CCMA Political greenBrief
Monday, January 7, 2019
www.cannabismanufacturers.org
Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), Pictured Here, And Rep. Don Young (R-AK) Introduces The CARERS Act To Allow States To Protect States’ Medical Cannabis Programs From Federal Interference
“By ensuring that states are able to set their own medical marijuana policies, the CARERS Act will help ensure access to treatment for those who benefit from medical marijuana—from children suffering from chronic illnesses to veterans battling PTSD.”U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) On His Support For The CARERS Act
The state of California had less marijuana sales in 2018 than 2017 despite allowing legal recreational cannabis sales last year. California had around $2.5 billion in marijuana sales last year, about half a billion dollars less than in 2017 when they only had a medical marijuana market.”Statistics From The 2018 California Cannabis Market
EVENT: Malibu Fire Fundraiser On January 18th (Los Angeles – Cannabis Events)
On Friday January 18th, help the CCMA and Future Cannabis Project bring the cannabis community together for a fundraiser to benefit victims of the Woolsey Fire in Malibu. The evening kicks off with a four course dinner by cannabis Chef Holden Jagger followed by a party with music and DJs in a beautiful venue in downtown Los Angeles. Tax deductible proceeds will go directly to the Malibu Foundation, a non-profit working to assist in recovery for victims of the Woolsey Fire.
http://futurecannabisproject.org/2019/01/malibu-foundation-woolsey-fire-fundraiser/
California Sold Less Marijuana In 2018 Than 2017 Despite Recreational Sales (CA – Cannabis Sales)
Civilized (January 3, 2018) When a state legalizes recreational marijuana, usually that means cannabis sales increase since everyone can now buy it. You don’t really have to be an economics expert to figure that out. However, that was not the case last year with California. The state of California had less marijuana sales in 2018 than 2017 despite allowing legal recreational cannabis sales last year. California had around $2.5 billion in marijuana sales last year, about half a billion dollars less than in 2017 when they only had a medical marijuana market.
https://www.civilized.life/articles/california-sold-less-marijuana-despite-recreational-sales/
As County Bans Marijuana, California City Positions Itself As Hub For Sales (CA – Delivery Services)
Bakersfield.com (January 3, 2018) Residents of Bakersfield could soon be receiving marijuana deliveries from retailers in California City. The California City City Council voted to allow 10 delivery-only medical or recreational marijuana dispensaries to reside within city limits. Although those dispensaries will not be open for the public to visit, they will earn money through delivering cannabis to the surrounding area.
Cannabis Industry Slow To Bloom In Marin (CA – Cannabusiness)
Marin Independent Journal (January 5, 2018) Many of Marin’s cities and towns have temporarily banned cannabis businesses, and some officials say they are waiting until the kinks in the industry have been ironed out at the state level before they reverse those moratoriums. Working out one such kink – the lack of banking opportunities for cannabis entrepreneurs – has already gone up in smoke. The authors of a feasibility study commissioned by the state Treasurer’s Office told state officials Dec. 27 that opening a public bank for the industry would pose too great a risk for California, both legally and financially.
https://www.marinij.com/2019/01/05/cannabis-industry-stalls-in-marin/
Business Sense: The Faces Of The New Cannabis Industry (CA – Cannabis Industry)
Times Standard (January 5, 2018) Everyone knows the industry in Humboldt is changing dramatically. Much of the attention has been focused on the negative financial impacts on the agricultural side, which — as far as they go — are entirely real. We’re seeing spin-offs of that situation in some declining sales in the retail and restaurant sectors and resultant shrinking local sales tax revenues. It’s a situation with winners and losers.
https://www.times-standard.com/2019/01/05/business-sense-the-faces-of-the-new-cannabis-industry/
Redding Dispensary Now Offering Drive Thru Cannabis Services (CA – Cannabis Sales)
Digital Journal (January 3, 2018) Redding and Shasta Lake area dispensary, Leave It To Nature, is already a favorite destination for all things cannabis in the Redding and Shasta Lake area, however, the dispensary is changing the game for folks looking to acquire their cannabis products in a quick, easy and discreet way. The dispensary owner, Stacy Lidie speaks on the benefits of recreational vs. medicinal cannabis in Redding, “Recreational cannabis means less bureaucracy. Folks have the freedom of acquiring their cannabis without having to go through the process of obtaining a medical card or the stress of renewing every year.”
http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/4093320
With New House And Senate Session, CARERS Act Resurfaces To Offer Medical Marijuana Protections (USA – Cannabis Legislation)
Cannabis Business Times (January 4, 2018) Continuing an ongoing debate first started in 2015 with the bipartisan introduction of the Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect State Act (CARERS Act), two U.S. House reps have reintroduced the bill into the new 2019-2020 U.S. legislative session. The CARERS Act is the first cannabis reform bill to land in the U.S. Congress this year. The bill would essentially enshrine the Joyce Amendment as law, even bolstering that budget rider’s protections for state-legal medical marijuana businesses. In short: The federal government would take a hands-off approach to medical marijuana and allow states to legalize and regulate their own markets.
Feds To Spend $1.5 Million On Research Into Marijuana’s Lesser Known Components (USA – Cannabis Research)
Marijuana Moment (January 7, 2018) The federal government plans to award $1.5 million in grants during the 2019 fiscal year to researchers who study how components of marijuana other than THC affect pain. In a notice about the funding opportunity published on Thursday, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) said that it was seeking applications from researchers to conduct studies on “minor cannabinoids and terpenes.” The aim of the grants will be to learn how these components work—separately and when combined—as potential pain-relieving agents.
How The Government Shutdown Is Hurting The U.S. Cannabis Industry (USA – Cannabis Politics)
Cannabis Business Times (January 3, 2018) U.S. hemp farmers eager to get to work in 2019 will have to wait: The federal government is currently shut down. While the passage of 2018 Farm Bill and its hemp legalization provision was met with excitement, a now-routine political snafu has halted federal government operations and effectively blockaded the gateway to legal hemp cultivation. Until the federal government reopens for business—until the U.S. Congress approves an appropriations bill—the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is unable to approve state hemp program regulations and the FBI is unable to conduct required background checks. This presents a problem for prospective hemp farmers.
A Game-Changing Marijuana Bill In Oregon Is Set to Challenge Federal Law (USA – Cannabis Legislation)
The Motley Fool (January 6, 2018) The big question is what will 2019 hold for the cannabis industry, particularly in the United States where, according to Gallup, a record 2 out of 3 American adults now want to see pot legalized. That’s up from just 25% in 1995. If a new bill proposal out of Oregon is any indication, the marijuana industry could see significant advances in the United States. Oregon is on the verge of introducing a game-changing bill that would allow the state to export its dried cannabis to other legalized states. Democratic Sen. Floyd Prozanski already has signaled his support for the proposal, which is being spearheaded by Adam Smith, the executive director of the Craft Cannabis Alliance.
https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/01/06/a-game-changing-marijuana-bill-in-oregon-is-set-to.aspx
2018 Farm Bill: Opportunities In Hemp (USA – Hemp Industry)
Cannabis Business Times (January 3, 2018) Prior to the 2018 Farm Bill, federal law regarding industrial hemp was a patchwork of statutes, regulations and court decisions that allowed for the importation of certain hemp products, but not for the domestic production of the crop. Industrial hemp will not be entirely unregulated, however. The 2018 Farm Bill moves regulatory authority from the CSA and DEA to the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (AMA) and the Department of Agriculture. The AMA authorizes and directs the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out programs to assist the production, transportation and marketing of crops. Now that the Hemp Farming Act of 2018 is law, hemp will be treated the same as any other legal crop by the Department of Agriculture.
https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/2018-farm-bill-opportunities-in-hemp/
Surgeon General Believes It’s High Time For Marijuana Reclassification (USA – Cannabis Scheduling)
Forbes (January 7, 2018) At the close of 2018, the U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams made a bold move, and called on the federal government to rethink marijuana’s classification as a Schedule I substance. While the Surgeon General did not go so far as to condone legalization for recreational use, he did say that medically, marijuana should be studied like any other pain relief drug and that both health and criminal justice policies need to be re-examined as they pertain to cannabis drug classification.
3 Critical Things To Watch With Marijuana Stocks In 2019 (USA – Cannabis Investments)
The Motley Fool (January 6, 2018) It’s time to turn over a new leaf. And for marijuana stocks, 2019 should bring several new leaves to turn over. The big stories last year for marijuana stocks included recreational marijuana markets opening for business in California and Canada. But what will the important developments impacting marijuana stocks be in the new year? There’s arguably no greater game changer for marijuana stocks than a change to U.S. federal marijuana laws. Even though 31 states have legalized medical marijuana and 10 states have legalized recreational marijuana, marijuana remains illegal at the federal level in the U.S.
https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/01/06/3-critical-things-to-watch-with-marijuana-stocks-i.aspx
