CCMA Political greenBrief
Friday, February 22, 2019
www.cannabismanufacturers.org
Former President Barack Obama Wants Young People To Have A Voice In Changing Drug Policies, Citing The Central Part Of Criminal Justice Reform Is Addressing Drug Laws
“One of the things that communities have to do in terms of mobilizing is getting educated on who’s making decisions about the drug laws, the parole system, the bail system, the district attorneys at the local levels and making sure that the people who are in those positions of power are knowledgable about the communities they’re serving, care about the communities they’re serving, are committed to justice in how they apply the laws.”Former President Barack Obama On Young People Being Active In Shaping Drug Laws
“We know that Gov. Newsom is supportive of the legal industry. So I’d be hard-pressed to believe that they will be going after small growers up there, but I don’t know. Our hope is that, if it is cartels and illegal trespass grows on public lands (targeted by the National Guard), that it in no way impacts the legal industry.”Lindsay Robinson, Executive Director Of The CA Cannabis Industry Association, On Gov. Newsom’s Plan To Eradicate Illicit Grows
CA’s Use Of National Guard To Target Illegal Marijuana Grows Fuels Questions, Concerns Over Potential MJ Industry Fallout (CA – Illicit Market)
Marijuana Business Daily (February 21, 2019) Many legal marijuana companies have long argued that illicit operators pose a major threat to their bottom line – and a widespread law enforcement conundrum for the state at large. However, some of California’s legal cannabis companies remain unclear about how the National Guard effort will proceed, and the state has yet to offer clear-cut answers.
SF’s Top Cannabis Official Moves On To State Level As Adviser To Newsom (CA – Cannabis Politics)
San Francisco Chronicle (February 21, 2019) San Francisco will soon be on the lookout for a new point person for pot after Nicole Elliott, the director of the city’s cannabis office, leaves Thursday for a job in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration. Elliott will be Newsom’s senior adviser on cannabis in the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/SF-s-top-cannabis-official-moves-on-to-state-13632248.php
Sheriff’s Officials Bust Cannabis Cultivation Site Near Buellton (CA – Illicit Market)
KSBY (February 21, 2019) Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s officials busted another commercial cannabis cultivation site that they say was operating illegally. The sheriff’s office says the owner of the facility, located in the 2000 block of W. Highway 246 near Buellton, created false documents to obtain a temporary state cannabis license and stored and sold the processed cannabis illegally.
Supervisors Mull Commercial Cannabis (CA – Local Ordinances)
Calaveras Enterprise (February 20, 2019) The Calaveras County Board of Supervisors voiced majority support for regulating commercial cannabis cultivation in the county during a lengthy study session Tuesday, which became contentious at times during public comment. District 4 Supervisor Dennis Mills was in opposition, arguing that staff would be too overburdened, and that a social/economic study would be necessary to assess potential impacts to county operations and the environment.
http://www.calaverasenterprise.com/news/article_d3984cc4-3562-11e9-9247-0bc30c3557ad.html
With Democrats In Control, House Looks At Ending Cannabis Banking Restrictions (USA – Cannabis Banking)
Green Entrepreneur (February 21, 2019) The crux of the cannabis banking issue is this: there really isn’t any cannabis banking. With marijuana illegal at the federal level, a bank cannot deal in cash from the cannabis industry without risk of penalty for money laundering. Every bank must use the federal payment system to operate, again subjecting them to federal oversight. This has left cannabis companies dealing in cash — not a safe way to conduct business.
https://www.greenentrepreneur.com/article/328641
Obama Urges Young People To Get Involved In Shaping Drug Laws (USA – Cannabis Activism)
Marijuana Moment (February 20, 2019) Changing the criminal justice system means participating in local politics and, among other things, learning who makes decisions about drug laws, former President Barack Obama said during a town hall event with young men of color in Oakland on Tuesday.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/obama-urges-young-people-to-get-involved-in-shaping-drug-laws/
Drug Laws Have Historically Been Racist. Marijuana Activists Are Helping Minority Dealers Go Legal (USA – Cannabis History)
USA Today (February 21, 2019) The war on drugs has for decades disproportionately devastated minority communities by punishing and creating a cycle of poverty, incarceration and limited employment options, legal and social justice experts say. Now, lawmakers and legalization advocates across the country are demanding not just cannabis legalization but remedies to address decades of demonstrably racist policing, from laws that automatically expunge criminal records for marijuana dealing and possession to policies that would give minority communities assistance in building cannabis businesses.
Cannabis May Pose A ‘Long-Term Risk’ To The Alcohol Industry (USA – Cannabis Industry)
Fortune (February 21, 2019) The legal marijuana industry could emerge to become one of the biggest threats to the multi-billion dollar beverage alcohol business, according to a new report from a top analytical firm. A growing number of consumers, especially millennials, are showing a preferences to consume both booze and buds, versus older generations which tend to stick with just one.
http://fortune.com/2019/02/21/cannabis-risk-to-alcohol-industry/
5 Critical Questions Cannabis Researchers And Producers Are Asking In 2019 (USA – Cannabis Industry)
Forbes (February 21, 2019) The increased legalization of cannabis worldwide has driven a corresponding growth in research and development. The industry has progressed from foundational products like marijuana flower, typically high in THC, the compound known for producing the “high,” to derivative products such as vapes, edibles, and even hemp-based non-psychotropic CBD.
Marijuana Companies Urged Governor To Ban Cannabis Home Cultivation, Document Shows (NY – Cannabis Cultivation)
Marijuana Moment (February 21, 2019) New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) took marijuana reform supporters by pleasant surprise when he endorsed legalization last year after previously calling cannabis a “gateway drug” that should remain prohibited. But for advocates, there was at least one major disappointment in store when he got around to revealing the details of his plan: the proposal, unveiled as part of his budget last month, would ultimately include a ban on home cultivation of recreational marijuana.
