CCMA greenBrief Aug 6: Murky Legal Status of CBD Causes Confusion in CA… Nevada’s Cannabis Tax Revenue Far Exceeds Expectations… 3 More Insurance Carriers Available to Cannabusinesses…

CCMA Political greenBrief

Monday, August 6, 2018

www.cannabismanufacturers.org

Cold Brew Coffee and Tea with CBD Oil Now Line Grocery Shelves

“CDPH is aware that there has been some confusion on the legal use of CBD and CBD oil since the legalization of medicinal and adult-use cannabis in California. California adopts FDA regulations, so CBD and CBD oil, whether sourced from industrial hemp or from cannabis, cannot be added to foods or beverages.”
Spokesperson for the California Department of Public Health
“The only CBD products in California have to be purchased through regulated cannabis dispensaries and retailers, and those businesses can only purchase CBD products from regulated cannabis manufactures and cultivators. If that’s the case, then all that CBD is subject to the state excise tax at 15 percent to the consumer.”
Bryce Berryessa, CEO of cannabis edibles company La Vida Verde and board member of the California Cannabis Manufacturers Association
“It’s a horrible policy decision [and] it’s not pointing to California law. Nobody will enforce this, other than one-offs by the county departments of public health,” she adds. “I doubt they will enforce it on any wide scale, so I have no idea what they think they’re accomplishing by doing this.”
California attorney Dana Cisneros

California’s Ban On CBD Oil And Food Isn’t New, But It’s Not Enforced Everywhere (CA – State Laws)

Merry Jane (August 2, 2018) If it seems you can’t go anywhere in California without stumbling upon a store offering CBD oils, coffee, cocktails, food products, and more, that may be soon to change. No, the state hasn’t come out with a new CBD law; however only recently has the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) set out to selectively enforce an already existing policy that technically bans hemp-derived CBD from food products, as well as ingestible CBD oil from being sold outside of the state’s licensed cannabis retailers.

https://merryjane.com/news/californias-ban-on-cbd-oil-and-food-isnt-new,-but-its-not-enforced-everywhere

 

California Cannabis Coverage Approved For 3 New Carriers (CA – Cannabis Insurance)

Insurance Journal (August 2, 2018) California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones on Thursday announced he has approved three more insurance carriers to offer coverage for the cannabis industry in the state. The North River Insurance Co. and United States Fire Insurance Co. will begin offering coverage immediately, and White Pine Insurance Co. will begin offering coverage later this month. All three insurance carriers plan to write surety bonds for cannabis businesses. The first carrier to write surety bonds for the state’s cannabis industry was approved in March.

https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2018/08/02/496880.htm

 

California Says: Weed Or Booze, But Not Both (CA – Recreational Cannabis)

Portland Mercury (August 2, 2018) California has joined the ranks of other states with recreational cannabis programs who have determined that there will not be any mixing of cannabis and alcohol in any way, shape, or form, little mister. And if you think it’s acceptable to partake of the two substances, well, I have some news for you about just how wrong you are, smart mouth. Marijuana Moment reports that California’s Department of Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) has issued some new rules regarding the combined consumption of cannabis and the cause of, and answer to, all of life’s problems—alcohol.

https://www.portlandmercury.com/blogtown/2018/08/02/21722750/california-says-weed-or-booze-but-not-both

 

California’s Cannabis Update: Beverages, Testing And More (CA – Cannabis Industry)

Healthcare Packaging (August 3, 2018) Following a six-month grace period that began January 1, testing requirements went into effect on July 1 in which products must be tested for THC content and pesticide/chemical content by a licensed lab. Cannabis testing laboratories across the state have been backlogged (only 31 labs are licensed at this point), and not all products are passing tests, which has led to some hurdles—at least temporarily—in keeping up with demand.

https://www.healthcarepackaging.com/article/californias-cannabis-update-beverages-testing-and-more

 

California’s Next Green Wave Joins CGOC’s Private Investments Portfolio (CA – Cannabis Investments)

PR Newswire (August 2, 2018) Cannabis Growth Opportunity Corporation today announced an investment in Next Green Wave (NGW), a vertically integrated cannabis company producing medicinal and recreational cannabis products for customers throughout the State of California. The deal is an example of CGOC’s approach to investing in privately-held companies poised for high growth. Led by world class cannabis experts known for producing award winning seeds and plants, NGW is well positioned to control the complete seed to sale process. With the changing regulatory environment in California, this investment will help NGW have a supply advantage over its competitors in offering cannabis to medical and recreational marijuana dispensaries.

https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/californias-next-green-wave-joins-cgocs-private-investments-portfolio-689864601.html

 

Benefits Of Having A Medical Marijuana Card In A Rec State (CA – Medicinal Cannabis)

The Fresh Toast (August 2, 2018) Medical marijuana has been a part of life in California for over the past two decades. But now that the state has legalized the leaf for recreational use, adults 21 and over can simply walk into their local dispensary and purchase a variety of pot products without a medical marijuana ID. But while it is no longer necessary for a person to make up a phony excuse to get a doctor to provide them with a recommendation to smoke weed, this doesn’t mean there are not still some benefits to being a medical marijuana patient.

https://thefreshtoast.com/cannabis/benefits-of-a-having-medical-marijuana-card-in-a-recreational-state/

 

The Cannabis Catch-Up: Weed And Taxes (USA – Cannabis Market)

Seven Days (August 3, 2018) Big news out of Nevada this week: The state’s tax revenue from legal cannabis sales far exceeded expectations to the tune of 25 percent. Once June numbers are tabulated, regulators said, Silver State sales are expected to exceed $500 million in the first year of legalization there. Those sales generated about $70 million in tax revenue — $25 million of which goes to the state’s schools, according to the Associated Press. Nevada’s legal cannabis marketplace opened July 1, 2017 — about six months before neighboring California opened its legal dispensaries.

https://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/the-cannabis-catch-up-weed-and-taxes/Content?oid=18775997

 

80-Year-Old Medical Marijuana Patient With Expired Card Jailed For Less Than An Eighth Of Cannabis (USA – Cannabis Convictions)

Fox 17 West Michigan (August 3, 2018) An 80-year-old grandmother in Clare County was jailed for the first time in her life, because she had a small amount of cannabis at home but her Michigan medical marijuana card expired. Delores Saltzman and her son Mark tell FOX 17 cannabis saved her life: it worked up her appetite when she was sick; helped her heal after surgeries; and eases her pain from ongoing health conditions. They are disturbed a deputy jailed her overnight for using her medicine.

https://fox17online.com/2018/08/03/80-year-old-medical-marijuana-patient-with-expired-card-jailed-for-less-than-eighth-of-cannabis/

 

Pot-Loving Dogs: Why Cannabis Extract Is The New Trend For Our Pets (USA – Cannabis Uses)

The Guardian (August 2, 2018) High summer is hell for my goldendoodle, Monty. At the park, grass seeds and burrs catch in his woolly mop of black fur. The pollen and dust set off his skin allergies. The heat – more severe every year in the Pacific north-west – cuts fetch time in half. Worst of all, in our hometown of Portland, Oregon, July is the month of fireworks. Monty is usually affable and calm. But in the weeks around the 4th, and even sometimes into early August, he’s regularly sent skittering down the stairs to the garage by the pop of a rocket or the sizzle of a fountain of sparks.

https://www.theguardian.com/global/2018/aug/02/cbd-cannabis-extract-medical-marijuana-for-dogs

 

New York’s Cannabis Jobs Could Rival California’s (NY – Cannabusiness)

Green Market Report (August 2, 2018) Even though California recently surpassed the U.K. to become the world’s fifth largest economy, the cannabis economy in the Golden State could soon be surpassed by that of the Empire State, a new study shows. The study, published by Joblift, shows that cannabis growth in California is “steadily declining,” while New York is experiencing strong growth. New York is now third in terms of gross domestic product and is experiencing a “surge in medical marijuana job postings,” with the study saying it could hold “the most potential for overall growth in the sector.”

https://www.greenmarketreport.com/new-yorks-cannabis-jobs-could-rival-californias/

 

Lagunitas Brewing Leads Rush By Beer Companies Into Cannabis Space (CA – Cannabusiness)

North Bay Business Journal (August 3, 2018) As the cannabis industry ramps up in California and other states in the aftermath of legalization, brewers are seizing an opportunity to collaborate on cannabis drink products to capitalize on this burgeoning and potentially lucrative sector.At the forefront is Lagunitas Brewing Co. of Petaluma, which has partnered with CannaCraft of Santa Rosa to produce a THC-infused sparkling beverage. Announced last month, the new product, which hit the market Monday, is flying off the shelves at licensed California dispensaries.

https://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/northbay/sonomacounty/8599089-181/lagunitas-sonoma-county-cannabis-beverage