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https://hightimes.com/

Hawaii Lawmakers Amend Automatic MJ Expungement Bill to Single-County Pilot Program

Hawaii lawmakers are pressing ahead with an updated cannabis legalization plan, and while the Aloha State could very well be one of the next to embrace adult-use reform, the original plan is already seeing some substantial shifts. Namely, it appears that the Senate is looking to significantly scale back some of the actions surrounding social equity. The original measure, passed by the House last week, would have automatically expunged tens of thousands of arrest and conviction records for low-level cannabis convictions in the state. On Tuesday, a Hawaiian Senate panel has instead amended the proposal to a single-county pilot program, first reported by Marijuana Moment. Similar to the recreational legalization plan, which state lawmakers are separately working to advance, this move is based on plans from Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez. “Instead of the bill’s statewide automatic expungement program for arrests and convictions,” said Sen. Karl Rhodes (D), chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “I propose that we adopt the attorney general’s pilot program for state-initiated expungement of marijuana possession arrests.” The measure would also only apply to criminal cases “terminated with a final disposition other than a conviction,” Back in November 2023, Lopez released her own legalization plan, which the most recent legislation passed by the Senate primarily pulls from. While many lawmakers have praised the new bill and the plan it’s based upon, advocates have expressed concern around the bill’s creation of additional law enforcement protocols. Among other provisions, the legislation proposes a THC blood limit for drivers (even though THC metabolites can be detected in the body days or even weeks after consumption), the creation of a cannabis enforcement unit within the Department of Law Enforcement and adds eight positions in a drug nuisance abatement unit in the AG’s office. Rhodes suggested that the pilot program could be located in Hawaii County, the states’ second most populous county, comprising the Big Island and hosting about 14% of the state’s total population. According to bill sponsor Rep. David Tarnas (D), the original legislation would have made approximately 30,000 people eligible for expungements. Though, if the amendments from the AG’s office remain in place, HB 1595’s ultimate impact would be far smaller. Lopez’s office issued a statement saying that, without these amendments, the department “reiterates its strong opposition to this bill.” “Instead of the bill in its current form, the Department proposes a pilot project whereby certain individuals who have been arrested solely for marijuana possession…and whose arrest resulted in a non-conviction disposition, have the arrest expunged via a state-initiated process,” the department said in a statement. It continues, arguing that limiting the expungement process to one county would keep the case load manageable using its existing resources and suggested an approximate 14-month duration for the program. “Results of the pilot project could then be used to evaluate the project’s effectiveness, utility, and efficiency, and to allow the Data Center to make more informed recommendations for future efforts,” the department said. Hawaii has already introduced cannabis decriminalization, in turn ushering in a record sealing process from the courts, though advocates attest that the process isn’t accessible and can be challenging to navigate. The original bill would have automated the process, ensuring that the attorney general’s office “issue, without petition and on the department’s own initiative, an expungement order annulling, canceling, and rescinding all criminal records, including records of arrest and any records of conviction” for crimes of possessing up to three grams of cannabis. The process would have included records for civil violations, petty misdemeanor convictions, juvenile convictions, arrests and convictions, along with any pending charges. The prior version would have also required the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center to identify all eligible cases within 30 days of the bill’s enactment, providing that information in biennial reports to the attorney general’s office, county prosecuting attorneys, county police departments and each state court. After receiving those lists, the attorney general’s office would have 60 days to issue expungement orders for the records under the previous version. Within one year of receiving those orders, the judiciary would finish the job. Some advocates emphasized that the passing of an expungement process in the state was monumental despite the narrower scope. “This is a huge step forward that will encourage Gov. Green to amplify relief for those with cannabis records through his clemency powers, something the Hawai’i legislature has already urged him to do,” said Frank Stiefel, senior policy associate for the Last Prisoner Project. Others like Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies for Marijuana Policy Project, said that the changes “represent a severe blow to cannabis justice.” “An economic life sentence is an outrageously disproportionate penalty for possessing a substance that most Hawaii residents—and the Hawai’i Senate—believe should be legal,” O’Keefe told Marijuana Moment. “Testimony at the House Judiciary Committee’s informational briefing made it clear Hawai’i can and should remove this stigma which derails so many lives.” The changes to HB 1595 come fresh off the Senate’s passing of SB 3335, which would allow adults over the age of 21 to possess up to an ounce of cannabis and up to five grams of cannabis concentrates, along with establishing a recreational cannabis sales framework. That bill now heads to the state’s more conservative House for consideration, which has historically been resistant to adult-use cannabis policies.

https://hightimes.com/

Massachusetts Governor Announces Plan To Pardon Cannabis Misdemeanors

Calling it a “nation-leading effort,” Massachusetts Gov. Maura T. Healey on Wednesday announced her intention to take executive action to pardon misdemeanor marijuana possession convictions in the commonwealth. If it is approved by the “Governor’s Council,” Healey’s office said it “would be the most comprehensive action by a governor since President Joe Biden pardoned federal marijuana possession convictions and called on governors to take similar actions in their states,” and “could impact hundreds of thousands of people.” Per the official state website, the Massachhuestts Governor’s Council is “composed of eight individuals elected from districts, and the Lieutenant Governor who serves ex officio,” and it “provides advice and consent on gubernatorial appointments, pardons and commutations, and warrants for the state treasury.” The governor’s office said that, if approved, the pardon “will apply to all eligible convictions, and most people will not need to take any action to have their criminal records updated,” as well as “to all adult Massachusetts state court misdemeanor convictions before March 13, 2024 for possession of marijuana (sometimes referred to as possession of a “Class D substance”).” “Nobody should face barriers to getting a job, housing or an education because of an old misdemeanor marijuana conviction that they would not be charged for today,” Healey, a Democrat who is serving her first term after being elected in 2022, said in a statement on Tuesday. “We’re taking this nation-leading action as part of our commitment to using the clemency process to advance fairness and equity in our criminal justice system. We’re grateful for President Biden’s leadership on this at the federal level and proud to answer his call to take action in the states.” Other top state officials in Massachusetts, including Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, hailed the announcement of the pardon. “Marijuana laws have significantly changed over the past decade, and it’s essential that our criminal justice system adjusts with them. Governor Healey’s proposed pardon represents an important step toward righting historic wrongs, particularly around our country’s misguided War on Drugs,” said Driscoll. “We thank the Governor’s Council for their careful consideration of this recommendation and look forward to continuing our progress to make Massachusetts a more fair and equitable home for all.” Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell applauded the “Healey-Driscoll administration’s efforts to rectify historic racial disparities, including with this proposed pardon, and President Biden’s leadership at the federal level on the same issue.” “Convictions for simple marijuana possession – which someone could not be charged with today – have led to the disproportionate incarceration of Black and brown people and made it nearly impossible for them to obtain a job, housing, educational opportunities and more. As the AG’s Office also works to address injustice and close the racial wealth gap, this proposed pardon meaningfully moves the Commonwealth in the right direction,” the attorney general said. Democratic House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano, meanwhile, said the “decision from Governor Healey to pardon certain marijuana convictions is the right one, as it is another step towards rectifying decades of injustices stemming from the criminalization of cannabis.” “This announcement is consistent with the Legislature’s intent during the passage of the 2018 criminal justice reform law, which was updated in 2022 when the Legislature passed further cannabis reforms, that allowed residents to seek expungements for convictions that are no longer crimes following voter-approved reforms,” Mariano said. As the statements from Healey and other officials referenced, the pardon takes a cue from President Biden, who in the fall of 2022 issued a pardon to thousands of Americans who were convicted of violating federal cannabis laws. “Sending people to prison for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives and incarcerated people for conduct that many states no longer prohibit,” Biden said in a statement then. “Criminal records for marijuana possession have also imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities. And while white and Black and brown people use marijuana at similar rates, Black and brown people have been arrested, prosecuted, and convicted at disproportionate rates.” At the time, the president also urged governors to take their own action to clear the records of such individuals at the state level. “In October 2022, President Biden issued a presidential proclamation that pardoned many federal and D.C. offenses for simple marijuana possession offenses. In December 2023, the President expanded that pardon to include more offenses He also issued a call to Governors to take action to pardon marijuana convictions in their states and, in the State of the Union last week, the President directed his Cabinet to review the federal classification of marijuana,” Healey’s office explained. “Governor Healey has already taken historic action on pardons. She became the first Massachusetts Governor in decades to recommend pardons in her first year in office. She has pardoned a total of 13 people to date. She also issued new clemency guidelines to center fairness and equity in the criminal justice system.”

https://hightimes.com/

Minnesota To Crack Down on Illegal Flower Sales, Including Full-Strength Hemp

Minnesota’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) announced Tuesday that it will begin to crack down on the illegal sales of cannabis flower across Minnesota as the state’s adult-use market takes form. The Star-Tribune reports that the OCM entered into an agreement with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to add inspection capacity for illegal sales of cannabis flower. Minnesota is the 23rd state in the nation to legalize adult-use cannabis for people 21 and older. In doing so, the state also legalized the sale of hemp-derived cannabinoid consumer products, a unique provision, but selling raw cannabis flower is currently illegal because OCM has not yet issued any cannabis business licenses, and hemp sellers must also be licensed. When Minnesota legalized adult-use cannabis, the Minnesota Legislature included statutory provisions, Minnesota Statutes, chapter 152.0264, making the sale of cannabis illegal until a business is licensed by OCM. As seen in many other states, many retailers have taken advantage of the legal loopholes regarding hemp derivatives, but the state is pushing back against unlicensed businesses. Just a week ago, on March 7, the OCM issued an enforcement notice designed to warn retailers about selling full-strength hemp products. The OCM stated that it has received complaints of retailers selling full-strength cannabis flower under the guise of being hemp. Hemp is legal only within THC limits specified by state and federal law. The OCM, in alignment with federal law regarding hemp under 7 CFR 990.1, will consider the total concentration of THC post-decarboxylation—the process that converts THCA to delta-9 THC to produce an intoxicating effect. The examination of raw flower products will include reviewing the certificate of analysis. Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 342 defines Minnesota’s cannabis market, empowering the OCM to ensure compliance. Minnesota Statutes, chapter 342.09, subdivision 4 prohibits the retail sale of cannabis flower and cannabis products “without a license issued under this chapter that authorizes the sale.” The OCM reiterated its stance on flower that is being sold by retailers without a license. “Our primary goal at the Office of Cannabis Management is to ensure a safe, legal cannabis industry that protects public health and provides accurate, reliable information to adult consumers,” said Charlene Briner, OCM interim director. “This interagency agreement gives us capacity to conduct inspections during this transitional implementation period, and more fully integrates the work of the MDH inspectors who will eventually transition their work to OCM.” MDH inspectors who inspect retailers selling legal hemp-derived cannabinoid products will begin simultaneous examination of w flower products being offered for sale to ensure those products are hemp and not cannabis. “While this is a temporary issue that will no longer exist once businesses are licensed to sell cannabis flower, OCM’s commitment to ensuring an industry that abides by all legal requirements is steadfast and ongoing,” said Briner. “We are confident that by providing clear expectations and guidance to businesses, the majority of operators will choose to follow the law.” The crackdown of raw flower products will mean that inspectors will look for the product’s certificate of analysis for test results on total THC. Per federal law and under the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp flower must contain 0.3% or less of delta-9 THC on a dry weight basis. Products exceeding 0.3% delta-9 THC in dry weight are considered marijuana and are therefore illegal to sell. So what are the penalties involved for sellers of illegal flower? Retailers caught selling flower and who are in violation of the law could be faced with embargo of product and fines of up to $1 million for violating state law. Additionally, a violation could impact a person’s ability to receive a license for a cannabis business in the future. Per Minnesota Statutes, 342.09, subdivision 6, OCM may assess fines in excess of $1 million for violations of this law. Likewise, under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 342.19, OCM is empowered to embargo any product that it has “probable cause to believe . . . is being distributed in violation of this chapter or rules adopted under this chapter[.]” The OCM encourages retailers to vet products that they are selling to ensure that the products are legal. The OCM has sent a letter to all retailers registered with MDH to alert them that inspections of raw flower will begin immediately. In a December 2023 bulletin, Minnesota’s health department issued a similar warning, noting that the agency inspected 167 retailers offering hemp-derived cannabinoid products between August and November and found that more than one in three (39%) of the shops were selling illegal high-potency products. Under Minnesota law, hemp edibles and beverages sold in the state must not exceed 5 milligrams of THC per serving and no more than 50 milligrams per package. Licensing for cannabis retailers is expected to roll out later this year, and state officials aim to launch cannabis sales in 2025.

https://hightimes.com/

Arizona AG Says Hemp-Synthesized Intoxicants Can’t Be Sold at Non-Dispensaries

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes recently issued a formal legal opinion on March 11, which addressed a question sent by Sen. Steve Montenegro and Sen. T.J. Shope, which inquired if selling delta-8 THC products (which also covers delta-10 products and any other “hemp-synthesized intoxicants”) at smoke shops or convenience stores violates state law. Mayes’ summary answer immediately responds to the presented question. “No, Arizona law does not permit the sale of delta-8 and other hemp-synthesized intoxicants by entities that have not been licensed by Health Services,” Mayes wrote. “Irrespective of delta-8’s arguable federal legality under the 2018 Agriculture Improvement Act (“Farm Bill”), Arizona continues to define and regulate “industrial hemp” in a manner that precludes the sale of hemp-synthesized intoxicants in convenience stores, smoke shops, and other unlicensed locales.” The opinion sets up an analysis supported with background history of cannabis in Arizona, starting with medical cannabis legalization in 2010, the effects of the 2018 Farm Bill, the state’s legalization of industrial hemp for some purposes (also in 2018), and the following surge in delta-8 THC products. Mayes also utilizes Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concerns about unregulated delta-8 THC. The FDA previously said that “[s]ome manufacturers may use potentially unsafe household chemicals to make delta-8 THC through this chemical synthesis process,” and “[t]he final delta-8 THC product may have potentially harmful by-products (contaminants) due to the chemicals used in the process.” Further accounts claim unsanitary settings where products are processed, calling it a “’quite a soup’ of by-products and other unwanted compounds.” Also, Mayes includes that the FDA has received 104 reports regarding adverse effects of delta-8 THC product consumption between December 2020-February 2022, as well as 2,362 “exposure cases” involving delta-8. Following this, Mayes begins the analysis portion of the legal opinion. “You have asked this Office to examine whether entities that do not possess a license to sell cannabis products by Health Services can lawfully sell products containing delta-8 THC or similar hemp-synthesized intoxicants,” Mayes wrote. “The answer to that question depends on whether products containing hemp-synthesized intoxicants constitute ‘controlled substances\’ and/or ‘industrial hemp’ under Arizona law. As explained below, we conclude that state law prevents entities not appropriately licensed by Health Services from selling products containing hemp-synthesized intoxicants like delta-8 THC.” Mayes cites that delta-8 THC products are listed as a controlled substance in Arizona, and that the state’s industrial hemp program “does not exempt hemp-synthesized intoxicants from Health Services’ regulation.” State law defines cannabis as “all parts of any plant of the genus cannabis whether growing or not, and the seeds of such plant.” Mayes included a 2019 court case, State v. Jones, in which the Supreme Court ruled on whether the state definition of cannabis also applies to hashish or cannabis extracts, to determine if medical cannabis patients are protected if they use extracts instead of dried cannabis flower. “‘All parts’ refers to all constituent elements of the marijuana plant, and the fact the resin must first be extracted from the plant reflects that it is part of the plant,” the ruling stated. However, Mayes explained that this case does not apply to delta-8. “Jones’ plain import is that because [Arizona Medical Marijuana Act] legalized marijuana—an intoxicating substance—for certain purposes, it must be understood to have legalized a materially similar intoxicating extract of marijuana. Nothing in the case’s holding or reasoning supports its extension to the synthesis of an intoxicating product from a non-intoxicating product.” Finally, the opinion ends with a final point that although the industrial hemp law was incorporated into federal law, it does not legalize delta-8 THC products. Mayes concludes her opinion and reiterates that delta-8 THC products, as well as other hemp-synthesized intoxicants, can’t legally be sold by unlicensed sellers. “Arizona’s 2018 industrial hemp law did not create an exception to these laws,” she wrote. “Rather, in contrast to the federal Farm Bill, the industrial hemp law omitted hemp ‘extracts’ and ‘derivatives’ from the definition of industrial hemp and expressly provided that the State wished to ‘maintain strict control of marijuana.’ Delta-8’s sale by unlicensed entities like convenience stores and smoke shops is therefore unlawful.” The Arizona Mirror spoke with Jonathan Udell, Arizona NORML communications director, about Mayes’ legal opinion, stating that she is giving the state’s cannabis industry a monopoly. “This is Attorney General Mayes giving the marijuana industry something that the legislature would not,” Udell said. “It’s a disappointing outcome.” Udell provided an example, explaining that the Arizona Dispensaries Association (ADA) has introduced legislation in the past to regulate hemp-derived THC products by banning sales of such products or making it legal to sell them only at licensed dispensaries. According to a campaign finance report obtained by the Arizona Mirror, the ADA provided $40,000 to a political committee that spent approximately $367,000 in order to assist Mayes in getting elected to her position. ADA executive director, Ann Torez, sent a statement to the news outlet, approving of Mayes’ opinion. “We believe it reflects the intent of Arizona’s voters and most importantly is in the best interest of public health and safety,” Torez said. Additionally, the Arizona Mirror spoke with Phoenix-based attorney Tom Dean, who claims that Mayes’ legal opinion is very similar to a rebuttal of a legal analysis that he provided last year. “It’s just yet another example of what I think is a wrongheaded approach to marijuana policy in general,” Dean said. He added that Mayes’ opinion isn’t legally binding, and a lawsuit would be necessary in order to pursue a legal conclusion to the argument.

https://hightimes.com/

Study Shows 11% Of High School Seniors Use Delta 8 THC

More than one in 10 high school seniors reported recent use of products with delta 8 THC, according to the results of a study published this week. The study found that approximately 11% of 12th-grade students said that they had used delta 8 during the past year, reflecting the widespread availability of the hemp-derived cannabinoid that is sometimes referred to as “diet weed” or “light THC.” The new research analyzed data from the Monitoring the Future survey, an ongoing study of the behaviors, attitudes and values of adolescents and young adults funded by the National Institutes of Health. The analysis showed that 11.4% of high school seniors had used delta 8 THC products in the last year. Of the 295 teens who reported using the compound, more than two-thirds (68.1%) said they had used it at least three times, while 35.4% had used it at least 10 times and nearly 17% used it at least 40 times. Nine out of 10 (91%) of delta 8 users also said that they used marijuana. “Eleven percent is a lot of people — that’s at least one or two students in every average-sized high school class who may be using delta-8. We don’t know enough about these drugs, but we see that they are already extremely accessible to teens,” Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said in a statement about the research from the agency. “Cannabis use in general has been associated with negative impacts on the adolescent brain, so we must pay attention to the kinds of cannabis products teens are using, educate young people about potential risks, and ensure that treatment for cannabis use disorder and adequate mental health care is provided to those who need it.” The popularity of delta 8 THC skyrocketed after the 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp at the federal level. Unregulated Delta 8 products were soon available at retailers including convenience stores, gas stations and smoke shops. Delta 8 products are particularly popular in states that have not legalized marijuana for recreational use, a trend that was reflected in data from the new study. About 14% of those in states without cannabis legalization reported delta 8 use, compared to 8% in states with legalization. Dr. Adam Leventhal, executive director of the USC Institute for Addiction Science and one of the authors of the study, said that the new research illustrates how widely available delta 8 products are to young people. “What we hadn’t known prior to this study was to what extent are these products reaching teens, which was a concern because they weren’t being comprehensively regulated,” Leventhal told CNN. The researchers expressed concern that the widespread use of delta 8 by teenagers could lead to developmental issues or other negative effects. The long-term effects of delta 8 THC on teens are not known, although some cannabis research has shown that the drug can negatively impact memory, attention and the ability to learn in young people. “Some of the concerns based on the underlying biology would be, of course, addiction, like what we see with marijuana, some of the neurodevelopmental changes that can happen because the adolescent brain is still forming and exposure to intoxicating substances can interfere with proper development of the brain pathways that support cognition and emotion regulation,” Leventhal said. Jonathan Miller, the general counsel for the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, a trade group representing businesses in the hemp industry, said the results of the study were “shocking, but it’s not surprising.” “Our hemp industry is filled with actors who provide good manufacturing practices and truth in labeling and make good efforts to keep intoxicating products out of the hands of minors, but there are unfortunately a lot of bad actors out there,” Miller said in a phone interview on Wednesday. “But the worst actor of all in this is the FDA. The FDA said when the farm bill passed in 2018 that it would take steps to start regulating hemp products and they’ve done nothing. And as a result, we’ve got a wild west.” Miller noted that several states are taking action to regulate delta 8 THC, citing Kentucky as a state taking strong measures to keep intoxicating hemp cannabinoids out of the hands of young people. Until the FDA takes action, it will be up to states to pass rules governing hemp cannabinoids, leaving conscientious businesses with a murky regulatory environment to operate in. Shawn Hauser, a partner at the cannabis and psychedelics law firm Vicente LLP and co-chair of the practice’s Hemp and Cannabinoids Department, said the study’s findings “illustrate the urgent need to federally legalize all cannabis (marijuana and hemp-derived products) with fundamental product safety standards governing product manufacturing, testing, labeling, marketing, etc.” “The hemp market, which is particularly robust in states without marijuana programs, has inflamed the need for federal legalization of all cannabis products that equip state and federal regulators to appropriately protect consumer safety through regulation, enforcement, and consumer education,” Hauser wrote in an email to High Times. “Regulation is more effective than prohibition in keeping cannabis out of the hands of children.”

https://hightimes.com/

Cannabis Flower Won’t Be Included in French Medical Cannabis Program

France is currently working toward the eventual launch of its official medical cannabis program, and a new update from the French National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM) recently announced that access to cannabis flower is not currently included. France’s medical cannabis experiment began in August 2021, and 2024 is set to be the last year of the experiment, while patients will only be accepted if they applied prior to March 26, 2024. The official launch of the country’s medical cannabis program is set to occur sometime in 2025. ANSM published an update on Feb. 20, explaining that with an end date for patient applications, there will be an end to access of cannabis flower as well. “Medicines in the form of flowers (flowering tops to be inhaled) will cease to be made available in the coming weeks,” ANSM stated. “Prescribing doctors must therefore gradually stop flower treatment for their patients and not initiate new treatments with this form. Guidelines have been distributed to healthcare professionals.” After March 26, the program will enter a transition period until the official launch of the French medical cannabis program occurs in 2025. For now, ANSM is recommending that healthcare professionals “implement the gradual cessation of flower treatments” for their patients, and not “initiate new flower treatments.” Likewise, ANSM is recommending that patients who utilize cannabis flower to seek out assistance from their medical practitioners to adjust their treatment accordingly. ANSM stated that over the course of the last three years, a total of 3,035 people have participated in the experiment, and 1,842 participants are currently being treated. “The data collected during the first two years of the experiment were evaluated by various studies,” ANSM explained. “They show the effectiveness of medical cannabis in all indications of the experiment, maintained over several months in certain patients, as well as a secure and operational prescription and delivery circuit.” Aurora Cannabis is the only company approved by ANSM to supply cannabis flower for the program, which first began in August 2021. “The first prescriptions of dried medical cannabis as part of the French pilot program are a significant step toward providing access to patients and will support the destigmatization of medical cannabis in France,” Aurora Cannabis CEO Miguel Marin said at the time. Aurora supplied three different types of flower: one high-THC flower, one balanced THC/CBD flower, and one high-CBD flower. On December 26, 2023, the French social security financing law was passed. It established that ANSM would authorize medical cannabis use for five years, meaning that patients will be allowed to continue their medical cannabis prescriptions going forward (minus the access to flower). The decision to end supply of medical cannabis has been met with opposition. According to Business of Cannabis, Dr. Nicholas Authier was involved with the medical cannabis experiment program, and condemns the sudden change. “What surprises us as doctors is the brutality of the decision,” Authier said. “We thought we would have time to gradually stop therapy. Stopping a treatment taken for several years cannot be done over two weeks, but over several months. This could have a significant impact on the pain felt by patients.” Currently, it is unclear if medical cannabis flower will be brought back after the program officially launches in 2025. According to the French government, it “is explained by the wish of the manufacturer [Aurora Cannabis] not to continue the supply of products.” All flower provided by Aurora Cannabis during the pilot program was free, so it makes sense that the company would want to cease providing free flower now that the experiment is ending. While France continues to work out its anticipated medical cannabis program, the German parliament recently legalized adult-use cannabis. As of April 1, the law allows anyone over 18 to possess cannabis in public up to 25 grams, or up to 50 grams at home. After July 1, cannabis social clubs will be available only to German consumers, and each club can serve up to 500 members. The clubs will be allowed to grow and distribute cannabis to its members, but currently the clubs are the only source of access for consumers. There are not licensed shops or pharmacies that consumers will be able to purchase cannabis from. However, adults are permitted to grow up to three cannabis plants per household. Germany is now the third European country to legalize adult-use cannabis. The first was Malta, which legalized both use and possession in December 2021, followed by Luxembourg in June 2023. Cannabis brands in the U.S. have invested interest in expanding into Europe as cannabis becomes legalized. Recently, U.S.-based edibles company, Wana Brands announced a partnership with Alpen Group, which is a vertically integrated company based in Switzerland. “Since Wana Brands was established in Colorado’s budding market in 2010, our mission has been to pioneer our presence in emerging markets. This vision has now taken us across the Atlantic to Switzerland, marking 14 years of expansive growth. Our collaboration with Alpen Group, a company that mirrors our commitment to quality, positions us to become the pioneering American cannabis edibles brand in the European Union’s adult-use market,” said co-founder and CEO of Wana Brands, Nancy Whiteman.

https://hightimes.com/

New Orleans Police Say Rats Are Eating Weed Stored in Evidence Room

Police officials in New Orleans this week told a city council committee that rats have taken over the department’s downtown headquarters, saying that the rodents have been eating marijuana stored in an evidence room. Anne Kirkpatrick, the superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department, told the city leaders at a meeting on Monday that the rats are apparently enjoying the food source sitting in an evidence room at police headquarters. “The rats are eating our marijuana,” Kirkpatrick said, according to a report from online news source NOLA.com. “They’re all high.” The superintendent was reporting to the council committee on the condition of aging police facilities around New Orleans. In addition to eating drugs in the evidence room, rats are reportedly found throughout the building, spreading feces across the desks of police officers and other department workers. The building is also infested with cockroaches, Kirkpatrick reported. The department’s problems at police headquarters are not limited to pests. The building also has mold and elevators, HVAC equipment and plumbing that are old and deteriorating. An NOPD veteran speaking to a reporter anonymously said that the downtown police headquarters has been infested with rats throughout his almost two decades with the department. He also noted that some officers report coughing or sneezing after visiting the moldy building, which has served the police department since 1968. “It’s horrible. I don’t think it ever recovered from Katrina, to be honest,” the officer said, referring to the 2005 hurricane that devastated New Orleans. “The basement was full (of flood water). You get a lot of rodents that climb through the walls. Some things you just can’t get to, so there has always been some type of rodent, bugs, rats, mice, whatever.” The police department has been asking for a new headquarters since before the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, the department asked for $39 million to build a new base of operations, but the project was not funded by the city council. Kirkpatrick, who took over as superintendent in October after moving to New Orleans from the West Coast, renewed the push for a new department headquarters, a source told NOLA.com. Kirkpatrick was “adamant” about a new facility for the department’s officers and staff of 400 who work at the aging building. At Monday’s meeting, Kirkpatrick described the building as a “turn-off” to prospective employee transfers from other areas as well as the personnel that already work there. “It’s not OK, and it’s not OK for people to be treated that way and be called valued,” she said. The superintendent also noted that the poor condition of police facilities goes beyond the department’s downtown home. “It is not just at police headquarters. It is all the districts. The uncleanliness is off the charts,” Kirkpatrick told the council members on the committee. “The janitorial cleaning [team] deserves an award, trying to clean what is uncleanable.” Kirkpatrick was at the meeting to ask for the committee’s approval of a proposal to house the department on two floors of a new high-rise in downtown New Orleans for 10 years while a plan for a permanent facility is developed. The committee approved a motion to authorize the move, sending the plan to the full council for a vote. Gilbert Montaño, the city’s chief administrative officer, described the headquarters move as a “Herculean lift.” Once the headquarters has been temporarily relocated, additional buildings in the downtown justice complex will also be vacated. “I foresee most of the criminal justice agencies will have to be temporarily housed as we address these old decrepit buildings,” said Montaño, according to a report from The Guardian. “Right now, we are addressing police headquarters because it is in dire straits.” The problem with rodents eating weed being stored as police evidence is not new. In addition to the report from New Orleans, police departments in South America and Asia have reported similar stories of hungry rodents fiending on pot, The Guardian noted. In 2018, the outlet reported that eight police officers in Argentina were fired after they reported that mice had eaten nearly 1,000 pounds of pot that had disappeared from a police warehouse about 35 miles away from Buenos Aires. “Buenos Aires University experts have explained that mice wouldn’t mistake the drug for food, and that if a large group of mice had eaten it, a lot of corpses would have been found in the warehouse,” a spokesperson for a judge who was reviewing the case said at the time. Four years later, CNN reported a story from northern India, where rats had allegedly eaten more than 1,100 pounds of weed that had been seized from pot dealers and stored in a police warehouse. “Rats are small animals, and they aren’t scared of the police,” an official told a court in Uttar Pradesh.

https://hightimes.com/

Washington To Do Away With 37% Medical Cannabis Tax

Lawmakers in Washington State “recently passed a bill granting an exemption from the 37% excise tax for medical marijuana patients and designated providers,” according to Forbes. The passage of the measure eliminates what has been characterized as “one of the highest tax rates imposed on medical marijuana products.” The bill, HB 1453, was originally introduced last year. Per an official legislative summary of the proposal, the bill aimed to provide “a tax exemption from the 37 percent cannabis excise tax for qualifying patients and designated providers with a recognition card on purchases of cannabis products that are labeled as Department of Health (DOH) compliant product and tested in accordance with the DOH’s rules.” “There is levied and collected a cannabis excise tax equal to 37 percent of the selling price on each retail sale in Washington of cannabis concentrates, useable cannabis, and cannabis-infused products. This tax is separate and in addition to general state and local sales and use taxes that apply to retail sales of tangible personal property, and is not part of the total retail price to which general state and local sales and use taxes apply,” the summary said. “The tax must be reflected in the price list or quoted shelf price in the licensed cannabis retail store and in any advertising that includes prices for all cannabis products. All revenues collected from the cannabis excise tax must be deposited each day in the Dedicated Cannabis Account.” The summary continued: “A tax exemption is provided to qualifying patients and designated providers who hold a recognition card, from the 37 percent cannabis excise tax, on their purchases of cannabis products that are labeled as a Department of Health (DOH) compliant product and tested in accordance with the DOH’s rules. Each seller making exempt sales must maintain information establishing eligibility for the exemption in the form and manner required by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB). The LCB must provide a separate tax reporting line on the excise tax form for exemption amounts claimed.” The Seattle law firm Harris Sliwoski provided more background on the measure and its journey through the Washington legislature, noting that the 37 percent tax imposed an unnecessary burden on patients. “On March 6, 2024, the Washington Senate passed HB 1453 which will provide an exemption from the 37% excise tax for medical cannabis patients and designated providers. The bill now waits for signatures and executive action to become law. First introduced in 2023, HB 1453 sought to harmonize the existing medical exemptions from general sales and use taxes with the 37% excise tax on cannabis sales,” the law firm explained. “Medical cannabis patients and providers face a significant financial burden when patients and providers are unfairly taxed the same as recreational consumers. Primarily, medical cannabis is not recreational or a luxury, but a necessity for many people who suffer from chronic pain, epilepsy, PTSD, and other conditions. Medical cannabis is often the only effective treatment that allows them to function and improve their quality of life. Medical cannabis patients and providers must already jump through additional regulatory hoops to stay compliant with the LCB and the DOH and the imposition of additional taxes only exacerbates this hardship. Medical cannabis patients and providers follow strict rules and guidelines to access the medicine not required by recreational cannabis users and providers, and it is unjust to further penalize those medical patients and providers.” As the firm pointed out, the 37% tax was all the more onerous given that medical cannabis is both “already expensive and not covered by insurance or public health programs.” “Adding a tax aimed at recreational sales on top of that makes it even more unaffordable for many patients who are already struggling financially. This can force them to reduce their dosage, switch to cheaper but less effective products, or even turn to the recreational market which does not have the same DOH requirements and compliance standards,” the firm said. “Taxing medical cannabis patients the same as recreational consumers is a form of discrimination that harms their health and well-being. It also goes against the principle of harm reduction, which is one basis of medical cannabis legalization policy.” The bill will now head to the desk of Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee. If he adds his signature, the bill “will take effect ninety (90) days after the adjournment of the current legislative session and will provide medical cannabis patients and providers a much-needed tax exemption for their medicine,” Harris Sliwoski said. “Washington lawmakers have finally acknowledged that medical cannabis should be treated as a medicine, not a commodity, and exempted from the 37% excise tax along with the current exemption from general and local sales and use taxes,” the firm added.

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Connecticut To Show Price Per Gram of Flower Online

Connecticut’s Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) published a new dataset, showing the price per gram of “usable cannabis” sold in the state’s adult-use cannabis and medical marijuana markets, according to a March 11 press release. The dataset’s category “usable cannabis” essentially means flower and includes raw flower in whole, ground, or pre-rolled form, without additional extracted materials. Currently, a gram of cannabis in California is hovering around $12 per gram, which is slightly up from years prior. The Register Citizen reports that the average price per gram of cannabis in Connecticut has increased steadily for months since October 2023, when the cost of cannabis was at $9.68 per gram—its lowest since adult-use sales kicked off in the state. The price of flower in Connecticut has increased, going from an average of $11.93 per gram in January to $12.28 per gram in February. “In February, the average price per gram of usable cannabis was $12.28,” the announcement reads. “The new dataset includes data collected since the market opened in January 2023.” According to High Times Trans-High Market Quotations in the March issue, which does not track the price per gram, the average price of an ounce across America was $296. This means that when you’re buying in bulk, the average price per gram dips to around $10. The state recorded $15.6 million in adult-use cannabis sales during the month of February, plus an additional $9.4 million in medical cannabis sales, for a total of $25 million in total cannabis sales, state data shows. It represents a $2.6 million decrease in total cannabis sales from January, when sales were down $2.6 million from the previous month. The dataset was added as part of the Department’s monthly data release, which to date has included total retail sales, number of products sold, average product price, and types of products sold. The most recent data for each dataset have also been published in accordance with the Department’s monthly cannabis data schedule. The data will continue to be updated monthly on or after the 10th of each month. Going forward, DCP will make announcements when new datasets have been made publicly available, and the DCP will no longer issue monthly press releases related to existing datasets. Reporters and members of the public who are interested in new monthly data published to existing datasets should check ct.gov/cannabis monthly on the 10th or the first business day after the 10th of each month. The data does not include taxes collected at the point of sale on adult-use transactions, and medical cannabis patients do not pay taxes. Last November, Connecticut regulators doubled the amount of adult-use cannabis consumers can purchase in a single transaction. Connecticut’s cannabis regulatory agency announced an increase in the amount of cannabis that can be bought in a single transaction by doubling the state’s limit on recreational marijuana purchases. Under the new regulations approved by the DCP, adult-use cannabis consumers are permitted to purchase up to a half-ounce (about 14 grams) of cannabis flower or its equivalent beginning next month. The limit on purchases of medical marijuana has not been changed. It remains at 5 ounces of cannabis flower or the equivalent monthly, with no limits on purchases in a single transaction. “DCP has continually reviewed available supply and demand since prior to the launch of the adult-use cannabis industry in January 2023,” DCP Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli said in a statement from the agency. “As more retailers, production companies and other supply chain licensees have come online, the capacity of the industry has increased. We are confident this measured approach to adult-use sales has resulted in a healthy market for businesses, and a safe and fair marketplace for adult-use cannabis consumers and medical marijuana patients.” Connecticut collects data through BioTrack, the state’s Seed-to-Sale Tracking System, a real-time inventory system used to track an individual cannabis plant from the point it is planted as a seed or clone to the point of sale. All medical and adult-use cannabis licensees are required to input data into this system, showing the movement of cannabis products as they are grown, manufactured, tested, and ultimately sold. (Information about the person who purchases the final cannabis product is not recorded.) Connecticut officials record cannabis sales data every month, so you can map the steady march of adult-use cannabis sales by looking at month-to-month sales on one of their many graphics. DCP does not make revenue projections, set sales expectations, collect taxes, nor do they regulate prices. The DCP also provides information to protect consumers from common scams and other threats.

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New Study Reveals Ayahuasca Has Potential To Treat Stress-Related Disorders

A study published in the British Journal of Pharmacology last month explored how ayahuasca (shortened to AYA for the use in this study) and DMT interacts with serotonin receptors in the part of the brain that regulates fear. The authors explained that ayahuasca has been found to be useful in treating humans for depression, trauma, and drug use disorders, but little research has been conducted regarding how ayahuasca affects specific parts of the brain. Researchers specifically sought to examine ayahuasca’s effects on aversive memories, or negative memories. Specifically, the study shows evidence of ayahuasca affecting fear memory extinction. While all living things develop a response to a stressful or fear-induced situation, fear memory extinction is when the subject’s response to a recurring stimulus is decreased over time. Study author Leandro Jose Bertoglio, who is a professor of pharmacology at the Federal University of Santa Catarina in Brazil, told Psypost.org about the study approach. “Our rodent lab investigates the brain and molecular mechanisms underlying memory formation during threatening or stressful experiences. We focus on developing pharmacological approaches to weaken the expression of aversive memories,” Bertoglio said. “Collaborators within our network are studying ayahuasca, a popular brew in Brazil and the Amazon, for its potential to treat depression and ethanol dependence. Given our expertise in fear extinction—the process where a neutral memory suppresses an aversive one—we are exploring ayahuasca’s impact on this process. The extinction likely forms the biological foundation for some psychotherapies.” The study included 331 Wistar rats, which commonly exhibit freezing behavior in response to fear. Researchers applied a fear condition procedure twice per day, which would cause the rats to freeze, and recorded the amount of time that they froze to determine the fear extinction. Over time, they provided varying levels of ayahuasca to the rats. The effects of ayahuasca were consistent with both on rats with 1-day-old memories, as well as those with 21-day-old memories, of the fear conditioning. Results show that all of these rats exhibited some form of fear extinction, even when different ayahuasca doses were administered. Researchers explained that serotonin receptors (5-HT2A and 5-HT1A) in the part of the brain that manages fear, the infralimbic cortex, were being activated during ayahuasca use, and thus affecting fear extinction. “Orally administered ayahuasca accelerates fear extinction and its retention in female and male rats,” Bertoglio continued. “This effect is associated with N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and involves the activation of two serotonin receptor subtypes (5-HT1A and 5-HT2A) in the infralimbic cortex. This brain region, homologous to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex in humans, is crucial in regulating memory extinction.” There are many studies that showcase the evidence of 5-HT2A receptor as it interacts with the use of psychedelic substances, but there is less known about the 5-HT1A receptor and how it interacts with psychedelics. “Compared to the 5-HT2A receptor, the participation of the 5-HT1A receptor in the effects of ayahuasca and other classical serotonergic psychedelics (e.g., psilocybin and LSD) has been less explored,” Bertoglio explained. “Our research aimed to elucidate the role of both receptors, demonstrating that DMT’s action on both 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors contributes to enhanced fear extinction.” Researchers concluded that ayahuasca facilitates “behavioral suppression of aversive memories in the rat infralimbic cortex,” which also suggests that both ayahuasca and DMT could be used to treat specific stress-related disorders. According to Bertoglio, this research will open the door for more opportunities in the future to explore how psychedelics can affect long term fear memories, such as those suffered by post-traumatic stress disorder patients. “Our goal is to advance understanding of how and where psychedelic substances act when modulating the expression and persistence of aversive memories,” Bertoglio concluded. “These studies foster collaborations and their findings encourage related studies with humans.” Personal accounts of patients seeking out ayahuasca treatment experiences have spoken out about the benefits they received. Heavyweight boxer and Olympic medalist, Deontay Wilder, recently spoke out in December 2023 about how he was “reborn” after experiencing ayahuasca treatment in Costa Rica. “Ah man, ayahuasca has been… man it’s been one of the top things in my life that I’m glad that I’ve experienced,” Wilder said. “One of the best journeys to experience, it’s been a beautiful thing for me and if you ask my wife [Telli Swift] she’ll say that it made me more sensitive, and she’s probably right, but it also made me happier as well.” Other psychedelic substances are also being praised for providing unique benefits to patients, and the public opinion of psychedelics is quickly becoming mainstream. A recent study published in the American Journal of Bioethics Neuroscience this week found that nine out of every 10 Americans approve of psilocybin being administered in a controlled setting with the intention of treating specific conditions. Another recent study published in Neuroscience Applied shows that psilocybin can actually reduce a person’s response to “angry facial expressions.” Researchers examined the amygdala part of the brain that regulates emotions. “We found that [the] amygdala response to angry faces was significantly reduced during exposure to psilocybin as compared to baseline, whereas no significant changes in amygdala responses to fearful or neutral faces were observed,” the authors wrote.

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Study Explores the Positive Effects of Free Cannabis Donations

Last week, a new study published in the Harm Reduction Journal reported that donating cannabis for free could be a successful method of harm reduction in the U.S. Entitled “Cannabis donation as a harm reduction strategy: a case study” claims to be the first of its kind to study the benefits of giving away weed for free. The team was made up of five researchers from RTI International, Rutgers University’s School of Social Work, and San Francisco General Hospital. According to the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act, giving away up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis (or up to 15 grams of concentrate) is legal as long as the recipient is over 21 and “as long as the transfer is not advertised or promoted to the public.” Researchers analyzed a harm reduction program and studied administrative data between September 2021-May 2023. Ten program participants who were “cannabis-experienced,” and received donations weekly, or via delivery, were the focus of the study. The program staff were permitted to determine “client interest and appropriateness” when providing the cannabis donations, which could be done if there is excess product, or “especially when they have personal experience using cannabis to mitigate the dangers of the substance.” Cannabis donations are largely unregulated, staff are trained to provide cannabis to those in need. “While the policies surrounding the regulation and distribution of cannabis can still present barriers towards this practice, harm reduction staff working in the field see the potential benefits of cannabis, which include reduced premature death, improved quality of life, pain moderation, increased recovery outcomes, and improved safety for clients and community,” researchers wrote of their conclusion. One staff member described a person who was 50 or older had spinal fusion neck surgery, which included the addition of “two steel rods, three connectors, and six bolts” five months after the study began. “Before the surgery, this person had not used opioids for two years (as evidenced by criminal legal mandated urine drug screens) but reported frequent struggles in denying himself alcohol,” researchers explained. “With their use of the products donated by this program, this individual reported complete abstinence from alcohol while recovering from their surgery and since. They expressed gratitude for topical pain relief with cannabis pain cream, cannabis vape cartridges, and flower for smoking.” Another example was provided regarding a pregnant woman in her 20s, and was a “methamphetamine and opioid dependent injector” when the study began. “She reported that with the use of products donated in this program, she used methamphetamine and opioids less frequently, and actively worked with harm reduction agency staff to get on [medications for opioid use disorder] while pregnant.” Researchers noted, however, that this study was not designed to assess the outcome of the program, but instead the goal was to describe how the program works in a state that has legal provisions to allow such donations. Study authors also explained that cannabis flower products make up a large margin of adult-use and medical cannabis sales, but “edible, oil, and topical products predominated donations.” “Further, cost analysis suggests that donations represent only 1% of total gross sales and account for much less than the expected yearly donation amount.” The study points out that the revenue loss is minimal. Overall, study authors concluded that more research should be conducted in order to further define the benefits of harm reduction programs like the one in Michigan. “Research suggests there is potential to reduce alcohol and drug use related harms of more dangerous substances through substitution with cannabis,” the researchers wrote. “Findings from this case study provide a starting point for inquiry into cannabis donation as a harm reduction strategy in the US; future research is needed to fully understand the individual-level outcomes, public health impacts, necessary legal regulations, and best practices for cannabis donation programs through harm reduction organizations.” Michigan’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency announced in January that the state has collected a total of $3.06 billion in cannabis sales in 2023. By that amount, the dollar amount of cannabis products per person would come out to an estimated $305 (in California, the per capita amount is approximately $150, for example). Many other studies that have been conducted over the past decade point to the effectiveness of cannabis as a medicine. Authors of one such study, which was published in February, urge the importance of implementing a regulatory framework to support the use of cannabinoids as an opioid alternative. “Based on a comprehensive review of the literature and epidemiological evidence to date, cannabinoids stand to be one of the most interesting, safe, and accessible tools available to attenuate the devastation resulting from the misuse and abuse of opioid narcotics,” researchers wrote. “Considering the urgency of the opioid epidemic and broadening of cannabinoid accessibility amidst absent prescribing guidelines, the authors recommend use of this clinical framework in the contexts of both clinical research continuity and patient care.”

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MedMen Reportedly Closes All But Two California Locations

According to multiple reports late last week, MedMen has shuttered all but two of its stores in California. “Only MedMen stores in San Diego and near Los Angeles International Airport remain open,” MJBizDaily reported on Friday. Green Market Report, citing a former staffer at the company, reported that “[although] no one connected with MedMen’s corporate headquarters could be reached for comment, the chain had a small fire sale to unload product this past week prior to closing down.” The outlet has more on MedMen’s precipitous decline: “The report of more closures follows a series of troubling developments for the company, including a string of earlier dispensaries closing down – including MedMen’s flagship store in West Hollywood in February, then its shops in San Jose and Emeryville the same month, and just this week, the company closed its San Francisco location. The news also follows a string of C-suite departures, with ex-CEO Ellen Deutsch Harrison resigning in January after less than seven months on the job.” MJBizDaily, meanwhile, has specific figures on the number of jobs lost: “The cash-strapped company operated more than a dozen stores in the state before the latest round of closures. The Los Angeles-based MSO on Thursday closed its San Francisco store in the Cow Hollow neighborhood, Medmen’s last remaining outlet in the Bay Area, according to SFist. The store opened only two years ago, the news outlet reported. MedMen, which has closed several other stores and laid off dozens of workers in California, Illinois and Nevada in the past month, shuttered its Long Beach location last week, MJBizDaily confirmed Friday. The Long Beach location had about 10 employees, according to a former staffer. The company has laid off more than 100 employees since Jan. 26, according to MJBizDaily reporting, including a round of corporate layoffs in MedMen’s accounting and marketing departments.” Both outlets noted that MedMen’s official website has been down since last week. On Monday morning, visitors to the site were met with an image of a man lounging on his back poolside, with the message: “We’ll Be Back Soon Sorry, we’re down for scheduled maintenence. In the meantime, connect with us on social.” The company has not posted on its Instagram account since January. Its last post on Facebook was in 2022. In 2019, MedMen scrapped plans for a major acquisition. Alarmed by plunging cannabis stocks, the company “backed out of a blockbuster deal to buy PharmaCann, a Chicago-based marijuana company with operations in eight states,” the Associated Press reported at the time. A year earlier, MedMen announced its plans to acquire PharmaCann for $682 million in an all-stock transaction. In a press release at the time, MedMen said that the resulting “pro-forma company (including pending acquisitions by MedMen) will have a portfolio of cannabis licenses in 12 states that will permit the combined company to operate 79 cannabis facilities.” “The combined company will operate in 12 states, which comprise a total estimated addressable market, as of 2030, of approximately $40 billion according to Cowen Group. Through the transaction, MedMen will add licenses in Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio, Virginia and Michigan,” the press release said. The deal was supposed to be a watershed moment for the cannabis industry, with the AP noting that it “was seen as a forerunner of a wave of marijuana industry mergers and acquisitions promising big returns for investors.” Adam Bierman, MedMen’s CEO at the time, called it “a transformative acquisition that will create the largest U.S. cannabis company in the world’s largest cannabis market.” “The transaction adds tremendous scale to our vertically integrated business model by expanding our U.S. retail footprint across important growth markets while strengthening our cultivation and production capabilities. With the revenue synergies that the deal is expected to produce, MedMen is well positioned to continue executing on our growth strategy,” said Bierman, who stepped down in his role as chief executive in early 2020. “This would not have been possible even two years ago and is a testament to how far both the industry and these two companies have evolved. PharmaCann’s leadership has built a world-class organization, and we are excited about the value this transaction is creating for shareholders.” But by the fall of 2019, MedMen was singing a very different tune. According to the Associated Press, the company “cited the steep pullback in U.S. and Canadian cannabis stocks this year,” and “noted the Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences Index, a Canadian exchange-traded fund that tracks cannabis stocks, is down 47% since March.” “The underperformance has made it increasingly more critical to allocate capital efficiently, given the current industry headwinds,” MedMen said in a news release, as quoted by the Associated Press.

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Study: 9 in 10 Americans Say Psilocybin Use for Therapy, Well-Being Is ‘Morally Positive’

As the modern-day psychedelic renaissance continues to press on, with myriad research and individual cases showing the merit behind innovative treatments like psilocybin-assisted therapies, it’s hard to deny the potential of this emerging solution. But as psychedelic reform continues to ripple throughout the nation, what exactly do Americans think of this new therapeutic option? According to a new study published in the American Journal of Bioethics Neuroscience, it appears that most Americans are on board. The research examined the “moral status” of psilocybin, with nearly 9 in 10 Americans ultimately reporting that they approve of psilocybin’s use in a controlled, licensed setting to treat specific conditions or promote general well-being. Psilocybin, the psychedelic compound in “magic mushrooms,” is still a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act. The categorization deems that these substances have no currently accepted medical use and high potential for abuse. Study authors note that psilocybin is often thought to be physiologically safer than many of the regularly prescribed drugs on the market, non-habit forming and effective to treat a number of psychiatric conditions in combination with psychotherapy. The authors also note increasing literature finding that psilocybin can have a variety of neuropsychological effects, like increasing prosocial attitudes, mindfulness and overall improved psychosocial functioning. With the FDA’s recent move granting psilocybin with a “breakthrough therapy status” to use in major depressive disorder and treatment-resistant depression, alongside states increasingly moving to introduce psychedelic reform measures, researchers took a closer look at the perceived “morality” surrounding the medicinal use of psilocybin. The study included perspectives from 795 participants aged 18 to 92 who were demographically representative of American citizens. Researchers provided participants basic information around psilocybin and background surrounding the recent Oregon law that legalized psilocybin for personal use in supervised settings. They were also asked to imagine a similar law being passed at the federal level. Researchers then assigned participants one of two vignettes about an individual taking psilocybin with the supervision of a trained professional — one scenario using psilocybin to combat treatment-resistant depression (treatment) and another to improve overall well being (enhancement). Participants were also provided with accurate information stating that psilocybin has been shown to be “medically safe and non-addictive if administered in an appropriately controlled setting, both for those with certain mental health disorders and for healthy individuals.” Finally, participants were asked to “morally evaluate” the supervised use of the compound. Overall, participants showed “strong bipartisan support” for both treatment (89%) or enhancement (85%). Researchers found that approval was slightly reduced among older and conservative participants, though support for treatment was “very high” in both political affiliations: 91% of liberals and 86% of conservatives showed favorable attitudes surrounding psilocybin use for treatment. The use of psilocybin for enhancement had slightly less support: 89% of liberals and 78% of conservatives approved of its use for overall well-being. “Across conditions, favorable attitudes toward controlled psilocybin use were linked to the moral foundation of care, suggesting that a concern for both patients’ and non-patients’ well-being underlies the tendency to approve of controlled psilocybin use,” according to the authors. The study notes that participants were not asked about the unsupervised use of psilocybin, “underground” practitioners or other illegal uses — rather, the study was inspired by Oregon’s recent law explicitly focusing on legal and supervised use. In that regard, researchers say that results suggest the U.S. public is generally supportive of psilocybin use for both treatment and wellbeing. “Given such bipartisan positive attitudes, future legislative changes allowing psychedelic use in supervised settings for both purposes, even at the federal level, seem unlikely to trigger major public backlash, assuming similar background information about (known) benefits or risks, which may change over time,” the study says. While researchers caution against the assertion that psilocybin is a “silver bullet for treating mental illness,” especially as we continue to investigate the compound, they recognize that the study findings “suggest that the safe and supervised use of psychedelics under conditions of legalization has the potential to find wide public acceptance.” They continue, “If the field can overcome scientific inaccuracies, pursue rigorous research, and build trust—then psychedelics such as psilocybin may one day be seen as a mainstream means to treat mental illness and possibly also to promote overall well-being.”

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Hemp Fiber Market to Hit Over $50B by 2028, Report Indicates

The hemp-derived fiber market is growing exponentially. The Business Research Company, a global market research and consulting firm located across the globe, updated its reports with latest data on hemp fiber for 2024 and projections up to 2033, and the projections look promising. The Business Research Company’s “Hemp Fiber Global Market Report 2024” was published on March 8 and provides a comprehensive source of information that covers every facet of the market. According to the TBRC’s market forecast, the hemp fiber market size is predicted to reach $50.38 billion in 2028 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 35.0%. The growth in the hemp fiber market is due to increasing legalization to cultivate industrial hemp. Asia-Pacific region is expected to hold the largest hemp fiber market share. Major players in the hemp fiber market include Shenyang beijiang, BaFa Holding BV, Plains Industrial Hemp Processing Ltd., Industrial Hemp Manufacturing LLC, Hemp Oil Canada Inc. “Hemp fiber refers to one of the robust members of the family of strong natural fibers, which are generated from the cannabis family’s hemp plant,” the report reads. “The plant’s stem is made up of long strands that are used to make hemp fabric. By using a technique called retting, these fibers are extracted from the bark and then spun together to produce a continuous thread that can be woven into textiles.” The report also identifies what parts of the plant are typically used in the hemp fiber process. “The main types of hemp fiber are long (bast) fibers, and short (core) fibers. The long (bast) hemp fiber market refers to the soft woody fiber obtained from the stems of dicotyledonous plants and is used for textiles and cordage, the report continues. “The different sources include organic and conventional, and are used in food, beverages, personal care products, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and other applications.” Researchers divided hemp fiber market segments by the following parameters: • By Type: Long (bast) Fibers, Short (core) Fibers• By Source: Organic, Conventional• By Application: Food, Beverages, Personal Care Products, Textiles, Pharmaceuticals, Other Applications• By Geography: The global hemp fiber market is segmented into North America, South America, Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Middle East and Africa. The market report includes Hemp Fiber Market Characteristic, Hemp Fiber Market Trends And Strategies, Hemp Fiber Market – Macro Economic Scenario, Hemp Fiber Market Size And Growth, Hemp Fiber Market Competitor Landscape And Company Profiles, Key Mergers And Acquisitions In The Market, and many other topics. Every day, people are finding more uses for industrial hemp. (Just refer to the works of Jack Herer, the “Emperor of Hemp.” Architects, for instance, are increasingly relying on hemp as a cleaner, more efficient replacement for traditional home construction materials. A recently published article by The Cool Down (“America’s mainstream climate brand”) detailed how hemp can be “transformed into a material called hempcrete.” “Hempcrete is a carbon-negative building material made out of hemp, which is increasingly being used in place of concrete. The biocomposite material is created from hemp shiv—the woody core of hemp stalks—and mixed with a binder, such as lime powder, and water,” according to the article. “The result is a tough, adaptable material that can be mixed with varying proportions of hemp and lime depending on its intended purpose. Hemp is constantly proving to be useful in making other materials and products. A Wisconsin-based hemp battery manufacturing company, for instance, created a goal to hire former employees of Energizer. Portage, Wisconsin-based Wisconsin Battery Co. (WinBat) makes batteries out of hemp instead of graphene, for use in devices like hearing aids. Earlier this month, WinBat announced that it has acquired 17 acres of land in the Portage Industrial Park to develop its battery plant, a According to a Dec. 21, 2023 press release, Last October, a variety of hemp plant genetically modified to produce little-to-no THC was approved by the United States Department of Agriculture as safe to grow and breed on U.S. soil. The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) released a notice about the plants last week, created and submitted by Indiana-based Growing Together Research, a biotechnology company specializing in cannabis, hemp, psychedelics and agriculture. APHIS regulates the “movement of organisms modified or produced through genetic engineering.” “APHIS found this modified hemp is unlikely to pose an increased plant pest risk compared to other cultivated hemp,” the USDA notice said. “As a result, it is not subject to regulation under 7 CFR part 340. From a plant pest risk perspective, this hemp may be safely grown and bred in the United States.”

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Humboldt County Voters Reject Weed Cultivation Regulation Initiative

Voters in Humboldt County last week soundly rejected a ballot measure that would have tightened regulations on the area’s famed cannabis industry. Known as Measure A, the initiative was defeated at the polls on March 5, with more than 73% of the voters casting their ballot against the proposal. Genine Coleman, the executive director of Origins Council, a group representing California’s legacy cannabis growers, wrote in an email to High Times that the “defeat of Measure A demonstrates that the grassroots cannabis industry in Humboldt County is politically organized and effective, thanks to the Humboldt County Growers Alliance and their successful ‘No on A Campaign.'” Had it passed, Measure A would have changed Humboldt County’s regulations for cannabis cultivation in a manner that opponents of the initiative say would have likely destroyed the local industry. The proposal was created and advanced by Mark Thurmond and Elizabeth Watson, residents of Kneeland, an unincorporated community in Humboldt County, the epicenter of California’s infamous Emerald Triangle cannabis cultivation region. Measure A would have added several restrictions on cannabis cultivation businesses to the county’s planning regulations, ostensibly for environmental purposes. New rules would have included a cap on the size of weed farms at 10,000 square feet, a change that would have made more than 400 cultivators noncompliant with county regulations, according to a report from MJBizDaily. The ballot measure also would have prohibited noncompliant businesses from expanding their operations, including increasing water or energy use or expanding the space or buildings used for cannabis cultivation. Additionally, the defeated ballot measure would have required public hearings for cannabis cultivation operations exceeding 3,000 square feet. The proposal also would have restricted weed farms located on two-way roads designed to accommodate traffic traveling at speeds of 25 to 40 miles per hour. Measure A was fiercely opposed by many members of Humboldt County’s cannabis community, who feared that passage of the initiative could cripple the local cultivation industry. Some referred to the proposal as the “Karen Initiative” because a group of neighbors began work on the ballot measure after a cannabis grower set up a new operation in their community. The voters’ rejection of Measure A at the ballot box was welcome news for Humboldt County’s cannabis community. Dylan Mattole, a cannabis farmer and chairman of the Humboldt County Growers Alliance (HCGA), said that the members of the trade group were encouraged by the results of the election. “There’s a feeling of relief from knowing that our community accepts us and that we’re not going to have to keep fighting for the right to do business,” Mattole told SFGATE. Mattole said that cannabis businesses spent $150,000 on the campaign to defeat Measure A. Although the fight against the initiative was an ordeal, he cited bringing the cannabis community together as a positive outcome of the situation. “I feel like we’ve really advanced our standing in the community through this terrible situation,” Mattole said. “The silver lining in all this is that I think we actually advanced … the normalization of cannabis as just part of the normal business community.” Watson, one of the lead proponents of Measure A, said that the results of last week’s election were not unexpected. The initiative was widely opposed by members of the community, including Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal, three of five county supervisors and city and tribal leaders, as well as the Republican, Democratic and Green political parties. Environmental groups including Cannabis for Conservation also registered their opposition to the ballot proposal. “When the environmental organizations and all the elected officials came out against it, that was pretty much the kiss of death,” Watson told the Times-Standard. Watson said that she spent a quarter of her life savings on the campaign to pass Measure A. However, it was not enough to overcome the resources mustered by the campaign to defeat the initiative. “We were just totally outgunned financially and did the best we could,” she said. “I’m 76, you can’t take it with you,” she added, saying that she would probably have donated a similar amount of money to environmental groups. As the defeat of Measure A became apparent on election day, opponents of the initiative also said they were not surprised by the results. “We were definitely seeing a lot of support leading up to the election. So I think we felt pretty confident going into it,” said Ross Gordon, policy director for the HGCA. “But, of course, we didn’t know until we knew, and so I wouldn’t say it was shocking, but I think we were definitely happy to see that number.” Gordon acknowledged that cannabis regulations should be reviewed continually. But he added that the process should be a collaborative effort that includes members of the cannabis industry. “I think it’s been really unfortunate that for the past year or so, we’ve really had to focus on just maintaining the status quo,” said Gordon. “And I don’t think the status quo for small farmers is amazing right now. And I really think we need to be working on more hopeful affirmative projects,” he said, noting the organization’s support of AB 1111, a state Assembly bill that would allow small cultivation businesses to sell cannabis at events.

https://hightimes.com/

Medterra Introduces Its THC Seltzer: Daily Delight Social Tonic

Medterra’s THC seltzer is reaching many individuals around the world for its ability to enhance moods for deep comfort. The seltzer prides itself on being a non-alcoholic alternative and a socially relaxing beverage. Many cannabis users enjoy the THC seltzer for these reasons to elevate their well-being. If you’re one of these cannabis enthusiasts, you should know that the THC seltzer drink also has several distinct flavors. It provides a slight uplifting buzz that’s perfect for those low-key gatherings. Medterra’s Daily Delight Social Tonic is different than carbonated beverages, providing all the benefits of a carbonated drink with a delightful kick. THC seltzers are cannabis-infused drinks known to provide users with light-lifting sensations. Many refer to the beverages as liquid edibles and are sought after by cannabis lovers who want to uplift their moods. They are a convenient way to get THC inside the body’s system without needing to grind and puff your way into bliss town. What better way to consume THC than opening a can of liquid gold? Not all seltzers are made the same or have the same compounds, but most have a unique blend of ingredients with an infusion of CBD and THC compounds. Some have different variations of cannabinoids, but Medterra’s Daily Delight Social Tonic contains a balance of full-spectrum CBD hemp extract and THC. You can kick your feet up and enjoy the relaxing effects of THC seltzer whether you’re chilling with friends or at home. There’s 2mg of THC inside one can along with 2mg of CBD, providing enough THC for a light and blissful buzzing experience to enhance your wellness routine. This packs up to 4mg of cannabinoids in one seltzer that’s derived from quality hemp in the USA. These two compounds can give you a delightful journey into chill vibes. When drinking the cannabis-infused seltzer, you can expect to experience the effects within 10 to 30 minutes after the first cold sip. Some cannabis enthusiasts have better luck with feeling the buzzing energies faster than others. You can also consume 2 or 3 beverages to experience a higher impactful sensation for any fun occasion. THC seltzer drink is a great alternative containing carbonation and THC for an uplifting feeling similar to an alcoholic beverage without the side effects of a hangover. They also have distinguished flavor profiles that aren’t harsh on the taste buds during consumption making it a pleasurable liquid to consume after a long day’s work. For those who are trying to make the switch away from alcohol; delta-9 THC seltzers are a popular option to consider. Medterra’s THC seltzer has natural plant ingredients with the purest form of THC compounds. They come in 12 fluid ounces with carbonation similar to sparkling water but with a nice light-lifting feel. Cannabis users who want to mind their calories can drink THC seltzer Daily Delight guilt-free since it contains only 40 calories per can. The seltzer comes in three natural flavors; Black Cherry, Grapefruit, and Guava Passion Fruit. The Farm Bill allows for the legal shipping of 0.3% hemp-derived THC products throughout the U.S., but you can’t ship any THC product. You can get into serious criminal trouble if you ship any THC product without checking your regulations and THC content! Knowing your state’s regulations and the THC products you can ship can save you from getting into trouble with the authorities. A good rule of thumb is to ensure the product contains no more than 0.3% THC to ensure safe shipping. THC sparking drinks are great to consume while you’re out socializing with friends at small and large gatherings. Conversing with friends and family is always a fun experience, but having a THC-infused drink on one hand can further enhance the social event. They boost your social game by adjusting your moods to a more relaxing one. Medterra’s Daily Delight Social Tonic is a delectable seltzer to give you a soothing and comforting sensation for any chill social gathering.

https://hightimes.com/

Australian Endometriosis Patients Find Relief Through MMJ Despite Cost Barriers

Using cannabis for pain relief is nothing new. Across the U.S., most states include chronic pain as a qualifying condition for medical cannabis. Looking broader, individuals around the globe are already embracing cannabis for these pain-relieving qualities alongside the additional benefits it may offer. While we’re still learning exactly how cannabis can work to treat symptoms and provide relief for specific conditions, many are taking matters into their own hands with promising results — and these trends could very well help to shape further research and policy. A recent survey published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology took a closer look at symptom management pertaining to cannabis and endometriosis, finding that patients often turn to cannabis to alleviate their symptoms despite ongoing barriers to access. Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus, generally resulting in severe pelvic pain and inflammation. The tissue acts in the same way as the lining inside the uterus, thickening, breaking down and bleeding with each menstrual cycle. Endometriosis involving the ovaries can also result in cysts, causing surrounding tissue irritation and formation of scar tissue. Endometriosis can start at the time of a person’s first menstrual period and last until menopause. We still don’t know what causes endometriosis, there is no way to prevent it and there is no cure. However, there are a number of treatments to help ease the related symptoms. Some opt for surgery to remove lesions, while many embrace hormonal intrauterine devices, birth control methods, opioid-based pain medications and more for ongoing relief. That said, we can safely add cannabis to the list of modern-day treatments given its prevalence of use. In the survey, Australian researchers examined the perspectives of 192 people with a history of cannabis use and endometriosis. Noting it as a “very expensive disease, with substantive out of pocket costs for pain and symptom management,” researchers reference cost and accessibility to cannabis-based medicinal products (CMBPs) as a primary focus of the survey. They also cite the lack of information surrounding ideal products, modes of administration and efficacy in current research. Researchers gathered data through an online survey of Australian and New Zealand residents, via social media and community-based advocacy platform Cannareviews.co. Respondents included those using either illicit cannabis or legal CMBPs prescribed by a doctor to manage endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain-related symptoms. However, the published report only includes data from Australian respondents. The survey found that THC-dominant CBMPs are most commonly prescribed to Australians with endometriosis, noting multi-product use as a common trend with most people reporting the use of at least two products. For those with only one prescription (23%), it was almost always a THC-dominant product. Most respondents (59.4%) said they used cannabis recreationally and for endometriosis symptom management, though many exclusively used cannabis to manage symptoms (40.1%). Patients reported improvements in common endometriosis symptoms through the use of legal CBMPs, specifically sleep (68.9%), chronic pelvic pain (44.5%), nausea (47.9%), anxiety/depression (45.4%) and menstrual pain (38.7%). They also reported a reduction in the use of opioids, hormonal treatments, non-steroidal inflammatory drugs, neuroleptics and illicit cannabis. Oils and flower were the most common product types, illicit or legal. The results also pointed to legal, THC-dominant cannabis medications being more expensive than illicit “equivalents” and that the extra cost for legal access often led to people underdosing (76.1%) or resorting to illicit cannabis to “bridge the gap” and easen cost burdens (42.9%). Researchers note that relying upon illicit cannabis products can lead to inadequate symptom management, using products that have not been tested for safety and quality and of course associated legal ramifications. Nearly all (96.3%) respondents said that their cost burden would be substantially reduced if CBMPs were a Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) listed and subsidized product. The bulk of respondents said they would consider moving insurers if they found out their private health insurance would not reimburse the cost of cannabis medicine as well — 60.9% said maybe, depending on other factors; 20.3% said yes, so long as the premium was the same price or less; 11.7% said yes, even if the premium was higher; only 7% said no. Researchers said that patients’ willingness to switch insurers based on this variable “speaks to the pivotal nature of cost concerns (and perceived effectiveness) relating to affordable access to cannabinoids.” Additionally, they state that the results suggest a need for a greater response from insurers in the country. “Given the lack of well-tolerated alternatives for medical management of endometriosis, this is an equity issue that urgently needs addressing,” they add. Researchers note that self-reported nature of cost, diagnosis and product consumption as a limitation. They also cited the potential for their recruitment methods — through social media and Cannareviews’ patient base — to produce recall and selection bias, as participants may have either had more severe impacts to quality of life or a more positive experience with illicit or medicinal cannabis than the broader population. Still, the data affirms that many are already finding relief and relying on cannabis treatments for endometriosis, highlighting the need for better access. “Given major issues with symptom management and the self-reported reductions in pain and other symptoms, improving access to medicinal cannabis for this population is important and timely,” authors conclude. “Reductions in cost of both product and consultations, as well as coverage by insurance are areas which need addressing.”

https://hightimes.com/

Amsterdam Left Out of Netherlands Legal Weed Experiment

Amsterdam, a city long associated with relaxed weed rules, has been left out of a pilot experiment with legal cannabis sales now underway in the Netherlands. In a vote last week in the Netherlands’ lower house of Parliament known as the Tweede Kamer, lawmakers excluded Amsterdam from a list of cities to be added to the European country’s experiment with regulated cannabis cultivation and distribution. The Tweede Kamer also voted against an attempt by conservative lawmakers to halt the experiment, which will be expanded this summer to 10 cities across the Netherlands. The experiment launched late last year in the Dutch cities of Breda and Tilburg. Under the pilot program, which will soon be launched in eight more cities, the government is regulating the cultivation and sale of recreational cannabis. Although the Netherlands in general and Amsterdam in particular are known for a pragmatically tolerant outlook on weed, cannabis is still illegal nationwide. Despite the prohibition, cannabis is easily available at so-called coffeeshops, which offer a range of weed products including flowers, joints and hash to adult customers. The coffee shops, which number approximately 565 nationwide, are supplied by underground growers who are generally allowed to operate without government interference. Many government officials are concerned, however, that organized crime groups have taken over cultivation of much of the weed that ends up in coffeeshops in the Netherlands. This concern led to the country’s first experiment with regulated adult-use cannabis cultivation and distribution. The experiment began in December and is being rolled out in select municipalities under what the government calls a “closed coffeeshop chain experiment.” The initial phase of the experiment is expected to extend for six months in as many as 11 cities. “During the startup phase, growers, coffeeshop owners, transporters and supervisors will gain experience with the supply and sale of regulated cannabis and its supervision, secure transport and the use of the track and trace system,” the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport said in a statement, according to a report from the Associated Press. Later this year, the Netherlands’ experiment with regulated cannabis will be expanded to the cities of Almere, Arnhem, Groningen, Heerlen, Voorne aan Zee (formerly named Hellevoetsluis), Maastricht, Nijmegen and Zaanstad. City leaders in Amsterdam hoped to join the experiment, despite some claims that doing so would make it easier for underage youth to get weed. “The experiment will not make access to drugs easier for young people. It just means that the production and distribution will be removed from criminals” Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema told the publication NL Times, according to a report from MJBizDaily. “This actually protects public health and facilitates enforcement policy. If you want to control cannabis use better, you must also check the ‘back door.’” Amsterdam’s bid to be included in the experiment was denied by a March 5 vote by the Tweede Kamer. While the proposal had the support of the Netherlands left-wing and centrist parties, conservatives in the far-right Christian SGP and the far-right nationalist PVV political parties defeated the bid by a vote of 78-72, according to a report from Forbes. The exclusion of Amsterdam from the cannabis legalization experiment was not unexpected, says Jason Adelstone, a senior associate attorney at the cannabis law firm Vicente LLP, where he focuses on federal and international policy. “I am not surprised that members of the Netherlands Parliament opposed the proposal for allowing Amsterdam to join the Dutch marijuana experiment,” Adelstone writes in an email to High Times. “With the far-right nationalist PVV party being the largest party in the Tweede Kamer, expanding the marijuana pilot program to include Amsterdam was a difficult proposition. Thankfully, those opposed to the marijuana pilot program didn’t have enough support to pause or completely stop the program altogether.” Michael Sassano, founder, chairman and CEO of Somai Pharmaceuticals, a Lisbon-based manufacturer of therapeutic cannabis products, agrees that there “is no surprise that Amsterdam was ‘excluded’ from the program.” “The reality is that the Amsterdam coffee shop owners are very happy with their supply agreements both in quality and pricing,” Sassano said in a statement to High Times. “Most coffee shop owners understand that it will take some time for the legal Grow’s to get up to the current quality standards, and also the price will be higher. As the Netherlands progresses, going to a legal market for the entire country will be inevitable but it takes time and infrastructure to achieve this goal.”

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