CCMA Political greenBrief
Friday, November 30, 2018
www.cannabismanufacturers.org
CA Senator Scott Wiener Plans To Introduce A Bill Which Will Offer Low-Income Patients To Join A Compassion Program That Provides Free Cannabis
Free Medical Cannabis Bill Back In Legislature (CA – Cannabis Legislation)
SF Weekly (November 29, 2018) Free charity cannabis comes at a steep cost. Low-income patients who get free “compassionate care” marijuana products for medical conditions are still charged the 25 percent sales and excise tax on it, and growers, manufacturers, and transporters pay steep taxes on donated charity weed too. In the past, State Sen. Scott Wiener tried to eliminate those taxes with his compassionate care bill SB 829, which cruised through the statehouse but got smoked by Gov. Brown’s veto. On Thursday morning, Wiener held court at a San Francisco dispensary to announce he’s reintroducing the exact same tax-free compassionate care bill.
http://www.sfweekly.com/news/free-medical-cannabis-bill-back-in-legislature/
Cannabis Business Applicants To Pay At Least $80k To Get Started In SLO (CA – Cannabusiness)
KSBY 6 (November 29, 2018) The City of San Luis Obispo will soon have cannabis dispensaries but prospective businesses that want a piece of the pie will have to shell out a large amount of cash. The SLO City Council approved a set of guidelines at its Tuesday meeting that include the amount of fees and annual costs, as well as the criteria for approving applications. The council decided it would give preference to applicants with at least five years experience, those who plan to employ 90 percent locals, and a promise to give back over $1,000 annually to the community.
Up To 10 Cannabis Farms May Get Green Light In Alameda County, Neighbors Worried About Smell, Crime (CA – Cannabis Cultivation)
Fox 2 (November 29, 2018) The rural fields of Alameda County have long been home to farmers growing grapes, pistachios and olives, beekeepers harvesting honey and ranchers raising cattle and sheep. By next year, agricultural land near the edges of Sunol and Livermore will also showcase farmers growing weed. Up to 10 cannabis farms may be allowed to operate within the county, and the first cultivator is expected to be approved within the next six months.
New Democratic Majority To Usher In A Wave Of Cannabis Reform When New Congress Is Seated In January (USA – Cannabis Industry)
Pot Network (November 29, 2018) With three House Democrats poised to chair major House committees all having pledged to put marijuana reform on the agenda in the next session of Congress, the climate in Washington seems to be turning. Some of the big, hairy issues which are now sure to gather steam include states’ rights, racial justice, banking and tax reforms, and sensible scheduling of cannabis by the DEA.
Democrats Are Planning Their 2020 Presidential Campaigns. Where Do They Stand On Cannabis Reform? (USA – Cannabis Policy)
Cannabis Business Times (November 29, 2018) There’s no doubt that cannabis will play a major role in the 2020 elections, and it’s almost certain to be a sticking point in any presidential debate—especially as a litmus test in the Democratic primaries. Can Trump reschedule, decriminalize or legalize cannabis on a federal level before the 2020 elections? Sure, but it’s complicated. And he may very well do one of the above. For the growing field of Democratic challengers, though, it’s a race to establish firm footing in the rapidly growing cannabis constituency.
Key Ingredient For Marijuana Industry Moves Closer To U.S. Legalization (USA – Hemp Industry)
Investors Business Daily (November 29, 2018) Industrial hemp legalization in the U.S. advanced on Thursday, after members of Congress ironed out some of their differences in the 2018 farm bill. The 2018 farm bill will replace earlier agriculture legislation that expired on Sept. 30. Lawmakers Thursday said they reached a preliminary agreement on the legislation, which offers farm subsidies and other forms of assistance. The full House and Senate could consider the legislation as soon as next week
https://www.investors.com/news/hemp-legalization-congress-farm-bill-marijuana-stocks/
Reconciled Farm Bill Includes Provisions Lifting Federal Hemp Ban (USA – Hemp Industry)
NORML (November 29, 2018) House and Senate lawmakers have agreed to a reconciled version of H.R. 2: The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (aka the 2018 Farm Bill), which includes provisions lifting the federal prohibition of industrial hemp. The hemp-specific provisions – which Senate Majority Speaker Mitch McConnell (R-KY) included in the Senate version of the bill, but were absent from the House version – amend federal regulations to further expand and facilitate state-licensed hemp production, research, and commerce.
https://blog.norml.org/2018/11/29/reconciled-farm-bill-includes-provisions-lifting-federal-hemp-ban/
‘Capitalistic’ America Faces Canada Fight For Cannabis Supremacy (USA – Cannabis Industry)
Bloomberg (November 30, 2018) A key question has emerged as investors pour billions of dollars into the marijuana industry: Will it be U.S. or Canadian companies that win the race for cannabis supremacy? Still, Canada’s population is smaller than California’s, and the U.S. market for legal marijuana is already larger than its northern neighbor, with estimates saying it could eventually be more than 10 times the size. As the thinking goes, America is where brands and fortunes are made, and there’s no reason to think that cannabis will be any different, despite the current federal prohibition.
Cash-Strapped States Turn To Legal Marijuana For Tax Revenue, But Some Say They’re Not Charging Enough (USA – Cannabis Taxation)
CNBC (November 30, 2018) Michigan and New Jersey are on track to become the latest states to legalize recreational marijuana, potentially bringing in millions of dollars in tax revenue. Still, some lawmakers and advocates say the states are leaving money on the table. Recreational marijuana sales in Michigan will rake in $89 million in tax revenue for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, 2019, according to estimates by the state’s Senate Fiscal Agency. The New Jersey government estimated that recreational marijuana would bring in $60 million in tax revenue before June 30 of next year alone.
Patents On Pot? U.S. Lawsuit Puts Cannabis Claims To The Test (USA – Cannabis Industry)
Reuters (November 29, 2018) With marijuana now fully legal in Canada and at least partially legalized in the majority of U.S. states, companies are rushing to patent new formulations of the age-old botanical. This year, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued 39 patents containing the words cannabis or marijuana in their summaries, up from 29 in 2017 and 14 in 2016.
Why This Unexpected Region Is Turning Into A Cannabis Gold Mine (USA – Cannabis Cultivation)
Money Morning (November 29, 2018) California and Colorado might be known as the epicenters in the legalized cannabis movement, but another region is emerging as a powerhouse in the $10 billion industry. The Midwest is quickly becoming the next major region for cannabis legalization. Illinois legalized medical cannabis in 2015 and just expanded it to more patients in 2018. Missouri voters approved a measure to legalize medicinal marijuana. That also means investors have an opportunity to jump into this region before money comes flooding in.
https://moneymorning.com/2018/11/29/why-this-unexpected-region-is-turning-into-a-cannabis-gold-mine/
U.S. Marijuana Producer MedMen Sales Grow 1,094% As Losses Widen (USA – Cannabis Sales)
Market Watch (November 29, 2018) U.S.-based marijuana producer MedMen Enterprises Inc. reported earnings late Thursday. The pot maker reported fiscal first-quarter net losses of $12.5 million, or $1.42 a share, compared with $5.3 million in the year-ago period, though the company did not release a per-share earnings figure; MedMen said it lost $1.95 a share in in last year’s fiscal fourth quarter.
Which Comes First, Marijuana Use Or Psychological Problems? (USA – Disorders)
Forbes (November 27, 2018) A new study from the University of Pennsylvania following teenagers’ pot use gets at a chicken-or-egg question that’s been the subject of some debate: Whether pot use precedes psychological problems, or it’s the other way round. In the new research, published in the journal Addiction, the researchers focused on conduct problems, like cutting school and stealing, which can turn into the more significant conduct disorder.
Why Mexico’s New President Wants To Legalize Marijuana And End The War On Drugs (Mexico – Legalization)
World Politics Review (November 27, 2018) he incoming administration of Mexico’s left-leaning president-elect, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, has proposed legalizing the possession and recreational use of small amounts of marijuana, building on a string of recent decisions by the Mexican Supreme Court that found the drug’s prohibition to be unconstitutional. Legislation to regulate the production and commercial distribution of cannabis has been submitted to the Mexican Congress and a referendum on the issue is expected within the next three years.
South Korea’s Proposed Medical Marijuana Law Is Big Pharma-Friendly (South Korea – Medicinal Cannabis)
Cannabis Now (November 29, 2018) After nearly a year of discussion, South Korea appears to have won the race to be the first nation in East Asia to legalize the use of cannabis for medical purposes, while both Malaysia and Thailand consider making the move as well. On Nov. 23, South Korea’s national assembly voted to approve a bill that would amend the country’s narcotics law to allow for medical marijuana.
https://cannabisnow.com/south-koreas-proposed-medical-marijuana-law-is-big-pharma-friendly/
Alaska Credit Union Launches Pilot Program To Serve Marijuana Firms (AK – Cannabis Banking)
Marijuana Business Daily (November 29, 2018) An Alaska credit union has joined the growing ranks of state-chartered financial institutions to announce plans to serve the legal cannabis industry. Credit Union 1 – a 66-year-old, Anchorage-based business – announced Thursday it is kicking off a pilot program to provide financial services to the state’s approved marijuana-related businesses – otherwise dubbed MRBs in the state.
https://mjbizdaily.com/alaska-credit-union-launches-pilot-program-cannabis-firms/
