The road to cannabis legalization has been long and full of obstacles. While drug reform activists have preached the social and economic benefits of legalizing cannabis, proponents against legalization have argued that making cannabis legal and accessible to the public will lead to teens abusing the drug. However, according to an official from the White House’s anti-drug office, the consumption of cannabis by teens has fallen in Colorado and other states that have legalized marijuana for adult consumption.

Speaking to a committee of North Dakota lawmakers on Wednesday, Dale Quigley stated that “for some reason, the use rate among this age bracket is going down.” He is the deputy coordinator for the National Marijuana Initiative, a project of the High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (“HIDTA”) program. Although he can’t pin down why use rates among teens has been reducing in the state, the trend has been seen nationally.

“In looking at the state of Colorado for 12 to 17-year-old current use, we had a spike in ’14 but overall the use rates in Colorado have been declining, and that matches what we’re seeing in other states and also the trend we’re seeing nationally,” says Quigley, currently a resident of Colorado and a law enforcement officer since 1979. His comments were made during a wide-ranging presentation on the impacts of cannabis legalization to the North Dakota lawmakers. He used data from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Organization (“SAMHSA”), which defines ‘current use’ as cannabis use within the past thirty days.

The HDTA program, which funds the National Marijuana Initiative, was established under the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy after Congress passed the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. According to the Marijuana Initiative’s website, it “strives to dispel misconceptions about marijuana and raise awareness of issues surrounding the drug.” It provides policymakers with speakers on cannabis issues, with presentations ranging from 60 minutes to 8 hours.

Quigley posits that youth may be scared of potent products and vaping. “We’re hearing anecdotal stories about kids that are afraid of the potency levels, you know, teens that have had adverse reactions to vaping and concentrates,” he says. Meanwhile, the committee of North Dakota lawmakers is expected to issue a report on marijuana legalization sometime this fall, most likely in November.

Experts say that when anti-marijuana officials like Quigley begin admitting that benefits are accruing from legalization at state level, companies like VIVO Cannabis Inc. (TSX.V: VIVO) (OTCQX: VVCIF) get renewed hope that a change of policy at the federal level isn’t far off.

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CNW420 spotlights the latest developments in the rapidly evolving cannabis industry through the release of two informative articles each business day. Our concise, informative content serves as a gateway for investors interested in the legalized cannabis sector and provides updates on how regulatory developments may impact financial markets. Articles are released each business day at 4:20 a.m. and 4:20 p.m. Eastern – our tribute to the time synonymous with cannabis culture. If marijuana and the burgeoning industry surrounding it are on your radar, CNW420 is for you! Check back daily to stay up-to-date on the latest milestones in the fast -changing world of cannabis.

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At the start of the year, at least 10 states had plans to legalize either medical or recreational cannabis. But as the coronavirus took hold, lawmakers didn’t have enough time to discuss comprehensive marijuana reforms. This, coupled with the shutdown and social distancing measures, meant states like New York and Ohio had to postpone their legalization plans. In Arizona, however, activists were able to collect enough signatures to get marijuana legalization on the November ballot, but they are now facing another potential hurdle.

A group opposed to legal cannabis has filed a lawsuit arguing that the initiative used deceptive language when collecting signatures and is asking a Maricopa County Superior Court judge to declare the initiative invalid. The lawsuit was filed by Arizonians for Health and Public Safety. It claims that the sponsors of the initiative did not adequately describe the measure in a 100-word summary that was included in the petition that voters signed. The group argues that the summary should have included or at least expanded on a number of the details contained in the 16-page initiative.

The lawsuit argues that the summary should have made it clear to voters that legalizing marijuana under the proposed initiative would also legalize marijuana concentrate. “The proponent’s summary of the initiative is confusing and deceptive in numerous ways, beginning with the very definition of marijuana,” says former Congressman John Shadegg, one of the attorneys who filed the lawsuit.

Additionally, the lawsuit states that the summary’s claim that the initiative would “protect employer and property owner rights” is misleading as well. The group also argues that the summary should have explained how governments could not tax marijuana on top of the proposed 16% rate. The lawsuit also states that the 100-word summary should have better explained how Arizonians under the age of 21 caught in possession of marijuana won’t receive felony charges. The initiative would set the legal age for possession at 21 and make underage marijuana possession a civil penalty.

According to Lisa James, Chairwoman of political action committee Arizonians for Health and Public Safety, “these omissions and statements misled voters who signed the petition about what the initiative would do.” However, Stacy Pearson, spokeswoman for the initiative campaign Smart and Safe Arizona, states that the lawsuit is without merit and only underscores what opponents would have wanted the 100-word summary to say, not what it was required to say. In 2018, the state Supreme Court ruled that although the 100-word summary of an initiative must state the initiatives ‘primary provisions’, it does not need to be impartial and does not need to detail every provision of a ballot measure.

Additionally, “there’s no way to incorporate a 15-page document or a 12-page document into a 100-word summary,” says Pearson. “We’re not particularly concerned and certainly the court has, over the years, favored direct democracy.”

Analysts say cannabis industry players like VIVO Cannabis Inc. (TSX.V: VIVO) (OTCQX: VVCIF) will be interested in seeing how this legal battle pans out, as the outcome could reshape how ballot measures are drafted in future.

About CNW420

CNW420 spotlights the latest developments in the rapidly evolving cannabis industry through the release of two informative articles each business day. Our concise, informative content serves as a gateway for investors interested in the legalized cannabis sector and provides updates on how regulatory developments may impact financial markets. Articles are released each business day at 4:20 a.m. and 4:20 p.m. Eastern – our tribute to the time synonymous with cannabis culture. If marijuana and the burgeoning industry surrounding it are on your radar, CNW420 is for you! Check back daily to stay up-to-date on the latest milestones in the fast -changing world of cannabis.

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In December 2018, Congress passed the 2018 Farm Bill, a landmark legislation that legalized the cultivation and sale of industrial hemp and it’s derivatives after decades of prohibition. Cannabidiol, a hemp extract with medical capabilities, quickly grew in popularity, resulting in an unregulated market worth millions of dollars in sales. For months, advocates, stakeholders, and some lawmakers have urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) to create a comprehensive regulatory structure for the industry.

On Tuesday, the agency finally released draft guidance on developing cannabis-based drugs, weeks after the White House announced that it had finished reviewing the draft guidance. The published document states that the guidance is “limited to the development of human drugs and does not cover other FDA regulated products.” As the FDA is still developing guidelines that would allow CBD to be marketed and sold as a food item or supplement, the draft document is meant to provide guidance for drug manufacturing.

“A range of stakeholders have expressed interest in the development of drugs that contain cannabis and other compounds found in cannabis. Recent legislative changes have also opened new opportunities for cannabis clinical research. As that body of research progresses and grows, the FDA is working to support drug development in this area,” says FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner Amy Abernethy. The legislative change she refers to is the 2018 Farm Bill which legalized industrial hemp with less than 0.3% THC. Thus, researchers can use industrial hemp from any source as long as it doesn’t have excess THC, not just from the University of Mississippi, the country’s only federally authorized marijuana manufacturer.

The new document stresses on THC testing, stating that sponsors and investigators may find it useful to calculate the level of delta-9 THC in their proposed investigational drug product early in the development process to gain insight into the potential control status of their product. “Regardless of whether cannabis or a cannabis-derived compound meets the definition of hemp, sponsors and applicants should work with reliable laboratories for analytical testing.”

It also gives step by step guidance on how to test for THC on a dry weight basis according to the FDA’s standards. In a Federal Register notice accompanying the new draft guidance, the agency asked for comments from the public on their recommended approach to testing for THC. The FDA has opened a 60-day comment period for stakeholders to offer their opinions on the proposed research guidelines.

It would be great to hear what the initial reactions of entities like VIVO Cannabis Inc. (TSX.V: VIVO) (OTCQX: VVCIF) are regarding the research guidelines published by the FDA.

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CNW420 spotlights the latest developments in the rapidly evolving cannabis industry through the release of two informative articles each business day. Our concise, informative content serves as a gateway for investors interested in the legalized cannabis sector and provides updates on how regulatory developments may impact financial markets. Articles are released each business day at 4:20 a.m. and 4:20 p.m. Eastern – our tribute to the time synonymous with cannabis culture. If marijuana and the burgeoning industry surrounding it are on your radar, CNW420 is for you! Check back daily to stay up-to-date on the latest milestones in the fast -changing world of cannabis.

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With everything that’s been going on for the past six months, from a global pandemic that’s crippled the economy to the protests against police brutality raging across the country, it’s easy to forget that the November ballot is fast approaching. The ballot may very well be a turning point for the cannabis industry. For starters, the Democratic Party made it clear that if it clinches Congress and the White House this coming November, it will make decriminalizing marijuana one of its top priorities, despite presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s views on the matter.

The presidential nominees for both the Libertarian and Green Parties also support broader drug reform, including legalizing marijuana. During an interview with C-SPAN this month, Libertarian pick Jo Jorgensen said that the biggest problem we have right now isn’t drugs but drug prohibition. “Now, do drugs and alcohol cause problems? Of course, they do. However, they’d be much more manageable if it were legal. What’s the difference between me drinking bourbon in my home and somebody else smoking marijuana in their own home? If there is no victim, there is no crime,” she says.

In a statement released on Twitter, she said that the U.S. prison population jumped from 350,000 to 2.3 million in just 30 years due to ‘Draconian sentence lengths, mandatory minimums, and an increase in the number of drug laws which creates more ‘crimes’.” Ending the failed drug war would be a top priority if elected as it has led to the highest incarceration rate in the world. On day 1, I would pardon ALL nonviolent, victimless offenders in federal prison. If there was no victim, there is no crime.”

During a speech delivered remotely for the Green Party National Convention, Green nominee Howie Hawkins said that drug reform could be a tool to combat mass incarceration. “We’ve got to treat drug abuse as a health problem. You should legalize marijuana and decriminalize the hard drugs like Portugal did. Instead of just throwing people in prison and building the biggest prison industrial system in the world, which Joe Biden had a lot to do with as he wrote the legislative architecture for that as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, we should be treating drug addiction as a health problem, not a criminal problem.”

“One of the central changes to policing is to end the war on drugs. 20% of incarcerated people in the U.S. are locked up due to a drug offense. We need to legalize marijuana, decriminalize other drugs, and make treatment readily available like Portugal did.”

Industry watchers say cannabis sector players like VIVO Cannabis Inc. (TSXV: VIVO) (OTCQX: VVCIF) may not put a lot of stock in what these other presidential nominees say since they don’t command a huge following among voters, and can hardly sway the direction of drug policy at the federal level.

About CNW420

CNW420 spotlights the latest developments in the rapidly evolving cannabis industry through the release of two informative articles each business day. Our concise, informative content serves as a gateway for investors interested in the legalized cannabis sector and provides updates on how regulatory developments may impact financial markets. Articles are released each business day at 4:20 a.m. and 4:20 p.m. Eastern – our tribute to the time synonymous with cannabis culture. If marijuana and the burgeoning industry surrounding it are on your radar, CNW420 is for you! Check back daily to stay up-to-date on the latest milestones in the fast -changing world of cannabis.

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