannabis is banned in France since 1970, with a maximum of one year in prison and 3750 euro fine. In practice, if imprisonment for use is exceptional, fine continues. In 2014, 17 million people reported having cannabis in their lifetime and 700,000 in consume daily, according to the French Observatory of Drugs and Drug Addiction.
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/01 ... abis-paris
Re: News in English 2017
Inside the UK's Secret Cannabis Coffee Shops
Sitting six floors up, looking down on London's rooftops and the City workers leaving the high rises nearby, I sip a coffee and puff a joint of Moroccan hash, bought over the counter five minutes ago.
I'm in one of the many clandestine Amsterdam-style coffee shops to have popped up across the UK over the past few years – places that all have their own motivations and character, whether they're open-doored and profit-driven or more private and community-based, but which all share one key characteristic: you can smoke – and sometimes buy – weed on the premises. This is just one of six venues that I know of in this part of London, and beyond the capital similar set-ups exist all the way from Peterborough to Newcastle.
These under-the-radar smoking spots have been around for years – famously, cannabis legalisation campaigner Colin Davies was arrested in 2001 after opening The Dutch Experience cafe in Stockport, Greater Manchester – but there's evidence that there's been a jump in numbers recently. Granted, that evidence is entirely anecdotal, but considering these places aren't exactly going to be clamouring to register with their local councils, it's about the best kind of evidence we have.
The Teesside Cannabis Club – a local chapter of the UK Cannabis Social Clubs – has been operating as a hub for the local weed-smoking community for many years, but early in 2017 members decided to find and open a permanent venue for social cannabis consumption. Unlike some of the more low-key set-ups, absolutely nothing illegal is sold here. The club provides the coffee shop experience, selling soft drinks and snacks, but has a strict bring-your-own policy when it comes to the cannabis itself. There's also a ban on any alcohol and hard drugs.
"We currently have just under 100 members, but we have new people contacting us every month," says Michael Fisher, cannabis activist and founder of the club. "Some people come from up to 50 miles to come here and spend an evening." Attendees range from 20 to 70 years old, he says, and some of the "older members are actually starting to bring their friends".
The address of the venue itself isn't publicly available, but like many other UK cannabis clubs the Teesside branch maintains a website and Facebook page, with Michael's face up there for everyone to see. Being such a public venture, what do the locals make of it, and is there not a worry that police are going to come charging through the door at any point?
"We really get on with the locals – we chat to everyone, we don't cause problems," says Michael, highlighting the fact that getting on with the locals has meant no one's reported them, which means a lack of police attention. "It's probably the world's worst kept secret where we are, and we just bought a new 6ft sign to put up outside. The police don't need to raid the club – they can see everything we do on social media, and if there are any problems they have my mobile number; they know where I live."
The Teesside club falls under the jurisdiction of Durham Police Force – the first in the UK to publicly relax its stance on cannabis policing, with Commissioner Ron Hogg saying in 2015 that users will only be targeted if they're growing plants for commercial gain or smoking weed in a "blatant" way. The fact that all consumption takes place behind closed doors undoubtedly acts in the Teesside club's favour, but perhaps its main saving grace is its strict no-drugs-for-sale policy.
I visit one such coffee shop in Nottingham, which – for obvious reasons – doesn't want to give out any real names and identifying details, but clientele-wise is full of students, and surprisingly, mainly international students. The owner, "Chris", tells me the idea of a raid doesn't bother him much: "I don't care about that," he says. "It's all good. There's a lot worse stuff going on [in this area]. We never have any problems with police."
Mind you, that apparent apathy doesn't stop one member of staff from staring intently at a screen showing different CCTV angles of the building for the entire two hours I'm here.
Away from the counter, patrons are giggling, chatting and smoking – and I hear at least four different languages being spoken. "I prefer students coming here, especially foreign ones," says Chris. "They cause no trouble and they spend a lot of money. If many locals found out about this place, it would probably cause me hassle."
The coffee shop space has opened up the social lives of some regulars. The guy I'm sitting next to, Ahmed, tells me, "This spot always puts on big football games, so we come every time to watch them. I'm Muslim, so I prefer being somewhere I can smoke up instead of drinking beer." His friend chips in: "Yeah, some people like going to the pub on Fridays. That's not me. You'll find me here every Friday."
This relaxed nature is, of course, slightly misleading. Buying and smoking weed in the same way you would a pint, it all feels incredibly normal and legal. But it's not: the reality is that this place is an illegal business that could be raided at any point. In 2010, for instance, three men were jailed for conspiring to sell drugs at a "cannabis cafe" in Lancing, West Sussex – but only after police had smashed their way into the premises multiple times, earning the business the nickname "the hole-in-the-wall cafe", and eventually built up enough evidence to convict.
Back in London, I visit another coffee shop with weed for sale, whose owner isn't keen to speak, but does allow me to take a few photos of the menu.
A regular here, Ash, tells me: "I come here because I'm a medical user who only benefits from specific indica strains, and my local dealer doesn't give a shit – gives me stuff with random names, which makes it hard to find out if it will bring me the relief I need or not."
The menu here consists of the widest variety of strains I've ever seen in the UK; many are lab-tested medical grade cannabis from the United States. However, it's not cheap, with a solitary gram regularly going for £30 to £50, as opposed to the £10 to £20 average you'll find on the street.
"I pay a lot more for my weed here, but I like the menu," explains one customer. "I'm obsessed with trying different flavours of dro, to be honest. Being able to come here, it's like Disneyland."
Another says, "I come here to smoke Cali weed. I love Cali weed."
I overhear a load of chat about the cannabis industry and the latest cannabis strains – all pretty "for the heads" stuff, but this place is ostensibly marketed towards the general public. Other spots, such as The Dog House Smoking Club in Leicester, are geared much more towards the hardcore enthusiasts – the kind of people who know how to make butane hash oil at home without accidentally exploding all of their belongings.
This place is much smaller than the others – a converted shed, essentially – and there are only two other people there when I visit. The owner – who asks to go by "Dog" – tells me, "Here, we have an invite-only policy. The public can't come and go, but people can bring their friends over. I like to keep it controlled and get to know everyone. I do this for my passion for bud more than anything – it's a place for friends to socialise, where we can smoke the best bud possible."
Dog tells me that he dreams of cannabis being legal so he can open a place with the same philosophy, but where anyone over the age of 18 is able to walk in. The arguments for legalisation are numerous, spanning a range of potential economic and social benefits, and these coffee shops play into that: they provide an environment in which advice can be offered and quality is assured; they stop children from smoking; they answer any worries people might have around people consuming weed in parks or on the street; and, importantly, provide easy access for medical users looking for specific strains.
One of the largest gatherings of cannabis consumers is the London Smoking Club (LSC). However, unlike the other clubs, the LSC does not function within a permanent venue. It also doesn't sell any cannabis products, operating under the same bring-your-own policy as the Teesside club. Instead, they hold pop-up events and socials at pre-existing venues, with members attending to socialise with other likeminded people and build connections in the cannabis community – whether for medical or recreational reasons.
"For some people, this is their Friday night; for some people, they come to just try and find nice flowers; some people come down to get recommendations for growing equipment, etc," says "Drekanots", one of the team behind the club. "It's just generally a safe space for people who have anything to do with cannabis."
Drekanots goes on to argue that such a space is needed when the law is the way it is, and when the public is so judgmental of the community. "If a member of the public looked down on us, I'd want to ask them why – find out how and where they built up that view," he says. "At the end of the day, this is our hobby, our passion… just like a car club or a golf club – each to their own."
Although the club is primarily social, they also have political motivations. "We've held plenty of events for charity, raising money for cancer charities and the like," says Drekanots. "We feel it's important to do things like this to show that smokers are just as much a part of society as anyone else. We are currently planning some more campaigns to do this year."
The LSC is also trying to facilitate the lab-testing of cannabis products – something that's much needed in the UK – but setting up a testing lab is difficult under the current laws.
Just like the other coffee shops and clubs I visit, the LSC has never had any problems with the police. When I ask the Met Police and the The National Police Chiefs Council to comment on the issue of both cannabis social clubs and venues that actually sell weed over the counter, both decline. This could be down to two extremes: either the authorities are fairly clueless on the issue, due to a lack of resources in the face of government cuts; or they just don't have the motivation to act. Since Durham Police announced that they won't be going after low-level cannabis offenders, multiple other forces have followed – and it stands to reason that police would prefer to see weed users congregate in private than in public.
Of course, that's just speculation. But what's certain is that while the government continues to ignore the evidence pointing to the benefits of legalisation and a regulated network of coffee shops, as opposed to all the covert ones currently operating on Britain's streets, they will continue to miss out on millions of pounds in lovely taxable weed money.
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/01 ... ffee-shops
Sitting six floors up, looking down on London's rooftops and the City workers leaving the high rises nearby, I sip a coffee and puff a joint of Moroccan hash, bought over the counter five minutes ago.
I'm in one of the many clandestine Amsterdam-style coffee shops to have popped up across the UK over the past few years – places that all have their own motivations and character, whether they're open-doored and profit-driven or more private and community-based, but which all share one key characteristic: you can smoke – and sometimes buy – weed on the premises. This is just one of six venues that I know of in this part of London, and beyond the capital similar set-ups exist all the way from Peterborough to Newcastle.
These under-the-radar smoking spots have been around for years – famously, cannabis legalisation campaigner Colin Davies was arrested in 2001 after opening The Dutch Experience cafe in Stockport, Greater Manchester – but there's evidence that there's been a jump in numbers recently. Granted, that evidence is entirely anecdotal, but considering these places aren't exactly going to be clamouring to register with their local councils, it's about the best kind of evidence we have.
The Teesside Cannabis Club – a local chapter of the UK Cannabis Social Clubs – has been operating as a hub for the local weed-smoking community for many years, but early in 2017 members decided to find and open a permanent venue for social cannabis consumption. Unlike some of the more low-key set-ups, absolutely nothing illegal is sold here. The club provides the coffee shop experience, selling soft drinks and snacks, but has a strict bring-your-own policy when it comes to the cannabis itself. There's also a ban on any alcohol and hard drugs.
"We currently have just under 100 members, but we have new people contacting us every month," says Michael Fisher, cannabis activist and founder of the club. "Some people come from up to 50 miles to come here and spend an evening." Attendees range from 20 to 70 years old, he says, and some of the "older members are actually starting to bring their friends".
The address of the venue itself isn't publicly available, but like many other UK cannabis clubs the Teesside branch maintains a website and Facebook page, with Michael's face up there for everyone to see. Being such a public venture, what do the locals make of it, and is there not a worry that police are going to come charging through the door at any point?
"We really get on with the locals – we chat to everyone, we don't cause problems," says Michael, highlighting the fact that getting on with the locals has meant no one's reported them, which means a lack of police attention. "It's probably the world's worst kept secret where we are, and we just bought a new 6ft sign to put up outside. The police don't need to raid the club – they can see everything we do on social media, and if there are any problems they have my mobile number; they know where I live."
The Teesside club falls under the jurisdiction of Durham Police Force – the first in the UK to publicly relax its stance on cannabis policing, with Commissioner Ron Hogg saying in 2015 that users will only be targeted if they're growing plants for commercial gain or smoking weed in a "blatant" way. The fact that all consumption takes place behind closed doors undoubtedly acts in the Teesside club's favour, but perhaps its main saving grace is its strict no-drugs-for-sale policy.
I visit one such coffee shop in Nottingham, which – for obvious reasons – doesn't want to give out any real names and identifying details, but clientele-wise is full of students, and surprisingly, mainly international students. The owner, "Chris", tells me the idea of a raid doesn't bother him much: "I don't care about that," he says. "It's all good. There's a lot worse stuff going on [in this area]. We never have any problems with police."
Mind you, that apparent apathy doesn't stop one member of staff from staring intently at a screen showing different CCTV angles of the building for the entire two hours I'm here.
Away from the counter, patrons are giggling, chatting and smoking – and I hear at least four different languages being spoken. "I prefer students coming here, especially foreign ones," says Chris. "They cause no trouble and they spend a lot of money. If many locals found out about this place, it would probably cause me hassle."
The coffee shop space has opened up the social lives of some regulars. The guy I'm sitting next to, Ahmed, tells me, "This spot always puts on big football games, so we come every time to watch them. I'm Muslim, so I prefer being somewhere I can smoke up instead of drinking beer." His friend chips in: "Yeah, some people like going to the pub on Fridays. That's not me. You'll find me here every Friday."
This relaxed nature is, of course, slightly misleading. Buying and smoking weed in the same way you would a pint, it all feels incredibly normal and legal. But it's not: the reality is that this place is an illegal business that could be raided at any point. In 2010, for instance, three men were jailed for conspiring to sell drugs at a "cannabis cafe" in Lancing, West Sussex – but only after police had smashed their way into the premises multiple times, earning the business the nickname "the hole-in-the-wall cafe", and eventually built up enough evidence to convict.
Back in London, I visit another coffee shop with weed for sale, whose owner isn't keen to speak, but does allow me to take a few photos of the menu.
A regular here, Ash, tells me: "I come here because I'm a medical user who only benefits from specific indica strains, and my local dealer doesn't give a shit – gives me stuff with random names, which makes it hard to find out if it will bring me the relief I need or not."
The menu here consists of the widest variety of strains I've ever seen in the UK; many are lab-tested medical grade cannabis from the United States. However, it's not cheap, with a solitary gram regularly going for £30 to £50, as opposed to the £10 to £20 average you'll find on the street.
"I pay a lot more for my weed here, but I like the menu," explains one customer. "I'm obsessed with trying different flavours of dro, to be honest. Being able to come here, it's like Disneyland."
Another says, "I come here to smoke Cali weed. I love Cali weed."
I overhear a load of chat about the cannabis industry and the latest cannabis strains – all pretty "for the heads" stuff, but this place is ostensibly marketed towards the general public. Other spots, such as The Dog House Smoking Club in Leicester, are geared much more towards the hardcore enthusiasts – the kind of people who know how to make butane hash oil at home without accidentally exploding all of their belongings.
This place is much smaller than the others – a converted shed, essentially – and there are only two other people there when I visit. The owner – who asks to go by "Dog" – tells me, "Here, we have an invite-only policy. The public can't come and go, but people can bring their friends over. I like to keep it controlled and get to know everyone. I do this for my passion for bud more than anything – it's a place for friends to socialise, where we can smoke the best bud possible."
Dog tells me that he dreams of cannabis being legal so he can open a place with the same philosophy, but where anyone over the age of 18 is able to walk in. The arguments for legalisation are numerous, spanning a range of potential economic and social benefits, and these coffee shops play into that: they provide an environment in which advice can be offered and quality is assured; they stop children from smoking; they answer any worries people might have around people consuming weed in parks or on the street; and, importantly, provide easy access for medical users looking for specific strains.
One of the largest gatherings of cannabis consumers is the London Smoking Club (LSC). However, unlike the other clubs, the LSC does not function within a permanent venue. It also doesn't sell any cannabis products, operating under the same bring-your-own policy as the Teesside club. Instead, they hold pop-up events and socials at pre-existing venues, with members attending to socialise with other likeminded people and build connections in the cannabis community – whether for medical or recreational reasons.
"For some people, this is their Friday night; for some people, they come to just try and find nice flowers; some people come down to get recommendations for growing equipment, etc," says "Drekanots", one of the team behind the club. "It's just generally a safe space for people who have anything to do with cannabis."
Drekanots goes on to argue that such a space is needed when the law is the way it is, and when the public is so judgmental of the community. "If a member of the public looked down on us, I'd want to ask them why – find out how and where they built up that view," he says. "At the end of the day, this is our hobby, our passion… just like a car club or a golf club – each to their own."
Although the club is primarily social, they also have political motivations. "We've held plenty of events for charity, raising money for cancer charities and the like," says Drekanots. "We feel it's important to do things like this to show that smokers are just as much a part of society as anyone else. We are currently planning some more campaigns to do this year."
The LSC is also trying to facilitate the lab-testing of cannabis products – something that's much needed in the UK – but setting up a testing lab is difficult under the current laws.
Just like the other coffee shops and clubs I visit, the LSC has never had any problems with the police. When I ask the Met Police and the The National Police Chiefs Council to comment on the issue of both cannabis social clubs and venues that actually sell weed over the counter, both decline. This could be down to two extremes: either the authorities are fairly clueless on the issue, due to a lack of resources in the face of government cuts; or they just don't have the motivation to act. Since Durham Police announced that they won't be going after low-level cannabis offenders, multiple other forces have followed – and it stands to reason that police would prefer to see weed users congregate in private than in public.
Of course, that's just speculation. But what's certain is that while the government continues to ignore the evidence pointing to the benefits of legalisation and a regulated network of coffee shops, as opposed to all the covert ones currently operating on Britain's streets, they will continue to miss out on millions of pounds in lovely taxable weed money.
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/01 ... ffee-shops
Re: News in English 2017
NFL won't soften stance on marijuana, commissioner says
The NFL has come under a sizable amount of scrutiny of late over its overreliance on prescription painkillers, with many calling for drastic changes in the way teams treat player injuries. Among the ideas being bandied about is the use of medicinal marijuana, which the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine says can be “an effective treatment for chronic pain in adults.”
There’s just one problem with that: Marijuana is banned in the NFL, with players facing fines and suspensions for multiple drug-test violations. And based on what Roger Goodell told ESPN’s “Mike & Mike” on Friday, that isn’t going to change anytime soon, at least if he has anything to say about it.
“I think you still have to look at a lot of aspects of marijuana use,” Goodell said. “Is it something that can be negative to the health of our players? Listen, you’re ingesting smoke, so that’s not usually a very positive thing that people would say. It does have an addictive nature. There are a lot of compounds in marijuana that may not be healthy for the players long-term. All of those things have to be considered. And it’s not as simple as someone just wants to feel better after a game. We really want to help our players in that circumstance but I want to make sure that the negative consequences aren’t something that is something that we’ll be held accountable for some years down the road.”
Goodell isn’t exactly wrong when he says marijuana can be addictive: Research has shown people can become dependent on it and suffer anxiety, insomnia, appetite disturbance and depression when they quit.
But here’s the thing: That same research says that a far smaller percentage of marijuana users (nine per cent) become addicted to it compared with other drugs, such as the ones NFL teams pump into their ailing players. For instance, court documents uncovered by The Post in a lawsuit filed by former players against the NFL found that in 2008 and 2009, the New York Jets gave out 2,859 doses of highly addictive Vicodin to its players.
The numbers are similarly high for other teams, and the court documents allege that teams violated federal laws governing prescription drugs and disregarded guidance from the Drug Enforcement Administration guidance on how to store, track, transport and distribute controlled substances.
In March, the Centers for Disease Control issued guidelines that urged primary-care doctors to avoid prescribing powerful opiate painkillers for patients with chronic pain, citing their high addiction rates. A 2014 review of 39 studies investigating the efficacy of opiate painkillers for chronic pain found that they actually may do more harm than good: “Evidence on long-term opioid therapy for chronic pain is very limited but suggests an increased risk of serious harms that appear to be dose-dependent.”
But Goodell apparently won’t even consider what many believe to be a safer alternative to pain relief even though the tide clearly is turning against such stances, even within league circles. At best, he’s being exceedingly overcautious.
“We look at it from a medical standpoint,” Goodell said Friday. “So if people feel that it has a medical benefit, the medical advisers have to tell you that. We have joint advisers, we also have independent advisers, both the NFLPA and the NFL, and we’ll sit down and talk about that. But we’ve been studying that through our advisers. To date, they haven’t said this is a change we think you should make that’s in the best interests of the health and safety of our players. If they do, we’re certainly going to consider that. But to date, they haven’t really said that.”
Jerry Jones — the league’s most powerful owner — reportedly urged his fellow owners to drop the prohibition on marijuana at the NFL owners’ meetings in March. Such a move must be worked out in collective bargaining between the owners and the players, and the current CBA runs through 2020. Until then, Goodell appears content to take a hard-line stance on an issue that could effectively help NFL players deal with their pain.
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/01 ... ioner-says
The NFL has come under a sizable amount of scrutiny of late over its overreliance on prescription painkillers, with many calling for drastic changes in the way teams treat player injuries. Among the ideas being bandied about is the use of medicinal marijuana, which the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine says can be “an effective treatment for chronic pain in adults.”
There’s just one problem with that: Marijuana is banned in the NFL, with players facing fines and suspensions for multiple drug-test violations. And based on what Roger Goodell told ESPN’s “Mike & Mike” on Friday, that isn’t going to change anytime soon, at least if he has anything to say about it.
“I think you still have to look at a lot of aspects of marijuana use,” Goodell said. “Is it something that can be negative to the health of our players? Listen, you’re ingesting smoke, so that’s not usually a very positive thing that people would say. It does have an addictive nature. There are a lot of compounds in marijuana that may not be healthy for the players long-term. All of those things have to be considered. And it’s not as simple as someone just wants to feel better after a game. We really want to help our players in that circumstance but I want to make sure that the negative consequences aren’t something that is something that we’ll be held accountable for some years down the road.”
Goodell isn’t exactly wrong when he says marijuana can be addictive: Research has shown people can become dependent on it and suffer anxiety, insomnia, appetite disturbance and depression when they quit.
But here’s the thing: That same research says that a far smaller percentage of marijuana users (nine per cent) become addicted to it compared with other drugs, such as the ones NFL teams pump into their ailing players. For instance, court documents uncovered by The Post in a lawsuit filed by former players against the NFL found that in 2008 and 2009, the New York Jets gave out 2,859 doses of highly addictive Vicodin to its players.
The numbers are similarly high for other teams, and the court documents allege that teams violated federal laws governing prescription drugs and disregarded guidance from the Drug Enforcement Administration guidance on how to store, track, transport and distribute controlled substances.
In March, the Centers for Disease Control issued guidelines that urged primary-care doctors to avoid prescribing powerful opiate painkillers for patients with chronic pain, citing their high addiction rates. A 2014 review of 39 studies investigating the efficacy of opiate painkillers for chronic pain found that they actually may do more harm than good: “Evidence on long-term opioid therapy for chronic pain is very limited but suggests an increased risk of serious harms that appear to be dose-dependent.”
But Goodell apparently won’t even consider what many believe to be a safer alternative to pain relief even though the tide clearly is turning against such stances, even within league circles. At best, he’s being exceedingly overcautious.
“We look at it from a medical standpoint,” Goodell said Friday. “So if people feel that it has a medical benefit, the medical advisers have to tell you that. We have joint advisers, we also have independent advisers, both the NFLPA and the NFL, and we’ll sit down and talk about that. But we’ve been studying that through our advisers. To date, they haven’t said this is a change we think you should make that’s in the best interests of the health and safety of our players. If they do, we’re certainly going to consider that. But to date, they haven’t really said that.”
Jerry Jones — the league’s most powerful owner — reportedly urged his fellow owners to drop the prohibition on marijuana at the NFL owners’ meetings in March. Such a move must be worked out in collective bargaining between the owners and the players, and the current CBA runs through 2020. Until then, Goodell appears content to take a hard-line stance on an issue that could effectively help NFL players deal with their pain.
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/01 ... ioner-says
Re: News in English 2017
The legal reason why a conservative lawmaker delivers marijuana in Georgia
Medical marijuana is legal in Georgia. Kind of.
Though the state passed a measure legalizing medical cannabis in 2015, it remains illegal to buy, sell, or grow the plant. That's why Georgia Rep. Allen Peake, a conservative Christian who sponsored the legalization bill, runs an underground "distribution network" to get the medicine to registered patients throughout the state.
Every month, a box of cannabis oil arrives at his office. He doesn't know where it comes from, and that's deliberate: if he knew that it was coming from another state, for example, he'd be violating federal drug trafficking laws. After the package arrives, a team of registered patients deliver the oils to different cities — sometimes meeting at gas stations or office buildings.
The patients aren't paying for the oils because that would violate the state's law. Peake told the Associated Press he makes donations for the oils out of pocket, at a cost of about $100,000 per year. The system stretches the law, but doesn't break it, and it reflects a problem several medical marijuana state are grappling with — where possession might be legal, but selling and purchasing it is not.
The legalization advocacy group Americans for Safe Access (ASA) released a report card in March 2017, grading each state based on its marijuana laws. Sixteen states received failing grades, including Georgia; none received an "A." In terms of access, Georgia earned only 15 points out of 100. Though that's an especially low score, numerous states where medical marijuana is legal failed in the access category, revealing a need for comprehensive and consistent legalization models, ASA concluded.
"It shouldn’t be this way," Shannon Cloud, a parent of a cannabis patient who assists Peake in delivering the oils, told the AP. "You shouldn’t be meeting at a gas station or a Target parking lot to get medicine to somebody. You should be going to the place where it is produced and tested to get it dispensed to you in a regulated manner, but this is what we’re forced to do."
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/01 ... na-georgia
Medical marijuana is legal in Georgia. Kind of.
Though the state passed a measure legalizing medical cannabis in 2015, it remains illegal to buy, sell, or grow the plant. That's why Georgia Rep. Allen Peake, a conservative Christian who sponsored the legalization bill, runs an underground "distribution network" to get the medicine to registered patients throughout the state.
Every month, a box of cannabis oil arrives at his office. He doesn't know where it comes from, and that's deliberate: if he knew that it was coming from another state, for example, he'd be violating federal drug trafficking laws. After the package arrives, a team of registered patients deliver the oils to different cities — sometimes meeting at gas stations or office buildings.
The patients aren't paying for the oils because that would violate the state's law. Peake told the Associated Press he makes donations for the oils out of pocket, at a cost of about $100,000 per year. The system stretches the law, but doesn't break it, and it reflects a problem several medical marijuana state are grappling with — where possession might be legal, but selling and purchasing it is not.
The legalization advocacy group Americans for Safe Access (ASA) released a report card in March 2017, grading each state based on its marijuana laws. Sixteen states received failing grades, including Georgia; none received an "A." In terms of access, Georgia earned only 15 points out of 100. Though that's an especially low score, numerous states where medical marijuana is legal failed in the access category, revealing a need for comprehensive and consistent legalization models, ASA concluded.
"It shouldn’t be this way," Shannon Cloud, a parent of a cannabis patient who assists Peake in delivering the oils, told the AP. "You shouldn’t be meeting at a gas station or a Target parking lot to get medicine to somebody. You should be going to the place where it is produced and tested to get it dispensed to you in a regulated manner, but this is what we’re forced to do."
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/01 ... na-georgia
Re: News in English 2017
A national medical marijuana program would save Medicaid $1 billion a year
The marijuana industry is growing like a weed. Last year, legal weed sales grew by 34%, according to cannabis research firm ArcView, and by 2021, legal sales (which includes medical and recreational pot) are expected to exceed $22 billion. Investment firm Cowen & Co. has an even more bullish forecast on legal weed, calling for $50 billion in sales by 2026. These estimates are what have revenue-hungry state governments, as well as investors, drooling with excitement.
Take Colorado as a good example. Residents in Colorado legalized recreational cannabis in 2012 along with Washington, becoming the first two states to do so. Last year, Colorado generated more than $1.3 billion in legal weed sales, two-thirds of which came from the recreational side of the equation, leading to almost $200 million in tax and licensing-fee revenue.
Investors have relished in the growth as well. Most marijuana stocks have doubled or tripled in value over the past year, if not more. We've even seen a few Canadian medical marijuana producers and retailers turning a quarterly profit, which is a nice departure from the years of losses investors have been accustomed to with pot stocks.
The federal government constrains pot's potential
But the major hurdle the marijuana industry has yet to overcome is escaping its restrictive Schedule 1 status from the U.S. federal government. As a Schedule 1 drug, marijuana is recognized as having no medically beneficial qualities, and is illegal. This leaves cannabis companies to face a number of disadvantages that include having little to no access to basic banking services, and having to pay tax on their gross profits instead of net profits since they can't take normal business deductions.
Most lawmakers and investors look at the marijuana industry from a profit-loss standpoint, but there's also a human factor involved. Medical marijuana is currently approved in 28 states and Washington, D.C., and it's often prescribed to treat a host of ailments including glaucoma, epilepsy, and pain associated with cancer, to name a few. Because the U.S. doesn't have a nationwide medical marijuana program (which is something 93% of survey takers in the latest Quinnipiac poll would like to see happen), tens of millions of Americans are denied access to medical cannabis.
A national medical marijuana program could save a lot of money
Yet, a recent study suggests that if a medical marijuana program existed, it would not only save lives but a sizable amount of money in the process.
As background, in July 2016, father-daughter duo David and Ashley Bradford of the University of Georgia published a study in the journal Health Affairs that examined the effect of medical cannabis on Medicare in states that had legalized medical pot. What they found was a $165.2 million reduction in prescription drug expenses for Medicare in states that had legal medical weed. Across the U.S., they estimated that nearly $500 million could be saved for Medicare if medical marijuana were legalized nationally.
In particular, the July 2016 study notes that there were 1,826 fewer doses of pain pills issued under Medicare in legal medical weed states, 562 fewer doses of anxiety meds, and 541 fewer doses of nausea pills, all based on 2013 data. The lower doses of pain pills is of particular interest because opioid overdose-related deaths totaled 20,101 in 2015, according to the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Though it's possible to overdose on marijuana, too, no one has died from a pot overdose. Thus, some pundits have suggested that access to medical marijuana is a way to fight the opioid epidemic in order to save lives and reduce costs.
This month, the Bradfords were at it again, releasing a brand-new study in Health Affairs that examined the impact a national medical marijuana program would have on Medicaid. The researchers examined quarterly data on all fee-for-service Medicaid prescriptions between 2007 and 2014, paying particular attention to states where medical marijuana was legal. They estimated that if a national medical marijuana law were in place in 2014, it would have resulted in $1.01 billion in savings for Medicaid.
They noted that in legal medical marijuana states under Medicaid, there was a 17% reduction in nausea prescriptions filled, a 13% decrease in depression prescriptions, and once again an 11% drop in pain medications filled.
Long story short, medical pot would save the federal government about $1.5 billion annually, based on the Bradfords' findings, if it were legalized nationally.
Two major issues with the Bradfords' thesis
While the Bradfords' study paints a pretty encouraging picture for medical pot, there are two major issues with it.
First and foremost, the $1 billion "saved" in Medicaid and the nearly $500 million "saved" from Medicare aren't going into anyone's pockets in particular. The difference is that instead of the federal government footing the bill for prescription medicines, consumers will be on the hook for the out-of-pocket costs associated with medical marijuana. As a Schedule 1 drug, no insurer is going to cover cannabis as an approved therapy, and even if it were legalized, there's no guarantee that insurers would cover the drug. This means a national marijuana program would save the federal government money by transferring about $1.5 billion in costs to consumers who choose to buy pot instead of prescription medicines.
Keep up with money news, sent to your inbox
The other issue is that the Trump administration is in seemingly no rush to consider legalizing medical marijuana. Even though Donald Trump has been in favor of patients having access to medical cannabis, having ardent weed opponent Jeff Sessions as U.S. attorney general means there's very little likelihood of a medical legalization happening anytime soon.
What's more, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) had its opportunity to reschedule or deschedule cannabis this past summer but chose to keep its current Schedule 1 categorization intact. The DEA suggested that a lack of adequate clinical benefit and risk data on pot, along with inadequate safety checks on an addictive drug, made altering its scheduling a bad idea. Petitions to reschedule a drug can take years to reach the DEA, meaning medical cannabis' chances of a rescheduling are slim at best.
Even though legal pot sales are heating up, marijuana stock investors might be wise to keep their expectations in check given the uncertain future of weed in Washington.
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/01 ... llion-year
The marijuana industry is growing like a weed. Last year, legal weed sales grew by 34%, according to cannabis research firm ArcView, and by 2021, legal sales (which includes medical and recreational pot) are expected to exceed $22 billion. Investment firm Cowen & Co. has an even more bullish forecast on legal weed, calling for $50 billion in sales by 2026. These estimates are what have revenue-hungry state governments, as well as investors, drooling with excitement.
Take Colorado as a good example. Residents in Colorado legalized recreational cannabis in 2012 along with Washington, becoming the first two states to do so. Last year, Colorado generated more than $1.3 billion in legal weed sales, two-thirds of which came from the recreational side of the equation, leading to almost $200 million in tax and licensing-fee revenue.
Investors have relished in the growth as well. Most marijuana stocks have doubled or tripled in value over the past year, if not more. We've even seen a few Canadian medical marijuana producers and retailers turning a quarterly profit, which is a nice departure from the years of losses investors have been accustomed to with pot stocks.
The federal government constrains pot's potential
But the major hurdle the marijuana industry has yet to overcome is escaping its restrictive Schedule 1 status from the U.S. federal government. As a Schedule 1 drug, marijuana is recognized as having no medically beneficial qualities, and is illegal. This leaves cannabis companies to face a number of disadvantages that include having little to no access to basic banking services, and having to pay tax on their gross profits instead of net profits since they can't take normal business deductions.
Most lawmakers and investors look at the marijuana industry from a profit-loss standpoint, but there's also a human factor involved. Medical marijuana is currently approved in 28 states and Washington, D.C., and it's often prescribed to treat a host of ailments including glaucoma, epilepsy, and pain associated with cancer, to name a few. Because the U.S. doesn't have a nationwide medical marijuana program (which is something 93% of survey takers in the latest Quinnipiac poll would like to see happen), tens of millions of Americans are denied access to medical cannabis.
A national medical marijuana program could save a lot of money
Yet, a recent study suggests that if a medical marijuana program existed, it would not only save lives but a sizable amount of money in the process.
As background, in July 2016, father-daughter duo David and Ashley Bradford of the University of Georgia published a study in the journal Health Affairs that examined the effect of medical cannabis on Medicare in states that had legalized medical pot. What they found was a $165.2 million reduction in prescription drug expenses for Medicare in states that had legal medical weed. Across the U.S., they estimated that nearly $500 million could be saved for Medicare if medical marijuana were legalized nationally.
In particular, the July 2016 study notes that there were 1,826 fewer doses of pain pills issued under Medicare in legal medical weed states, 562 fewer doses of anxiety meds, and 541 fewer doses of nausea pills, all based on 2013 data. The lower doses of pain pills is of particular interest because opioid overdose-related deaths totaled 20,101 in 2015, according to the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Though it's possible to overdose on marijuana, too, no one has died from a pot overdose. Thus, some pundits have suggested that access to medical marijuana is a way to fight the opioid epidemic in order to save lives and reduce costs.
This month, the Bradfords were at it again, releasing a brand-new study in Health Affairs that examined the impact a national medical marijuana program would have on Medicaid. The researchers examined quarterly data on all fee-for-service Medicaid prescriptions between 2007 and 2014, paying particular attention to states where medical marijuana was legal. They estimated that if a national medical marijuana law were in place in 2014, it would have resulted in $1.01 billion in savings for Medicaid.
They noted that in legal medical marijuana states under Medicaid, there was a 17% reduction in nausea prescriptions filled, a 13% decrease in depression prescriptions, and once again an 11% drop in pain medications filled.
Long story short, medical pot would save the federal government about $1.5 billion annually, based on the Bradfords' findings, if it were legalized nationally.
Two major issues with the Bradfords' thesis
While the Bradfords' study paints a pretty encouraging picture for medical pot, there are two major issues with it.
First and foremost, the $1 billion "saved" in Medicaid and the nearly $500 million "saved" from Medicare aren't going into anyone's pockets in particular. The difference is that instead of the federal government footing the bill for prescription medicines, consumers will be on the hook for the out-of-pocket costs associated with medical marijuana. As a Schedule 1 drug, no insurer is going to cover cannabis as an approved therapy, and even if it were legalized, there's no guarantee that insurers would cover the drug. This means a national marijuana program would save the federal government money by transferring about $1.5 billion in costs to consumers who choose to buy pot instead of prescription medicines.
Keep up with money news, sent to your inbox
The other issue is that the Trump administration is in seemingly no rush to consider legalizing medical marijuana. Even though Donald Trump has been in favor of patients having access to medical cannabis, having ardent weed opponent Jeff Sessions as U.S. attorney general means there's very little likelihood of a medical legalization happening anytime soon.
What's more, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) had its opportunity to reschedule or deschedule cannabis this past summer but chose to keep its current Schedule 1 categorization intact. The DEA suggested that a lack of adequate clinical benefit and risk data on pot, along with inadequate safety checks on an addictive drug, made altering its scheduling a bad idea. Petitions to reschedule a drug can take years to reach the DEA, meaning medical cannabis' chances of a rescheduling are slim at best.
Even though legal pot sales are heating up, marijuana stock investors might be wise to keep their expectations in check given the uncertain future of weed in Washington.
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/01 ... llion-year
Re: News in English 2017
Medical marijuana is about to become big business in southwest Michigan
Medical marijuana has been a recent hot topic in many southwest Michigan communities. And it’s about to become big business here, too.
Two proposed ventures for Buchanan could bring investments of $500,000 to $1 million to the small town.
And even larger, multimillion-dollar commercial cannabis operations in this blossoming industry recently decriminalized by the state of Michigan are being proposed for Galien Township.
For this rural community, it could amount to an economic shot in the arm — in property tax payments and jobs alone — if MedFarm of Michigan opens its midsized grow operation and processing plant here.
MedFarm’s land broker Stephen Ratcliff of West Lafayette, Ind., said MedFarm considered three other Michigan communities before setting its sights on Galien Township.
If its business plan proceeds, it'll initially invest about $2 million here and create several jobs with base pay rates ranging from $15 to $20 per hour, in addition to a $60,000-per-year position for a grow master.
While such an investment could be a boon for Galien Township — which has only $256 left in surplus after balancing its budget for this fiscal year — some who live here don't think it's worth the risks.
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s like selling yourself for prostitution,” longtime resident Paul Palmer told the Galien Township board of trustees at a recent meeting. Other opponents have said they're concerned about potential pollution and security at sites that grow, process or sell marijuana.
However, others think the opportunity is too good to pass up.
"Are we going to miss the next boat, when it comes, for an opportunity for this community to make money?" Steve Rochman asked the township board recently. "All I’m saying is, in the 15 years I’ve been in Galien, that everything is going away. There’s nothing here. What would you possibly have against this town making money, I don’t understand.”
The issue has come to the forefront since the state passed a trio of new laws last year that allow commercialized cannabis operations like dispensaries that sell medical marijuana, along with marijuana grow and processing operations.
In addition to property taxes, communities that opt into the new state legislation also stand to gain a share of the 3 percent tax levied by the state on the receipts of the dispensaries. Of the money collected from the tax, 25 percent would be split among all municipalities with at least one of the five types of allowed medical marijuana facilities.
Even if opposition from segments of the communities doesn't stop or slow down medical marijuana industry entrepreneurs, plans for commercial cannabis businesses could be thwarted if the communities’ government leaders later decide to opt out of the 2016 legislation.
But so far, the southwest Michigan communities, which opted into the 2016 legislation — such as Buchanan and Niles — appear to be moving forward with crafting local ordinances to allow medical marijuana businesses.
“We need them to be classy and we want to keep it real,” Buchanan Mayor Brenda Hess said about any medical marijuana business coming to the city. “We need to ensure that this is done well. We owe it to the citizens."
Changing landscape
Commercially produced and sold medical marijuana is new to Michigan. But the state already has a law in place allowing for small-scale, noncommercial growth and cultivation of medical marijuana.
Per the 2008 Michigan Medical Marijuana Law, card-carrying medical marijuana patients can grow up to 12 plants for personal use. Registered caregivers can grow for up to five people (including himself or herself), no more than 12 plants per person.
The 2016 legislation does not affect the 2008 law.
“The new laws call for mandatory testing of the marijuana to check for safety compliance with safety rules,” said Carie O’Donnell, a New Buffalo real estate agent who is interested in becoming a medical marijuana entrepreneur. “When someone is growing it in their homes or pole barns for others, you don’t know what kind of nutrients or pesticides they are putting on their plants.”
But even with state regulations, medical marijuana businesses are strongly opposed by some.
“If a major pharmaceutical company would build a $10 million facility to produce painkillers," Ratcliff said, "that company would be welcomed with open arms. What’s the difference between that and what the people I represent want to do?”
A look at the potential suitors
MedFarm of Michigan — also the proposed name of the business — is an investment group of 11 farmers from northern Indiana and southwest Michigan. Ratcliff, the land broker for the would-be business, said the investors do not want to publicly disclose their names.
Customers for grow operations are typically processing plants, which sell their product to dispensaries. Customers for dispensaries (retail centers) are typically the end-users: medical marijuana card carriers and registered caregivers.
MedFarm is hoping to create a niche as a business-to-business supplier to dispensaries in large metro areas such as Detroit, Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, places where local ordinances might prohibit grow operations, Ratcliff said.
O'Donnell is also eyeing Galien Township as a home for her medical marijuana business. Great Lakes Healing LLC is planned as a grow operation and processing plant on the same site. O'Donnell even has future plans for a second operation. She declined to disclose where in the township those businesses would be located.
Getting her company going is likely to require an investment of about $5 million initially, O’Donnell said.
Between both locations, there would be 35 to 50 workers with a pay rate ranging from $15 to $25 per hour. Upper-level staffers, such as grow masters, would be able to earn as much as $150,000 per year at Great Lakes Healing, she said.
“There’s a need for jobs there,” O’Donnell said about Galien Township, adding that she would like to look first to community for workers. “I’ve already had about 10 people from the Galien area approach me for jobs.”
Ratcliff said MedFarm would also like to look to the Galien area when staffing its business.
Despite the willingness to invest millions of dollars into their proposed medical marijuana businesses, the MedFarm investors and O’Donnell are not banking on instantly raking in the profits and reaping high sales totals.
“We’re expecting to be at a loss for the first two years,” O’Donnell said of Great Lakes, adding that she expects her clients to come from all over southwest Michigan. “It won’t be profitable until we build our clientele. After that, we hope to eventually clear $500,000 a year.”
As far as MedFarm’s sales expectations, “the market will tell,” Ratcliff said. “There’ll be some times when the market (supply) is short and prices will go up, and those times when there’s a glut and prices will go down. This is an agricultural commodity.”
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/01 ... t-michigan
Medical marijuana has been a recent hot topic in many southwest Michigan communities. And it’s about to become big business here, too.
Two proposed ventures for Buchanan could bring investments of $500,000 to $1 million to the small town.
And even larger, multimillion-dollar commercial cannabis operations in this blossoming industry recently decriminalized by the state of Michigan are being proposed for Galien Township.
For this rural community, it could amount to an economic shot in the arm — in property tax payments and jobs alone — if MedFarm of Michigan opens its midsized grow operation and processing plant here.
MedFarm’s land broker Stephen Ratcliff of West Lafayette, Ind., said MedFarm considered three other Michigan communities before setting its sights on Galien Township.
If its business plan proceeds, it'll initially invest about $2 million here and create several jobs with base pay rates ranging from $15 to $20 per hour, in addition to a $60,000-per-year position for a grow master.
While such an investment could be a boon for Galien Township — which has only $256 left in surplus after balancing its budget for this fiscal year — some who live here don't think it's worth the risks.
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s like selling yourself for prostitution,” longtime resident Paul Palmer told the Galien Township board of trustees at a recent meeting. Other opponents have said they're concerned about potential pollution and security at sites that grow, process or sell marijuana.
However, others think the opportunity is too good to pass up.
"Are we going to miss the next boat, when it comes, for an opportunity for this community to make money?" Steve Rochman asked the township board recently. "All I’m saying is, in the 15 years I’ve been in Galien, that everything is going away. There’s nothing here. What would you possibly have against this town making money, I don’t understand.”
The issue has come to the forefront since the state passed a trio of new laws last year that allow commercialized cannabis operations like dispensaries that sell medical marijuana, along with marijuana grow and processing operations.
In addition to property taxes, communities that opt into the new state legislation also stand to gain a share of the 3 percent tax levied by the state on the receipts of the dispensaries. Of the money collected from the tax, 25 percent would be split among all municipalities with at least one of the five types of allowed medical marijuana facilities.
Even if opposition from segments of the communities doesn't stop or slow down medical marijuana industry entrepreneurs, plans for commercial cannabis businesses could be thwarted if the communities’ government leaders later decide to opt out of the 2016 legislation.
But so far, the southwest Michigan communities, which opted into the 2016 legislation — such as Buchanan and Niles — appear to be moving forward with crafting local ordinances to allow medical marijuana businesses.
“We need them to be classy and we want to keep it real,” Buchanan Mayor Brenda Hess said about any medical marijuana business coming to the city. “We need to ensure that this is done well. We owe it to the citizens."
Changing landscape
Commercially produced and sold medical marijuana is new to Michigan. But the state already has a law in place allowing for small-scale, noncommercial growth and cultivation of medical marijuana.
Per the 2008 Michigan Medical Marijuana Law, card-carrying medical marijuana patients can grow up to 12 plants for personal use. Registered caregivers can grow for up to five people (including himself or herself), no more than 12 plants per person.
The 2016 legislation does not affect the 2008 law.
“The new laws call for mandatory testing of the marijuana to check for safety compliance with safety rules,” said Carie O’Donnell, a New Buffalo real estate agent who is interested in becoming a medical marijuana entrepreneur. “When someone is growing it in their homes or pole barns for others, you don’t know what kind of nutrients or pesticides they are putting on their plants.”
But even with state regulations, medical marijuana businesses are strongly opposed by some.
“If a major pharmaceutical company would build a $10 million facility to produce painkillers," Ratcliff said, "that company would be welcomed with open arms. What’s the difference between that and what the people I represent want to do?”
A look at the potential suitors
MedFarm of Michigan — also the proposed name of the business — is an investment group of 11 farmers from northern Indiana and southwest Michigan. Ratcliff, the land broker for the would-be business, said the investors do not want to publicly disclose their names.
Customers for grow operations are typically processing plants, which sell their product to dispensaries. Customers for dispensaries (retail centers) are typically the end-users: medical marijuana card carriers and registered caregivers.
MedFarm is hoping to create a niche as a business-to-business supplier to dispensaries in large metro areas such as Detroit, Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, places where local ordinances might prohibit grow operations, Ratcliff said.
O'Donnell is also eyeing Galien Township as a home for her medical marijuana business. Great Lakes Healing LLC is planned as a grow operation and processing plant on the same site. O'Donnell even has future plans for a second operation. She declined to disclose where in the township those businesses would be located.
Getting her company going is likely to require an investment of about $5 million initially, O’Donnell said.
Between both locations, there would be 35 to 50 workers with a pay rate ranging from $15 to $25 per hour. Upper-level staffers, such as grow masters, would be able to earn as much as $150,000 per year at Great Lakes Healing, she said.
“There’s a need for jobs there,” O’Donnell said about Galien Township, adding that she would like to look first to community for workers. “I’ve already had about 10 people from the Galien area approach me for jobs.”
Ratcliff said MedFarm would also like to look to the Galien area when staffing its business.
Despite the willingness to invest millions of dollars into their proposed medical marijuana businesses, the MedFarm investors and O’Donnell are not banking on instantly raking in the profits and reaping high sales totals.
“We’re expecting to be at a loss for the first two years,” O’Donnell said of Great Lakes, adding that she expects her clients to come from all over southwest Michigan. “It won’t be profitable until we build our clientele. After that, we hope to eventually clear $500,000 a year.”
As far as MedFarm’s sales expectations, “the market will tell,” Ratcliff said. “There’ll be some times when the market (supply) is short and prices will go up, and those times when there’s a glut and prices will go down. This is an agricultural commodity.”
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/01 ... t-michigan
Re: News in English 2017
VT. House expected to consider marijuana legalization next week
State lawmakers begin their final scheduled week of the session next week, and among the high-profile bills expected to attract plenty of attention is the long-delayed House bill to legalize marijuana.
Bill H. 170 has been stuck in the Human Services Committee for weeks, referred there suddenly after the first floor vote suddenly appeared at risk of defeat.
Late Friday, the committee voted to dislodge H. 170, sending it on to the House floor in a 5-4-2 vote.
Committee Chairwoman Ann Pugh, a South Burlington Democrat, said her panel added language to address some concerns about youth access to marijuana -- explicitly prohibiting pot near schools, and all public consumption.
H. 170 would legalize adult possession of up to 1 ounce of marijuana, and allow adults to grow marijuana at home, in limited quantities. The proposal does not tax pot nor allow retail or private sale.
Pugh said the House could vote on the bill as soon as Tuesday.
In a related move, the state Senate last week resurrected and passed a bill similar to its 2016 proposal, establishing a sweeping Colorado-style system in Vermont to regulate retail sale and commercial cultivation of marijuana. That bill was then sent that over to the House.
Neither bill is expected to get all the way through the Legislature, with adjournment scheduled May 6, but House passage sets the stage for additional action in the second half of the biennium in January.
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/01 ... -next-week
State lawmakers begin their final scheduled week of the session next week, and among the high-profile bills expected to attract plenty of attention is the long-delayed House bill to legalize marijuana.
Bill H. 170 has been stuck in the Human Services Committee for weeks, referred there suddenly after the first floor vote suddenly appeared at risk of defeat.
Late Friday, the committee voted to dislodge H. 170, sending it on to the House floor in a 5-4-2 vote.
Committee Chairwoman Ann Pugh, a South Burlington Democrat, said her panel added language to address some concerns about youth access to marijuana -- explicitly prohibiting pot near schools, and all public consumption.
H. 170 would legalize adult possession of up to 1 ounce of marijuana, and allow adults to grow marijuana at home, in limited quantities. The proposal does not tax pot nor allow retail or private sale.
Pugh said the House could vote on the bill as soon as Tuesday.
In a related move, the state Senate last week resurrected and passed a bill similar to its 2016 proposal, establishing a sweeping Colorado-style system in Vermont to regulate retail sale and commercial cultivation of marijuana. That bill was then sent that over to the House.
Neither bill is expected to get all the way through the Legislature, with adjournment scheduled May 6, but House passage sets the stage for additional action in the second half of the biennium in January.
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/01 ... -next-week
Re: News in English 2017
Weed vs. Opioids: nontraditional and traditional biotech take on Wall Street, but who's winning?
As an increasing number of U.S. states legalize cannabis in one form or another and start to reap the economic and societal benefits of revised policies, support for marijuana legalization among the population (and even among police agents) continues to surge.
On the other hand, as the opioid epidemic keeps crippling the nation, public opinion is turning against these drugs and, on occasions, the companies that make them, like Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE), Insys Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ: INSY) and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ).
Cannabis Vs. Opioids
Hedge fund expert Don Steinbrugge explained in a recent Benzinga article that stock valuations are basically determined by two components: financials (like earnings or sales) and the sentiment of the market. This could bode well both for opioid makers seeing strong sales and for cannabis companies feeling the backing of the public.
But, who’s actually doing better this year?
Below is a look at year-to-date performances for opioid-makers. It should be noted, though, most of these companies do not rely solely on the sale of opioid-based pharmaceuticals. Also keep in mind many of these stocks started the year at very low points, so gains might not be as significant as the escalation percentages could suggest.
AbbVie Inc (NYSE: ABBV), up 4.5 percent.
Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT), up 14.45 percent.
Johnson & Johnson, up 7.5 percent.
Pfizer Inc., up 4.5 percent.
Novartis AG (ADR) (NYSE: NVS), up 4.85 percent.
Insys Therapeutics Inc, up 20.2 percent.
Endo International plc - Ordinary Shares (NASDAQ: ENDP), down 32.2 percent.
Depomed Inc (NASDAQ: DEPO), down 31.5 percent.
On the other hand, cannabis stocks had a great 2016, as reflected by the 236.1 percent spike the Viridian Cannabis Stock Index experienced. So, many shares started 2017 trading at elevated valuations; since that moment, comments out of the Trump administration have taken a toll on the market. Here's how some of the most popular (non-penny) stocks in the space have been faring.
AURORA CANNABIS IN COM NPV (OTC: ACBFF), up 11 percent.
APHRIA INC COM NPV (OTC: APHQF), up 24.5 percent.
GW Pharmaceuticals PLC- ADR (NASDAQ: GWPH), up 7.3 percent.
Zynerba Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: ZYNE) up 35.3 percent.
Cannabics Pharmaceuticals Inc (OTC: CNBX), up 179 percent.
CRONOS GROUP INC COM NPV (OTC: PRMCF), up about 79 percent.
CANOPY GROWTH CORP COM NPV (OTC: TWMJF) down 1.0 percent – although stock is slightly up in the TSE, where it trades as Canopy Growth Corp (TSE: WEED).
Cannabis Sativa Inc (OTC: CBDS), down 7.6 percent.
Although performance was mixed in both industries, the average and median for cannabis stocks comfortably outpace those for opioid makers.
Beyond the public, experts and cannabis industry insiders seem to agree on the idea of marijuana providing an interesting alternative to opioid painkillers.
“I think [...] cannabis is proving to be a very powerful tool in both fighting addiction as well as creating alternatives the use of opioids, or at least reducing opioid usage for pain. And also, when there is such an opioid epidemic in the country, it becomes more and more difficult to justify a war on cannabis, since it’s a misuse of resources,” ArcView Group’s Troy Dayton recently told Benzinga.
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/01 ... treet-whos
As an increasing number of U.S. states legalize cannabis in one form or another and start to reap the economic and societal benefits of revised policies, support for marijuana legalization among the population (and even among police agents) continues to surge.
On the other hand, as the opioid epidemic keeps crippling the nation, public opinion is turning against these drugs and, on occasions, the companies that make them, like Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE), Insys Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ: INSY) and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ).
Cannabis Vs. Opioids
Hedge fund expert Don Steinbrugge explained in a recent Benzinga article that stock valuations are basically determined by two components: financials (like earnings or sales) and the sentiment of the market. This could bode well both for opioid makers seeing strong sales and for cannabis companies feeling the backing of the public.
But, who’s actually doing better this year?
Below is a look at year-to-date performances for opioid-makers. It should be noted, though, most of these companies do not rely solely on the sale of opioid-based pharmaceuticals. Also keep in mind many of these stocks started the year at very low points, so gains might not be as significant as the escalation percentages could suggest.
AbbVie Inc (NYSE: ABBV), up 4.5 percent.
Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT), up 14.45 percent.
Johnson & Johnson, up 7.5 percent.
Pfizer Inc., up 4.5 percent.
Novartis AG (ADR) (NYSE: NVS), up 4.85 percent.
Insys Therapeutics Inc, up 20.2 percent.
Endo International plc - Ordinary Shares (NASDAQ: ENDP), down 32.2 percent.
Depomed Inc (NASDAQ: DEPO), down 31.5 percent.
On the other hand, cannabis stocks had a great 2016, as reflected by the 236.1 percent spike the Viridian Cannabis Stock Index experienced. So, many shares started 2017 trading at elevated valuations; since that moment, comments out of the Trump administration have taken a toll on the market. Here's how some of the most popular (non-penny) stocks in the space have been faring.
AURORA CANNABIS IN COM NPV (OTC: ACBFF), up 11 percent.
APHRIA INC COM NPV (OTC: APHQF), up 24.5 percent.
GW Pharmaceuticals PLC- ADR (NASDAQ: GWPH), up 7.3 percent.
Zynerba Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: ZYNE) up 35.3 percent.
Cannabics Pharmaceuticals Inc (OTC: CNBX), up 179 percent.
CRONOS GROUP INC COM NPV (OTC: PRMCF), up about 79 percent.
CANOPY GROWTH CORP COM NPV (OTC: TWMJF) down 1.0 percent – although stock is slightly up in the TSE, where it trades as Canopy Growth Corp (TSE: WEED).
Cannabis Sativa Inc (OTC: CBDS), down 7.6 percent.
Although performance was mixed in both industries, the average and median for cannabis stocks comfortably outpace those for opioid makers.
Beyond the public, experts and cannabis industry insiders seem to agree on the idea of marijuana providing an interesting alternative to opioid painkillers.
“I think [...] cannabis is proving to be a very powerful tool in both fighting addiction as well as creating alternatives the use of opioids, or at least reducing opioid usage for pain. And also, when there is such an opioid epidemic in the country, it becomes more and more difficult to justify a war on cannabis, since it’s a misuse of resources,” ArcView Group’s Troy Dayton recently told Benzinga.
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/01 ... treet-whos
Re: News in English 2017
State Patrol in 2nd Year of Testing Roadside Marijuana Devices
Colorado State Patrol is in the process of adding to its arsenal the tools available to troopers that would confirm the presence of drugs in a driver’s system.
Officers rely on behavioral cues – probable cause – to pull over a driver: speeding up, slowing down, drifting into another lane. From there, a roadside sobriety test “peels back” the next layer of impairment, much like a drunk driving test. It’s those visual cues that law enforcement use to prosecute a person’s impairment.
“You have four legalized states, you’re gonna have four more legalized states in just a few months, and you even have the country of Canada going to legalization,” said CDOT Highway Safety Manager, Glenn Davis. “We realized that we're probably gonna have a whole lot more customers."
Since marijuana has come out of the shadows, there have been no changes in the way technology confirms an officer’s observations in Colorado: a blood test – which can cost agencies hundreds of dollars and take months to return – is invasive, and isn’t always admissible evidence in court. Plus, drivers don’t have to consent to it.
It means the pressure is on.
Nearly four years after its legalization, CSP is in its second year of a pilot program to test a handful of roadside marijuana detection devices. The program is hush-hush; CSP declined to comment on which and how many devices are being considered, or even how long the testing phase will last.
However, CDOT, which works in tandem with CSP, says some oral fluid testing devices in the running are the size of a pregnancy test; another, the size of a toaster.
Dräger5000
Take, for instance, the Dräger5000. On the market since 2009, it tests saliva for the presence of seven drugs: THC, opiates, cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, benzodiazepine, and methadone. It’s currently being used in Arizona, Nevada, California, and New York.
“We're looking specifically at delta-9 THC, that doesn't have the ability to stay in the body that long,” said Brian Shaffer, Bid & Tender Manager for the device. “If you just have behavior alone, it's really difficult to tell the story. What our tool does, is it tells the element of presence.”
Subjects insert the device’s analyzer between their cheek and gums to absorb saliva, the analyzer is then read, and within four minutes positive or negative drug readings are printed for the officer.
Depending on accessories, the complete Dräger5000 system costs $2,500 - $5,500.
HoundLabs Breathalyzer
Then, there’s the HoundLabs breathalyzer, one of the first of its kind. Developers teamed up with scientists at UC Berkley to tag a portion of the THC molecule to form the non-invasive breath tester. Now that human subjects have been under testing for two years, device-makers say the breathalyzer will be commercially available by year’s end.
“We don’t want a device that says you smoked pot three days ago and gets you arrested. That’s pointless,” said HoundLabs CEO Dr. Mike Lynn, who is an emergency medicine physician and reserve deputy sheriff. “People who smoke pot tend to get high and then it gets into their bloodstream very, very quickly. After two hours, people are back to their baseline.”
The HoundLabs Breathalyzer – once on the market – measures amount of active THC and alcohol. It will cost $500 - $800, similar to the price of an alcohol breathalyzer.
Moving forward
Colorado leaders are eyeing similar pilot programs in other states. Especially Jenn Knudsen, the Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor, with the Colorado District Attorneys' Council.
“Can we use it [roadside marijuana device readings] in court, not just for probable cause?” asked Knudsen. “Certainly, the more tools, the better.”
Whatever device is selected by State Patrol must then be approved by the Health Department. Thereafter, state statutes would need to conform to allow for such a device to be used.
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/04/28 ... na-devices
Colorado State Patrol is in the process of adding to its arsenal the tools available to troopers that would confirm the presence of drugs in a driver’s system.
Officers rely on behavioral cues – probable cause – to pull over a driver: speeding up, slowing down, drifting into another lane. From there, a roadside sobriety test “peels back” the next layer of impairment, much like a drunk driving test. It’s those visual cues that law enforcement use to prosecute a person’s impairment.
“You have four legalized states, you’re gonna have four more legalized states in just a few months, and you even have the country of Canada going to legalization,” said CDOT Highway Safety Manager, Glenn Davis. “We realized that we're probably gonna have a whole lot more customers."
Since marijuana has come out of the shadows, there have been no changes in the way technology confirms an officer’s observations in Colorado: a blood test – which can cost agencies hundreds of dollars and take months to return – is invasive, and isn’t always admissible evidence in court. Plus, drivers don’t have to consent to it.
It means the pressure is on.
Nearly four years after its legalization, CSP is in its second year of a pilot program to test a handful of roadside marijuana detection devices. The program is hush-hush; CSP declined to comment on which and how many devices are being considered, or even how long the testing phase will last.
However, CDOT, which works in tandem with CSP, says some oral fluid testing devices in the running are the size of a pregnancy test; another, the size of a toaster.
Dräger5000
Take, for instance, the Dräger5000. On the market since 2009, it tests saliva for the presence of seven drugs: THC, opiates, cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, benzodiazepine, and methadone. It’s currently being used in Arizona, Nevada, California, and New York.
“We're looking specifically at delta-9 THC, that doesn't have the ability to stay in the body that long,” said Brian Shaffer, Bid & Tender Manager for the device. “If you just have behavior alone, it's really difficult to tell the story. What our tool does, is it tells the element of presence.”
Subjects insert the device’s analyzer between their cheek and gums to absorb saliva, the analyzer is then read, and within four minutes positive or negative drug readings are printed for the officer.
Depending on accessories, the complete Dräger5000 system costs $2,500 - $5,500.
HoundLabs Breathalyzer
Then, there’s the HoundLabs breathalyzer, one of the first of its kind. Developers teamed up with scientists at UC Berkley to tag a portion of the THC molecule to form the non-invasive breath tester. Now that human subjects have been under testing for two years, device-makers say the breathalyzer will be commercially available by year’s end.
“We don’t want a device that says you smoked pot three days ago and gets you arrested. That’s pointless,” said HoundLabs CEO Dr. Mike Lynn, who is an emergency medicine physician and reserve deputy sheriff. “People who smoke pot tend to get high and then it gets into their bloodstream very, very quickly. After two hours, people are back to their baseline.”
The HoundLabs Breathalyzer – once on the market – measures amount of active THC and alcohol. It will cost $500 - $800, similar to the price of an alcohol breathalyzer.
Moving forward
Colorado leaders are eyeing similar pilot programs in other states. Especially Jenn Knudsen, the Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor, with the Colorado District Attorneys' Council.
“Can we use it [roadside marijuana device readings] in court, not just for probable cause?” asked Knudsen. “Certainly, the more tools, the better.”
Whatever device is selected by State Patrol must then be approved by the Health Department. Thereafter, state statutes would need to conform to allow for such a device to be used.
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/04/28 ... na-devices
Re: News in English 2017
Medical Marijuana: It's here. It's legal. What Ohio business leaders need to know.
A lot of confusion and misinformation still surrounds the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program, according to state and industry experts.
In March, the Columbus Chamber of Commerce hosted a panel discussion on the business benefits and challenges of Ohio’s medical marijuana law.
House Bill 523 authorized a basic framework — legalized medical marijuana for qualifying medical conditions, but prohibited its use by smoking or combustion — and made Ohio one of 28 states to establish a public medical marijuana program. But it left state agencies to establish specific rules and guidelines.
At this point, the Ohio Department of Commerce, State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy and State Medical Board of Ohio have written seven relevant rule sets. These rules —and all other pertinent information — can be found at medicalmarijuana.ohio.gov.
The rules will be finalized by Sept. 8. The state agencies have tried to be transparent and flexible with as much public input as possible, while keeping to strict deadlines, says Missy Craddock, policy staff member for the Office of Gov. John Kasich.
The MMCP likely won’t become operational until Sept. 8, 2018.
Employers
Ohio employers have some of the broadest protections in the country, says Michael Griffaton, of counsel at Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP, who played an integral role in drafting the medical marijuana legislation.
“House Bill 523 expressly states that employers do not have to accommodate medical marijuana use, even if the employees’ physician recommends that the employee use medical marijuana,” he says.
An employer can refuse to hire, discharge, discipline or take adverse employment action for a person’s use, possession or distribution of medical marijuana. In addition, that person may not sue the employer for doing so.
But that doesn’t mean hiring managers should ask about medical marijuana during a job interview, Griffaton says. Disability discrimination is still illegal. If someone is using medical marijuana for cancer, it raises questions.
“Did he not hire them because they used medical marijuana or because it’s a disabling protected condition under the American Disabilities Act? Employers are going to open themselves up to discrimination charges and lawsuits, because of that question, so be careful about asking,” he says.
Griffaton also has seen cases where employers terminated people that used medical marijuana — and that ended up being only minority members of the workforce.
“Carefully consider whether or not taking adverse action against someone who uses medical marijuana could lead to other claims,” he says.
Employers need to apply their workforce policies clearly and consistently, especially if they operate in multiple jurisdictions that have different state laws, Griffaton says.
In Ohio, if someone’s termination violates the employer’s expressed policy regarding medical marijuana, that person isn’t eligible for unemployment compensation. Also, employers don’t have to pay for medical marijuana under workers’ compensation.
Landlords
The state-issued licenses for cultivation, processing, laboratories and dispensaries will be tied to real estate.
Landlords need to consider things like cannabis-related termination provisions, how much cash can be kept onsite, security, indemnification, inspections, etc.
“From a landlord’s perspective, you don’t want to be in a position where you’re leasing to, let’s say, a dispensary and all of the sudden they lose their license,” says Bret Kravitz, an associate at Dickinson Wright PLLC, who works with the firm’s corporate practice group and leads the firm’s cannabis working group.
Not only are you in violation of federal laws, you’re also now running afoul of the state laws — it’s a position you don’t want to be in, he says.
Entrepreneurs and investors
Entrepreneurs, investors and companies of all sizes see opportunities, but there are risks, too. Kravitz’s firm has received calls from soil, chemical and lighting companies, to name a few, asking for more information.
One of the biggest issues is the inability to find banks, even though Ohio’s law excludes banks from state criminal statutes.
Marijuana is an illegal federal substance, so it falls under the Bank Secrecy Act, which essentially is a money-laundering statute, Kravitz says.
“So you have banks that would like to get involved, in light of the opportunities there, but they still risk losing their federal charters,” he says.
Some credit unions and state-charted banks have taken on people connected to the industry, but they charge larger fees because of the additional reporting requirements.
The state also has met with vendors and individuals about setting up a “closed-loop” cashless payment system. Justin Hunt, COO of the MMCP at the Ohio Department of Commerce, says his team has gotten many questions and is doing its due diligence, but it doesn’t have a proposed solution yet.
Entrepreneurs who are unsure of a municipality’s reaction need to take the temperature now, and set up meetings with political leaders, Kravitz says.
Cultivators, processors, dispensaries or laboratories must be at least 500 feet from a school, church or public library, playground or park, but cities, villages and townships may adopt additional restrictions or opt out completely.
“Most of the clients I’ve talked to, the No. 1 thing they recommend in terms of consulting with and going through this process is getting a land use and zoning attorney onboard, day one,” he says.
That helps entrepreneurs identify regulations and whether an application will be regarded favorably.
Investors also need to carefully weigh the risks of getting involved with an industry in its infancy, where their identity could become public.
“The first step is knowing you could lose everything you put in,” Kravitz says.
Entrepreneurs are raising private money at relatively high rates because they cannot get bank loans. They also are in violation of the Controlled Substances Act.
“There’s no protection. You’re investing in a federally illegal business and for that risk, you anticipate some higher returns in your investment. You’re not protected just because Ohio has legalized medical marijuana,” he says
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/01 ... -need-know
A lot of confusion and misinformation still surrounds the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program, according to state and industry experts.
In March, the Columbus Chamber of Commerce hosted a panel discussion on the business benefits and challenges of Ohio’s medical marijuana law.
House Bill 523 authorized a basic framework — legalized medical marijuana for qualifying medical conditions, but prohibited its use by smoking or combustion — and made Ohio one of 28 states to establish a public medical marijuana program. But it left state agencies to establish specific rules and guidelines.
At this point, the Ohio Department of Commerce, State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy and State Medical Board of Ohio have written seven relevant rule sets. These rules —and all other pertinent information — can be found at medicalmarijuana.ohio.gov.
The rules will be finalized by Sept. 8. The state agencies have tried to be transparent and flexible with as much public input as possible, while keeping to strict deadlines, says Missy Craddock, policy staff member for the Office of Gov. John Kasich.
The MMCP likely won’t become operational until Sept. 8, 2018.
Employers
Ohio employers have some of the broadest protections in the country, says Michael Griffaton, of counsel at Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP, who played an integral role in drafting the medical marijuana legislation.
“House Bill 523 expressly states that employers do not have to accommodate medical marijuana use, even if the employees’ physician recommends that the employee use medical marijuana,” he says.
An employer can refuse to hire, discharge, discipline or take adverse employment action for a person’s use, possession or distribution of medical marijuana. In addition, that person may not sue the employer for doing so.
But that doesn’t mean hiring managers should ask about medical marijuana during a job interview, Griffaton says. Disability discrimination is still illegal. If someone is using medical marijuana for cancer, it raises questions.
“Did he not hire them because they used medical marijuana or because it’s a disabling protected condition under the American Disabilities Act? Employers are going to open themselves up to discrimination charges and lawsuits, because of that question, so be careful about asking,” he says.
Griffaton also has seen cases where employers terminated people that used medical marijuana — and that ended up being only minority members of the workforce.
“Carefully consider whether or not taking adverse action against someone who uses medical marijuana could lead to other claims,” he says.
Employers need to apply their workforce policies clearly and consistently, especially if they operate in multiple jurisdictions that have different state laws, Griffaton says.
In Ohio, if someone’s termination violates the employer’s expressed policy regarding medical marijuana, that person isn’t eligible for unemployment compensation. Also, employers don’t have to pay for medical marijuana under workers’ compensation.
Landlords
The state-issued licenses for cultivation, processing, laboratories and dispensaries will be tied to real estate.
Landlords need to consider things like cannabis-related termination provisions, how much cash can be kept onsite, security, indemnification, inspections, etc.
“From a landlord’s perspective, you don’t want to be in a position where you’re leasing to, let’s say, a dispensary and all of the sudden they lose their license,” says Bret Kravitz, an associate at Dickinson Wright PLLC, who works with the firm’s corporate practice group and leads the firm’s cannabis working group.
Not only are you in violation of federal laws, you’re also now running afoul of the state laws — it’s a position you don’t want to be in, he says.
Entrepreneurs and investors
Entrepreneurs, investors and companies of all sizes see opportunities, but there are risks, too. Kravitz’s firm has received calls from soil, chemical and lighting companies, to name a few, asking for more information.
One of the biggest issues is the inability to find banks, even though Ohio’s law excludes banks from state criminal statutes.
Marijuana is an illegal federal substance, so it falls under the Bank Secrecy Act, which essentially is a money-laundering statute, Kravitz says.
“So you have banks that would like to get involved, in light of the opportunities there, but they still risk losing their federal charters,” he says.
Some credit unions and state-charted banks have taken on people connected to the industry, but they charge larger fees because of the additional reporting requirements.
The state also has met with vendors and individuals about setting up a “closed-loop” cashless payment system. Justin Hunt, COO of the MMCP at the Ohio Department of Commerce, says his team has gotten many questions and is doing its due diligence, but it doesn’t have a proposed solution yet.
Entrepreneurs who are unsure of a municipality’s reaction need to take the temperature now, and set up meetings with political leaders, Kravitz says.
Cultivators, processors, dispensaries or laboratories must be at least 500 feet from a school, church or public library, playground or park, but cities, villages and townships may adopt additional restrictions or opt out completely.
“Most of the clients I’ve talked to, the No. 1 thing they recommend in terms of consulting with and going through this process is getting a land use and zoning attorney onboard, day one,” he says.
That helps entrepreneurs identify regulations and whether an application will be regarded favorably.
Investors also need to carefully weigh the risks of getting involved with an industry in its infancy, where their identity could become public.
“The first step is knowing you could lose everything you put in,” Kravitz says.
Entrepreneurs are raising private money at relatively high rates because they cannot get bank loans. They also are in violation of the Controlled Substances Act.
“There’s no protection. You’re investing in a federally illegal business and for that risk, you anticipate some higher returns in your investment. You’re not protected just because Ohio has legalized medical marijuana,” he says
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/01 ... -need-know
Re: News in English 2017
Justice department says people in marijuana business can't use bankruptcy
People who make money from the marijuana industry can't use the federal bankruptcy courts when they get into financial trouble, says a Justice Department bankruptcy watchdog.
U.S. Trustee Program director Cliff White wrote a letter to trustees who handle consumer bankruptcy cases earlier this week reminding them that the drug is illegal under federal law and warning them not to handle any money from the sale of marijuana-related property.
The one-page letter, sent on Wednesday, said the Justice Department division has seen an increase in the number of bankruptcies where "marijuana assets" are disclosed.
The division oversees trustees who handle personal and corporate bankruptcy filings. Often, their role requires them to take in monthly payments that a bankrupt person makes on a debt-repayment plan. Trustees may also be required to sell off a bankrupt person's valuable property.
"Our goal is to ensure that trustees are not placed in the untenable position of violating federal law by liquidating, receiving proceeds from, or in any way administering marijuana assets," Mr. White said.
As states take uncoordinated steps toward recognizing the industry, the federal government still classifies the substance as a dangerous drug. Mr. White said in his letter that the directive "pertains even in cases in which such assets are not illegal under state law." Federal bankruptcy law requires a bankrupt person or business to list all of their valuable possessions and, as part of the process, put some of them up for sale to pay off debts.
The disconnect also has prompted several bankruptcy judges to kick marijuana growers out of court.
U.S. Trustee Program spokeswoman Jane Limprecht declined to say how many bankruptcies with marijuana assets have been recorded.
While the letter reinforced the Justice Department division's longstanding policy, the reminder came several months into the tenure of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who has hinted at stepping up prosecutions of marijuana sales and has blamed the drug for incidents of violent crime.
It is unclear whether the Trump administration's drug policy will include a crackdown on marijuana use, and Mr. Sessions has yet to issue clear policies on the matter.
Criminal justice advocates, in response, note that crime rates remain near multidecade lows and that several Republican-led states are embracing policies to scale back their prison populations.
Under President Obama, prosecutors were urged to charge nonviolent drug defendants with offenses carrying lighter sentences under the sentiment that tough mandatory sentences had fueled a costly, oversize prison population with little effect on the crime rate.
The letter from Mr. White drew criticism from the country's largest group of consumer bankruptcy lawyers. North Carolina lawyer Ed Boltz, who monitors federal policy for the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, said the Justice Department division doesn't have rule-making authority and can't decide who should have access to bankruptcy protection.
"The courts and Congress are the appropriate groups to say who is eligible to file for bankruptcy," he said in an interview.
Bankruptcy judges haven't needed much convincing that companies in the marijuana industry do not belong in a federally overseen court system.
Several bankruptcy judges in Colorado have dismissed cases for marijuana-related companies, including a medical marijuana grower that filed in May 2012 with $130,000 worth of unharvested marijuana leaves listed on the bankruptcy petition. The filing temporarily halted the company's eviction.
In 2015, panel of federal judges denied a pot-growing Denver couple's request for bankruptcy, saying that process could require a trustee to handle and sell their marijuana plants.
The couple was "unfortunately caught between pursuing a business that the people of Colorado have declared to be legal and beneficial, but which the laws of the United States -- laws that every United States judge swears to uphold -- proscribe and subject to criminal sanction," the judges said in their ruling.
--Beth Reinhard contributed to this article.
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/01 ... bankruptcy
People who make money from the marijuana industry can't use the federal bankruptcy courts when they get into financial trouble, says a Justice Department bankruptcy watchdog.
U.S. Trustee Program director Cliff White wrote a letter to trustees who handle consumer bankruptcy cases earlier this week reminding them that the drug is illegal under federal law and warning them not to handle any money from the sale of marijuana-related property.
The one-page letter, sent on Wednesday, said the Justice Department division has seen an increase in the number of bankruptcies where "marijuana assets" are disclosed.
The division oversees trustees who handle personal and corporate bankruptcy filings. Often, their role requires them to take in monthly payments that a bankrupt person makes on a debt-repayment plan. Trustees may also be required to sell off a bankrupt person's valuable property.
"Our goal is to ensure that trustees are not placed in the untenable position of violating federal law by liquidating, receiving proceeds from, or in any way administering marijuana assets," Mr. White said.
As states take uncoordinated steps toward recognizing the industry, the federal government still classifies the substance as a dangerous drug. Mr. White said in his letter that the directive "pertains even in cases in which such assets are not illegal under state law." Federal bankruptcy law requires a bankrupt person or business to list all of their valuable possessions and, as part of the process, put some of them up for sale to pay off debts.
The disconnect also has prompted several bankruptcy judges to kick marijuana growers out of court.
U.S. Trustee Program spokeswoman Jane Limprecht declined to say how many bankruptcies with marijuana assets have been recorded.
While the letter reinforced the Justice Department division's longstanding policy, the reminder came several months into the tenure of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who has hinted at stepping up prosecutions of marijuana sales and has blamed the drug for incidents of violent crime.
It is unclear whether the Trump administration's drug policy will include a crackdown on marijuana use, and Mr. Sessions has yet to issue clear policies on the matter.
Criminal justice advocates, in response, note that crime rates remain near multidecade lows and that several Republican-led states are embracing policies to scale back their prison populations.
Under President Obama, prosecutors were urged to charge nonviolent drug defendants with offenses carrying lighter sentences under the sentiment that tough mandatory sentences had fueled a costly, oversize prison population with little effect on the crime rate.
The letter from Mr. White drew criticism from the country's largest group of consumer bankruptcy lawyers. North Carolina lawyer Ed Boltz, who monitors federal policy for the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, said the Justice Department division doesn't have rule-making authority and can't decide who should have access to bankruptcy protection.
"The courts and Congress are the appropriate groups to say who is eligible to file for bankruptcy," he said in an interview.
Bankruptcy judges haven't needed much convincing that companies in the marijuana industry do not belong in a federally overseen court system.
Several bankruptcy judges in Colorado have dismissed cases for marijuana-related companies, including a medical marijuana grower that filed in May 2012 with $130,000 worth of unharvested marijuana leaves listed on the bankruptcy petition. The filing temporarily halted the company's eviction.
In 2015, panel of federal judges denied a pot-growing Denver couple's request for bankruptcy, saying that process could require a trustee to handle and sell their marijuana plants.
The couple was "unfortunately caught between pursuing a business that the people of Colorado have declared to be legal and beneficial, but which the laws of the United States -- laws that every United States judge swears to uphold -- proscribe and subject to criminal sanction," the judges said in their ruling.
--Beth Reinhard contributed to this article.
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/01 ... bankruptcy
Re: News in English 2017
'Not for the faint of heart': Why getting a marijuana producer licence is a long shot
The regulatory gates to Canada's legal marijuana regime are open, but only a crack.
Health Canada has received 1,630 applications for licences to grow or sell medical cannabis as of March 31. Only 43 licences have been approved so far, representing just 2.6 per cent of the total applications.
The seven-stage application process to obtain a licence is "not for the faint of heart," said Eileen McMahon, who chairs the food and drug regulatory practice at Torys LLP. Compared to other highly regulated industries like pharmaceuticals or medical devices, McMahon said, the rate of regulatory default in Canada's legal marijuana industry is remarkably high so far.
"I mean, these are very difficult regulatory submissions," McMahon said. "Lots of complexity, lots of information required, and you could see how easy it would be to get it wrong."
Of the 1,630 applications to Health Canada, 841 have been returned for being incomplete, and 265 were refused outright. Sixty-nine applications were withdrawn by the applicants, and 414 are still in progress. Some applications could be counted towards the total multiple times if they were resubmitted, according to Health Canada.
"The entire application process can take more than a year to complete," advises a Health Canada web page that outlines the process.
No guarantees
Applying for a licence from Health Canada is time-consuming, said one person who is reapplying for a licence from the federal health authority after being rejected the first time around. The applicant described a potentially costly process with no guarantee of favourable results. CBC News has agreed not to identify the applicant by name.
The applicant joined a group applying for a licence under the government's previous regulations in 2013. The would-be marijuana producers spent about $75,000 on consultants and lawyers for that first application, he said, plus hundreds of thousands of dollars more to retrofit a facility for growing.
"The application was rather straightforward. We didn't really think much of it at the time," the applicant said.
The group submitted an application in October 2013 and received an application number, then started the process of answering Health Canada's questions about specific information included in their submission. Those questions included a focus on the applicants' professional backgrounds.
Try, try again
By April 2014, Health Canada had an answer for the group: rejection. The federal health authority said the group's proposed marijuana grow site was too close to nearby homes, which came as a surprise to the applicant and his colleagues.
"The reason that we got rejected was not in the guidance document nor application," he said.
Ultimately, the applicant's group decided that appealing the rejection would be too expensive, so they started a new application under the current regulations, with a new proposed site. The new application was 800 pages long, the applicant said.
'This is supposed to be serious'
Despite the rejection, the applicant said he understands why Health Canada is setting an extremely high bar for applicants.
"I think the reason … it's designed this way [is] to make sure that only a certain type of group [is] selected — those who can handle this," he said.
So far, Health Canada has only approved 43 licences to grow legal medical marijuana. (Ron Ward/Canadian Press)
The applicant believes Health Canada is screening prospective producers for corporate and regulatory experience.
"Because this is supposed to be serious," he said. "It's a controlled substance, and it's a product that you're going to consume."
Asked about why it's so difficult to successfully apply for a licence, Health Canada highlighted its high standards.
"Applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis and all personnel listed on the application must pass a stringent security clearance process," said Health Canada spokesperson Sindy Souffront in an emailed statement.
"In addition, each application must demonstrate how the security measures, good production practices, and record keeping at their production facility will comply with the requirements listed in the regulations, which is currently verified during a pre-licence inspection by Health Canada."
'Steep learning curve'
Processing hundreds of applications has been "a massively steep learning curve" for Health Canada's Office of Medical Cannabis, said Trina Fraser, a partner at business law firm Brazeau Seller LLP, who has worked on dozens of licence applications.
Fraser said the Office of Medical Cannabis has faced a great deal of staff turnover in recent years, with some staff getting pulled off the medical marijuana file to focus on legalization.
"There's just been a lot of loss of institutional knowledge, I think, when all that turnover happens," she said.
Fraser said most of her current clients are waiting for Health Canada to finish reviewing their applications.
"It seems to be moving very slowly," she said. "Until they get more trained reviewers online who can pick those applications up faster, that's where most people are stuck."
The Office of Medical Cannabis employed 74 people in fiscal year 2016-17, according to Health Canada. Twenty-six of those employees worked full time reviewing applications for licences to produce and sell medical marijuana.
'It all makes sense'
According to the failed applicant whose group is in the process of reapplying, Health Canada has significantly improved its communications with licence applicants, and has clarified its expectations for applications.
"To be honest with you, it all makes sense," he said. "As long as it's written clearly, it makes total sense."
Anyone who's considering applying for a licence, though, should beware of what the applicant described as "charlatan consultants" working in the field. He cited one person who was recommended to his group as a security consultant, but proved to be "a total fool."
"And he's not the only one, and I think that there's a lot of money grabbers out there that are claiming to have experience in this, and they don't," warned the applicant.
https://i.cbc.ca/1.4090731.1493403369%2 ... cation.JPG
The first page of an application to become a licensed medical marijuana producer under the federal government's Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations. Applications can take more than a year to process. (Health Canada)
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/01 ... -long-shot
The regulatory gates to Canada's legal marijuana regime are open, but only a crack.
Health Canada has received 1,630 applications for licences to grow or sell medical cannabis as of March 31. Only 43 licences have been approved so far, representing just 2.6 per cent of the total applications.
The seven-stage application process to obtain a licence is "not for the faint of heart," said Eileen McMahon, who chairs the food and drug regulatory practice at Torys LLP. Compared to other highly regulated industries like pharmaceuticals or medical devices, McMahon said, the rate of regulatory default in Canada's legal marijuana industry is remarkably high so far.
"I mean, these are very difficult regulatory submissions," McMahon said. "Lots of complexity, lots of information required, and you could see how easy it would be to get it wrong."
Of the 1,630 applications to Health Canada, 841 have been returned for being incomplete, and 265 were refused outright. Sixty-nine applications were withdrawn by the applicants, and 414 are still in progress. Some applications could be counted towards the total multiple times if they were resubmitted, according to Health Canada.
"The entire application process can take more than a year to complete," advises a Health Canada web page that outlines the process.
No guarantees
Applying for a licence from Health Canada is time-consuming, said one person who is reapplying for a licence from the federal health authority after being rejected the first time around. The applicant described a potentially costly process with no guarantee of favourable results. CBC News has agreed not to identify the applicant by name.
The applicant joined a group applying for a licence under the government's previous regulations in 2013. The would-be marijuana producers spent about $75,000 on consultants and lawyers for that first application, he said, plus hundreds of thousands of dollars more to retrofit a facility for growing.
"The application was rather straightforward. We didn't really think much of it at the time," the applicant said.
The group submitted an application in October 2013 and received an application number, then started the process of answering Health Canada's questions about specific information included in their submission. Those questions included a focus on the applicants' professional backgrounds.
Try, try again
By April 2014, Health Canada had an answer for the group: rejection. The federal health authority said the group's proposed marijuana grow site was too close to nearby homes, which came as a surprise to the applicant and his colleagues.
"The reason that we got rejected was not in the guidance document nor application," he said.
Ultimately, the applicant's group decided that appealing the rejection would be too expensive, so they started a new application under the current regulations, with a new proposed site. The new application was 800 pages long, the applicant said.
'This is supposed to be serious'
Despite the rejection, the applicant said he understands why Health Canada is setting an extremely high bar for applicants.
"I think the reason … it's designed this way [is] to make sure that only a certain type of group [is] selected — those who can handle this," he said.
So far, Health Canada has only approved 43 licences to grow legal medical marijuana. (Ron Ward/Canadian Press)
The applicant believes Health Canada is screening prospective producers for corporate and regulatory experience.
"Because this is supposed to be serious," he said. "It's a controlled substance, and it's a product that you're going to consume."
Asked about why it's so difficult to successfully apply for a licence, Health Canada highlighted its high standards.
"Applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis and all personnel listed on the application must pass a stringent security clearance process," said Health Canada spokesperson Sindy Souffront in an emailed statement.
"In addition, each application must demonstrate how the security measures, good production practices, and record keeping at their production facility will comply with the requirements listed in the regulations, which is currently verified during a pre-licence inspection by Health Canada."
'Steep learning curve'
Processing hundreds of applications has been "a massively steep learning curve" for Health Canada's Office of Medical Cannabis, said Trina Fraser, a partner at business law firm Brazeau Seller LLP, who has worked on dozens of licence applications.
Fraser said the Office of Medical Cannabis has faced a great deal of staff turnover in recent years, with some staff getting pulled off the medical marijuana file to focus on legalization.
"There's just been a lot of loss of institutional knowledge, I think, when all that turnover happens," she said.
Fraser said most of her current clients are waiting for Health Canada to finish reviewing their applications.
"It seems to be moving very slowly," she said. "Until they get more trained reviewers online who can pick those applications up faster, that's where most people are stuck."
The Office of Medical Cannabis employed 74 people in fiscal year 2016-17, according to Health Canada. Twenty-six of those employees worked full time reviewing applications for licences to produce and sell medical marijuana.
'It all makes sense'
According to the failed applicant whose group is in the process of reapplying, Health Canada has significantly improved its communications with licence applicants, and has clarified its expectations for applications.
"To be honest with you, it all makes sense," he said. "As long as it's written clearly, it makes total sense."
Anyone who's considering applying for a licence, though, should beware of what the applicant described as "charlatan consultants" working in the field. He cited one person who was recommended to his group as a security consultant, but proved to be "a total fool."
"And he's not the only one, and I think that there's a lot of money grabbers out there that are claiming to have experience in this, and they don't," warned the applicant.
https://i.cbc.ca/1.4090731.1493403369%2 ... cation.JPG
The first page of an application to become a licensed medical marijuana producer under the federal government's Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations. Applications can take more than a year to process. (Health Canada)
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/01 ... -long-shot
Re: News in English 2017
More researchers say teens should lay off the weed while they build their brains
Researchers dive into the ways THC affects brain development
Therapist Jennifer Golick has one piece of advice for young people who want to try marijuana:
“Just wait.”
The teen brain isn’t just an adult brain with fewer miles on it, doctors and scientists say. It’s a beta version — different, and still under construction.
So external influences — say, daily bong hits — can have a much greater long-term impact on a teen brain than they would on the brain of a 25-year-old grad student, 45-year-old professional or 65-year-old retiree.
In Marin County, where weed is as easy to find as a glass of good Cabernet, Golick has treated about 180 boys and girls who are dependent on cannabis. She knows that the Reagan-era “Just Say No” message doesn’t work. But Golick, who works for Muir Wood Adolescent and Family Services, also knows that teens need to think ahead about the consequences of what they do.
“You should know what you’re getting into. You should know what will happen,” she said. “Be an informed consumer — you make the choice.”
Research has shown that smoking cannabis is 114 times less lethal than drinking alcohol. The next most deadly substances after alcohol are heroin and cocaine, followed by tobacco, Ecstasy and methamphetamine, according to the journal Scientific Reports.
But just because it’s less deadly doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous, researchers say.
Teens who engage in heavy marijuana use often show disadvantages in neurocognitive performance and brain development, said Sion Kim Harris, a research scientist with the Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse Research at Boston Children’s Hospital, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School.
Why is that so?
THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, suppresses the activity of neurons in a part of the brain called the hippocampus — the “command center” for memory and learning, Harris explained. So over time, with continued suppression, chronic users may end up with a smaller hippocampus.
That’s because THC occupies the same receptors on neurons as a natural brain chemical called anandamide. In essence, THC is acting as an imposter of this natural chemical.
The brain’s electrical pathways and the insulation process aren’t complete until the mid-20s, so teen brains are vulnerable to outside influences. In addition, teen brains are more “plastic.” They adapt and learn faster than adult brains — suggesting that teens are more vulnerable to developing an addiction.
Because these neurons are less active, the teen brain prunes away these neurons and their critical connections — reducing the ability to form memories.
“That is one of the biggest issues for teens — the ‘opportunity cost,’ ” Harris said. “Learning is the number one job for teens, and if they are having problems with learning, that will impact their ability to grow into adulthood.”
Scientists have seen another effect of early chronic cannabis use: faulty insulation of the brain’s wiring, she said. This insulation, called myelin, shows signs of structural problems in people who regularly used cannabis as teens, Harris said.
“So the implication is your brain is slower.” she said. “There’s a problem with cognitive processing. It’s not as sharp or as strong. It’s harder to maintain focus.”
An early age of initiation tends to be connected to greater differences in brain function during adulthood, concluded a major report in January by the National Academy of Sciences. “The brain does not complete development until approximately age 25, and data from the field of alcohol use reflect that substance use exposure during this period when the brain undergoes rapid transformation could have a more lasting impact on cognitive performance,” the report said.
While the academy found that it is difficult to document a direct link between cannabis use and educational outcomes — because so many variables play a role — it concluded that “this interference in cognitive function during the adolescent and emerging adult years, which overlap with the critical period in which many youth and young adults’ primary responsibility is to be receiving their education, could very well interfere with these individuals’ ability to optimally perform in school and other educational settings.”
Finally, teens are more vulnerable to developing mental illness as a result of using marijuana early in life, particularly if their families have a history of mental illness. “We are seeing these kids develop schizophrenia at a younger age than their parents or other family members developed it,” Harris said. “Marijuana use seems to be a precipitating factor.
“I don’t care who uses, or how often, if you’re over age 30,” she added. “But we’re seeing these critical developmental issues in people up to their mid-20s.”
Cody, a 23-year-old artist who grew up in the East Bay, felt a shift in his talents and ambitions after a casual habit grew into a dependency.
He tried it after watching “Weeds,” Showtime’s dark comedy, when he was 14. “Something clicked, and I thought: ‘I want to smoke.’ It represented the creative aspect. I had never been high or anything before, save for the dentists’ office,” said Cody, who requested that the Cannifornian not use his real name to protect his privacy. “I was curious. I think for a lot of my friends there was that feeling of reckless abandonment — and wanting to see what it is all about.
“At first, it was good. It was fun. It did help with the creative stuff,” he said. “I remember drawing and feeling like it loosened me up.”
But over time, his artistic ambitions faded. “After a while you get so high that you can’t or won’t draw anymore. It excises that drive,” he said. “And the whole time I was smoking weed, I never had a real intimate relationship. Weed filled that desire. I wasn’t put together enough to follow through with anything — and 99 percent of a relationship is effort.”
Then, suddenly, he wasn’t drawing at all. “That upset me,” he said. “And that was the initial reason to stop,” said Cody, who now attends Marijuana Anonymous meetings and is a straight-A student at an East Bay community college, studying animation and art. He hasn’t use cannabis for two years.
Cody said he’s met people who started at age 12 or 13, younger than he did, “and they don’t have the full capacity for memory. The earlier you start, the worse it is for you.”
Golick, the Marin County therapist, compares growing teen brains to the construction of a Ferris Wheel.
“If you’re at a carnival and a guy is putting together a Ferris Wheel, you want him to use every bolt available. You don’t want him to toss out a few,” Golick said.
“Same with your brain. You want to make sure all the bolts are in, and secure, before you start mucking with it,” she said. “Just wait — so you’re not the person who’s missing a few bolts.”
This story was first published on TheCannifornian.com
http://www.thecannabist.co/2017/05/01/r ... ent/78470/
Researchers dive into the ways THC affects brain development
Therapist Jennifer Golick has one piece of advice for young people who want to try marijuana:
“Just wait.”
The teen brain isn’t just an adult brain with fewer miles on it, doctors and scientists say. It’s a beta version — different, and still under construction.
So external influences — say, daily bong hits — can have a much greater long-term impact on a teen brain than they would on the brain of a 25-year-old grad student, 45-year-old professional or 65-year-old retiree.
In Marin County, where weed is as easy to find as a glass of good Cabernet, Golick has treated about 180 boys and girls who are dependent on cannabis. She knows that the Reagan-era “Just Say No” message doesn’t work. But Golick, who works for Muir Wood Adolescent and Family Services, also knows that teens need to think ahead about the consequences of what they do.
“You should know what you’re getting into. You should know what will happen,” she said. “Be an informed consumer — you make the choice.”
Research has shown that smoking cannabis is 114 times less lethal than drinking alcohol. The next most deadly substances after alcohol are heroin and cocaine, followed by tobacco, Ecstasy and methamphetamine, according to the journal Scientific Reports.
But just because it’s less deadly doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous, researchers say.
Teens who engage in heavy marijuana use often show disadvantages in neurocognitive performance and brain development, said Sion Kim Harris, a research scientist with the Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse Research at Boston Children’s Hospital, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School.
Why is that so?
THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, suppresses the activity of neurons in a part of the brain called the hippocampus — the “command center” for memory and learning, Harris explained. So over time, with continued suppression, chronic users may end up with a smaller hippocampus.
That’s because THC occupies the same receptors on neurons as a natural brain chemical called anandamide. In essence, THC is acting as an imposter of this natural chemical.
The brain’s electrical pathways and the insulation process aren’t complete until the mid-20s, so teen brains are vulnerable to outside influences. In addition, teen brains are more “plastic.” They adapt and learn faster than adult brains — suggesting that teens are more vulnerable to developing an addiction.
Because these neurons are less active, the teen brain prunes away these neurons and their critical connections — reducing the ability to form memories.
“That is one of the biggest issues for teens — the ‘opportunity cost,’ ” Harris said. “Learning is the number one job for teens, and if they are having problems with learning, that will impact their ability to grow into adulthood.”
Scientists have seen another effect of early chronic cannabis use: faulty insulation of the brain’s wiring, she said. This insulation, called myelin, shows signs of structural problems in people who regularly used cannabis as teens, Harris said.
“So the implication is your brain is slower.” she said. “There’s a problem with cognitive processing. It’s not as sharp or as strong. It’s harder to maintain focus.”
An early age of initiation tends to be connected to greater differences in brain function during adulthood, concluded a major report in January by the National Academy of Sciences. “The brain does not complete development until approximately age 25, and data from the field of alcohol use reflect that substance use exposure during this period when the brain undergoes rapid transformation could have a more lasting impact on cognitive performance,” the report said.
While the academy found that it is difficult to document a direct link between cannabis use and educational outcomes — because so many variables play a role — it concluded that “this interference in cognitive function during the adolescent and emerging adult years, which overlap with the critical period in which many youth and young adults’ primary responsibility is to be receiving their education, could very well interfere with these individuals’ ability to optimally perform in school and other educational settings.”
Finally, teens are more vulnerable to developing mental illness as a result of using marijuana early in life, particularly if their families have a history of mental illness. “We are seeing these kids develop schizophrenia at a younger age than their parents or other family members developed it,” Harris said. “Marijuana use seems to be a precipitating factor.
“I don’t care who uses, or how often, if you’re over age 30,” she added. “But we’re seeing these critical developmental issues in people up to their mid-20s.”
Cody, a 23-year-old artist who grew up in the East Bay, felt a shift in his talents and ambitions after a casual habit grew into a dependency.
He tried it after watching “Weeds,” Showtime’s dark comedy, when he was 14. “Something clicked, and I thought: ‘I want to smoke.’ It represented the creative aspect. I had never been high or anything before, save for the dentists’ office,” said Cody, who requested that the Cannifornian not use his real name to protect his privacy. “I was curious. I think for a lot of my friends there was that feeling of reckless abandonment — and wanting to see what it is all about.
“At first, it was good. It was fun. It did help with the creative stuff,” he said. “I remember drawing and feeling like it loosened me up.”
But over time, his artistic ambitions faded. “After a while you get so high that you can’t or won’t draw anymore. It excises that drive,” he said. “And the whole time I was smoking weed, I never had a real intimate relationship. Weed filled that desire. I wasn’t put together enough to follow through with anything — and 99 percent of a relationship is effort.”
Then, suddenly, he wasn’t drawing at all. “That upset me,” he said. “And that was the initial reason to stop,” said Cody, who now attends Marijuana Anonymous meetings and is a straight-A student at an East Bay community college, studying animation and art. He hasn’t use cannabis for two years.
Cody said he’s met people who started at age 12 or 13, younger than he did, “and they don’t have the full capacity for memory. The earlier you start, the worse it is for you.”
Golick, the Marin County therapist, compares growing teen brains to the construction of a Ferris Wheel.
“If you’re at a carnival and a guy is putting together a Ferris Wheel, you want him to use every bolt available. You don’t want him to toss out a few,” Golick said.
“Same with your brain. You want to make sure all the bolts are in, and secure, before you start mucking with it,” she said. “Just wait — so you’re not the person who’s missing a few bolts.”
This story was first published on TheCannifornian.com
http://www.thecannabist.co/2017/05/01/r ... ent/78470/
Re: News in English 2017
Mexican congress approves use of medical marijuana
Mexico's Lower House of Congress passed a bill on Friday to legalize the use of marijuana and cannabis for medical and scientific needs, a step closer to outright legalization in a country long scarred by warring drug cartels.
The bill sailed through the Senate in December and will now be sent to President Enrique Pena Nieto, who is expected to sign it.
"The ruling eliminates the prohibition and criminalization of acts related to the medicinal use of marijuana and its scientific research, and those relating to the production and distribution of the plant for these purposes," the Lower House said in a statement on its website.
The measure passed in a general floor vote with 371 in favor, seven against and 11 abstentions, and now classifies the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) as "therapeutic."
Speaking in April 2016 at a special session where world leaders gathered to rethink global strategy in the war on drugs for the first time in two decades, Pena Nieto said drug use should be addressed as a "public health problem" and users should not be criminalized.
Pena Nieto, once a vocal opponent of drug legalization, has said the United States and Mexico should not pursue diverging policies on marijuana legislation. Last year, he proposed a bill to allow Mexicans to carry up to an ounce of marijuana, a measure that has since stalled in Congress.
Since a 2015 court ruling, the government has allowed the importation on a case-by-case basis of medicine with cannabidiol (CBD), an active chemical ingredient of the drug.
Recreational marijuana is still broadly prohibited in Mexico, but in 2015 the Supreme Court granted four people the right to grow their own marijuana for personal consumption, opening the door to legalization.
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/01 ... -marijuana
Mexico's Lower House of Congress passed a bill on Friday to legalize the use of marijuana and cannabis for medical and scientific needs, a step closer to outright legalization in a country long scarred by warring drug cartels.
The bill sailed through the Senate in December and will now be sent to President Enrique Pena Nieto, who is expected to sign it.
"The ruling eliminates the prohibition and criminalization of acts related to the medicinal use of marijuana and its scientific research, and those relating to the production and distribution of the plant for these purposes," the Lower House said in a statement on its website.
The measure passed in a general floor vote with 371 in favor, seven against and 11 abstentions, and now classifies the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) as "therapeutic."
Speaking in April 2016 at a special session where world leaders gathered to rethink global strategy in the war on drugs for the first time in two decades, Pena Nieto said drug use should be addressed as a "public health problem" and users should not be criminalized.
Pena Nieto, once a vocal opponent of drug legalization, has said the United States and Mexico should not pursue diverging policies on marijuana legislation. Last year, he proposed a bill to allow Mexicans to carry up to an ounce of marijuana, a measure that has since stalled in Congress.
Since a 2015 court ruling, the government has allowed the importation on a case-by-case basis of medicine with cannabidiol (CBD), an active chemical ingredient of the drug.
Recreational marijuana is still broadly prohibited in Mexico, but in 2015 the Supreme Court granted four people the right to grow their own marijuana for personal consumption, opening the door to legalization.
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/01 ... -marijuana
Re: News in English 2017
No wonder marijuana stocks are soaring! Support for legalizing weed just hit an all-time high
The marijuana industry is the hottest thing since sliced bread, and marijuana stocks are thriving as a result. Here's a quick rundown of how some of the industry's largest players' stock prices have performed over the trailing 12 months:
GW Pharmaceuticals: up 35%
Canopy Growth Corp.: up 248%
Aphria: up 267%
Aurora Cannabis (NASDAQOTH:ACBFF): up 267%
Cara Therapeutics: up 141%
Zynerba Pharmaceuticals: up 146%
Medical Marijuana: up 225%
And trust me, the list goes on with similar results throughout the entire industry. Also, don't feel sorry for the GW Pharmaceuticals investors who've been "left behind" with only a 35% trailing one-year gain. The stock is up more than tenfold in a span of four years!
Marijuana stocks have benefited by the rapid growth of legal pot sales. According to cannabis research firm ArcView, North American legal weed sales grew 34% to $6.9 billion in 2016. What's more, investment firm Cowen & Co. believes that legal pot sales could hit $50 billion by 2026, implying a compound annual growth rate of better than 23% over the next decade. Those are mouthwatering growth rates for businesses and a major attraction for investors.
This new marijuana survey is great news for pot stocks
Today, we can add yet another reason why marijuana stocks may keep drawing in new investors: a new, and highly favorable, cannabis survey.
According to a brand-new poll from CBS News, which had more than 1,000 people surveyed by phone between April 11 and April 15, 61% of Americans now support the legalization of weed compared to 33% who believe it should be illegal. The 61% support represents an all-time high, and is up 5% from last year, 8% from 2015, 10% from 2014, and 21% from 2011. Also, 88% of respondents would like to see medical cannabis legalized nationally.
There were a number of additional intriguing findings from this study. For instance, 53% of respondents believe alcohol is more harmful than marijuana, compared to just 7% who chose marijuana as more dangerous than alcohol. For what it's worth, 28% believed they were equally harmful, and 9% chose neither as harmful.
There was also a mixed reaction on whether marijuana use does or doesn't lead to violent crime. In total, 23% said it leads to an increase in violent crime, 22% responded that it leads to a decline in violent crime, and 49% suggested it had no effect.
Long story short, we're seeing an all-around softening stance toward marijuana, and that paints an increasingly encouraging picture for marijuana stocks. Since lawmakers are voted in by the public, and a majority of the public now appears to favor the legalization of cannabis, Congress may be forced to act sooner than later to reconsider rescheduling or legalizing pot.
Remember, marijuana is a schedule I drug in the U.S., meaning it's illegal and is considered to have no medical benefits. The drugs' current status makes it incredibly difficult for researchers to conduct thorough clinical studies on marijuana's benefits and risks, and it makes life difficult on weed-based businesses. U.S.-based marijuana companies have little to no access to basic banking services, meaning they're forced to deal solely with cash, which is a security concern. They also aren't able to take normal corporate tax deductions due to the fact that they're selling an illegal substance, leading them to pay tax on their gross profits rather than net profits.
A double-edged sword for marijuana stocks
On one hand, the changing tide of opinion on pot has paved the way to increased sales for a number of marijuana companies. There are now eight states in the U.S. that have legalized recreational weed, and Canada's government may wind up legalizing the sale of recreational marijuana throughout the country by as early as next year.
This fairly steady rate of expansion, fueled by changing public opinion on the drug, is why companies like Aurora Cannabis in Canada are undertaking massive capacity expansion projects. Aurora Cannabis is currently constructing the Aurora Sky project which will increase its grow capacity more than eight-fold to nearly 900,000 square feet. Even though Aurora Cannabis is entirely focused on supplying product to the medical marijuana community at the moment, legalizing recreational pot in Canada could quickly change its strategy to an even higher growth revenue channel (recreational sales).
But, marijuana stocks mostly remain a double-edged sword for investors. Aside from the fact that well over 90% of pot stocks are unprofitable and may not have sustainable business models, there's a legal mountain that could halt marijuana's expansion in its tracks.
For example, in February White House press secretary Sean Spicer announced that the Trump administration would depart from the lax policies of the Obama administration when it comes to the federal regulation of recreational marijuana. No one is entirely certain what sort of added enforcement may be coming, but ardent pot opponent Jeff Sessions, who also happens to be the newest U.S. Attorney General, is certainly striking fear in the minds of cannabis businesses and pot-stock investors.
Despite CBS News' positive poll for marijuana proponents, the best bet for investors remains staying safely on the sidelines.
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/01 ... t-all-time
The marijuana industry is the hottest thing since sliced bread, and marijuana stocks are thriving as a result. Here's a quick rundown of how some of the industry's largest players' stock prices have performed over the trailing 12 months:
GW Pharmaceuticals: up 35%
Canopy Growth Corp.: up 248%
Aphria: up 267%
Aurora Cannabis (NASDAQOTH:ACBFF): up 267%
Cara Therapeutics: up 141%
Zynerba Pharmaceuticals: up 146%
Medical Marijuana: up 225%
And trust me, the list goes on with similar results throughout the entire industry. Also, don't feel sorry for the GW Pharmaceuticals investors who've been "left behind" with only a 35% trailing one-year gain. The stock is up more than tenfold in a span of four years!
Marijuana stocks have benefited by the rapid growth of legal pot sales. According to cannabis research firm ArcView, North American legal weed sales grew 34% to $6.9 billion in 2016. What's more, investment firm Cowen & Co. believes that legal pot sales could hit $50 billion by 2026, implying a compound annual growth rate of better than 23% over the next decade. Those are mouthwatering growth rates for businesses and a major attraction for investors.
This new marijuana survey is great news for pot stocks
Today, we can add yet another reason why marijuana stocks may keep drawing in new investors: a new, and highly favorable, cannabis survey.
According to a brand-new poll from CBS News, which had more than 1,000 people surveyed by phone between April 11 and April 15, 61% of Americans now support the legalization of weed compared to 33% who believe it should be illegal. The 61% support represents an all-time high, and is up 5% from last year, 8% from 2015, 10% from 2014, and 21% from 2011. Also, 88% of respondents would like to see medical cannabis legalized nationally.
There were a number of additional intriguing findings from this study. For instance, 53% of respondents believe alcohol is more harmful than marijuana, compared to just 7% who chose marijuana as more dangerous than alcohol. For what it's worth, 28% believed they were equally harmful, and 9% chose neither as harmful.
There was also a mixed reaction on whether marijuana use does or doesn't lead to violent crime. In total, 23% said it leads to an increase in violent crime, 22% responded that it leads to a decline in violent crime, and 49% suggested it had no effect.
Long story short, we're seeing an all-around softening stance toward marijuana, and that paints an increasingly encouraging picture for marijuana stocks. Since lawmakers are voted in by the public, and a majority of the public now appears to favor the legalization of cannabis, Congress may be forced to act sooner than later to reconsider rescheduling or legalizing pot.
Remember, marijuana is a schedule I drug in the U.S., meaning it's illegal and is considered to have no medical benefits. The drugs' current status makes it incredibly difficult for researchers to conduct thorough clinical studies on marijuana's benefits and risks, and it makes life difficult on weed-based businesses. U.S.-based marijuana companies have little to no access to basic banking services, meaning they're forced to deal solely with cash, which is a security concern. They also aren't able to take normal corporate tax deductions due to the fact that they're selling an illegal substance, leading them to pay tax on their gross profits rather than net profits.
A double-edged sword for marijuana stocks
On one hand, the changing tide of opinion on pot has paved the way to increased sales for a number of marijuana companies. There are now eight states in the U.S. that have legalized recreational weed, and Canada's government may wind up legalizing the sale of recreational marijuana throughout the country by as early as next year.
This fairly steady rate of expansion, fueled by changing public opinion on the drug, is why companies like Aurora Cannabis in Canada are undertaking massive capacity expansion projects. Aurora Cannabis is currently constructing the Aurora Sky project which will increase its grow capacity more than eight-fold to nearly 900,000 square feet. Even though Aurora Cannabis is entirely focused on supplying product to the medical marijuana community at the moment, legalizing recreational pot in Canada could quickly change its strategy to an even higher growth revenue channel (recreational sales).
But, marijuana stocks mostly remain a double-edged sword for investors. Aside from the fact that well over 90% of pot stocks are unprofitable and may not have sustainable business models, there's a legal mountain that could halt marijuana's expansion in its tracks.
For example, in February White House press secretary Sean Spicer announced that the Trump administration would depart from the lax policies of the Obama administration when it comes to the federal regulation of recreational marijuana. No one is entirely certain what sort of added enforcement may be coming, but ardent pot opponent Jeff Sessions, who also happens to be the newest U.S. Attorney General, is certainly striking fear in the minds of cannabis businesses and pot-stock investors.
Despite CBS News' positive poll for marijuana proponents, the best bet for investors remains staying safely on the sidelines.
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/01 ... t-all-time
Re: News in English 2017
The Ferrari-driving millionaire 'Cannabis Club' owner who legally deals
It’s 3am in Beverly Hills and an A-list actor, in the throes of a marathon sex session with five young women, reaches across the silk sheets for his phone.
But the woman he has on speed-dial is not being summoned to join in.
Despite her glamorous looks, Cheryl Shuman is no support actress. She is Hollywood’s favourite producer – of top-quality cannabis.
After taking his call, the 57-year-old mum-of-two changes into an all-black outfit of jeans, T-shirt and high heels, packs her antique doctors’ bag and heads across town in her red Ferrari.
Cheryl, said to be dating British talent show veteran “Nasty Nigel” Lythgoe , is known to LA’s glitterati as the Cannabis Queen of Beverly Hills, supplying the biggest screen stars.
Cheryl with talent show veteran Nigel Lythgoe (Photo: Getty Images North America)
Since California legalised the drug six months ago, business is booming.
Cheryl told the Sunday People : “I have more than 200 celebrity clients, virtually every A-List star you can think of.”
She is raking it in as the owner of the Beverly Hills Cannabis Club, which she runs with daughter Aimee.
One strain of her “designer” pot targeted at women sells for £560 an ounce. It arrives wrapped in gold foil.
Last week she sold a £120,000 vape pen, studded with diamonds, rubies and sapphires and crafted from a fountain pen once owned by a Russian czar.
Vaporizers decked in pavé diamonds are a mere £12,000 each.
Campaign group Citizens Against the Legalization of Cannabis in California claims lifting the ban, and celebrities glamorising the drug, has caused a crisis in health, crime and youth culture.
Cheryl insists she is simply helping stars cope with life in the fast lane.
There is certainly no shortage of high-profile users. Singer Justin Timberlake told Playboy magazine: “It gets me to stop thinking. Sometimes I have a brain that needs to be turned off.”
Snoop Dogg and Rihanna also make no secret of their love for the drug, while Cameron Diaz last year claimed on US talk show Lopez Tonight that Snoop had been her dealer in high school.
Cheryl says: “I offer strains of cannabis to ease pain, soothe anxiety, even heighten sex – prolonging endurance or intensifying orgasm .”
Her little black book is a Who’s Who of Hollywood. She says: “I can’t name my clients, but they’re household names.
“Marijuana is legal for adult recreational use in California, but many stars want to keep their use a secret and they value my discretion.”
At Hollywood red carpet events and galas, the stars gravitate around her. Friends include Aerosmith rocker Steven Tyler , actors Whoopi Goldberg , Elijah Wood and Chris Klein , marijuana advocate and comedy star Cheech Marin , and chat show legend Jay Leno .
She has partied with Richard Branson on his private islands. Cheryl says: “I was looking at these great women in my circle, like Cameron Diaz and the singer Fergie – everybody loves marijuana. Why should we be in the closet?”
Other celebrities who admit smoking pot include Lady Gaga , Jennifer Aniston , Kristen Stewart and Hollywood legend Morgan Freeman .
Since being romantically linked with TV pop and dance judge Nigel, 67, Cheryl has often been spotted at his side on Hollywood’s red carpets.
In a city of endless soirées and shindigs, her job keeps her up all hours.
Talking of her 3am call – an actor who appeared in one of the biggest-grossing films ever – she says: “I was still wide awake. It was, ‘Hey, we need all of the sex oils and herbs you have.’
“I have cannabis that enhances sex, cannabis-based lubricants and cannabis oils that increase sexual pleasure. He left the front door open for me – I found him lying on his custom-made bed, the size of two king beds, with five naked girls. I’ve seen many celebrities naked, I don’t judge.”
But Cheryl’s customers are not just rappers and sex-crazed A-listers.
She says: “Many are in their 60s and 70s. They start to get aches and pains, battle illness and cancer, or need to improve sexual performance.
“ Zsa Zsa Gabor and the singer Peggy Lee were clients. I have one older British client, very well known on TV, who uses cannabis every day.”
Legalised marijuana was a £6.9billion business last year in the US, where the drug is lawful in 28 states for medicinal use, and for recreation in eight. Yet selling it still carries a stigma.
Cheryl says: “I don’t want to be seen as a drug dealer. I’ve worked hard to be an honest businesswoman.”
She now owns a 68-acre cannabis farm in northern California and offers marijuana-laced foods and beauty products. She hosts celebrity dinners where Michelin-starred chefs prepare cannabis infused dishes.
She say: “I’ve thrown parties where each setting has five cannabis oil cartridges, each matched with a different course.
“I even have a couple of celebrities coming to me seeking cannabis for their children with autism.
“But we do extensive testing. You can’t just give a kid a joint.”
Actress and producer Charlize Theron is understood to be developing a movie of Cheryl’s life – from Iowa farm girl to optician to the stars in Hollywood.
Cheryl turned to marijuana in 1995 after losing a lawsuit following an affair with action star Steven Seagal .
She began using it again in 2006 when she was given just months to live because of colon and bladder cancer.
She says: “I just wanted to die in peace. But a friend told me about certain cannabis strains with healing properties.
“Within a month I was off the IV. After three months I could eat solid food. I’m a cannabis evangelist. I hope to see the day when cannabis is as acceptable as a cup of coffee in the morning.
“I wish more celebrities would take a stand but they’re scared.
“I hope to take away the stigma of marijuana – one celebrity at a time.”
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/01 ... ally-deals
It’s 3am in Beverly Hills and an A-list actor, in the throes of a marathon sex session with five young women, reaches across the silk sheets for his phone.
But the woman he has on speed-dial is not being summoned to join in.
Despite her glamorous looks, Cheryl Shuman is no support actress. She is Hollywood’s favourite producer – of top-quality cannabis.
After taking his call, the 57-year-old mum-of-two changes into an all-black outfit of jeans, T-shirt and high heels, packs her antique doctors’ bag and heads across town in her red Ferrari.
Cheryl, said to be dating British talent show veteran “Nasty Nigel” Lythgoe , is known to LA’s glitterati as the Cannabis Queen of Beverly Hills, supplying the biggest screen stars.
Cheryl with talent show veteran Nigel Lythgoe (Photo: Getty Images North America)
Since California legalised the drug six months ago, business is booming.
Cheryl told the Sunday People : “I have more than 200 celebrity clients, virtually every A-List star you can think of.”
She is raking it in as the owner of the Beverly Hills Cannabis Club, which she runs with daughter Aimee.
One strain of her “designer” pot targeted at women sells for £560 an ounce. It arrives wrapped in gold foil.
Last week she sold a £120,000 vape pen, studded with diamonds, rubies and sapphires and crafted from a fountain pen once owned by a Russian czar.
Vaporizers decked in pavé diamonds are a mere £12,000 each.
Campaign group Citizens Against the Legalization of Cannabis in California claims lifting the ban, and celebrities glamorising the drug, has caused a crisis in health, crime and youth culture.
Cheryl insists she is simply helping stars cope with life in the fast lane.
There is certainly no shortage of high-profile users. Singer Justin Timberlake told Playboy magazine: “It gets me to stop thinking. Sometimes I have a brain that needs to be turned off.”
Snoop Dogg and Rihanna also make no secret of their love for the drug, while Cameron Diaz last year claimed on US talk show Lopez Tonight that Snoop had been her dealer in high school.
Cheryl says: “I offer strains of cannabis to ease pain, soothe anxiety, even heighten sex – prolonging endurance or intensifying orgasm .”
Her little black book is a Who’s Who of Hollywood. She says: “I can’t name my clients, but they’re household names.
“Marijuana is legal for adult recreational use in California, but many stars want to keep their use a secret and they value my discretion.”
At Hollywood red carpet events and galas, the stars gravitate around her. Friends include Aerosmith rocker Steven Tyler , actors Whoopi Goldberg , Elijah Wood and Chris Klein , marijuana advocate and comedy star Cheech Marin , and chat show legend Jay Leno .
She has partied with Richard Branson on his private islands. Cheryl says: “I was looking at these great women in my circle, like Cameron Diaz and the singer Fergie – everybody loves marijuana. Why should we be in the closet?”
Other celebrities who admit smoking pot include Lady Gaga , Jennifer Aniston , Kristen Stewart and Hollywood legend Morgan Freeman .
Since being romantically linked with TV pop and dance judge Nigel, 67, Cheryl has often been spotted at his side on Hollywood’s red carpets.
In a city of endless soirées and shindigs, her job keeps her up all hours.
Talking of her 3am call – an actor who appeared in one of the biggest-grossing films ever – she says: “I was still wide awake. It was, ‘Hey, we need all of the sex oils and herbs you have.’
“I have cannabis that enhances sex, cannabis-based lubricants and cannabis oils that increase sexual pleasure. He left the front door open for me – I found him lying on his custom-made bed, the size of two king beds, with five naked girls. I’ve seen many celebrities naked, I don’t judge.”
But Cheryl’s customers are not just rappers and sex-crazed A-listers.
She says: “Many are in their 60s and 70s. They start to get aches and pains, battle illness and cancer, or need to improve sexual performance.
“ Zsa Zsa Gabor and the singer Peggy Lee were clients. I have one older British client, very well known on TV, who uses cannabis every day.”
Legalised marijuana was a £6.9billion business last year in the US, where the drug is lawful in 28 states for medicinal use, and for recreation in eight. Yet selling it still carries a stigma.
Cheryl says: “I don’t want to be seen as a drug dealer. I’ve worked hard to be an honest businesswoman.”
She now owns a 68-acre cannabis farm in northern California and offers marijuana-laced foods and beauty products. She hosts celebrity dinners where Michelin-starred chefs prepare cannabis infused dishes.
She say: “I’ve thrown parties where each setting has five cannabis oil cartridges, each matched with a different course.
“I even have a couple of celebrities coming to me seeking cannabis for their children with autism.
“But we do extensive testing. You can’t just give a kid a joint.”
Actress and producer Charlize Theron is understood to be developing a movie of Cheryl’s life – from Iowa farm girl to optician to the stars in Hollywood.
Cheryl turned to marijuana in 1995 after losing a lawsuit following an affair with action star Steven Seagal .
She began using it again in 2006 when she was given just months to live because of colon and bladder cancer.
She says: “I just wanted to die in peace. But a friend told me about certain cannabis strains with healing properties.
“Within a month I was off the IV. After three months I could eat solid food. I’m a cannabis evangelist. I hope to see the day when cannabis is as acceptable as a cup of coffee in the morning.
“I wish more celebrities would take a stand but they’re scared.
“I hope to take away the stigma of marijuana – one celebrity at a time.”
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/01 ... ally-deals
Re: News in English 2017
The Cannabis Beauty Product Boom
New products address everything from skin hydration to wrinkle defense, pain elimination to muscle relaxation.
Cannabis beauty. It's the next frontier in the increasingly chic world of weed, with new products addressing everything from skin hydration to wrinkle defense, pain elimination to muscle relaxation.
The magic ingredients being sourced from cannabis plants and used in beauty products include hemp seed oil (said to have up to 80 percent essential fatty acids, one of the highest percentages of any plant oil in the world), plus terpenes, sterols and vitamin E, which can help keep skin moisturized and balanced.
"It's a natural rejuvenator for skin," says registered nurse Tamara Anderson of cannabis. Anderson is the founder of Culinary and Cannabis, which held its inaugural Cannaspa in Palm Springs during the second weekend of Coachella. Cannaspa attendees received cannabis massages with products containing extractions of THC, CBD and turpines. The oils penetrate your muscle tissues more effectively, she says, "so massages are deeper and the effects last longer. Your muscles already have cannbanoid receptors, so when you give it to your body, your body is like, 'Thank you!'"
This kind of gratitude has been ringing across social media from high profile names like Jessica Seinfeld, who loves the High CBD Pain & Wellness Body Lotion from Lord Jones. According to the brand, celebrity stylist Karla Welch and her clients, Sarah Paulson and Busy Philipps, apply the lotion to their feet to combat pain before a long night in heels.
"We have patients who have reported that our topical stimulates nail growth and hardens nails," says Cindy Capobianco, co-founder of Lord Jones and the nonprofit collective Hollywood Hills Wellness. "One patient in particular was using our lotion each night before bed as hand cream — not thinking anything of it — and suddenly, her paper thin, peeling nails changed into strong and healthy nails."
She notes that they also have fans in patients who suffer from MS, cancer, AIDS related issues and various types of arthritis, as well as people who use the lotion to combat chronic joint pain, endometriosis, menstrual cramps and neuropathic pain.
While cannabis creams and topicals may have more established proven effects as medical aids, the beauty benefits have yet to be researched as extensively, says Dr. Carlos A. Charles, a New York City-based dermatologist and founder and medical director of Derma Di Colore.
“While it does seem plausible that CBD could potentially play a role in alleviating various inflammatory mediated skin conditions, extensive placebo-controlled research still needs to be performed to make any definitive conclusions as to it's efficacy and tolerability on human skin at this time," says Dr. Charles. "However, the current research on the effects of CBD on the skin is clearly an exciting area with a great deal of interest and attention. There are sure to be many more skincare products available as restrictions on marijuana for both recreational and medical uses are eased and any residual stigma associated with cannabis use is lessened."
The excitement surrounding the potential of the potent plant plus current trends in beauty and wellness are fueling the growth in the luxury segment of the lifestyle business.
"Consumers these days are really prioritizing health and wellness and the idea of inner and outer beauty," says Andy Wyss, marketing director of global advertising and marketing agency Select World. "Beauty consumers are increasingly turning to 'unusual' or 'mystical' practices, such as crystal healing, herbal remedies, etc. The novelty of marijuana health benefits fits right under this consumer trend of wanting new, unusual and interesting ways to achieve their holistic health goals."
Add to that, says Wyss, the fact that luxury is now about health and products and services that are experiential, and the market for high-end marijuana products is far more Hermes than head shop.
"As long as it is packaged right and marketed to the luxury lifestyle adding value to their lives and ultimately benefiting their bodies, I don’t see why this wouldn't become a high-end indulgence," says Wyss. "Soon everyone will want to ride the high of cannabis in beauty."
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/02 ... oduct-boom
New products address everything from skin hydration to wrinkle defense, pain elimination to muscle relaxation.
Cannabis beauty. It's the next frontier in the increasingly chic world of weed, with new products addressing everything from skin hydration to wrinkle defense, pain elimination to muscle relaxation.
The magic ingredients being sourced from cannabis plants and used in beauty products include hemp seed oil (said to have up to 80 percent essential fatty acids, one of the highest percentages of any plant oil in the world), plus terpenes, sterols and vitamin E, which can help keep skin moisturized and balanced.
"It's a natural rejuvenator for skin," says registered nurse Tamara Anderson of cannabis. Anderson is the founder of Culinary and Cannabis, which held its inaugural Cannaspa in Palm Springs during the second weekend of Coachella. Cannaspa attendees received cannabis massages with products containing extractions of THC, CBD and turpines. The oils penetrate your muscle tissues more effectively, she says, "so massages are deeper and the effects last longer. Your muscles already have cannbanoid receptors, so when you give it to your body, your body is like, 'Thank you!'"
This kind of gratitude has been ringing across social media from high profile names like Jessica Seinfeld, who loves the High CBD Pain & Wellness Body Lotion from Lord Jones. According to the brand, celebrity stylist Karla Welch and her clients, Sarah Paulson and Busy Philipps, apply the lotion to their feet to combat pain before a long night in heels.
"We have patients who have reported that our topical stimulates nail growth and hardens nails," says Cindy Capobianco, co-founder of Lord Jones and the nonprofit collective Hollywood Hills Wellness. "One patient in particular was using our lotion each night before bed as hand cream — not thinking anything of it — and suddenly, her paper thin, peeling nails changed into strong and healthy nails."
She notes that they also have fans in patients who suffer from MS, cancer, AIDS related issues and various types of arthritis, as well as people who use the lotion to combat chronic joint pain, endometriosis, menstrual cramps and neuropathic pain.
While cannabis creams and topicals may have more established proven effects as medical aids, the beauty benefits have yet to be researched as extensively, says Dr. Carlos A. Charles, a New York City-based dermatologist and founder and medical director of Derma Di Colore.
“While it does seem plausible that CBD could potentially play a role in alleviating various inflammatory mediated skin conditions, extensive placebo-controlled research still needs to be performed to make any definitive conclusions as to it's efficacy and tolerability on human skin at this time," says Dr. Charles. "However, the current research on the effects of CBD on the skin is clearly an exciting area with a great deal of interest and attention. There are sure to be many more skincare products available as restrictions on marijuana for both recreational and medical uses are eased and any residual stigma associated with cannabis use is lessened."
The excitement surrounding the potential of the potent plant plus current trends in beauty and wellness are fueling the growth in the luxury segment of the lifestyle business.
"Consumers these days are really prioritizing health and wellness and the idea of inner and outer beauty," says Andy Wyss, marketing director of global advertising and marketing agency Select World. "Beauty consumers are increasingly turning to 'unusual' or 'mystical' practices, such as crystal healing, herbal remedies, etc. The novelty of marijuana health benefits fits right under this consumer trend of wanting new, unusual and interesting ways to achieve their holistic health goals."
Add to that, says Wyss, the fact that luxury is now about health and products and services that are experiential, and the market for high-end marijuana products is far more Hermes than head shop.
"As long as it is packaged right and marketed to the luxury lifestyle adding value to their lives and ultimately benefiting their bodies, I don’t see why this wouldn't become a high-end indulgence," says Wyss. "Soon everyone will want to ride the high of cannabis in beauty."
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/02 ... oduct-boom
Re: News in English 2017
The Folks Behind The Magical Butter Machine Just Released A Line Of Edible Molds
The founder and CEO of the Florida-based MagicalButter.com – the countertop appliance that makes cannabis-infused butter, oil and tinctures – has released a line of silicone molds designed specifically to distinguish medicated products from candy for children.
The molds come in various shapes and sizes for the convenience of the commercial dispensary, food product manufacturer or home chef, but all feature an embossed ‘21UP.’
Released with a line of childproof safety bags and packaging, the molds are intended to “make it easy for those aged [21 and over] to ingest medical cannabis in the popular form of gummies, with their family and friends’ safety in mind.”
“We applied the same mentality of any high-level security system to 21UP, whereby we’re protecting the child through our bags, packaging, and then finally as a last line of defense, the marking on the edible itself,” Angel told Civilized.
“Edibles are one of the fastest growing segments in the cannabis industry. Knowing that, we need to be proactive because we don’t want accidental ingestion by minors.”
Along with preventing unwanted consumption, Angel hopes the molds will serve as a conversation starter between kids and their cannabis-consuming parents. The 21UP emblem was, in fact, specifically chosen for this purpose, said Angel.
“While it’s important that we have a universal standard to signify that something isn’t safe for children to consume, we also felt it was important not to use a big X or anything else that would imply harmful materials to adults; I think that would be sending a mixed message to children,” said Angel, adding that “we need to start being truthful with children.”
“The [21UP emblem] gives parents an opportunity to have honest discussions with their children. I hope it opens up that dialogue that... just because Mommy or Daddy do it doesn’t mean it’s good for you.”
Along with selling the molds to would-be edibles manufacturers on their website at a retail price of two for $10, MagicalButter.com is offering the use of their trademarked 21UP logo to any company making medicated products such as gummies, hard candies, lollipops, etc. at a three percent royalty and 10 percent net profit, plus production cost, ‘to encourage broad acceptance of this protective measure.”
“We want to be self-regulatory as an industry; I think that’s something we can all agree on,” said Angel. “These are the kinds of steps required to show the government that we’re being proactive and regulating the industry through responsible markings.”
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/02 ... ible-molds
The founder and CEO of the Florida-based MagicalButter.com – the countertop appliance that makes cannabis-infused butter, oil and tinctures – has released a line of silicone molds designed specifically to distinguish medicated products from candy for children.
The molds come in various shapes and sizes for the convenience of the commercial dispensary, food product manufacturer or home chef, but all feature an embossed ‘21UP.’
Released with a line of childproof safety bags and packaging, the molds are intended to “make it easy for those aged [21 and over] to ingest medical cannabis in the popular form of gummies, with their family and friends’ safety in mind.”
“We applied the same mentality of any high-level security system to 21UP, whereby we’re protecting the child through our bags, packaging, and then finally as a last line of defense, the marking on the edible itself,” Angel told Civilized.
“Edibles are one of the fastest growing segments in the cannabis industry. Knowing that, we need to be proactive because we don’t want accidental ingestion by minors.”
Along with preventing unwanted consumption, Angel hopes the molds will serve as a conversation starter between kids and their cannabis-consuming parents. The 21UP emblem was, in fact, specifically chosen for this purpose, said Angel.
“While it’s important that we have a universal standard to signify that something isn’t safe for children to consume, we also felt it was important not to use a big X or anything else that would imply harmful materials to adults; I think that would be sending a mixed message to children,” said Angel, adding that “we need to start being truthful with children.”
“The [21UP emblem] gives parents an opportunity to have honest discussions with their children. I hope it opens up that dialogue that... just because Mommy or Daddy do it doesn’t mean it’s good for you.”
Along with selling the molds to would-be edibles manufacturers on their website at a retail price of two for $10, MagicalButter.com is offering the use of their trademarked 21UP logo to any company making medicated products such as gummies, hard candies, lollipops, etc. at a three percent royalty and 10 percent net profit, plus production cost, ‘to encourage broad acceptance of this protective measure.”
“We want to be self-regulatory as an industry; I think that’s something we can all agree on,” said Angel. “These are the kinds of steps required to show the government that we’re being proactive and regulating the industry through responsible markings.”
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/02 ... ible-molds
Re: News in English 2017
Five Myths About Marijuana Legalization Debunked by Colorado's Experience
Here are five myths about marijuana legalization that Colorado officials and businesses say have been debunked in the state, where recreational pot was first legalized in 2012:
1. It's a tax windfall.
Marijuana sales surpassed US$1.3 billion in Colorado in 2016, but that's only a fraction of the state's $333 billion GDP, said Ashley Kilroy, Denver's executive director of excise and licences, which oversees marijuana policy.
In 2016, the state collected $199 million in tax and fee revenue, of which $40 million was earmarked for school construction projects and $5.7 million was designated generally for public schools. Colorado's overall budget is $26.8 billion this year.
The city of Denver also collects its own special 3.5 per cent tax on marijuana. But marijuana only accounts for 2.5 per cent of the city's general fund revenue and all of it currently goes towards regulation and enforcement of legal cannabis.
"It's nice to have but there have been a lot of costs associated with regulating it," said Kilroy.
2. More teenagers — and adults, for that matter — will start using pot.
Colorado officials thought there would be an increase in use as a result of legalization, said Dr. Larry Wolk, chief medical officer at the Department of Public Health and Environment. But there has been no increase to date among either youth or adults, he said.
"What it looks like is folks who may have been using illicitly before are using legally now and teens or youth that were using illicitly before, it's still the same rate of illicit use," he said.
The legal age for the consumption of marijuana is 21.
Wolk said Colorado is still working on getting teen use down through education campaigns. Using focus groups, the government has learned that it's not an effective message to tell kids pot is bad for their developing brain.
"What's more effective with kids is to point out how this could interfere with what's next — using marijuana may impact your ability to get a job, may impact your ability to drive a car, to graduate from high school."
3. Driving stoned is safer than driving drunk.
Wolk said he hears this dangerous misconception all the time.
"People try to trap us into this relative scale, 'Well, marijuana is safer than alcohol.' It's not really a competition between marijuana and alcohol. Impairment is impairment," he said. "If you're going to get high, don't drive, period."
Fifty-five per cent of marijuana users in Colorado believe it's safe to drive under the influence of cannabis, says a study by the state's Department of Transportation.
The number of fatalities involving a driver who had active THC — the mind-altering ingredient in cannabis — in their system was 44 in 2015, up from 31 in 2014. More than 17 per cent of all impaired-driving arrests by the Colorado State Patrol in 2016 involved marijuana.
However, the Denver Police Department reported only 73 of 2,532 impaired-driving arrests involved marijuana in 2015, or 2.8 per cent.
4. You have to be a weed enthusiast to get a job in the industry.
Colorado's legal cannabis industry created more than 18,000 new full-time jobs and generated $2.4 billion in economic activity in 2015, says an analysis by economic consulting firm Marijuana Policy Group.
Industry members say those jobs include not only the obvious growers, trimmers and retail workers, but lawyers, human resources directors, compliance consultants, public relations professionals, graphic designers and many more.
Josh Ginsberg, CEO of Native Roots, a top cultivation and dispensary chain, said the company employs nearly 700 people. When it comes to filling positions externally, sometimes well-qualified corporate professionals are hesitant to enter the marijuana industry, he said.
"They're a little scared to step into this industry because they feel it might change their future," he said. "I think that's a perception that people have and that's why it's difficult for us to find external people. It's much easier to build our family and educate from within."
5. Marijuana-related crime will go up.
Marijuana-related crimes include any crime reported to the Denver Police Department that has a clear connection to marijuana. These do not include illegally possessing, selling or growing pot.
In Denver, marijuana related-crime has represented a smaller percentage of overall crime since pot was legalized — from 0.58 per cent in 2012 to 0.42 per cent in 2015. There were 192 crimes against the marijuana industry in 2015, including 117 burglaries. There were eight violent crimes connected to marijuana.
Meanwhile, arrests related to the black market did go up in 2015. One-hundred-forty-seven arrests were made for unlawful distribution of cannabis, representing a 99 per cent increase over 2014, while 90 arrests were made for unlawful cultivation, up 900 per cent from the previous year.
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/02 ... perience-0
Here are five myths about marijuana legalization that Colorado officials and businesses say have been debunked in the state, where recreational pot was first legalized in 2012:
1. It's a tax windfall.
Marijuana sales surpassed US$1.3 billion in Colorado in 2016, but that's only a fraction of the state's $333 billion GDP, said Ashley Kilroy, Denver's executive director of excise and licences, which oversees marijuana policy.
In 2016, the state collected $199 million in tax and fee revenue, of which $40 million was earmarked for school construction projects and $5.7 million was designated generally for public schools. Colorado's overall budget is $26.8 billion this year.
The city of Denver also collects its own special 3.5 per cent tax on marijuana. But marijuana only accounts for 2.5 per cent of the city's general fund revenue and all of it currently goes towards regulation and enforcement of legal cannabis.
"It's nice to have but there have been a lot of costs associated with regulating it," said Kilroy.
2. More teenagers — and adults, for that matter — will start using pot.
Colorado officials thought there would be an increase in use as a result of legalization, said Dr. Larry Wolk, chief medical officer at the Department of Public Health and Environment. But there has been no increase to date among either youth or adults, he said.
"What it looks like is folks who may have been using illicitly before are using legally now and teens or youth that were using illicitly before, it's still the same rate of illicit use," he said.
The legal age for the consumption of marijuana is 21.
Wolk said Colorado is still working on getting teen use down through education campaigns. Using focus groups, the government has learned that it's not an effective message to tell kids pot is bad for their developing brain.
"What's more effective with kids is to point out how this could interfere with what's next — using marijuana may impact your ability to get a job, may impact your ability to drive a car, to graduate from high school."
3. Driving stoned is safer than driving drunk.
Wolk said he hears this dangerous misconception all the time.
"People try to trap us into this relative scale, 'Well, marijuana is safer than alcohol.' It's not really a competition between marijuana and alcohol. Impairment is impairment," he said. "If you're going to get high, don't drive, period."
Fifty-five per cent of marijuana users in Colorado believe it's safe to drive under the influence of cannabis, says a study by the state's Department of Transportation.
The number of fatalities involving a driver who had active THC — the mind-altering ingredient in cannabis — in their system was 44 in 2015, up from 31 in 2014. More than 17 per cent of all impaired-driving arrests by the Colorado State Patrol in 2016 involved marijuana.
However, the Denver Police Department reported only 73 of 2,532 impaired-driving arrests involved marijuana in 2015, or 2.8 per cent.
4. You have to be a weed enthusiast to get a job in the industry.
Colorado's legal cannabis industry created more than 18,000 new full-time jobs and generated $2.4 billion in economic activity in 2015, says an analysis by economic consulting firm Marijuana Policy Group.
Industry members say those jobs include not only the obvious growers, trimmers and retail workers, but lawyers, human resources directors, compliance consultants, public relations professionals, graphic designers and many more.
Josh Ginsberg, CEO of Native Roots, a top cultivation and dispensary chain, said the company employs nearly 700 people. When it comes to filling positions externally, sometimes well-qualified corporate professionals are hesitant to enter the marijuana industry, he said.
"They're a little scared to step into this industry because they feel it might change their future," he said. "I think that's a perception that people have and that's why it's difficult for us to find external people. It's much easier to build our family and educate from within."
5. Marijuana-related crime will go up.
Marijuana-related crimes include any crime reported to the Denver Police Department that has a clear connection to marijuana. These do not include illegally possessing, selling or growing pot.
In Denver, marijuana related-crime has represented a smaller percentage of overall crime since pot was legalized — from 0.58 per cent in 2012 to 0.42 per cent in 2015. There were 192 crimes against the marijuana industry in 2015, including 117 burglaries. There were eight violent crimes connected to marijuana.
Meanwhile, arrests related to the black market did go up in 2015. One-hundred-forty-seven arrests were made for unlawful distribution of cannabis, representing a 99 per cent increase over 2014, while 90 arrests were made for unlawful cultivation, up 900 per cent from the previous year.
http://420intel.com/articles/2017/05/02 ... perience-0
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