Freedom Leaf’s Diversity in Cannabis Impact List

“Our goal is to bring awareness of emerging innovation and opportunities to the East Coast regarding cannabis technology.”

JACOBI HOLLAND

Cofounder, Jade Insights and Cannabis Tech Group, New York, N.Y.

“2017 was an incredible year for my career. After months of development, my partner and I built and successfully launched the beta for our cannabis data-analytics software, Jade Insights. It’s a software platform that helps cannabis businesses augment their process by providing insights for data-backed decision-making. In addition, I also had the pleasure of working with government and PR groups, national CBD brands, organizations like Women Grow, and companies like Mindful in Colorado. I continue to advocate for patient access to medical marijuana, and work with recreational legalization groups like Start SMART New York and Drug Policy Alliance that aim to take away one of the many tools law enforcement uses to lock up people of color, and to make sure we’re not pushed out of this industry. My team and I successfully hosted our first Cannabis Technology Summit in New York City in June. Our goal is to bring awareness of emerging innovation and opportunities to the East Coast regarding cannabis technology and to destigmatize cannabis.”

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“I worked closely with Sen. Cory Booker’s team on the Marijuana Justice Act.”

QUEEN ADESUYI

Policy Associate, Drug Policy Alliance, Washington, D.C.

“My impact has primarily been around federal legislation—from the inclusion of racial justice and reparative language in marijuana legalization to emphasizing the need to end collateral consequences of drug convictions and ease the burden for people post-conviction or incarceration. I worked closely with Sen. Cory Booker’s team on the Marijuana Justice Act, the first bill to legalize marijuana on the federal level that intentionally includes racial justice and reparative components. I also worked closely with Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s team on legislation that would lift the decades-old collateral consequence of having your driver’s license automatically suspended for a minimum of six months after any drug conviction. It was 1991 when Congress passed a law requiring states to automatically suspend drivers’ licenses for a drug offense, and the catch phrase then was, ‘Smoke a joint, lose your license.’ In the years since, the harsh impact on people trying to get back on their feet is shining a light on just how counterproductive the War on Drugs has been and continues to be.”

“In the District of Columbia, I worked to pass legislation expanding the city’s medical-cannabis program.”

DR. G. MALIK BURNETT

Physician, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Washington, D.C.

“Over the past year, while completing a residency at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, I continued to advance the broader drug-policy reform agenda around the country. In the District of Columbia, I worked to pass legislation expanding the city’s medical-cannabis program, establishing policies including universal reciprocity, independent laboratory testing of medical cannabis and allowing nurse practitioners to recommend cannabis. Additionally, I serve on the board of Doctors for Cannabis Regulation, where I work with physicians across the country to ensure smart policies around public health and social justice are included in state and local legislation. I also worked on Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s operational response team providing strategic data analysis of the state’s response to the opioid epidemic.”

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“We’re delighted that entrepreneurs and innovators who are shaping the future of legal cannabis are using our data.”

JOHN KAGIA

Executive Vice President/Industry Analytics, New Frontier Data, Washington, D.C.

“Working for a data-analytics company focused on the cannabis industry, I have the privilege of leading a team that tirelessly strives to understand the current state of the industry and where it’s going. This year, we’ve looked at issues like job creation, tax revenue growth and the surging demand for non-flower products. We’ve also dealt with the role of cannabis in reducing opioid abuse, an issue that’s dominating the public discourse right now. Since January, I’ve traveled to more than 20 cities around the U.S. and Canada to understand how the different markets are evolving, and to present our market insights at conferences and industry events. We’ve met with investors and entrepreneurs among the vanguard of the industry, briefed U.S. and Canadian cannabis regulators as well as Congressional lawmakers and their staff, and were even invited to speak at the White House about the trends we’re seeing. We’re delighted that entrepreneurs and innovators who are shaping the future of legal cannabis are using our data to understand the industry, define policy, evaluate opportunities and measure impacts. Stay tuned for more groundbreaking insights in the year ahead.”

“I made StockPot’s mission to open minds like mine to the real faces and communities of cannabis.”

OPHELIA CHONG

Owner, StockPot Images, Los Feliz, Calif.

“In January 2015, I looked at a close relative and thought, ‘Wow, she’s a stoner.’ After hearing that thought reverberate in my brain, I realized that I’d become that person that stereotypes minorities, someone who puts the ‘other’ in a box out of fear, racism and small-mindedness. That day, StockPot Images was born. I made StockPot’s mission to open minds like mine to the real faces and communities of cannabis. We’re now the largest cannabis-photo agency, with over 225 photographers, all active in the cannabis community and archiving the communities’ truths. In June, we created the Dennis Peron Collection, a library of images that’s an archive of his history and his leading contributions to the legalization of cannabis. All licensing profits go to the Dennis Peron Foundation. One of my favorite images that encapsulated our mission in 2017 was of a young boy running through a garden of cannabis. His joy and lack of fear of the plant brought me hope for a future where cannabis is recognized as a healing plant.” 

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“In less than a year, we’ve created a media company and a safe space for multicultural women to learn about the cannabis industry.”

SIRITA WRIGHT

Cofounder, EstroHaze, New York, N.Y.

“Last January, I was unhappy at work, restless and felt my life shifting. After resigning from my employer in mid-February, two colleagues of mine and I moved to Colorado to immerse ourselves in the cannabis industry there. We were accepted by CanopyBoulder. In 2015, I went on The Breakfast Club, one of the biggest radio shows in the U.S. When asked about what industries people should invest in, I said, “Cannabis.” I was invited back in 2016 and 2017, and each time I talked about the amazing opportunities in cannabis. I encourage people of color to learn more about the cannabis industry and to transition into the cannabis workforce using their existing skill sets. Along with my EstroHaze cofounders Kali Wilder and Safon Floyd, in less than a year we’ve created a media company and a safe space for multicultural women to learn about the cannabis industry—from health and wellness to career and business opportunities. We’ve become a bridge for multicultural cannabis connoisseurs, elevating the conversation beyond the stoner stereotypes.”

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“I filed paperwork to run for mayor of Denver in 2019.”

KAYVAN KHALATBARI 

Cofounder, Denver Relief Consulting, Denver, Colo.

“2017 was the years we became one of only five vertically integrated operations in Pennsylvania, and the first to become operational, with Cresco Yeltrah. Our Nevada operations with Silver Sage Wellness maneuvered into adult use, while our Illinois operations grew, with Cresco Labs holding a 25% market share in the state. My offices also released a comprehensive California market report and took a controlling interest in High Times. I’m also co-executive producer for Super Troopers 2, which will be released in April. I was re-elected as a director with both the National Cannabis Industry Association (in December, he resigned from the board) and the Minority Cannabis Industry Association (MCBA), and worked on the MCBA’s state model bill that was crafted to ensure minority participation in the cannabis industry and a reinvestment into the communities that have been most harmed by the drug war. I coproduced the 2nd Annual Cannabis Sustainability Symposium in partnership with the city of Denver in October, and attended my fifth NCIA Lobby Day in May. Perhaps most important, I cochaired the committee that brought Denver its first tiny-house village to serve people experiencing homelessness, sit on a board that is proposing supervised injection facilities in Denver and filed paperwork to run for mayor of Denver in 2019.”

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“We’ve been vocal and active on local, regional and national levels, working to destigmatize consumption, decriminalize use and promote that, frankly, regulation works.”

WANDA JAMES 

Cofounder, Simply Pure, Denver, Colo.

“Not only did Simply Pure experience significant growth over the past year, we continued to fight for industry progress and equality. We opened the recreational side of the dispensary nearly two years ago, and that proved to be great for the overall business. With this steady growth, we added more than 20 new employees. In addition, our Simply Pure brand infused products are coming out next year. We started in the industry making our own edibles, so the return to infused products is very exciting. We’re committed to educating our patients and empowering them to make the best decisions for their lifestyles, and that includes a variety of ways to consume cannabis. Since we started in 2009, we’ve been vocal and active on local, regional and national levels, working to destigmatize consumption, decriminalize use and promote that, frankly, regulation works. Last spring, we helped lead an industry push with other Denver business owners to combat the city’s hard stop on sales, which was 7 p.m. We were successful and, as a result, cannabis retail shops now have the option to stay open until 10 p.m. While Simply Pure grows, we know it’s important to fight for the industry—from a legalization, regulation and diversity standpoint.”

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“Our mission is to provide outlets and resources for creative expression through media, music, fashion and art.”

GRIZZLY BOCOURT

Founder, A Rebel Minded Society, Brooklyn, N.Y.

“As one of the voices for a community of rebels who’ve been negatively affected by the War on Drugs, I felt it was important for A.R.M.S. to aid in raising the public’s level of consciousness as to what is happening, and to help them be part of the reshaping of the cannabis industry as it becomes legal nationwide. Our mission is to provide outlets and resources for creative expression through media, music, fashion and art, as well as a platform to discuss community issues. This year we formally introduced our Cannabis Awareness Society events, featuring panel discussions, live music, art and vendors, and in October, our first annual fundraiser for breast cancer. As we seek to raise awareness and funds, I felt it was important to shed light on cannabis’ impact in medical treatment by educating our community on how the endocannabinoid system can help fight off the disease and become an alternative option to conventional treatments. The future is looking promising for cannabis, and it’s our goal to ensure our community is properly equipped with the knowledge and tools to be part of the change.”

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“To be eligible to receive monies from the Fund for Growth, an applicant would have to be a resident of the targeted community.”

DEBORAH PETERSON SMALL

Founder, Break the Chains, Oakland, Calif.

“I propose that leaders in the cannabis industry pledge 1%-2% of their annual profits to establish a venture philanthropy fund that would be used to back projects in communities disproportionately affected by marijuana-law enforcement. To be eligible to receive monies from the ‘Fund for Growth’ (funded by cannabis growers), an applicant would have to be a resident of the targeted community and a member of one of the local savings clubs. We would encourage communities to replicate the model of ‘sou-sous,’ a popular savings strategy in Caribbean and African communities. I’m calling them Community Assisted Self-Help (CASH) clubs, where members would set aside a certain amount each month into the fund. The amount would be matched by the Fund for Growth. This would provide buy-in from both community residents as well as funders, giving all some ‘skin in the game,’ as well as providing incentive for saving and investing. As an additional incentive to growers, we could incorporate a logo—similar to a ‘fair trade’ logo—for the project that would be placed on the products generated by contributing businesses so consumers would know when they purchase certain products they’re also helping to promote restorative justice and community reinvestment.”

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Attorney General Jeff Sessions To Crackdown On State-Legal Marijuana

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is set to rescind the Department of Justice’s policy towards state-legal marijuana.

“By rescinding the Cole Memo, Jeff Sessions is acting on his warped desire to return America to the failed beliefs of the ‘Just Say No’ and Reefer Madness eras. This action flies in the face of sensible public policy and broad public opinion. The American people overwhelmingly support the legalization of marijuana and oppose federal intervention in state marijuana laws by an even wider margin. This move by the Attorney General will prove not just to be a disaster from a policy perspective, but from a political one. The American people will not just sit idly by while he upends all the progress that has been made in dialing back the mass incarceration fueled by marijuana arrests and destabilizes an industry that is now responsible for over 150,000 jobs. Ending our disgraceful war on marijuana is the will of the people and the Trump Administration can expect severe backlash for opposing it,” said Erik Altieri, NORML Executive Director.

The Cole Memo, a Justice Department memorandum, authored by former US Deputy Attorney General James Cole in 2013 to US attorneys in all 50 states, directs prosecutors not to interfere with state legalization efforts and those licensed to engage in the plant’s production and sale, provided that such persons do not engage in marijuana sales to minors or divert the product to states that have not legalized its use, among other guidelines.

During a Q and A with reporters in Richmond, VA in March of 2017, Jeff Sessions said, “The Cole Memorandum set up some policies under President Obama’s Department of Justice about how cases should be selected in those states and what would be appropriate for federal prosecution, much of which I think is valid,”

Additionally in 2017, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D), Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D), Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) and Alaska Gov. Bill Walker (I) issued a letter to the new U.S. Attorney General and to Secretary of Treasury Mnuchin calling on them to uphold the largely ‘hands off’ policies toward marijuana legalization, as outlined in the Cole Memo. “Overhauling the Cole Memo is sure to produce unintended and harmful consequences,” the governors wrote. “Changes that hurt the regulated market would divert existing marijuana product into the black market and increase dangerous activity in both our states and our neighboring states.”

Currently, medical marijuana protections are still in effect, known as the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment. Since 2014, members of Congress have passed annual spending bills that have included a provision protecting those who engage in the state-sanctioned use and dispensing of medical cannabis from undue prosecution by the Department of Justice. The amendment, known as the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment, maintains that federal funds cannot be used to prevent states from “implementing their own state laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession or cultivation of medical marijuana.”

“At a time when the majority of states now are regulating marijuana use in some form, and when nearly two-thirds of voters endorse legalizing the plant’s use by adults, it makes no sense from a political, fiscal, or moral perspective for Attorney General Sessions to take this step” said NORML Political Director Justin Strekal. “It is time that members of Congress take action to comport federal law with majority public opinion and to end the needless criminalization of marijuana — a policy failure that encroaches upon civil liberties, engenders disrespect for the law, and disproportionately impacts communities of color.”

“If the Trump administration goes through with a crackdown on states that have legalized marijuana, they will be taking billions of dollars away from regulated, state-sanctioned businesses and putting that money back into the hands of drug cartels,” Strekal concluded.

Source: http://blog.norml.org/2018/01/04/attorney-general-jeff-sessions-to-crackdown-on-state-legal-marijuana/

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High Times Article Leads Feds to Massachusetts Grow Ops

Two Massachusetts ganja growers are facing federal felony charges after one of them “was featured in a magazine article noting that he regularly harvests 10 pounds of marijuana,” according to prosecutors.

Eric Vallee, 38, of Sutton, was arrested on Dec. 15, and Peter Molle, 35, of Holland, on Dec. 22. Both were charged with manufacturing marijuana and possession with intent to distribute. They face a mandatory minimum of two years in prison and fines of up to $250,000.

“Yes, they were featured in High Times,” a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s office in Boston tells Freedom Leaf. “That was a part of how they were spotted.”

The two were first raided in February, shortly after Vallee’s garden was featured in the High Times article, “New England’s Patriot Pot Growers.” The story explained that “Eric regularly harvests 10 pounds of medical cannabis from a space that has just 16 plants under four 1,000-watt HPS lights with a two-and-a-half-week vegetative time.” It also noted that he’d won several Cannabis Cups and worked with Molle.

The U.S. Attorney’s office said in a statement announcing the arrests that, in February, agents discovered three “commercial-style marijuana grow operations” run by the two defendants in Auburn (more than 100 plants), Holland (more than 100 plants) and Sutton (more than 30), along with “bank accounts that featured large amounts of cash deposits that were consistent with the proceeds of drug sales.”

HIGH TIMES’ DANNY DANKO on busted growers Eric Valle and Peter Molle: “They had nothing to hide. I hope this nightmare ends for them soon.”

Additional raids on Dec. 12 on Vallee’s and Molle’s houses also found “significant commercial-style grow operations,” according to the statement. The two will have a preliminary hearing in Springfield on Jan. 5.

Massachusetts, which legalized recreational marijuana in 2016, allows individuals to grow up to 12 plants for personal use, but has not yet issued commercial cultivation licenses. The state’s 2012 medical-marijuana law requires all cultivation to be done by registered dispensaries, with limited exceptions for patients and caregivers. MassCannabis Consulting, Vallee’s company, says on its website that it doesn’t sell anything and that its mission is to help people “with proper medical licenses” learn how to grow their own marijuana safely and effectively.

The case raises a common ethical question for cannabis journalists: How can you make sure that what you write doesn’t get anyone busted? And why would a grower let his or her name be published?

Photos of Eric Valle’s grow operation, taken for High Times by Brian Jahn.

“I asked if they wanted their full names printed, and they told me yes and they were legal under state law and promoting their consulting business,” High Times senior cultivation editor Danny Danko, who wrote the article in question (it appeared in the March 2017 issue), tells Freedom Leaf. “They had nothing to hide. I hope this nightmare ends for them soon.”

According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, Vallee’s “cultivation timetable” would enable him to harvest “hundreds of pounds of marijuana per year.” But Danko contends the authorities didn’t factor in that pot plants take two months or more to flower and at least three months to grow to fruition. In reality, he says, Vallee’s garden would have yielded around 40 pounds a year.

The High Times article in question by Danny Danko (“Growing Legal in New England”) appeared in the March 2017 issue.

“This wouldn’t be the first time that law enforcement that law enforcement overestimates or exaggerates the ‘street value’ or weight of what they consider contraband as an excuse for a bust or to make it seem more ominous to the average newspaper reader,” Danko adds. “It’s a shame that the agents’ inability to understand basic botany resulted int he arrest and prosecution of Eric and Peter.”

It’s not the first time a grower who used his name in a High Times article wound up on the wrong end of a legal home invasion. In 2004, the DEA raided Northern California grower Eddy Lepp’s 20-acre, 32,000-plant garden shortly after a 2003 High Times article declared that it would be “the largest crop of legal medicinal marijuana ever grown anywhere in the world.”

Under federal law, Lepp was not allowed to claim the crop was being grown for medical use. Convicted in 2008, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was released in December 2016, after serving eight years.

“When I was writing for High Times, I don’t think I ever used a person’s real name or location for a pot story,” says former editor-in-chief Peter Gorman. “Now, with marijuana legal in several states and people wanting to put their names all over it, I think those rules have changed. Still, I would go with caution, because the Feds might just decide to come down on growers even in states where it’s legal. And I would not want to be the person who exposed someone to a lengthy prison sentence, if at all avoidable.”

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Dr. Carl Hart on Moving Beyond Cannabis Legalization

On Sept. 22, before an enthusiastically cheering Alabama crowd, Donald Trump declared in animated fashion, “Get that son of bitch off the field!” What would inspire such offensive language from a United States President? Was he angry with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un over his nuclear-weapons program? Or perhaps his ire was aimed at Russian President Vladimir Putin for interfering in the 2016 U.S. election?

Nope. It wasn’t any of the above. It turns out Trump was angry with Colin Kaepernick and other National Football League players who have silently protested—by refusing to stand for the national anthem in response to racial injustices perpetrated by police officers who are rarely held accountable. Like many Americans, I feel Trump’s actions were beneath the office that he holds. Further, rather than inflaming racial tensions, Trump should use the vast resources available to him to fight the very injustices that Kaepernick and others have highlighted.

Eradicating the harm caused by racism in drug-law enforcement would be one good starting place. Last year, 653,000 Americans were arrested for simply possessing cannabis. Even though this number is down from its peak (more than 850,000 in 2010), at the state level, black people are four times more likely to be arrested for cannabis than their white counterparts. At the federal level, Latinos represent two-thirds of the individuals arrested for cannabis violations. This is despite the fact that blacks, Latinos and whites all use the drug at similar rates, and they all tend to purchase the drug from individuals within their own racial group. This is an unambiguous example of racism in drug law enforcement.

Philando Castile was killed by an officer in 2016. The officer was acquitted in 2017.

What’s worse, in these encounters with police, too often the black person ends up dead. There have been several recent cases during which officers cited the fictitious dangers posed by cannabis to justify their deadly actions. On July 6, 2016, in the St. Paul suburb of Falcon Heights, Minn., officer Jeronimo Yanez shot and killed Philando Castile, a black, defenseless motorist, as his girlfriend and young daughter watched helplessly. The smell of cannabis, Yanez claimed, constituted an apparent imminent danger. This past June, he was acquitted of manslaughter.

Of course, this wasn’t the first time (nor will it be the last) a police officer has cited the “cannabis makes black people homicidal” defense to justify these deadly interactions. Michael Brown, of Ferguson, Mo., in 2014 and Keith Lamont Scott, of Charlotte, N.C., in 2016 were both killed by police who used some version of this bogus defense. Both officers were acquitted.

Ramarley Graham was shot and killed by a New York police officer in 2012.

Ramarley Graham (New York, 2012), Trayvon Martin (Sanford, Fla., 2012), Rumain Brisbon (Phoenix, 2014) and Sandra Bland (Prairie View, Tex., 2015) all also had their lives cut short as a result of an interaction with law enforcement (or a proxy) initiated under the pretense of suspicion of cannabis use. One way to decrease these deadly interactions is to make cannabis legally available for adult consumption. Indeed, to date, eight states have passed such legislation. In Colorado, where since 2014 the law has permitted adults to use cannabis recreationally, they’ve seen a dramatic decrease in the number of cannabis arrests. This number has dropped by more than 50% for some demographic groups. Similar findings have been observed in Washington State and in the District of Columbia.

Even after cannabis legalization, however, the racial disparities in arrests still persist. For example, black Coloradans remain three times more likely to be busted for cannabis violations than white Coloradans. The point is that changing marijuana laws alone is helpful—because it decreases potentially hostile interactions between blacks and the police—but is insufficient for correcting racial injustices that are deeply embedded in our society. In other words, it would be naïve to think that changing cannabis policy alone will alter the racist behavior of some Americans.

Sandra Bland allegedly hung herself in jail after being arrested in 2015.

California’s Proposition 64, which legalized recreational cannabis for adults in 2016, was touted as a racial-justice initiative that redresses previous discrimination in marijuana-law enforcement. Indeed, Prop 64 states that tax revenues generated from cannabis sales will be directed toward “communities disproportionately affected by past federal and state drug policies.” But, as Seattle University law professor Steven Bender eloquently noted, “The Proposition language neither identifies those communities nor overtly links their identity to racialized populations or racialized enforcement bias.” Stated another way, Prop 64 is not a racial-justice initiative. Nor are any of the other referendums that have legalized cannabis.

So then, what is needed? In addition to legalizing cannabis at the federal level, law-enforcement agencies should be required to report and justify cannabis-arrest data. If racial discrimination is detected, then immediate consequences should be implemented. Consequences could include, but not be limited to, judicial oversight for the violating law-enforcement agency and/or a decrease in that agency’s budget. It’s remarkable how quickly behavior changes when appropriate and immediate consequences are imposed.

Changing marijuana laws decreases potentially hostile interactions between blacks and the police, but it is insufficient for correcting racial injustices that are deeply embedded in our society.

Back in the 1930s, when there was little scientific evidence investigating the effects of cannabis on human behavior, we were vulnerable to exaggerated anecdotal accounts of its supposed tendency to induce aggression and violence. Law-enforcement types like Harry J. Anslinger, commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, routinely recounted gruesome stories such as this one:

“[P]olice found a youth… with an ax he had killed his father, mother, two brothers and a sister… he had become crazed from smoking marijuana.” These fabrications were widely disseminated, facilitating passage of draconian policies, racial discrimination and incalculable human misery.

More than 80 years later, I’ve given thousands of doses of cannabis to people as a part of my research and have never seen a research participant become violent or aggressive while under the influence of the drug. Hence, the reefer-madness myth should be dispensed with immediately. So too should politicians who encourage racism and policies that have the same effect.

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Study: Marijuana Use Not Linked With Reduced Motivation

Neither the occasional nor the heavy use of marijuana by adolescents is associated with decreased motivation, according to clinical data published online ahead of print in the journal Substance Use & Misuse.

A team of Florida International University researchers assessed the relationship between cannabis use and motivation in 79 adolescent subjects. Participants consisted of both long-term regular consumers and occasional users. Investigators assessed subjects’ motivational tendencies through the use of two validated tools, the Apathy Evaluation Scale and the Motivation and Engagement Scale.

Authors reported: “After controlling for confounds, no significant differences were observed between regular and light users on any motivation index. Similarly, no associations between motivation and lifetime or past 30-day cannabis use amount were observed.”

They concluded, “Our findings do not support a link between reduced motivation and CU among adolescents after controlling for relevant confounds.”

An abstract of the study, “Is cannabis use associated with various indices of motivation among adolescents?”, appears here.

Source: http://blog.norml.org/2018/01/02/study-marijuana-use-not-linked-with-reduced-motivation/

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Seed-to-Sale Tracking: How It Works

RFID chips (for Radio Frequency Identification) do as their name implies: They identify the plant, the package of bulk flowers, and the pre-rolled joints, edibles and concentrates made from the flowers. Because the numbers are related to one another, it’s possible to trace a pre-rolled joint back to the plant from which it came.

1. Each marijuana plant being grown by a licensed grower is given a unique identifying number that’s at least 16 digits long, which is recorded onto an RFID chip.

2. Information about the plant, such as strain name, cultivation techniques and yield, is recorded by the growers and input into a database.

3. These databases reside on the “cloud,” which really just means an off-site server. This allows growers, as well as state agencies, to check on plants remotely.

4. The flowers harvested from a plant are given a unique identifying number that’s related to the plant’s unique ID, as are the leaves and the waste matter, such as stems. Those numbers are recorded onto the chips, which are then attached to containers holding the flowers, leaves or waste matter.

Databases reside on the “cloud,” which really just means an off-site server.

5. Information about the flowers, leaves and waste matter is recorded onto a database. That information includes weight, results of potency and contaminant testing, end use, and any other data that may be required by regulators, including disposition of the product. (For example, whether it will be packaged and sold to consumers as is, processed into another form by the grower, or sent to another commercial entity for processing.) As with any database, the unique identifiers that are assigned then allow the flowers (and leaves and waste matter) to be traced back to the individual plants.

6. The bulk material may then be divided and packaged into retail units for sale to consumers, or processed into other products such as extracts or edibles. Once again, unique identifying numbers, which are related to the original plant’s unique identifying number and to the number assigned to the harvested product, are assigned to those products.

7. Information about these products, such as price, is recorded onto these online databases all the way through to the point of sale. Because of the unique identifying numbers assigned to the finished products that go onto the shelves at retail shops, pre-rolled joints, cookies or extracts can be traced back to the original plants.

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MJ Freeway’s Seed-to-Sale Software Dilemma

This article has been updated since it appeared in Issue 29.

One of the biggest changes to hit the marijuana industry as it makes the transition from an illegal underground business to a legal, regulated one has to do with paperwork. In the old days, growers and dealers kept records in their heads, or as arcane scribbles on a notepad. Detailed records could put a person away in prison for a long time, because they were proof of ongoing illegal activity—what law enforcement refers to as a “continuing criminal enterprise.”

Under legalization and regulation, however, come record-keeping requirements. Notepads just won’t cut it anymore. States require constant monitoring and electronic access to data, what’s called “seed-to-sale” tracking in order to prevent diversion of marijuana outside the regulated system, so that they can be sure that they’re getting all the tax revenue due under the law. The means they use for this is an integral part of modern supply-chain management, from the manufacturing process all the way through wholesale and retail distribution: Radio Frequency Identification, or RFID.

In the marijuana industry, RFID chips are attached to each plant and to each container of product as it’s processed. Since the chips can’t weigh plants or bags yet, regulatory agencies mandate monitoring and video surveillance, and may make official inspections.

That brings us to a couple of more acronyms: ERP and CRM. ERP stands for Enterprise Resource Planning. It’s software that integrates different applications for back-office operations, covering everything from manufacturing to administration, and are essentially databases and spreadsheets that also manage communications like email and messaging. CRM is Client (or Customer) Relationship Management. CRM software is also databases and spreadsheets, but used for front-office operations.

Because of seed-to-sale tracking, states are mandating that businesses in the marijuana industry use software that can provide both ERP and CRM. The companies producing that software, therefore, are doing a lot more than just providing RFID tracking chips. They’re developing programs for real-time monitoring, analysis and reporting, systems that rely on the Internet for communications as well as data storage.

On one hand, these programs are really just databases and spreadsheets with a calendar function thrown in. They also have to be simple enough for people at businesses and state agencies to use efficiently. On the other hand, as they rely on accurate and timely inputs, people have to be properly and adequately trained to use them, and reports have to be read and understood by both managers and the regulators who actively monitor compliance. In the end, the software is only as good as the people using it.

One of the biggest players in this seed-to-sale monitoring business is MJ Freeway, a Denver-based firm founded in 2010. Its software covers the full range of business and regulatory needs. MJ Freeway originally focused on the medical-marijuana industry. Its biggest competitor at the time was BioTrackTHC, a Florida firm that started out doing monitoring and tracking in the pharmaceutical industry and expanded to the marijuana business in 2010. The third company in this mix is Metrc, which is owned by Franwell, a longtime player in RFID technology.

Monitoring and compliance are mandatory in adult use and medical states, so businesses can’t afford to have tracking software go down.

After Colorado and Washington passed initiatives to legalize marijuana in 2012, MJ Freeway’s cofounders, CEO Amy Poinsett and COO Jessica Billingsley, moved to expand into the adult-use market. In 2013, Poinsett was appointed to Colorado’s advisory panel that develops rules for retail marijuana sales. Things were looking really good.

“MJ Freeway was first-to-market with seed-to-sale tracking,” Jeanette Ward, their vice president of global marketing and communications, tells Freedom Leaf. “We invented the seed-to-sale tracking, because our clients needed to track cannabis throughout its life cycle with an exactness and precision that it deserved, and no other technology product on the market met their needs. We believe our commitment to innovation has helped us continue to lead in the market.”

Computer systems, however, have to be secure. Unfortunately, security is often an afterthought with systems handling large amounts of data, even those at major technology companies. You hear about data breaches all the time: personal data, credit card information and confidential materials getting stolen or sometimes even destroyed, websites being taken down, and services going offline.

The first big cyber attack on MJ Freeway happened last January. Its systems—both main servers and their backups went down completely. Companies that relied on its software to manage every aspect of their businesses were left hanging for several days. MJ Freeway assured people that no patient information or other data had been stolen, but the files were corrupted beyond repair and unusable. Its massive databases had to be reconstructed largely by hand.

If those companies had just used the software for their own business purposes, it would’ve been inconvenient, but manageable. The problem is that monitoring and compliance are mandatory in adult use and medical states, so cannabis businesses can’t afford to have them go down. Not surprisingly, some of MJ Freeway’s customers started looking at other systems.

Despite this major breach, five months later, on  June 13, Washington State’s Liquor and Cannabis Board awarded MJ Freeway the contract to set up its regulatory compliance system. (BioTrackTHC had previously held that contract.) It was probably just a coincidence, but the next big cyber attack against MJ Freeway happened a week later. This time, the hackers hit the company where it hurts most: They posted the proprietary source code underlying its software on GitHub, a major software repository. MJ Freeway took the matter to law enforcement, which investigated it as theft. The code was taken down, but it may still be available illegally on other parts of the Internet.

“MJ Freeway’s security protections were high before the January 2017 attack, and now our defenses are the most robust in the industry,” Ward explains. “First, we upgraded security overall by moving to Amazon Web Services. We had a great firewall before. Now, with Amazon, we have the most sophisticated firewall that exists and the best engineers in the world that can work on it. Second, we’ve hired a third-party security firm to perform ongoing security audits to ensure security is continually the best it can be. Third, we’ve taken direct measures to address the specifics of how the January 2017 attack occurred. This matter is still under investigation.”

These attacks have left MJ Freeway’s business vulnerable. BioTrackTHC is no longer its only significant competitor. New software companies catering to the cannabis industry are springing up, including Flowhub and Kind Financial, which has partnered with Microsoft, who owns ERP and CRM software, indicating that Microsoft is thinking about going into the marijuana business-services market. If that happens, all bets are off. And Microsoft has less than 10% of the ERP market. The German software giant SAP dominates that market with a share of more than 20%, followed by Oracle, which has almost 14%.

Problems have continued for MJ Freeway. Washington State’s transition to MJ Freeway from BioTrackTHC was supposed to be completed by Oct. 31. But in late October, the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board announced delays in implementation. That meant stores, distributors, producers and growers in Washington would have to use their own spreadsheets to track marijuana for an undetermined period and would have to go to weekly reporting rather than monthly.

BioTrack turned down the state’s offer of a four-month contract extension as an interim solution, arguing that there were too many security concerns regarding MJ Freeway. In an open letter to the cannabis industry, BioTrackTHC CEO Patrick Vo wrote:

“… many Washington licensees received an email in mid-September alleging to sell databases described as ‘WA DATABASE,’ ‘NV PROD DATABASE’ and ‘PA PROD DATABASE,’ among others. These presumably are to mean the Washington database, the Nevada database and the Pennsylvania database. The emails also provided unencrypted sample data files as a kind of ‘proof of life.’ Some business seed-to-sale software providers took it upon themselves to investigate the sample data and it was reported that the sample data not only appeared legitimate, but that it included sensitive data that is not publicly available: data that is contained within the full un-redacted traceability dataset.”

Those security concerns were apparently short-lived as the LCB and BioTrack were able to agree on an interim solution by Nov. 13. This new contingency plan is scheduled to terminate at the end of 2017, with MJ Freeway’s Leaf Data Systems to be implemented Jan. 1. That is, unless another serious security breach causes further delays.

The two main reasons for breaking into a computer system are to test your skills and the system’s defenses so that both may improve; or to break in, take stuff and possibly add malignant code. We don’t yet know who’s responsible for breaking into MJ Freeway’s system, so it’s hard to say which category they fall into. Regardless of motive, it appears that MJ Freeway is being targeted, the only question is whether it’s business, which would mean a competitor, or personal, which would mean a disgruntled former employee with the technical skills and access to have installed a backdoor before leaving. Either that or MJ Freeway just uses really crufty code. Whatever’s going on, the company’s survival depends on finding an answer.

Paperwork may be the bane of the marijuana industry, but regulations depend on paperwork and red tape, because without those, monitoring and compliance couldn’t happen. Even if MJ Freeway, BioTrackTHC and Metrc aren’t around in 10 years, they will have played major roles in blazing the seed-to-sale trail.

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The post MJ Freeway’s Seed-to-Sale Software Dilemma appeared first on Freedom Leaf.

Source: http://www.freedomleaf.com/mj-freeways-seed-to-sale-software-dilemma/

MJ Freeway’s Seed-to-Sale Software Dilemma is republished from Giggles N Dimples Blog

source https://gigglesndimples.com/2018/01/02/mj-freeways-seed-to-sale-software-dilemma/