CCMA Political greenBrief
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
www.cannabismanufacturers.org
People Who Suffer From Sickle Cell Anemia Are Common Users Of Cannabis, Accentuating The Need For More Research On The Drug
“The challenge remains that until the U.S. government de-schedules cannabis, companies like Coca-Cola will be hamstrung to produce innovative cannabis products with American operators.”Kevin Murphy, CEO Of Acreage Holdings, On High Profile Companies Broadening Their Horizons On The Cannabis Market
“I think we have an excellent chance of passing the States Act no matter who controls the House. I don’t think we’ve ever been in a stronger position to pass a really vital, functional piece of legislation on the federal level.”Neal Levine, CEO Of The Cannabis Trade Federation, On The Passage Of The STATES Act
Sonoma Patient Group Seminar, October 26 (Santa Rosa)
Sonoma County’s longest permitted dispensary, is hosting an educational seminar regarding Prop 65 warnings and labeling requirements for the Cannabis industry. This will take place on Friday, October 26, 2018 starting at 10am with a 2-hour seminar followed by lunch and networking opportunities until 2pm, taking place at the Hyatt Regency in Santa Rosa. We are excited for attendees to have the opportunity to meet other licensed cannabis entities and professionals throughout the cannabis industry.
https://spg606.wixsite.com/prop65
Cannabis Equity In California Aims To Level The Playing Field (CA – Equity Program)
Digital Journal (October 22, 2018) On September 27, Governor Jerry Brown signed the California Cannabis Equity Act. In many ways, the act recognizes the failed efforts of the war on drugs and the devastation cannabis criminalization had on minority and underserved communities. California lawmakers allocated $10 million in initial funding for the act, and it will go into effect next year, magnifying programs already up and running in San Francisco and Oakland. This act, also known as SB 1294, allows local jurisdictions, who have established their own cannabis equity programs, to apply for funding in the form of grants. The money can be used for business loans, capital improvements or licensing fee waivers.
California Rolling Forward With Marijuana Delivery Regulations (CA – State Regulations)
PA Homepage (October 22, 2018) California moved a step closer Friday to allowing marijuana deliveries in communities that have banned retail sales of the drug as regulators rebuffed cities and police chiefs who are opposed to the rule. The proposal is a major issue that could ultimately end up in court as the state continues to set myriad rules for how pot is grown, tested, packaged and delivered since recreational sales became legal Jan. 1. Cities have been able to ban retail sales, but state law says local governments cannot prevent cannabis deliveries on public roads so the state – at this point – rejected the plea from opponents who said it would jeopardize public safety and cause other problems.
Supervisors To Consider Coastal Commission Changes To County’s Cannabis Ordinance (CA – Local Ordinances)
Santa Maria Times (October 21, 2018) The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors will consider agreeing to the California Coastal Commission’s certification of the cannabis land use ordinance for the Coastal Zone at a special meeting Monday. The board is scheduled to meet at 9 a.m. in the Supervisors Hearing Room on the fourth floor of the County Administration Building, 105 E. Anapamu St. in Santa Barbara. Coastal commissioners certified the county’s ordinance as an amendment to the Local Coastal Plan, but that certification hinges on supervisors agreeing to changes commissioners want made in the ordinance.
Probe Into Corrupt Cops in Kern County Deepens (CA – Corruption Project)
KQED (October 22, 2018) Three Bakersfield-area law enforcement officers were drinking beers and grilling one summer day in 2014 when the conversation turned to a rural marijuana growing operation they’d busted. A senior Kern County sheriff’s deputy marveled at the “huge-ass freaking buds” they’d taken, that were just sitting in a storage unit at the sheriff’s office. That was the start of one of the biggest law enforcement corruption scandals in modern Central Valley history. Within hours, the senior deputy, Derrick Penney, and another deputy on the Kern County Sheriff’s narcotics squad, Logan August, were letting themselves into a secure storage facility and walking out with thousands of dollars in marijuana.
https://www.kqed.org/news/11699925/probe-into-corrupt-cops-in-kern-county-deepens
Experts Suggest If US House Flips, Federal Cannabis Reform Could Follow (USA – Cannabis Politics)
Marijuana Business Daily (October 23, 2018) Prospects of federal marijuana reform – and the growing fortunes of cannabis businesses – could become more of a reality if the U.S. House turns over to a Democratic majority in the Nov. 6 elections, industry experts predict. Cannabis proponents believe if the House breaks the deadlock on federal reform, the Senate will follow because it recognizes that the majority of Americans favor legalization. However, cannabis reform might not happen right away. While Democrats winning the House makes reform more likely, “it’s the people in leadership who have the power … and whether they want this to get done sooner or later,” cautioned Douglas Berman, an Ohio State University law professor who writes about marijuana policy.
https://mjbizdaily.com/experts-suggest-if-us-house-flips-federal-cannabis-reform-might-follow/
One Of The Largest Cannabis Companies Is Going Public On The New York Stock Exchange (USA – Cannabis Investments)
Business Insider (October 23, 2018) Aurora Cannabis, one of the largest Canadian marijuana producers, is going public on the New York Stock Exchange. When Aurora’s shares start trading on Tuesday morning, the company will join a select list of cannabis producers that are listing on US-based exchanges. While US-based exchanges were initially reluctant to list Canadian marijuana producers, companies including Tilray (which conducted an initial public offering on the Nasdaq in July), Cronos Group, and Canopy Growth all now list on US exchanges. To get listed on a US exchange like the NYSE, cannabis producers have to prove they are not violating any federal laws by shipping cannabis into the US, except under specific circumstances.
https://www.businessinsider.com/aurora-cannabis-going-public-on-new-york-stock-exchange-2018-10
Pot Stocks Pummeled Again, As Aurora Cannabis Falls On NYSE Debut (USA – Cannabis Investments)
MarketWatch (October 23, 2018) Marijuana stocks took another broad beating on Tuesday, with the sector headed for a sixth straight loss. The Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences exchange-traded fund HMMJ, -7.79% dropped 10%, with all 48 components trading lower, a day after it suffered its biggest-ever one-day decline. A six-session losing streak would be the longest since the seven-day stretch ending June 9, 2017. The ETF has now lost 30% during its current losing streak, the worst six-day stretch since its inception on April 4, 2017. Cannabis investors have done an about-face as marijuana became fully legal for adults in Canada on Oct. 17. In the two months leading up to legalization, the Horizons ETF had run up 47%.
Marijuana Use Common In Sickle Cell Patients, Highlighting Need For More Research, Study Shows (USA – Cannabis Research)
Sickle Cell Anemia News (October 23, 2018) Many sickle cell disease (SCD) patients use marijuana for its medicinal benefits, according to an anonymous survey by researchers from Yale New Haven Hospital and Yale University. These results show that there is a need to study the effects of marijuana on these patients and to consider whether sickle cell disease should be included in the list of conditions that can be legally treated with medical marijuana, the researchers suggest. The study, “Marijuana Use in Adults Living with Sickle Cell Disease,” was published in the journal Cannabis And Cannabinoid Research. In the U.S., the medical use of marijuana to alleviate pain caused by several health conditions is now legal in many states. However, only three states — Connecticut, Ohio, and Pennsylvania — include sickle cell disease as an approved health condition for medical marijuana.
Why Rushing Into Cannabis And Mortgage Investment Corporations May Be A Bad Idea (USA – Cannabis Investments)
The Growth Op (October 22, 2018) Risk is one of the most important and yet misunderstood concepts in the investment industry. Although most of us realize that it is the probability of permanent loss or injury, our perception of this probability can change dramatically based simply on what others are doing. For example, most people take less risk during turbulent times while everyone is heading for the exits but are willing to take on more risk during periods of euphoria with a sense of confidence bolstered by the excitement around them. As a result, investors often wind up chasing near-term returns as the fear-of-missing-out (FOMO) takes hold.
When It Comes To Pot Legalization, Canada ‘On The Right Track,’ Says Colorado Police Expert (Canada – Cannabis Market)
Global News (October 21, 2018) Canada is “on the right track” with its approach to legalizing marijuana. That’s according to Lewis Koski, the former director of the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division during that state’s own legalization process. In an interview with the West Block’s Mercedes Stephenson, Koski said there remains much work ahead for Canada as the realities of legalization play out and as progress is made towards legalizing edibles and cannabis concentrates next year. “Everything that we’ve seen so far up in Canada would suggest the country is really on the right track,” said Koski, who now runs a consulting firm advising governments on legalization called Freedman & Koski.
https://globalnews.ca/news/4573304/canada-cannabis-legalization-colorado-pot/
Canadian Government Growers Can’t Keep Up With Alberta’s Demand For Weed (Canada – Cannabis Sales)
Boing Boing (October 21, 2018) While cannabis may now be legal to smoke, sell and possess across Canada, the demand for bammy is harshing the buzz of many an Albertan. According to the CBC, certified cannabis suppliers are having a hell of a time trying to keep up with demand. The problem is cropping up at a time when the provincial government continues to dole out licenses to operate dispensaries in the province, putting an even greater strain on the amount of marijuana available in big sky country. It’s not just retail locations that are coming up with bupkis to sell. the AGLC’s online portal doesn’t have a shred of cannabis to sell, either.
https://boingboing.net/2018/10/21/canadian-government-growers-ca.html
