CCMA Political greenBrief
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
www.cannabismanufacturers.org
Lori Ajax, Chief Of The CA Bureau Of Cannabis Control, Explains The Struggles Of Crafting State Regulations For A Budding Industry From Scratch
“We’re not pleasing anybody with our regs, whether it’s the industry, the city or the police chiefs, not everybody is happy. Maybe that’s the balance we need to strike.”Lori Ajax, Chief Of The Bureau Of Cannabis Control, On The Challenges Of Creating Regulations
“People sharing their stories are so important, and becoming an advocate is so important. I think people need to share their stories and let everyone know that — no matter how old you are, no matter who you are in this world — medical cannabis can work for you.”
Debbie Churgai, Associate Director Of Americans For Safe Access, On The Importance Of The Disabled Community Having Equal Access To Cannabis
California’s Cannabis Chief Regulator: It ‘Costs Businesses’ (CA – State Regulations)
GV Wire (November 9, 2018) Could too many regulations for the burgeoning cannabis industry deter entry into the market? That’s the question the state agency in charge of regulating cannabis grapples with. Chief of the Bureau of Cannabis Control Lori Ajax informed the small gathering, which included outgoing Fresno city councilmen Oliver Baines and Clint Olivier and an inquisitive congressman Jim Costa (D-Fresno), about the challenge of creating rules for an industry from scratch.
https://gvwire.com/2018/11/09/californias-cannabis-chief-regulator-it-costs-businesses/
Without Compassion, Cannabis Doesn’t Work: California’s Fight For Patients In Need (CA – Compassion Programs)
Leafly (November 9, 2018) Cannabis prohibition isn’t ending because of the massive profits to be made growing and selling the plant. Or because the war on cannabis is racist, oppressive, counterproductive, and an astounding waste of resources. Or because cannabis is far safer than alcohol. Or because George Washington used to grow hemp. All those things have always been true. So what did spur the era of legalization? People started risking arrest and imprisonment to provide this healing herb to the sick and dying.
How Can We Ensure the Disabled Community Has Equal Access to Cannabis? (CA – Compassion Programs)
Merry Jane (November 8, 2018) Legal cannabis has pretty much gone mainstream. From the first legalization of medical marijuana, passed by California in 1996, to 33 states with either adult-use or medical cannabis programs as of Tuesday’s election results, legal pot is only growing in popularity. For users with disabilities, the medicinal value of the plant has been increasingly clear for years; however, some of the challenges of accessing the drug for such individuals are just now being highlighted.
https://merryjane.com/health/how-can-we-ensure-the-disabled-community-has-equal-access-to-cannabis
Feds Seek New Growers To Produce Thousands Of Kilograms Of Marijuana (USA – Cannabis Research)
Marijuana Moment (November 13, 2018) The federal government is looking to contract a small business to grow, test, store and ship thousands of kilograms of marijuana of varying potencies and concentrations. No, really. The contract notice was published on the site Federal Business Opportunities last week—not long after a similar listing called for applications from prospective federal joint rollers. The new posting seems quite a bit more comprehensive, though.
Mitch McConnell Guarantees Industrial Hemp Legalization (USA – Hemp Industry)
Marijuana Moment (November 9, 2018) Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is guaranteeing that the 2018 Farm Bill will include his industrial hemp legalization provision after the Senate and House reach a compromise—ideally by the end of the year. “If there’s a Farm Bill, it’ll be in there, I guarantee that,” he told reporters on Friday.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/mitch-mcconnell-guarantees-industrial-hemp-legalization/
VA Will Explore Medical Marijuana, But Only If Federal Law Changes, Secretary Says (USA – Medicinal Cannabis)
Marijuana Moment (November 10, 2018) If marijuana is federally legalized, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will consider letting benefits go toward medical cannabis for veterans, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said on Friday. But until then, the issue is a non-starter. Asked whether medical marijuana was among the alternative therapies the VA would explore for patients, Wilkie said flatly that cannabis “is against federal law.”
‘Cannabis Saved My Life’: Veterans Share Stories Of Healing and Recovery (USA – Medicinal Cannabis)
Leafly (November 9, 2018) Once a week, a handful of military veterans gather at the Seattle Vet Center to practice the art of writing and the process of healing. Some write fiction. Others reveal themselves in memoir. While the rest of society is breaking down taboos around cannabis, it’s still a difficult topic in the military. A number of Red Badge writers, in fact, felt the need to use authorial pseudonyms because of the risk to their careers or VA benefits.
7 Pioneers Of Cannabis’ CBD Movement (USA – CBD Market)
Leafly (November 12, 2018) Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-intoxicating cannabis constituent that has been shown to reduce seizures, inflammation, pain, anxiety, and other symptoms. Even as we come to understand the vast medical potential of CBD, it can still be hard to find among the sea of high-THC strains and products dominating the market. For this reason, it’s important to pay homage to the chemists, breeders, and growers who have spearheaded the development of CBD strains and medicines. These are the pioneers who brought something new and different to the world of cannabis.
https://www.leafly.com/news/industry/pioneers-of-the-cbd-movement
What’s The Legal Status Of CBD After The Midterms? (USA – CBD Market)
Quartz (November 11, 2018) In recent months, cannabidiol, or CBD—the non-psychotropic chemical compound that occurs naturally in cannabis—has become increasingly popular in the US. CBD has been turning up in bath bombs, lattes, muscle rubs, vape pens, oil extracts, dog treats, and a multitude of other products, to create a market that the Hemp Business Journal reports was worth $190 million in 2017. It’s so mainstream the New York Times’ style section wrote about it last month. While there’s little doubt that CBD’s social status is high, its legal status remains murky, even after voters in Michigan, Missouri, and Utah’s midterm elections all supported marijuana-legalization measures.
https://qz.com/quartzy/1457260/whats-the-legal-status-of-cbd-after-the-midterms/
The Dirty Little Secret About Marijuana Stocks They Don’t Tell You (USA – Cannabis Investments)
The Motley Fool (November 11, 2018) Have you ever noticed that the food at a fast-food restaurant never looks as good as it does on the restaurant’s TV commercials? It’s not necessarily false advertising. Maybe some of those burgers really do sizzle, with moisture delicately falling off the crisp piece of lettuce. There’s a dirty little secret that key players in the cannabis industry won’t tell you about the “products” they sell to investors: The growth they pitch isn’t as attractive as it might seem.
https://www.fool.com/investing/2018/11/11/the-dirty-little-secret-about-marijuana-stocks-the.aspx
Aurora Cannabis’ Earnings Surge By 2,800% After It Produces 11,000 Pounds Of Pot In 3 Months (Canada – Cannabusiness)
CNBC (November 12, 2018) Aurora Cannabis said revenue jumped 260 percent over the last 12 months, with kilograms produced climbing to 4,996 — more than 11,000 pounds of cannabis — from 1,010 over the past year. That’s up nearly 400 percent. Earnings attributable to common shareholder surged 2,862 percent to CA$104.2 million, while total revenue was CA$29.7 million.
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/12/aurora-cannabis-produces-11000-pounds-of-pot-in-3-months.html
