Weed in Review: Friday, March 9, 2018

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Cannabis News In the United States

CANNABIS IN NEW YORK CITY Part 2, Is Cannabis Legal in New York City?: Well…it’s Complicated: In a word, no. For people without a state-issued medical cannabis card, cannabis possession and use are illegal in New York State, and in New York City. In New York City, possession of cannabis has been decriminalized but not legalized. Possession of up to 25 grams of cannabis may result in a $100 violation (similar to a traffic ticket) for a first offense.

Investment In Marijuana Industry Has Grown 600 Percent so Far in 2018: So much for concerns about a federal government crackdown. Much like the reaction by many public officials and consumers to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ rescinding the Cole memo, financial backers in the marijuana industry seem unconcerned. Certainly, they’ve been willing to pony up a boatload of dollars so far in 2018 to back marijuana-related ventures. How big a boatload? About $1.23 billion in just the first five weeks of the year, according to a report from Viridian Cannabis Deal Tracker, a service that monitors merger and acquisition deals and investment in the legal marijuana industry.

Indiana Senate Passes Bill Easing Cannabis Oil Restrictions: The measure was approved Tuesday on a 37-12 vote and previously passed the House. But because changes were made in the Senate, the House must still sign off on the measure or seek to negotiate the details further.

Lawmakers consider allowing medical cannabis use at school: Schools in Illinois could soon allow students to take medical cannabis at school. A House committee discussed HB4870 on Wednesday that would allow parents to give their kids cannabis on school grounds if ordered by a doctor.

Week in Review from Marijuana Business Daily: Smokable flower in PA, MJ air transport in Alaska & CBD setback in Idaho

Organized opposition emerges for Oklahoma medical cannabis campaign: A statewide initiative to legalize medical marijuana in Oklahoma has already been assured a spot on the ballot in a special election this June, and this week an organized political group emerged to fight the measure. State Question 788 will go before Oklahoma voters on June 26. Standing in MMJ’s way, however, is Oklahomans Against 788, a group run by a former law enforcement officer, Oklahoma City TV station KOCO reported.

Home delivery a big sales driver for Florida medical marijuana companies: Florida medical cannabis producers are seeing increased sales thanks to their ability to deliver products to customers at home. Some companies report that up to 50% of their sales stems from home deliveries, according to the Fort Myers News-Press.

North Carolina agriculture chief blasts DEA over hemp confusion: North Carolina’s top hemp regulator is sick of interference from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said in a speech at the Southern Farm Show in Raleigh last week that the federal drug agency is not supposed to use any resources to intervene in the growing and processing of hemp, Southeast FarmPress reported. “That’s the furthest thing from the truth,” Troxler said. “DEA still considers industrial hemp marijuana, a (Schedule 1) narcotic, and they regulated it that way.” Troxler said during the speech that state agriculture officials need to demand hemp clarity from Congress, according to Southeast FarmPress.

Medical Research Updates on Cannabis

Medical Cannabis for Pain May Reduce Need for Opioids: The use of appropriate dosing of medical cannabis and following key treatment regimen recommendations can lead to “remarkable” improvements in pain and a reduced need for opioids in both adults and children, two pain specialists suggest.

Learn the latest on medical cannabis research at #AHCJ18: Ever since the passage of the Controlled Substances Act in 1970, federal policy has held that marijuana has no accepted medical use and is a dangerous drug in the category of heroin and LSD. Yet, as 29 states have approved marijuana for medical use and nine passed laws allowing for adult recreational use, modern medical marijuana clinical trials have unfolded in the United States, forging new frontiers in cannabis research.

Clinical Trial: Use Of Herbal Cannabis Safe And Effective In Cancer Patients: Jerusalem, Israel: Cannabis administration is associated with the subjective improvement of symptoms in patients with cancer, according to clinical data published in the European Journal of Internal Medicine.

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Cannabis News Worldwide

Israel’s parliament unanimously votes to progress cannabis decriminalization: ‘The law is far from perfect, but it’s a foot in the door on the way to full legalization.’ The proposal would mean those caught smoking marijuana would be fined rather than arrested and prosecuted.

Marijuana College Classes In Canada: With recreational marijuana sales expected to start this summer in Canada, colleges have rushed to get cannabis-related classes on the curriculum. One such course comes from Durham College in Oshawa, Ontario, which is now offering a monthly course on medical cannabis fundamentals for business. So many have signed up for the course that it will become a twice-a-month class starting in April. The course costs about $400 for two, seven-hour classes.

Women in Cannabis: So how do women differ from men as cannabis consumers? It turns out women choose more often to medicate with high CBD strains and cannabis oils. “Women are more apt to consume cannabis for personal care,” says Audrey Wong, Director of Provincial Distribution Partnerships at Aurora. “Consumers overall are moving from smoking to less harmful methods of consumption, and that’s especially true among women,” she adds.

Germany’s medical marijuana market poised for a breakout year: Germany is on track to become one of the world’s largest medical marijuana markets this year as insured patient numbers soar, MMJ imports rise and the country prepares for domestic cultivation.

 

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