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Showing posts from January, 2019

Patients Left in Limbo as Louisiana Experiences Medical Cannabis Delays

Now approaching the fourth year since Louisiana lawmakers passed medical cannabis legislation, patients have been stuck in a frustrating and painstaking wait as treatment remains unavailable. On Monday, patients and medical cannabis advocates received another disappointing update on the lengthy regulatory and testing process, potentially leaving the recently purported summer 2019 start date in jeopardy . Still unable to obtain treatment from regional pharmacies, there is still no definite timeline for when medical-grade cannabis products will finally come to the Bayou State.   Gathered at the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s public stakeholders meeting patients, regulators, state-sanctioned growers, and the universities overseeing the process convened to discuss the current state of the stymied medical cannabis program. Louisiana Patients Grow Weary of More Delays to Medical Cannabis Access Katie Corkern, a mother and medical cannabis advocate, has pleaded for y

Israel’s Cabinet Approves Export of Medical Cannabis

In a decision that thrilled the country’s cannabis industry, Israel’s cabinet gave a final OK on January 27 to regulations permitting the export of medical marijuana. The law was unanimously passed in the country’s parliamentary body the Knesset in December. News of the legalization of exportation is a long time coming in the eyes of many Israeli cannabis professionals. A government committee approved a plan to move towards legal exportation in 2017, but the process dragged over concerns about exported cannabis getting into the hands of entities in areas where marijuana is not yet legal. The decision makes Israel the third participant in the global legal cannabis market. The governments of the Netherlands and Canada also allow for exportation. The global cannabis market, according to a report by Energias Market Research, was projected in 2017 at $8.3 billion, and stands to rise to $28 billion by 2024. On Monday, Ehud Barak, chairman of Israeli company InterCure, announced plans

Document: Barr Responses To QFR’s: CLR Digs Out The Relevant Q’s & A’s

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The introduction to the document…. The Honorable Lindsey Graham Chairman Committee on the Judiciary United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Dianne Feinstein Ranking Member Committee on the Judiciary United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Chairman Graham and Ranking Member Feinstein: Enclosed please find responses to Questions for the Record that I received from Ranking Member Feinstein, as well as Senators Grassley, Cornyn, Tillis, Crapo, Kennedy, Leahy, Durbin, Whitehouse, Klobuchar, Coons, Blumenthal, Hirono, Booker, and Harris, following my appearance before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on January 15, 2019. Access the full document  at https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Barr%20Responses%20to%20QFRs.pdf We’ve quickly scanned the document and highlight a few of the following passages of relevance. Senator Grassley Questions Pages 6 & 7 9. For nearly fifty years, the University of Mississippi has had the sole contract with

Lawmakers Want to Expand VA Medical Cannabis Research, Can’t Agree on How to Do it

Lawmakers in the House of Representatives introduced two bills last week that would call on the Department of Veterans Affairs to expand research into the medicinal use of cannabis . One of the measures would closely dictate the direction research at the VA should take, while the other would allow the agency more discretion. House Bill 712 was introduced on January 23 by Democratic Rep. Lou Correa of California and Rep. Clay Higgins, a Louisiana Republican. Under their bill, the VA would, among other things, be directed to conduct a clinical trial of the effects of cannabis on adults with chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder . Correa said in a statement that the VA needs to develop new approaches to treating those who have answered the nation’s call to military service. “With the opioid crisis raging across America, it is imperative to the health and safety of our veterans that we find alternative treatments for chronic pain and service-related injuries,” Correa said . “It

Two Marijuana Decriminalization Bills Introduced in Tennessee

Two marijuana decriminalization bills have been introduced by lawmakers in the Tennessee legislature, according to media reports. One would decriminalize possession of less than one ounce of pot, while the other would protect holders of medical marijuana identification cards from other states. Both bills were sponsored in the Tennessee Senate by Democratic Sen. Sara Kyle and in the House of Representatives by fellow Democrat Rep. Gloria Johnson. The first measure,  SB256/HB235 , would amend state statute to decriminalize possession of less than one ounce of cannabis . The second bill,  SB260/HB234 , would permit holders of medical marijuana program identification cards from other states to possess up to one-half an ounce of cannabis. The bill also removes criminal penalties for medical marijuana cardholders who transfer cannabis to other cardholders. Johnson told local media that she decided to sponsor the bills, which were written by Kyle, partly due to the personal experience of he

Canadian Public Transportation Company Bans All Cannabis Use for Employees

On October 17, 2018, cannabis became legal for all adults across Canada. But already, some Canadian citizens are finding their right to cannabis stripped by workplace policies that prohibit off-duty cannabis use. The Toronto Police Service and Air Canada have already implemented bans on off-duty cannabis consumption. And this week, the Ontario government’s mass transit agency Metrolinx announced a similar ban. Going forward, Metrolinx is prohibiting all workers in “safety sensitive” positions from consuming cannabis, even on their off time. Metrolinx Says Private Off-the-Clock Cannabis Consumption Violates “Fit for Duty” Policy Metrolinx is a regional transit agency in Ontario that employs more than 3,700 people. And now, some of those workers are facing an ultimatum: stop consuming cannabis or find another job. On Monday, Metrolinx announced an update to its “Fit for Duty” policy. The policy update added a ban on cannabis consumption by employees “in safety sensitive positions.” B

Man Pursued by Police for Public Masturbation in Target, Found With 9 lbs of Weed

Police in Dover, Delaware, discovered nearly nine pounds of weed after pursuing a man who had been masturbating in a Target store. Lewis Foreman, 23, of Dover and two others were arrested in the case, according to local media . Officers were sent to the Target store on Jan. 19 and again on Thursday after it was reported that a man was masturbating in one of the fitting rooms with the door open. On both days, the man exited the store and drove away in a gold Jaguar, according to police. After fleeing from the store on Thursday morning, law enforcement officers tracked Foreman to the Manchester Square neighborhood of Dover. When police tried to stop him, he escaped on foot and entered a rear door of a nearby residence. Foreman then hid in the attic of the home with a woman, Tyra Mifflin, age 20. While the pair hid, a three-year-old child was left unattended in a bedroom of the house, according to police. The adults then surrendered themselves to police after hiding for a short time.

Denver’s Sweet Leaf Retail Owners Plead Guilty to Drug Charges, Serve Year in Jail

In December of 2017, Sweet Leaf, Colorado’s largest dispensary chain, was raided by Denver PD after a year-long undercover investigation into the business. Law enforcement shut down all locations for what the state refers to as “looping,” or selling more than the “legal” amount of cannabis to a customer at one time. Two years after the raid, the case came to a head today: Sweet Leaf’s owners Matthew Aiken, Christian Johnson, and Anthony Sauro pleaded guilty to violating the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act (COCCA)—a law that focuses on racketeering and illegal distribution of cannabis. Under a plea agreement with the Denver District Attorney, the men will serve one year in prison, face a year of parole, and one year of probation for charges under COCCA. They will also have a felony on their records for marijuana distribution. And, according to reports , Aiken, Johnson, and Sauro are also required to hand over the assets of their other businesses, Dynamic Growth LLC and AJS Holdin

USA State By State Digest: Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington Wyoming

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ALASKA Alaska Governor Appoints New Marijuana Control Board Members With Anti-Cannabis Records https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/alaska-governor-appoints-new-marijuana-control-board-members/?utm_campaign=Cannabis+Business+Times+Newsletter+-+Cannabis+Business+Times+Newsletter+-+Default&utm_source=Cannabis+Business+Times+Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=http%3a%2f%2fwww.cannabisbusinesstimes.com%2falaska-governor-appoints-new-marijuana-control-board-members.aspx&utm_content=137323&isid=48CE46 In a blow to Alaska’s cannabis industry, newly inaugurated Gov. Mike Dunleavy has appointed former Fairbanks City Councilwoman Vivian Stiver and Wildlife Trooper Lt. Christopher Jaime to the state’s Marijuana Control Board, which could have serious implications for the state’s efforts to regulate on-site cannabis consumption at state-licensed dispensaries. The new members, who must be approved by the state legisl   COLORADO Marijuana business owners plead

Governor of Pennsylvania Plans Town Hall Meetings to Discuss Pot Legalization

Tom Wolf, Pennsylvania’s Democrat governor who’s signaled openness towards recreational cannabis legalization, has OK’d a series of town hall meetings to explore the future of marijuana in the state. His recently sworn-in lieutenant governor John Fetterman will be spearheading the 67-county listening tour, the natural next step given Fetterman’s pro-pot campaign promises from last year. “We are actually trying to figure out this issue, where the people of Pennsylvania are, what is it we can learn from them in terms of what we ought to be doing here,” ABC6 Action News reports Wolf saying at a news conference on Thursday. Wolf made the initial announcement about the town halls earlier that day at an Associated Press interview. “I am looking forward to the culturally conservative areas,” Fetterman told Pittsburgh City Paper . “I am excited to hear these views.” The lieutenant governor explained that the ambitious survey project was an attempt to get away from “echo chambers” when en

National Cannabis Bar Association Events For 2019

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January Webinar Federal Hemp Legalization: The 2018 Federal Farm Bill and Agency Regulation Thursday, January 24, 9am pst (Noon Eastern) Register Here! This one hour webinar will provide key insight into the federal regulatory framework of this new era of hemp legalization through a detailed look at the Hemp Farming Act (included in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018) by NCBA Board of Director Courtney N. Moran, LL.M., who guided the drafting of the legislation. Register Here! NCBA 2019 In-Person Events: Save These Dates !   For the 2019 year, NCBA has organized our in-person educational events into a cohesive set of courses that will allow you to address every aspect of practice as it relates to your clients. We have organized a lineup that will serve every geographical need, and will touch on the substantive issues that you will need to be aware of to effectively tackle the issues you will face in your daily practice. MJBizCon N

UK’s NHS Will Not Prescribe Medical Cannabis to Those in Chronic Pain

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The UK’s National Health Service serves over one million people every day-and-a-half, a formational source of health care in a country with a population of less than 55 million. Many of those individuals suffer from a condition entailing chronic pain, which since October, qualifies them for a doctor’s recommendation for medicinal cannabis. But some residents have reported seeing troubling literature at Royal Derby Hospital, saying that clinical staff will not recommend medical cannabis to chronic pain patients due to “the risk of serious side effects.” Medical marijuana has been legal in England since October, when Sajid Javid of Home Secretary reclassified the drug to Schedule II. The policy shift took place months after Billy Caldwell, a then 12-year-old epilepsy patient, was hospitalized after officials took away his medical cannabis. Jon Liebling, the United Patients Alliance political director, told VICE News  that the posters are congruent with reports they’ve been hearing fr

Jay-Z, Meek Mill, and Three Sports Team Owners Launch Prison-Reform Alliance

In a press conference today, rappers Jay-Z and Meek Mill announced they are teaming up with a number of professional sports team owners and other business leaders to start a new organization aimed at overhauling the U.S.’s probation and parole system. In so doing, the group joins a growing movement to change the nation’s criminal legal system. Much of this movement is aimed at addressing the racial disparities embedded in the legal system. Additionally, the movement also carries potentially big implications for how the nation approaches drug laws. Jay-Z and Meek Mill Announce the Reform Alliance Today’s announcement came during a press conference held at the John Jay College in New York City. As explained during the event, Jay-Z , Meek Mill, Patriots owner Robert Kraft, 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin, and Nets co-owner Clara Wu Tsai have joined forces to launch the Reform Alliance. Additionally, the organization also includes a number of other leading business executives as investors

GW suffers major blow as US sinks bid to patent cannabinoids for epilepsy

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British firm GW Pharmaceuticals is licking its wounds after US judges tossed out its attempt to patent multiple cannabinoids for epilepsy treatment following an eight-year battle. The US Patent Trial and Appeal Board, an administrative law body of the national patent office, denied patent US9066920B2 on January 3, siding with petitioner Insys, a rival biotech firm. The patent, which has been embroiled in dispute since 2010, is for “the use of one or more cannabinoids in the treatment of epilepsy”. More particularly, to the use of one or a combination of cannabinoids, CBD oil, in the treatment of generalized or partial seizures. The invention covers a method of treating partial seizure comprising administering cannabidiol (CBD), to a patient wherein the CBD is present in an amount which provides a daily dose of at least 400 mg. Administrative patent judges Erica Franklin, Susan Mitchell, and Zhenyu Yang, said claims 1 and 2 were “unpatentable” under US law, however the remaining

New York State Unveils Draft Cannabis Legislation – January 15, 2019

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Craig Delsack,  www.NYCannaBusiness.com  New York canna-business lawyer writes , “On January 15, 2019, Governor Cuomo and his team – led by Assistant Counsel to the Governor for Health, Axel Bernabe and Assistant Counsel to the Governor, Jason Starr – have published  the draft legislation for New York State cannabis legalization.   Here is the relevant portion of the law (click to view or download  NYS Proposed Marijuana Cannabis Law 2019 ). It is too soon to tell how the proposed law will change through the legislative process, but it is the basis for what will soon be legal cannabis in New York State. “ Source   http://www.nyccounsel.com/cannabis/governor-cuomo-announces-new-yorks-cannabis-law-in-state-of-the-state-speech/     Full doc . Start Part VV Page 200 You then have 191 pages of draft legislation to plough through. We look forward to 14 and half months of discussion, debate and everything else in between It starts with…… It is hereby declared that such policy wi