CCMA Greenbrief August 28: Bill Permitting MMJ On School Grounds Advances… CA Regulators Crackdown On Unlicensed Cannabusinesses… Oregon Reduces Patient Purchase Limits…

CCMA Political greenBrief

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

www.cannabismanufacturers.org

Senator Jerry Hill’s (D-San Mateo) Bill SB 1127 Passed On The Assembly Floor Which Allows School Administration Of Cannabis To Students With Medical Conditions, It’s Next Stop Is The Governor’s Desk

“We have received hundreds of complaints to date regarding unlicensed activity. Safe to say the Division of Investigations is looking at more than 500 complaints, so certainly more action is to come.”
Alex Traverso, Spokesperson For The Bureau Of Cannabis Control
“With the new marijuana laws and roadside impairment, we just want to make sure that all agencies are on board and everybody has the same knowledge. A lot of people think that they can drive high on marijuana and it’d be okay and it’s not. I mean it does impair your judgement. It slows your judgement down and it people crash just like they would when they’re drunk on alcohol.”
CA Highway Patrol Spokesperson Officer Hannah Walcott On Stoned Driving

California Cannabis: The Path Forward, August 29th (CA – San Jose Event)

Join the CCMA, the California Cannabis Industry Association, Lori Ajax, Bureau of Cannabis Control and licensed operators from across the California cannabis industry two days after the end of the 45 day public comment period.Board member Gavin Kogan will be speaking. This is an opportunity for brands and manufacturers to voice their hopes and concerns to the regulators.  August 29th from 6-9pm in San Jose. Event details below.

http://futurecannabisproject.org/2018/08/california-cannabis-the-path-forward/

 

California Begins Enforcement Against Unlicensed Marijuana Businesses (CA – Cannabis Legislation)

Marijuana Business Daily (August 27, 2018) California cannabis regulators have started to demonstrate there are teeth behind the state’s new rules. Here’s what you need to know: A 47-year-old Orange County resident was arrested Friday by local police for “unlawfully operating a marijuana dispensary” in Costa Mesa, according to a press release from the state Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC).

https://mjbizdaily.com/california-regulators-begin-enforcement-against-unlicensed-marijuana-businesses/

 

Bill Allowing Schools To Permit Medical Cannabis Use Passes Calif. Legislature (CA – Medicinal Cannabis)

SFGate (August 27, 2018) California school districts could decide whether to allow their K-12 students who use cannabis for medical conditions to consume it on campus under a bill passed by the state Legislature on Monday and headed to Gov. Jerry Brown. SB1127, by Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, would allow school districts to adopt policies allowing students with special needs or severe disabilities to use medical cannabis on campus. The bill does not require school districts to create policies but permits them to decide if they want to allow it.

https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Bill-allowing-schools-to-permit-medical-cannabis-13186526.php

 

California Lawmakers Want The State To Collect Data On Drivers Under The Influence Of Pot (CA – Stoned Driving)

Los Angeles Times (August 28, 2018) After she was injured in a car accident allegedly caused by a driver impaired by pot, state Controller Betty Yee is backing a bill approved Monday by the Legislature that aims to begin addressing the problem of drugged driving on California roads. The measure sent to Gov. Jerry Brown would require the California Highway Patrol to report on how many motorists stopped for impaired driving are allegedly under the influence of marijuana.

http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-pot-driver-accident-bill-california-20180828-story.html

 

New California Pot Bureau Says It Helped Close Illegal Shop (CA – Illicit Market)

The Sacramento Bee (August 27, 2018) California’s new marijuana control agency announced Monday that it helped shut down an unlicensed pot business in Southern California. It was the first time that the Bureau of Cannabis Control has taken part in a criminal case, spokesman Alex Traverso said. A complaint received by the bureau led police in the Southern California city of Costa Mesa on Friday to serve a search warrant on an unlicensed pot shop called Church of Peace and Glory, the bureau said in a statement. The state Department of Consumer Affairs’ Division of Investigation-Cannabis Enforcement Unit helped serve the warrant, the statement said.

https://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/article217430590.html

 

California Marijuana Labeling Snafu Leads To Yet Another Recall (CA – Cannabis Products)

Marijuana Business Daily (August 24, 2018) Ronnie Cabral was horrified to learn a few weeks ago that his vape cartridge firm’s California business license number and company name were being used on products that weren’t his. He was even more horrified to learn his identifiers were being used by a distributor he hadn’t even hired to take his products to market – a situation that led to at least the fourth cannabis product recall in California since new testing regulations took effect July 1.

https://mjbizdaily.com/california-marijuana-labeling-snafu-leads-to-yet-another-recall/

 

California Cannabis: A Golden Opportunity With Unique Challenges (CA – Cannabis Industry)

Visual Capitalist (August 27, 2018) If the state of California were a country, it would have the fifth largest GDP in the world. Take this kind of spending power and combine it with the recent legalization of recreational cannabis, and it’s fair to say that the Golden State is primed to become the Holy Grail of cannabis opportunities. But while the market is home to immense potential, this doesn’t mean that the California cannabis business isn’t without its own unique challenges and obstacles to navigate. Today’s infographic comes to us from High Hampton Holdings and it helps set the stage for the boom in California, as well as listing the regulatory hurdles that companies must be prepared to deal with in the jurisdiction.

http://www.visualcapitalist.com/california-cannabis-golden-opportunity-unique-challenges/

 

CHP Hosts Summit On Cannabis Traffic Safety As DUI Arrests, Injuries Rise (CA – Cannabis Safety)

ABC 7 News (August 27, 2018) Recreational cannabis use has been legal for about nine months now in California and it’s having a big impact on the roads. The CHP says arrests and injuries from driving under the influence are way up. On Monday, the CHP hosted the Marijuana Traffic Safety Summit in Dublin. It brought together a couple hundred people from the law enforcement, medical and legislative communities.

https://abc7news.com/chp-hosts-summit-on-cannabis-traffic-safety-as-dui-arrests-rise/4068487/

 

Elizabeth Warren: Jeff Sessions Acted As “Catalyst” For Weed Legalization (USA – Federal Legalization)

Rolling Stone (August 27, 2018) This year, President Donald Trump broke ranks with Attorney General Jeff Sessions and signaled he supports new legislation called the STATES Act, which would end the outright federal ban on marijuana by allowing each state to decide their own pot policy. This was good news for Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), one of the bill’s original sponsors. Warren teamed up on the effort with Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) who was pivotal in getting the president to endorse the broad contours of their bill. Despite the support of a bipartisan group of 10 senators, along with 28 members of the House of Representatives, the legislation hasn’t gone anywhere since it was unveiled earlier this summer

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/elizabeth-warren-jeff-sessions-weed-legalization-states-act-715651/

 

Pot Stocks Are On A High: Play These Cannabis ETFs (USA – Cannabis Investments)

Yahoo! Finance (August 27, 2018) After Constellation Brands STZ, it’s Diageo plc DEO, which is taking keen interest in the Canadian cannabis industry. In mid-August, U.S.-based Constellation Brands — a leading producer and marketer of beverage alcohol brands — announced its decision to expand its stake in the biggest listed cannabis company Canopy Growth Corporation CGC to 38% from the initial 9.9% acquired in November 2017.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/pot-stocks-high-play-cannabis-164504629.html

 

High Yield Insights Study Finds Many Cannabis Users Can’t Identify A Favorite Strain (USA – Cannabis Consumption)

PR Newswire (August 28, 2018)  Despite a majority of consumers (64%) reporting that cannabis strains are important in their purchase decisions, nearly half (45%) can’t name their preferred strain or express no preference as revealed in a new study. The data, published by cannabis customer experts High Yield Insights, focused on users who prefer smoking and vaping formats. Of the few who do report a favorite, only a small percentage managed to identify a strain by name. GG4 and OG Kush, two popular strains, were called out by a minority of respondents while others could only manage “indica” or “sativa” when asked.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/high-yield-insights-study-finds-many-cannabis-users-cant-identify-a-favorite-strain-300703154.html

 

23AndMe Data Suggests Genetic Link Between Cannabis Use And Schizophrenia (USA – Cannabis Research)

Newsweek (August 27, 2018) People genetically at risk of schizophrenia are also more likely to smoke pot, according to a new study published on Monday. Scientists used data from 23andMe volunteers to find a genetic link between cannabis use and schizophrenia. The disorder might drive people to start smoking pot, the study published in Nature Neuroscience suggests. This research was done as part of a project to better understand genetic variations that give people a higher likelihood of using cannabis, an effort known as the International Cannabis Consortium.

https://www.newsweek.com/data-23andme-genetic-cannabis-schizophrenia-1092043

 

It’s On Like Donkey Kong: Aurora Cannabis And Canopy Growth Battle Over Softgel Capsules (Canada – Cannabis Products)

The Motley Fool (August 27, 2018) If you’ve been having a hard time trying to escape cannabis content over the last couple of months, there’s a very good reason for that. On June 19, Canada’s Parliament officially passed the Cannabis Act (bill C-45), paving a path for our neighbor to the north to become the first industrialized country to have legalized adult-use marijuana. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau set an official legalization date of Oct. 17, 2018. That means we’re less than two months away from recreational marijuana being legal and going on sale in licensed dispensaries.

https://www.fool.com/investing/2018/08/27/its-on-like-donkey-kong-aurora-cannabis-and-canopy.aspx

 

Oregon Tightens Cannabis Rules, Slashes Patient Allowances (OR – Cannabis Limits)

Leafly (August 27, 2018) Oregonians are waking up to robust new cannabis rules this week, with medical marijuana allowances slashed and regulators dishing out steep fines for breaking state laws. Ever since Aug. 24, medical patients are encountering new purchase limits of one ounce per day at the register, down from 24 ounces. The new limit comes after state regulators saw patients buying the maximum 24 ounces per day on multiple days—which looks like drug trafficking. Most patients never buy more than an ounce or two a day, regulators said.

https://www.leafly.com/news/lifestyle/oregon-tightens-cannabis-rules-slashes-patient-allowances