CCMA Political greenBrief
Friday, November 9, 2018
www.cannabismanufacturers.org
Lori Ajax, Chief Of The CA Bureau Of Cannabis Control, & Her Staff Are Crafting Regulations & Rules That Will Govern The State’s Emerging Legal Pot Market, From Where & How Plants Can Be Grown To Setting Guidelines To Track The Buds From Fields To Storefront
“The state wants everyone in the industry to be licensed. That’s the goal. We’re already seeing creative solutions like joint ventures and mergers and acquisitions in the pipeline. Until the regulations are finalized, we don’t know how companies will react, but people are definitely ramping up and preparing for what is likely to pass.”Lauren Geisser Of Russ, August & Kabat On California’s Latest Regulations
“There’s a tradeoff between people who want to have access to cannabis and find it extremely difficult to do. They have their sources as they had before in the black market, the people who are growing in the hills and keeping that market alive.”Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno On The Controversy Surrounding Delivery Services In CA’s New Regulations
California Regulators Target White Labeling Contracts In Proposed Rule (CA – State Regulations)
Cannabis Business Times (November 9, 2018) California’s Bureau of Cannabis Control has been shopping around a draft of permanent rules for the industry, and one proposal in particular could have far-reaching implications for a nascent marketplace that’s still figuring out statewide norms and best practices. Tucked into the BCC rules is a provision that would bar licensed cannabis businesses from conducting any commercial cannabis activity via “contract with any person that is not licensed under the [law].”
https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/california-regulators-proposed-rule-white-labeling/
Valley Officials Fear Keeping ‘Black Market Alive’ As New Legal Pot Regulations Loom (CA – Illicit Market)
Fresno Bee (November 9, 2018) California is on the verge of putting a massive set of regulations in place to govern commercial marijuana cultivation, distribution, manufacturing, testing and sales – but not all of the rules proposed since the passage of Proposition 64 two years ago are sitting well with cities and counties. Lori Ajax, chief of the state’s Bureau of Cannabis Control, was in Fresno on Thursday for a meeting of her agency’s Cannabis Advisory Committee.
https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article221376395.html
Largest California Cannabis Company Harborside Expects Big Growth In 2019 (CA – Cannabusiess)
New Cannabis Ventures (November 8, 2018) FLRish, doing business as Harborside, has deep roots in the California cannabis market. Founded in 2006, the company has more than 270,000 registered patients and customers and has done more than $300 million in sales. CEO Andy Berman spoke with New Cannabis Ventures about funding, taking the company public, and navigating the state’s ever-changing regulations.
County Received $1.2 Million In Cannabis Abatement Notices (CA – Cannabis Cultivation)
Times Standard (November 8, 2018) The County of Humboldt has received more than $1.2 million out of $2.2 million in total payments from growers suspected of cultivating cannabis without a permit. In the past two years, the county has sent out more than 600 notices and received money from either fines or compliance agreements signed by growers.
https://www.times-standard.com/2018/11/08/county-received-1-2-million-in-cannabis-abatement-notices/
Kern County Votes Down 2 Marijuana Initiatives (CA – Local Ordinances)
The Daily Independent (November 9, 2018) Kern County voted down two measures related to marijuana on Tuesday, Measures J and K. Measure J was the recreational marijuana ban and medical marijuana regulation and taxation initiative. Had it passed, Measure J would have kept the county’s ban on adult-use recreational marijuana businesses but allowed and regulated commercial medical marijuana businesses in the unincorporated area and authorized a 7.5 percent tax on marijuana business incomes.
http://www.ridgecrestca.com/news/20181109/kern-county-votes-down-2-marijuana-initiatives
What Trump’s New AG Means For The Cannabis Industry (USA – Cannabis Politics)
Forbes (November 9, 2018) Tuesday’s election will have major short- and long-term effects on marijuana policy. In the immediate sense, Michigan became the 10th state to legalize marijuana for adults, while successful ballot measures in Missouri and Utah brings the total number of states with medical marijuana laws on the books to 33. Numerous pro-legalization candidates were also elected to governorships and to Congress, and the two most anti-marijuana Representatives will not be returning to the House in 2019.
What A Democratic-Run House Of Representatives Will Mean For Pot (USA – Cannabis Prohibition)
The Rolling Stone (November 7, 2018) Even though Democrats have regained control of the House of Representatives, cannabis proponents, both inside and outside of Congress, still see obstacles ahead for nationwide pot legalization — but it’s clear that things are looking up. Last night, Republicans gained seats in the Senate, giving prohibitionist Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell even more power. But at the same time, pro-marijuana ballot initiatives passed in Utah, Missouri and Michigan — all states President Trump won in 2016.
Cannabis Technology Platform Eaze Announces Major Discount On Pot Purchases For U.S. Veterans (USA – Medicinal Cannabis)
Civilized (November 7, 2018) With all the challenges of re-adjusting to civilian society — not to mention that common hardship of treating posttraumatic stress disorder — it’s no question why so many military veterans may choose to consume cannabis. In the spirit of giving a little back to those who gave all, cannabis technology platform Eaze will soon be offering an indefinite 25 percent discount to veterans starting Sunday, November 11.
Polls Show Majority Support For Marijuana Legalization In Minnesota And Kansas (USA – Legalization)
Weed News (November 8, 2018) Years ago, it may have seemed far-fetched to think that a majority of adults in Minnesota would support cannabis legalization. It likely would have seemed an even bigger stretch to think that a majority of adults in Kansas would also support cannabis legalization. However, that’s currently the case according to two recent polls that were featured in the Marijuana Moment newsletter. Minnesota elected some new lawmakers this week who are pro-cannabis reform, which puts it firmly in play for states that could legalize cannabis via legislative action in the near future.
Cannabis Stocks Fall Across The Board As Investors Lock In Recent Gains (USA – Cannabis Investments)
Market Watch (November 9, 2018) Cannabis stocks were lower across the board Friday, falling with the broader market as investors locked in some of the week’s gains. The sector is being viewed as a winner in this week’s U.S. midterm elections, where three states approved legalization measures and pro-cannabis governors were elected in several states. The Democratic Party’s success in regaining control of the House is also viewed as a positive, as it improves the likelihood that federal legislation, such as the STATES Act, can pass.
A Marijuana Store And A Cannabis Dispensary: What’s The Difference? (USA – Cannabis Industry)
Benzinga (November 9, 2018) The legalization of medical and adult-use marijuana in multiple U.S. states has brought marijuana dispensaries and cannabis stores to the streets of American cities like Los Angeles and Detroit. While the terms are often used interchangeably, the differences between the two are important to understand not just as a customer, but also as an entrepreneur seeking to enter the cannabis space. A dispensary primarily serves the needs of medical marijuana patients, while a cannabis store is oriented to the recreational segment.
Cannabis And Campuses: Colleges Caught In The Middle Of Marijuana Laws (USA – Higher Education)
Diverse Education (November 7, 2018) States continue to pass laws that legalize marijuana for medical or recreational purposes, placing colleges and universities in a position that will require them to revisit how they promote drug-abuse prevention. Tuesday’s mid-term elections brought to 10 of the number of states – along with the District of Columbia – that now permit pot for adult recreational use and to 33 the number that have legalized weed for medical use. Missouri and Utah voters green-lighted medical use and Michigan approved recreational use.
https://diverseeducation.com/article/131486/
WHO Leader Doesn’t Believe In Recreational Cannabis (World – Cannabis Industry)
The Growth Op (November 8, 2018) Although the World Health Organization released a report over the summer saying that marijuana is a “relatively safe drug” that brings about no significant issues, the agency’s leader, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, remains skeptical about legalizing the herb for recreational use. However, he continues to be open-minded when it comes to patients using cannabis for its therapeutic benefits.
https://www.thegrowthop.com/cannabis-news/who-leader-doesnt-believe-in-recreational-cannabis
Cannabis Legalization Introduced In Mexico Senate (Mexico – Legalization)
Leafly (November 8, 2018) Just a week after Mexico’s Supreme Court struck down cannabis prohibition in that country, a senator has introduced a bill that would legalize the drug and allow its commercial sale. The 26-page bill, submitted by Sen. Olga Sanchez Cordero—who’s set to take over as Mexico’s interior minister under President-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador—would permit individuals 18 and older to possess and use cannabis recreationally as well as grow up to 20 plants at home.
https://www.leafly.com/news/politics/marijuana-legalization-bill-introduced-in-mexicos-senate
New York City Cannabis Arrests Nosedive 97% (NY – Cannabis Convictions)
Leafly (November 8, 2018) Just 151 unlucky souls got arrested for low-level marijuana possession in the city of New York this September—as cannabis law reforms begin to take hold in Gotham. Earlier today, the group Drug Policy Alliance released new crime statistics from New York City, where marijuana arrests peaked in 2010. More than 4,300 people got popped for pot in the Big Apple in September 2010. By comparison, September 2018 numbers are down 97%, thanks to activist and City Council pressure, which led to new police department policy beginning in May.
https://www.leafly.com/news/politics/new-york-marijuana-arrests-nosedive-97
