Search Results for "maine"

Sunset on the New Mexico desert.

Report: New Mexico MMJ Revenues Grew 64% in 2016

1/24/2017

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According to a report by New Mexico licensed medical cannabis operator UltraHealth, the state’s medical cannabis program revenues 64 percent from 2015 to 2016, increasing by $19 million and totaling more than $50.6 million in revenue. The most recent data from the state Department of Health shows patient counts increased from 18,628 in 2015 to 32,840 in 2016 – an increase of 76 percent.

By comparison, the researchers point out, New Mexico’s chile crop was valued at $41.8 million in 2015 and the state’s craft beer industry is expected to reach $30 million in 2016.

Last year, the average price-per-gram was $11.28, with a median per-gram price of $10.94. The analysts estimate that 10,205 pounds of cannabis – or 4,628,749 grams – was sold in the state. In 2013 the New Mexico Department of Health estimated the “supply would need to be approximately 5,110,726.4 grams per year,” for a roster of 9,760 patients. In order to serve the needs of 32,840 patients, the supply would need to be over 37,877 pounds per year or 17.2 million grams, the report says. As of December 31, 2016, the top five New Mexico producers had about 209 pounds on hand, which represents just a two-week supply.

Duke Rodriguez, CEO of UltraHealth, said that while “exceeding the $50 million mark is encouraging, it is disheartening we continue to lag behind patient needs.”

“New Mexico has an opportunity to create a true medical cannabis program for other states to emulate,” he said in a press release. “Unfortunately, the industry has its hands tied due to burdensome fees and regulations that deny patients from having the most cost-effective medication in quantity and potency to suit their needs.”

Of the original 23 licensed non-profit producers in the state that operated in 2015 and 2016, 11 producers saw revenue growth of 50 percent or more, the revenue of two remained flat, and just one reported losses. The medical cannabis industry paid over $15.7 million in salaries for an effective 600 full-time equivalent employees.

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A cannabis grower proudly displays his product during a Cannabis Cup event.

Looking Past Christie, Former NJ Lawmaker Launches Cannabis Industry Association

1/23/2017

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Despite the limited scope of the state’s medical cannabis law, and the strong opposition by its governor, the president of the newly-formed New Jersey Cannabusiness Association is optimistic about the industry’s future in the Garden State, but any major overhauls will most certainly wait until 2018.

“No one expects Gov. [Chris] Christie to sign an adult-use bill,” Scott Rudder, the association president and former state legislator, said in an interview with Ganjapreneur. “Gov. Christie’s term ends in January 2018 – so one year from now we’ll have a new governor. Our job is to work with the various candidates…to get their buy-in and support for both the expansion of the medical program as well as the migration into an adult-use program.”

Admittedly, it took a while for Rudder, 47, to get here – actively supporting an adult-use program in the state where the Republican served two terms in the legislature (he did not seek reelection in 2013). In 2009 he had an opportunity to vote on the medical cannabis bill and abstained. “I was not there yet,” he explained, describing his mindset eight years ago. “I was uncomfortable.”

But as time went on, Rudder did more research and spent time with the Wilson family – who moved from New Jersey to Colorado in 2014 in order to access medical cannabis for their then-3-year-old daughter Vivian, who suffers from Dravet syndrome. He called the experience “transformational” and realized that New Jersey’s medical cannabis program had failed the family.

“Who are we to say, as legislators, what a doctor should and should not prescribe to somebody in need,” Rudder said. “So that was sort of the awakening if you will.”

He was one of the members of the New Jersey delegation that went on a fact-finding mission to Colorado last October, where legislators and stakeholders met with state health officials, members of law enforcement, and industry leaders. He came away thinking, “The benefits dramatically outweigh any of the concerns.”

“After discussions with folks in the legislature and folks in the industry, I felt that there was a need for an industry-based trade association to help businesses that currently exist in New Jersey, that currently operate in New Jersey but also to help grow the industry as we are moving forward.”

From the organization’s website:

The New Jersey CannaBusiness Association’s mission is simple: “Promote jobs and growth in a sustainable and responsible cannabis industry. Starting with the pioneers in the medical marijuana market to the emerging players in the adult-use space, our focus is to make certain that decision makers and regulators understand and respect the needs of the CannaBusiness community and that our community remain responsible corporate citizens.”

In addition to the companies already operating under New Jersey’s medical cannabis program, Rudder explained that there are people living in the state that are engaged in other state markets, whether it’s ownership or investment, and many individuals and entities have already started preparing for eventual legalization in New Jersey after Christie’s term ends. The association is not only building a network between business owners and stakeholders but also hopes to educate the public and lawmakers through outreach, while advocating for a “welcoming and not limited” regulatory structure. Based on conversations with his former colleagues, Rudder said it’s clear that eliminating the informal market is a bipartisan issue.

“Everybody wants to make sure it’s not something kids are buying on street corners,” he said. “You see time and again where cannabis is legalized… crime goes down, teenage use goes down – and that’s something we are going to experience in New Jersey as well.”

The association is still debating which regulation model best suits the state but it’s important to the organization that the medical cannabis program not only remains intact but is expanded. Rudder applauded the recent move by Christie to add post-traumatic stress disorder to the qualifying condition list but would still like to see more comprehensive reforms, including the number of qualifying conditions and dispensaries operating in the state.

According to a New Jersey Policy Perspective and New Jersey United for Marijuana Reform report, a “fully implemented” adult-use market in the state “could generate at least $300 million in annual direct tax revenues.” Rudder predicts – based on Colorado’s sales numbers and studies on New Jersey’s informal cannabis market – that his state could “surpass Colorado in terms of jobs created [and] revenue generated.”

“This movement in New Jersey has been happening for quite some time,” he said, commenting on whether or not the push in the state is the result of the recent electoral success in fellow Eastern states Maine and Massachusetts. “It’s more of a groundswell at a local level here in Jersey than anything that is a direct result of what’s happened in other states. Though, it’s fantastic to see how other states are reacting to it.”

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Green Man Plans to Renovate Grow Facility ‘To the Studs’ Following Product Recall

1/20/2017

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Denver’s Green Man Cannabis has issued a voluntary recall of some of its cannabis flower and edible products over concerns that it contains residual levels of illegal, off-label pesticides, the Denver Department of Environmental Health said in a recall notice.

The department is urging customers who purchased the affected products from Green Man shops on Santa Fe Drive and Hampden Avenue locations to return them to the location they purchased them from or dispose of them.

In a press release, Christian Hageseth, Green Man CEO, said the company believes “the plants became compromised from pesticide residue in the building, not application” and they are “taking the most aggressive steps possible to correct this.”

“We are now convinced residues remained, unknown to us, in the building’s duct work, paint, and flooring, and circulating air tainted the plants,” he said. “…Our plan is to rip out everything in our grow facilities – take it down to the studs.”

Hageseth indicated that the retail shops would remain open and would sell products from other growers “until we are confident that no pesticide residue is present.”

According to the health department website, more than 30 cannabis recalls have been issued since July 2015, 14 of which occurred last year. There have been no reports of illness related to the Green Man recall.

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Image depicting the inside of a high security prison cell.

Houston DA Promises to End Jail Sentences for Misdemeanor Cannabis Possession

1/03/2017

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The incoming District Attorney for Harris County, Texas unveiled a progressive future for cannabis prosecutions during her inauguration ceremony yesterday.

In her statements at the ceremony, newly appointed District Attorney Kim Ogg remained loyal to the progressive ideas that had been proposed throughout her campaign, including a plan to stop making arrests and jailing people for misdemeanor cannabis crimes, CW39 reports.

Ogg was very explicit during the ceremony about her continued support for such reforms: “All misdemeanor possession of marijuana cases will be diverted around jail,” she said.

Under her administration, small-time cannabis enforcement are expected to see drastic changes. Instead of being arrested and facing jail time, nonviolent misdemeanor cannabis offenders will be ticketed and released on the spot.

“I’ve never felt good about putting marijuana users in the same jail cells as murderers. It’s just not fair, it doesn’t make any sense, and our country is resoundingly against that,” Ogg said after the ceremony.

While Ogg’s exact views on cannabis aren’t as favorable as we might hope — Harris County will still be penalizing consumers who are caught, and felony cannabis crimes such as distribution are to remain in place — her other campaign promises included increasing transparency in cases of police shootings and ramped up efforts in the prosecution of burglars and white-collar criminals.

During the ceremony, Ogg also acknowledged that there had been turmoil within the DA’s office following her recent decision to fire 37 prosecutors.

“Welcome to a new era of criminal justice,” she said.

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An abstract painting of a leaf from a cannabis plant.

Cannabis-Friendly Art Classes Expanding to Newly Legal States

12/20/2016

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Puff, Pass & Paint is coming to states with recently minted legal cannabis use laws – the expansion is headed to California, Nevada, Maine, and Massachusetts the company announced in a press release. The cannabis-friendly art class already holds regular events in Denver, Colorado, Washington, D.C., and Portland, Oregon, and has held previous sessions in Seattle, Washington.

“Cannabis and art are both so therapeutic, and the combination of blending them together in a setting that is welcoming and warm is an amazing thing to witness,” Heidi Keyes, creator of the program said in the release. “With each class I teach, I’m reminded again how much I love what I do, and why.”

The first Puff, Pass & Paint classes in Las Vegas are scheduled for Jan. 20, 2017 and San Francisco, California on Jan. 24. For their expansion, the company is targeting the cities of Boston, San Diego, Los Angeles, Portland, Maine, and aims to host events in Orange County, California.

In 2015, Puff, Pass & Paint merged with Denver’s Cannabis Tours to create CannabisTours.com, which had cooking classes available in addition to the art class. CannabisTours.com was founded in 2015 and plans to offer options in Las Vegas and California next year.

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Alcohol and cannabis are the two most popular psychoactive substances on the planet.

Cannabis and Alcohol: It’s Complicated

11/30/2016

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The business relationship between the cannabis and alcohol industries remains strained and detached. In states permitting adult use, the sectors’ overlap is only provided by the state boards that regulate both; however, nowhere are the two legally bought, sold, or consumed at the same location.

Big Alcohol and prohibition

During the previous election cycle, the alcohol industry bankrolled anti-legalization campaigns in both Massachusetts and Arizona. The Beer Distributors PAC donated $25,000 to the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy Massachusetts, and the Arizona Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America donated $10,000 anti-legalization Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy. Moreover, in May, the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America paid for an ad in Politico’s daily Congressional newsletter Huddle, asking lawmakers to fully fund Section 4008 of the FAST Act, which would force a study on “marijuana impaired driving.”

So it surprised many when Rob Sands, CEO of Constellation Brands — an alcohol distributor — indicated the company would consider adding cannabis-infused beverages to their portfolio.

A flight of beer samplers for taste-testing the options at a local brewery. Photo Credit: Diva Thakur

Combining alcohol with CBD

The recreational link between alcohol and cannabis is culturally engrained — ask anybody that partied in college (or has attended a festival, concert, backyard, etc.) whether they used both substances and whether or not they used them together.

Research into the interactions between CBD and alcohol dates back to 1979, when Paul Consroe, PhD published in the journal of Psychopharmacology, “The combination of alcohol plus CBD resulted in significantly lower blood alcohol levels compared to alcohol given alone.” More than 30 years later another study, published in the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine, concluded CBD prevented acute alcohol-induced liver steatosis in mice. The disease is marked by an increased buildup of fat in the liver — it cannot be cured and afflicts more than 3 million people annually, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Bruce Milligan, Mobius Beverage Corporation CEO, has worked in both industries. Mobius got its start importing tequila from Mexico, and tequila and cannabis have an interesting history. “For a long time in Mexico it was tradition, to put cannabis into [tequila] as a way of preserving your harvest of cannabis,” Milligan explained. The company is now in the early stages of a cannabis-based product that would be added to spirits, which would be sold in dispensaries.

However, it wasn’t that historical relationship that led Milligan to develop a cannabis product for use with alcohol — it was the aforementioned Free Radical Biology and Medicine study.

“As I got further into it I found cannabis was also a neuroprotectant and I thought ‘well alcohol messes up your liver and brain’ so why not put a simple additive to it and make it safer,” he said. Milligan anticipates that as the relationship between CBD and alcohol in humans is further researched, it could become clear that adding CBD to alcohol will help reduce much of its harm.

Anecdotally, Milligan said, he has found that when people use CBD with booze, “people drink less” — which, he suggests, might be why Big Alcohol poured money into anti-legalization campaigns. Additionally, he pointed to several studies that have shown cannabis to be an effective therapy for individuals trying to kick more harmful drugs, including alcohol and opiates.

A cannabis worker in Washington state inspects recently trimmed product.
A cannabis worker in Washington state inspects recently trimmed product. Photo Credit: Rory Savatgy

Federal distribution laws

But there’s more stopping Big Alcohol from entering the market than their desire to protect their bottom line. The disconnect between federal and state drug laws would prevent a company such as Constellation from distributing cannabis-infused spirits. Even distributing state-by-state would be “a pretty hard lift,” Milligan said, because once you cross state lines with a cannabis product, even from one legal state to another, it’s considered drug trafficking by the feds.

Alcohol distributors are regulated by the U.S. Treasury’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Trade Bureau, who could choose to revoke or suspend the license of any alcohol business that started distributing cannabis products. An alcohol distributor could, however, create a new company and apply for a distribution license. The three-tiered distribution system of California’s Proposition 646 is modeled after the one already in place for alcohol – and there is no reason not to expect that alcohol distributors aren’t going to try to cash in on being the middleman.

In a Politico report, Hezekiah Allen, executive director of the California Growers Association, said that advocates “made some challenging compromises” with the Adult Use of Marijuana Act and the distributor model was “the most challenging.”

“There’s going to be big business in this industry, we can’t keep it out,” he said. “[With this model], we can put all the distributors in the Big Business box and we keep the boutique businesses for ourselves. Yeah, this is big money, big business, but it’s contained.”

Regulatory pushback

It’s worth noting that regulators are in no hurry to close the alcohol-cannabis gap — after Denver’s social use initiative recently declared victory, it took less than a week for the Colorado Revenue Department to ban cannabis from businesses that hold a liquor license. Bans in Maine and Alaska, whose laws permit for so-called cannabis clubs, could follow (comment requests from regulators in both states went unanswered).

Business owners, advocates, and enthusiasts alike are rightfully concerned about Big Alcohol getting into the cannabis space — the industry spent tens of thousands seeking to maintain the status quo and, according to Milligan, it’s taken “entrepreneurs putting their risks, passions, and intelligence on the line” to mold the multi-billion dollar cannabis industry. But Big Alcohol, for now, is more likely to continue funding prohibitionist efforts than they are to prioritize entrance into the cannabis space.

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U.S. Cannabis Expansion Could be Good News for Canadian MMJ Companies

11/11/2016

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Canadian cannabis companies could benefit from the record number of states that passed cannabis initiatives on Green Tuesday by investing in and entering into partnerships with companies that acquire new cannabis licenses, according to a Canadian Press report. One of the states that successfully passed an adult-use initiative, Maine, shares a border with Canada, while border-states North Dakota and Montana adopted or expanded medical cannabis programs.

Brendan Kennedy, CEO of Privateer Holdings, which owns Tilray, a British Columbia-based licensed medical cannabis producer, said the success of the initiatives in the U.S. provides “huge opportunities for Canadian companies” due to the “robust” regulations under which their home nation’s medical cannabis program operates.

“I think you’ll see Canadian companies jump at the opportunity to expand their operations and brands into the United States,” Kennedy said in the report. “Both governments and companies around the world are looking to Canada to provide leadership and expertise in this industry.”

Canadian firms operating in ancillary industries, such as equipment manufacturers, now have a whole new market to target and, because medical cannabis is legal under federal law, Canadian companies have a lot of experience with large-scale grows.

“We do have a lot of expertise, and we’ve learned, collectively as a sector, a lot of really important lessons about cultivation and consistent production,” Cam Battley, executive vice president of Alberta’s Aurora Cannabis, Inc., said. “I think that does give us some advantages and would bode well for partnerships when the time is right.”

In addition to the recently legalized Maine, North Dakota and Montana; Alaska, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Washington, and Pennsylvania all border Canada and allow some form of legal cannabis use.

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DispensaryPermits.com is a cannabis consulting agency based out of Arizona.

New Legalization Means New Opportunities: DispensaryPermits.com Can Help

11/11/2016

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Following a general election that swept in an era of new legalization and marijuana reforms, DispensaryPermits.com is announcing cannabis consulting services tailored specifically to help entrepreneurs, cannabis business owners and/or investors in newly legalized states.

Specifically, DispensaryPermits.com has developed a variety of different templates for cannabis business plans that are currently available at a 50 percent discount and will remain on sale until Friday, November 18 at 11:59 pm. Simply use the promotion code “GJP50” when making your purchase to take advantage of this special offering.

With adult-use cannabis markets in the future for California, Nevada, Maine, and Massachusetts — and new medical marijuana opportunities being uncovered in Montana, North Dakota, Arkansas, and Florida — the U.S. cannabis industry is estimated to gain between $7 billion and $8 billion in annual retail sales, according to early estimates.

Entrepreneurs interested in one of these newly-legalized states can turn to DispensaryPermits.com for quality cannabis business plan templates and step-by-step guides through complicated cannabis license applications, real estate selection strategies, and the process of staffing a cannabis dispensary or cultivation facility.

Cannabis Business Plans
Some of the many business plan templates & documents available at DispensaryPermits.com

These templates “provide owners and operators with a head start, as well as the resources to mitigate risk and save time and money,” said Sara Gullickson, CEO and owner of DispensaryPermits.com.

Gullickson noted that she expects the upcoming Florida marketplace to be particularly explosive:

“We are seeing programs take much less time now since the states are more comfortable with the industry as a whole. They can lean on other states that have legalized for adult use or have implemented medical use, which is fabulous. We are seeing much stronger regulations, which will create solid cannabis programs across the U.S.”

About DispensaryPermits.com:

DispensaryPermits.com is a woman-owned consulting service that specializes in helping cannabis retailers, cultivators, manufacturers, and testing labs find success in the burgeoning marijuana industry. DispensaryPermits.com can offer cannabis consulting services to any company operating in a medical or recreational marijuana state.

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Nine states voted in favor of their cannabis measures last night: California, Nevada, Montana, North Dakota, Arkansas, Maine, Massachusetts, and Florida.

Green Tuesday: Eight of Nine Cannabis Initiatives Pass

11/09/2016

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Voters in California, Nevada, and Massachusetts have legalized adult cannabis use. Ballots are still being counted in Maine, and it looks extraordinarily tight, but the Yes On 1 campaign declared victory early this morning. Arizona voters turned down their recreational cannabis initiative.

Arkansas, Florida, North Dakota, and Montana each voted for either allowing medical cannabis use or expanding their current program.

Legalized states double in number

Erik Altieri, NORML executive director, called California’s vote “a fatal blow to federal prohibition.”

“This victory in California ensures another 12 percent of the United States population will wake up tomorrow in a state with the legalized adult use of marijuana,” he said in a statement. “Combined with our other recent victories, federal prohibition is truly on its last legs and it is just a matter of time before federal policy is reformed to accept this new reality.”

California was considered a must-win by activists, despite the Proposition drawing the ire of many growers and industry insiders over fears that the program will push out small operations and allow for a new kind of prohibition – pointing out that the law creates new criminal codes that are more onerous than current laws. Nate Bradley, executive director of the California Cannabis Association said the win allows the state to “take its rightful place as the center of cannabis innovation.”

“We expect to add millions of new jobs to California’s economy, and we look forward to working with the state on creating a regulatory structure that will protect consumers and the general public as a whole,” he said.

Multiple cannabis nugs hang on a line during their curing process. Photo Credit: Cannabis Pictures

In what was considered by many to be a litmus test, Massachusetts becomes the first East Coast state to legalize cannabis for adult use; the second, Maine, is deadlocked at 50/50 with more than 90 percent of precincts reporting at the time of this writing, though the pro-legalization vote is leading by several thousand votes.

Nevada voters also embraced the legalization of adult-use cannabis, approving their measure with a 54/46 split of the popular vote. Nevada’s measure will allow for the possession of up to an ounce of cannabis flower and 3.5 grams of concentrate and is certain to drum up new money in the form of excise taxes and cannabis tourism.

Matthew Huron, CEO of Good Chemistry Nurseries, lauded the decision made by Nevada voters. “Legalizing cannabis for adult use makes it more accessible to those who need it, and brings cannabis out of the black market and into a regulated and taxable market,” said Huron.

The numbers ebbed all evening in Arizona, but ultimately the state fell to prohibitionists, with 52 percent of support. Polls had suggested Arizona would be close – but polls were not a great barometer in this election. It’s extremely likely Arizona voters will take up this issue again in two years after being narrowly defeated this time around.

Medical marijuana wins the day

But it’s patients who really came out victors during this historic election – Arkansas, located in the heart of the bible belt, might have blazed a path to medical cannabis access in the South. Although the victory was narrow, with 53 percent support, it adds a green state to the swath of states that continue denying medical cannabis access to patients.

Voters in Florida approved that state’s medical marijuana amendment with 71 percent support — the highest rate of support ever for any cannabis measure in the U.S. Experts predict that the medical cannabis program there will thrive due to the state’s high population, advantageous climate, and general attractiveness to older citizens, who often will benefit the most from medicinal cannabis.

North Dakota also passed its first form of medical marijuana legislation by wide margins, with 62 percent of voters turning out in support of the cannabis reform measure.

Montana voted once more in favor of medical marijuana, riding a 56/44 split to undo the harsh restrictions passed by state lawmakers and upheld by the Supreme Court earlier this year. Dispensaries will be able to re-open and patients will soon once again have access to the robust medicinal cannabis marketplace that the establishment fought to subdue.

A jar of Purple Diesel on display in a California medical cannabis dispensary.
A jar of Purple Diesel on display in a California medical cannabis dispensary. Photo Credit: Dank Depot

Future of cannabis

Following last night’s victories, more than one-quarter, or about 30 percent, of the U.S. now has access to some form of legal cannabis.

“These historic decisions, chosen by the citizens of these states, make it clear that cannabis prohibition will be over in a matter of time,” said Jonathan (Yoni) Ofir, CEO and founder of LEAF, a Colorado-based cannabis tech company. “These decisions transcended race, culture, religion, and political party affiliation. The people want to end prohibition and see cannabis as a viable part of a healthy everyday life.”

It’s totally unclear what kind of policies we can expect out of a President Donald Trump administration but on the campaign trail, he indicated that he would allow the states to codify their own policies.

Many fear that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will have a seat at his administration table, which could spell disaster for all of the progress made last night.

Nevertheless, layers of cannabis prohibition were stripped away last night in an epic and telling blow — and we can’t lose sight of that victory.

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LIVE UPDATES: Election 2016 Marijuana Legalization Initiatives

11/08/2016

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It’s been a wild ride in the build up to today’s 2016 general election. We are witnessing a historic number of states putting the question of cannabis reform before voters: five states are considering recreational legalization, and four more might join the ranks of states with medical marijuana programs. There is also an opportunity for Denver, Colorado to create a regulatory structure for social use clubs in the city, and countless votes in municipal districts throughout the country.

By tonight’s finish, we will know which states have succeeded and who must try again in later elections. Check back here for regular updates across all of the initiatives that are going in front of voters! We will be updating this piece throughout the evening and late into the night.

Below, you will find specific articles covering each of the major cannabis-related votes:

Recreational Cannabis Legalization

California’s Prop. 64

Nevada’s Question 2

Arizona’s Prop. 205

Massachusetts’ Question 4

Maine’s Question 1

Medical Marijuana Legalization

Montana’s I-182

North Dakota’s Measure 5

Arkansas’ Issue 6

Florida’s Amendment 2

Other Cannabis Initiatives

Denver’s Initiative 300, a social use measure

Oregon municipality votes regarding a 3% local tax on retail cannabis sales

VIDEO: Overview of Cannabis Initiatives

Below is a brief overview of all the different state-level cannabis initiatives on the ballot this election cycle. With nine total states voting on expanding access to cannabis, this year presents an unprecedented opportunity for legalization advocates and medical cannabis patients.

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The large "cola" nug of a homegrown marijuana plant.

Colorado Lawmakers Call Out Anti-205 Campaign Ads in Arizona

11/01/2016

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A trio of Colorado lawmakers have sent a letter to Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy calling the information in their anti-Proposition 205 campaign commercials “highly misleading” and “wholly inaccurate.” The letter, published by AZ Central, says that Colorado citizens are “confused” by the claims made in the ads and provided a factsheet to dispel the rumors.

“As members of the Colorado Legislature who played intimate roles in the budgeting and appropriation of marijuana tax revenues, we feel it is our duty to set the record straight so that voters in both states have accurate information about this subject,” the letter, signed by Sen. Pat Steadman, and Reps. Jonathan Singer and Millie Hamner, states.

The letter was addressed to Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy leaders Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk and conservative talk radio host Seth Leibsohn in response to two ads airing in Arizona which claim that the tax revenues promised for education in Colorado “were empty words” and the funds are being diverted “to regulation and the pot industry.”

Included in the document is a breakdown of how the tax revenues from the cannabis industry have been dispersed. The authors — all three of which sit on their respective legislative Appropriations Committee — point out that more than $138.3 million was distributed to the Colorado Department of Education, while roughly $21 million combined was distributed to the Departments of Revenue, Agriculture, and Law in addition to the less than $500,000 sent to the Governor’s Office of Marijuana Coordination.

Another $114.9 million was appropriated for the Building Excellent Schools Today public school construction program, which was earmarked for $40 million of the tax revenues when voters adopted Amendment 64.

“That tax actually raised more than $40 million in the last fiscal year, resulting in $40 million for the BEST program in [fiscal year] 2016-17, plus an additional $5.7 million for Colorado’s Public School Fund,” the authors wrote.

The letter closes with the authors requesting that the campaign stop airing and publishing campaign ads that “contradict these facts.”

“We also trust they will be reflected in any of your future communications to Arizona voters regarding Colorado’s experience with regulating and taxing marijuana for adult use,” the authors conclude.

Arizona joins California, Nevada, Maine, and Massachusetts in bids to legalize the adult-use of cannabis during next week’s general election.     

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The fountain outside of the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Polling Close on Nevada’s Question 2

10/27/2016

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According to a poll by Bendixen & Amandi International commissioned by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the majority of respondents support Question 2, which would legalize cannabis for recreational use in the state, but only by a slim 47 percent to 43 percent margin with 10 percent undecided or declining to answer.

The Journal is owned by the family of Sheldon Adelson, the casino mogul who has donated $1 million each to the anti-campaigns in both Massachusetts and Nevada.

Democrats favored the measure 54 percent to 34 percent, along with 51 percent of independents with 34 percent opposed. The majority, 58 percent, of Republicans oppose the initiative, with just 35 percent in support. The percentage of respondents backing the initiative has not changed from a poll conducted last month by the same firm, and opposition lost three points to the undecided camp. However, according to Anthony Williams, special projects director for Bendixen & Amandi, with no increase in pledged support, and still trending below 50 percent, advocates should be “nervous.”

“At this late day, it’s usually unlikely to convince a bunch of people to vote yes,” he said in the report. “That 10 percent could easily vote no or skip the question entirely.”

Due to the stark contrast in opinion between voters registered with the major parties, the success of the measure will likely depend on voter turnout on Election Day. According to the report, 24,000 more Democrats have voted in the first four days of early voting in the state than Republicans.

Nevada joins California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Arizona with voter-backed recreational cannabis legalization initiatives on general election ballots.             

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Colorado Florist Relishing Cannabis Space with “Weed Weddings”

10/26/2016

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A Colorado-based florist has expanded her business to include cannabis bouquets and infused weddings, filling a gap that remained two years into state legalization, CNBC reports. The company motto is “Straight from your bouquet to your bowl.”

“You can literally take it out and smoke it,” Bec Koop, owner of Buds & Blossoms, said in the report.

According to Koop, many venues don’t want people consuming cannabis on-site because of legal restrictions; however, she sought out cannabis friendly venues that allow her to host the weddings and receptions. Those events usually include a “bud bar” which can run up to $85 an hour. Along with two partners, she started the Cannabis Wedding Expo, where vendors, venues and couples can connect to plan the perfect cannabis-infused wedding.

“One day as I was working at the dispensary up in Alma, Colorado, I happened to have some extra flowers left over from an event,” she said. “I decided to cut down my own personal [cannabis] plant out of my garden, put some red roses around [the] plant and said, ‘Oh, my God! Weed weddings!’”

She started the business with a 35-page business plan and $1,500. Her first ‘weed wedding’ — Alice in Wonderland themed — was held on April 20, 2014. She has already performed 12 weddings this year after just six in 2015. Additionally, she hosts other events such as yoga brunches, bachelorette parties, and food pairings.

“I’ve dealt with many ‘bridezillas’ on the traditional side, and all of my cannabis couples are so cool and comfortable and relaxed,” Koop said. “If they start to get worked up, I’m like, ‘Smoke this joint, you’re going to feel better in a minute, trust me.’”

Koop’s clients provide the cannabis and gift it to her; she then incorporates into different packages. She cannot directly purchase the cannabis because then she would need to obtain a cannabis retailer license. Additionally, under state law, one cannot drive with more than 2 ounces of cannabis, which forced her to make several trips for larger events.

She eventually aims to franchise the business and has already begun phasing out her traditional florist business.       

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Danielle Keane: Marijuana Legalization Opportunities in the 2016 Election

Danielle Keane: The 2016 Cannabis Legalization Opportunity

10/26/2016

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Danielle Keane is the Political Director of NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. She recently joined our podcast host TG Branfalt for a discussion about the upcoming election season and the unprecedented opportunity that it presents for the cannabis legalization movement. In the upcoming election season, nine states will be voting on a cannabis legalization measure. Recreational initiatives will be on the ballot in California, Nevada, Arizona, Maine, and Massachusetts. In Florida, Arkansas, Montana, and North Dakota, voters will have an opportunity to pass medical initiatives.

In this interview, TG and Danielle discuss the specific details of many of the laws that will be determined by voters in November, including what NORML’s position is on the parallel ballot initiatives in Arkansas. Danielle also discusses some potential reasons why pro-legalization forces have out-fundraised prohibitionists in many areas this year, the bittersweet but unavoidable process of passing flawed legislation and working to improve it once it has passed, as well as the fact that going forward, most states will have to pass legalization measures via the legislature and not via the voters due to how their laws are written.

Note: this interview was recorded before the recent revelations about some Florida ballots omitting the medical cannabis initiative. Please spread the word if you live in Florida or know anyone who does!

Listen to the podcast below, or keep scrolling for a transcript of the interview.

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TG Branfalt: Hey there, I’m TG Branfalt and you are listening to the Ganjapreneur.com Podcast. The Ganjapreneur.com Podcast gives us an opportunity to speak directly with entrepreneurs and experts who are working on the front lines of the industry to normalize cannabis through responsible business, education, and activism. As your host, I will do my best to bring you actionable information to help you plan, grow and manage your cannabis business.

Today, my guest is Danielle Keane, political director for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws better known as NORML. Keane has served as the political director for NORML since 2015. In that role, she manages local, state and federal lobbying efforts and promotes the organization’s political outreach efforts. Welcome to the show. Thank you for joining us today. How are you?

Danielle Keane: Thank you so much, TG. I’m doing great. Happy to be here.

TG Branfalt: Today we’re going to touch on a lot of different states that were voting on cannabis measures this election cycle. In total, there are 5 states up for recreational legalization and 4 states will be voting on medical cannabis initiatives. I want to start with Maine which is voting on recreational because they’re taking a somewhat unusual approach by creating the new industry under the Department of Agriculture instead of the Department of Liquor or an entirely new cannabis department. What is your take on this approach?

Danielle Keane: There isn’t too much significance in treating cannabis as an agricultural product and having industry oversight through the Department of Forestry versus another state department. This situation is sometimes more voter friendly. People feel more comfortable if marijuana isn’t being associated with a liquor or alcohol control board which we often see in other states. They’ll feel better if it’s in a separate regulatory framework.

That’s a decision that the voters should decide, but when it comes down to it, there’s still going to be a licensing process for businesses and administrative rules for the recreational program the same way if it were to be treated agriculturally or not, but the polling in Maine looks really strong. I believe there’s a margin of support of about 53 to 38% according to a September poll. Treated agriculturally or not, I think we’re going to see that passed.

TG Branfalt: How does this set up with the Department of Forestry, does it differ at all from its national counterparts?

Danielle Keane: It doesn’t really. Again, not in too significant of a way. Again, many of those administrative and regulatory duties are the same despite its classification. Limits on cultivation, allowing municipalities to regulate the number of dispensaries, and licensing — they’re all responsibilities of whatever department oversees the program, forestry or not.

TG Branfalt: If Maine were to pass, which other states could that influence or encourage to pass similar measures?

Danielle Keane: Hopefully other states in New England, but specifically following suit treating as an agricultural product or not, I’m not sure too many.

TG Branfalt: Okay. On the opposite side of the country we have California who’s recreational industry is estimated to be worth about 1.3 billion by 2018 and about 4 billion by 2020. What does legalization in California, the country’s most populous state mean to legalization efforts nationally?

Danielle Keane: California is absolutely, no doubt about it, definitely the state everyone will be looking at to move into a fully legalized and regulated market come November. Just as you mentioned, it is the most populous state in our country. I think something like 1 in 6 Americans lives in California. They have largely lead reforms in the marijuana movement in the past.

They were the first state to pass a medical marijuana law back in 1996, which sparked modern medical marijuana programs that we see around the country today. You are correct in that if California approves AUMA or the Adult Use of Marijuana Act or proposition 64 then it could definitely inspire a wave of other reforms just as we’ve seen California do in the past.

That’s not only on the state level. Realizing that because California is so large, they have the most representation on the federal level and in Congress. Hopefully, we’ll have an even larger representation in Washington DC of law makers with home states that have legal regulated adult use markets. I think you’ll find that they will be more open to protecting these state laws when that comes up in federal law. Of course we already know actually from NORML’s congressional score card that California has already the most friendly federal delegation in Washington DC.

TG Branfalt: So, still despite kind of the trajectory of the industry if California does legalize it recreationally, the proposition itself has drawn the ire of some pro-cannabis activists. Some say we’ll dismantle the medical marijuana program and what is your take on what it would do to the medical program as well what might you say to those activists?

Danielle Keane: Of course. As we all know, California has been involved in the marijuana industry both legally and not for quite some time and so because of that, we have so many different stakeholders that have been participating in this for longer than any of us have seen these reforms come about. This diverse set of interests, there’s no surprise that an initiative like this doesn’t please everyone. It would be impossible to draft a marijuana legalization initiative in a complicated state such as California that hits the perfect compromise on every possible negotiation.

The first thing activists should now is that AUMA, or Prop 64, is not the last word. There will be continued further changes in state and federal law that will guarantee affordable medical access, protect employment and housing rights, facilitate banking and allow interstate commerce. The second note is that AUMA’s regulatory provisions are largely patterned on the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act which was the package of bills that was recently passed by the California legislature and became effective January 1st of this year.

These provisions are sorely needed. California’s medical marijuana program was unregulated and often the example for other states reforming their laws on what not to do. I think California is in an important time right now of hopefully ushering in full legalization and adapting those new laws to the regulation of the medical program. Things are changing.

I think in the next few years local municipalities will be figuring things out. The state will too and I encourage activists to be a part of that conversation. Get into contact with your local municipalities, join up with other activists that feel the same way you do. NORML has a number of California chapters around the state and I encourage you to try to make these laws work for you. Like I said, part of AUMA or Proposition 64 in California allows for most provisions to be modified by the legislature. This isn’t the end of changes for California.

TG Branfalt: In many states, there seems to be legislative changes happening. In Michigan for example, they just overhauled their medical marijuana infrastructure. In Florida, they’re trying to do the same via an amendment. Do you think that this is a smart way to legislate cannabis and marijuana as to kind of put something out there that gets the ball rolling and then go back and make the necessary changes?

Danielle Keane: I don’t think it’s an ideal way but I think it’s unavoidable. I think that it’s a compromise between having the legislature enact the laws that they believe are necessary. Then on the other side, having citizen driven ballot initiatives pick up the slack and enact policies that the legislature isn’t acting on. I think it’s a balance that us being played out through states around the country. Not everywhere, because not every state has the ability to have a citizen ballot initiative, but a lot of these states, I think it’s a successful way to find compromise between voter opinion and legislative action.

TG Branfalt: On that note, we’re going to take a short break. You are listening to the Ganjapreneur.com Podcast.

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TG Branfalt: Welcome back. You are listening to the Ganjapreneur.com Podcast. I’m your host TG Branfalt talking to Danielle Keane, political director for NORML. Before the break, we were discussing the AUMA, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act in California but now we’re going to move back to the East Coast to Massachusetts where so far seems like the ballot initiative vote could go either way. According to our poll aggregates, the majority approve of the measure but it still has less than 50% of voter support. We’re here talking to Danielle Keane, political director for NORML. What do you think that this polling data says about the initiative’s chances in Massachusetts and are the opinions of powerful lawmakers such as Governor Charlie Baker and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh having any impact on the opinions of voters?

Danielle Keane: I definitely think this is going to be a close one come election day. I think the latest polling datta at I looked at which was a September WBZ-UMass Amherst Poll put support at a 53 to 40% lead with about 7% still unsure. However, within that poll support for the measure was found in all age groups except of course for voters over 55 years old. I believe the measure could pass if voter’s turnout to the polls, mainly millennial voters that typically don’t turn out to the polls. If they do turnout and hopefully they do, I think this measure could be successful but like you mentioned.

Unfortunately, there is a well organized opposition group in this state with endorsements from powerful lawmakers like the governor and the mayor of Boston but Massachusetts is used to having a marijuana related amendment on the ballot. In 2008, they voted to decriminalize possession of marijuana and in 2012, they legalized medical marijuana. Both of those measures passed by significant margins, I think about 30% which the legalization initiative definitely does not have that margin. It may just be that Massachusetts voters are still warming to the idea of a legal market. It’s a wonder why though. With decriminalization in place. it’s a shame for a state not to benefit from the tax revenues associated with the regulated above ground market.

I think as we get closer to the election, if we have any listeners living in Massachusetts, now is the time to get active in supporting the initiative. Reach out to friends and family and make sure they are aware of the question and let them know why you’ll be supporting the measure. Voters and marijuana activist definitely need to mobilize in Massachusetts if we want to see it succeed.

TG Branfalt: You had mentioned millennial voters who very strongly supported Bernie Sanders in his run for the Democratic nomination. Do you think that it will be the millennial voters that are going to make a difference in whether or not some of these initiatives pass?

Danielle Keane: Absolutely. I think the millennial voters are the ones that are going to be the deciding factor. They’re the ones that typically do not show out to the polls. Obviously in mid-term election years, you’ll see elections sway way more Republican. You hardly see any marijuana related initiatives on ballots during those years because it’s just not a good strategy. We absolutely need millennial voters to come out and support these marijuana related initiatives if we want them to succeed.

TG Branfalt: Back west, we’re going to talk a little bit about what’s going on in Nevada. This is actually the first appearance for legalization on the ballot in that state. Some might consider Sin City a slam dunk for legalization, but Oregon didn’t successfully pass their legalization measure on its first try in 2012. Do you think that the voters are going to take the leap on the first shot that they have or do you think that they’ll be trying again in 2018?

Danielle Keane: That is hard to say. I definitely don’t want to discount voters by saying it won’t happen until 2018 just yet, before they get a chance to vote on it. I believe polling in Nevada is putting support at around 52%. Again, pretty close and I think it’s clear to everyone how fitting marijuana legalization would be for Nevada and to be honest I personally think that it’s going to pass.

For what it’s worth, the state’s largest newspaper, the Las Vegas Review Journal did endorse this question during the petition collecting process. Unfortunately, since then Sheldon Adelson who is a casino mogul and anti-marijuana advocate purchased the Las Vegas Review Journal and forced the editorial board to reverse their support.

I think the paper’s first position really signifies where voter sentiment is. Also looking at how close Nevada is to states like Oregon and Washington, and there’s just one state between them and Colorado, they have to be watching these other states flourish with their legalization programs and want to get their fair share. I think this is something we’re going to start seeing happening around the country as more and more states move forward with these legalization initiatives. Other states are going to have to move forward with their on reforms.

TG Branfalt: You had mentioned Adelson, the casino mogul who’s actually … I mean you know this, he’s been funding prohibition pretty much every chance he gets. He just gave a million dollars to the anti-campaign in Florida. However, from what I’ve seen, the pro-camps are largely out fundraising the anti-camps even with billionaire casino moguls getting involved. I mean why do you think that this shift is happening to where the proc-campaigns are out funding the anti-campaigns?

Danielle Keane: That’s a great observation and a really sure sign that the time is now to legalize marijuana. I think people around the country are starting to see the dollar signs in their eyes. For better or for worse, There is just money to be made in the marijuana market. I think that is luckily taking shape in people investing in these ballot initiatives.

They’re not waiting until it’s legal to invest their money. They want to be the first ones in and so therefore they’re going to start investing in getting it legal. I think it’s a great thing for the marijuana movement. I think it comes with a number of pros and serious cons that people need to be aware of and evaluate after these states reform their laws and they start to establish markets. For now, I welcome all of the help and financial help from these investors to get these laws changed first.

TG Branfalt: I’m TG Branfalt, here with Danielle Keane, political director for NORML. We’re going to take one more short break and when we get back, we will discuss the medical initiatives on the ballot.

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Welcome back. You are listening to the Ganjaprenueur.com Podcast. I am your host TG Branfalt talking to Danielle Keane, political director for NORML. I want to talk to you a bit about the medical initiatives. First, I want to start with Arkansas where voters are in a particularly unique position due to the fact that they will have 2 initiatives to choose from in November. According to a September 25th,

According to a September 25th, poll by Talk Business & Politics and Hendrix College, 49% said they would support the amendment which does not include grow your own provisions. 43% were opposed. While 36% said they would support the act which includes grow your own provisions for those with hardship certificates, compared to 53% opposed. If both are passed, the one with the more votes supersedes the other.

Do you guys have a preference on which measure is enacted here?

Danielle Keane: We do. Last month, NORML’s board of directors did vote to endorse the 2016 Arkansas Medical Cannabis Act, which is the measure that does include grow your own provisions. For full disclosure, the attorney representing the Arkansas Medical Cannabis Act is a long-time NORML legal committee member, John Wesley Hall from Little Rock.

It comes down to this. NORML is a marijuana consumer rights group. We represent the interests of the marijuana consumer. The other initiative, the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment is far more restrictive than the first in terms of the list of conditions for which marijuana could be recommended and obviously it does not permit personal cultivation. As a result, the NORML board felt the Arkansas Medical Cannabis Act is a more consumer friendly proposal and did elect to endorse it.

TG Branfalt: Why do you think that voters are supporting the amendment more so than the act at this point.

Danielle Keane: That’s a really good question I have myself. I’m not sure if it comes down to voter education, if one campaign is doing a better job getting their message out to the voters and is truly informing them honestly about their initiative. I don’t have an answer for that. It would seem to me that more people, marijuana consumers would support the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment. I’m just not sure.

TG Branfalt: The act supporters for Arkansas Compassionate Care have said that if both initiatives make the ballot, it’s almost certain that both will fail. Do you see this as the likely scenario in the state?

Danielle Keane: Unfortunately it’s a possible outcome. Essentially when you have 2 competing initiatives on the ballot you’re going to split the vote in half forcing neither of the measures to pass. What we do know in Arkansas is that support for the measures is really, really high when voters are asked about one or the other when faced with just one marijuana initiative they absolutely no doubt it support it. However, when voters are asked about both at the same time, support for those is significantly lower. It’ll be interesting to see how this one turns out.

TG Branfalt: According to your political score card, Arkansas doesn’t have a lot of legislative friends regarding medical cannabis.

Danielle Keane: You are correct. Arkansas’ delegation is not good whatsoever. It would be really, really great for them to take some action this election day by passing one of these initiatives.

TG Branfalt: North Dakota’s medical marijuana proposal would require the compassionate care centers to operate as not for profits. It would establish a compassionate care fund that comprise of donations fees and civil penalties which would provide funds for the program’s operations. What is your opinion on this model, is it viable? Are there downfalls?

Danielle Keane: Often times this requirement for medical marijuana dispensaries to operate as not-for-profits is related to the need for transparency. It’s also used to keep the price of medical marijuana down and accessible for a patient no matter their ability to pay. For that reason, I think it’s a good model. It does however need to be sustainable and obviously not at the expense of others in the state.

For example, using civil penalties to fund it. We don’t want to see an increase in civil penalties related to marijuana possession or use in a public place just so that the compassionate care centers can operate. I don’t believe it’s the perfect model and I think the state will have a warming period where overtime they’ll learn exactly how this is going to work out but we’ve seen it in other states and I think it’s a good place to start.

TG Branfalt: Have those other states evolved their programs into operations that make money?

Danielle Keane: Yes. A not-for-profit doesn’t necessarily mean that they cannot make a profit, it just means they need to be transparent about it and they have a cap for those but we have seen successful nonprofit medical dispensaries.

TG Branfalt: A not-for-profit model will certainly provide a lot of job opportunities and medicine for people who need it. That sounds like it would be a good place to start for North Dakota. Let’s jump topics again and talk about Florida. Florida is unique. Their program is very limited medical marijuana program, just took effect essentially and the centers just began to open in the summer. Can you outline Florida’s constitutional amendment proposal and how it differs from the current system implemented this year and what impact might it have on patients who are presently enrolled?

Danielle Keane: Absolutely. You’re correct in that Florida’s medical law that is currently in place and just took action is very, very restrictive. It’s a medical CBD law that allows for patients who are suffering from only cancer, muscle spasm, seizures, amd terminal illness to access CBD products that essentially don’t have any THC in them. These patients, they do not have access to the full marijuana plant and therefore they don’t have access to the full therapeutic potential found in marijuana.

This constitutional amendment, Yes on 2, Would essentially just expand upon the current Charlotte’s Web law. It would allow significantly more patients with a variety of ailments access to an increased variety of marijuana, most notably it allows for people suffering from chronic pain which is a really common ailment and obviously they’ll expand upon the marijuana that they’re currently growing to include high THC strands.

I’m not sure it would have any detrimental effect on patients that are presently enrolled in the program. These patients are already accessing their medicine. If Yes on 2 were to pass, it would simply expand upon who is eligible for the program, what marijuana products patients will have access to, and obviously an increase to accessibility with more growers and distributors.

TG Branfalt: It would put a little more on par with, say, New York program which while still limited … Actually New York is a really bad example. More of a Michigan type system.

Danielle Keane: Yes, exactly. With NORML, we classify medical marijuana programs to 2 degrees, a regular medical marijuana program where there is a variety of qualifying conditions and there’s a variety of marijuana products and potencies available for the patients. Then the other programs, we classify as CBD programs where patients only have access to CBD products, CBD standing for cannabidiol which is the non-euphoric part of cannabis plant. If Yes on 2 were to pass, Florida’s medical marijuana program would go from a CBD medical program to more of a general medical marijuana program that you find around the country.

TG Branfalt: In Montana if I remember correctly, they went from originally having a full medical cannabis market to a much tighter CBD only market after the state crackdown on them. Is that accurate?

Danielle Keane: Not exactly. The situation in Montana is a very confusing scenario for medical marijuana users and supporters. For the past 5 years, a certain bill that was passed by the legislature was involved in a number of legal issues and therefore while it was undergoing all of this legal attention, key provisions of that bill went unenforced. Earlier this year, 2016, a court ruled in favor of upholding that law that was under this legal scrutiny.

What that law does is it limits medical marijuana providers to selling marijuana to a maximum of 3 patients. Prior to this obviously there was no limit on the number of patients a provider could sell to. Before this ruling, this year, this provision was obviously not being enforced and patients had readily access to medical marijuana. Luckily after the ruling, advocates in the state jumps into action and started immediately collecting signatures to place medical marijuana initiative on the ballot.

That is now known as I-182 or the Montana Medical Marijuana Initiative. All the initiative seeks to do is to repeal that limit of 3 patients per each license provider. It allows a number of other things. It allows providers to hire employees, to cultivate, dispense, and transport — all of that good stuff. Essentially the program as it was once known can go back to that if voters in the state approve this initiative.

TG Branfalt: How do I want to put this nicely? It’s a unique rebellion against them decimating that system.

Danielle Keane: Yes, absolutely. It’s a very impressive feat that advocates in Montana got together, organized quickly after this court ruling in February of this year to get this back on the ballot and I really hope that it passes because they definitely deserve it.

TG Branfalt: Here we are, it’s October 2016 and we have 9 marijuana ballot initiatives at one time. A court ruled that the federal government can no longer use federal funds to crack down on cannabis businesses, legally operating under state-run programs. The FBI reports that possession arrests or at their lowest point nearly a decade, but at 574,641, that number is still greater than 0 which is still too many. Is the tide shifting here? Does 2016 — are we shifting getting to a more normalized cannabis culture?

Danielle Keane: Absolutely. There is no doubt that the tide is definitely shifting and it actually has been for a number of years already. About 68% of millennials sau marijuana should be completely legal and 50% of baby boomers also favor legalization. 1 in 8 Americans or 13% now report that they currently smoke marijuana according to a recent Gallup poll which is nearly double the number of current users or 7% found by Gallup just 3 years earlier.

43% of Americans acknowledge that they have tried marijuana at some point in their lives and 1 in 5 adults under 30 years of age regularly use marijuana. There’s just no doubt that as millennials are aging and our older comrades are dying, voter opinion is so in favor of marijuana legalization. I do however want to point one thing out about the recent court ruling that you mentioned, the court did uphold a budgetary amendment that prohibits the Department of Justice from cracking down on cannabis businesses that are legally operating under state run programs.

However this was an annual budgetary amendment approved by congress, but it has to be passed through the budget every single year. So that one little protection for these legal businesses has to be reauthorized every year and unfortunately that provision which was passed the past 2 years has not yet been reauthorized for next year.

NORML has an easy to use take action tool on our website that you can contact your federal lawmakers and tell them that they need to pass this protection again this year. If you want to take action on that you can visit our website but there’s no doubt that the tide is shifting. In 2016, it’s such an exciting year for marijuana law reform,

TG Branfalt: Despite the shifting tide the only 2 presidential candidates talking about legalizing cannabis federally are both third-party candidates, Jill Stein from the Green Party and Gary Johnson from the Libertarian Party. Is marijuana still a fringe issue when it comes to politics? You have progressive Democrats who haven’t discussed at all legalizing on a federal level. Then you have the Republicans who are obviously just going to keep doing nothing. I’m wondering what is your take on that?

Danielle Keane: I’m not sure it’s a fringe issue. Both Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump, the nominees for president have been asked about their stance on marijuana legalization a couple times. You are correct though that neither of them endorse a full federal legalization. But more importantly will they allow, if either of them were to be in office, will they allow states to move forward with their own reforms free from federal interference?

Luckily, both candidates have said that they would allow that. Of course Clinton has doubled down on her positions endorsing medical marijuana and calling for more research into its effects but to be honest, Trump has been a little bit all over the place on the issue. He said that he would let states move forward free from federal interference, however he associates himself with a number of high profile politicians such as Chris Christie that have been very opposed to marijuana reforms.

It’s a little but unsettling if Trump were to be in office. He could appoint someone such as Chris Christie to an important cabinet position, but in general they’re in the same position which is, again, they’ve acknowledged marijuana as an issue. They’ve stuck their foot in the sand in terms of their position, but I do give them credit in acknowledging it and taking a position.

TG Branfalt: You had mentioned Chris Christie and now in New Jersey a lawmaker has proposed legislation that would regulate marijuana like tobacco. First of all, I’ve been covering public policy for several years and bills like this sometimes get stalled in committee or they get voted in one house and not the other. Do you see this proposal in New Jersey having any chance on getting to the governor’s desk passed?

Danielle Keane: The key words were what you just said at the end. Not only does the measure need to pass both chambers, the house and the senate but it eventually ends up on the governor’s desk who has to sign it in order to become law. Obviously with Chris Christie as governor. I can pretty surely say that if legalization bill were to end up on his desk, he would not sign it whatsoever.

With that being said, the measure is a really common sense proposal that was actually introduced by arguably one of the most conservative members of New Jersey’s delegation which is pretty ironic but of course welcomed. We are supporting that legislation on our website if you want to contact your members in New Jersey to tell them to support it, check that out.

We will do our best to support it however, this proposal actually makes it two legalization pending proposals in New Jersey. The first one has been through the chambers for quite a while. No action has been taken so it’s tough for me to say if the other one will be successful, chances are unfortunately not. Again even if it were, it would end up on, unfortunately, Governor Christie’s desk which doesn’t bode well either.

TG Branfalt: If just the ballot initiatives pass, we would have 9 states plus DC. With legal cannabis, we’d have 27 states with some form of medical marijuana available. If legalization did run the table in November, do you think we could expect any more states in 2018 and 2020 or are those remaining states just not ready?

Danielle Keane: That’s a good question. It’s hard to gauge where some states are in this process. It obviously takes a state a number of years to prepare for this move. This is not something where voters in the states just wake up on election day and now they’re faced with a legalization question. It has to build up. I think even more exciting rather than more ballot initiatives in 2018, in 2020 is the idea of a state legalizing marijuana through the legislature rather than the ballot.

This is very, very important in the coming years because only 18 states allow voters the right to amend their state constitution through the ballot initiative process. Most states will have to legalize through legislative means.

TG Branfalt: Peer into your crystal ball for me. Which state might possibly be next to legalize it legislatively?

Danielle Keane: That’s a good question. I’m going to have to say Vermont. Vermont has come very, very close, several times over. They’ve been having this conversation for years. Unfortunately, it hasn’t happened yet but they have the support of their governor which is really important obviously and they’ve tried it over and over. It’s just a matter of finding that consensus through both chambers and through both parties. I’m really keeping my fingers crossed for Vermont.

TG Branfalt: Now, before we wrap up, I just want to touch base on the congressional scorecard from NORML  because I know that you put a lot of time and effort into it personally. Was there anything that you discovered when you were researching these members of congress that was particularly shocking and what is the overall goal of the project?

Danielle Keane: Absolutely. NORML did just release an updated 2016 Congressional Scorecard. This is essentially a voter tool that provides a letter grade, A through F to every single member of congress. These are your federal lawmakers, not your state lawmakers and essentially we graded them on a couple of things. We looked at whether or not they introduced or sponsored marijuana related legislation, whether they co-sponsored and supported marijuana related legislation, whether they had the opportunity to vote on any marijuana related amendments or bills and then of course any public comments that they’ve made on the subject.

We gathered all of that information for all 535 members of congress and according to that provided them a letter grade. You know the most surprising thing to me in doing this project was really just looking at where voter sentiment is. I just rattled off a bunch of statistics to you a few minutes ago where it’s very clear that voters are ready for legal marijuana whether that’s on the state level or either reclassifying or preferably declassifying marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act or passing legislation like the CARERS Act which would allow for a significant amount of research to be done on marijuana.

Whatever it is Americans and voters are absolutely ready for the federal government to take some sort of action and yet we just don’t see that. I mentioned earlier describing the score card whether or not any members had had the opportunity to vote on a marijuana related bill. That’s a no for everyone because despite there being about 25 to 30 marijuana related pieces of legislation pending at the congressional level, not one has ever been heard before a committee, not one.

We’ve only ever seen progress in terms of annual budgetary amendment that are related to marijuana. It’s really time that these members of congress looked at who they’re representing. Look at how they feel about these reforms and take some action because there’s just no doubt about it. The voters are ready.

TG Branfalt: I’ve always maintained that the failure to act by our federal government is because that would be them admitting fault — that they were wrong year after year, after year about marijuana legislation. Do you think that this is responsible for this inaction?

Danielle Keane: I think that’s a good idea, but quite frankly I don’t care if they think that they were wrong. It’s time to be aware that you’re not representing yourself in Washington DC or what you want. You’re representing thousands, hundreds thousands, millions of voters in the state that you represent and it’s really, really clear of where the voter stand on this issue. It’s getting to a pretty unacceptable point for inaction.

TG Branfalt: Is there one final message that you would like to give to those constituents in states with initiatives on the ballot?

Danielle Keane: Absolutely. My message is simple and that is just to educate yourself and your friends and family and go out and vote. We need you to vote. NORML has outlines and information on all of the pending ballot initiatives on our website. You can just go to the homepage, norml.org and you’ll get all of the information you need there.

You’re also going to be voting on your members of Congress and your state-elected officials. We can help you learn about your congressional members with our score card. Otherwise you can look up a NORML chapter near you and your state that hopefully has information on your state elected officials. Just please pay attention to what’s on the ballot and vote. That’s it.

TG Branfalt: Danielle, I’d like to thank you very, very much for being on the Ganjapreneur.com Podcast.

Danielle Keane: Thank you so much for having me.

TG Branfalt: You can find more episodes of the Ganjapreneur.com Podcast in the podcast section of Ganjapreneur.com and in the Apple iTunes store. On the Ganjapreneur.com website, you will find the latest cannabis news, product reviews and cannabis jobs, updated daily along with the transcripts of this podcast. You can also download the Ganjapreneur.com app in iTunes and Google Play. I have been your host, TG Branfalt.

 

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North American Cannabis Holdings Reports 23% FY2016 Growth

10/18/2016

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North American Cannabis Holdings Inc. reported 23 percent annual growth during fiscal year 2016, reporting $515,475 in sales and eliminating over $2 million in debt — more than 45 percent, the company announced in a press release.

The company operates a variety of enterprises including hemp farming in Vermont and growing medical cannabis in Maine, to extraction and edibles. The company also acts as a pilot program incubator and reports that two projects have successfully “graduated” from the program.

One of the ventures, AmmeriCanna Café, a cannabis-themed restaurant chain, graduated as an in-house project and “accounts for the current reported revenue,” the release says. North American Cannabis acquired the company, which includes a full all-day menu, fitness center and smoothie product, in June, 2015. The company plans on franchising the “hybrid” fast food and casual dining café.

The other graduate, an extraction operation, is being commercialized as a spinoff. The project uses a proprietary extraction process for use in infused food and edibles. The operation is housed in the independent company Puration, Inc. According to Puration’s revenue plan, the company estimates three collaboration agreements worth $1 million each will “be finalized promptly.”

North American Cannabis is planning a dividend issuance of Puration common stock for shareholders on Oct. 21.

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Cannabis on display under LED grow lights at the 2014 Denver Cannabis Cup.

Study: Cannabis Legalization is So Far ‘Positive’ or ‘Negligible’ in Legal States

10/15/2016

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In states that have legalized adult cannabis use, arrests for possession have plummeted, traffic fatality rates have remained stable, there have not been significant increases in youth marijuana use, and the tax revenues from the industry have exceeded expectations in three of the four states — that according to a report from the Drug Policy Alliance.

The report, titled “So Far, So Good,” crunches relevant numbers pre and post-legalization, focusing primarily on Colorado and Washington because those programs have been active for at least two years.

Youth use is down or unchanged

In Washington, cannabis use rates among students in grades six through 12 have remained mostly stable since marijuana was legalized, according to an analysis of the biannual Washington Healthy Youth Survey outlined in the report; however in 2014, 18.1 percent of 10th-grade students admitted to using marijuana in the last 30 days, down from 19.3 percent in 2012.

In 2009, one in four (25 percent) Colorado middle and high school students reported to have used cannabis within the last 30 days — in 2015, more than two years after legalization, that number was reduced to 21.2 percent. The Department of Public Health and the Environment study found an overall 5 percent decrease in the number of youth who reported using cannabis at least once in their lives — from 43 percent in 2009 to 38 percent in 2015.

“Despite the belief that marijuana is widely available, preliminary data show that the legalization of marijuana has had little to no impact on the overall rate of youth use of marijuana,” the authors concluded in the study.

Cannabis arrests have seen a massive decline

As for marijuana arrests, the total number of marijuana arrests in Colorado decreased 46 percent from 2012 to 2014, from 12,894 to 7,004. In Oregon, cannabis arrests declined 50 percent from 4,223 in 2011 to 2,109 in 2014. Arrests in Washington State were almost eliminated — decreasing from 6,879 in 2011 to just 120 in 2013. Both charges and arrests decreased a total of 59 percent in Alaska, even though the retail program has not yet taken full effect.

However, the most eye-popping decline belongs to Washington, D.C. where arrests fell 98 percent from 1,840 in 2014 to a mere 32 in 2015.

The decline in arrests have translated to “hundreds of millions of dollars” in savings for law enforcement spending, the report states.

No major changes in road safety reported

In Colorado and Washington, the traffic fatality rate is lower in each state compared to a decade prior.

“According to a recent report analyzing available post-legalization data, no obvious increases in traffic fatalities occurred after legalization or after the opening of retail stores in Colorado and Washington,” the report says.

It should, however, be noted that in Washington more drivers involved in fatal crashes tested positive for THC, whether alone or in combination with other drugs or alcohol – from 44 drivers in 2010 to 72 in 2014. However, arrests for DWI – the third leading cause of traffic deaths – have declined in both states. In Colorado, the number of DWI-related citations issued by the Colorado State Patrol dropped 18 percent from 5,546 in 2014 to 4,546 in 2015. In Washington, DUI arrests by the Washington State Patrol dropped 8 percent.

“Legalization has not led to more dangerous road conditions,” the report says.

Taxes paying off better than expected

Tax revenues in Colorado and Washington both exceeded their projections — and it wasn’t even close. Colorado anticipated $70 million annually in cannabis tax revenues; in 2014 the state saw $78 million and in 2015 that number jumped to $129 million. Washington expected $162 million over the first two years after the program’s implementation – the state topped that total in 2015 alone with revenues of $220 million after a first year total of $78 million.

Revenues in both states are used for education, drug abuse prevention and treatment programs, community health services and research on cannabis use.

It is no coincidence that the report comes less than one month before five more states will decide whether to legalize cannabis for adult use.

“It is too early to draw any line-in-the-sand conclusion about the effects of marijuana legalization. However, preliminary reports suggest that the effects of legalization have been either positive or negligible,” the authors conclude.

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An indoor plant, glazed with trichomes and kief.

Colorado’s August Cannabis Sales Break Previous Sales Record

10/15/2016

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Colorado has done it again.

Cannabis sales in August topped $126 million, surpassing the state sales record of $122.67 million just a month prior, according to a report from the Denver Post.

The spike could be attributed to the implementation of a law that increased the daily purchase limit for non-residents from a quarter-ounce to 1 ounce; however last year July, August and September represented the biggest sales months for the industry, save for the holiday season in December.

August saw $84.7 million in recreational sales and slightly less than half of that — $41.4 million — in medical cannabis sales. Medical sales remained exactly the same from the same period last year, when recreational sales totaled $59.2 million.

The state’s cannabis industry has raked in nearly $846.5 million through August, after reaching $639 million in the first eight months of 2015. In 2014, the first year of recreational sales, the industry grossed $699.2 million.

So far the state has earned $124.9 million in tax revenues from the industry this year, after netting $86 million last year and $76.2 million in 2014.

In Colorado, tax revenues from the cannabis industry are used to fund education, capital construction grants, and health programs.

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A calculator and pair of reading glasses sitting on top of paperwork.

Cannabis Packaging Company Files Chapter 11 in Colorado

10/06/2016

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High Supply, a Denver-based cannabis packaging company, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as the result of “severe financial stress” caused by “theft and corporate espionage by former employees,” according to its CEO Paul Lufkin, as reported by the Business Den.

Lufkin is currently embroiled in a lawsuit against a former co-owner of the company and other employees, claiming the cohort tried to start another packaging firm in violation of a non-compete agreement.   

Through their lawyer, Tobin Kern, the former co-owners and employees contend that the bankruptcy is the result of the High Supply’s new owners’ “own poor customer service and decision-making since the sale was completed.”

In the bankruptcy filing, the company outlined debts of $245,000.

Lufkin, along with investors from Green Leaf Acquisitions purchased High Supply from founders Justin Walker and Aaron Israel last year for $400,000 including stock. Walker remained president of the company while continuing to run his printing business, Pressroom 2.0. As part of the sale, Walker signed the non-compete clause.

About a year later, Walker and Israel claimed that they had not been paid for their ownership stake in full, and in February 2016 Pressroom 2.0 sued High Supply alleging that the owners locked them out of the shared space used for the printing business operations.

Green Leaf countered, claiming that Walker and several employees conspired “to establish new competing operations” in Denver — in violation of the non-compete clause.

In that case, a Denver County District Court barred Walker from owning or working at any packaging firm that supplies cannabis companies. Walker was allowed to continue running Pressroom 2.0 under the condition that High Supply be its only cannabis packaging client. Additionally, the judge ordered Green Leaf to pay the former co-owners $150,000 in stock under the original sale agreement.

In a court filing, Kern argued that Green Leaf could not “stretch” Walker’s non-compete order to include other individuals and marijuana packaging business’ names in the suit. He says that Walker is complying with the terms of the agreement and the former employees are not subject to non-compete agreements.

This is at least the second time Lufkin has filed bankruptcy for a company. In 2012 Lufkin purchased e-payment company eFusion, which filed for bankruptcy a year later due to claims that the former owners plundered the company’s profits for themselves.  

This is also not the first time he has been locked in litigation with former associates. In 2005, he purchased a majority stake in eCashFlow Systems, a Denver-based e-checking business. Lufkin was subsequently sued by its founder, who claimed he was never paid his full equity shares by Lufkin. Investors also sued, claiming Lufkin had mismanaged company funds.            

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Large, cured cannabis nug lying on its side.

Pro-Legalization Campaigns Release First Ads in New England

10/04/2016

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Pro-legalization television commercials for the campaigns in Massachusetts and Maine hit the airwaves yesterday, according to a report by Reuters. The commercials are a sign that opponents and proponents are gearing up for a contentious run up to the general election in November.

Both ads feature ex-law enforcement officers but take different approaches in their appeal to voters.

In the ad running in Massachusetts, former Boston Police Department Officer and current Merrimack College criminal justice professor Tom Nolan, outlines how the measure takes steps to protect children from accidental ingestion and bars advertising aimed at young populations. He says legalization will be an economic boon to the state and provides funding for education.

“It will tax and regulate marijuana for adults 21-and-over, bringing millions in revenue for schools and law enforcement,” he says in the spot.

The commercial is the start of a $650,000 ad campaign paid for by the Yes on 4 campaign; whose top contributors include the Marijuana Policy Project, New Approach PAC, 4Front Ventures, Happy Valley Ventures, and author Rick Steves.

The 30-second spot in Maine features current state Rep. Mark Dion, who is also a 32-year law enforcement veteran. In the ad, Dion says that legalizing cannabis would free up police resources to investigate violent crimes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKI6GFfl1M4

“In Maine there were over 1,700 citations given to adults for marijuana — that takes time — time better spent solving murders, sexual assault cases, finding missing children,” he says. “The system is broken.”

The group behind the ad, The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, has budgeted $1 million for their media blitz.

In both states, the campaigns are facing opposition from powerful lawmakers, including Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Gov. Charlie Baker in Massachusetts, and Gov. Paul LePage in Maine.

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A cannabis sample being prepped for processing by a cannabis testing facility in Michigan.

Ganjapreneur Tours: PSI Labs

9/13/2016

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Cannabis testing is not mandated under Michigan’s medical marijuana law — that could change if the House enacts reforms to the current system — but there is still a market for testing services in the state. A cursory Google search elicits five cannabis testing laboratory results, with Ann Arbor-based PSI Labs occupying the top spot. Despite only being in business for 18 months, the outfit has built a database with nearly 100,000 samples and was pegged by High Times as the official testing lab for the last two Michigan Cannabis Cups.

Ben Rosman, CEO, and Lev Spivak-Birndorf, chief science officer, both 34, met in middle school. The duo graduated together and remained close as they each embarked on their individual paths. Rosman received a law degree from Wayne State University Law School, specializing in criminal defense and medical cannabis law. Spivak-Birndorf would receive his doctorate in geochemistry and cosmochemistry from Arizona State University, later completing a post-doctoral research fellowship in metal isotope geochemistry at Indiana University. Both are medical marijuana patients — Rosman has epilepsy; Spivak-Birdorf has Crohn’s — and, as patients, they visited dispensaries together, often asking for the lab reports of their medicine.

“[The reports] didn’t make any sense to me,” Rosman said during an interview in the reception area lounge at his lab. “I’d ask Lev — who obviously has experience in mass spectrometry and chromatography — and they didn’t quite make sense to him either, just as far as the numbers didn’t add up.”

So two childhood friends, now experts in aspects of an industry that affects their daily lives decide that not only could they start their own testing lab, they could do it better. As patients, they understand the importance of high-quality medicine — free from mold, bugs, pesticides, and heavy metals. They are intimately acquainted with how potency and cannabinoid profiles play into the therapeutic outcomes of cannabis. Rosman says no matter which side of the medical cannabis argument a person falls on, it’s a consensus that medicine should be safe, therefore it should be tested.

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“No matter where you fall on the spectrum, agreeing that medical cannabis helps people, or wanting recreational cannabis to come to Michigan, you can agree that safe access to medical cannabis is important,” Rosman said. “And we help provide that safety in safe access.”

The operation is small. During our tour, two techs ran samples in the laboratory; a former call center full of buzzing, beeping, and hissing machines that bounce ambient vibrations throughout the white-walled lab.

“Most of these machines are used in police forensic labs to lock people up,” Rosman says, noting the irony.

In a small room off of the main lab floor Amanda Finnigan, a graduate of nearby Henry Ford College, is preparing edibles for testing. She said because there are no current standard operating procedures to follow, it’s up to their small lab to develop the best practices to prepare them for the eventual regulations, and to find the best way to extract the chemicals from new products; ranging from infused water to facial scrubs.

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Finnigan went to school with this very gig in mind. She had wanted to intern with a cannabis lab, but her school refused due to the fact that they receive federal funding and cannabis is federally outlawed.

“We had a conversation with my biotech program,” she explained. “They said I couldn’t do it because they get government funding. But this is it; this is why I got that degree.”

Unlike Finnigan, Mark Tracy — a State University of New York, Oneonta graduate — said there was “no way” he expected his degree path to take him to a cannabis testing lab.

“This wasn’t even a dream job,” he said. “This didn’t even exist.”

Rosman said he would “definitely” take on interns if colleges were to ever reach out, and said he hires people who are excited to learn about not just the industry, but the science behind cannabis.

Spivak-Birndorf explains that, as a scientist, working in an independent lab setting is the best way to get data on cannabis — and in “this world of customized products,” people are hungry for that data. He suggests that as a culture we are becoming more demanding of, and more used to, informed consumption at our fingertips.

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Glimmering trichomes.
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Thrips.

“No matter what field you’re in,” he said. “Micro-brewing, nutritional supplements and food, they’re blending together in these markets — there’s a lot of stuff like that… the more we can teach people about what they’re using — I’m excited for them to be able to geek out a little bit more.”

But terpene profiles are what really excite the CSO. Terpenes are the oils that give cannabis its flavor and smell profile. A sample’s terpene profile really defines what strain it is, and Spivak-Birndorf says it’s far more complicated than indica and sativa.

“It’s fun trying to get people to think in a different way, more like ‘what’s the chemistry that’s contributing to these flavors,’ because ultimately that’s what’s going to be behind it,” he said. “Saying ‘indica’ or ‘sativa’ doesn’t have a terribly large amount of meaning because at the end of the day the effects you feel are the result of the chemistry of that particular strain.”

On the day of our interview, a sample came through the lab with 26 percent THC and CBG levels of “like 4 to 5 percent” — the highest any sample had ever tested for in the lab’s history. CBG is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid found to have anti-anxiety properties. The strain, Spivak-Birndorf suggested, would be great medicine for someone because while it’s potent, it might not cause anxiety-like other potent strains.

“It’s cool to see something totally unique and sometimes we’re telling the customer something they had no clue,” he said.

Both founders expect the market, the industry, and the rules by which they operate to change, but are as forward thinking as any consumer brand, despite being more embedded in the science sector. They have over 3,300 Instagram followers, and their lab reports are cleanly constructed (and posted to the social network for people to geek out to). Rosman hopes that if lawmakers pass the sweeping reforms, creating an oversight board, that businesses currently operating in the sector will have a chance to help create the rules — because the market is already years ahead of the government.

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Mold hyphae with mites.
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Spider mite.

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States Voting on Marijuana Legalization 2016

Nine States Voting on Marijuana Measures in 2016

9/07/2016

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This election season, nine states will be voting on ballot initiatives related to legalizing and regulating cannabis in some form. This is an unprecedented opportunity for medical marijuana activists and entrepreneurs who are looking at legalization as an opportunity for new businesses. While it is unlikely that all of these ballot initiatives will pass, recent polls suggest that many of them have enough backing among voters. Below we have gathered facts and information on each of these initiatives, and we will update this article as new polls and developments come to light.

Jump to state: California, Nevada, Arizona, Massachusetts, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, Arkansas, Florida

Recreational initiatives

In 2016, five states will be voting on recreational cannabis ballot measures. If all of them passed, that would bring the total number of states with recreational markets in the USA to nine! So far, Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska are the only states where people over 21 can purchase cannabis at state-licensed retail stores.

California Recreational Cannabis 2016 Initiative AUMA
Photo by Ian D. Keating

California, Proposition 64, “Adult Use of Marijuana Act.”

Polls: 61 percent approve, 36 percent oppose (aggregate of May 26, Public Policy Institute of California; Aug. 10, Problosky Research).

Summary: The AUMA would legalize marijuana and hemp, permitting recreational use of the former for adults (aged 21 or older) beginning in 2018, with no public use provisions. The dispensaries would be supervised by the Bureau of Marijuana Control, while the Department of Food and Agriculture would license and oversee commercial cultivation. Adults would be able to cultivate up to 6 plants for personal use, though municipalities may regulate aspects of home-growing. The act provides for marketing standards, barring advertising and dispensaries 600 feet from schools.

The measure would force patients enrolled in the current system to obtain a new doctor’s recommendation that meets the strict standards – enacted in 2015 – by Jan. 1, 2018. Tax exemptions would be available for medical marijuana providers. It also provides for resentencing and destruction of records for minor marijuana convictions.

Personal possession limits: 28.5 grams of flower, 4 grams of concentrates.

Taxes: 15 percent retail sales tax plus state sales tax, $9.25 tax per ounce of flower, $2.75 tax per ounce of leaves. Municipalities can impose local taxes.

Fees: The bill does not outline a fee structure; it delegates power to Bureau of Marijuana Control.

Revenue disbursement: 60 percent, Youth Education, Prevention, Early Intervention Account; 20 percent, Environmental Restoration and Protection Account; 20 percent, State and Local Law Enforcement Account.

Nevada Recreational Marijuana Initiative 2016
Photo by Felipe Valduga

Nevada, Question 2, “Initiative to Regulate and Tax Marijuana.”

Polls: 50 percent approve, 41 percent oppose (July 24, KTNV-TV 13Action News/Rasmussen).

Summary: The Department of Taxation would be responsible for determining qualifications and issuing licenses under the program, which would permit adult use and possession. The measure provides for individuals to grow up to six plants – 12 per household – if the cultivator is 25 miles from a retail marijuana store.

Public use is not permitted and carries a $600 fine. The initiative provides for local government to pass zoning and land use laws banning marijuana businesses and such businesses are prohibited 1,000 feet from schools. Additionally, the measure provides for 80 retail licenses to be issued in counties with a population of more than 700,000 people; 20 licenses will be available in counties with populations less than 700,000 but more than 100,000. A maximum of four dispensaries would be allowed in counties with a population less than 100,000 but more than 55,000; and two will be available for counties with populations less than 55,000. The Tax Department will begin accepting applications on Jan. 1, 2018.  

Personal possession limits: 1 ounce of flower, 3.5 grams of concentrates.

Taxes: 15 percent excise tax, plus state sales tax

Fees: $5,000 application fee for retail, cultivation, product manufacturing, distributor, and testing licenses.

Distributor and testing fees cannot exceed $15,000 for the initial license; $5,000 for renewal.

Retail fees cannot exceed $20,000 for the initial license; $6,000 for renewal.

Cultivation fees cannot exceed $30,000 for the initial license; $10,000 for renewal.

Product manufacturing fees cannot exceed $10,000 for the initial license; $3,300 for renewal.

Revenue disbursement: Revenues support K-12 education.

Arizona Recreational Cannabis Initiative 2016
Photo by Phillip Capper

Arizona, Proposition 205, “Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act.”

Polls: 51 percent approve, 44 percent oppose (aggregate of Apr. 21, Data Orbital commissioned by Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy; July 11, O.H. Predictive Insights; Dec. 1, 2015, Morrison Institute for Public Policy at Arizona State University).

Summary: Prop 205 would establish a Department of Marijuana Licenses and Control as well as a seven member Marijuana Commission comprised of three industry representatives and four members with no financial industry ties to develop rules and police the industry. Adults would be permitted to grow up to six plants and buy cannabis from licensed retail shops. It provides for medical marijuana dispensaries currently operating in the state to transition to the retail model. Local governments would have control over whether to allow for marijuana businesses.

The measure also makes manufacturing concentrates “by chemical extraction with a flammable solvent” a class 6 felony in the state. Delivery and cannabis clubs are banned under the measure until at least 2020 and the fine for public use is $300. The department is not permitted to issue more marijuana retail licenses than 10 percent the number of liquor licenses.

If the department does not have industry regulations in place by Mar. 1, 2018, businesses could submit their application for local government approval, who would write their own rules.

Personal possession limits: 1 ounce of flower, 5 grams of concentrates.

Taxes: 15 percent excise tax.

Fees: Distributor and product manufacturing fees cannot exceed $15,000 for the initial license; $5,000 for renewal.

Retail fees cannot exceed $20,000 for the initial license; $6,000 for renewal.

Cultivation fees cannot exceed $30,000 for the initial license; $10,000 for renewal.

Revenue disbursement: 80 percent allocated for education; 20 percent, Department of Public Health.     

Massachusetts Recreational Marijuana 2016 Regulations
Photo by Tim Sackton

Massachusetts, Question 4, “Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act.”

Polls: 48 percent approve, 43 percent oppose (aggregate of Feb. 25, UMass:Amherst/WBZ; Apr. 14, Western New England University Polling Institute; May 10, Suffolk University/Boston Globe; July 19 Gravis Marketing for Jobs First).

Summary: Adults would be permitted to grow, buy, and legally possess cannabis under the proposal, which would create a Cannabis Control Commission to oversee the industry. The commission would be comprised of a commissioner and two associate commissioners. The commissioner would serve co-terminus with the state treasurer – who would appoint the commission members. Associate commissioners would serve four-year terms.

Home-grows are restricted to six plants, 12 per household. Tax exemption provisions are made for medical marijuana providers. Cannabis businesses and home grows must be 500 feet from schools.

A 15-member Cannabis Advisory Board appointed by the governor would be created under the act. It would include five cannabis industry experts, two law enforcement members, two social welfare representatives, two attorneys experienced in providing legal services to the cannabis industry, and one patient. Board members would serve two-year terms. A Marijuana Regulation Fund would be created to pay for administrative costs.  

Legalization would take effect Dec. 15.  

Personal possession limits: 1 ounce of flower in public, 10 ounces at home, 5 grams of concentrates in public.

Taxes: 3.75 percent excise tax, plus state sales tax. Local government can add up to a 2 percent tax.

Fees: $3,000 retail, product manufacturer, cultivator, and testing application fee.

$15,000 for retail, cultivation, and product manufacturing licenses.

$10,000 for a testing license.

Revenue disbursement: Does not specify, will be determined by commission.

Maine Recreational Cannabis Initiative 2016
Photo by Paul VanDerWerf

Maine, Question 1, “Marijuana Legalization Act.”

Polls: 55 percent approve, 42 percent oppose (aggregate: Mar. 18, Maine People’s Resource Center; May 12, Critical Insights).

Summary: The act would leave industry oversight to the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, treating cannabis like an agricultural product. It would permit adults to purchase, possess, grow, and transfer limited amounts. Localities can impose their own licensing requirements and fees. Individuals would be allowed to grow up to six flowering and 12 immature plants.

The measure would provide for social club licenses; no cigarettes or alcohol would be permitted at such establishments. Public use is banned, and carries a $100 fine.

Two types of retail cultivation permits would be available – one for more and on for less than 3,000-square-feet of plant canopy. Police would be barred from owning cannabis businesses, and preference would be given to cultivators with two years’ experience under current Maine statutes, with 40 percent of the licenses being issued to commercial grows less than 3,000-square-feet. No more than six licenses will be available for grows larger than 3,000-square-feet.

Personal possession limits: 2 1/2 ounces (includes transfer without renumeration).

Taxes: 10 percent retail sales tax.

Fees: Application fees for any industry license could range from $10 to $250.

License fees for retail locations and marijuana social clubs range from $250 to $2,500.

License fees for testing facilities are $100.

Cultivation license fees range $10 to $100 per 1,000-square-feet.

Product manufacturing licenses range from $100 to $1,000

Revenue disbursement: Revenues will be deposited into the General Fund.

Medical initiatives

In addition to the states that are vying for a legal recreational market, several states will be deciding whether to enact or expand medical marijuana programs as well. Learn about the states that will be voting on medical cannabis measures this election season below:

Montana Medical Marijuana Initiative 2016
Photo by Always Shooting

Montana, I-182, “Montana Medical Marijuana Act.”

Polls: No recent polling data.

Summary: The act aims to revive the medical cannabis program in the state which was decimated by the passage of the Montana Marijuana Act by the legislature in 2011. The Montana Marijuana Act removed most of the provisions allowed under the Medical Marijuana Act passed by voters in 2004.

The measure repeals rules set by the 2011 statute, including the three patients limit and the requirement that physicians who certify more than 25 patients be referred to the Board of Medical Examiners. The act would allow medical marijuana providers to hire employees to cultivate, dispense and transport products, and removes the authority of law enforcement to conduct unannounced inspections of medical marijuana facilities, instead requiring annual inspections by the Health Department.

The plan also adds post-traumatic stress disorder to the list of eligible conditions and removes the conditions forcing patients with chronic pain to get a second doctor’s recommendation. The measure includes language requiting testing of medical marijuana by licensed laboratories.

A cardholder’s ability to possess four mature plants, 12 seedlings, and 1 ounce of cannabis is maintained. The new regime would take effect on June 20, 2017.

Taxes: There are no changes to the tax structure.

Fees: License fees for providers and producers may not exceed $1,000 for 10 or fewer registered cardholders; no more than $5,000 for more than 10.

Lab license fees cannot exceed $1,200.

Revenue disbursement: A special revenue account will be created to pay any administrative fees associated with the changes.

North Dakota Medical Cannabis Legalization 2016
Photo by Andrew Filer

North Dakota, Measure 5, “North Dakota Compassionate Care Act.”

Polls: No recent polling data.

Summary: The medical marijuana program would be regulated by the state Department of Health, and requires Compassionate Care Centers to operate as not-for-profits. Designated caregivers could serve no more than five qualifying patients

The measure would allow medical marijuana use for “debilitating medical conditions” including cancer and it’s treatments; HIV/AIDS; Hepatitis C; ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease; post-traumatic stress disorder; Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and its treatments; Crohn’s disease, fibromyalgia; spinal damage/stenosis; chronic back pain; glaucoma; epilepsy; neuropathy; and wasting syndrome. The Health Department would be able to add conditions, and citizens would be permitted to petition for condition approval under the program. The department would have six months to make that determination. A nine-member advisory board will be created to evaluate and make program recommendations. The board will be chaired – and appointed – by the governor.

Patients with PTSD would need to get a recommendation from a licensed psychiatrist. Patients would be permitted to purchase and possess up to 3 ounces. Compassionate Care Center inventory would be capped at 1,000 plants “irrespective of the stages of growth” and no more than 3,500 ounces. Cannabis businesses would be licensed for two years and not permitted 1,000 feet from a school.

Patients are permitted to grow eight plants in an enclosed facility if they are 40 miles from the nearest Compassionate Care Center, and they must notify law enforcement of the operation. The Department of Health would be permitted to interview potential patients and caregivers at their home, but the visits are not mandatory and require 24 hours’ notice.

Taxes: There are no tax implications.

Fees: $25,000 license fees following Health Department approval.

Revenue disbursement: A Compassionate Care Fund will be created, comprised of donations, fees, and civil penalties imposed.

Arkansas Medical Marijuana 2016
photo by Cliff

Arkansas, “Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment“

Polls: 58 percent approve, 34 percent oppose (June 21, Talk Business & Politics-Hendrix College polling general medical marijuana initiative).

63 percent approve, 35 oppose AMMA; 68 percent support, 30 percent oppose AMCA (Aug. 4 Public Opinion Strategies polling ballot medical marijuana ballot initiative preference).

Summary: Voters in Arkansas originally expected two measures to legalize medical marijuana on this November’s ballot, but on October 27 one of the initiatives — the Arkansas Medical Cannabis Act — was struck down by the state’s Supreme Court.

The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment would create a five-member Medical Marijuana Commission to oversee the program and advise the Department of Health. The commission would include two members appointed by the President of the Senate, two appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and one by the governor. Citizens could petition for conditions to be added to the qualifying list, but the department would have 120 days to make a decision.

The AMMA does not have a grow-your-own provision. It provides for at least 20 dispensaries, but nor more than 40; and at least four but no more than eight cultivation facilities – both are barred from 1,500 feet from schools and churches. Potential owners must have been Arkansas residents for seven consecutive years. The Alcohol and Beverage Control Division will establish operational rules for dispensaries and cultivation facilities.

Under the measure, patients would be able to purchase and possess 2 1/2 ounces.

Taxes: The AMMA invokes local and state taxes.

Revenue disbursement: AMMA – 5 percent to the Department of Health; 4 percent to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Administration, and Enforcement divisions; 1 percent to the Medical Marijuana Commission; 10 percent to the Skills Development Fund; 50 percent to the would-be-created Vocational and Technical Training Special Revenue Fund; 30 percent to the General Revenue Fund.

Florida Marijuana Legalization 2016
photo by Chad Sparkes

Florida, Amendment 2, “Use of Marijuana for Debilitating Conditions.”

Polls: 68 percent support 23 percent opposed (aggregate of Mar. 1, Public Policy Polling; Mar. 9 and June 30, News 13/Bay News 9; Mar. 11, The Ledger/10 News WTSP; May 6, Quinnipiac University; May 9, Bendixen & Amandi International; May 18, Gravis Marketing; July 21 Anzalone Liszt on behalf of United for Care; Aug 23, Saint Leo University).

Summary: The initiative being considered in Florida is a constitutional amendment, meaning that it will require 60 percent of voter support in November to become law.

Under the measure a “debilitating medical condition” is defined as cancer; epilepsy; glaucoma; HIV/AID; post-traumatic stress disorder; ALS; Crohn’s disease; Parkinson’s disease; multiple sclerosis; “or other debilitating medical conditions of the same kind or class.”

The Department of Health would be tasked in rolling out much of the program details, which need to be in place 6 months if the measure is passed by voters.

The amendment text permits Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers and caregivers, but it does not lay out any of the details included in other ballot initiatives, such as fees, taxes, possession limits and revenue disbursement.

Do you have new information regarding the upcoming election season? Shoot us an email at grow@ganjapreneur.com!

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Petition for Gov. Christie to Sign MMJ Program Expansion Gains Significant Traction

9/06/2016

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A petition calling on New Jersey Gov. Christ Christie to sign legislation adding post-traumatic stress disorder to the list of medical marijuana qualifying conditions has garnered nearly 18,000 signatures. The petition, started by The Joint Blog, comes a month after the state legislature approved a bill adding the condition, sending it to the governor for his signature.  

“The measure sits on the desk of Governor Chris Christie, who has the option of signing it into law, allowing it to become law without his signature, or vetoing it,” the petition reads. “We are calling Governor Christie to quickly sign it into law, allowing those suffering from the ailment to use a medicine that research has continually shown is beneficial.”

The bill (A457) passed the Assembly, 56-13, in June, moving through the Senate, 29-9, in August.

The petition includes links to two separate studies that found marijuana therapies to be effective in the treatment of the condition, which according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, affects about 8 million adults during a given year.  

Michigan, California, Illinois, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maine, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and Arizona all recognize PTSD as a qualifying condition for their respective medical marijuana programs.     

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NY Health Department Considering Allowing MMJ in Schools

8/30/2016

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A proposal that would allow schools to “possess, secure and administer medical marijuana products under limited circumstances” is being considered in New York, according to a Fox 32 report. The proposal was one of a dozen recommendations for the program from the state Health Department’s two-year report.

Democratic Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, who championed the original legislation, said the recommendations “all go in the right direction,” but that the Health Department Commissioner should be announcing that he is making changes to the statute, instead of releasing reports with proposed fixes.

“After two years, DOH should be taking action, not proposing a study,” Gottfried said in a press release. “Health facilities and schools already accommodate patients and students who have prescriptions for much more potent and dangerous drugs.”

During an appearance on “Fox and Friends Weekend,” Republican State Sen. Martin Golden argued that allowing medical marijuana in schools raises more problems than solutions.

“Could you imagine other kids in the city knowing one child possesses medical marijuana pills? We jeopardize that kid,” Golden said. “What are we going to do with the medical marijuana? Where are we going to store it? How are we going to store it?”

While the plan is still in the very early stages, the Health Department has not announced any strategies to implement any additional changes to the limited medical marijuana program.

“These recommendations continue to treat medical marijuana as if it is a dangerous substance, which is not true,” Gottfried said in the release. “The excessive restrictions in the medical marijuana law and regulations are not justified by the nature of medical marijuana, the experiences of other states, or federal requirements.”

Colorado, Maine, New Jersey, and Washington all permit medical marijuana products to be stored and administered in schools.      

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California Cannabis Market Estimated at $6.5B if Voters Pass Prop. 64

8/24/2016

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According to research by New Frontier and Arcview Market Research, California’s legal cannabis market could be worth as much as $6.5 billion annually by 2020 if voters approve Proposition 64 in November, the Washington Times reports.

New Frontier CEO Giadha DeCarcer said if the state legalizes cannabis for recreational use it would “catapult the industry.”

“It is the largest and most influential state in the cannabis industry in terms of production, consumption, and cultural influence,” he said in the report.

Last year, California’s medical market reached $2.7 billion, and the recreational market could add another $4 billion to the industry over the next four years, the research says. The state’s medical marijuana industry represents about 62 percent of all medical cannabis sales nationwide. The market report suggests that while overall cannabis sales would rise, sales in the medical marijuana sector would decline from last year’s $2.76 billion total to $2.53 billion by 2020.

National cannabis sales are predicted to hit between $14 billion and $17 billion this year, with potential to reach $44 billion by 2020, according to the Times report.

In addition to California, voters in Arizona, Nevada, Maine and Massachusetts will decide whether to legalize cannabis for recreational use during the general election.

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