Canadian MMJ Company Listed on U.S. NASDAQ

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Toronto-based medical cannabis company Cronos Group is the first Canadian cannabis company to be listed on the U.S. NASDAQ, according to a Forbes report. The company holds 100 percent of two Canadian medical cannabis companies: Ontario’s Peace Naturals and British Columbia’s Original BC. The company also holds a 21.5 percent stake in Whistler Medical Marijuana Company.

Cronos previous traded as an American Depository Receipt on the Over-the-Counter markets under the PRMCF symbol. On the NASDAQ, it’s trading under the CRON symbol and opened on the 27th at $8.24 and closed at $7.62. It closed yesterday at $9.17.

“This up listing to NASDAQ is a major corporate milestone and reflects the significant progress we have made in strengthening our corporate governance and expanding our global footprint. We believe this will increase long term shareholder value by improving awareness, liquidity, and appeal to institutional investors.” – Mike Gorenstein, Cronos Group CEO, in a press release

Cronos is part of the first cannabis-related exchange-traded fund, Alternative Harvest ETF, comprising the top holding of the fund at 9.18 percent.

Other firms included in the ETF:

  • Aurora Cannabis Inc.
  • Canopy Growth Corp.
  • CanniMed Therapeutics
  • MedReleaf Corp.
  • CannTrust Holdings
  • GW Pharmaceuticals
  • Huabao Intl. Hldg.
  • Arena Pharmaceuticals
  • Turning Point Brands Inc.

Alternative Harvest began trading on the New York Stock Exchange Jan. 2.

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A young cannabis plant rests under the LED grow light of a cannabis patient's grow closet.

Washington Home Grow Bill Fails, Again

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The decision to not include home grows in Washington’s 2012 cannabis legalization initiative continues to haunt the state, which again this year has failed to pass a cannabis home grow bill. With Democrats holding both chambers of the legislature and the Governor’s office this year, cannabis supporters thought there might be progress on that front — however, despite the House version passing overwhelmingly out of its first committee and both Senate and House bills having bipartisan support, each bill failed to pass out of committee before a key cut off date.

Washington remains the only state that has successfully legalized adult-use cannabis but does not allow individuals to grow or possess cannabis plants.

The Republican sponsor of the House version, Rep. Cary Condotta said, “The bill failed again because there are not enough votes on the House floor to get it passed. Part of that has to do with opposition from law enforcement. There’s no reason Washington should not have home grows like other states.”

“Each year we get closer, but next year there will be the same opposition,” said Rep. Condotta. “People should keep writing and calling their representatives if they want this passed.”

Adding further insight, Rep. Steve Kirby (D) told his constituents on Saturday at the 29th legislative district monthly meeting, he chalks up some of the opposition in Olympia to old-fashioned “reefer madness.” He says there are many Democrats from areas of the state that have cannabis bans, admitting these would be hard votes to sway.

But John Kingsbury, an activist and home grow supporter who worked on both the House and Senate bills, sees things differently:

“We started working on this in August to try and knock down the two most common arguments against home grows. Federal intervention and lack of industry support. We were able to combat those arguments, but always received stock answers to why the bill wasn’t getting a hearing. The bill failed two years in a row in the same committee. That tells me orders are coming from higher up in Washington government to not pass a home grow bill. In my opinion, there are powerful forces in the I-502 system and Washington government who don’t want this to pass. It seems they’re not willing to give up that 4 to 6 percent market share they think home grows will take from tax and corporate revenues.”

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Two individuals walking on a cobblestone street.

Two Maricann Directors, Including Board Chairman, Resign Amid CSE Investigation

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Canadian medical cannabis company Maricann Group Inc.’s chairman along with a board member have stepped down amidst a review by the Canadian Securities Exchange of its planned $70 million financing, the Canadian Press reports. The review has put the financing on hold – but it has not been terminated. The company has been advised orally by the underwriters not to proceed with the deal.

The resignations of Chairman Neil Tabatznik and Director Raymond Stone, come as regulators investigate the timing and reporting of certain trades owned or controlled by the pair, along with director Eric Silver. Paul Pathak has been named interim chairman of the board.

The Ontario Securities Commission is also investigating CEO Ben Ward’s activities as CEO of Canadian Cannabis Corp., a wholly unrelated company. In a press release, Maricann indicated it is “unaware of any facts that could reasonably lead it to conclude that this investigation has had, or will have, any impact” on Ward’s ability “to properly and effectively carry out his duties as CEO or director of the company.” The company said Ward is fully cooperating with the investigation. Maricann has convened a special committee to investigate the trades.

“We have heard from many significant shareholders of the company about their concerns with these matters, and we share them. In these circumstances, we appreciate Messrs. Stone and Tabatznik having resigned. The special committee’s review is ongoing, but we are committed to providing the stakeholders of the Company with a further update on its review shortly.” – Pathak, in a statement

Maricann’s shares were down as much as 30 percent on Wednesday following the report.

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Cannabis plants inside of an indoor, commercial grow operation.

Study: 96% of Cancer Patients Find Relief with MMJ

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A study published in the European Journal of Internal Medicine conducted medical cannabis producer Tikun Olam found 96 percent of cancer patient respondents reported an improvement of their condition through the use of medical cannabis. The study encompassed 2,970 cancer patients with an average age of 60 who reported sleep problems, pain, nausea, and decreased appetite. The patients were prescribed one or more of Tikun Olam’s proprietary strains.

The research also found that within six months, 36 percent of study participants had stopped taking opioid prescription drugs entirely and another 10 percent had decreased their dosage. The study’s authors concluded that “cannabis as a palliative treatment for cancer patients is a well-tolerated, effective and safe option.”

“The data establishes that cannabis is effective treatment for the most acute symptoms of cancer, such as pain, which often requires the use of opioids.” – Lihi Bar-Lev Schleider of Tikun Olam and lead author of the article, in a press release.

The study found “sparse and minor” side effects, including; dry mouth (7.3 percent), increased appetite (3.6 percent), sleepiness (3.3 percent), and psychoactive effect (2.8 percent).

Tikun Olam, which is based in Israel and has a U.S. arm, partnered with Canadian firm Jay Pharma, Israel’s Soroka University Medical Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and the University of Jerusalem.    

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Official campaign photo for Benjamin Wolf, a candidate for Illinois' Senate who is campaigning as the "Cannabis Candidate."

Illinois U.S. Congressional Candidate Smokes Joint in Campaign Photo

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A former Federal Bureau of Investigation officer and current human rights professor at Roosevelt University, Benjamin Thomas Wolf, is running for the 5th Congressional District of Illinois – and he’s smoking a joint in a campaign photo.

He’s calling himself the “Cannabis Candidate” and is advocating for “the immediate legalization of marijuana and hemp for both medicinal and recreational uses in all U.S. states, cities, and territories.”

“Cannabis can provide a much-needed tax base for our city. As a former federal law enforcement agent, I understand the manner in which legalizing cannabis can transform the criminal justice system in regard to high rates of incarceration for drug crimes as well as the unfair targeting of marginalized communities.” – Wolf, in a press release, via Patch.com

Wolf is challenging incumbent Democratic Rep. Mike Quigley for the district, which includes Chicago’s North and Northwest communities. According to a Chicago Sun-Times report, Wolf supports using revenues from a taxed-and-regulated cannabis industry on public education and drug rehabilitation centers. He also supports pardoning all citizens jailed for cannabis-related offenses.

The progressive policy could appeal to voters in a district with an average age of 33. In November, Illinois voters might also have a chance to vote on legalizing cannabis for adult use.

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The front steps of the New Jersey Statehouse.

Survey Finds Scant Support for Cannabis Legalization Among New Jersey Lawmakers

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A survey by NJ Cannabis Insider of the state’s 40-member Senate found just five members who indicated they would vote for a bill to legalize cannabis use for adults. NJ Cannabis Insider is a new publication by NJ Advance Media.

The survey, conducted over three weeks via telephone, in-person, and by email, found 20 members who said they would vote no, while 15 more said they were undecided or did not respond to the inquiry.

The survey also found low support among New Jersey Assembly members, with just five members indicating they would vote yes, six firm no votes, and another 68 members who are undecided or did not respond. In the Senate, 21 votes are required to pass legislation, while 41 are required in the Assembly.

Supporters in the Senate are all Democrats, including Sen. Nicholas Scutari – the sponsor of the legalization measure – Sen. M. Teresa Ruiz, Sen. Vin Gopal, and Sen. Nia Hill. In the Senate, legalization is backed by Democrats Asm. Jamel Holley, Asm. Reed Gusciora, Asm. Timothy Eustace, and Asm. John Burzichelli. Asm. Michael Carroll is the lone Republican offering support for the reforms.

Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy included cannabis legalization as one of the planks of his campaign platform. The legalization measure has not yet been scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is chaired by Scutari.

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Sunset photo of the bay behind Valletta — Malta's capital city.

Canadian MMJ Company Acquires Malta-based Lab to Produce and Distribute Cannabis Oils

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Canadian medical cannabis producer Nuuvera has acquired Malta-based laboratory ASG Pharma, one of few Maltese Good Manufacturing Practice labs. ASG Pharma is expected to be one of Nuuvera’s hubs for medical cannabis oil production and distribution.

“It is clear that Malta specifically and the European Union generally intend to make consumer protection a priority, and this approach aligns perfectly with our vision to create a center of excellence in Malta for the production and distribution of pharmaceutical grade cannabis products. To that end, ASG Pharma will adhere to the highest international standards for processing and extraction, distribution and security protocols.” – Nuuvera CEO Lorne Abony, in a press release

Nuuvera is the only standalone medical cannabis company GMP-approved by Health Canada.

Last month, Aphria Inc. announced it would acquire Nuuvera for $826 million as part of its expansion efforts into Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The deal still needs final approval from Canada’s Superior Court, two-thirds vote from Nuuvera shareholders, and approval from the Toronto Stock Exchange.

In addition to its footprint in Malta, Nuuvera has relationships in Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, Israel, Lesotho, and Uruguay.

According to a Malta Today report, ASG Pharma has just four shareholders who each own a 25 percent stake in the firm.

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Denver Regulators Approve First Social-Use Business License

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While lawmakers in Massachusetts are blocking the state’s voter-approved plans for social cannabis use, regulators in Denver, Colorado have finally moved forward on the successful 2016 voter initiative that enables certain businesses — such as bars, restaurants, cafes and yoga studios — to seek licenses allowing the use of cannabis in their establishment. On Monday, officials awarded the city’s first social-use cannabis license to The Coffee Joint, according to a Denver Post report.

Soon, The Coffee Joint patrons who are at least 21-years-old will be allowed to bring their own vaporizers and/or infused edibles to consume in the shop (though store owners will not allow smoking anywhere on the premises). The business is not licensed to sell or dispense cannabis products, though it is located next door to a licensed dispensary named 1136 Yuma which shares the same co-owners.

Rita Tsalyuk, who co-owns The Coffee Shop and 1136 Yuma with Kirill Merkulov (Tsalyuk’s husband also co-owns the dispensary), said that they plan to charge a $5 entrance fee but will not make the coffee shop into a members-only destination.

“Tons of people already came in. We’re offering free coffee and sneak previews [of the shop].” — Rita Tsalyuk, co-owner of The Coffee Shop and 1136 Yuma, to the Denver Post

According to the report, several other companies in Denver may also be receiving a social-use cannabis license soon, including a cannabis-inspired wellness spa.

This appears to be the first case of a non-cannabis related company receiving a license to allow cannabis use in the U.S. — social clubs have appeared previously in California, Oregon, and Alaska but were either operating without a license or were located inside of an already-licensed dispensary.

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Review: Scarlet Fire Farms Flower

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More and more, the standard for what is top-shelf, premium cannabis keeps rising — and it is amazing how that standard changes depending on where you live in the country. Nowhere is that standard for extraordinary quality higher than in the Emerald Triangle of Northern California. I was fortunate to sample an incredibly wide range of top California producers this year while judging the Golden Tarp Awards and attending Emerald Cup and this review is of one of those farms.

A clear favorite of everyone on the review team who sampled it was Scarlet Fire Farms of Humboldt County. Owner, breeder and lead gardener Bryan Sayre not only puts incredible effort into growing his individual plants, but his efforts start far before planting as he is also the breeding mastermind behind Dragon with Matches, an incredibly well-respected genetics provider. Bryan has developed a line of cultivars and growing practices that sets his flowers apart from the rest.

  • Mecca Cup 2014 – Best Flower
  • Golden Tarp Awards Best in Fuel Category September 2015
  • Casual Crop Exchange Best Flower March 2017
  • Hempcon 420 Best Hybrid 2017
  • Hempcon 420 Connoisseur’s Choice 2017
  • Oil Spill 2016 Best Sativa Concentrate July 2017
  • Humboldt County Cup 1st place Sativa January 2017
  • Humboldt County Cup 1st place Indica January 2017
  • Humboldt County Cup 2nd place Sativa November 2017
  • Humboldt County Cup 3rd Place Best Outdoor Sativa 2017

Scarlet Fire Farms is a family owned and operated farm tucked in the lush, water rich mountains of Six Rivers National Forest in Northeast Humboldt County, California. They have been producing cannabis since 2007.

One of the aspects of Scarlet Fire’s growing system that impacts the flower most is Bryan’s incorporation of Korean Natural Farming (KNF) techniques. Bryan says, “KNF and probiotic farming practices has helped us get a better sense of the cannabis plant’s needs. The increased number of overall cannabinoids and terpenes has proven that this is the best management practice I could use for my style of cannabis farming.”

KNF is known for working intimately in partnership with nature instead of against it. So much of the cannabis industry still incorporates synthetic nutrients and petroleum based fertilizers but not Scarlet Fire. Bryan continues, “I admire KNF not only because of the quality and effect of the product but also for decreasing our footprint on the environment. The production of homemade nutrients and the harvesting of indigenous organisms allows us to eliminate a large portion of store bought bottles.”

The proof is certainly in the flowers. Each of the four strains we sample burst with terpenes out of the jar. So often when sampling an entire farm’s line, we will find a couple standouts and the rest just show up. Not this time. Each of the four we tasted were huge experiences that left the review team playfully negotiating for who got to keep which extras.

Scarlet Fire

  • Smell: Cheese, taffy, hummus, vanilla, coffee grounds and just a touch of that skunk
  • Taste: Pinene, persimmon, woodsy, fruit and slightly chem reminding me of pools and bikinis

We all agreed that the flagship strain of the farm, Scarlet Fire, was deserving of the attention it receives. We found ourselves functional and engaged and yet very high and a bit forgetful. Not only fun but great pain and PTSD medication, as well.

Cherry Chem

  • Smell: Birthday cake frosting, fruit and tang.
  • Taste: Sweet and chem-y and the smoke never tasted smokey.

Tangimal Cookies

  • Smell: Bright tangie, no doubt. And blended with woodsy and mossy smells as well.
  • Taste: Again with the bright tangerine taste and a pronounced earthen skunk providing a lot of backbone.

Scarlet Black

  • Smell: Pine. Black Licorice. Sweet champagne.
  • Taste: The crazy thing is that this smokes just like it smells. Very uncommon. Smokes pine, black licorice and a touch of cantaloupe.

(Note: review continues below.)

Four packaged Scarlet Fire strains sit in a row on a beach in northern California.

The Scarlet Black was my personal favorite of the review but it was hard to choose because they were all so good. The Scarlet Black won Third Place Best Outdoor Sativa at The Humboldt County Cup in 2017.

For those of you with a keen eye, you may have noticed the Grateful Dead influence to their name. I asked Bryan about that and he told me:

“In ’93, when I started following the Grateful Dead around, the thrill may have been gone for some but Jerry was still wailing away on stage and the parking lot scene was larger than ever. I stumbled upon Humboldt County in 1994 while driving from the Seattle shows to Vegas. Of course, I loved weed then too. Humboldt County is every east coast stoner’s Mecca. When I actually got there I never wanted to leave. After summer tour that year, we headed back to California and straight to Arcata. It took a couple years of living at the local beaches like Clam Beach and Mad River Beach before I had an opportunity to try to grow cannabis. Best decision of my life!”

We are excited to see what else Bryan and the Scarlet Fire team have in store now that they have received their California rec license. Be sure to subscribe to their Instagram for great photos. And check out their website at ScarletFireFarms.org.

 

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Nevada Cannabis Sales on $1M-per-day Pace

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Adult-use cannabis sales in Nevada since the market launched last July have reached $195,467,170, with tax revenues of $30,376,795, according to state Department of Taxation figures outlined by Patch. The figures represent sales of $1 million per day.  

Wholesale taxes comprise $10.8 million of those revenue totals, while retail taxes make up $19.5 million. The totals indicate that the total cannabis sales in the state could exceed $400 million through the first full year.

Medical cannabis taxes – 15 percent from grower to dispensary – reached $2,189,794 last month, while the 10 percent recreational retail tax raised $3,576,900. Total sales in December reached nearly $36 million. December marked the second highest sales totals in the state in the 184 days since the program’s launch. October, with nearly $38 million in sales, is second followed by August ($33.5 million), November ($33.4 million), September ($27.7 million), and July ($27.1 million). First-month sales in Nevada outpaced first-month sales in Colorado, Oregon, and Washington, even though the launch was marred by distribution problems.

Nevada officials had estimated $63.5 million in cannabis tax revenues derived from the legal cannabis industry over the first two years – although July sales were not included in that estimate.

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Judge Tosses Case to Deschedule Cannabis; Appeal Likely

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U.S. Southern District of New York Judge Alvin Hellerstein has dismissed the lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Schedule I classification of cannabis on the grounds that the plaintiffs had not exhausted the administrative remedies – a petition process through the Drug Enforcement Agency – before filing their suit.

Michael Hiller of Hiller, PC, the lead counsel for the plaintiffs, said the legal team will likely appeal the ruling.

“Resigning the plaintiffs to the petitioning administrative process is tantamount to a death sentence for those patients who need cannabis to live. The time has come for the courts to abandon decades-old precedent, notched with obsolete legal technicalities, and catch up with modern science and contemporary principles of constitutional law.” – Hiller, in a statement.

Three of the plaintiffs named in the case are medical cannabis patients and, during a Valentine’s Day in court, Hellerstein admitted that cannabis had saved the lives of those plaintiffs but had foreshadowed his ultimate ruling, saying that the “right thing to do” was to defer to the DEA with regard to cannabis policy. Co-counsel Joseph Body said the court had declined to hear oral arguments on some of their points and “didn’t consider a number” of arguments.

“The plaintiffs weren’t the only ones who experienced a setback today. States and principles of federalism took a black-eye as well, and under the false premise that the courts are constrained by prior decisions to take actions, which the overwhelming majority of Americans, including members of Congress and the President, know are wrong.” – Lauren Rudick, Hiller, PC, co-counsel, in a statement

The team pointed out in their original complaint that it takes an average of nine years for the DEA to make any ruling on rescheduling or descheduling cannabis and all but one – for synthetic THC medication Marinol – have been denied.

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A large CBD-rich cannabis plant at an outdoor farm in Oregon.

Report: Global Cannabis Spending Could Reach $57B by 2027

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According to a report from Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics, global spending on legal cannabis is expected to reach $57 billion by 2027, with adult-use sales driving the industry to the tune of $38.3 billion. Medical sales are estimated to comprise $19.1 billion.

The U.S. and Canada are expected to lead the way – from $9.2 billion last year to $47.3 billion by 2027, the research suggests, with an annual compound growth rate of 18 percent. The CAGR for the rest of the world is estimated at 47 percent, representing a jump from $52 million in 2017 to $2.5 billion by 2027. The report notes that Europe and its $1.5 trillion in healthcare spending, has the potential to be the largest medical cannabis market on the planet. South America’s medical cannabis market is expected to grow from $125 million this year to $776 million by 2027, the report says. In Australia, the report estimates a CAGR of 53 percent, representing an increase from $52 million this year to $1.2 billion in 2027 – the fifth largest market in the world.

“Outside the United States and Canada, it will be almost wholly a medical-only business until the United Nations revamps the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, which will likely only come after the United States’ Federal Government ends prohibition, which we don’t expect until 2021.” Troy Dayton, Arcview Group CEO, in a press release

Presently, just one nation, Uruguay, has federally legalized cannabis for adult use and from July to December 2017 the number of registered buyers in the South American country increased from 5,000 to 16,000. Canada is expected to move forward with its own recreational cannabis regime this summer. A Statistics Canada report estimated that in 2015 the nation’s medical cannabis industry was worth between C$5 billion and C$6.2 billion.

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A woman uses a vape pen to consume CBD-rich cannabis oil in conjunction with hot cup of tea.

Massachusetts Cannabis Regulators Reject Social-Use Proposal

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Massachusetts will not be the first state to allow social cannabis use as the Cannabis Control Commission voted 4-1 against the proposals, according to a MassLive.com report. The board also voted against allowing home delivery services. Medical cannabis home delivery is still permitted.

The panel did indicate they would re-start the social-use conversation in October, possibly allowing exclusive licenses, and issue draft rules in February 2019. Those exclusive licenses would be available to individuals with convictions for past drug convictions, the Boston Globe reports.

Jim Borghesani, a spokesman for the legalization campaign, said that the “pressure campaign” against social use conducted by Gov. Charlie Baker and Attorney General Maura Healey “proved difficult to overcome.”

“The larger issue is getting the application process up and running for the July sales start date. Additional delays would be an embarrassment for the state and a gift to black market dealers.” – Borghesani to MassLive

In a statement to the Globe, Baker said he was “pleased” with the decision.

In August, Alaska regulators unveiled a proposal to allow retail cannabis dispensaries to obtain on-site consumption endorsement to their licenses; however, that measure has not become law. Last week, Maine’s cannabis implementation committee voted 10-4 to remove all references from social-use licensing from the regulations for the forthcoming program.

On Monday, regulators in Denver, Colorado approved a social-use license to the Coffee Joint, which will allow patrons 21-and-older to vape of consumer edibles on-site. The establishment is the first-in-the-nation to receive such a license; although Colorado’s state law does not permit social use, Denver voters approved such a measure in 2016.

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Several cows graze in a Vermont pasture on an Autumn afternoon.

Vermont’s Cannabis Market Will Be Gray and We’re OK With That

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We’re not expecting the Wild West in Vermont – think pre-legalization California with its semi-legal dispensaries and quasi-legal delivery services – but, as you might expect, we are expecting the law’s “loopholes” to be exploited by savvy industry enthusiasts.

Coming from a New York native (more or less), Vermont has been a green beacon for a decade – and not just for its lush Green Mountains. Growing up, we puffed on a lot of Vermont-grown cannabis; it wasn’t a secret that the state’s growers cultivated some of the best product you could get your hands on. The tiny state was our California – it had decriminalized cannabis possession before anyone in New England — yet, somehow, Vermont managed to fall behind Massachusetts and Maine with legalization and the new law does not create a taxed-and-regulated industry.

Come July 1, however, it will set in motion a thriving gray market.

What is a gray market?

On July 1, Vermonters can grow two mature and four immature plants-per-household – but we can’t sell it and we can’t publicly consume. The state’s licensed dispensaries will still only be allowed to sell cannabis to registered patients but a “gifting” culture is certain to emerge, as we’re seeing in Massachusetts and Maine as they move toward their own legalization dates. Gifting is nothing new. In California, shortly after the legalization vote, I gave a “donation” for a vape pen and cartridges after finding an ad on Craigslist. In Michigan, I acquired a “temporary” medical cannabis card to attend – and make purchases at – the 2016 Michigan cannabis cup.

An amateur cannabis grower’s seedling, bathed in the purple light of an LED-based grow closet. Photo credit: Cannabis Pictures

Kris Smith*, a Vermont native who owns an industrial hemp-related business in Vermont, temporarily moved to Maine following the legalization vote, hoping to cash in on the Green Rush. (*His name has been changed so he could speak openly about his experiences without fear of reprisal in either Maine or Vermont).

In Maine, Smith explained, a Craigslist culture emerged quickly where, for a donation, you could purchase flower, concentrates, vape pens, and infused-edibles.

“But another thing that immediately happened is people were growing more,” he explained. “People were like, ‘Well now I can grow my six rec and six medical and boom I have a fat basement grow with 12 plants in it growing at any time.’ That’s a money-maker.”

When voters passed the recreational cannabis initiative, Smith explained, there was nothing in the law that prevented people from doubling up on their plant counts and people started growing plants for people who didn’t even live with them or even smoke, such as relatives.

“Gifting was instantly a thing,” he said. “I’ve seen stuff as blatant as a delivery service with ‘donations.’ We’d find people through social media and you’d say ‘I’m a medical patient’ and you’d never show a card or anything. That’s not even allowed under the medical program but once rec was voted on it started happening all the time.”

While there were no “blatant” social-use clubs in Maine that Smith knew about, he said that, after hours, some bars would allow people to come in and consume cannabis on-site on an outdoor patio. However, he explained that because Maine is such a small market compared to other states such as California and Colorado – and the state’s “wide-open” medical cannabis program – that people didn’t necessarily need these gimmicks to operate in the state’s gray market. He said he was unaware of anyone who was arrested for gifting.

What does this mean, legally, come July 1 in Vermont?

Tim Fair, president of Vermont Cannabis Solutions and a lawyer specializing in cannabis law, explained that “as the law is written right now, it is not gray – it is black and white, clear letter law – it is legal to gift anything under 1 ounce to another adult 21-and-older.”

“The best example is the $100 Snickers bar,” he said. “You call up the delivery service, they deliver you a $100 Snickers bar and you get a free quarter-ounce of cannabis. As the law is written, that would be legal because the purchase you are making is for another object.”

The only way to close this loophole, Fair said, is by a legislative act. And if the Legislature is going to try and reign in the gray market, they would likely just pass tax-and-regulate legislation.

The personal stash harvested from a medical cannabis patient’s homegrown marijuana plant. Photo credit: Cannabis Pictures

Fair said that while the law allows for two mature and four immature plants, the policy makes it ripe for individuals to skirt the law and grow six mature plants at a time because there is no enforcement mechanism for law enforcement to ensure the plants meet those standards. Police would need probable cause to enter a citizen’s home and the only real way they could get such permission is if they were invited in, they were called to the residence for an unrelated crime, or someone were to tell them more than two mature plants were being cultivated at the residence – and even if law enforcement were to discover a six-plant grow, it would be hard for them to determine, in some cases, whether a plant is mature or immature.

Fair said that the new law has the potential to create a lot more legal questions that would need to be addressed, most likely, by the state Supreme Court; such as, whether the smell of cannabis emitting from someone’s home is probable cause.

“It’s legal – but, if you have quantities higher than the law allows, it could be a felony, right? As far as telling people what they can or can’t do is going to be a nightmare because we just don’t know yet,” he said. “We just don’t know what the courts are going to do.

At least one organization is planning a July 1 legalization party, which could raise the social-use question on the day the law takes effect. However, the party is being held on private property, which makes it near impossible that law enforcement could crack down on the event, so long as there are no cannabis sales or consumption by minors.

However, in a hypothetical, Fair said the proprietors of the property could be held liable if someone driving from that party gets into an accident – because they were allowing cannabis consumption at the party; but legally, Fair said, he believes the courts would have to hold cannabis to the same standard as alcohol in cases like this.

Neither Fair nor Smith expects local businesses to operate as “cannabis speakeasies,” as their livelihoods would most certainly be at risk.

The more things change, the more they stay the same

Look, as a New York transplant to Vermont, I can tell you that Vermont has always been viewed as the Northeast’s most liberal state when it comes to cannabis. I can tell you that I see people consuming cannabis in public parks. I can tell you that I puff on my vape pen while walking down Burlington’s Church Street and have consumed cannabis on statehouse property in Montpelier.

There is currently a bill to create a taxed-and-regulated industry in the Legislature, but lawmakers simply have no appetite to take up any more cannabis-related legislation this session – which was enough of a fight.

The legalization measure allows a gray market to exist and most advocates and stakeholders are happy with being able to operate without expensive and onerous licensing – it’s sorta the Vermont way.

At the end of the day, this might be the best form of legalization as other emerging state-sponsored markets, such as Maine and Massachusetts, are in limbo due to pushback from lawmakers and fear of federal interference. To some, this might seem like broad decriminalization rather than legalization, but now Vermonters can grow their own – or, if they can’t, they can buy an overpriced candy bar and possess up to an ounce without fear of penalty.

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The Alabama state capitol building.

Alabama Republicans Kill Cannabis Possession Reform Bill

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The legislative push to reduce cannabis possession penalties in Alabama is dead as the state’s powerful Republicans ensured it would not make it to the House floor for a vote, AL.com reports. According to the report, Rep. Paul Beckman demanded the measure get a voice vote, which ensured the bill would not make it to the floor.

The House Judiciary Committee ended up voting 7-5 against the measure.

Rep. Jim Hill, chairman of the committee, said he thought the bill was too far-reaching because possession of an ounce or less would only be a violation even after repeat offenses under the reforms.

“I think we’re probably headed toward either some type of either decriminalization or lesser emphasis being placed on marijuana. But it’s illegal. And to say that no matter how many times you use it, how many times it’s personal use, it never rises to the level of a misdemeanor, I just think that’s a mistake.” – Hill, during the committee hearing, via AL.com

The bill’s sponsor, Democratic Rep. Patricia Todd, told the Associated Press he was “sad” about the bill’s demise.

“But it’s an election year. And a lot of people who voted no told me to my face that they were going to vote yes. And I think the roll-call vote scared a lot of people (who) don’t want to look like they’re soft on drugs. But most people sitting there have no concept or understanding of marijuana.” – Todd to the AP, via AL.com

A similar measure introduced by Republican Sen. Dick Brewbaker did pass the Senate Judiciary Committee 6-4. However, even if it passes the Senate, it would need to be approved by the House, which would include moving through their Judiciary Committee – where it is likely dead on arrival.

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Pam Marrone: Creating Bio-Based Pest Management for Cannabis Growers

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Pam Marrone is the CEO and founder of Marrone Bio Innovations, a company offering bio-based pest management and plant health solutions that are effective, efficient, and environmentally responsible.

As the cannabis industry takes off, we’re seeing a continual and deliberate push away from the stigmatized days of old and towards the general acceptance of cannabis as just a plant — not a drug, but an agricultural commodity. We recently invited Pam for a Q&A session to talk about her company’s organic, non-toxic pesticide options, why these biopesticides are especially useful for cannabis growers, and more!


Ganjapreneur: What is your background and what prompted your pivot to the cannabis space?

Pam Marrone: I am a PhD entomologist and serial entrepreneur, having started and run three biopesticide companies (after starting my career at Monsanto discovering new ways to control pests). We were inundated with request for information and technical support for our products to control powdery mildew and mites on Cannabis. Our customer service line and our sales people’s cell phones were deluged with calls. The growers discovered by themselves that our product, Regalia is very good for Cannabis powdery mildew and that Grandevo and Venerate are good for mite control.

We did some background research and found out that pesticide residues can be a serious problem in Cannabis products. Because the EPA does not regulate Cannabis, it is left up to the states and so there is a patchwork of rules for pesticide use. We also found that many Cannabis growers do not have backgrounds in pest management so do not know how to choose and use pesticides. All of these things prompted us to start supporting the growers:

  • Providing technical support for our products
  • Setting up distribution
  • Re-deploying a sales rep to become the Cannabis Support Specialist (to take all the calls going to our ag sales team)
  • Getting our relevant products listed by all the medical and recreational states (in progress)
  • Developing smaller package sizes (1 quart and 1 gallon down from 2.5 gallons)
  • Listing on Amazon

How long did it take from the inception of Marrone Bio Innovations to the company’s final launch, and what kind of team did it take to get off the ground?

I left my previous company AgraQuest on March 31 and started MBI on April 1, 2006. In May I rented a lab, in late June, found a CFO and founding investors, in August raised seed financing, and the following March closed on more than $3 million Series A. We licensed in technology while our own discovery R&D was screening for microbes and extracts of plants we could turn into biopesticide products. We launched the first version of our first product, an extract of knotweed, Regalia, in 2009. In 2016/17 we were overwhelmed with the inquiries from Cannabis growers so that is when we started focusing on it.

How many employees work at MBI and what kind of traits do you look for when hiring new team members?

We have 100 employees. This is a very good question because hiring people who ultimately are counter to the values and culture we want can be very harmful and disruptive to the company. We need employees who truly believe in biologicals as mainstream products for sustainable ag systems. Employees need to be creative/innovative, agile, resilient, of high integrity and hard-working “hunters.”

What are the biggest advantages of using your products vs. more mainstream insecticides, fungicides, etc?

Our products leave no chemical residues and they can be used right up until harvest with shorter re-entry times after spraying, due to their safety. Our products can work as well as/or better than chemicals, when applied correctly with an understanding of their unique modes of action compared to chemicals.

What is the most challenging experience and the most rewarding experience you have had in the cannabis space, so far?

The tremendous feedback we get from growers about the performance of our products for powdery mildew (Regalia) and for mites (Grandevo and Venerate). Making the crop safer for consumers, without any chemical residues. Challenging: there are many growers who are new to growing plants and controlling pests and diseases so their level of technical knowledge can be quite low. So, they try bizarre cocktails of snake oils that would never be allowed in EPA-regulated agriculture.

What sort of product training/technical support do you offer growers who might not be familiar with biopesticides, and how much training would be required for someone with zero experience?

We have a technical support team (1 MS and 2 PhD specialists) who provide the education and training for growers and their advisors for both food crops and Cannabis. For someone with no experience the key is to emphasize to read and follow the label instructions. There is a lot of information on the label and it needs to be followed.  Biopesticides are easier to learn in some sense if you are starting from scratch because they have a high degree of safety to the applicator. Our team spends time helping them understand the mode of action of our products so they get the best results. For example, Grandevo and Venerate are not “knockdown” products – they don’t kill quickly (but they stop pest feeding right away) so it is important to understand it may take 7 days to see the full effect of the product on the mites.

What’s the feedback from cannabis growers been like? Could you share a particularly favorite reaction by a grower?

We hear that Regalia has become their standard for powdery mildew control. Used preventively before the mildew symptoms show up, growers say they have “clean plants.”

As for a favorite reaction, I love the one who told me he injects Regalia into the hydroponic system every week and he found that Regalia increased the root mass considerably and he has much healthier plants. We knew that Regalia had this effect on root growth but applied to Cannabis in hydroponics was new to us.

As an ancillary company to the cannabis space, which other agricultural or similarly niche industries do you deserve?

We focus on high value fruit, nut and vegetable crops and we just launched our first product into turf. We also note that our products are popular with tobacco growers, especially the fast growing organic tobacco segment.

Where do you see Marrone Bio Innovations in 5 years — and how about 10 years from now?

Our goal is to become the largest biopesticide company (in revenues) and continue to be the innovation leader with effective science-based products across the full range of grower needs. We are expanding internationally so in 5 years we will be more diversified than we are now where 90% of our revenues are in the USA. We expect to enter the herbicide segment in a couple of years, which is the largest pesticide market (40% of the $50 billion pesticide market). Organic growers have few effective solutions for weed control and conventional growers are faced with ever increasing weed resistance to popular chemicals like Roundup/glyphosate.

What kind of advice could you offer to someone who is eyeing the ancillary cannabis space?

It is an area for growth but it is evolving as new states enter and come up with new rules, so stay nimble.


Thank you, Pam, for taking the time to answer our questions! To learn more about Marrone Bio Innovations, visit the company website at MarroneBioInnovations.com.

End


An indoor cannabis crop in a licensed cannabis cultivation site in Washington state.

Arizona Senate Passes MMJ Testing Bill, Moves to House

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Arizona’s Senate has approved a measure to test medical cannabis products in the state 27-3. The testing regime, which is required in all other states with medical cannabis laws, would require testing for both impurities and THC content.

The legislation would also require that medical cannabis products sold in the state are labeled correctly and that cultivators disclose all pesticides and chemicals used in the growing process on product labels along with the registered patient’s name and ID card number.

If approved, the law would require state Department of Health Services officials to begin inspecting dispensaries for “sanitary conditions for storing and processing” medical cannabis products and mold “in any building operated by the dispensary” beginning June 1, 2019.

The bill would also begin treating medical cannabis products as an agricultural commodity on June 1, 2019, which would make the products subject to agricultural rules and regulations and permit the Department of Agriculture director to “enter at reasonable times into or on a private property where medical marijuana is cultivated to determine compliance or noncompliance with any rules or orders.” The bill sets aside $2 million to the Agriculture Department “for the purpose of regulating marijuana as an agricultural commodity.”

The bill has been moved to the House but has not been assigned yet to a committee.

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A wide and green fan leaf from an outdoor hemp plant.

Alaska Legislature Approves Industrial Hemp Law, Moves to Governor’s Desk

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Alaska’s Legislature has passed an industrial hemp legalization bill, which moves next to Gov. Bill Walker’s desk for his signature. The measure, if signed, will allow farmers to register with the state to grow the crop under a pilot program.

Bill sponsor Sen. Shelley Hughes has said that farmers in her district wanted to use hemp as an inexpensive livestock feed, and the bill received more than 20 letters of support from Alaskan farmers.

According to a fiscal note attached to the measure, the Department of Natural Resources expects about 25 farms to register with the state to grow industrial hemp in the first season. The Department is seeking $10,000 to draft regulations in conjunction with the Department of Law. The Department of Public Safety fiscal note also indicates that the agency does not anticipate needing any additional funds to ensure the products meet the 0.3 percent THC threshold to determine whether they are industrial hemp.

Alaska does permit recreational cannabis sales.

“It was time to remove hemp from the marijuana statutes. There’s no psychoactive impact from hemp. If you were to smoke acres and acres and acres of hemp, all you would get would be a sore throat and a cough.” – Hughes to KTUU

Once signed, Alaska will become the 35th state to allow industrial hemp production.

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Nighttime photograph of the neon lights on a Ferris Wheel and the "Moscow Circus" attraction inside the Costa Mesa Fairgrounds.

Orange County, California Fair Prohibits Cannabis Events, Sales & Ads

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The Orange County Fair Board has voted to prohibit cannabis events, cannabis sales, and cannabis paraphernalia at the Costa Mesa, California fairgrounds, the Los Angeles Times reports. The new rules were approved unanimously by the five present members of the nine-member board.

The rules also bar sponsors, vendors, and exhibitors from making any references to cannabis, including: “promotion, information or advertisement” from canna-businesses “or third parties that sell or promote cannabis-related products or drug paraphernalia.”

The board indicated the rules at the grounds were necessary due to Costa Mesa’s prohibition on the cannabis industry and the fairground’s location near Costa Mesa High School, Davis Magnet School, and TeWinkle Park. California state law prohibits cannabis industry operations within 1,000 feet from schools, recreation centers, and parks.

Last August, officials for the Del Mar Fairgrounds – the site of the San Diego County Fair – canceled a contract for the Goodlife Festival, which would have allowed attendees to bring their own cannabis to the event and smoke it in designated sections. Fairgrounds CEO Tim Fennell told the San Diego Tribune that the board was waiting for the state Department of Food and Agriculture “to provide rules and regulations in order to proceed with these types of events.”

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Young cannabis plant's branch reaches and droops under the moisture of an indoor cannabis grow room.

Canadian Student Union Approves Student Health Plan MMJ Coverage Pilot Program

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The student union at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus have approved a pilot program that will allow their student health insurance to cover medical cannabis, according to a CBC News report. This is the second university in Canada to approve allowing medical cannabis coverage under its healthcare plan after the University of Waterloo approved such a plan in 2015.

Michelle Thiessen, chair of Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy Okanagan, said that $20,000 of the medical budget has been earmarked for the year of coverage under the pilot program, which will begin on Sept. 1 and end Aug. 31, 2019. Thiessen admitted that the $20,000 set aside for the program will not “be able to serve that many students.”

“We’re going to collect data during this year and see how we can make this program better. If the student union decides it’s something they want to continue offering, then we can make an even better program.” – Thiessen to the CBC

How will it work? Students will need to apply to access the pilot program – and that application process is still being finalized – and a third party will evaluate the applications for student eligibility and determine the type of coverage they might need. Patients must be registered with Health Canada in order to qualify for the program.

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Ohio Bill Would Put Hold on and Force MMJ License Review

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Legislation introduced in Ohio would prevent the final medical cannabis licenses from being awarded but does not include language to delay the Sept. 8 deadline to roll out the program required by the law, according to a Toledo Blade report. The move comes two days after six medical cannabis applicants sued the state claiming regulators didn’t follow their own rules in scoring and awarding the 12 licenses to grow cannabis for the state program.

What would the legislation do? The measure, introduced in the Senate by Sen. Bill Coley, would require the Commerce Department to suspend the licensing process for 30 days as Auditor Dave Yost completes his review of the process. The Department of Commerce would then have 30 days to make any fixes, including potentially rescoring the application for which provisions licenses have already been issues.

Yost called for the process to stop in December after it was discovered that one of the application scorers was a convicted felon.

“This is an epic fail. I’m outraged. And you know it really calls into question the integrity of the entire process. The Commerce Department needs to hit the brakes, hit the pause button and needs to arrange for an independent review of how this all happened – and whether the scoring and application process is really reliable. Is it on the up and up? Because right now, I think there are major, major question marks.” – Yost to National Public Radio-affiliate WOSU

Thomas Rosenberger, executive director of the National Cannabis Industry Association of Ohio said the measure would delay the process, despite Coley’s measure not pushing back the deadline.

“[Yost] did not want to prolong patient suffering by putting Ohio’s Medical Marijuana Control Program on hold while he completes his audit. Senate Bill 264 would do just that by delaying the issuance of certificates of operation for months.” – Rosenberger to the Blade

Nothing in the measure would allow provisional licensees – some of which have already broken ground on their facilities – to keep their licenses.

End


Stacey Mulvey: Cannabis, Yoga, and Community Building

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Stacey Mulvey is the founder of Marijuasana, a company that has her traveling between major cities around the country — from Anchorage, Alaska to Boston, Massachusetts and everywhere in between — to teach cannabis- and hemp CBD-infused yoga classes.

In this episode of the Ganjapreneur.com podcast, Stacey joins our host TG Branfalt to talk about the intersection of cannabis and mindful movement exercise, what a typical cannabis yoga class looks like and how they help bring people together to reinforce the cannabis community, and the legality of social cannabis use in places where the plant has been legalized. They also discuss the educational side of these classes, how cannabis and CBD can help one achieve a more internal perspective while exercising, and more!

Listen to the interview via the player below or scroll further down to read a full transcript of this week’s Ganjapreneur.com podcast episode.


Listen to the interview:


Read the transcript:

TG: Hey there. I’m your host, TG Branfalt and you are listening to the ganjapreneur.com podcast where we try to bring you actionable information and normalize cannabis through the stories of Ganjapreneurs, activists, and industry stakeholders. Today I’m joined by Stacey Mulvey, she’s the founder of Marijuasana? Which offers hemp and cannabis-infused yoga classes in Denver, Colorado, Washington D.C., Boston, Massachusetts, Portland, Oregon, Seattle, Washington, Anchorage, Alaska, and the fabulous Las Vegas. How are you doing this morning, Stacey?

Stacey Mulvey: I’m doing well, TG. And it’s actually it’s Marijuasana, but you’re not the only person-

TG Branfalt: Ah, I knew I’d botch it.

Stacey Mulvey: Yeah, you’re not the only person that has that issue, so I’m happy to correct.

TG Branfalt: So, aside from me botching the name of your company, tell me about yourself. First of all, how’d you end up founding this company, and what’s your background with yoga?

Stacey Mulvey: I have a background in teaching movement through Pilates and yoga for the past five years. I actually came to teaching mindful movements after working in IT for a long time, and just working in various corporate jobs and realizing that I hated … First of all I hated my job, but realizing I wasn’t being … that I really needed to pay more attention to my body. And then once I was, I was a lot happier and more … just a healthier human in general. And at a certain point decided like, “You know what? I’m tired of buying into the notion that in order to be happy and successful you have to just throw your life away in this mindless corporate job, and do what you don’t like just so you can earn money. And I said, “Okay, I’m gonna be a teacher of this practice that I’ve discovered that’s really benefiting me.”

I went into training to be a Pilates teacher, and it was amazing, and that just kind of set me off on this path of taking trainings in Pilates, and yoga, pole dance, and other mindful movements. And realizing that this was really my passion, and I felt like it was my calling. The whole time prior to my teacher training during my career, if you will, as an IT professional I had always been a cannabis consumer. It was just like part of my identity almost, but of course it was a hidden identity. It was like my true identity that my friends knew, but it wasn’t something that I put out in the world, if you will. It was just like, “Oh, I just do this in the shadows when I’m off of work with the people that really know me, know that I really enjoy cannabis.” Being in Colorado as cannabis legalized there, and starting to work within the cannabis industry simultaneously …

As a Pilates teacher, you’re really your own boss. You know, you’re working for yourself, you’re getting your own clients, you’re working at different studios. My jobs most of the time were part-time in different locations. It was like, “Okay, work out at this studio Tuesdays and Thursdays. And then I work at this other studio Mondays and Thursdays.” And then in the meantime I was doing social media and marketing for a couple companies within the cannabis industry, and it became after while … You know I couldn’t say exactly when it hit, but it was like, “This is something that I should just start to do as a business. I should start to combine these two things and start putting it out there.”

It’s kind of scary at first because there’s the professional reputation that you have, you’re sort of putting on the line as like, “Hey, I have this reputation that I’ve built up as a teacher, and here’s my credibility, and here’s my resume, if you will. And what I’m gonna do is also add to the end of this resume, like at the end of my name, cannabis entrepreneur, Ganjapreneur.” Just stepping out and doing that, it took a little bit of kicking around in my brain, and kind of kicking around with like, “Okay, am I really ready to do this?” And like kind of put this idea out there. But once I did I was really happy that I did, and it really seemed to … It was really well received, I’ll just say that.

TG Branfalt: When’d you decide to use cannabis and hemp in your yoga classes? And if you could describe to me kind of what you started with and what you’re using now?

Stacey Mulvey: Sure. As far as the classes, I mean when I decided to use them in my classes it was once I started as … Once I started Marijuasana, when I said, “Okay, not only will I just do it in my own practice,” because that’s really where it started was me, myself, realizing in my own practice that cannabis and hemp made a huge difference in my experience when I did Pilates and yoga. Because my identity as a teacher, as someone who wants to teach others how to improve their experience in their own body, for a long time I had that knowledge, if you will, that, “Okay. I know that this will make a difference because it makes a difference for me, and I would love to impart this to other people.” I never did it within the professional space because it just wasn’t appropriate. It wasn’t acceptable to say like, “Hey, you know what you should really do is start maybe looking into some CBD oil, or hell you know, just start getting high before you come into this lesson because it would really make a difference, you know?” You just don’t do that.

It was really about a year and a half ago that I started becoming more confident in revealing to my clients that I was in the cannabis industry. It was always kind of in hushed tones, like, “Okay this is my other job. I work in the cannabis industry.” And the ones that were like, “Oh.” You know? It’s like this little kind of flag that you’re like sort of waving. Like your freak flag a little bit. Like, “Hey, I’m into this.” And then they would say, “Hey, oh yeah.” We’d start to share some sort of conversation like, “Oh yeah my husband and I went to a dispensary.” Then we’d feel more inclined to start speaking with each other, and start being more open.

Once that started, I started realizing okay a lot of my clients are in this space and would probably be receptive to something like this, and I’m gonna start teaching classes. It was really important to me that CBD be the focus of what I taught, and that I brought out into the world because everybody has access to CBD, whether or not they realize that it’s legal right now. Everybody has access to it, but not everybody has legal access to cannabis containing THC. I didn’t want to neglect people in other states, or in other markets, that felt like, “Well, that’s not really for me then if you guys are just gonna get high and do yoga. I can’t do that in Nebraska.”

I wanted to focus on CBD because it … Besides the legality of it, it really is a crucial cannabinoid for everybody. For humanity, for wellness. For me it’s about more than just getting high, and I don’t mean just getting high. I don’t mean to degrade that, but including phytocannabinoids in our daily consumption is extremely important to me because I feel like our bodies have been basically starved due to prohibition. We’ve been kept away from a really essential part of our nutrition in phytocannabinoids. Hemp provides CBD and the whole gamut of cannabinoids besides THC, and it was really important to me that people became aware of that, and that my company brought awareness to that.

TG Branfalt: How do you use the CBD in those classes? Do you use a tincture? Do you use a rub?

Stacey Mulvey: We use an oil. We use an oil that we just ingest prior to doing yoga, and then I also serve tea, hemp seed tea. The CBD that you’re getting from the tea is pretty minimal. You’re not getting like a dose of CBD, but it’s another method for … Well, it serves two purposes, that you’re receiving CBD in whatever form, it’s a minimal dose, or a trace amount. And then it also serves as a social lubricant, if you will, that we get to … We’re taking tea, there’s a tea bar, we’re drinking tea together, we’re starting to get to know each other a little bit. It breaks the ice, and it’s a chance for some education to take place. People can ask questions and we can get checked in and settled.

Most yoga classes you get checked in at a front desk and then you go into your studio, you set up your mat, and then everybody sits there looking straight ahead at themselves in the mirror until the teacher comes in and starts to teach the class. With Marijuasana and the tea bar, and the chance to have it be a little more informal, there’s this opportunity for people to get to know each other or feel at least a little more like it’s a community. Even if they’re at that first part not very inclined to speak to each other, they feel inclined to speak to me a little bit and then it takes down the barriers of like, “This is really weird. What’s this class gonna be like? We’re just gonna get high and then we’re gonna do what? How is this gonna go down?”

But yeah, at the beginning of class we’ll drink some tea, take some oil, and then at that point, too, that’s when I start letting people know like, “Hey, if you brought cannabis you’re welcome to start consuming. I have some that I’ll share with you, or if anybody wants to share you’re welcome to.” That’s when everybody starts to consume whatever they choose to. There are some people that do not actually consume cannabis that gets you high. They’ll just take the oil and the tea and that’s it.

TG Branfalt: This sounds like a lot of fun.

Stacey Mulvey: It is so much fun. It really is. It really is, and that’s something I’m poking at, but I haven’t explicitly said yet. But what is really fun about it besides the physical activity is the community aspect. And that’s really important to me that the people do feel like they’re coming together in community because we don’t have that opportunity as cannabis consumers. We don’t have this venue where we can get together and be like, “Hey, I smoke weed, too, and here’s what I use it for.” Some people are just like, “I just do it for fun.” But the vast majority of people that I talk to that come to class have a reason beyond the fun recreational aspect. They do it for some level of pain that they’re experiencing. Whether it’s emotional or physical, or they found some way that it helps them in their life in a wellness aspect, and so they consume cannabis.

Which is usually what brings them out to a yoga class as well, the wellness aspect, but it’s like, “Okay, now that we’re here we can get to know each other and realize that we really are a community, and that there’s not one specific type of person that’s in this class.” We’re very different, there’s a lot of diversity, and we can get to know each other. I’m the only one that’s usually not the local, but it’s like, “Look around the room and realize that all these people live here. You guys are all part of the same city, and you’re all cannabis consumers. Did you know that?” I’ve seen friendships begin from my classes where people start to talk and realize like, “We should be friends,” or, “We should network.” I love to see that because that’s really important to me, the community aspects.

TG Branfalt: I want to dig in with you about some of the social use aspect of yoga and cannabis, but before we do that I gotta take a break. This is the Ganjapreneur.com podcast, I’m TG Branfalt.


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TG Branfalt: Hey, welcome back to the Ganjapreneur.com podcast. I’m your host, TG Branfalt, here with Stacey Mulvey, found of Marijuasana? Did I get that right?

Stacey Mulvey: Marijuasana. Yeah.

TG Branfalt: Marijuasana. I have it written down phonetically three different ways apparently. And she goes around the country and utilizes cannabis and hemp in yoga classes. Before the break you were talking about how in addition to the physical wellness, there’s also the opportunity for people who attend your classes to meet each other, network, and get to know each other. Whenever I write about social use policy, the Denver … There’s a lot of talk about it happening in Maine, and Massachusetts, and Alaska … Yoga classes are really always mentioned as potential social use licensees. They talk about having cannabis clubs, but ultimately you always get yoga studios would be able to get these licenses. Why do you think this is? Why do you think they specifically talk about yoga classes?

Stacey Mulvey: Yeah, I find that really interesting, too, that that gets brought up as an example. I don’t … Part of me thinks it might be because they know that the yoga classes are happening, and so they’re sort of primed for that. That they’re like, “Oh, yeah. Yoga studios.” But also I think it’s because it’s a great model of a business where people do gather that is not necessarily a bar. It’s not a movie theater, or … Any other type of communal space that I’m trying to think of, it’s a way … It’s a business where people do gather and partake in an activity where cannabis works really well.

Obviously I believe that it’s beyond just the community aspect where it’s like, “Oh, yeah.” It fits really well on top of that, the social use license. The yoga itself, and the activity that you’re partaking in when you’re going to yoga, it works so well with cannabis. Like I’ve said, it’s like the chocolate and peanut butter of wellness. It’s just cannabis and yoga really do work together because it’s this mind-body experience that you’re moving your body in this mindful way, and cannabis is just meant to be with yoga.

TG Branfalt: What states, you do this in Colorado, and D.C., and Massachusetts, and Oregon, and Alaska, Nevada, what states are you seeing the most interest in your classes? And who’s coming? What age groups?

Stacey Mulvey: By far I’ve seen the most interest in Massachusetts. Something about the Boston community, they took to it immediately. It was like this complete resonance in Boston. What’s so cool is there’s not one specific type of person, and I love that. I’ve seen all age groups, I’ve seen all colors of people, so people of color. White, Black, Brown, what have you, also students. I’ve seen career professionals, I’ve seen … I don’t know. Not just a specific career either, all types of people end up showing up. It’s beautiful to see, like I was saying before, that’s when people start to get to know each other. It’s not a thing where we’re gonna hang out after the class, it’s pretty brief, but it does make a difference for people to see that it’s like, “Hey, I saw someone who wasn’t exactly like me in this class and we were together. We went through this experience together, and we gained the same benefit. We had the same idea about cannabis and yoga, and yet we’re different people.”

That might be, too, why you see that in connection with social use. It might just be this unconscious thing that people are realizing. Everybody can do yoga, and it’s this emerging sector in the wellness industry. Yoga’s been around for a long time, but it’s just getting bigger and bigger, and they’re realizing cannabis fits really well onto that. It’s something that brings people together and everybody tends to go for it. It’s an experience that really can foster a lot of community, and an education, and it does feed into wellness. Which is something that cannabis, I feel like there’s this wave that’s happening already, but there’s still a lot of momentum behind it for cannabis to transition from being something that, “Yeah, we’re legislating it and we’re considering it as a substance that people use to …”

They’re altering their consciousness, but they’re not thinking of it as altering their consciousness. They’re thinking of it as getting mindless almost. I’ve gotten that criticism from somebody before where they were like, “Yoga’s not about being mindless.” Because they think of cannabis as like drinking a six pack of beer or something. It’s like, “You’re just using it to kill your brain cells.” Anyone who would say that obviously doesn’t … They probably don’t use cannabis. Or they did once and they had a bad experience. But there’s this wave with cannabis where it really is about wellness, and it’s about altering consciousness, but not in a suppressing way, in this very expansive way.

I think the more that we start to speak to that as a cannabis industry, and … We’re stuck in a spot where we do have to say, “It’s just as, in quotes, harmful as alcohol. It’s not more harmful.” We have to bring that out into the world, and use that to legalize it, but it’s not that it’s harmful, it’s that it’s actually very beneficial. That’s the second piece, that it’s like we can’t use that as our argument as far as legalization, but once the legalization is there, I think we really do need to start speaking to it as it actually is good for you. It’s not that it’s harmful, it can be very, very good for you, and promote health, and promote wellness.

TG Branfalt: I’ve also interviewed a couple of … the founder of the 420 games on this show, and talked to quite a few people about the role that cannabis could play in a workout regimen. Either in the cooling down process as a tool to help the body heal. In your experience as somebody who’s worked in this health and wellness industry for a long time, what might be some other wellness sectors that could draw on cannabis as a tool? Holistically or as a, I don’t want to say performance enhancer, but as something to help with physical activity workouts? That sort of thing.

Stacey Mulvey: I’ve started to think of it … Yes, there’s the physiological aspects, and is it Jim McAlpine? The-

TG Branfalt: Yes. Yep.

Stacey Mulvey: Yeah, so Jim … There are a couple of other experts in the field that really do speak to the physiological aspects, that it helps with recovery, it helps with endurance and that type of thing, and all of that is true. My interest comes from the mind-body aspect because I’m the woo-woo chick of Pilates and yoga where I really do see it from a secular point of view. But at the same time I’m like, “No, the mind-body experience, that’s my spirituality.” I’m not trying to put anything higher on it other than being in touch with your own body, and your experience within your own body is one of the most propound experiences you can have in your own consciousness. That aside-

TG Branfalt: It’s interesting to me that you’ve got a guy like Ricky Williams who is a big-time NFL football player who uses both yoga and cannabis, post-football career, as a wellness tool. To your point, there’s gotta be a connection there.

Stacey Mulvey: There really is. Your somatic experience, and that’s the type of movement that I like to focus on is what it feels like within your own body. A lot of exercise is taught from the vantage point of … almost like from this external vantage. What does it look like from the outside? Are your legs in the right spot? Are you mirroring whatever you’re being told to do with your body? You’re seeing yourself from the outside. The somatic experience is what you feel within your own structure. What is your experience as you move? What does it feel like as you’re moving your hips, or when you’re positioning your body in such a way? Then when you’re moving into this other position, it’s taking that reference point from being external to internal. There’s an intrinsic value with that. It’s extremely moving for an individual to experience. Once you get into it and you start to experience it from the inside versus the outside, it becomes almost addictive. It becomes its own motivator. It’s like, “I want to keep experiencing that.”

Cannabis helps you switch from that external viewpoint to your internal viewpoint, I believe, and in my own experience I feel like I’ve been able to facilitate other people getting that experience. An athlete like Ricky Williams, I don’t know I haven’t spoken to him, but I would bet if we did speak to him about that and say, “Hey, what was it like when you were doing football?” When you were a professional athlete did cannabis help you be able to transition from like, “Hey, this is me doing stuff and I’m doing stuff from the outside.” Did you notice that you were able to internalize what you were doing with your own body once you started incorporating cannabis and really contemplating what you were actually doing with your own body? That you inhabit that body and like oh my God isn’t that crazy?

It’s this whole philosophical thing, but to answer your question you were saying what other aspects of wellness could cannabis facilitate? Because I see it as a mind-body experience, and mind-body tool, I feel like beyond the physical health there’s also a lot of aspects of holistic health that cannabis could help in terms of community wellness. Things like creative pursuits. Things like painting and creative writing, those are other events that I put on that aren’t necessarily related to yoga, but I see the correlation because, again, it’s cannabis working with helping you make different associations. Different associations with parts of your body when you’re moving your body, but also different associations in a creative way. Being able to open yourself up to painting and to writing.

I feel like any sort of therapeutic endeavor, like art therapy or group therapy. I’m not a therapist, so I don’t know how that would work in terms of administering cannabis to a group, but just getting people together and actually talking. I’ve conducted these writing classes that weirdly enough it turns into a group therapy session because people are … they just start to want to talk. People want to start to open up and connect with each other, and connect with themselves. There’s that with group therapy, and maybe work with the elderly, and work with social groups that I feel like cannabis could really help.

TG Branfalt: I want to talk to you a bit deeper about education, but before we do that we’ve got to take a break. This is the Ganjapreneur.com podcast, I’m TG Branfalt.


At Ganjapreneur we have heard from dozens of cannabis business owners who have encountered the issue of canna-bias, which is when a mainstream business, whether a landlord, bank, or some other provider of vital business services, refuses to do business with them simply because of their association with cannabis. We have even heard stories of businesses being unable to provide health and life insurance for their employees because the insurance providers were too afraid to work with them. We believe that this fear is totally unreasonable and that cannabis business owners deserve access to the same services and resources that other businesses are afforded. That they should be able to hire consultation to help them follow the letter of the law in their business endeavors, and that they should be able to provide employee benefits without needing to compromise on the quality of coverage they can offer.

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TG Branfalt: Hey, welcome back to the ganjapreneur.com podcast. I’m your host TG Branfalt here with Stacey Mulvey, founder of Marijuasana?

Stacey Mulvey: Yay. You did it.

TG Branfalt: I did it. Which offers hemp and cannabis infused yoga classes throughout the country. Even Alaska, which I haven’t talked to a lot of people who actually have gone there yet. What I want to talk to you about now is how much education is involved in your business? And do you tend to interact with many skeptics who come to these classes?

Stacey Mulvey: I’ll answer the second part first. No, not a lot of skeptics come to my classes. If they’re skeptical, they tend to just not come. The skeptics that I’ve encountered usually are on social media, and there’s usually some little comment somewhere, either on Twitter or in a post somewhere. There aren’t a lot of skeptics that actually confront me. I sort of wish that there were, in a way. I would really love to speak with them, in a healthy adult way, just because there’s so much that I would like to say and to answer. Also, their skepticism is valid. Everybody’s viewpoint is valid, and whether or not I agree with it, it would be nice to see like, “Well, why do you think that? Why are you skeptical?” Because that’s out there.

But as far as education in the class, I try to keep it light because people are there to move their bodies. The last thing you want to do is hear somebody talk at you for an extended period of time. I try to sprinkle as we’re moving, like, “Hey, this is why you’ll feel better after class because cannabis increases your circulation, and what we’re doing, the activity that we’re doing is feeding blood to various tissues in your body that may not be receiving great circulation. The fact that you’re getting more circulation, it’ll increase the soreness, but the cannabis will help alleviate that.” That type of thing.

I try to layer it into the class as far as education. People do receive a bit, and then my hope is that if they get curious with that, if they’re like, “Hey, I didn’t know that. Whatever she was talking about.” That it’ll prompt some curiosity, or they’ll want to either ask me more, or maybe they’ll investigate on their own. But it is important to me that I’m bringing some sort of education to every class because it is, like I’ve said many times already, it is about more … To me, it’s about more than just, “We’re just gonna get high and do yoga.” Yeah, that is awesome, and that’s what I do a lot, but I’d like to elevate it past that, past that mindset. It’s like, yeah just getting high and doing yoga, it is quite a bit actually. There’s a lot to that that we should start bringing our awareness to.

TG Branfalt: Finally, what advice would you have for other entrepreneurs? Maybe not necessarily entrepreneurs looking to enter the cannabis space, but maybe those listening who might be considering more on the wellness side? You have a very interesting business model, and you travel around a lot meeting people who might end up considering doing something similar to what you’re doing. What’s your advice for entrepreneurs?

Stacey Mulvey: That’s a good question. I like how you segmented it to those interested in the wellness aspect. The advice I would have for them is to arm yourself with information. Get as much information as you can about the science … Yeah I guess just about the science with cannabis, and also in movement. Or whatever wellness activity you’re doing. I say movement because that’s my focus, but never stop learning and arming yourself with information on the importance of both of those, and what those are even. Something that I’ve noticed with other movement teachers, especially in yoga, and this might get me in trouble, but often with yoga teachers they take a brief teacher training program and then that’s almost it.

I’ve been in yoga classes where I can tell that they’re understanding of anatomy and movement is lacking because they only went so far in memorizing a sequence of yoga poses and then they were done. Keep educating yourself, keep getting training, keep finding more information, doing your own research, doing your own work. Because we really need to have a unified front on the factual basis of the wellness aspect of cannabis. That it’s not just a frufruey thing that we’re making up. Jeff Sessions was saying that it’s over-hyped, the medicinal properties of cannabis were over-hyped. I think that’s an exact quote, and it’s not. It’s like, Jeff, if you’re listening, it is not over-hyped. It is absolutely true, and unfortunately-

TG Branfalt: If Jeff Sessions is listening to this, the world is literally coming to its end.

Stacey Mulvey: Well, someone write him a letter. I’ll write him a letter and say, “This is what I said to you, damn it.” But yeah it’s not over-hyped, and it needs to be more than just like … Unfortunately, anecdotal and firsthand experience isn’t good enough for those that are gonna be skeptical, so we need to continually provide them with information beyond the research that they won’t allow to happen, and keep doing our own research, and keep making our own case that cannabis is an integral part of wellness. That is an integral part of cannabis, it’s not just the recreational like, “Let’s get fucked up” side. That would be my advice.

TG Branfalt: Finally, where can people keep track of you? Keep track of your classes? Get to know more about the Marijuasana, Mari-wa-sana …

Stacey Mulvey: On my website, marijuasana.com, and just to speak really quick if you don’t mind, TG. The marijuana and asana are where the name come from. Marijuana, obviously, we know what marijuana is. Asana is the Sanskrit word for “pose” in yoga, and so all yoga poses end with asana. That’s where the name for my company came from is marijuana and asana, and I just put the two words together. It’s Marijuasana. That’s M-A-R-I-J-U-A-S-A-N-A.com. That handle works through all the social media channels, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Marijuasana. If you go to my website or social media, I’ve got the list of events that I’ve got coming up, and I’ve got some coming up in Portland. Also in Oakland in February, and then I’m gonna be back in Boston in March.

TG Branfalt: Well, this has been super lovely conversation. You’ve been super patient with me botching your company name several times. I really appreciate it-

Stacey Mulvey: No, my pleasure.

TG Branfalt: My impediment does not allow me to say that word, apparently. And-

Stacey Mulvey: You’re not the only one.

TG Branfalt: Makes me feel better. Congratulations on your success thus far, and traveling as much as you do, and bringing this practice, and bringing these two things together to people who can really benefit from what you do.

Stacey Mulvey: Thank you.

TG Branfalt: Thanks for your time. It’s been really lovely.

Stacey Mulvey: Thank you so much. Yeah, it’s been great to talk to you, and thank you so much for the opportunity.

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’ll find the latest cannabis news and cannabis jobs updated daily along with transcripts of this podcast. You can also download the ganjapreneur.com app in iTunes and Google Play. This episode was engineered by Trim Media House. I’ve been your host, TG Branfalt.

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Windmill farm in Alameda County, California.

Alameda County, California DA Will Expedite Cannabis Conviction Resentencing

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Alameda County, California District Attorney Nancy O’Malley has established “a policy, protocol, and a process to redesignate and dismiss prior cannabis-related convictions” under the guidelines of Prop. 64, which legalized cannabis for adult use in the state.

California is offering a second chance to people convicted of cannabis crimes, from felonies to small infractions, with the opportunity to have their criminal records cleared. We join our State officials and intend to reverse decades of cannabis convictions that can be a barrier for people to gain meaningful employment.” – O’Malley in a press release

Since November 2016 – when the law was approved by voters – through Dec. 31, 2017, Alameda County Superior Court has granted 609 petitions to dismiss previous cannabis charges under the scope of the law, and O’Malley’s office has identified 5,900 cases eligible for dismissal, the release states. The office has identified 5,000 of those individuals and plans to notify them of their eligibility by mail.

Earlier this month San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón announced his office would retroactively expunge misdemeanor and felony cannabis convictions dating back to 1975. Gascón’s office plans to recall and resentence up to 4,940 felony convictions and dismiss and seal 3,039 misdemeanors and does not require any action by the convicted individual.

O’Malley’s office indicated any eligible cases will be expedited.   

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Maine Committee Votes to Strike Cannabis Social Club Language from Implementation Bill

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The Maine committee tasked with implementing the state’s voter-approved recreational cannabis law voted 10-4 to remove all references to social use licensing from the legislature’s proposed regulations for the program, the Portland Press-Herald reports. The vote is not binding; however, a final committee vote on the proposals will be held tomorrow.

Social-use clubs were included in the ballot measure approved by voters in 2016. The committee voted 5-1 last month to delay the social use provisions of the law until 2023.

“No other state has licensed social clubs. This is clearly the law, but it passed by the narrowest of margins. We ought to go slow and be conservative.” — Sen. Roger Katz, co-chairman of the implementation committee, to the Press-Herald

The committee also rejected a plan to share cannabis tax revenues with municipalities friendly to the cannabis industry. The plan would have given localities that host cultivation, processing, or retail dispensaries a cut of the tax proceeds. The proposal was included in the legislation vetoed by Gov. Paul LePage last November. The new proposal included language that would have allowed municipal governments to enact fees for canna-businesses that would cover any cost increases to the town or city – but that was also voted down by the committee who feared Republicans would reject a bill including fee increases.

Recreational cannabis sales in Maine are supposed to commence July 1.

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