Queer in Cannabis: Inclusion Is the Solution

As a queer woman from New York who’s been involved in the cannabis industry for more than three years, I’ve met dozens of LGBTQ people, ranging from millennials to baby-boomers and activists to executives. As a new industry, cannabis benefits from growing in a time where there’s more awareness of the value of diversity.

“The medical part of this industry has deep roots [in the AIDS crisis] that has been forgotten about over the decades,” says Josh Drayton, Communications and Outreach Director for the California Cannabis Industry Association (CCIA). Drayton, who started his cannabis career in Humboldt County more than a decade ago as an out gay man, helped launch CCIA’s Diversity and Inclusion program, which focuses on mentorship for underrepresented communities. He’s also worked on the launch of Sprout, an LGBT-inclusive space for the Bay Area cannabis industry.

“I started to get concerned about the lack of LGBT representation when I went to some of the Cannabis Cups,” Drayton explains, “because of the extreme white male presence and advertising geared toward heterosexual men.”

While many legal-cannabis companies have begun to focus on advertising that appeals across genders, the key to change is diverse leadership and a willingness to call out bad behavior.

ISAMARIE PÉREZ: “We share a common sense of being othered, which I think anyone in the cannabis industry can relate to on some level.” 

For Isamarie Pérez, moving from the tech world into the cannabis industry was a welcome change. “It was incredibly refreshing to meet so many more LGBTQ people and business owners than I ever did in tech,” says Pérez, who’s Head of Business Development at Meadow, a cannabis software start-up backed by Y Combinator, where she he hosts free licensing workshops and panels, meets with regulators on the local and state level, and attends social-equity workshops to ensure representation within the industry for those who lack access to capital. She also advocates for LGBTQ inclusion as a speaker for Lesbians Who Tech.

“My sexuality may not be as obvious as the fact that I am a woman with brown skin,” Pérez explains. “They are very different experiences individually, yet we share a common sense of being othered, which I think anyone in the cannabis industry can relate to on some level. If we can all take a step back and realize that we’re stronger together than we are alone, the cannabis movement has the chance to be like no other industry before it.”

The post Queer in Cannabis: Inclusion Is the Solution appeared first on Freedom Leaf.

Source: https://www.freedomleaf.com/queer-cannabis/

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Weekly Legislative Roundup 6/29/18

Welcome to the latest edition of NORML’s Weekly Legislative Roundup!

The US Senate has been busy this week talking about marijuana policy. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), along with Senators Bernie Sanders, Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), just introduced legislation called the Marijuana Freedom and Opportunity Act, to remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act and to provide funding for the expungement of criminal records for those with past marijuana convictions.

The full Senate voted to legalize hemp as part of the Farm Bill by a 86-11 vote. The Senate also earlier this week approved a funding bill that contains a provision allowing Department of Veterans Affairs doctors to recommend medical cannabis to military veterans.

At the state level, Oklahoma became the 31st state to legalize medical marijuana, after voters decided to enact State Question 788, that permits doctors to use their discretion to recommend medical cannabis to any patients who will benefit from it. But Gov. Mary Fallin (R) issued a statement shortly after the result was called indicating that she plans to work with lawmakers to scale back the measure.

A majority of the Delaware House of Representatives voted to approve a marijuana legalization bill, but it did not get the 60% supermajority support needed to advance the bill to the Senate, killing it for the year.

Massachusetts regulators approved an equity plan to ensure participation in the marijuana industry by communities that have been targeted by the war on drugs. They also voted to prioritize consideration of cannabis testing lab license applications.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige (D) said he will veto a bill to allow medical cannabis to treat opioid addiction, substance use and withdrawal symptoms. On the other hand, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) signed a bill approving a medical cannabis research program.

At a more local level, Sacramento County, California’s district attorney has been moving to dismiss old marijuana convictions, Jacksonville, Arkansas police will no longer arrest people for possessing small amounts of marijuana, and Las Vegas, Nevada officials are considering allowing marijuana consumption lounges.

Following are the bills from around the country that we’ve tracked this week and as always, check http://norml.org/act for legislation pending in your state.

Don’t forget to sign up for our email list and we will keep you posted as these bills and more move through your home state legislature and at the federal level.

Your Highness,
Carly

Priority Alerts

Federal

End Cannabis Criminalization: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced legislation, the Marijuana Freedom and Opportunity Act, to remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act and to provide funding for the expungement of criminal records for those with past marijuana convictions.

Click here to e-mail your senators and urge them to support this important legislation

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

Senate Bill 20-62 seeks to legalize, tax, and regulate cannabis in the US territory of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

If passed, the bill would legalize the personal use and cultivation of small amounts of marijuana for adults age 21 or older, and establish a licensing scheme for its commercial production and retail sale. The tax revenue would be used to fund the implementation of the program and other government services.

Update: The Board of Education wants SB 20-62 amended to ban cannabis on campuses and from public school system buildings and to exempt the agency from discriminating against employees who consume marijuana.

CNMI resident? Click here to email your elected officials in support of legalization and regulation

New York

A. 9016 and S. 7564 seek to permit physicians to recommend cannabis therapy to those struggling with opioid abuse or dependence.

Update: The Republican Caucus pushed A. 9016/S. 7564 off the table and merged it with A. 11011b / S. 8987a which passed both chambers of the legislature on 6/20. The bills now await action from Governor Cuomo.

NY resident? Click here to email your elected officials in support of cannabis as an alternative to opioids

California

Assembly Bill 1793 seeks “to allow automatic expungement or reduction of a prior cannabis conviction for an act that is not a crime as of January 1, 2017, or for a crime that as of that date subject to a lesser sentence.

Update: AB 1793 was heard by the Senate Public Safety Committee on 6/26, and then approved by a 5-1 vote. The bill now awaits action in the Appropriations Committee.

CA resident? Click here to email your elected officials in support of expungement

Senate Bill 829 would exempt compassionate care programs from paying state cannabis taxes when they are providing free medical cannabis to financially disadvantaged people living with serious health conditions.

Update: SB 829 was approved by the Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation by a vote of 8-1, and was re-referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

CA resident? Click here to email your elected officials in support of helping needy patients

Senate Bill 1127 will help students with severe medical disabilities attend school by allowing a parent or guardian to come on campus to administer medical cannabis to them in non-smoking and non-vaping forms. The bill was already approved by the Senate last month.

Update: SB 1127 will be heard by the Judiciary Committee on 7/3.

CA resident? Click here to email your elected officials in support of patient access to medical cannabis in schools

That’s all for this week, check back next Friday for more legislative updates!

Source: http://blog.norml.org/2018/06/29/weekly-legislative-roundup-6-29-18/

Weekly Legislative Roundup 6/29/18 was initially published to https://gigglesndimples.com/

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Vermont: Law Legalizing Adult Marijuana Use Takes Effect Sunday, July 1

Adults in Vermont will be able to possess and grow personal use quantities of cannabis legally under state law, beginning this Sunday, July 1.

Vermont joins Alaska, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington in legalizing the adult possession and use of marijuana. It is the first state to enact legalization via an act of the legislature rather than by the passage of a voter initiative.

“The majority of Vermonters, like the majority of the American public, desire to live in a community where responsible adults who choose to consume cannabis are no longer criminalized or stigmatized,” NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said. “Vermont lawmakers and Gov. Scott are to be recognized for responding to the will of the voters, rather than choosing to ignore them.”

He added: “Vermont is leading by example. Lawmakers in other states would be wise to follow.”

The new law, which Republican Gov. Phil Scott signed in January, legalizes activities by adults to the possession of up to one ounce of cannabis, and with regard to the private cultivation of six marijuana plants (two mature and up to four immature). Those who cultivate marijuana for their own personal use may possess at home the total quantity of their harvest. The measure also imposes new civil penalties for consuming cannabis while driving, and imposes additional penalties for those who operate a motor vehicle impaired with a minor in the vehicle. (Read a summary of the new law here.)

“This is a libertarian approach,” Gov. Scott said prior to signing the bill into law. “I know there are diverse opinions … as to whether we should move forward, but I still firmly believe that what you do in your own home should be your business, as long as it doesn’t affect someone else.”

Over 20 percent of the US population now resides in jurisdictions where adult marijuana use is legal under state law. To date, the enactment of these policies has not been associated with any significant upticks in either crime, adolescent marijuana use, or motor vehicle accidents. Earlier this month, Canada’s Parliament passed legislation legalizing the use, cultivation, and retail sale of marijuana by those age 18 and older. That new law takes effect on October 17, 2018.

According to nationwide polling data published last week, 68 percent of US voters – including majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents – support legalizing and regulating the use of marijuana by adults. That percentage is the highest level of support ever reported in a nationwide scientific poll.

Source: http://blog.norml.org/2018/06/29/vermont-law-legalizing-adult-marijuana-use-takes-effect-sunday-july-1/

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NORML PAC Endorsed Jared Polis Scores Resounding Victory in Colorado

Representative Jared Polis, who was endorsed by NORML PAC, scored a resounding victory in Colorado’s Democratic primary for governor.

The results from the Democratic gubernatorial primary are not just a victory for Jared Polis and supporters of sensible marijuana policy, they are a victory for anyone who believes that our prohibition on marijuana was a failure and that states should be free to set their own policies when it comes to cannabis, free from federal incursion. Jared Polis has been the preeminent champion for ending our nation’s failed federal prohibition on marijuana while in Congress and an unrelenting force in standing up for Colorado’s legalization and medical marijuana laws. Just as he has always stood and fought by our side against federal prohibition, we will continue to fight for Jared Polis until he takes his rightful place in the governor’s mansion.

Upon receiving our endorsement, Polis stated, “I’ve been proud to lead the fight for cannabis reform in Congress, and NORML has been an incredibly valuable partner in that effort, Here in Colorado, we’ve proven that legal cannabis creates jobs; funds schools, not cartels; and boosts our economy, not our prison population, and I look forward to growing this industry. It’s an honor to have NORML’s endorsement, and I will proudly stand with them against Jeff Sessions or anyone else who tries to come after legal cannabis in Colorado.”

To learn more about Jared’s campaign and find out how you can help him win in November CLICK HERE.

Source: http://blog.norml.org/2018/06/27/norml-pac-endorsed-jared-polis-scores-resounding-victory-in-colorado/

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Problems Plague MJ Freeway’s Leaf Data Systems in Washington State

On June 14, the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) issued a news update to the state’s marijuana industry, alerting them that LCB had received a notice the week before “that there had been unauthorized efforts to tamper with data derived from commercial software that integrates with the state traceability system.”

This is just the latest in a series of troubles for MJ Freeway.

Washington switched over to the their Leaf Data Systems‘ traceability and compliance monitoring software (i.e., seed-to-sale tracking) on February 1. It was breached two days later. Data were stolen and systems were corrupted, disrupting business operations across the state.

Plants with seed-to-sale tracking

LCB took several days to notify businesses of the reason for that disruption, which is standard procedure for the state, probably added to the growing sense of mistrust among businesses toward the state and the Leaf system. LCB’s Marijuana Traceability Project (MTP) noted in a recent quality assurance review that “the security incident right after going live along with the disrupted system workflows and the backlog of responses to phone calls, tickets and bug fixes severely deteriorated the trust that licensees and software integrators had in Leaf Data System, the vendor, and in WSLCB staff.”

Communications from the state have improved, which is helping with those trust issues, but the question remains: Will better communication be enough to overcome poor system performance and persistent questions about data security?

According to that MTP report, “At the end of April, 87 high to critical severity bugs remain in the system that require work-around processes until the defect fix can be put into the production environment. Development and testing continues for a hot fix code release that is needed to resolve outstanding workflow blockages identified just after implementation related to QA test results, sales reports and units of measure. This release was planned for mid-to-late February and has been repeatedly delayed.”

OZ. Recreational Cannabis in Seattle

Seed-to-sale tracking has its limitations, but if the system itself is faulty then the accuracy of the data that are entered doesn’t really matter. One Washington retailer, Bob Ramstad with OZ. Recreational Cannabis in Seattle, tells Freedom Leaf his inventory data on Leaf and the inventory data on his own system just don’t match up. “For one month, the sales reported in Leaf were 90% of my actual sales and allegedly all medical, which makes no sense, as we are not even medically endorsed,” he explains. “For a shorter period, more recent, sales reported in Leaf were 10% of my actual sales, and again, all medical.”

OZ. RECREATIONAL CANNABIS’ BOB RAMSTED ON LEAF DATA’s SOFTWARE SNAFU: “It’s quite frankly ridiculous.”

The Leaf Data system also includes sales and excise tax reporting. Bad inventory and manifest data could cause some real problems for the state and for businesses in that regard. However, that’s not a problem right now, because that part of the Leaf system isn’t working at all. The MTP report notes: “Similarly, code deployment for additional requirements related to tax and fee functionality has been delayed, after being planned for release by the end of February, more than 60 days ago. Contingency reporting remains in effect for sales and excise tax reporting. It is still not clear when the fee functionality will be available in Leaf Data Systems.”

According to the LCB website on June 21, “Retail licensees will need to manually report until further notice.”

“Now I have to fill out a report manually,” says Ramstad, “which isn’t a big deal, but it does mean that someone could easily game the system or simply not send returns in and the state would have no way of knowing for sure what was owed. It’s quite frankly ridiculous, especially given that the LCB has stated that enforcement of payment of cannabis tax is a priority now.”

The lack of a working seed-to-sale tracking system is more than just an inconvenience. A big reason these systems exist in the first place is to reassure the Feds that states are working to prevent illegal diversion. “We don’t have that sort of system right now at all,” he adds. “It’s jeopardizing the existence of the entire industry in Washington state.”

Flowhub’s cultivation NUG allows users to scan plant tags and report compliance data automatically back to state regulators. (PRNewsfoto/Flowhub)

Even if MJ Freeway does get its act together, it’s got more problems on the horizon: big players are starting to enter the field. In April, cannabis compliance software maker FlowHub announced a partnership with HP (formerly Hewlett Packard) to integrate its software with HP’s ElitePOS point-of-sale system.

Ramstad, who has a Master’s degree in computer science from MIT, welcomes HP’s move. “I think any legitimate software company can find challenges and opportunity in the cannabis space,” he says. “I was also very interested when Microsoft bought a small startup that did cannabis compliance and tracking a while back. That outfit used Azure and so it was a natural match for them.”

Time will tell whether MJ Freeway can survive this latest debacle. With companies like HP and Microsoft getting into the business of providing services to the cannabis industry, it’s a whole new ball game.

More Articles About Seed-to-Sale Tracking

Interview with BioTrackTHC’s Patrck Vo

MJ Freeway’s Software Dilemma

Inside Seed to Sale: How It Works

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Can Landlords Ban You From Smoking Marijuana? It Depends on the Province

Recreational cannabis will be legal in Canada on Oct. 17, but renters in some provinces might not have the right to smoke or cultivate it in their homes. Quebec’s new cannabis act, considered among the strictest in the country, gives landlords the right to change signed leases specifically to ban tenants from smoking marijuana. The Quebec law states that “a lessor may modify the conditions of a lease ... and in the absence of a…

Source: https://www.cannabisculture.com/content/2018/06/25/can-landlords-ban-you-from-smoking-marijuana-it-depends-on-the-province

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Cannabis and the Border: What Pot-Smoking Canadians Need to Know

'I see a wall on the northern border for Canadians because of marijuana,' immigration lawyer says. Each day, 400,000 Canadians cross the Canada-U.S. border. Beginning Oct. 17, 2018, more and more of those travellers could be forced to answer an uncomfortable question posed by wary American customs officers: Have you ever smoked pot? Those who tell the truth risk being banned from the United States for life and might have to apply for special waivers…

Source: https://www.cannabisculture.com/content/2018/06/24/cannabis-and-the-border-what-pot-smoking-canadians-need-to-know

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Kentucky NORML: Cannabis Access Associated with Reduced Rates of Opioid Use and Abuse

KY NORML is passionate about education. And with the opioid epidemic consuming our state, we feel that it is our duty to share valuable information regarding the relationship between cannabis and opioids. Cannabis access is associated with reduced rates of opioid use and abuse, opioid-related hospitalizations, traffic fatalities, drug treatment admissions, and overdose deaths. We strongly believe, based on research, first-hand accounts, and testimonials that cannabis is truly the answer to combating this crisis that is killing thousands of Kentuckians each year.

According to a study by the Journal of Headache and Pain, “the most common prescription medications replaced by medicinal cannabis in this study were opiates/opioids in a large percentage within every pain group, up to 72.8% of patients in the chronic pain as primary illness group. … This is notable given the well-described “opioid-sparing effect” of cannabinoids and growing abundance of literature suggesting that cannabis may help in weaning from these medications and perhaps providing a means of combating the opioid epidemic.”

Investigators assessed opioid use patterns in patients registered with Health Canada to access medical cannabis products. Among those patients who acknowledged using opioids upon enrollment in the trial, 51 percent reported ceasing their opiate use within six-months. “The high rate of cannabis use for the treatment of chronic pain — and subsequent substitution for opioids — suggests that cannabis may play a harm-reduction role in the ongoing opioid dependence and overdose crisis. While the cannabis substitution effect for prescription drugs has been identified and assessed via cross-sectional and population-level research, this study provides a granular individual-level perspective of cannabis substitution for prescription drugs and associated improvement in quality of life over time.”

Cannabis access is associated with reductions in overall prescription drug spending. JAMA Internal Medicine “found that prescriptions filled for all opioids decreased by 2.11 million daily doses per year from an average of 23.08 million daily doses per year when a state instituted any medical cannabis law. Prescriptions for all opioids decreased by 3.742 million daily doses per year when medical cannabis dispensaries opened. … Combined with previously published studies suggesting cannabis laws are associated with lower opioid mortality, these findings further strengthen arguments in favor of considering medical applications of cannabis as one tool in the policy arsenal that can be used to diminish the harm of prescription opioids.”

The Mental Health Clinician  “investigated medical cannabis’ effectiveness in patients suffering from chronic pain associated with qualifying conditions for MC in New York State. … After 3 months treatment, MC improved quality of life, reduced pain and opioid use, and lead to cost savings. … These results are consistent with previous reports demonstrating MC’s effectiveness in neuropathic pain.”

There are tons more information out there on this topic and the above research barely scratches the surface. We encourage you to see what’s out there for yourself. Knowledge is power and the better armed we are with that knowledge the more effective we can be in getting legislation passed. The opioid crisis that is plaguing our state has harmed so many of our citizens, and if cannabis is able to help, the legislators should get out the way and pass a comprehensive bill to deal with the problems our state is facing.

High Regards,
Matthew Bratcher
Executive Director, KY NORML

To support KY NORML you can DONATE HERE and follow us on Facebook and Twitter! Your donations help pay the bills and allow us to function and continue to make a difference in our state! Can you kick in $5, $10 or $20 to help us keep going?

Source: http://blog.norml.org/2018/06/22/kentucky-norml-cannabis-access-associated-with-reduced-rates-of-opioid-use-and-abuse/

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Cannabis: A Different Kind Of Treatment

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Five Things All New Medical Cannabis Patients Should Know

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Hemp to the Future: U.S. and Canada Industrial Crops on the Rise

While enthusiasm around the legal cannabis business continues to build, the hemp industry may be poised for explosive growth as well.

For now, however, public equity investors have relatively few options for hemp compared to the availability of cannabis stocks on the OTC market, such as Canadian companies that trade in Canada and the U.S. and larger companies with some exposure to the booming legal cannabis investors.

More of an agricultural and industrial product, hemp fiber and seeds are used in a wide variety of products; in addition, the plant contains CBD, a cannabinoid that can be extracted. Its use gaining in popularity for its purported health benefits.

Hemp is a close relative of cannabis, but does not contain psychoactive properties that make you feel high. Despite that fact, federal law classifies it under the Controlled Substances Act as a Schedule I drug.

Despite this, 38 states currently have pilot programs in place to grow hemp. Most were set up after Congress included a measure in the 2014 Farm Bill that laid out hemp guidelines for states to follow. Under those guidelines, 11 states produced 9,700 acres of hemp in 2016 and 19 states grew more than 25,000 acres in 2017. This year, production is expected to take another big jump.

The Brightfield Group, a Florida-based analytics provider, predicts the hemp industry will be a $1 billion market by 2020. Purchase their report here.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wants to federally legalize hemp.

McConnell’s Hemp Bill in the Senate

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has managed to fast-track his Hemp Farming Act of 2018 by including it in the Senate Farm Bill. The measure would de-schedule hemp and amend other federal measures to legalize its wider use as an agricultural product and qualify it for federal crop insurance.

“Younger farmers in my state are particularly interested in going in this direction,” McConnell stated. “We have a lot of people who are extremely enthusiastic about the possibilities. As we know, hemp is very diversified.”

Hemp Industries Association President Joy Beckerman is enthusiastic about McConnell’s measure. “We’re going to get this thing done and the plan is for it to go right to the floor for a vote,” Beckerman tells Freedom Leaf. “I have very little in common with McConnell other than hemp, but he’s definitely a hemp hero. He’s been driving legislation in the Senate since at least 2012.”

In 1994, Beckerman opened Heaven on Earth, a store filled with hemp products in Woodstock, NY. She predicted then that one day New York would be known as “the Hempire State.” Last year, New York issued a $10 million grant to research and process hemp. “People thought I was crazy, but I was ahead of the trend,” Beckerman humbly notes.

HIA’s JOY BECKERMAN: “I have very little in common with McConnell other than hemp, but he’s definitely a hemp hero.”

Blue Moon Hemp, a Florida-based CBD seller, buys hemp from a Kentucky farm and processes it into CBD oil in a lab in Boca Raton. “Right now, hemp has that Schedule I classification and you have the 2014 Farm Bill, which allowed pilot programs,” explains national sales director Matt Byrne. “They’re diametrically opposed to each other. It’s a unique legal situation. We’re kind of protected on one end where they are saying you can do this and the other is saying you can’t. And they’re coming from the same place. It’s pretty dumb. The Hemp Farming Act will clear a lot of that up. That would be a game changer.”

Ex-Massachusetts governor William Weld, who’s on the board of directors of the cannabis company, Acreage Holdings (along with former Senator John Boehner), thinks McConnell’s hemp bill has a good chance of reaching a vote this year. “The reasons for legalizing hemp are even more obvious than cannabis,” Weld said at the CWCBExpo in New York on May 31. “You’ve got Mitch McConnell behind it, so that’s a freight train.”

Hemp, Inc. CEO Bruce Perlowin

Investing in Hemp Stocks

On the investment side, Alan Brochstein, who tracks the cannabis sector with his website, 420 Investor, hasn’t seen many substantial choices for long-term investors in the hemp space. “Most of these stocks aren’t worth anyone’s time except for day-traders, with several not even filing with the SEC,” he says.

Brochstein offers two recommendations: CV Sciences (“It’s increased rather dramatically over the last couple of months”) and Alliance International, a tobacco company that purchased 40% of the North Carolina hemp company, Criticality, in December.

Among hemp penny stocks, Hemp, Inc. (HEMP) trades at less than $0.03 a share, with a market cap of $7.3 million. For the three months ending March 31, the company narrowed its net loss to $13 million from $15.9 million. Net loss from operations was $1.27 million, compared to a loss of $5.16 million a year ago. Sales rose to $96,498 from $27,456.

HEMP, INC.’s BRUCE PERLOWIN: “There’s massive demand for biomass to make CBD and other products. Hemp is trending in ways none of us anticipated.”

Hemp, Inc. founder Bruce Perlowin says his company could cultivate as much as 25,000 acres of hemp in Colorado and Arizona this year. Perlowin’s so bullish on hemp and CBD that he’s been investing in extraction and grinding equipment for his facility in Spring Hope, NC. The company has also developed its own hemp strains (NC-1 and NC-2), which are aimed at fitting into a recently funded federal research program.

Last year, the Senate Appropriations Committee directed the federal Agricultural Research Service to spend $500,000 to maintain an industrial hemp seed bank. The committee voted to fund the program as part of a broader agriculture measure for fiscal 2019 to restore the nation’s stockpile of industrial hemp seeds after it was destroyed in the 1980s.

Perlowin, who was arrested and prosecuted for marijuana smuggling and other charges in the 1980s, continues to face legal problems. Now, his woes are related to shares in Hemp, Inc.

In 2016, the SEC filed a complaint against Perlowin for making fraudulent statements to registered broker deals in the sale of Hemp, Inc. stock, among other civil charges. He says the case remains ongoing, disputes any wrongdoing, doesn’t plan to settle the case with the SEC and would rather fight the charges in court.

Until the case is resolved, Perlowin remains focused on the power of hemp, which he believes can counter global warming because the plants absorb more CO2 than any other industrial crop. “The world needs hemp,” he exclaims. “There’s massive demand for biomass to make CBD and other products. Hemp is trending in ways none of us anticipated.”

CBD, Perlowin adds, has been gaining attention as a food additive, with giant food and drink manufacturers such as Pepsi and Nabisco taking a look at it as a healthy ingredient for their products.

Related Hemp Articles

Senate Leader McConnell Introduces Hemp Legalization Bill

Hemp-Friendly Patagonia Sues Feds Over Utah Land Grab

pRana Takes Lead in Hemp Clothing Revival

Hemp’s Long Road to Respectability

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New Report By New York City Police Department On Marijuana Criminalization

The new Report by the New York City Police Department’s “Working Group” is more window dressing than an actual policy change. It appears to be an elaborate 20-page rationalization to continue the present enforcement protocol without any real progress on the policing front. As of today, the policy continues to leave it to the relatively unfettered discretion in the hands of each officer to decide whether to issue a summons or, subject to a variety of exceptions, affect a full-blown arrest for the public consumption of marijuana. The continuation of this policy certainly is better than the old days in that those issued a summons are not fingerprinted and face only a maximum $100 fine for a first offense. But, that is not the policy that the citizens of New York want or need.

Historically, the Report cites a 66% decrease in marijuana-related arrests since changes of enforcement priority and practice dating back to 2014. The Report makes clear through statistics and graphs that despite the significant drop in arrests, those arrests continue to dramatically impact people of color who comprised 86.9% of all marijuana arrests and disproportionately continue to suffer the negative collateral consequences of such an arrest. It further cites other jurisdictions like Colorado and other legalized states that still have endemic racial disparity in arrest rates despite the law enforcement policy changes. Such statistical anomalies must be addressed since New York City’s change in enforcement priority dating back to 2014 officially recognized that the burning of marijuana in public view had a negligible impact on the safety and quality of life NYC denizens.

But, the Report justifies the lack of any substantial policy change in 2018 on the fact that there is not a uniform consensus amongst the District Attorneys in each of the 5 boroughs of New York City regarding the prosecution of marijuana cases. The District Attorneys of Manhattan and Brooklyn have publicly announced that they will no longer prosecute low-level marijuana offenses, but similar pronouncements are lacking from the DAs in the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island.  As such, the lack of uniformity within the 5 boroughs leaves the NYPD without a single policy because of the differing law enforcement priorities in different neighborhoods. Therefore, NYPD apparently believes that it cannot improve upon its dated 2014 policy.

In reality, this rationalization is a cop-out.  NYPD officers have for years been given lots of discretion during civilian encounters involving public consumption and that has led to vastly reduced number of marijuana arrests.  The Police Department can and should revise and develop a more comprehensive set of internal guidelines to further guide and constrain the officer’s discretion to issue summonses which in turn cause a further decline in the number of marijuana arrests in New York City.  While the Report calls for limited exceptions to the policy to permit arrests where matters of public safety and quality of life issues are at stake (lack of identification, open warrants, history of violence, and being on probation or parole), all internal measures should be taken to ensure that police/civilian encounters are designed to achieve the desire and goal of both NYPD and New Yorkers to greatly reduce the arrests for the public burning of marijuana.

David C. Holland, Esq. is the Executive and Legal Director, Empire State NORML. You can follow Empire NORML on Facebook and Twitter, and visit their website at: https://esnorml.org/ 

Source: http://blog.norml.org/2018/06/20/new-report-by-new-york-city-police-department-on-marijuana-criminalization/

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Summary of C-45, the Bill That Legalized Cannabis in Canada

Here’s the summary of Bill C-45, the legislation passed by Canada’s Parliament on June 19 that legalizes marijuana:

“This enactment enacts the Cannabis Act to provide legal access to cannabis and to control and regulate its production, distribution and sale.

“The objectives of the Act are to prevent young persons from accessing cannabis, to protect public health and public safety by establishing strict product safety and product quality requirements and to deter criminal activity by imposing serious criminal penalties for those operating outside the legal framework. The Act is also intended to reduce the burden on the criminal justice system in relation to cannabis.”

The Act

“(a) establishes criminal prohibitions such as the unlawful sale or distribution of cannabis, including its sale or distribution to young persons, and the unlawful possession, production, importation and exportation of cannabis;

“(b) enables the Minister to authorize the possession, production, distribution, sale, importation and exportation of cannabis, as well as to suspend, amend or revoke those authorizations when warranted;

“(c) authorizes persons to possess, sell or distribute cannabis if they are authorized to sell cannabis under a provincial Act that contains certain legislative measures;

“(d) prohibits any promotion, packaging and labelling of cannabis that could be appealing to young persons or encourage its consumption, while allowing consumers to have access to information with which they can make informed decisions about the consumption of cannabis;

“(e) provides for inspection powers, the authority to impose administrative monetary penalties and the ability to commence proceedings for certain offenses by means of a ticket;

“(f) includes mechanisms to deal with seized cannabis and other property;

“(g) authorizes the Minister to make orders in relation to matters such as product recalls, the provision of information, the conduct of tests or studies and the taking of measures to prevent non-compliance with the Act;

“(h) permits the establishment of a cannabis tracking system for the purposes of the enforcement and administration of the Act;

“(i) authorizes the Minister to fix, by order, fees related to the administration of the Act; and

“(j) authorizes the Governor in Council to make regulations respecting such matters as quality, testing, composition, packaging and labelling of cannabis, security clearances and the collection and disclosure of information in respect of cannabis as well as to make regulations exempting certain persons or classes of cannabis from the application of the Act.

“This enactment also amends the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to, among other things, increase the maximum penalties for certain offenses and to authorize the Minister to engage persons having technical or specialized knowledge to provide advice. It repeals item 1 of Schedule II and makes consequential amendments to that Act as the result of that repeal.

“In addition, it repeals Part XII.‍1 of the Criminal Code, which deals with instruments and literature for illicit drug use, and makes consequential amendments to that Act.

“It amends the Non-smokers’ Health Act to prohibit the smoking and vaping of cannabis in federally regulated places and conveyances.

“Finally, it makes consequential amendments to other Acts.”

Read the entire Act here.

Re: Home Cultivation

Under Criminal Activities/Possession, Section (e) reads:

“Unless authorized under this Act, it is prohibited for an individual to possess more than four cannabis plants that are not budding or flowering.”

In other words, Canadians can grow up to three plants at one time at a residence or other location.

Related Articles

Now That Canada Has Legalized Cannabis, Celebrate at ICBC Vancouver

Provinces Take Lead in Canada’s Legalization Ramp-Up

Recreational Cannabis Store Openings Delayed in Massachusetts

Freedom Leaf’s State-by-State Guide to U.S. Cannabis Legalization

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Source: https://www.freedomleaf.com/legalization-act-canada/

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NORML Releases Comprehensive Report Summarizing Local Decriminalization Laws

Even though recreational marijuana remains criminalized in a majority of US states, more and more municipalities are moving ahead with local laws decriminalizing the possession of cannabis within city limits. For the first time, NORML has released a comprehensive breakdown of these citywide and countywide decriminalization policies.

Efforts to liberalize municipal marijuana possession penalties in states where cannabis remains criminalized have become increasingly popular in recent years. Since 2012, over 50 localities, such as Albuquerque, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Philadelphia, and St. Louis in a dozen states — including Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Texas — have enacted municipal laws or resolutions either fully or partially decriminalizing minor cannabis possession offenses. Today, over 10.5 million Americans reside in these localities. (Please note: This total does not include cities or counties in states that have either legalized or decriminalized marijuana statewide).

Click here to see the full breakdown of localities that have decriminalized marijuana

NORML Executive Director Erik Altieri: “Local politicians see firsthand the punitive and disproportionately adverse effects that statewide marijuana criminalization has on their communities and upon their constituents. That is why they are exercising their local legislative powers to protect citizens in their community when state politicians are either unwilling or lack the political courage to do so.”

DECRIMINALIZATION EXPLAINED

Under full decriminalization, minor offenses are defined by statute as either non-criminal violations or infractions. Violators are not subject to arrest. Instead, they are cited and mandated to pay a small fine. Violators are not subject to a court appearance nor are they saddled with a criminal conviction or record.  Under partial decriminalization policies, minor marijuana offenses may remain classified as misdemeanor offenses. However, violators are issued a summons in lieu of a criminal arrest.

Beginning with Oregon in 1973, 21 states and the District of Columbia have enacted versions of marijuana decriminalization. (Eight of these states: Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon, and Vermont — have since replaced their decriminalization statutes with statewide adult use legalization legislation.)

Today, nine states — Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, and Rhode Island — have fully decriminalized activities specific to the private possession of small amounts of cannabis by adults. Four additional states — Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio — have partially decriminalized marijuana possession offenses. In these latter jurisdictions, cannabis remains classified as a misdemeanor under state law, but the offense does not carry the penalty of jail time. In New York, marijuana possession ‘in public view’ remains punishable as a criminal misdemeanor.

Click here to see the full breakdown of localities that have decriminalized marijuana

NORML Political Director Justin Strekal: “As public support in favor of marijuana law reform has grown, so too have local efforts by legislators and voters to address the issue at the municipal level. In many regions of the country, local lawmakers are moving to shield their local citizens from state prohibitions — one city at a time.”

Source: http://blog.norml.org/2018/06/20/norml-releases-comprehensive-report-summarizing-local-decriminalization-laws/

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Now That Canada Has Legalized Cannabis, Celebrate at ICBC Vancouver

With the passage of the Senate bill C-45 on June 19, Canada officially legalized marijuana.

Canada is the second country to make such a move. Uruguay legalized it in 2013.

“Our plan to legalize & regulate marijuana just passed the Senate,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted.

The margin in favor was an overwhelming 52 to 29, with two abstentions. The bill gives provinces eight to 12 weeks to begin selling marijuana commercially. Originally, the plan was to launch on July 1, but the legislation forced a delay.

ICBC Vancouver at Sheraton Wall Centre is scheduled for June 24-25.

It’s the perfect time to attend an event in Canada’s cannabis capitol, Vancouver, affectionately known as Vansterdam. The International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) there is scheduled for June 24-25. It’s not too late to register and book flights and hotel reservations at Sheraton Wall Centre.

“The ICBC is fortunate that our Vancouver event is occurring just five days after the first G7 nation on Earth legalized,” says Alex Rogers, ICBC founder and CEO.

Why Vancouver over Toronto as a choice of location? “Toronto is clearly the Canadian cannabis financial capital,” Rogers explains. “But Vancouver is the cannabis capital of Canada. Regardless of what happens in the future with cannabis and the public policies and regulations around it, British Columbia and Vancouver will always be a global leader in the cannabis industry.”

ICBC Vancouver kicks off with a VIP party on June 24. The next day, a full slate of speakers and panelists will engage the attendees. Monday night’s afterparty will feature Bay Area rapper Del the Funky Homosapien.

ALEX ROGERS: “The ICBC is fortunate that our Vancouver event is occurring just five days after the first G7 nation on Earth legalized.”

ICBC regular Henry Rollins will deliver the keynote speech on July 25 at 9 am. “I think that legalization of cannabis anywhere is a political decision,” Rollins tells Freedom Leaf. “It will change things in any country. It’s part of this changing century. Those who are selling legally are part of a changing culture.”

The panel discussions will focus on the following topics:

• Transitioning to Legal Use – Canada Moves Forward (9:30 am)
• Cannabis in the Capital Markets (10 am)
• Mergers and Acquisitions – Increasing Your Company’s Value Market Share and Risk (10:45 am)
• High Stakes – International Investments and Opportunities (11:15 am)
• German Market Update (11:50 am)
• Canopy Rivers Pitch Day – Micro Cannabis, Macro Impact (1 pm)
• Media & Marketing – Mainstreaming Cannabis and Building Consumer Trust (2 pm)
• Canadian Physicians’ Experiences with Medical Cannabis (2:30 pm)
• Cannabis Genetics – Potential Patents, Tailor-Made Strains and More Implications (3 pm)
• Cultivation Techniques (3:30 pm)
• Strategic Partnerships (4 pm)
• Brand Building with Prohbtd (4:30 pm, invite only)

“All eyes will be on Canada,” writes ICBC staffer Anthony Johnson, “but it’s clear that we’re ending cannabis prohibition step by step and, eventually, nation by nation. Canadians are leading the way.”

The next ICBC events will be held in Portland, OR (Sept. 27-28), San Francisco (Feb. 7-8, 2019) and Berlin (Mar. 31-Apr. 2, 2019).

Related Articles

Province-by-Province Guide to Canadian Cannabis Regulations

How Massachusetts Became a Leader in Regulating Marijuana

Vermont’s Legalization Lite: No Model for Other States

New Jersey’s Path to Legalization

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Quality Plans for Lab Services: Managing Risks as a Grower, Processor or Dispensary, Part 2

Editor’s Note: The views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions based on his experience working in the laboratory industry. This is an opinion piece in a series of articles designed to highlight the potential problems that clients may run into with labs. 

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In the previous article, I discussed the laboratory’s first line of defense (e.g. certification or accreditation) when a grower, processor or dispensary (user) questions a laboratory result. Now let us look behind this paperwork wall to the laboratory culture the user will encounter once their complaint is filtered past the first line of defense.

It is up to the client (processor, grower or dispensary) to determine the quality of the lab they use.In an ISO 17025 (2005 or 2017) and TNI accreditation, the laboratory must be organized into management, quality and technical areas. Each area can overlap as in the ISO 17025-2017 standard or be required to remain as separate sections in the laboratory as in the ISO 17025-2005 or TNI 2009 standards. ISO 17025 standards (e.g. 2005 and 2017) specifically require a separation of monetary benefits for laboratory results as it applies to the technical staff. This “conflict of interest” (CoI) is not always clearly defined in the laboratory’s day-to-day practices.

One example that I have experienced with this CoI separation violation goes back to my days as a laboratory troubleshooter in the 1990s. I was called into a laboratory that was failing to meet their Department of Defense (DoD) contract for volatile organic hydrocarbon analyses (VOAs) of soil samples by purge trap-gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. I was required to “fix” the problem. What I determined was:

• The analytical chemists performing the VOAs analyses were high school graduates with no coursework in chemistry or biology.
• There was no training program in place for these analysts in instrument use, instrument troubleshooting and interpretation of the analytical results.
• The only training the analysts received was for simple instrument set-up and basic instrument computer software use. (e.g. Push this button and send results to clerks)
• Clerks with a high school degree and no analytical chemistry training in the business office generated the final reports and certified them as accurate and complete.

None of the staff was technically competent to perform any in-depth VOAs analytical work nor was the clerical staff competent to certify the results reported.

When I pointed out these discrepancies to the laboratory management, they declined to make any changes. The laboratory management had a direct monetary interest in completing all analyses at the lowest costs within the time limit set by DoD. If the laboratory did not complete the analyses as per the DoD contract, DoD would cancel the contract and not pay the laboratory.

The DoD, in a “Double Blind” test sample, later caught this laboratory.. A Double Blind test sample is used to check to see if the laboratory is performing the tests correctly. The laboratory does not know it is a test sample. So if the laboratory is cheating, they will be caught.This does not mean that all laboratories have staff or management issues

Once the laboratory was caught by DoD with the Double Blind, laboratory management claimed they were unaware of this behavior and management fired all analytical staff performing VOAs and clerical staff reporting the VOAs results to show DoD that it was a rogue group of individuals and not the laboratory management. The fired staff members were denied unemployment benefits as they were fired with cause. So, the moral to this story is if the analytical staff and specifically the clerical staff had wanted to hold the laboratory management accountable for this conflict of interest, they may have been fired, but without cause. The staff would have kept their reputation for honesty and collected unemployment benefits.

I have witnessed the “CoI above repeatedly over the last 30+ years both in laboratories where I have been employed and as a consultant. The key laboratory culture problems that lead to these CoI issues can be distilled into the following categories:

• Financial CoI: In the financial CoI, the laboratory management must turn out so many analytical test results per day to remain financially solvent. The philosophical change that comes over management is that the laboratory is not producing scientific results, but is instead just churning out tests. Therefore, the more tests the laboratory produces, the more money it makes. Any improvement in test output is to be looked upon favorably and anything that diminishes test output is bad. So, to put this in simple terms: “The laboratory will perform the analyses quickly and get the report sent to the user so the laboratory can be paid. Anything that slows this production down will not be tolerated!” To maximize the Return on Investment (RoI) for the laboratory, management will employ staff that outwardly mirrors this philosophy.
• I Need This Job CoI: This is the CoI area that poor quality lab technical staff and clerical staff most readily falls into. As outlined in the example above, both the analytical staff and clerical staff lacked the educational credentials, the technical training to be proficient in the use of the analytical instruments, ability to identify problems performing the analytical methods or complications in reporting analytical results. That means they were locked into the positions they held in this specific laboratory. This lack of marketable skills placed pressure on these staff members to comply with all directives from management. What happened to them in the end was regrettable, but predictable. Management can prey on this type of staff limitation.
• Lack of Interest or Care CoI: This form of CoI is the malaise that infects poor quality laboratories, but can reach a level in management, quality and technical areas as to produce a culture where everyone goes through the moves, but does not care about anything but receiving their paycheck. In my many years of laboratory troubleshooting this type of CoI is the most difficult to correct. Laboratories where I had to correct this problem required that I had to impress on the staff that their work mattered and that they were valued employees. I had to institute a rigorous training program, require staff quality milestones and enforce the quality of work results. During my years of laboratory troubleshooting, I only had to terminate three laboratory staff for poor work performance. Unfortunately after I left many of these laboratories, management drifted back to the problems listed above and the laboratory malaise returned. This proves that even though a laboratory staff can achieve quality performance, it can quickly dissolve with lax management.

So, what are the conclusions of this article?

• Laboratory culture can place profit over scientific correctness, accuracy and precision.
• Laboratory management sets the quality of staff that determines the analytical results and report quality the user receives.
• Laboratory quality can vary from acceptable performance to unacceptable performance over the lifetime of the laboratory depending on management.
• This does not mean that all laboratories have staff or management issues. It is up to the client (processor, grower or dispensary) to determine the quality of the lab they use.

The next article in this series will introduce the user to the specific Quality Control (QC) analyses that an acceptable laboratory should perform for the user’s sample. These QC analyses are not always performed by accredited laboratories as the specific state that regulates their cannabis program does not require them. The use of these QC samples is another example of how laboratory’s with poor quality systems construct another paper work wall.

The post Quality Plans for Lab Services: Managing Risks as a Grower, Processor or Dispensary, Part 2 appeared first on Cannabis Industry Journal.

Source: https://www.cannabisindustryjournal.com/column/quality-plans-for-lab-services-managing-risks-as-a-grower-processor-or-dispensary-part-2/

Quality Plans for Lab Services: Managing Risks as a Grower, Processor or Dispensary, Part 2 was initially published to The Giggles N Dimples Blog

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