Political greenBrief
Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Solar Alliance To Build Project For California Cannabis Grower (CA – Cannabis Cultivation)
Solar Industry (October 30, 2017) Solar provider Solar Alliance Energy Inc. has signed an agreement with Coachella Brands Inc. for the design and construction of a 600 kW ground-mounted solar project at a new legal cannabis growing and processing facility in California. Solar Alliance says its engineering team analyzed Coachella’s requirements and designed a system that will offset a large portion of the facility’s electricity needs with lower-cost renewable energy.
https://solarindustrymag.com/solar-alliance-to-build-project-for-california-cannabis-grower

Weed Science: Researchers Map Marijuana DNA To Unlock Cannabis’s Full Potential (CA – Cannabis Industry)
Newsweek (October 30, 2017) Cannabis can be used in the treatment of numerous conditions, from epilepsy to alleviating the side effects of cancer therapies, but the full extent of the plant’s medicinal benefits remain largely unexplored. A new research initiative hopes to address this by mapping the cannabis genome in a quest to unlock the full potential of pot.
http://www.newsweek.com/weed-science-map-marijuana-dna-cannabis-695877

The Treats Of San Francisco/Hooray For Hollyweed (CA – Cannabis Industry)
The Portland Mercury (October 30, 2017) My last three columns looked at what’s going on with California’s upcoming adult-use cannabis program, launching statewide on January 1, 2018. I spent five days in San Francisco and six in Los Angeles, meeting with all forms of cannabis industry professionals to get a sense of what is happening and what is about to happen. I also visited several dispensaries in both cities, as I wanted to judge the offerings firsthand.
http://www.portlandmercury.com/blogtown/2017/10/30/19420523/the-treats-of-san-franciscohooray-for-hollywood

From Pot Dust To Fancy Joints, These Marijuana Products Will Lift Your Spirits (CA – Cannabis Industry)
LA Weekly (October 30, 2017) Now just two months away from legalization, California’s cannabis market continues to evolve and expand, with countless new product options hitting the market each month. It’s nearly impossible to keep up with what’s new, effective, creative or just plain weird, but this list is a very small start. While its become difficult to sort through the mass of new cannabis companies, there is some good news for medical marijuana patients and adult users alike; it’s getting easier to pick and choose how (and how much) to consume.
http://www.laweekly.com/news/new-and-notable-marijuana-products-available-in-california-8801339

Pacifica Residents Invited To Meetings On Proposed Cannabis Rules (CA – Cannabis Rules)
Pacifica Patch (October 30, 2017) The public is invited to attend one of the upcoming outreach sessions on the County of San Mateo’s draft ordinance governing cannabis cultivation and provide feedback ahead of a staff proposal coming back before the Board of Supervisors. These meetings are an opportunity for county residents to learn more about the draft ordinance’s details, ask questions of County staff and submit comments for consideration.
https://patch.com/california/pacifica/pacifica-residents-invited-meetings-proposed-cannabis-rules

Hmong Settlers Say Siskiyou County Pot-Grow Crackdown Smells Like Discrimination (CA – Cannabis Cultivation)
CBS SF Bay Area (October 29, 2017) Another day, another bust at an illegal marijuana grow garden in God’s Country — Northern California’s Siskiyou County. “You have a large number of plants — 99 plants maybe. You know, it’s totally out of compliance for this county,” noted Siskiyou County Sheriff’s deputy Mike Gilley. Out of compliance, but hardly out of the ordinary here in the shadow of Mount Shasta.
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2017/10/29/hmong-settlers-say-siskiyou-county-pot-grow-crackdown/

High Taxes Could Drive Up Marijuana Prices And Bolster The Black Market In California, Analysis Says (CA – Cannabis Taxes)
The Washington Post (October 30, 2017) High taxes on legal marijuana in California could have the potential to turn many consumers away from the state’s cannabis shops and toward the black market, according to a report from Fitch Ratings. The credit rating agency estimates state and local taxes on marijuana, which will become legal in California on Jan. 1., could be as high as 45 percent in some cases. It would trail only Washington state, which levies a 50 percent tax on marijuana.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/10/30/high-taxes-could-drive-up-marijuana-prices-and-bolster-the-black-market-in-california-analysis-says/

Bellacures Launches Cannabis ‘Canna-Cure’ Manicures And Pedicures (CA – Cannabis Industry)
Pret-a-Reporter (October 30, 2017) As someone who never really went through a hippie phase or noodle danced through the parking lot of a Grateful Dead show, I’ve been somewhat dubious about the rising popularity of cannabis merchandise in fashion and beauty because of the previously crunchy manner in which marijuana-related products were branded.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/bellacures-launches-cannabis-canna-cure-manicures-pedicures-1052926

Liquor Company Behind Corona, Svedka Sees Future In Weed-Infused Drinks (CA – Cannabis Industry)
Grub Street (October 30, 2017) One of the world’s top liquor companies is bringing all-new meaning to the phrase “This Bud’s for You.” Constellation Brands — a company that owns Svedka vodka, imports Corona and several other beers, and is the world’s largest wine producer — thinks the adult beverage of the future involves pot, so it’s dropping $191 million into the planet’s largest publicly traded cannabis producer.
http://www.grubstreet.com/2017/10/company-behind-corona-sees-future-in-weed-infused-drinks.html

Senator Cory Booker Says He Knows Many Members Of Congress Have Used Marijuana (DC – Cannabis Use)
Civilized (October 30, 2017) Congress tends to have a pretty hostile view towards marijuana. Despite a few people supporting legalization efforts, most politicians trot out the same tired arguments about cannabis leading to horrible things. But one senator is finally calling them out.
https://www.civilized.life/articles/senator-says-members-of-congress-used-marijuana/?utm_source=Civilized+Newsletter&utm_campaign=736492fb0f-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_01_05&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8343e8fe68-736492fb0f-204660761

Ohio Gubernatorial Hopeful’s Platform Includes Cannabis Law Reforms (OH – Cannabis Reform)
Ganjapreneur (October 30, 2017) Ohio Supreme Court Justice William O’Neill has entered the state gubernatorial race and is including a cannabis tax-and-regulate plan in his platform, the Associated Press reports. O’Neill indicated his plan would drive more than $200 million in taxes a year for the state. Additionally, O’Neill’s cannabis law reforms would include releasing all non-violent prisoners convicted of cannabis crimes, which he says would save the state another $100 million annually. The funds saved and raised through the reforms would be used to build a state-run mental health system to help “treat addiction like the disease it is,” he said in the report.
https://www.ganjapreneur.com/ohio-gubernatorial-hopefuls-platform-includes-cannabis-law-reforms/

Missouri Groups Try Again To Get Medical Marijuana On The Ballot (MO – Medical Cannabis)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (October 30, 2017) Proponents of legalizing marijuana for medical use say 2018 is the year for Missouri. Public opinion has shifted. Money is flowing. And canvassers dot street corners. But we’ve heard this before. After raising more than $1.3 million through June of last year, a group called New Approach Missouri — run by some of the state’s most well-known marijuana advocates — narrowly missed the ballot after election officials tossed thousands of the group’s signatures.
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/missouri-groups-try-again-to-get-medical-marijuana-on-the/article_580e5bba-d71d-5366-8026-7a55314f2f09.html