CCMA Political greenBrief
Thursday, October 25, 2018
www.cannabismanufacturers.org
National Expungement Week Has Helped Those Who Have Been Affected Most By The War On Drugs Get Back Into The Business
“This election will be another watershed moment. This sets the stage for a local government push to really start opening up licensing.”Dustin Moore, A Principal At Main Street Strategies, On How Local Governments In CA Can Shape The Cannabis Industry In The Entire State
“Considering America’s history of the war on drugs, the cannabis industry must bring justice and shared profits. As these expungement events become more common, we wanted to coordinate them to highlight the need for widespread and automated legal relief.”Sonia Erika Of The MA Recreational Consumer Council On The Effects Of National Expungement Week
Sonoma Patient Group Seminar – October 26 (Santa Rosa – Event Announcement)
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
California Regs 2.0 Update – TONIGHT (Los Angeles – Event Announcement)
This Thursday night, join the CCMA and a group of lawyers, compliance and legislative experts to break down the recently released draft permanent cannabis regulations by the BCC, CDPH and CDFA.
https://www.facebook.com/events/727067374320727/
Cannabis: Can We Bring Back Compassionate Care? (CA – Cannabis Policy)
48 Hills (October 23, 2018) Late in September, Governor Jerry Brown vetoed three marijuana bills meant to begin the shifting process of correcting some of the needs left by Prop 64. Assembly Bill 1996 sought to open a cannabis research clinic in California; so far the only FDA-approved clinic is in Mississippi and does not provide quality product to research. Veto. Senate Bill 1127 wanted to give parents the right to treat their child with cannabis-based medications on school grounds, instead of having to pick them up or meet them off-campus. Veto. Senate Bill 829 sought to shield compassionate care centers that offer free medical marijuana to certain low-income individuals from state cannabis taxes. Veto.
https://48hills.org/2018/10/cannabis-compassionate-care/
California’s New Regs Say ‘Goodbye’ To Brokers, Branding (CA – State Regulations)
MG Retailer (October 22, 2018) On Friday, California’s three cannabis licensing agencies released revisions to the proposed permanent regulations. Some of the changes were minor, while others took the industry by surprise. By far, the most significant changes came from the Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC). Public comments will be accepted through November 5, 2018. Before getting too far into the specifics of some of the more substantial changes, it is important to understand that regulations merely clarify existing law; regulations do not create law. Specifically, here in California, the BCC, CalCannabis and the Manufactured Cannabis Safety Branch are authorized to adopt regulations pursuant to California Business & Professions Code §26013.
https://mgretailer.com/business/legal-politics/proposed-calif-regs-may-redefine-business-categories/
How California’s Local Elections Could Expand Cannabis Business Opportunities (CA – Local Governments)
Marijuana Business Daily (October 25, 2018) The biggest bottleneck to the development and expansion of the legal cannabis industry across California has been local governments banning commercial marijuana companies. That roadblock could morph into more of a speed bump after the November election, when at least 82 cannabis-related ballot measures are slated to go before voters in cities and counties around the state, according to information NORML shared with Marijuana Business Daily. The tally includes local cannabis ballot measures in 10 counties and 58 municipalities.
https://mjbizdaily.com/how-californias-local-elections-could-expand-cannabis-business-opportunities/
Cannabis’ Regulatory Home Stretch (CA – State Regulations)
North Coast Journal (October 25, 2018) It looks like Fortuna residents might be able to get weed delivered to their homes after all. The California Bureau of Cannabis Control, Department of Food and Agriculture and Department of Public Health released proposed updates to their cannabis regulations on Oct. 19, kicking off a 15-day public comment period that will be open through Nov. 5. The updates themselves come as a result of state regulators getting more than 6,000 comments on their last draft of state regulations. If permanently adopted, the proposed changes would have some sizeable impacts on everything from the way cannabis is packaged and delivered to how much information is publicly disclosed about those invested in cannabis businesses.
https://www.northcoastjournal.com/humboldt/cannabis-regulatory-home-stretch/Content?oid=11674006
9 Female-Owned Cannabis Companies Crushing It In California (CA – Cannabusiness)
Leafly (October 24, 2018) Female cannabis consumers are entering the legalized market in droves, looking for products designed specifically for their needs, whether it be eye-catching, colorful prerolls, vape pens that soothe anxiety, edibles that relieve PMS, topical lotions that nourish skin, or bath salts that improve sleep. Having identified these underserved customers, ambitious female founders meet this increasing demand with brands and products that deliver wellness benefits while pampering the mind and body. Hailed as a place for women to make their mark, the emerging cannabis industry offers opportunities for advancement beyond what’s available in many other established industries. In 2015, a survey conducted by MJ Biz Daily found women holding 36% of executive level roles in cannabis companies, a much larger percentage compared to traditional businesses.
https://www.leafly.com/news/industry/9-female-owned-cannabis-companies-crushing-it-in-california
When Will Marijuana Finally Be Legalized Nationwide? Researchers Have A Forecast (USA – Federal Legalization)
Marijuana Moment (October 24, 2018) There’s been plenty of speculation attempting to predict when the successful state-level marijuana legalization movement will translate into federal action. But in general, all this prognostication has been pretty unscientific… until now. Researchers at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and the Santa Fe Institute recently compiled a data set based on the trajectories of 170 other policies that started at the state level and eventually became federal law—and then used predictive models to extrapolate that data to the cannabis question. There were a few different ways the team thought they might be able to predict the outcomes of various policies—including adult-use marijuana legalization and “stand your ground” laws—but the one that showed the most promise was a “simple diffusion model, based on classic logistic growth.”
Republican Support For Marijuana Legalization Edges Up Again In Poll (USA – Federal Legalization)
Yahoo! (October 24, 2018) A slim majority of Republicans support legalizing marijuana for recreational use in the United States, according to a new poll. Gallup conducted its annual poll on the American public’s opinions on cannabis on Oct. 1-10 and found that 66 percent of respondents think it should no longer be illegal. That’s a new high since Gallup first surveyed Americans on marijuana back in 1969 — when only 12 percent supported legalization. According to the poll results, Democrats and independents support legalization at 75 percent and 71 percent respectively. These groups have supported legal marijuana for nearly a decade. It took until last year for a slight majority of Republicans, 51 percent, to support this view. This year that figure inched up 2 percentage points to 53 percent.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/republican-support-marijuana-legalization-edges-poll-163131183.html
Expungement Fairs Are Getting Top Cannabis Talent Back In Business (USA – Cannabusiness)
Forbes (October 23, 2018) With cannabis stocks, investment, and legal initiatives rising around the country, the demand for skilled workers is about to soar. This week, a nationwide series of free legal clinics aims to meet that demand, and start repairing past harms, by helping on-the-record cannabis veterans get back in business. During the week of October 20 — 27, 2018, over 20 organizations around the country are hosting the first-ever National Expungement Week (NEW), designed to help those most impacted by the US war on drugs to leave their outdated convictions behind, and move on with their careers. Throughout the week, organizations will offer free legal clinics to help remove, seal, or reclassify eligible convictions from attendees’ criminal records, as well as immigration advice, health screenings, enrollment social benefits, and Get Out the Vote support, depending on location.
Not Everybody Must Get Stoned: Pot’s Non Intoxicating Future (USA – Cannabis Effects)
The Wall Street Journal (October 25, 2018) CBD, a nonintoxicating compound found in cannabis, is everywhere these days. Coffee shops across the country offer “calming” CBD infusions for your cappuccino. Boutique makeup brands are churning out CBD moisturizers, touting the compound’s anti-inflammatory properties. As of October, 46 states have passed some kind of CBD legalization; the use and sale of the compound is not explicitly allowed under federal law, but the law is not often enforced. In June the Food and Drug Administration approved Epidiolex (cannabidiol)—aka CBD—for the treatment of seizures associated with two rare forms of epilepsy. It’s the first FDA-approved drug to come from the cannabis plant.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/prepare-for-a-wave-of-cannabis-productsbeyond-cbd-1540479300
Senator Films Himself Eating Edible To Learn About Weed Before Medical Marijuana Vote (USA – Cannabis Politics)
Newsweek (October 24, 2018) A Utah state senator took an unconventional approach on Saturday to researching the effects of cannabis before voting on medical marijuana when he sampled a marijuana-infused gummy in a Facebook Live video. Senator Jim Dabakis, a Democrat, conducted his research experiment during a weekend trip to Nevada, which legalized recreational marijuana in 2017, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. In a nearly five-minute-long video, Dabakis took a bite out of a tangerine-flavored edible. “I thought it was about time that at least one legislator knew a little bit about marijuana before we changed all the laws,” Dabakis said in from of the NuLeaf dispensary in Las Vegas. Legislators are scheduled to meet in November for a special session to decide the legality of medical marijuana in Utah.
Too Many Bureaucratic Hurdles For Cannabis Research (Canada – Cannabis Research)
University Affairs (October 25, 2018) We’ve lost many years of potentially important research on the use of cannabis as medicine because of polarized views of the “weed” among researchers, policymakers and the general public. On one side, there are those who see cannabis as a dangerous psychoactive drug that should be prohibited. On the other, there are those who view cannabis as a panacea with the potential to treat every disease and condition known to humankind. So now that cannabis is legal to smoke, will bureaucratic hurdles still make it hard to study? It’s time to remove the barriers to cannabis research. There’s still too much we don’t know – both potential benefits and risks.
Safe Cannabis Pain Relief Without The High (Canada – Cannabis Research)
McGill University Health Centre (October 25, 2018) In the wake of cannabis legalization, a team of scientists at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre and McGill University have delivered encouraging news for chronic pain sufferers by pinpointing the effective dose of marijuana plant extract cannabidiol for safe pain relief without the typical “high” or euphoria produced by the THC. The findings of their study have been published in the journal PAIN. Cannabis indica and sativa are the two main cannabis strains that produce the pharmacological principles known as tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol. Dr. Gabriella Gobbi’s team demonstrated that CBD does not act on the CB1 cannabinoid receptors like THC, but through the mechanism that binds specific receptors involved in anxiety and pain.
https://muhc.ca/newsroom/news/safe-cannabis-pain-relief-without-%E2%80%9Chigh%E2%80%9D
5 Things Canada Got Right When It Legalized Pot (Canada – Legalization)
Reason (October 24, 2018) It turns out that when you legalize marijuana, a lot of people show up to buy it. That development seemed to surprise cannabis controllers in Canada, where shortages were reported almost immediately after legal recreational sales began last week. In several other respects, however, Canada is handling the transition from prohibition to regulation better than the United States. Canadians seem to have learned a few things from American mistakes, and we in turn can learn from their successes. The most significant difference between the approaches taken by the two countries is that Canada has legalized marijuana at the national level. It is only the second country in the world (after Uruguay) to do so.
https://reason.com/archives/2018/10/24/5-things-canada-got-right-when-it-legali
