Alaska’s Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office have seized thousands of dollars’ worth of imported CBD oil from the state’s licensed retail cannabis shops over confusion about their place in the state’s adult-use regulatory structure, the Alaska Journalreports.
Sara Chambers, acting director of the office, said that the agency is “managing this developing situation with the utmost care and concern.”
“Specific details cannot be released at this time because of the ongoing investigation,” she said in the report. “Further details will be released as they become available to ensure that licensees and the public are fully educated and informed as to what the law requires concerning sale of marijuana products.”
According to the report, much of Alaska’s CBD products come from the Alaska Cannabis Exchange and owner Aaron Ralph indicated that they receive their products from industrial hemp pilot program approved in the Lower 48 under the 2014 federal Farm Bill, which are classified as industrial hemp products.
Harriet Milks, legal counsel for the AMCO, said she was aware of potential issues with the products as retail shops started selling them in recent weeks.
“What is this product? We need to find out what it is,” she said. “If it’s a marijuana product under our law I think we have a problem because it doesn’t seem to be packaged or tested or tracked according to Alaska regulations…if it’s not marijuana under our law, that’s a different story.”
Ireland’s Health Products Regulatory Authority working group has released a report outlining its recommendations for medical cannabis access in the country, which include just three qualifying conditions – multiple sclerosis, chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting, and severe, treatment-resistant epilepsy.
Dr. Lorraine Nolan, HRPA chief executive, said the limited scope of the program is partly due to insufficient clinical data, and the agency’s desire to be able to authorize cannabis as a medicine as soon as it can “meet the same regulatory standards as that of every other medicine on the market.”
“As we are not yet at that point, permitting access to cannabis for medical use is ultimately a societal and policy decision which has to balance the lack of scientific evidence against patient-led demand,” Nolan said in a statement. “As things currently stand, if cannabis products are to be made available through an access program, it will be important that patients and healthcare professionals are aware of the limitations that will apply. The safety, quality and effectiveness of these products cannot be guaranteed or compared with the standards that apply for an authorized medicine.”
The recommendations from Minister for Health Simon Harris also suggest that any cannabis therapies be conducted under the close watch of a physician, and both doctors and pharmacists be facilitated in prescribing and dispensing.
Harris is expected to announce plans for “compassionate access program” in the coming weeks.
The cannabis extraction business is hot. More than 50% of today’s legal marijuana sales are concentrates and infused products, and extracts constitute the fastest growing segment of the marketplace.
With that kind of demand, you can bet that entrepreneurs, investors, and canna-businesses are flocking to get a part of the red-hot market niche. However, compared to many other cannabis-based businesses, starting an extraction operation is a complex proposition.
However, with the proper guidance, you can be producing extracts in record time. In this article, we will discuss the ins and outs of starting a commercial extracts lab in 10 easy to digest steps.
1. Understand your business concept.
A well thought out business concept is vital to developing a successful extraction operation.
What is your niche? What is your product? Who is your customer? What is your material source? How much material do you intend on processing per month? These, and many other inquiries, are all important considerations that should be addressed prior to moving forward with any planning.
According to Nick Tennant, co-founder of Precision Extraction Solutions, “These are often the first questions we ask of new customers. I would say that 8 out of 10 don’t know the exact answers and need guidance, we are happy to help with that.”
While many budding entrepreneurs loathe the thought of putting pen to paper and writing a business plan, it is crucial to providing the key building blocks of your extraction business. Your plan will dictate how large your extraction lab will be, what kind of equipment you choose, the size and layout of the lab, from primary extraction, to post processing and packaging rooms.
Once you have a thorough grasp of your business plan, it’s time to start looking for a legal state and municipality. Different states have different extraction laws, licensing processes, and regulations. Also, some municipalities are extraction friendly, others are not.
Pick a locale that has reasonable access to raw material to process and is geographically convenient for properly executing your business plan.
Photo Credit: Sarah Climaco
3. Prepare your license applications.
Once you identify your preferred locale, you’re ready to make your pitch to the local municipality for what may well be a very lucrative license. The process is usually pretty straight forward via an application process. The municipality may well to see that business plan we discussed before, so it’s good to have it prepared in advance. In any event it’s good to be precise and buttoned up with the application process.
At this stage of the process, you will have to be flexible with what your municipality is requesting. From an applicant’s standpoint, it is always better to have more information so you are well prepared for any questions that might come up. This can come in the form of code standards, engineering documents, and references. Some municipalities may not have a solid grasp of extraction regulations and it may well be up to you to educate them.
You may consider retaining an experienced local attorney to help facilitate the licensing process, not only for their experience and legal acumen, but for their contacts with the local municipality personnel and the credibility an attorney provides.
4. Find your real estate, cautiously.
The single biggest pitfall for aspiring extraction businesses is committing to real estate before thoroughly investigating local zoning and regulations. It is absolutely essential that your property be properly zoned and you have the blessing of your target municipality before financially committing to a property. Whether leasing or buying, consider making your lease or purchase agreement to be contingent upon obtaining licensing.
Photo Credit: Sarah Climaco
5. Build your team.
Now this is where everyone screws up. You will need to have a diverse team of experts to guide you in making your vision a reality. This includes a designer, an architect, multiple engineers, a certified extraction equipment manufacturer and a project manager.
This is not a light decision to make. The extraction industry is so new and specialized that most of these professionals, including architects and engineers, have no clue about the vital intricacies of building a lab that is not only compliant but also meets the unique needs of your business.
Choosing the wrong team, or a wrong team member, can be very costly in terms of both time and money. Even a two-month delay can mean millions in lost revenue and strategic advantage. A lab that has poor workflow or is missing key ingredients can be disastrous to your ongoing business.
Photo Credit: Sarah Climaco
6. Prepare for construction, hire a contractor.
By the time you are ready to build, you should have a full list of equipment and production processes laid out. It is your team’s job to make this vision into a final construction print. Once you have a set of stamped architectural drawings, you will be ready to hire a contractor, obtain final municipal approval and start construction.
With the solid guidance from your professional team, finding a contractor should be one of the easier parts of the process. Like for any commercial build, you should simply find a general contractor with a stellar reputation for quality and timely work.
Photo Credit: Sarah Climaco
7. Select and order your equipment.
With the assistance of your team, you should know beforehand all of the equipment you’ll need to purchase for your lab. You should start ordering your equipment during the lab’s construction.
While there are many viable vendors for the specific gear required by a startup extraction company, entrepreneurs should be careful to consider price, extraction technique, warranty, and a host of other factors when making your final choice. Work with your equipment manufacturer to target lead times, delivery, and installation times.
8. Installation, inspection and field verification.
Prior to final municipal inspections, your equipment will need to be installed. Upon installation, a state licensed engineer qualified to provide a field verification of your equipment and the installation will make a personal inspection. This is a usual municipal requirement and your equipment manufacturer can arrange for the field verification.
Photo Credit: Sarah Climaco
9. Final inspections.
Commonly referred to as Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ for short) and depending on your locality, the AHJ may be the local fire marshal or another city inspector. Your AHJ will use your engineer’s field verification of all extraction equipment installations to certify that your lab is safe and regulatory compliant. The AHJ relies on such field verification, as well as its own inspection, for the final sign off on your lab.
Photo Credit: Sarah Climaco
10. Training and workflow.
You’re now ready to go. Training of your extraction staff on basic and advanced extraction methods, workflow, efficiencies and how to produce the highest quality extract destined for your unique product is of tantamount importance. An inefficient, unknowledgeable or sloppy operator can cost you a lot of money. It’s best to get things correct, right out of the gate.
Extract and extract-infused products are anticipated to ultimately be 90% of all marijuana sales. If you’re ready to take the plunge, follow these steps and you’ll be on the way to a lucrative future in the cannabis extraction business.
Republican Jeff Sessions is a staunch prohibitionist who once remarked that he thought the Ku Klux Klan “was okay” until he “found out they smoked pot” and now he’s the nation’s new top cop, confirmed in a 52 to 47 vote mostly along party lines.
The confirmation was expected, and now the cannabis community can only hope that the former Alabama Senator will allow state programs to operate uninhibited from federal interference in accordance with the Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, realizing that during the election, which saw President Donald Trump emerge victorious, a record number of states enacted legal cannabis initiatives.
Sessions was one of just 16 US Senators to receive a failing grade on NORML’s Congressional Scorecard due to his ‘Just Say No’ views, which the advocacy group’s Political Director Justin Strekal called “out of step with mainstream America.”
“Our elected officials, now more than ever, know that marijuana policy is at the forefront of the minds of American voters and that we are willing and able to mobilize for it,” Strekal said in a statement. “We will never stop fighting for further marijuana reforms at the state level and much needed federal policy changes. With Americans throughout the country organizing and taking action, the fight for cannabis freedom will continue with renewed energy.”
Others in the industry are cautiously optimistic. Aaron Smith, executive director of the National Cannabis Industry Association, said that the cannabis industry plays a key role in the 28 states where it is legal for either medical or adult use generating “billions of dollars in economic activity and [supporting] tens of thousands of good-paying jobs.” He indicated that any rollback or crackdown on legal state programs would just force people back into the informal markets.
“We look forward to Attorney General Sessions maintaining the current federal policy of respect for legal, regulated cannabis programs in the states, and we will work with him to do that,” Smith said in a Forbesreport.
Marijuana Policy Project Director of Federal Policies Robert Capecchi said he believes that Sessions will maintain the current status quo as Trump is on the record as a supporter of states’ rights.
“When asked about his plans for marijuana enforcement, Attorney General Sessions said he ‘echo[es]’ the position taken by Loretta Lynch during her confirmation hearings,” he said. “He repeatedly acknowledged the scarcity of enforcement resources, and he said he would ensure they are used as effectively as possible to stop illicit drugs from being trafficked into the country.”
Adam Eidinger, co-founder of the Washington D.C. advocacy group DCMJ, hopes that President Trump’s support for states’ rights will be enough to keep Sessions in check.
“Sessions is a failed war on drugs zealot who has gone so far as to suggest that marijuana offenders deserve the death penalty,” Eidinger said. “To say he is out of touch with the legalization wave rolling through the United States would be an understatement.”
During his confirmation hearings, Sessions remarked that if cannabis prohibition was “not desired any longer” at the federal level Congress “should pass a law and change the rule.” In his written responses to Senators, Sessions called the enforcement of cannabis in legal states “an emerging issue” and seemed to make a clear distinction between medical and adult-use statutes – which could be catastrophic if he decides to enforce federal law on one sector and not the other. During his hearings and in his written responses, Sessions was evasive in his answers regarding the cannabis industry.
Georgia’s House Medical Cannabis Working Group has endorsed a measure by Republican state Rep. Allen Peake that would expand access to the state’s medical cannabis program by adding eight diagnoses to the qualified condition list, despite the fact that there is still no legal way to obtain the plant in the state, according to a report from The Telegraph.
Under HB.65, patients with intractable pain, HIV/AIDS, post-traumatic stress disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, Tourette’s syndrome, or those in hospice would be able to register with the state program. There are currently about 1,200 patients enrolled in the program, which currently only allows for the use of low-THC, high-CBD oil for diagnoses like seizure disorders; however, there is no infrastructure allowing the cultivation or processing of cannabis in the state.
The working group also recommended allowing people with valid medical cannabis cards from other states be able to possess cannabis liquids in Georgia.
Another measure in the state Senate seeking to expand the program would only add autism to the qualifying condition list, and lower the THC threshold – currently set at 5 percent – for medical cannabis products.
According to patient advocacy group Georgia Cannabis, Georgia’s registered patients are forced to break federal law to obtain their medicine by purchasing it from other states.
Two Minnesota Democrats have introduced legislation to legalize adult cannabis use in the state, according to a WCCOreport. Rep. Jon Applebaum, sponsor of one of the measures, said that to millennials legalizing cannabis is not controversial and the industry would help drive a “Made in Minnesota” economy.
Applebaum’s proposal would permit adults 21 and older to buy, use, and possess up to one ounce of cannabis; regulating cultivation, harvesting, and retail sales. It would take effect in 2019.
“Eventually this is going to happen. And it would be in Minnesota’s best interest if we start talking about it now,” he said in the report. “I envision an economy being created where cannabis products are grown by Minnesota farmers, transported by Minnesota carriers, and sold by Minnesota small businesses.”
The second bill, sponsored by Rep. Tina Liebling, would legalize the industry via a constitutional amendment.
Under current Minnesota law, patients suffering from several debilitating health conditions are allowed to use medical cannabis, however the program does not permit for full plant use. In December, the state Department of Health added post-traumatic stress disorder to the qualifying condition list.
However, due to the limited nature of the program, medical cannabis operators in the state lost more than $5 million in 2015, and the Office of Medical Cannabis has requested more than $500,000 in additional funding over the next two years to cover the costs of the patient database and manufacturer inspections.
New Mexico’s Senate Judiciary Committee has approved a measure that would increase the amount of medical cannabis registered patients could possess and licensed producers could grow. The measure would also remove the THC limits for medical cannabis in the state, but some lawmakers are concerned that a section of the bill would permit military veterans to enroll in the program without a qualifying condition diagnosis, the Santa Fe New Mexicanreports.
The measure, SB.8, was introduced by Democratic state Sen. Cisco McSorley and would raise the personal possession limit to 5 ounces during a 30-day period and allow licensed producers to possess up to 1,000 cannabis plants during any three-month period. The bill also includes a provision allowing people undergoing treatment for addiction to access the program, following recommendations last year to add “opiate use disorder” to the qualifying condition list.
Yet, the veteran’s access recommendations under the plan had some members of the committee concerned — even those that supported the measure. McSorley said the change was necessary because many veterans who suffer from PTSD don’t want to be stigmatized with the diagnoses and suggested that admitting any veteran into the program would help reduce the number of suicides in the state.
Senators Bill Payne and Greg Baca, two veterans who sit on the committee, said they found the provision offensive because it implies that all veterans have PTSD. Another committee member, Sen. Jacob Candelaria, indicated he might “vote differently on the floor” asking whether the measure essentially legalizes recreational cannabis for veterans.
The committee approval allows the bill to be sent to the Senate for a full vote.
CCC PDX is really amping things up this year at the Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center (Portland Expo Center). Historically, the two-day cannabis conference and networking event has brought out the largest crowds you can find in Oregon for B2B cannabis events.
George Zimmer, the founder and former CEO of Men’s Warehouse, is slated to give this year’s keynote address.
Beyond keynote speakers, there will be panel presentations featuring more than 80 different speakers, all experts in their respective cannabis business, cultivation, medicine, and/or cultural niches. Additionally, event organizers anticipate more than 130 different exhibitors — including leading brands from Oregon, the West coast, and around the country — to populate the trade show portion of the conference.
With Oregon’s adult-use and medical marijuana markets well into their youth, this year’s event puts a special focus on connecting the industry’s many entrepreneurs and investors.
“First and foremost, the CCC is a business-to-business conference geared to both cannabis entrepreneurs and investors,” said CCC producer Mary Lou Burton. “This year we’ve beefed up this aspect with an enhanced Investor Forum and an app that helps start-ups communicate with investors quickly and easily.”
This year’s Investor Summit, an add-on to compliment the conference’s robust speaker program, comes with two tracks for attendees to follow. One track is for investors hoping to find the next big idea or startup opportunity, and the other track is for entrepreneurs in search of funding and expert advice. According to Burton, the “Pitch Portal” for entrepreneurs is to be filled out online prior to the show, for the perusal of attending investors.
“We set up the ‘Pitch Portal’ for businesses to fill out a form with an elevator pitch overview of their business that will be sent to 15-20 investors who can make appointments to meet with the business in our ‘Match-making lounge’,” Burton said.
Registration for the conference is open and ongoing. Tickets cost $149 for a single day or $249 for both days. Tickets to the Investor Summit are sold separately and go for $89, while attending the event’s Career Readiness Workshop costs $50. All ticket purchases can be made through CCC-con.com.
Also, if you are planning to attend CCC 2017, keep an eye out for Ganjapreneur while you’re there — we are excited to be attending and providing event coverage, so give a wave or come say hello!
According to a Public Policy Polling survey, Rhode Islanders are slightly more in favor of legalizing adult-use cannabis today than they were in 2015; finding 59 percent of voters support a regulated cannabis industry compared to 57 percent two years ago. About one in three, 36 percent, said they were opposed in the poll taken between January 27 and January 29, WPRIreports.
The survey comes as Democratic lawmakers Rep. Scott Slater and Sen. Joshua Miller, chairman of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, introduced legislation to enact an adult-use market. Their proposal would allow adults 21 and older to possess 1 ounce of flower, grow one mature cannabis plant, providing for retails sales taxed 23 percent in addition to the 7 percent state sales tax.
“Our job is to represent the people of this state, and their position on this issue is pretty clear,” Slater said in a Rhode Island Public Radiointerview.
The poll was commissioned by Regulate Rhode Island. A 2016 survey by Brown University found 55 percent of registered voters supported legalizing cannabis for adult use.
“The results of this poll confirm that our constituents want us to follow the same path as Massachusetts and Maine,” Miller said in the report.
Advocates in Mendocino County, California have filed a lawsuit against officials over the cannabis tax levied on the cannabis industry in a voter-approved initiative, the Press Democratreports. The plaintiffs claim that the measure – which enacted a 2.5 percent to 10 percent tax on growers and flat $2,500 rate a year on other operators – was not properly approved, and should have been proposed as a special tax which would have required two-thirds vote to pass. The measure passed by 64 percent last November.
The proposal, Measure AI, was joined on the ballot by a non-binding advisory measure that showed voters wanted the cannabis tax money used for cannabis industry code enforcement, road repair, and police, fire and emergency medical services. Lawrence Rosin, the plaintiffs’ attorney, and himself a grower, argues that while the description includes county services it’s too specific as a general tax.
The case mirrors another in Ukiah, where a voter-approved cannabis sales tax measure is being challenged in court by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. In that case, the association contends that these so-called double measures are commonly used to circumvent voting requirements for special taxes.
Mendocino County Supervisor John McCowen indicated that past challenges against double measures have failed and that the industry didn’t pay taxes for decades.
A University of California Davis study discovered bacteria and mold on medical cannabis samples from 20 Northern California dispensaries, according to a Sacramento Beereport. The study results were published in the journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infection.
Dr. George Thompson, UC Davis Department of Microbiology and Immunology, warned against patients with weakened immune systems from smoking, vaping or inhaling aerosolized cannabis, but indicated “for the vast majority of cannabis users, this is not of great concern.” He said that those with weakened immune systems are advised to avoid unwashed produce and cut flowers because they might contain potentially harmful mold, bacteria, and fungi and believes cannabis should be added to that list.
“…It’s a big oversight in our opinion,” Thompson said in the report. “It’s basically, dead vegetative material and always covered in fungi.”
The study was conducted after two UC Davis patients died from lung infections believed to be caused by tainted cannabis, however that cannot be confirmed without samples of the products they were using before they fell ill. Dr. Joseph Tuscano, a cancer specialist at UC Davis, called for the study after several leukemia and lymphoma cancer patients developed rare, severe lung infections.
The cannabis was tested by Steep Hill Laboratories in Berkeley and all of the samples reportedly tested positive for bacteria and fungi, some related to severe lung infections.
Thompson said that cannabis edibles might be an alternative to smoking or vaping cannabis for those at risk.
“I give that advice with a caveat: We don’t know it’s safer, we think it probably is,” he said.
Medical cannabis laws have been loosened in New Zealand as patients will no longer need to gain approval from the Minister of Health, according to a report from Stuff. Instead of patients having to bring their case all the way to the top, the Ministry of Health, as an agency, can sign-off on all applications.
Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne announced that the new rule takes effect immediately. The health ministry already had the power to approve a specialist’s application to provide Sativex, a cannabis-derived pharmaceutical drug. Last year, the Ministry of Health announced that it was no longer necessary for clinicians to file an application with the federal agency when prescribing Sativex to patients with multiple sclerosis and Dunne is considering allowing the same for six more conditions.
“As I stated in my delegation letter to the director-general, when applications first began to be received it was my view that the final decision appropriately lay at ministerial level, rather than exposing officials to risk, given the complicated and contentious nature of the issue – that is to say the buck stopped with me,” Dunne said in the report.
Julie Anne Genter, health spokesperson for the Green Party, who has led the push for medical cannabis access in New Zealand, said that while the decision removes “one hoop” patients have to jump through to access medical cannabis, “there are many more that need to go.”
“With the advice and support of their doctor, New Zealanders should be able to access medical cannabis as easily and as cheaply as they do any other prescription drug – the announcement today doesn’t allow that to happen,” she said.
The Ministry of Health has been reviewing potential changes to the nation’s medical cannabis laws for over a year.
It’s been nearly two months since mainstream media outlets and several cannabis publications published headlines claiming that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was rescheduling cannabidiol (CBD) into a Schedule 1 substance and that some serious, Drug War-era crackdowns were coming.
We reported then, and stand by our coverage, that this is not the case. The DEA did not target the hemp CBD industry but instead created a new tracking code for the agency to categorize cannabis concentrates separately from flower, plants, and other products. Confusing verbiage in the rule change, which took effect January 13, led to the widely-reported misunderstanding; however, the fact remains that CBD from cannabis has always been considered a Schedule 1 substance under the Controlled Substances Act.
It wasn’t until the 2014 Congressional Farm Bill that industrial hemp (which, under federal law, must contain less than 0.3 percent THC) was legalized. Lawmakers accomplished this not by removing hemp or CBD from the Controlled Substances Act, but by prohibiting the Department of Justice from spending funds on prosecuting state-legal hemp operations, which laid the groundwork for the CBD hemp market. Only Congress — not the DEA — has the power to undo that act.
Attorney Craig Brand, founder of the international firm Ganja Law, is a 26-year veteran of narcotics case law. A recent memo from Brand’s firm, published in an email to their followers by Folium Biosciences, a client of Ganja Law, echoed the sentiments of legal experts from around the country — that the threat of a DEA crackdown on hemp CBD had been blown wildly out of proportion.
In a recent interview with Ganjapreneur, Brand said that, instead of worrying about the DEA, hemp entrepreneurs should be more concerned about actions taken by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). “I don’t necessarily see the DEA as the villain of the [CBD] industry,” Brand said. “The bigger danger is, when it does become legal, what is the FDA going to do with it?”
The real dangers facing hemp-derived CBD
According to Brand, there are two major issues that the FDA will likely look to as they regulate hemp-derived CBD. These are the irresponsible “bad apples” who are currently participating in the industry, and the eventuality of a corporate takeover by everyone’s least-favorite agricultural monstrosity, Monsanto (or a similar corporate powerhouse).
Though hemp-based CBD is normally beyond the DEA’s scope of influence, rule-breaking individuals have gained the agency’s attention by producing, selling, and purchasing “hemp,” “hemp oils,” or extracts which contain an illegal amount of THC. Oftentimes, these are simply cases of bad luck or poor foresight; other times, however, there are troublemakers who are purposefully trying to circumvent federal drug laws.
Sadly, these instances support the unfortunate perception that CBD entrepreneurs are would-be cannabis pushers. This could ultimately worsen the industry’s image and lead to even harsher restrictions. “The industry has to regulate itself,” Brand said. “If you do things right, if you self-police, you shouldn’t have to look over your shoulder or require government intervention.”
Brand and the Ganja Law team have created legal policies, compliance protocols, and safeguards for the international cannabis and hemp law practice — however, concerns about a corporate takeover of the CBD marketplace don’t come with a solution as simple as just obeying the rules.
Instead, Brand expects regulators to, “let everybody who has fought so hard for legalization finish the fight, and then Monsanto — or companies like Monsanto — will create their own strains, which will be ushered through by the FDA.” Brand says that he and his team have been preparing for this fight for some time.
Big Pharma has undoubtedly been eyeing cannabinoid-based medicines throughout their recent, formative years, and Brand argues that both the hemp and cannabis industries should be extra wary of industry developments involving Big Pharma when federal prohibition finally crumbles. “If we don’t solidify the rules and players now, be careful what you wish for should cannabis and hemp gain federal approval and we haven’t sidelined those big businesses that have been quietly lurking in the wind.”
“Monsanto is already growing various strains of hemp,” he said. “You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out their next move and our forthcoming fight to remain on the playing field.”
On February 11th, at Red Rocks on H street NE, from 1pm-6pm, home-growers will be able to get their buds tested, learn about safely making edibles at home, meet and talk to medical dispensary owners and growers, and learn about the cannabis networking groups and resources available to District residents.
For the first time, home-growers in the District can get their cannabis tested ON SITE with IMMEDIATE results about THC & CBD potency, ratio of THC to CBD, and moisture content. The Steep Hill Express is internationally recognized as being within 1% of the accuracy of a High-Pressure Liquid Chromatograph (HPLC), analytical chemistry’s gold standard. It is an essential part of many cultivators’ & processors’ businesses to assess, in real time, how their flower is progressing.
Not only will growers be able to get their buds tested, but will learn about safely making edibles at home, meet and talk to medical dispensary owners and growers, and learn about the cannabis networking groups and resources available to District residents. We’ll have plenty of adult prizes and giveaways: National Cannabis Festival tickets, a local membership to Women Grow‘s D.C chapter, clone giveaways, educational take homes, cold hard cash, and (limited w/ticket purchase) free cocktails.
Because D.C. is STILL a drinking city, after all.
This collaborative educational event will also feature a competition, there will be product and ticket giveaways, take-home information, and cash ($250) prizes for highest THC and highest CBD potency. Winners will be awarded after testing has been completed.
Steep Hill opened the first commercial cannabis lab in the United States in 2008, and is starting to create relationships on the East Coast as they expand to Pennsylvania, Maryland, and D.C. They have partnered with local canna-businesses to curate an event that ties all of DC’s legal cannabis happenings together under one roof. The goal of this event is celebrate the legal cannabis community, and to help push the East Coast towards setting the standard for cannabis safety.
Tickets are $20-$45 dollars, and bulk testing packages are available! The tickets will only be sold online, and there is a limited amount of testing slots available. Tickets can be purchased here.
Dr. Andrew Rosenstein, MD is the CEO of Steep Hill Maryland/Pennsylvania/D.C., and a board-certified gastroenterologist who has been practicing for two decades in the Baltimore area.
Founded in California in 2008, Steep Hill Labs, Inc. is a science and technology firm that has become the industry leader in cannabis testing and analytics. Steep Hill is the largest cannabis lab network in the world. The company pioneered the first medical cannabis potency and microbiological contaminants testing methodology for use in California—the first state to legalize medical cannabis. Recently, the company’ received the first Independent Testing Laboratory (ITL) to receive pre-approval from the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission (MMCC) to test medical cannabis.
Dr. Chanda Macias, PhD, MBA is the Owner of the National Holistic Healing Center Medical Marijuana Dispensary (NHHC) and Medical Marijuana Consultant in Washington D.C. Additionally, Chanda also serves as the S.T.E.M Director at Howard University.
NHHC is a patient advocated company dedicated to providing individuals with debilitating medical conditions, and specific illnesses with alternative allopathic medicine. NHHC provides patient education and support, medical marijuana, and medical marijuana infused products to patients in compliance with the DC Department of Health.
Adult-use legalization measures have been introduced in both houses of New York’s legislature, which would set up a taxed and regulated system allowing adults aged 18 and older to possess, and adults 21 and older to purchase, cannabis in the state. The Senate version, S.3040, is sponsored by Democrat Sen. Liz Krueger, while the House version, A.3506, is sponsored by Democrat Crystal Peoples-Stokes.
The measure would allow personal possession up to 2 ounces of flower and up to 8 grams of concentrates. It would permit adults to grow up to three mature plants in their home providing for six plants total and allow retail locations to acquire an on-site consumption license if approved by the local government.
Legal sales would be tagged with a 15 percent excise tax, cultivators would be charged $35 per ounce of flower and $10 per ounce of leaves upon transfer, and $5 on the sale of immature plants. Localities could also impose their own taxes. Under the measure, 15 percent of tax revenues would be earmarked for law enforcement and drug rehabilitation programs. Additionally, the proposal calls for “ordinary and necessary expenses” deductible by licensed businesses for New York State tax purposes.
The measure has been referred to the Finance Committee in the Senate, and the Codes Committee in the Assembly.
The Hemp Industry Association has filed a lawsuit against the DEA seeking to hold the agency in contempt of court for failing to adhere to a previous Court of Appeals decision that prevents the law enforcement agency from regulating hemp-derived food products as Schedule I substances, according to a press release from the HIA.
“Thirteen years ago DEA was told in no uncertain terms by the U.S. Court of Appeals that Congress had made its intent clear: DEA has no power to regulate hemp seed and oil, and the hemp food and beverage products made from them,” Joe Sandler, lead council for the industry association, said in a statement. “It is disappointing that the industry has to revisit the issue, and take this step to compel DEA to obey the law.”
In 2004, the Ninth District Court of Appeals ruled against the DEA, concluding that they had not only violated the Administrative Procedure Act by issuing the hemp rule without notice and comment, but they had also violated the Controlled Substances Act by designating hemp as “marijuana.”
“The Court further found that the ‘non-psychoactive hemp in Appellants’ products was derived from the ‘mature’ stalks or is ‘oil and cake made from the seeds’ of the Cannabis plant, and therefore fits within the plainly stated exception to the CSA definition of marijuana,” the plaintiffs’ motion says. “The Court determined that ‘the DEA’s action is not a mere clarification of its THC regulations; it improperly renders naturally-occurring non-psychoactive hemp illegal for the first time.’”
According to court documents, the HIA argues that the DEA has no intention of cooperating with the court’s decision and “has simply refused to accept the Court’s ruling over a decade ago as governing law.”
The HIA filed a separate lawsuit on January 13, 2017 against the DEA after they announced the creation of a new code number for cannabis extracts, which some have interpreted to include hemp oils.
Democrats in Wisconsin have introduced two bills that would legalize medical cannabis in the state, but will face opposition from a Republican-dominated Legislature and Gov. Scott Walker, according to a Capital Times report. The first piece would allow patients with qualifying conditions to access cannabis products; the second would put the issue to voters in a nonbinding voter referendum.
The bill cosponsors, Sen. Jon Erpenbach and Rep. Chris Taylor, say that if measure legalizing medical cannabis use doesn’t gain legislative traction, lawmakers could support asking voters to weigh in on the issue.
“This will lead to law-abiding citizens who have chronic diseases and health issues we can’t even begin to imagine, to put them in a situation where they don’t have to break the law anymore,” Erpenbach said in the report.
Supporters are hoping that lawmakers could get behind the idea amid a national opioid crisis. The governor called for a legislative special session earlier this year, directing legislators to develop proposals aimed at combatting heroin and opioid abuse.
Two studies have shown that medical cannabis has promise as a way to reduce opioid use; a 2016 University of Michigan study found a 64 percent reduction in opioid painkiller use. A 2014 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed a 25 percent reduction in opioid-related deaths in states with medical cannabis programs compared to those without.
Two former Vireo Health officials face felony charges over allegations that they illegally transported medical cannabis oils from their Minnesota to New York facilities, the Journal Newsreports. Authorities in Minnesota allege that ex-Chief Medical Officer Dr. Laura Bultman, and former Chief Security Officer Ronald Owens used the company’s armored vehicle to drive about $500,000 worth of its cannabis oils from Minnesota to New York, trying to meet the January 2016 deadline under New York’s medical cannabis program.
Last spring, authorities were alerted to the scheme by a whistleblower and raided one of the company’s Minnesota’s facilities and investigators seized company records, computers, and paperwork associated with the missing products. According to the report, Bultman’s emails and text messages showed that the company was having trouble manufacturing products in New York and allegedly detailed the plan to illegally fill the shelves with products from their Minnesota operations.
Andrew Mangini, a spokesman for Vireo Health, said the company has cooperated in the investigation and confirmed that both Bultman and Owens were no longer with the company.
“When we became aware of the possibility that one or more individuals may have acted in ways contrary to the laws of the state and to our own policies and procedures, we acted immediately to investigate the allegations, communicate with our regulators and take appropriate action, Mangini said in the report.
Bultman and Owens both face two counts of two counts of intentionally transferring medical cannabis to a person other than allowed under Minnesota state law; if convicted, they face penalties of up to two years imprisonment and a $3,000 fine per charge.
The Oregon Liquor Control Commission will allow alcohol brewers and distillers to use hemp in their products but have declined to allow the use of THC-rich cannabis in alcohol production, according to an advisory document from the commission released today. The hemp used by brewers must meet the federal standards and the formulas and labeling used by brewers must be approved by the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Trade Bureau.
According to the report, brewers are interested in using hemp because it adds flavors similar to hops when used in beer production. The OLCC ruled that while hemp can be used for alcohol production, it considers such cannabis-infused beverages adulterated, which is prohibited by state law.
“Adding marijuana or marijuana items to alcoholic beverages adulterates the product,” the advisory states. “Therefore, unless allowed under the following exception, marijuana-infused alcoholic beverages are prohibited in Oregon.”
The licensee must provide proof that the formulation meets the Trade Bureau standards before hemp-infused beverages are manufactured, imported or sold in Oregon, according to a press release from the commission. All imported raw hemp will be tested each time to ensure it meets the federal standards. The finished products will also be tested for controlled substances.
An Israeli government committee has moved forward plans to allow the exportation of medical cannabis from the country, but it could take months to move through the nation’s parliament, according to a report from Reuters.
The plan was announced in December by an inter-ministerial committee of director generals, comprised of the Ministries of Justice, Finance, Public Security and Health. Israel has positioned itself as a leader in the medical cannabis sector, recently approving 13 medical cannabis studies for federal funding, and a plan to decriminalize the drug nationally found support at a legislative hearing last month. Currently, there are about 23,000 patients registered under the nation’s medical cannabis program, with nine licensed suppliers. According to the Reuters report, the nation’s market is worth $15 to $20 million “at most.”
Saul Kaye, CEO of iCan, a private cannabis research firm in Israel, estimated that there was about $100 million in international investments made in the nation’s cannabis sector in 2016, with about 50 medical cannabis companies active in the industry, ranging from agriculture to delivery devices.
According to a December report from Yediot Ahronot, the exportation of medical cannabis would create thousands of agricultural jobs and be worth $1 billion Israeli New Sheqel (more than $2.6 billion).
GTI Massachusetts NP Corp., has filed an application to bring Holyoke, Massachusetts its first medical cannabis dispensary, according to a report from MassLive. The plan would see the facility opened on the second floor of a building in a general industry zoning district, of which the first floor is currently occupied by an electronics company.
According to a letter from attorney John J. Ferriter on behalf of GTI Massachusetts, the facility would provide 25 to 30 full-time jobs with benefits, and tax revenues in its first year of operation.
“Why we chose Holyoke? Easy answers. Great access to a quality labor force. Close to our other dispensary location in Amherst,” Kadens said in the report. “Lots of quality and affordable industrial space. A supportive mayor.”
GTI’s Amherst dispensary is not yet open; however the report indicates that it is expected to start operating sometime this year.
According to the paperwork filed by Ferriter on behalf of GTI Massachusetts, the proposal furthers the purpose of Holyoke’s Urban Renewal Plan, as the 43,000 square foot location is “currently vacant and underutilized.”
“Such a development will both provide increased tax revenue to the city and municipal fees to city departments, as well as a conscientious and attentive community partner,” Ferriter wrote in the letter.
Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse has expressed strong support for his city hosting the legal cannabis industry and is encouraging potential growers to consider setting up shop in the city’s vacant textile mills which take up more than 1.5 million square feet of space.
Republican Virginia Rep. Griffith H. Morgan has introduced legislation to reschedule cannabis under the federal Controlled Substances Act, and exclude cannabidiol from the definition of marijuana.
According to the bill text, CBD would be defined exclusively as cannabis not containing more than 0.3 percent THC “on a dry weight basis.” The proposal does not include any indication or direct order pertaining to how cannabis would be rescheduled; instead it leaves that responsibility to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine, who would issue a recommendation to the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Agency.
President Donald Trump has tabbed Georgia Republican Rep. Tom Price as his HHS secretary – a strong medical cannabis opponent who voted six times against amendments preventing Justice Department interference from state-approved medical cannabis laws, and three times against allowing Veterans Affairs doctors to recommend the drug, according to a New York Times report.
If Price were confirmed for the post, he would likely be the HHS Secretary if the law were to pass – which requires the recommendation to the DEA no later than180 days after the law’s enactment.
In a blog post, NORML said that while rescheduling cannabis “will not end federal prohibition” it would “bring an end to the federal government’s longstanding intellectual dishonesty that marijuana ‘lacks accepted medical use.’
“It would also likely permit banks and other financial institutions to work with state-compliant marijuana-related businesses, and permit employers in the cannabis industry to take tax deductions similar to those enjoyed by other businesses,” the post reads. “Rescheduling would also likely bring some level of relief to federal employees subject to random workplace drug testing for off-the-job cannabis consumption.”
The bill was referred to both the House Judiciary, and Energy and Commerce committees.
The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved the nomination of Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions as Attorney General in a straight partly-line vote, the New York Times reports. Sessions’ nomination moves now to the Republican-controlled Senate following the 11-9 committee vote.
There is little reason to believe that Sessions will not be confirmed by the Senate next week.
So far, Sessions’ views on how he will handle the legal cannabis industry are unclear. He was vague on the topic during his testimony in front of the Judiciary Committee, saying that if prohibition at the federal level was “not desired any longer…Congress should pass a law and change the rule.”
In his written responses, Sessions admitted that he was “generally familiar” with the Cole memo – which instructed federal agencies to not interfere with the legal cannabis industry – but has not studied medical cannabis regulations “in depth.” In a response to Sen. Dick Durbin, Sessions called cannabis a “dangerous drug” and refused to say explicitly that he would not make arrests under federal law in legal states.
“Whether an arrest and investigation of an individual who may be violating the law is appropriate is a determination made in individual cases based on the sometimes unique circumstances surrounding those cases, as well as the resources available at the time,” he wrote.
The University of California at Davis and Sonoma State University are set to begin offering cannabis-related college courses this spring. The higher education institutions represent the second and third in the state to offer cannabis-centric courses after the City College of San Francisco announced they had plans to offer their own course last month.
According to a Davis Enterprise report, the UC Davis “Physiology of Cannabis” undergraduate course is designed for biological sciences students and will cover therapeutic values, physiological effects in multiple systems, the biology of cannabis and cannabinoids, and the current and potential medical targets for cannabis and its effectiveness.
According to UC Davis School of Medicine Associate Professor Yu-Fung Lin, who is teaching the course, it is the first of its kind offered, at not just UC Davis, but “likely within the entire U.S. system.”
“This course is one of the few taught on an American college campus with a dedicated theme on the biology, physiology and medicinal effects of cannabis and cannabinoids,” she said in the report.
The Sonoma State University course is considerably less rigorous and aimed solely at current health care professionals. “Medical Cannabis: a Clinical Focus” is a one-day program intended as a workforce development course. It will cover some of the history of cannabis, dosing and administration, legal consequences, and an introduction to cannabinoids and terpenes, the North Bay Business Journal reports.
Robert Eyler, dean for the School of Extended and International Education, indicated that the school is “nowhere close” to offering a cannabis-related major. However, there are plans to offer another three-hour cannabis-related course in March.
“We have no intention of offering courses about entrepreneurship or the business side of it,” he said.
The SSU program is being conducted in partnership with the United Patients Group.
