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A “groundbreaking” medical cannabis bill has been passed in Queensland, Australia providing regulatory framework allowing access to the drug by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, the Australian Associated Press reports. The measure will allow specialist doctors, or medical practitioners who apply with the department, to prescribe the drug to patients with severe chronic medical conditions.

During an appearance in front of the Parliament supporting the bill, Health Minister Cameron Dick explained that the measure enables access to both synthetic and “botanically derived” cannabis products, but does not allow for patients to home grow due to “significant safety risks.”

“This bill will change the paradigm for seriously ill patients who often feel compelled to seek out illicit cannabis treatment options,” he said in the report.

The legislation adds extra provisions to laws passed in the nation earlier this month, and comes two months after the Australian Capital Territory government announced plans to set up a medicinal cannabis program in the country’s capital of Canberra. New South Wales launched their own medical marijuana program in August. Under the national plan, medical cannabis was available in Queensland, however just one person in the region had been granted approval.

Michael Cope, president of the Queensland Council for Civil Liberties, welcomed the new regime but said that steps need to be taken to secure a supply or else citizens would be forced back into the informal market.

The rules will take effect in March.

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Flag of the United Kingdom, a.k.a. the Union Jack, flying in the wind.

UK Healthcare Agency Admits CBD is Medicinal, Approves Use and Sales

10/12/2016

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The UK government’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency now says that CBD — a non-psychoactive cannabis compound — has medicinal value, according to a report by the Independent. The agency admits that CBD has a “restoring, correcting or modifying” effect on “physiological functions” after the testing of the Medipen by the National Health Service.

“The MHRA has now completed its review and has considered all information available to it relating to cannabidiol and having taken into account all the scientific advice and evidence, it has come to an opinion that products containing cannabidiol will satisfy the second limb of the definition of a ‘medicinal product’…,” the MHRA assessment states.

The decision allows CBD-only products to be sold in the UK — a major victory for medical cannabis activists and patients across the pond.

“Since our inception we’ve worked hard to obtain our goal of breaking down the negative connotations surrounding cannabis to lead to a reform in the law for medicinal use,” Jordan Owen, Managing Director of MediPen, said in the report. “Now this is finally becoming a reality, which will provide ground-breaking results.”

Vendors interested in selling CBD products will need to obtain licenses from the NHS or face a fine and prison sentence up to two years. According to an MHRA spokesperson, the agency has already informed CBD product manufacturers and potential retailers of their decision and offered their guidance to any company interested in applying for a license.

“If you use CBD and if you have any questions, speak to your [general practitioner] or other healthcare professional,” the spokesperson said.

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Views from a commercial indoor cannabis grow in Washington state.

Second Israeli Study Shows Cannabis Improves Parkinson’s Symptoms

10/12/2016

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According to a study by Israeli researchers, smoking cannabis improves Parkinson’s disease symptoms, including the reduction of pain and increase of patients’ motor functions. The study was published online ahead of print in the European Journal of Pain.

The team, comprised of researchers from Beilinson Hospital and Tel Aviv University, investigated the effects of cannabis use 30 minutes after consumption and again after long-term use on 20 patients diagnosed with the disease. Motor function was assessed using the Unified PD Rating scale by two raters, with one blinded. Pain was evaluated using the Pain Rating Index and the Visual Analogue Scale of the McGill Pain Questionnaire and thermal quantitative sensory testing, which determines sensation thresholds for warm and cold temperatures, was performed on 18 patients.

Cannabis inhalation showed to reduce both pain and decreased motor symptoms after both the 30-minute trial and in the long-term (a median of 14 weeks) in all patients, although two patients were excluded from the long-term results because they consumed the drug via vaporizer rather than combustion.

“Cannabis improved motor scores and pain symptoms in PD patients, together with a dissociate effect on heat and cold pain thresholds,” the authors concluded. “Peripheral and central pathways are probably modulated by cannabis.”

This is the second such study in Israel using cannabis as a therapy for Parkinson’s. A 2014 study published in the journal Clinical Neuropharmacology had similar findings using the same clinical assessment methods and the 30-minute threshold. In addition to decreased tremors, rigidity, slowness of movement and pain, patients reported a significant improvement in sleep.

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Canadian dollar bills stacked on top of each other.

Canada’s Aurora Appoints Independent Director and Enhances Cash Position

10/12/2016

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Canadian medical marijuana producer Aurora has made two major announcements this week, appointing Barry Fishman to its board of directors and revealing $25 million of convertible debentures.

Fishman, the CEO of international pharmaceutical company Merus Labs, will act as an independent director on the board and has previously served on the board of canna-businesses Canopy Growth Corporation and Bedrocan Cannabis Corp.

Terry Booth, CEO of Aurora, lauded Fishman’s marketing, finance and capital markets experience.

“His network and reputation, along with his wise judgment, will serve the company and our shareholders well as we continue on our rapid growth trajectory, which includes expanding our production capacity, transitioning to profitable operations, and further establishing our leadership position in the Canadian cannabis industry,” Booth said in a press release announcing Fishman’s appointment.

The deal grants Fishman options to acquire 350,000 common stock shares.

According to Booth, the financing deal places Aurora in “an extremely powerful financial position” with a current cash balance exceeding $45 million.

“We are now one of the best capitalized companies, with one of the strongest balance sheets in the cannabis sector,” he said in a release.

A convertible debenture is a loan which can be converted into stock. Along with the new offering, Aurora converted $10 million of pre-existing convertible debentures, which bear 10 percent interest per year, into approximately 8,695,652 common stock shares. The offer is expected to close on Oct. 25.

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A large cannabis leaf, seen inside of an indoor commercial grow operation in Washington.

Prison Food Services Company Makes Donation to Anti-205 Campaign

10/12/2016

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Another player in an industry that would be negatively impacted by the legalization of cannabis is pouring money against a state ballot initiative as Services Group of America donated $80,000 to the prohibitionist campaign in Arizona, the International Business Times reports.

Services Group of America counts Food Services of America among its subsidiaries – the company is a meal provider for correctional facilities.

The donation expands the war chest of Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy, bringing their total fundraising efforts to $2.7 million — $900,000 of which was generated in the last three weeks. The pro-legalization campaign has raised more than $3 million, largely funded by the Marijuana Policy Project, but were recently buoyed by a $100,000 donation last week from the makers of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap.

Insys, makers of the sublingual opioid spray Subsys, donated $500,000 to the anti-Proposition 205 campaign in the state last month. The Chamber of Commerce and the Arizona Wine and Spirits Wholesale Association also donated $498,000 and $10,000, respectively.

According to the report, about 20 percent of Arizona’s incarcerated population are drug offenders. It’s not clear which portion of Services Group of America’s business involves jails and prisons or how many facilities serve as clients in the state. The company also provides food services to schools, cruise ships and hospitals.

Although the pro-campaign has slightly out-fundraised its opponents, they are being outspent 6-1, ABC-15 reported in September. The group is using the funds for TV ad buys, which allege that the state’s medical marijuana system would be disrupted by the proposition, calling it a “20-page special interest goldmine” creating “a Big Tobacco-like empire.”

Politifact ruled the ad’s claims “mostly false.”

Arizona is one of five states voting on legalizing and regulating adult cannabis use in November.

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Cayman Island Legislators Back MMJ Bill

10/11/2016

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Following yesterday’s debate, the Cayman Island Legislative Assembly has decided to support a bill to allow cannabis oil for medicinal use, according to a report from the Cayman News Service. Although there are concerns about where the oil will be sourced, it is the first step for medical marijuana access on the island nation.

Dennie Warren, who advocated for the legislation on behalf of his wife, who has a stage 4 lung cancer diagnoses, said that the lawmakers’ decision to back medical cannabis access “took courage.”

“[It’s a] very important step for the world as it will be of great benefit for many people and I look forward to the final approval of the bill,” Warren said in the report.

Warren also supplied legislative members with information that could help them import the oil from Canada. Currently, none of the islands’ neighboring countries permit medical cannabis use; however governments in Jamaica, Colombia and Germany have been actively discussing plans to make the plant accessible in their respective nations and might be willing to export the oil to the islands.

During the debate, legislators were not convinced that the drug would be as miraculous as some advocates believe; however, many seemed hopeful that it will provide relief for chronically ill individuals. Some lawmakers also seemed ready to decriminalize possession of small amounts of cannabis for personal use.

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Cannabis and Hemp Association Opens Upstate NY Chapter

10/11/2016

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The Cannabis and Hemp Association has opened a chapter in Albany, New York, according to a report from NPR-affiliate WAMC. During the first meeting, members reviewed the first year of the state’s medical marijuana program and discussed the impact of the Compassionate Care Act’s new regulations.

Pamela Johnston, Electrum Partners’ senior vice president for strategy and special projects, said that New York’s very limited medical cannabis program is causing the industry to suffer because it prevents businesses from entering the state’s market. She said canna-businesses are interested in states with “thriving infrastructure” and that New York is not among them.

“A good example would be Nevada, for a 20,000 patient medical market, because Nevada’s ‘medical only’ right now,” she said in the report. “They do have reciprocity for tourists, but Nevada had $400 million spent on infrastructure just for that 20,000 patient market.”

The patient counts in New York’s medical cannabis program are nowhere close to Nevada’s — with just about 7,600 enrolled patients as of September. And, although that figure represents a huge step forward from patient counts in May — which were about 4,800 — there are still many shut out of the program due to its limited scope.

Eileen Konieczny, president of the American Cannabis Nurses Association, suggested that if more physicians understood the endocannabinoid system, they would be more open to writing patient recommendations for medical marijuana use.

Just five companies are licensed to grow, cultivate and sell medical cannabis in the state — which does not include chronic pain as a qualifying condition.

Fred Polsinelli, spokesman for PharmaCannis LLC, one of the state’s licensed producers, indicated that the company is using just 5 percent of its 135,000-square foot Orange County greenhouse — but “more greenhouses” is not what the program needs to thrive.

“We need more patient access and that’s what this department is working on, we’re all working together on it, and at the end of the day it really is all about the patients,” he said. “But it’s also an industry. And if the industry is not supported by positive economics, there will be no industry.”

In August, three of the state’s five licensed operators, including PharmaCann, indicated that they were not yet profitable. At that time, Polsinelli estimated it would be at least another 18 months until the companies were in a profitable position.

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Night sky over The Rio in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Cannabis Conference Attendees Warned Against Possession, Use at Site

10/11/2016

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The 5th Annual Marijuana Business Conference & Expo will be hosted at The Rio in Las Vegas, Nevada next month; however, according to a memo sent to Caesar employees (Caesar’s owns The Rio), individuals caught possessing cannabis will be turned over to Metro Las Vegas Police.

The memo, which was shared by Denver, Colorado-based Hoban Law Group, reads in part:

“If a Club Venue employee observes an individual (guest or co-worker) with Narcotics, that observation is required to result in the detaining of that individual for either trespass or investigation of illegal controlled substance. The Club Venue does NOT have the discretion to only trespass an individual when the quantity of narcotics exceeds personal one time use. That individual is to be detained, evidence properly seized and held in custody and the individual is to be turned over to Metro or GCB for prosecution. The Club does NOT have the authority or discretion to trespass and walk out a guest who has more narcotics on him than he can use personally one time.”

If the amount of cannabis found on an individual is in excess of “personal one time use” police will be called. If the amount is considered less than personal one time use the individual will be issued a lifetime ban from all Caesar’s properties, according to the memo.

“This procedure has no exceptions,” the memo reads. “We need to understand this is the intent of the Club Venue Regulations to clean up drugs in the Clubs, not push the problem to the street.”

According to the conference policies, cannabis product use is forbidden during any of the conference events.

Medical marijuana use is permitted in Nevada and the law allows for reciprocity with out-of-state cardholders, but neither the Expo policies nor the Caesar’s directive give any instructions for medical marijuana cardholders.

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Hillary Rodham Clinton smiling at a campaign rally in March, 2016.

Hillary Clinton Strongly Opposed to Legalization in Wikileaks Speech Excerpt

10/11/2016

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According to the recently released “Podesta Emails” by Wikileaks, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said she does not support the legalization of cannabis. The emails, published after a hack of the Democratic National Committee, contain excerpts from some of her paid speeches for high-profile corporate clients. The emails were taken from Clinton campaign Chairman John Podesta.

During her remarks at a March 18, 2014 Xerox event, the company’s CEO Ursula Burns asks the former Secretary of State about her cannabis stance. Specifically, she asks Clinton to indicate her support or opposition for policies by indicating “long” or “short.”

From the email:

“URSULA BURNS: So long means thumbs up, short means thumbs down; or long means I support, short means I don’t. I’m going to start with — I’m going to give you about ten long-shorts.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Even if you could make money on a short, you can’t answer short.

URSULA BURNS: You can answer short, but you got to be careful about letting anybody else know that. They will bet against you. So legalization of pot?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Short in all senses of the word.”

Her response is in line with her public statements on potential legalization, and she has indicated that she supports allowing states determine their own cannabis policies free from federal intervention. Additionally, Clinton has said, if elected, she would reschedule cannabis from its Schedule I federal status under the Controlled Substances Act.

However, her response also indicates a hardline position against legalization — especially compared to third-party candidates Jill Stein (Green Party) and Gary Johnson (Libertarian Party), who have thrown their support behind ending the federal war on drugs, including legalizing cannabis for adult-use on a federal level.

Republican nominee Donald Trump has historically supported ending the war on drugs but has since dramatically toned back his stance. He now says that he does not support legalization, but does support states’ rights to choose their own marijuana laws — a significant step back from calling for the legalization of all drugs.

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MassRoots Settles Debt, Announces $3.2 Million in Equity Financing

10/10/2016

by Graham Abbott

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Cannabis-themed social networking platform MassRoots officially settled its debt of nearly $1 million last week, according to the Cannabist, after having defaulted last month on $966,000 worth of promissory notes to its creditors.

In its effort to settle the debt, the cannabis tech company reduced its workforce by more than 40 percent, terminated relationships with several vendors, and — according to documents filed last Friday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission — dramatically reduced the annual salaries of its chief executive officer, chief operating officer, and chief technology officer.

In a press release issued this morning, MassRoots officials announced the company had closed $3.2 million in equity financing under its Registered Offering, originally declared effective on August 11, 2016. The company received $1.1 million in proceeds on Friday, October 7.

“We are confident that the current political climate coupled with increasing demand in regulated cannabis markets presents a tremendous growth opportunity for MassRoots,” MassRoots CEO Isaac Dietrich said in this morning’s press release. “We’re focused on introducing new monetization channels within our mobile applications while exploring strategic partnerships to expand our platform’s capabilities.”

There will be nine states voting on marijuana legalization measures this November. “MassRoots expects that the passage of any combination of these initiatives has the potential to significantly accelerate its user and revenue growth,” company officials disclosed in the release.

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Report Predicts 37 Percent Growth for Cannabis Industry Through 2020

10/10/2016

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According to new research by the Market Reports Center, the worldwide legal cannabis market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 37.38 percent from 2016 to 2020, the company said in a press release. The analysts point to the “digitization trend in business processes” and “rising social acceptance” of marijuana as key drivers for the market’s growth.

“Many vendors are using the internet to reach a large number of targeted audience through online and mobile advertisements. In addition, several new start-ups are launching their mobile apps to reach remotely located customers,” an analyst from the company said in the release. “The introduction of such technologies has increased the vendor’s reach, impacting the market positively.”

From 2013 through 2014 the cannabis market posted a 70 percent growth rate.

In their report, the analysts recognized seven companies as “key players” in the global market, identifying another 17 as “prominent vendors.”

The report also outlines potential challenges to the industry; including protecting farm workers, and exposing some populations to “passive consumption.” Additionally, the researchers were concerned that legalizing cannabis for recreational use would open up the population near commercial markets to adverse health risks such as substance abuse and misuse.

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Anne van Leynseele, Founder of NWMJ Law.

Anne van Leynseele: Cannabis Law in the Northwest

10/10/2016

by Featured Interview

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Anne van Leynseele is Founder of Northwest Marijuana Law (NWMJ Law), a firm that specializes in state cannabis laws up and down the U.S. West Coast.

We recently interviewed Anne to learn about her experiences serving cannabis entrepreneurs in the Northwest. In the following interview, Anne shares her legal background and talks about making the transition to cannabis law from a more mainstream industry. She talks about the most common cannabis-specific issues that she and her firm face, discusses the importance of compromise in legal battles between industry participants, and much more.

Keep scrolling down to read the full interview!

Ganjapreneur: What were your reasons for going from a mainstream industry to the cannabis space, and when did you make that shift?

Anne van Leynseele: Prior to launching my practice in marijuana law, I was a federal attorney advisor in Washington DC and worked on the Affordable Care Act. When I returned to Seattle, I was inspired by a two sentence bit in Newsweek magazine that stated the Federal Bureau of Reclamation was denying water rights to legal marijuana growers in Colorado and Washington. This peeked my curiosity. I found many DUI and criminal lawyers were advertising as marijuana lawyers, but I realized that this new industry in a highly regulated environment needed me. My background in the Los Angeles entertainment industry, Seattle’s corporate communications market, and as a business management consultant in Sydney, Australia gave me the business acumen to support the legal work in a holistic and strategic way that would sustain my clients’ success.

Would you say that specializing in cannabis law is more demanding than other industries?

Yes, my experiences are creating a new body of law and cannabis law changes so rapidly that absorbing and interpreting the daily dose of new information is challenging. Fortunately, in our firm we have a remarkable team; each have specific areas of expertise. By “playing zones” we are able to share knowledge with each other and provide our clients with integrated information. One example of this working well happened prior to the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board changing a policy last summer. Because I encourage our team and our clients to communicate regularly by not charging for non-substantive exchanges; we all benefit from discussing small changes that foreshadow shifts in the industry. I am then able to proactively send analyzed or triangulated information that often saves our clients from potential financial hardships.

Are there any drawbacks to focusing on cannabis law?

I am affected by some of the same stigma that all cannabis businesses face; difficulty with banking; being subjected to everyone’s political or moral rants about the issue whether they are for or against legalization; and what I call “green gouging” or over priced services because based on news reports, everyone thinks that we are all marijuana millionaires. And I am committing multiple felonies every time I come to work.

How many people are employed at your law firm?

We have a core team of five lawyers, two paralegals and an additional team of specialist lawyer that integrate into our comprehensive strategic planning as needed.

What are some of the most common issues brought to you by clients?

Generally, clients reach out to us when they have an immediate problem: a rogue employee, partner dispute, or negotiating with a potential investor. My intake process is more intense than most firms. I have a twenty-three-point checklist that prompts discussion of many business law issues that the potential new client has not thought of. In this way, I have a picture of the risk factors and each client’s goals. Using this information, we create a scope of work that details their immediate needs and then documents the secondary and tertiary priorities. From this essential document our clients learn what they need to do, what the associated cost will be for legal services, and the importance of preparing now to save their company problems that can be costly to fix later.

How have you had to adapt your strategy throughout the firm’s existence?

Initially, seventy percent of my clients were women owned businesses and I did everything. It was easy to share and understand the struggles of my client start-up companies because I was just like them; doing all the work, putting in long hours, attending several events a week to meet others in the field, and studying all the regulations. My practice was always about looking deeper than just the immediate need. I designed the growth of the firm around my business experience; I observed the evolution of what legal services were needed and identified how to best use my abilities. A critical step was partnering with noted cannabis trial lawyer, Aaron Pelley. Our complimentary practices brought together the power of both litigation and transactional law experience and diversified what NWMJ Law now provides. I am able to share the responsibility with a great team of lawyers, each of them skilled in their own practice area.

Does your firm focus on cannabis laws outside of Washington state?

Our firm is serving cannabis entrepreneurs in Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and California. We will be in Hawaii soon. Our goal is to share what no attorneys have in other states, day-to-day experience with the myriad of problems cannabis companies face.

What is most rewarding about being an attorney that specializes in cannabis?

My deep respect for the grit of the entrepreneurs that we represent.

What is the most difficult part of your job?

Not letting the urgent crowd out the important. I make efforts weekly to pull myself out of the everyday problems we solve for client to keep an eye on economic, legal, and regulatory trends so we can continue to define how marijuana law is done well. I watched so many of the medical marijuana lawyers fail to evolve the old methods of practice. I push myself and my team to look for innovative ways to secure interests, solidify contractual relationships, and even re-envision how these companies operate to maximize their ability to grow with the demands of the industry.

What is the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome on your journey through cannabis law?

The stigma that my method of brokering solutions is weak rather than a valid strategy when contrasted with threatening to sue everyone and their brother. Litigation is a failure of every alternative resource a lawyer has at their disposal. I start with finding solutions that involve the exchange of only rights, then money, then ownership, or separation. You see the progress goes from the least to the most disruptive to a business. Filing a lawsuit is expensive, time consuming, and rarely leaves either side feeling that they got what they wanted. Negotiating creative solutions requires a set of skills that are rare in an industry that was born out of outlaws. It is gratifying that as my list of successes grows, business owners are able to better understand that the collaborative resolutions are faster, less expensive, and can lead to mending rifts rather than ending business partnerships. It is a sign that the industry is maturing.

If you could give one piece of advice to a budding cannabis entrepreneur, what would it be?

Make informed decisions. I see people taking life altering chances on business partners, investors, loans, and key employees that can kill a small business before it has an opportunity to succeed. What we can do is provide licensees or license holders with options. I have what few lawyers in the industry have, a broad experience base. I helped 120 small business through the first two years of legal operation. I see that one third are just not able to grasp the concept of following the rules, the middle third gets some of the lessons, but still operate in a reactive manners. My prize clients learn the harsh lessons and have developed into astute business owners. They ask good questions, seek my strategic counsel, and after gathering a good understanding, choose the best solution for them and their company. Of course, the other part of the success equation is hard work and sacrifice.

Thanks again, Anne, for taking the time to answer our questions. If you have questions for Anne yourself, or would like to read more about NWMJ Law and what they might be able to do for you, visit the firm’s website at NWMJLaw.com.

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A beach-side getaway on the Cayman Islands.

Cayman Islands Legislature to Debate MMJ Bill

10/10/2016

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The legislature in the Cayman Islands will debate on a measure to legalize the medicinal use of cannabis oil today after it was introduced in the Legislative Assembly on Friday, the Cayman Compass reports. The consideration by lawmakers comes after a local resident made a presentation to the Progressive’s government caucus about the therapeutic use of cannabis for cancer patients.

Premier Alden McLaughlin, who also serves as the health minister, said that under the plan, only physicians would be allowed to prescribe cannabis, which would be imported into the country by licensed pharmacists. The source of the oil was not yet determined by lawmakers as the drug is still outlawed by many of the island’s Caribbean neighbors.

“There were and remain some reservations about the use of this oil and its purpose, because there are still questions about its efficacy,” McLaughlin said in the report. “Nowhere in the world have they yet been able to determine definitively that it has the curative effects that many of its advocates believe.”

The bill’s introduction and debate was sparked by a presentation from Dennie Warren Jr., whose wife has been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. McLaughlin said that Warren believes medicinal cannabis “would give his wife some hope.” Warren became an advocate for medical marijuana legalization after his wife’s diagnosis.

Despite his concerns, McLaughlin conceded that cannabis is “very useful in dealing with a range of symptoms” associated with a variety of serious illnesses and that legislators “do not want people to continue to suffer.”

“We believe we must do what we can,” he said.

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Sunset over the skyline of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Poll: New Mexico Voters Support Recreational Use

10/10/2016

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Voters in New Mexico strongly support legalizing the adult use of cannabis, according to a poll by the Albuquerque Journal, which found 61 percent would support a legalization proposal with 34 percent opposed.

The survey revealed strong generational differences in voters’ opinions on the topic, with 82 percent of respondents aged 18 to 34-years-old indicating they would support such a proposal; while less than half of voters — 45 percent — aged 65 and older said they would back a legalization measure. Eighty-one percent of independent voters supported legalization, compared to 70 percent of Democrats and 40 percent of Republicans.

Last February, the state legislature voted down a joint resolution that would have put a recreational legalization question on the November ballot.

Brian Sanderoff, president of Research & Polling Inc., who conducted the poll on behalf of the newspaper, suggested that if the question were put to voters in the state today it would pass.

“The new generation that is getting onto the voter rolls are more likely to support, so it’s only logical that support levels have been rising,” he said in the report.

The results are identical to a poll from the same group in January, with both indicating rising support from 2014, when pollsters found 50 percent opposed to legalization in the state and 44 percent approval.

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Australian MMJ Company Gets State Approval for Cultivation

10/10/2016

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The Australian Cannabis Corporation has taken its next step toward cultivating cannabis in the state for medicinal use as representatives from the South Australian State Government gave the company approval to seek a federal cannabis cultivation license, according to a report from InDaily.

Ben Fitzsimons, ACC co-founder, said now that they have the support of the state government, the company just needs approval from the feds.

“The vision is creating employment opportunities for all South Australians [and] to create a global research hub,” he said in the report, suggesting cannabis will become a “serious…global industry.”

According to the report, state government officials indicated they will help lobby the government on behalf of medical marijuana businesses, hoping to create a medical cannabis industry that includes research and development. A spokesperson indicated that the South Australian government “supports in-principle cannabis research and development” and would like to see the drug investigated clinically and in both public and private research institutions.

“[It] will assist licensed medicinal cannabis businesses operating in this State to lobby the Commonwealth Government to permit the export of any medicinal cannabis products which may be made in South Australia in the future,” the state government spokesperson said.

The South Australian medical marijuana plan would allow patients with serious and chronic illnesses to access the drug, which would be prescribed by medical specialists. The products would be produced in the region or imported under permits issued by the Therapeutic Goods Association.

Both Fitzsimons and state government officials said that plans for recreational cannabis use are “not on the table.”

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A worker at a cultivation facility in Washington plucks large branches off a cannabis plant.

Economist Speculates California Legalization Won’t Be Immediate Economic Boon

10/07/2016

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A UCLA economist disputes Yes on 64 predictions that a recreational cannabis market will be worth $1 billion to the state’s economy, forecasting instead that the initial gains would be more likely about half of that figure — roughly $501 million — according to a report from Bond Buyer.

Jerry Nickelsburg, a senior economist for the UCLA Anderson Forecast, bases his estimates on data sets in Colorado, where cannabis sales are taxed 2.9 percent. He suggests that huge budgetary gains would not be seen in the sector for at least two-and-a-half years.

“Using population to gross-up the Colorado numbers and assuming a California 10 percent sales tax, the revenue calculation from marijuana sales would be $501 million or 0.4 percent of the state’s general fund,” Nickelsburg said in the report. “The retail marijuana sales in Colorado are growing, so this number might be a bit on the low side, but it has a long way to go to make a significant impact on the budget.”

According to Nickelsburg, those numbers translate to an industry representing 0.2 percent of the state’s $2.5 trillion dollar economy and 0.13 percent of its employment. His data set does not include other taxes and fees that would be required by canna-businesses.

Fiona Ma, chairwoman of the California Board of Equalization, an elected tax administration panel, said that cannabis sales are hard to track because of the cash nature of the businesses. Because they have no firm financial statements it’s nearly impossible for the BOE to audit companies operating in the industry. Additionally, when a company registers their business with the state there is no ‘cannabis’ check box, so companies usually check either ‘agricultural’ or ‘healthcare,’ which makes it hard to cross reference.

“We estimated that we collected $44 million in 2014 in sales taxes from dispensaries, which probably only represents 25 percent of companies,” she said.

Ma suggests that the full tax revenues will only be realized if there is “some easing of monetary policy” to get “more banks in the mix.”

To that end, members of the California Department of Business Oversight are preparing for the passage of Prop 64 in November, and according to department Commissioner Jan Lynn Owen, the regulatory scheme for recreational cannabis will be stronger than the current system under which the medical program operates.

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A group of professional NFL players lined up and in uniform.

Pro-Cannabis NFL Group Funding and Participating in THC Oil Study

10/07/2016

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A group of former and current players for the National Football League is funding a cannabis oil study to determine its use as an effective alternative to opioid-based therapies, KPIX 5 reports. According to a 2011 study, NFL players are three times more likely to abuse prescription painkillers than the general public.

The study is funded by the Gridiron Cannabis Coalition, a nonprofit comprised primarily of former and current NFL players, and Constance Therapeutics, a California-based cannabis producer.

The 30 former players who participate in the eight-week pilot study must hold a California medical marijuana card, undergo a medical assessment before and after taking the oil, and provide a complete medical history, including their past cannabis use.

Chris Kluwe, a former punter who spent most of his seven-year professional career with the Minnesota Vikings, said the study could help a lot of players long term if the oil proves to be a viable alternative to opioids for pain relief.

“You’re essentially going through multiple car accidents over the course of, like, three-and-a-half hours,” Kluwe said in the report, describing the toll a professional football game has on the body.

According to the report, an estimated 400 NFL players are injured every year. Kyle Turley, who spent a nine-year career with the New Orleans Saints, St. Louis Rams, and Kansas City Chiefs, outlined his football-related injury history and said many of them will cause a lifetime of pain.

“I need a new right hip, I need two right knees. I have got a plate and ten screws in my right ankle,” Turley said. “I am bone-on-bone in every joint.”

The study will start with a rice grain amount of THC oil as a constant and double about every four days, Constance Finley, CEO and founder of Constance Therapeutics said.

“When we see NFL players able to use a medicine that doesn’t cause harm, that will help their functionality, we will see the stigma fall away very rapidly,” she said.

Medical cannabis use is currently barred under the current collective bargaining agreement between the league and the NFL Players Association.

End

Maryland MMJ Commissioner Who Disapproved of Reshuffling Replaced

10/07/2016

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A Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission member has not been reappointed by Gov. Larry Hogan after her term expired, according to a Baltimore Sun report. Deborah R. Miran cast the one dissenting vote against the commission’s decision to deny grower licenses to two high-rated applicants and give them to lower-ranked companies.

Miran was an appointee of former Gov. Martin O’Malley, and the only person on the panel to vote against the move to reshuffle the licensees, which has sparked lawsuits threatening to derail the licensing process in the state.

According to Doug Mayer, spokesperson for the Republican governor, her dissenting vote had no bearing on Hogan’s decision to replace her.

“This office wasn’t even remotely aware of how the vote took place,” Mayer said in the report.

The new appointee, Saundra Washington, was chosen after the governor’s meeting with members of the Black Legislative Caucus. The caucus has threatened to introduce emergency legislation to halt the licensing program due to the lack of minority-run businesses approved for the lucrative licenses. Washington is executive director of Lifestyles Foundation of Maryland Inc., a nonprofit that helps people in need with clothing, shelter and food.

The companies initially approved for state licenses were ranked by Townsend University researchers. Miran was a member of the subcommittee that reversed an earlier decision, by a 4-1 vote, to award the licenses to the companies as ranked by the university. The commissioners say that the change was made due to the “geographic diversity” requirements of the law.

However, in their reshuffling the commission approved a license for Holistic Industries – which counts the son-in-law of top Annapolis lobbyist, Gerard Evans, among its equity investors. Holistic paid Evans $90,000 from November 2015 through April 2016, but he maintains his work for the company had nothing to do with their approval.

The appointment of Washington is, perhaps, a sign that the commission plans on moving forward despite the lawsuits and threats to delay the program by the caucus. Commission spokeswoman Vanessa Hold said the body is “wary of any additional delays in making the medicine available to patients” and that if the licensing process was restarted it could add another year or two to getting products to market.

End

A young cannabis plant flourishing in an outdoor garden.

South African Study Finds CBD an Effective Cervical Cancer Treatment

10/07/2016

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Researchers from Potchefstroom, South Africa’s North-West University’s biochemistry department, suggest that CBD extracts inhibit cell growth and induce cell death in cervical cancer cells, according to an outline of the study by Motherboard. The study’s authors concluded that the disease is “the most lethal cancer amongst black women” in Africa as over a quarter of a million women die from cervical cancer each year.

“Results obtained indicate that both cannabidiol and Cannabis sativa extracts were able to halt cell proliferation in all cell lines at varying concentrations,” the authors determined in the article, published in the BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine journal. “In conclusion, these (sic) data suggest that cannabidiol rather than Cannabis sativa crude extracts prevent cell growth and induce cell death in cervical cancer cell lines.”

The study was conducted through in vitro, or test tube/petri dish analysis using CBD supplied from biochemistry firm Sigma-Aldrich. The cannabis used in the study was collected from Nhlazatshe 2, in the eastern Mpumalanga province. In South Africa, over 80 percent of the population is still dependent on medicinal plants, the researchers noted.

This is the second such study looking at the possibility of using cannabis as a cervical cancer treatment. A 2004 French study, published in the journal Gynecologic Oncology, had similar findings, which concluded “endogenous cannabinoids or synthetic molecules offers attractive opportunities for the development of novel potent anticancer drugs.”

End

How Dispensaries Can Pursue Positive Local News Coverage

10/06/2016

by Aaron Apple

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Opening a new business in an emerging and often controversial industry can present all kinds of challenges, but a positive write-up in a local publication can do wonders to break the stigma that your neighbors may have about the cannabis industry while bringing new customers or patients through your doors in the process.

In order for a news outlet to consider writing about you, first you’ll need to have a newsworthy story. With that in mind, attracting positive press as a dispensary or producer/processor can be done the same way that it can be done for any kind of local business: participating in local charity events, announcing noteworthy partnerships or promotions, or becoming a member of your local chamber of commerce and other community organizations. After deciding what your company can do to attract positive attention, take the following steps to increase the odds that a journalist will be interested and announce your news to the community:

1. Research local media outlets in advance

Come up with a list of local media outlets (newspaper, radio, TV, news sites or blogs) and observe the way that their reporters cover local business or lifestyle news, especially related to cannabis. Note the writing style, length of story, type of story, etc. so that you can provide a press release written in a similar style, lessening the amount work the journalist will need to do to cover your news. Chances are, if you read the local papers, you already know which ones will be most likely to show interest in your story.

2. Compile a list of reporters to contact

From each outlet, make a list of all of the journalists that would make sense to contact based on the previous stories you can find that they have covered. Look for the journalists who specialize in local business, culture, events, or whatever topics pertain best to your announcement. You can usually find a journalist’s preferred mode of contact on the contact or about pages of the outlet’s website, or at the end of an article they have written.

3. Write a press release announcing your news

After selecting your top prospective journalists, write a press release matching the tone of the outlet you wish to target. Keep your most important and timely messaging at the top of the press release, include a quote or two from someone at your company, and list your contact information at the bottom of the release. For more on the art of press release writing and to download a template, check out this Hubspot article.

4. Send a personalized email to each journalist with your press release attached

Personalizing the email you send to each journalist will show them that you have taken the time to do your homework and that you’ve contacted them for a reason. Feel free to reference past articles that they have written while mentioning that their audience would benefit from knowing your company’s news. Attach a document containing your press release, as well as some high-resolution photography related to your announcement.

5. Follow up with the journalist if needed.

In some cases the journalist will reach out to you with follow-up questions, so be prepared to speak over the phone or meet in person with the reporter. If you don’t hear from a journalist or see a story profiling your company’s news, it is okay to follow-up with the journalist a few days later. Be polite and remember that if they like you and what your company is doing, it could mean much more positive press in the future.

Overall, outreach to the local press should be a big part of your marketing efforts. Obtaining local press coverage can be time-consuming, but it is free and more trustworthy to the public than advertisements. Spend the time building up a comprehensive outlet and journalist database, crafting effective press releases, and maintaining communication with journalists, and you could see large amounts of positive press and new business.

End

Anchorage, Alaska at night from across the water.

First Cannabis Retailer in Anchorage, Alaska Receives City Approval

10/06/2016

by Graham Abbott

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The Anchorage Assembly voted on Tuesday to approve the Arctic Herbery — a cannabis cultivation and retailer enterprise proposed by entrepreneur Bryant Thorp — as the city’s first licensed, retail marijuana shop. Thorp was issued his cultivation license by the city back in July, and has already received state approval for both aspects of his operation.

According to a report by Alaska Dispatch News, no members of the public showed up to testify against Thorp’s retail shop, and the Assembly voted unanimously to approve the licensing without prior discussion among Assembly members.

“I’m shocked. That was easy,” said Thorp, who now estimates his opening date will be “around the first of November-ish.”

Several conditions were attached to the licensing, however: the store must be closed between the hours of midnight and 8 a.m., and any cannabis odors must be contained at the property line.

With a cultivation and retail license in hand, the final obstacle blocking the Arctic Herbery’s launch — besides a few minor building upgrades that Thorp says are still needed — is for cannabis testing labs in the state to be fully operational, as every batch of recreational cannabis must be tested for consumer safety before it can be sold.

“I just wanted to note that with breathtaking speed we blew by the first approval of a retail marijuana establishment in Anchorage,” said Assemblyman John Weddleton, chairman of Anchorage’s land use committee that oversees cannabis applications. “We haven’t made it easy on everyone but I wish him luck, I hope they do a great job.”

“Go forth and do good,” Assemblyman Tim Steele told Thorp.

End

A doctor organizing their work via a touchscreen tablet.

Study: Doctors Generally Unconcerned by Cannabis Use, GOP Docs Less Likely to Recommend MMJ

10/06/2016

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According to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Republican doctors are less likely to recommend the use of medical cannabis than their Democratic counterparts, but the study also discovered that, in all, doctors cared less about cannabis use than they did other “risky” behaviors such as tobacco use or sex with a prostitute.

“Republican [physicians] are more likely to discuss health risks of marijuana [with their patients], urge the patient to cut down, and discuss legal risks,” the authors wrote.

Democrats, on the other hand, were more concerned about how a patient who owns firearms stores their weapons if they have children than they were about the patient’s cannabis use.

In the study, conducted by Yale University researchers, 233 doctors were asked to rank nine hypothetical patient behaviors on a 10-point scale. The behaviors included a range of issues – including cannabis use, previous abortions, depression, not wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle, etc. – in an effort to determine their attitudes based on their political affiliation.

Marijuana use garnered a 5.7 rating, along with previous abortions. Not wearing a motorcycle helmet and sex with prostitutes ranked at the top of the list, with an 8.4 score. Tobacco use and depression ranked slightly second at 8.2; alcohol and obesity had an average score of 7.8; and firearms in the home got a 7.4 score.

Tennessee Congressman Rep. Phil Roe, a retired obstetrician-gynecologist and chairman of the GOP Doctors Conference, said that “party affiliation should have nothing to do with patient care.”

“I never once treated a Republican or Democrat cancer in my life,” Roe said in a Washington Post report. “When a patient walked into my office, I didn’t know if they were a Republican or a Democrat, and I honestly didn’t care.”

Roe said most patients will seek out the best care regardless of a physician’s political affiliation.

End

Contemporary blue home theater with couch.

Pro-64 TV Ad Campaign Debuts in California

10/06/2016

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