CCMA Political greenBrief
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
www.cannabismanufacturers.org

House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte Agreed To Co-Sponsor A Bipartisan Bill To Make Medical Marijuana Research Easier.

“We looked at it from a legal perspective, land use perspective and a legal perspective. From a legal perspective it is still illegal at a federal level and so we felt that because of that disconnect between state law and federal law and the fact that businesses operating marijuana operate on a cash only basis so it leads to a potential of increased crime.”
Steven Bergstresser, Kettering Assistant City Manager 

“Minorities and people of lower-income are 10 times more likely to be arrested for nonviolent marijuana offenses. Decriminalizing marijuana shouldn’t just be a policy priority—but a moral imperative. Stand with me in this fight for progressive justice.”
Donna Shalala, a former U.S. Health and Human Services secretary and current Democratic candidate for a Florida US House District.

Cannabis Cultivation Will Be A Race To The Bottom (CA- Cannabis Industry)
Forbes (April 25, 2018) The current “green rush” has brought with it an intense focus on large-scale cannabis cultivation. Across the United States and around the globe, we routinely hear stories of companies building larger and larger cannabis farms.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kriskrane/2018/04/25/cannabis-cultivation-will-be-a-race-to-the-bottom/#59b692fa4184

How “Track And Trace” Watches Weed’s Every Move (CA- Cannabis Industry)
The Mercury News (April 25, 2018) From birth to death — and beyond, when added to foods and extracts — plants like this will soon enter California’s elaborate new “Track and Trace” program, providing the same information you’d find on a pack of gum or box of copy paper. Like other consumer items that are scanned billions of times a day around the world, cannabis is joining the world of cold efficiency, identification and control that defines the mundane minutiae of modern life.

Tracking pot plants from birth to death: Will California’s new ID program reduce black market sales?

Medical Marijuana Bill Sponsor Says Goodlatte Is A Supporter (USA- Cannabis Advocacy)
BloombergQuint (April 25, 2018) House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte has agreed to co-sponsor a Florida Republican’s bipartisan bill to make medical marijuana research easier, his office confirmed on Wednesday.
https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/2018/04/25/medical-marijuana-bill-sponsor-says-goodlatte-is-a-supporter

Potential Medical Marijuana Crisis Could Mirror Opioids, Doctors Warn (USA- Opioid Epidemic)
Business Insurance (April 25, 2018) The parallels between how the opioid crisis began and medical marijuana’s quick rise as a candidate on the pain-management roster has some experts concerned due to the lack of studies on such issues as cannabis dosing and addiction.
http://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20180425/NEWS08/912320819/Potential-medical-marijuana-crisis-could-mirror-opioids,-doctors-warn

How to Grow And Thrive In The New Marijuana Market (CA- Cannabis Industry)
Newsweek (April 25, 2018) Back in 2010, Colorado’s legal cannabis industry was still going through its growing pains, with 80 percent of new dispensaries failing to gain a significant foothold in the (then only medical) market in the Centennial State. It was into this uncertain situation that the masterminds behind Pinnacle Consultation, then working as growers for a single dispensary, launched their larger-scale plan.
http://www.newsweek.com/how-grow-and-thrive-new-marijuana-market-895396

Marijuana Dispensary Plants Its Flag (USA- Cannabis Market)
Crain’s New York Business (April 25, 2018) Fifth Avenue features brands including high-end Saks and the ubiquitous H&M—and now MedMen, a marijuana dispensary. A medical- marijuana card and a doctor’s note are needed to buy the shop’s products, but the company and elected officials at its packed opening party were confident that will change. “This store represents the future,” said Adam Bierman, co-founder and CEO of MedMen, which sells cannabis for nonmedical use in California and Nevada.
http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20180425/POLITICS/180429937/reporters-note-medmen-marijuana-dispensary-plants-its-flag-in-new-york-city

Legal Marijuana’s Big Moment (CA- Cannabis Industry)
Politico (April 24, 2018) couple of weeks ago, John Boehner was dining at one of his favorite Washington haunts, Trattoria Alberto on Barracks Row, when in walked Earl Blumenauer, the Democrat from Oregon known as one of the most fervent advocates for legal marijuana in Congress.
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/04/24/pot-marijuana-2018-congress-218069

Ban Medical Marijuana Businesses, Kettering City Staff Suggests (USA- Local Ordinances)
Dayton Daily News (April 25, 2018) Kettering city staff members in a presentation to City Council Tuesday evening strongly recommended that there be a permanent ban on medical marijuana businesses in the city.
https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/local/ban-medical-marijuana-businesses-kettering-city-staff-suggests/vEjh056DgeKm4cSc3Un97K/

Monterey Bud: Prohibitionist Is Pro-Marijuana In Congressional Race (USA- Cannabis Advocacy)
Marijuana (April 25, 2018) Donna Shalala, a former U.S. Health and Human Services secretary and current Democratic candidate for a Florida US House District, has a message for her would-be constituents: Rescheduling marijuana is now a priority for her.
https://www.marijuana.com/news/2018/04/monterey-bud-prohibitionist-clinton-era-cabinet-member-sings-pro-marijuana-tune-in-congressional-race/

Connelly: Washington Governor Jay Inslee Boasts ‘We’ve Got The Best Weed’ As Pot Support Blossoms (WA- Cannabis Advocacy)
seattlepi (April 24, 2018) California Rep. Ted Lieu has bragged about the Golden State’s “awesome,” “amazing” and “wonderful” weed. The nation’s most populous state voted in … opponent of marijuana legalization, has gone to work as a advisor to a firm that cultivates and operates medical marijuana dispensaries in 11 states.
https://www.seattlepi.com/local/politics/article/Washington-Jay-Inslee-marijuana-legalization-HBO-12860815.php

Could ‘One Puff’ Of Cannabis Ease Depression? (WA- Cannabis Research)
Medical News Today (April 25, 2018) Researchers from Washington State University (WSU) found that adults reported a reduction in depressive symptoms with just a single puff of medical marijuana that was high in cannabidiol (CBD) and low in tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321589.php