CCMA Greenbrief November 5th: CA Regulators Approve Dozens Of Annual Licenses…Are CBD-Infused Products Legal In California?…Santa Barbara Police Seize 400,000 Plants In Illicit Grow…

CCMA Political  greenBrief

Monday, November 5, 2018

www.cannabismanufacturers.org

Greg Avetisyan, Left, And His Brother Gary Avetisyan A t Their CBD Store In Tarzana; They’re Part Of The Hemp-Derived CBD Market Which Is Projected To Top $591 Million This Year, According To Brightfield Group

“We’re seeing a shift away from people who were effectively hobby growers. It’s all going to Big Ag. That’s definitely where the industry is shifting. For them, what’s the difference in growing lettuce, tomatoes or cannabis?”
Karson Humiston Founder Of Santa Monica Cannabis Firm Vangst, On Cannabis Cultivation Practices
“If the results found in our studies can be extrapolated to the general population, cannabis could systematically replace multi-billion dollar medication industries around the world. It is likely already beginning to do so.” 
Jacob Vigil, UNM Department Of Psychology Associate Professor, On The Expanding Global Cannabis Market 

CBD-Infused Products Are Being Sold Everywhere In California — But Are They Legal? (CA – CBD Industry)

Los Angeles Times (November 4, 2018) According to the California Bureau of Cannabis Control, CBD products made from marijuana may be sold at licensed cannabis dispensaries, but CBD pulled from pot’s non-intoxicating relative, hemp, is barred from being peddled at pot shops. The confusion is largely attributable to the fact that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration considers CBD a Schedule 1 substance, along with drugs such as heroin and LSD.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-cbd-infused-products-20181104-story.html

 

California Cannabis Regulators Approve More Annual Licenses (CA – State Regulation)

Marijuana Business Daily (November 2, 2018) The California Bureau of Cannabis Control on Friday announced the approval of a dozen annual marijuana business permits for 10 retail locations, one distributor and one event organizer. The approvals came just days after California’s two other regulating agencies – the Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the Department of Public Health (CDPH) – began handing out annual permits. The applicants must now pay a final fee before their licenses are issued, the BCC said in a news release.

https://mjbizdaily.com/california-cannabis-regulators-approve-more-annual-licenses/

 

‘Godfather’ Director Francis Ford Coppola Launches Luxury Marijuana Brand (CA – Cannabis Products)

Marijuana Moment (November 2, 2018) Legendary filmmmaker and winery owner Francis Ford Coppola is premiering his own marijuana line. In collaboration with California-based Humboldt Brothers, “The Grower’s Series” product line will feature three one-gram samples contained in wine bottle-shaped tins. The packaging ensures you can enjoy the sun-grown strains anywhere—like maybe on a boat traveling deep into the heart of Cambodia. The move into the cannabis space seems natural for Coppola. The Academy Award-winning director of “Apocalypse Now” and many other top films sees wine and cannabis as closer cousins than some critics do.

https://www.marijuanamoment.net/godfather-director-francis-ford-coppola-launches-luxury-marijuana-brand/

 

Southern California Investment Group Sets Sights On Kern County With Measure K (CA – Ballot Initiatives)

Bakersfield.com (November 4, 2018) The efforts to pass the marijuana ballot initiative, Measure K, have largely stemmed from a single Southern California company, Industrial Partners Group. The company has been reported to own two million square feet of industrial space, a large portion of which is used for purposes related to cannabis growth and manufacture. Kern County could be next on the company’s list of investment opportunities. IPG Principal, Stephanie Smith, has been profiled in numerous news articles over the past year.

https://www.bakersfield.com/news/southern-california-investment-group-sets-sights-on-kern-county-with/article_7c252144-def3-11e8-b79f-233dce6306f1.html

 

SJ Leaders Divided On Measure B Cannabis Tax Proposal (CA – Ballot Initiatives)

Recordnet.com (November 3, 2018) Let’s look at the numbers. In 2016, California voters approved legalization of the adult use of cannabis by a margin of 57 percent to 43 percent. In San Joaquin County, though, the margin was much smaller: 51.85 to 48.15. Three months ago, the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors placed a measure on Tuesday’s ballot to tax and to regulate the legal sale of adult-use cannabis in unincorporated parts of the county. Three supervisors voted yes and two voted no, a 60-40 margin. Here’s the thing: Because Measure B is a special tax, it will need the support of two-thirds of San Joaquin County voters Tuesday to become law, a far greater percentage than the state managed to muster to pass the adult-use of cannabis proposition two years ago.

https://www.recordnet.com/news/20181103/sj-leaders-divided-on-measure-b-cannabis-tax-proposal

 

Santa Barbara County Seizes 400,000 Marijuana Plants (CA – Illicit Market)

U.S. News (November 2, 2018) Santa Barbara County sheriff’s investigators have seized approximately 400,000 marijuana plants that were allegedly being grown illegally. The marijuana cultivation was found concealed among farm fields Monday when a search warrant was served in Santa Maria. The Sheriff’s Office says a Santa Maria resident is believed to have provided false information to county officials in an attempt to obtain a temporary state cannabis license and did not have a valid state license. Investigators will ask county prosecutors to review the investigation for potential charges related to illegal marijuana cultivation and perjury. Eradication efforts spanned two days because of the size of the cultivation site.

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/california/articles/2018-11-02/santa-barbara-county-seizes-400-000-marijuana-plants

 

How The Cannabis Landscape Could Change Post Election (USA – Cannabis Industry)

Forbes (November 5, 2018) Voters in seven states will weigh in on 36 different cannabis proposals Tuesday, everything from the legalization of medical and recreational use to the definition of hemp to the tax on cannabis sales. All of these initiatives have the potential to change how cannabis is produced, sold and used. But there’s more than just those cannabis-specific questions that could change the marijuana landscape after the midterms. Newly elected officials will have the power to set or change state policies. Here’s a look at how election results could impact the industry.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/nickkovacevich/2018/11/05/how-the-cannabis-landscape-could-change-post-election/#35d59e9a2e7c

 

The Mormon Church Vs. Marijuana, And Other Struggles Red States Face To Legalize (USA – Legalization)

Civilized (November 2, 2018) In Utah, Prop 2, the initiative that could legalize medical marijuana, has met opposition from religious and moral concerns unique to a state where the majority of voters are Mormon. Legalization efforts, led by the Utah Patients Coalition (UPC) and Together for Responsible Use and Cannabis Education (TRUCE), have had to face off with Drug Safe Utah (DSU), a coalition of ultra-conservative organizations, who hold an outsized sway within the state, and which include the Utah Medical Association, The Sutherland Institute, the Utah Eagle Forum — and, most importantly, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS), also known as The Mormon Church.

https://www.civilized.life/articles/mormom-church-opposes-cannabis-legalization-in-utah/

 

Is Hemp Oil Or CBD Oil An Alternative To Medicinal Cannabis? (USA – CBD Industry)

Cape May County Herald (November 3, 2018) We may be adding CBD oil to the current two species – sativa and indica – of medicinal cannabis (marijuana); that is if the DEA or FDA have their way about it. It’s not bad to classify CBD as a drug, but it would be helpful if a decision is made so I can make a clearer treatment plan for patients. What’s this all about? We are seeing hemp products everywhere – hemp flour, hemp lotion, hemp seeds, hemp rope (for us baby boomers), hemp paper, hemp cloth, hemp cooking oil in the supermarket, and even hemp products on Amazon and your doctor’s office (its recommended by yours truly). Remember those pirate movies with the square-rigged sails on a ship? The sails and rope were hemp.

https://www.capemaycountyherald.com/lifestyle/health_and_wellness/article_9f010e02-deb8-11e8-9b91-af24ebbf9c95.html

 

OPINION: 12 Reasons The FDA Should Remove Cannabis From The Controlled Substances Act (USA – Cannabis Policy)

Oregon Cannabis Connection (November 2, 2018) My comments focus on the need to remove botanical cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and secondarily on the overall destructive social consequences the CSA. The CSA is a costly and ineffective law. Pharmaceutical and chemical regulation would be better achieved using another legislative tool that is based more on evidence and public health, and measured by outcomes and risk-based indicators. Botanical cannabis should never have been scheduled in the CSA. It needs to be removed from the schedule of drugs under the CSA authority.

https://www.occnewspaper.com/12-reasons-the-fda-should-remove-cannabis-from-the-controlled-substances-act/

 

Future Of Legal Marijuana: Canadian Greenhouses Could Mean Cheaper, Safer Pot (Canada – Cannabis Cultivation)

USA Today (November 4, 2018) The red-leafed blueberry bushes and greenhouses filled with tomatoes tell you that this small town south of Vancouver is a great place to grow things. A peculiar smell in the air tells you marijuana producers have already figured that out. Across Canada, gleaming glass greenhouses that once grew produce for consumers are being retrofitted with air filters and light-blocking shades. Gone are the tomato plants and peppers. In their place are tens of thousands of sun-grown cannabis plants and hundreds of farmworkers transplanting, watering, trimming and packaging pot.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/11/04/legal-marijuana-2018-canada-changing-how-weed-grown-and-cost/1776150002/

 

The Racist History Behind Canada’s Marijuana Prohibition (Canada – Cannabis History)

Huffington Post Canada (November 2, 2018) Canada’s recent legalization of marijuana has spurred some heated debates, but one topic many Canadians aren’t talking about is the country’s dark history of prohibition. In her book Jailed for Possession, Catherine Carstairs, chair of the history department at the University of Guelph, details the history of illegal drugs in Canada, beginning with a set of policies that demonized ethnic minority communities, especially Chinese immigrants. The first wave of Chinese immigration began in British Columbia during the gold rush in 1858; while the second major influx of Chinese immigrants to the province came as laborers for the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, beginning in 1881.

https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2018/11/02/cannabis-prohibitions-racist-history_a_23578961/

 

The Global Cannabis Market Is Expected To Grow As More Countries Eye Legalization (World – Global Market)

Market Watch (November 5, 2018) According to data compiled by Mordor Intelligence, the global cannabis market was valued at USD 7.7 Billion in 2016 and is expected to reach USD 65 Billion by 2023. Additionally, the market is set to grow at a CAGR of 37% during the forecast period. The rapid growth rate is attributable to the widespread legalization of cannabis. For example, Canada just recently legalized cannabis, becoming the only G-7 nation to have done so. The country’s implementation marks a huge milestone as more nations look into legalization for recreational or medical purposes. Although Canada has fully legalized cannabis, the U.S. markets are expected to dominate the cannabis industry.

https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/the-global-cannabis-market-is-expected-to-grow-as-more-countries-eye-legalization-2018-11-05