 Political greenBrief
Monday, October 16, 2017 “If you don’t like marijuana and you’re against it, I’m sorry, we may be a conservative county but we are part of the state of California.”
Kern County Planning Commissioner Oxchitl Garcia “Cannabis businesses are being turned away from municipalities. They’re not being treated fairly like other businesses and someone needs to help them, they deserve some respect and maybe this organization can help them get that.”
Kali-Rai, Who Worked For Former San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales And Now Represents Five Of The Largest San Jose Dispensaries  After The Smoke Clears: What’s Next For Northern California’s Cannabis Industry? (CA – Cannabis Industry)
The Cannabist (October 14, 2017) The devastating and deadly wildfires in Northern California could hardly have come at a worse time for the region’s well-established and highly respected cannabis industry. Growers in the area, famous for its world-class quality cannabis, were in the midst of their autumn harvest as the wildfires tore through Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino counties — leaving in their wake a rising death toll, millions of dollars in property loss and scores of acres of scorched farmland and forests. http://www.thecannabist.co/ Pot Farmer’s Dreams Go Up In Smoke During California Wildfires (CA – Cannabis Industry)
U.S. News (October 15, 2017) Andrew Lopas’ plans to bring his marijuana business out of the black market with a legal, profitable and organic pot farm went up in smoke in the wildfires that have scorched Santa Rosa, California. After four decades of growing pot illegally, the 54-year-old saw an opportunity last year to start a legitimate business serving the medical marijuana market. https://www.usnews.com/news/ Kern County And City Of Bakersfield Wrestling With Divergent Paths On Commercial Pot (CA – Commercial Cannabis) National Cannabis Industry Association Infographic Explains California Temporary Licenses (CA – Cannabis Licenses)
MG Retailer (October 15, 2017) The National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) wants to know: did you hear California is going to issue temporary licenses to cannabis businesses beginning January 1, 2018? Although permanent licenses are still in the works, Lori Ajax, Chief of the Bureau of Cannabis Control(BCC), has stated that temporary licenses will be issued to help bridge the gap between January 1st, and the date that each individual permanent license is issued. https://mgretailer.com/ Internal Affairs: Former San Jose Officials Launch A New Cannabis Business Association (CA – Cannabis Association)
The Mercury News (October 13, 2017) Move over, chamber of commerce and labor unions. There could soon be a new political powerhouse in Silicon Valley — and it’s marijuana. Sean Kali-rai and Victor Gomez, two former San Jose city employees who work as lobbyists, launched the “Silicon Valley Cannabis Alliance” — a trade organization just for weed dispensaries, cultivators, distributors, delivery services and lab testers. The new association will include marijuana businesses in Santa Clara, San Benito and San Mateo counties. http://www.mercurynews.com/ Think You’ll Be Able To Buy Marijuana In SLO County In January? Think Again (CA – Cannabis Industry)
The Tribune (October 13, 2017) Recreational marijuana sales in California will spark up in January. But folks without a medical card likely won’t be able to buy weed in San Luis Obispo County until spring — and then only in a few communities. Recreational marijuana was legalized as a result of last year’s Proposition 64 – supported by 57 percent of California voters and 58 percent of county voters. Possession and cultivation of up to six plants are now legal for adults over the age of 21, and recreational sales were to begin by Jan. 1, 2018. http://www.sanluisobispo.com/ Over 900 Illegal Marijuana Plants Seized At 3 Different Hesperia Locations (CA – Illegal Cannabis)
Victor Valley News (October 14, 2017) The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department – Marijuana Enforcement Team and deputies from the Hesperia Police Department conducted investigations resulting in the service of three search warrants at residential properties in Hesperia. The investigations revealed marijuana grows that were illegal and not in compliance with California’s medical marijuana law and/or Hesperia’s ordinance prohibiting the cultivation of marijuana. Thus, over 900 marijuana plants were seized during the service of the search warrants. Investigators don’t believe the locations are linked together. http://www.vvng.com/900- No More Cannabis Edible Consumption At EastSide Food Festival (CA – Edible Cannabis)
Enter Los Angeles (October 13, 2017) Since 2014, The EastSide Food Festival has tried to distinguish itself from the very heavy pack of LA food events, with an appreciation for the culture and neighborhoods east of Western Ave. This year, the organizers took things a step further than traditional food and drinks, by offering aspecial cannabis section for the festival. Until organizers changed plans. https://la.eater.com/2017/10/ The Drug Industry’s Triumph Over The DEA (USA – Cannabis Industry)
The Washington Post (October 15, 2017) In April 2016, at the height of the deadliest drug epidemic in U.S. history, Congress effectively stripped the Drug Enforcement Administration of its most potent weapon against large drug companies suspected of spilling prescription narcotics onto the nation’s streets. By then, the opioid war had claimed 200,000 lives, more than three times the number of U.S. military deaths in the Vietnam War. Overdose deaths continue to rise. There is no end in sight. https://www.washingtonpost. This Canadian Marijuana Stock Is A Bet On The U.S. Cannabis Market, Too (USA – Cannabis Market)
The Motley Fool (October 15, 2017) What are the top three U.S.-based marijuana growers that are publicly traded and have market caps of at least $500 million? If you’re having trouble coming up with names of the companies, don’t feel bad: There aren’t any U.S.-based companies that meet the criteria. If we substituted Canada for the U.S., though, it wouldn’t be very hard to find marijuana growers with relatively sizable market caps. Canopy Growth Corporation, for example, is currently valued at close to $1.7 billion. Aurora Cannabis has a market cap of more than $900 million. Aphria’s market value is more than $800 million. https://www.fool.com/ Rep. Earl Blumenauer Discusses The Future Of Marijuana Reform (USA – Cannabis Reform)
Merry Jane (October 13, 2017) For years, Congressman Earl Blumenauer has been fighting to end the failed federal prohibition of cannabis and allow citizens to benefit both medically and financially from the plant. In 2013, the Democratic representative of Oregon teamed with Colorado congressman Jared Polis to co-author “The Path Forward: Rethinking Federal Marijuana Policy,” a report in which they outlined opportunities to reform and clarify marijuana laws at the federal level. https://merryjane.com/news/ Experts Predict The Next 5 States To Legalize Weed (USA – Legalized Cannabis)
High Times (October 13, 2017) In the United States, cannabis legalization is spreading like wildfire (sorry, California), and now experts predict the next five states to legalize weed. There is currently a grand total of eight states, plus Washington D.C., that have successfully passed recreational cannabis. So now, the question on everyone’s mind is: who’s going to be next? https://hightimes.com/news/ Colorado Hits Billion Dollar Sales Mark In Nine Months (CO – Cannabis Finances)
Leafly (October 13, 2017) According to data from the Colorado Department of Revenue, the Rocky Mountain state sold over $1 billion dollars in cannabis through the first nine months of 2017. It took the state 10 months to reach the billion dollar mark in 2016. Sales totals through the first nine months of this year have reached a total of about $1.1 billion—the highest amount of total sales to date in the country. https://www.leafly.com/news/ Executives And Activists Mingle For The First Legal Cannabis Trade Show In Boston (MA – Legal Cannabis)
BU News Service (October 14, 2017) The fourth annual Cannabis World Congress and Business Exposition (CWCB Expo) was surprisingly sober. At the Hynes Convention Center, legal cannabis startups mingled with investment groups and established companies trying to get into what they see as a burgeoning market. http://bunewsservice.com/ Northern Michigan University Offers Marijuana Degree (MI – Cannabis Degree)
Times Free Press (October 14, 2017) A university in Michigan is offering an unusual degree — in marijuana. Northern Michigan University in Marquette began its medical plant chemistry program this semester, with about a dozen students in the first class, the Detroit Free Press reported . The program combines chemistry, biology, botany, horticulture, marketing and finance. http://www.timesfreepress.com/ |
