CCMA Political greenBrief
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
www.cannabismanufacturers.org
Bernie Sanders Wants Congress To Make New Moves Towards Cannabis Reform, Stating That Prohibitions Have Previously Proven To Fail In The U.S.
“The good news is that many states and cities across the country are taking action to undo the damage caused by the war on drugs. More and more states are moving to decriminalize or legalize the possession of marijuana, and some have passed legislation to expunge prior misdemeanor convictions.”Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) On Cannabis Reform In The U.S.
“It’s a broad prohibition. Any felony related to a controlled substance will disqualify a ton of people from participating in this industry.”Daniel Shortt, A Seattle Cannabis Attorney, On The Latest 2018 Farm Bill Provisions
Cannabis Law And Its Impact On Communities Of Color (USA – Cannabis Industry)
The Daily Breeze (November 26, 2018) Californians are having their past marijuana convictions expunged and the state has established a cannabis social equity program. So why are there still so few minority-owned cannabis businesses? Without more jurisdictions issuing local cannabis licenses, the full benefits of legalization will fail to reach the communities who need them the most. Local cities and counties have hamstrung statewide efforts to use cannabis legalization to lift up disadvantaged communities.
https://www.dailybreeze.com/2018/11/26/cannabis-law-and-its-impact-on-communities-of-color/
Cannabis Tourism Rolls Out In San Francisco (CA – Cannabis Traveling)
KALW (November 27, 2018) Ever since recreational cannabis went legal in California, cannabis tourism companies started popping up around the state. They offer travelers a chance to smoke and sip wine, paint and puff, and learn cannabis factoids while lighting it up. The cannabis tour bus is nothing like the old school hippie van you might expect. Instead it’s a large suped-up limo van with tinted windows, docked in Downtown San Francisco near the Ferry Building.
https://www.kalw.org/post/cannabis-tourism-rolls-out-san-francisco#stream/0
Fewer K-9s Are Being Trained To Sniff Out Marijuana Due To Legalization (CA – Illicit Market)
Fox 40 (November 27, 2018) Recreational marijuana has been allowed in California for almost a year and now one of the best ways for police to detect the drug is also changing. Pot legalization could soon make K-9s unemployed. At Top Dog Police K-9 Training and Consulting in Modesto owner Ron Cloward told FOX40 while bags of cocaine and other drugs are still hidden in the drug-sniffing training course, for the last few years sample bags of marijuana have remained in a jar.
Bernie Sanders Blasts Marijuana Prohibition In New Book (USA – Cannabis Politics)
Marijuana Moment (November 28, 2018) Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said he’s still “thinking about” a possible run for the presidency in 2020—and if he does run, it’s a safe bet that marijuana reform will be one of his priorities. That might not be news to anyone who followed Sanders’s 2016 presidential campaign, during which he regularly railed against the failed drug war and made a powerful call for federal cannabis legalization while introducing the Senate’s first-ever bill to deschedule marijuana.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/bernie-sanders-blasts-marijuana-prohibition-in-new-book/
Proposed Hemp Regulations Continue The Racist Legacy Of The U.S. War On Drugs (USA – Hemp Industry)
Quartz (November 28, 2018) The booming hemp industry is expected to get a boost from the 2018 Farm Bill, which will likely clear a legal path for hemp-derived CBD. But advocates for racial justice say some provisions of the bill will reinforce the problematic legacy of the war on drugs, which saw the criminal justice system disproportionately target and punish people of color.
https://qz.com/1475224/proposed-hemp-regulations-continue-the-racist-legacy-of-the-us-war-on-drugs/
Marijuana Stocks Plummet As House GOP Attempts To Derail Farm Bill (USA – Cannabis Investments)
Pot Network (November 27, 2018) The North American Marijuana Index fell on Tuesday, as cannabis stocks plummeted despite news that Congress was close to finishing the new farm bill which is poised to include provisions to legalize hemp. The United States Marijuana Index fell 2.67 points to close out the day at 104.13, while the Canadian Index dropped 1.38 percent to end Tuesday at 525.75.
The Evolving Regulatory Status Of Cannabidiol (USA – CBD Market)
Project CBD (November 26, 2018) Despite its rapidly growing popularity and use, the regulatory status of CBD in the United States remains convoluted, even after the approval and scheduling of Epidiolex. The source of CBD is critically important in determining its legal status. Hemp-derived and marijuana-derived CBD each have their own unique regulatory status and consequent legal implications.
https://www.projectcbd.org/about/legal-issues/evolving-regulatory-status-cannabidiol
CBD Beverage Market And The 2018 Farm Bill Speculation (USA – Hemp Industry)
Globe Newswire (November 27, 2018) The Hemp Farming Act of 2018 which will remove hemp as a designated controlled substance, legalizing the crop under federal law, will allow CBD to be legally sold in all 50 states. The main benefit seen from this change will be the increased opportunity for investment. The potential supply and demand increase available from the 2018 Farm Bill is not being overlooked, even Canadian based companies are examining the potential growth in the US.
How Cannabis Could Become The Next Real Estate Disrupter (USA – Cannabis Industry)
Forbes (November 27, 2018) Usually it is not long after that the expensive coffee shops and cupcake stores start showing up at street level. But now that so many states have passed laws favorable to the marijuana movement, the next big thing to bring a neighborhood back from the brink just might be the increasing number of organizations that work in the industry.
Counties With Marijuana Dispensaries Have Lower Rates Of Opioid Overdoses (USA – Medicinal Cannabis)
Civilized (November 28, 2018) A new study offers some of the strongest data yet to support using medical marijuana to curb the opioid epidemic. For the study, researchers analyzed statistics on opioid overdoses between 2009 and 2015 in states with medical marijuana programs. Then they compared the rate of death between counties that had dispensaries and those that did not. The data showed that only counties with cannabis dispensaries witnessed the benefits of medical marijuana.
Marijuana Dispensaries Reduce Local Opioid Overdose Rates, Study Finds (USA – Medicinal Cannabis)
Marijuana Moment (November 27, 2018) Looking at mortality records from 2009 to 2015, a team of researchers investigated whether the presence of dispensaries in counties with medical cannabis laws had an effect on deaths from prescription opioids, synthetic opioids and heroin. The results supported previous research, indicating that access to marijuana can mitigate the opioid epidemic.
Massachusetts’ Two Adult-Use Dispensaries Sold $2.2 Million Worth Of Cannabis In First Five Days (MA – Recreational Cannabis)
Cannabis Business Times (November 27, 2018) After the first five days of adult-use cannabis sales in Massachusetts—between only two licensed dispensaries statewide—customers purchased more than $2.2 million worth of cannabis products, according to data released by the state’s Cannabis Control Commission. The dispensaries sold 56,380 “units,” meaning 56,380 separate cannabis products.
https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/massachusetts-first-five-days-cannabis-sales/
