Industry Representative Fills Vacant Alaska Marijuana Control Board Seat

8/25/2016

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The owner of a proposed Anchorage retail marijuana store has been tabbed to fill the seat on the Alaska Marijuana Control Board, left vacant after Gov. Bill Walker removed Bruce Schulte from the board last month, the Alaska Dispatch News reports.

Nicolas Miller, the chairman of the Anchorage Cannabis Business Association, will assume his new role on the five-member panel immediately. The appointment runs through Feb. 2018.

“I’m very pleased to appoint Nick to the Marijuana Control Board during this critical time in this new industry’s development,” Walker said in a press release. “Nick will do a great job complementing the existing Alaska Marijuana Industry Association’s representation on the Board, and enable even broader industry perspectives.”

Miller, owner of Alaska Buds, is the second industry representative on the board. He joins Brandon Emmett, a longtime activist who applied for a marijuana production license in Fairbanks. The recreational-use law requires the board to be comprised of one individual from the public safety sector; one from the public health sector; one industry professional; one person from the general public actively engaged in the industry and one person from a rural area. With Miller’s addition to the board, Emmett could fill the ‘general public’ role, due to his prior activism, according to an Alaska Journal report.

Following his removal from the board, Schulte alleged that his ex-colleagues and members of the governor’s administration were trying to delay implementation of the legalized cannabis industry. A spokesperson for the governor said Schulte was removed due to his unsatisfactory approach to the staff and administrative process.

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Uruguayan Cannabis Company Diversifying with Hemp Crops

8/25/2016

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One of the two marijuana producers in Uruguay is betting that the hemp market will be more lucrative than the market for its psychoactive cousin, due to less government regulation of the plant and its overall manufacturing potential, according to a report from Bloomberg.

Cannabis cultivated by International Cannabis Corp. will hit pharmacy shelves within weeks but the company already has plans on diversifying their offerings to include hemp and will plant their first hemp crop next month, the company’s CEO Guillermo Delmonte said.

“Recreational cannabis is regulated by the government and we sell what the government lets us sell,” Delmonte said in the report. “In the hemp market we can produce all we can to meet demand.”

According to a February report by the Congressional Research Service, annual sales of hemp products in the U.S. are estimated at more than $580 million. The Agricultural Marketing Resource Center estimates that the value of hemp per acre in the U.S. is roughly $21,000 from seeds and $12,500 from stalks.

Simbiosys, the other company approved by the Uruguayan government to cultivate cannabis, plans on focusing only on marijuana for now. The companies will each produce as much as two tons of cannabis per year, but will compete with 5,000 registered home growers and 17 licensed cannabis clubs for market share in a country of 3.3 million people.

Pharmacies will pay the two producers $0.90 a gram for cannabis – as mandated by the government – and are allowed to charge a 30 percent markup to consumers.

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MI Court Rules Against Rec. Campaign’s ‘Stale’ Signatures, Appeals Planned

8/25/2016

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The Michigan Court of Claims has ruled against MI Legalize in their bid to get a marijuana-legalization question on the ballot, the Detroit Free Press reports. The court agreed with the State Board of Canvassers that more than 200,000 petition signatures were collected outside of the 180-day window — a violation of state law.

The group argued that the 180-day requirement was unconstitutional, unfair and that the 200,000 signatures were valid. Jeff Hank, a Lansing-based lawyer and chairman of MI Legalize, plans an emergency appeal of the ruling. If the appeal fails, he plans on filing an appeal on First Amendment constitutional grounds in the U.S. Supreme Court.

“We’re disappointed but we always figured this would go to the state Supreme Court — and that’s where we’re headed,” he said in the report.

However, some advocates, along with state election law experts,  believe this is the end of the line for the measure in 2016. The “stale” ballot rule is decades old and Gov. Rick Snyder (R) signed a bill codifying the 180-day window in June.

“These were very well-intentioned people, good-hearted but very naive — they really needed much more money and much sooner to pull this off,” activist Tim Beck said.

If all forms of appeal fail, the earliest another measure could be put to voters is 2018.

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Oklahoma MMJ Campaign Submits Enough Signatures to Qualify for Ballot

8/24/2016

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Activists behind the Oklahomans for Health medical cannabis legalization campaign have submitted enough signatures to secure a spot on the ballot, according to a KOKH Fox 25 report.

The development was confirmed by Gov. Mary Fallin and Secretary of State Chris Benge’s office, which announced on August 23 that it had counted 67,761 petition signatures supporting the campaign — surpassing the 65,987 signature requirement.

Joe Dorman, former member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives and now board member of the state’s current MMJ campaign, called the development “historic.”

“[This] is the very first volunteer-driven petition to see success in the state of Oklahoma,” Dorman said. “No other volunteer petition has achieved this opportunity to make the ballot.”

If passed, the initiative would legalize the licensed cultivation, distribution, and use of cannabis for medicinal purposes. According to the campaign’s website, it would establish the first MMJ program without a”qualifying conditions committee” — meaning that “if your doctor believes medical marijuana is right for you, under this law you can get access to it.” For patients who are minors, it would take the recommendation of two doctors.

The campaign still faces some hurdles before receiving complete approval for the November ballot, including a Supreme Court ruling on the counted signatures, as well as a review process by Attorney General Scott Pruitt and then the general public. Some officials have warned that — given the short time window that remains — November may be a long-shot for the initiative, but the question would still be posed to voters in the next election.

The Oklahoma legislature passed a law that allows the limited use of medical cannabis oils earlier this year.

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First Full-Scale Cultivation Site Inspected and Approved in Juneau, Alaska

8/24/2016

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Rainforest Farms has received certification to begin cannabis cultivation at their Juneau, Alaska site following a successful inspection by the Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office, according to a Juneau Empire report. The company is the first to be certified in the state capital for full-scale production following its cultivation license approval in June.

The Marijuana Control Board expects to approve the first retail licenses in September, but Rainforest Farms does not expect their first crop to be ready for distribution until mid-October. They are growing 55 varieties, with plans to offer as many as 30 at a time at their retail location. Currently, they are not planning on offering any edible options, noting that their products will be based on consumer demand.

“It’s still experimental,” Gionno Barret, one of the three brothers who own Rainforest Farms, said in the report. “We’re trying to get the consumer to figure out what they want and develop a palate. It’s a trial and error process, but it’s a fun process.”

Other cultivation companies have been granted licenses but have not been certified by the state to start full-scale production.

According to draft regulations, the MCB is considering allowing on-site consumption at retail marijuana stores, but they have not yet approved the plan.

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Hemp Crop Planted at University of Louisville

8/24/2016

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Researchers at the University of Louisville’s Conn Center for Renewable Energy Research have planted a 40-by-40-foot plot of hemp in order to research its viability as a fuel source, according to a Louisville Business First report. The project is one of eight by Kentucky universities focused on using hemp as an energy resource.

“Hemp is cleaner and cheaper to produce than coal, oil or other resources,” Mahendra Sunkara, director of the Conn Center and a professor of chemical engineering, said in a press release. “It could solve many of the nation’s future energy needs while providing a new, lucrative cash crop for Kentucky farmers.”

The team is also interested in the manufacturing possibilities of hemp fibers, which can be used for a variety of applications including, paper, textile, clothing, and plastics applications.

Andrew Marsh, assistant director of the Conn Center, said he hopes the research will help “eliminate the stigma that is attached to hemp,” noting that the crop will be used to educate the public on the overall benefits of industrial hemp.

“When people learn the characteristics of the crop and understand its potential for economic development, we think they will become advocates for its production,” Marsh said in the release.

Researchers at the University of Kentucky harvested the state’s first legal crop in 70 years in 2014. In April, the state Agriculture Department announced the approved participants — 167 individuals and farms total — for the state’s Industrial Hemp Research Pilot Program.

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

8/24/2016

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

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

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

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

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

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

End

US Anti-Doping Agency Investigating UFC’s Nate Diaz Over CBD Vape Pen Use

8/24/2016

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UFC star Nate Diaz is being investigated by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency following the fighter’s appearance at a press conference openly puffing on a vape pen, according to several news reports.

When asked by a reporter to describe the device, Diaz explained that the cartridge was filled with CBD oil which he said “helps with the healing process and inflammation” adding that he used it during training, and before and after fights to “make [his] life a better place.”

Cannabidiol is banned in-competition by the World Anti-Doping Agency as it is a cannabinoid — one of 113 active in cannabis. According to MMA Fighting, in-competition is considered the six hours both before and after a fight. Diaz appeared with the pen at the UFC post-fight press conference immediately following the event.

The UFC considers cannabis a “specified substance,” meaning it is still prohibited during in-competition timeframes but is not considered an anabolic steroid or hormonal agent. Under the organization’s rules, violation of the specified substance policy can result in a fighter’s suspension up to one year. The USADA can either suspend a fighter or issue a public warning, depending on the circumstances. The regulatory body suspended Diego Brandao, a contracted UFC fighter, for nine months earlier this year after he tested positive for marijuana metabolites.

“I can confirm that USADA is aware of the situation and is currently gathering information in order to determine the next appropriate steps,” USADA spokesperson Ryan Madden said in the MMA Fighting report.

Even if Diaz’s drug tests come back negative the USADA could consider his statements during the press conference a positive test. He has never been suspended for doping or recreational drugs during his 12-year mixed martial arts career.

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Washington to Allow Private Companies to Apply for Cannabis Research Permits

8/23/2016

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Despite the DEA’s failure to reclassify cannabis, Washington state is moving forward with plans to allow private companies to conduct scientific research on the plant, the News Tribune reports. Officials expect to begin accepting license applications for the program in January.

Republican State Sen. Ann Rivers, who sponsored a bill to move the plan forward, said the information gleaned from the study could be used by legislators to create policy. Discoveries made in the program could be applied directly to the state’s medical and recreational markets.

“The importance of it really hit home when the DEA decided not to reschedule medical marijuana because, they said, ‘we just don’t have enough research,’” she said in the report.

The state Liquor and Cannabis Board is currently setting up a review panel for the scientific applications. The panel will include officials from Washington State University and the University of Washington who will evaluate the efficacy of the proposals, and whether applicants have the experience and facilities to carry out the research.

Jessica Tonani, CEO of Seattle-based research firm Verda Bio, is interested in selectively breeding cannabis plants based on the cannabinoids they contain and has lobbied the state to add a research license for years.

“Is there a clinical profile that is best for MS patients, or cancer patients, or helps take away patients’ pain?” she asked. “To do that we need to do selective breeding and then get those out in the population to monitor those effects.”

Once rolled out, the license program would be the first of its kind in the country. Oregon is considering a similar program, but it has yet to be implemented.

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Oregon Nets $25.5M in Recreational Cannabis Taxes During First Six Months

8/23/2016

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Oregon collected $25.5 million in tax payments from the recreational marijuana industry in the second quarter, the Associated Press reports. Medical marijuana dispensaries are currently selling the drug with a 25 percent tax as the Liquor Control Board finalizes rules for recreational infrastructure.

The state’s Legislative Revenue Office recently quadrupled the expected revenues from the industry through June 2017 from $8.4 million to $35 million. The jump is partly due to the popularity of edibles, which Mazen Malik, a senior economist with the office, said was hard to predict due to the difficulty in measuring the informal market for them.

“We know some people would embrace them because they don’t like smoking, for example, so it would be an easier thing to go to,” he said in an Oregonian report. “Others would just want to try them because they are new and different and they want to see how they work.”

According to the Oregonian report, an estimated $102 million in recreational cannabis has been sold since Jan. 1. State economists predict the state will collect $44.4 million in marijuana taxes this year.

Last week, the LCB said they were processing more than 1,300 applications for recreational marijuana businesses in preparation for the official roll-out of the formal recreational market by the end of the year.

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Black Caucus to Meet With Maryland Governor Over Lack of Diversity in MMJ Licenses

8/23/2016

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The chairwoman of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland is urging the governor to intervene in the awarding of medical marijuana licenses because the selected companies are run primarily by white men, according to a report from the Baltimore Sun.

Of the 30 total available industry production licenses — 15 for growing and 15 for processing — one preliminary license was awarded to an African-American-headed company and two went to companies run by women, the Maryland Cannabis Industry Association said.

“I am completely disappointed with the medical marijuana commission and the decision that they have made in terms of awarding licenses,” Del. Cheryl D. Glenn, chairwoman of the caucus, said in the report. “Clearly, there was no effort at all to factor in minority participation and make sure that it’s inclusive of everybody in the state of Maryland.”

She indicated that the caucus could consider a legal challenge on the grounds that the diversity requirements of the 2013 law were not met.

Members of the caucus are planning to meet with Gov. Larry Hogan on Thursday, but his spokesman said that there isn’t anything he can do about the decisions made by the independent commission who granted the licenses. The Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission received 146 grow and 124 process applications which were reviewed, with identifying information removed, by Townson University’s Regional Economic Studies Institute before the commission voted. At least three of the companies have political ties.     

“The governor’s office has absolutely zero role in this process,” Douglass Mayer, spokesman for Hogan, said. “The legislation was passed under a previous administration. Every single commissioner was appointed by the previous administration.”

Dr. Paul W. Davies, chairman of the commission, said he’s “very happy” with the way the selection process worked and believes the commission’s decisions were unbiased.

End

A wide-brimmed cannabis leaf.

New York Gov. Signs Hemp Bill, First Farm Licensed

8/23/2016

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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has signed a bill authorizing the sale, distribution, transportation, and processing of industrial hemp, which aims to help farmers in the state develop a new marketable crop.

JD Farms in Madison County is the first, and currently only, farm licensed by the state to grow hemp, WGRZ 2 reports. It has partnered with Morrisville State College in the development process and will grow the crop on 30 acres.

“This bill makes it possible for us to negotiate price-points with interested buyers and produce statistically relevant data about the current state of the market for other farmers and institutions interested in participating in the program,” Dan Dolgin, co-owner of JD Farms, said in a statement.

According to the bill text, no more than 10 farms will be granted licenses under the program which will be supervised by the Commissioner of Economic Development, a position currently held by Howard Zemsky. The commissioner will issue a report to legislative leaders on the progress of the industry in 2018.

Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo anticipates the crop — which hasn’t been grown in the state in 80 years — will be a boon to farmers and “has the potential for numerous manufacturing opportunities” throughout the state.

The federal government approved a similar plan in 2013.

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Second Arkansas Medical Cannabis Campaign Submits Enough Signatures for Ballot Inclusion

8/22/2016

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The second potential ballot initiative to legalize medical marijuana in Arkansas has submitted another 34,804 signatures, according to a TVH 11 report. The Arkansas United for Medical Marijuana proposal already had 72,309 verified, and needs a total of 84,859 signatures to qualify for inclusion on November ballots.

If the new batch of signatures is approved by Secretary of State Mark Martin, the proposal — a constitutional amendment — would be one of two choices for voters on the ballot. The measure would compete with the proposal by Arkansas Compassionate Care, which was approved last month.

The Arkansas Medical Cannabis Act, currently due to appear on the ballot, provides for 39 Cannabis Care Centers throughout the state, overseen by the state Department of Health. It includes a grow-your-own provision for patients living more than 20 miles from a care center.

The AUMA proposal would not allow patients to grow their own medicine.

Additionally, the AMCA requires that all of the sales tax revenue collected from the program be reinvested into the program; the AUMA amendment divvies up the profits between the program, the Skills Development Fund, the General Fund and the Vocational and Technical Training Special Revenue Fund.

David Couch, the AUMA proposal sponsor, said he would be “somewhat disappointed” if the plan didn’t hit 60 percent of voter support in the general election. However, advocates worry that both campaigns will be rejected by voters if each appears on the ballot, dealing another blow to patients in the state following the failure to pass a medical marijuana plan in 2012.         

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NY Health Department Releases Two-Year Review of MMJ Program

8/22/2016

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The New York Department of Health has recommended that five more organizations be authorized to cultivate and dispense medical marijuana over the next two years, and that simplifications are made to the practitioner registration process, according to a review of the program by the department.

As of June 15, there are 601 practitioners registered to recommend cannabis to patients in the state. However, 19 counties do not yet have even one physician enrolled in the program. Nearly 5,000 patients have enrolled, with neuropathies representing the greatest percentage of certifications (34 percent); severe or chronic pain associated with a qualifying condition has the greatest percentage of certifications (54 percent). The average age for patients enrolled in the program is 52.

Currently there are only 17 dispensaries operating in just nine of the state’s 62 counties and New York City. In their report, the department recommends a delivery system that would help ensure adequate access to the drug.

The Health Department has approved nearly all of the patient applications (99.9 percent), with wait times for certification taking about five days; down from 11 days at the program’s start in January.

The Department of Health also recommended “continuing outreach,” encouraging the federal government to remove barriers for medical cannabis research and to open up financial institutions to the medical marijuana sector.

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Bill Allowing CA MMJ Industry to Pay Taxes in Cash Heads to Governor

8/22/2016

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A California bill allowing medical marijuana dispensary owners to pay their taxes in cash has been sent to Gov. Jerry Brown following its approval by the Senate last week, the Calaveras Enterprise reports. The bill passed the Senate 28-9.

Under current law, businesses that owe more than $10,000 a month in taxes must pay those bills electronically; however due to marijuana’s federal Schedule status, cannabis-related businesses can neither conduct such electronic transactions, nor open bank accounts. While the measure would not open up the sector to financial institutions, it would make it easier for those businesses to pay their taxes. The bill also removes the 10 percent cash tax-payment penalty for the industry.

“Currently, due to the fact that marijuana is still federally classified as a Schedule 1 substance, the medical marijuana industry has been rendered unbankable,” Assemblyman Mike Gipson wrote in his argument in support of the bill. “This leads to companies having to hold large amounts of cash and requires that tax payments be made in cash as well.”

Some Republicans objected to the bill because they viewed it as special treatment for the industry.

“Why are we making exceptions for this industry and not all industries?” Sen. Joel Anderson asked during the floor debate. “What would be the compelling reason to give them special treatment?”

Gov. Brown has not indicated whether or not he will sign the bill into law.

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Slow Counting Could Cost OK MMJ Plan Spot on Ballot

8/22/2016

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Slow counting of ballot petitions could hurt the chances of a medical marijuana initiative to be put to voters in Oklahoma, according to the Red Dirt Report. The deadline to include the questions for November ballots is the end of the month.

Joe Dorman, a former state representative and supporter of State Question 788, said six to eight staff members are working seven-hour days counting signatures and verifying addresses on a question that would expand the timeframe for ballot signature collection – just one of the two possible ballot questions.

“That’s probably what is going to hurt our chances of SQ 788 making it on the ballot,” Dorman said in the report. “If there aren’t enough staff to count both petitions at once, then we may not make it. The deadline is at the end of August, but you also have to have a 10-day period to review in court for any challenges. That’s going to hurt us significantly on time.”

Initiatives need nearly 66,000 signatures in order for inclusion on Oklahoma ballots. Last week, supporters indicated they were “real close” to securing a spot for their plan. Chip Paul, a spokesman for Oklahomans for Health said the group is within 5,000 signatures either way.

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Officials and Business Owners Gearing up for Oregon’s Recreational Rollout

8/19/2016

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Oregon’s Liquor Control Commission is processing more than 1,300 applications for marijuana businesses, having processed about 200 so far, almost all of them for growers, according to a report from The Oregonian. Officials hope to complete the review by the end of the year.

Steven Marks, executive director of the commission, said that incomplete applications and extensive local approvals have slowed the process but indicated the review program is back on track.

“It’s going smoothly, but it’s a slower pace than expected,” he said in the report.

Licensed producers have already harvested 5,000 pounds of marijuana, according to the state’s seed-to-sale tracking system; however, that represents freshly harvested plants, not dry flower. About 700 pounds of that is intended for the seed market. Many licensed producers are being forced to stockpile plants because they need to be tested by a certified laboratory before being made available for sale.

A handful of retail stores operating under the new recreational market will open on Oct 1. Marks said he expects those businesses to represent to “a prelude not a crescendo of retailers.” The department has pulled staff from the alcohol agency to help review applications, with the hope they have enough supply available for retailers when they open their doors.

Medical marijuana dispensaries have the opportunity to convert their existing business to the recreational model by the end of the year.

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Israeli MMJ Patient Sues Government Over ‘Tainted’ Cannabis

8/19/2016

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A medical marijuana patient in Israel is suing the government after they revoked his grow license, claiming that the Health Ministry is responsible for providing him with the tainted plants, TheMediaLine.org reports.

“Patient R,” one of just a dozen patients given a license to grow their own cannabis, says he discovered mold on the plants from Teva-Adir, a licensed supplier, and that he became sick after ingesting marijuana from the producer. His license was revoked after he reported the incident to the Health Ministry.

“He is suing the health ministry for providing him with dangerous substances and for not having clear rules for using pesticides in medical cannabis in Israel,” Oren Lebovich, chairman of the Green Leaf Organization, said in the report.

Yani Peretz, a criminal lawyer, sent samples from Patient R and two other suppliers, Tikun Olam and Seach, to the Israeli Chemical Testing Laboratory. Dr. Noam Chehanovsky, a cannabis researcher, analyzed the samples and found not only a potentially dangerous amount of pesticides in the Tikun Olam sample; but it had significantly lower values of the advertised active compounds – as much as 20 percent.

One strain, Eran-Almog, showed THC levels of 3.2 percent, far lower than the 24 percent to 28 percent advertised levels.

“With these bad results, I would have expected the health ministry to have been more determined to look into this finding,” Peretz said. “The Ministry of Health asked for more information from me instead of checking the suppliers.”

Ma’ayan Weisberg, head of International Relations for Tikun Olam, declined to comment on the findings because they were not given enough information about the testing process and the samples used by Chehanovsky.

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Draft Regulations for Pennsylvania MMJ Program Released

8/19/2016

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Pennsylvania officials have released a draft of the rules that will govern the medical marijuana growers and processors in the state, The Inquirer reports. The rules define how marijuana should be cultivated, protected, and tracked.

Some of the key rules include:

  • Prohibition of out-of-state cannabis plants — growers will be allowed a 30-day window to import seeds for their first crops, after which crops must be grown using clones, grafts, and seeds from in-state producers.
  • Pest, insect, and fungi should be controlled using essential oils and other organic materials.
  • Public officials and state employees are barred from holding a financial interest in medical marijuana companies and are not permitted to work in the industry for one year after leaving their government post.
  • Permits and location sites to grow marijuana can only be transferred if approved by the state.
  • Each medical marijuana entity must have a diversity plan, and the Department of Health must promote racial diversity ensuring that certain opportunities are available for minority owners.

Patrick Nightingale, a former Alleghany County attorney who now serves as the executive director of the Medical Cannabis Society, said the rules give the industry “a pretty clear roadmap” of what the Department of Health considers important.

Some advocates praised the new proposals; however Chris Goldstein, a Philly.com columnist and cannabis activist, said that despite the diversity rules small-scale black business owners, like any would-be medical marijuana business owner in the state, still needs “millions in the bank” in order to qualify for a state permit, possibly making the diversity rules tough to enforce.

The Health Department indicated they would be releasing draft regulations for dispensaries by the end of the year.

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Auburn, WA City Council Passes Ordinance Restricting Cannabis Operators

8/19/2016

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The Auburn, Washington City Council passed an ordinance restricting the number of retail dispensaries, processors and producers in the city, according to a report by the Auburn Reporter. The measure limits the number of such businesses operating in the city to two.

The move comes following a lawsuit by Green Solutions Place against the city. The dispensary was given a license by the state to open in Auburn despite a local moratorium already in place limiting the number of dispensaries to two. That moratorium was not recognized by the state Liquor and Cannabis Board, who told cities it would raise the number of allowable dispensaries in jurisdictions last year.

The ordinance reestablishes the two dispensary limit, grandfathering in any existing dispensaries over that limit; restricts producing and processing facilities to a minimum of 4,000 square feet and a maximum of 90,000 total square feet; requires officials to create an action plan for the City Council and Planning Commission to review the potential and ongoing issues related to the recreational cannabis industry; and includes references to the regulatory and statutory provisions dealing with the use of organic solvents.

The ordinance will be the law of the land until the City can write zoning regulations to regulate the sector.

“The real solution to this is going to be found in zoning, which we’re working on right now,” City Councilman John Holman said in the report.

The rules were adopted unanimously by the City Council.

End

A collection of clones on display in a California cannabis dispensary.

Canada’s Largest MMJ Producer Launches Artist-in-Residence Program

8/18/2016

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Canada’s largest producer of medical cannabis announced yesterday that the latest addition to their team is not a master grower, business consultant, or sales associate. Rather, the latest team member to join Tweed Inc. is actually Montreal-based documentary filmmaker and photographer Ezra Soiferman, who will be the first participant in the company’s new Artist in Residence program, according to a press release issued yesterday.

According to the release, it is believed that Soiferman is the first artist ever to hold such a position in the cannabis industry.

“As an emerging brand in an emerging industry, we want to be able to tell our story in creative ways to make memorable and unique first impressions,” Tweed’s Chief Creative Officer Martin Strazovec said in the report. “Ezra is a gifted storyteller who will help us expand our reach through his art.”

Soiferman, who co-founded and is the director of the Montreal Film Group, told Ganjapreneur that he first began investigating cannabis as a cultural icon more than 20 years ago. Since then, he’s followed the hemp and cannabis industries “religiously,” and has dedicated several projects to the cause throughout his career — including a project called Hemp for the Homeless and, more recently, a documentary called Grass Fed that follows comedian Mike Paterson through a journey of medical cannabis discovery.

ezrasoiferman
Ezra Soiferman, Tweed Inc.’s new Artist-in-Residence, is a Montreal-based documentary filmmaker and photographer.

“What interests me most about the cannabis plant is its sheer diversity,” said Soiferman. “Frankly, there’s nothing I’ve encountered on the planet that can do as many things, and I swear I’ve searched high and low. … As a documentarian, this fascinates me, and as an artist, it inspires me.”

According to the press release, Soiferman’s projects throughout his year-long residency at Tweed will cover themes pertaining to cannabis and hemp, as well as projects that “speak to the Canadian cities and towns where [Tweed] operates.” Soiferman’s first project under the new partnership is a photo-based music video called “The Walls of Montreal,” which highlights the beautiful murals and street art of Quebec’s largest city.

When asked about how he landed the gig, Soiferman said that he approached Tweed with the idea first. He thought the company, with its “open-minded, sunny and ‘we love firsts’ attitude,” would be a perfect fit for the partnership that ultimately seeks to “bring cannabis to art and art to cannabis.”

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Nearly Two Thirds Support Legalization in California

8/18/2016

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According to a University of California, Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll, 63.8 percent of respondents supported legalizing cannabis for recreational use, with 36.2 percent opposed. The results are good news for advocates, as California voters will decide whether or not to legalize in November.

Democrats and independents supported the measure 73.8 percent and 62.2 percent, respectively. Republicans opposed legalization 53 percent to 47 percent, but were more supportive than they indicated in an IGS poll last year when 38.4 percent backed legalization, compared to 61.6 percent opposed.

The question did not poll support for Proposition 64, rather the broader question of legalization for adult use under a regulatory scheme similar to alcohol.

Support was highest among young people, aged 18 to 24 (74.5 percent to 25.5 percent) and lowest among people aged 65 and older (57.8 percent to 42.2 percent).

A Probolsky Research poll from February found 59.9 percent of Californians would vote yes on the ballot measure if the election were held at that time. In that poll, 36.7 percent were opposed.

Prop 64, if approved, would create a formal cannabis market, adding a 15 percent sales tax along with a cultivation tax of $9.25 per ounce of flower and $2.75 per ounce of leaves. The measure also includes language banning corporate or large-scale entities from entering California’s cannabis market for five years.

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Justice Department Announces it Will Stop Using Private Prisons

8/18/2016

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The Justice Department has announced that it plans to end its use of private prisons. In a memo released Thursday by Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, which was obtained by The Washington Post, Justice Department officials were instructed not to renew contracts with private correctional facility operators, or to “substantially reduce” the scope of their contracts.

Yates wrote, “[Private facilities] simply do not provide the same level of correctional services, programs, and resources; they do not save substantially on costs; and as noted in a recent report by the Department’s Office of Inspector General, they do not maintain the same level of safety and security.”

This announcement comes on the heels of recent negative attention toward private prisons in the press. The report that Yates referred to, released by the Inspector General last week, found that private prison facilities had more safety and security incidents than facilities run by the Bureau of Prisons, and that sub-par conditions for inmates were a major factor. Earlier this year, an undercover reporter for Mother Jones released a lengthy, scathing report of his experience working as a prison guard in a private facility, in which he detailed disturbing training practices, use of excessive force, and a general disregard for safety among private prison staff. In a different report that came out this year, The Nation wrote about deaths at private prisons that occurred under suspicious circumstances. On top of that, a major talking point for Democratic Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has been to dismantle and abolish for-profit prisons throughout his campaign.

While there are over 1.6 million prisoners in the United States and only about 30,000 of them are housed in private prisons operating under contracts with the Justice Department, this shift in policy could be an indicator that private prisons are on the way out across the board. There are still many prisons that have contracts at the state level, but as the general public rejects the idea that jailing people for profit is OK, these contracts will come under increased scrutiny and government bureaucracies will come under increased pressure to cancel them.

Although this news does not specifically address inmates in prison for charges related to cannabis, it can be viewed as another indicator of a gradual change in government mentality regarding the efficacy of the Drug War and its destructive policies.  The change needs to happen faster, and there are still thousands of people unjustly imprisoned for owning or growing a plant, but this blow to the private prison lobby is good news for the legalization movement nonetheless.

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Consultant Pleads Guilty to Role in Native American Cannabis Resort Scheme

8/18/2016

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One of the two consultants charged for their role in a Native American tribe plan to open a marijuana resort pleaded guilty this week to one count of conspiracy to possess cannabis, the Associated Press reports.

Jonathan Hunt, vice-president and cultivation expert for Monarch America, entered the plea as part of a deal with law enforcement. The class 6 felony is punishable by up to two years in prison and a $4,000 fine.

Eric Hagen, CEO of the Colorado-based firm, pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to possess, possession, and attempt to possess 10 pounds of cannabis or more.

“I am yet unaware of any evidence that my client possessed even a gram of marijuana,” Mike Butler, Hagen’s attorney, said in the report. “The marijuana belonged to the Santee Sioux Tribe. They paid for it. They had legal ownership of it at all times.”

The charges stem from the duo’s role as consultants to the tribe, who planned “an adult playground” on tribal land in South Dakota. The tribe abandoned the plan eight months ago after South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley warned that changes to tribal law permits regarding cannabis would not apply to non-tribe members.

Hunt is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 19, but the date could be changed depending on Hagen’s case.

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