420 with CNW – Arizona Eases Rules on Past Cannabis Use by Police Recruits

The state of Arizona has revised a cannabis policy that prevented individuals who had consumed marijuana in the past from becoming police officers. Described by officials as a modernization of existing policy as laws and societal views on the drug continue to evolve, the move relaxes limits of past marijuana use for people who would like to join law enforcement. Presently, current rules disqualify applicants who have used marijuana during the three years prior to their application.

Additionally, applicants who have used cannabis more than 20 times in their lifetime or more than four times after the age of 21 are automatically rejected. Thus good, honorable people who would like to serve are turned down because they smoked a joint once or ate a cannabis-infused brownie years ago when they were younger. However, under the new rules, applicants will be subject to less stringent cannabis use limits.

Proposed by the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (AZPOST) and approved unanimously by the Governor’s Regulatory Review Council, the new rules will only disqualify applicants if they’ve consumed marijuana during the past two years. Under the new rules, it won’t matter how many times an applicant has used cannabis nor what form they used it in.

Coupled with AZPOST’s announcement last year that officers could use CBD without fear of losing their jobs, this change marks the most significant shift in Arizona’s marijuana standards for law enforcement in almost 30 years. “As you can imagine, society has changed. Society’s view on the use of illegal drugs has changed, so we thought it was really important to take a look at that and make some changes,” says AZPOST Director Matt Giordano.

According to Giordano, pot standards haven’t been significantly updated since the early 1990s so it was time for an update, especially after receiving feedback from community members and hiring managers worried that the outdated rules had departments passing up good candidates. Approved this week by Republican Doug Ducye’s administration, the new rules won’t take effect until April 2021.

Although local law enforcement agencies will still be able to use more stringent pre-employment drug standards, Giordano argues that the new rules are meant to modernize hiring practices, not weaken them. “People would argue that we are lowering standards to become a peace officer. I would argue with that. We are modernizing the standards to meet the needs of the community in the State of Arizona.”

This change in policy is likely to win the applause of cannabis sector players like Pure Extract Technologies Inc. since the changes end one aspect of discrimination targeting people who have ever used marijuana.

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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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420 with CNW – Mississippi Governor Enacts Bill Allowing FDA-Approved Cannabis Medicines

Barely weeks before voters in Mississippi decide which of the competing medical marijuana initiatives before them will pass, the state governor has signed a bill that will allow FDA-approved medical cannabis products, such as Epidiolex, to be available to qualifying patients in the state.

By enacting this new law, Gov. Tate Reeves (R) has complicated the subject of medical marijuana legalization a little more.

For starters, the governor has been opposed to any plan to legalize medical marijuana in the state. To him, such a step would make marijuana a mainstream product, and that is a possibility he is unwilling to see happen under his watch.

Additionally, Initiative 65 sponsored by Mississippians for Compassionate Care met all the requirements to be included on the November ballot, and campaigns are underway to mobilize voters to cast their ballots in favor of this measure.

Under Initiative 65, patients with one of the proposed 22 qualifying conditions, such as cancer, chronic pain and seizures would be allowed to get a prescription from a doctor and possess up to 2.5 ounces of medical marijuana within a two-week window.

However, another competing measure will also be on the November ballot. This second measure was drafted by the legislature and it is seen as a more strict legalization law which doesn’t have a lot of the provisions in Initiative 65.

There are fears that voters could be confused by these two conflicting medical marijuana legalization measures, and that confusion could disadvantage Initiative 65. This fear gets more credence when you consider the fact that the American Medical Association, alongside the Mississippi State Medical Association, have widely circulated a sample ballot paper which gives voters directions on how to reject Initiative 65.

Observers say the governor may have had less than noble intentions when he signed the bill removing FDA-approved cannabis-based medicines from the state’s controlled substances law. It is believed that the intention of that law is to mislead voters into thinking that the state has already legalized medical marijuana, so there is no urgent need for them to support Initiative 65.

The team behind Initiative 65 therefore has a lot of work to do before success can be theirs, but they can at least count on the opinion polls which indicate that the population of voters in Mississippi overwhelmingly supports their legalization initiative. For example, a recent survey gives the measure 81% voter support.

Entities like Pac Roots Cannabis Corp. (CSE: PACR) probably think that the outcome of the voting may be too close to call given the different factors surrounding what is at stake.

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420 with CNW – How Tech Could Change How You Use Medical Cannabis

Over the years, attitudes towards cannabis have been changing for the better. Although federal law still considers cannabis a controlled substance, 33 states have legalized the medical use of cannabis within their borders. While there isn’t a lot of research to back cannabis’s medical abilities, preliminary findings have found that cannabis can be effective at reducing chronic pain, stress, and anxiety, regulating and preventing diabetes, and regulating seizures caused by pediatric epilepsy.

The cannabis industry has become known for its innovation, both in consumer products as well as in cultivation. Today, cannabis is more potent and it can be consumed by customers in more forms than it could a decade or two ago. Being a relatively new industry, cannabis has emerged into a market that uses technology to deliver greater quality and service to customers. Integrating flexible, personal, and responsive technology will enable the fledgling industry to better cater to customers with chronic health conditions.

Artificial intelligence, for instance, will play a big role in ensuring businesses can connect with their customers and provide them important resources. Chatbots are already common on most websites; they improve customer service, increase customer engagement, monitor consumer data, reduce costs and lead to better lead generation. Since Al learns how to interact with people through every conversation, the more customers use it, the smarter it becomes. AI will allow businesses to automate more operations, allowing firms to ramp up their production of medical cannabis while reducing the risk of error.

DNA sequencing has been around for a while, and cannabis businesses can use the technology to create a more homogeneous industry. With DNA technology, growers across the country will be able to grow cannabis with zero amounts of CBD or THC. Additionally, they will also be able to customize or strengthen the genetics, boosting the medical benefits to suit more people’s needs. It will also allow cultivars to play around with hybrid genetics that could deliver even more diverse and potent medical benefits, all while staying within local THC or CBD limits.

Greater product selection will be another consequence of integrating technology into the cannabis space. Cannabis already lends itself to numerous applications, including smoking and edibles, but technology is sure to produce even more. Customers will have an even greater selection of products and product types, giving them a bigger pool of options to choose from. This will allow consumers with chronic health conditions to find a product that most suits their needs and preferences quickly and without much hassle.

Mobile apps will represent cannabis’ entry into e-commerce, giving cannabis businesses access to a wider market. Still a ways off, such mobile apps will reflect the different needs and laws surrounding medical cannabis, allowing more consumers access to medical marijuana. If you have a disability or live in an area with limited access to transportation, mobile apps coupled with fast delivery will enable you to purchase your medicine and have it brought to you from the safety of your home.

Analysts say such a tech-dominated future is already taking shape in cannabis companies like The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (NASDAQ: WTER) (CSE: WTER).

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CannabisNewsBreaks – The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (CSE: WTER) (NASDAQ: WTER) Expands Flagship Brand to Fill the Void in Club Market, Specialty Retailers

The Alkaline Water Company (CSE: WTER) (NASDAQ: WTER), a producer of premium bottled alkaline and flavored-infused drinking waters and CBD-infused products, today announced that its new 2-liter six-pack packaging for its flagship brand, Alkaline88(R), will now be carried by HomeGoods stores across 500 nationwide locations. “We are excited to announce that our new 2-liter six-pack offering for our core brand, Alkaline88, will be available at HomeGoods stores nationwide,” WTER president and CEO Ricky Wright said in the press release. “This unique six-pack complements our existing line-up, especially our single-serve offerings, which continue to do well in the current environment. The two-liter format is extremely popular in the carbonated soft drinks segment but virtually nonexistent in the bottled water category. Originally we envisioned this format for the club market, but we see this resonating with the health and wellness lifestyle-focused consumers across all trades given its optimal size. We believe this packaging will appeal to buyers that tend to make purchases in larger quantities and fills the void that currently exists in the club market as well as specialty retailers.”

To view the full press release, visit https://cnw.fm/3atJ0

About The Alkaline Water Company

Founded in 2012, The Alkaline Water Company is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. Its flagship product, Alkaline88(R), is a leading premier alkaline water brand available in bulk and single-serve sizes along with eco-friendly aluminum packaging options. With its innovative, state-of-the-art proprietary electrolysis process, Alkaline88 delivers perfect 8.8 pH-balanced alkaline drinking water with trace minerals and electrolytes and boasts its trademarked label: Clean Beverage. Quickly being recognized as a growing lifestyle brand, Alkaline88 launched A88 Infused(TM) in 2019 to meet consumer demand for flavor-infused products. A88 Infused flavored water is available in seven unique all-natural flavors with new flavors coming soon. Additionally, in 2020, the company launched A88 Infused Beverage Division Inc., which includes the company’s CBD water and flavor-infused water. For the company’s topical and ingestible offerings, A88 Infused Products includes both the company’s lab-tested, full-spectrum hemp salves, balms, lotions, essential oils and bath salts, along with broad-spectrum hemp beverage shots, powder packs, oil tinctures, capsules and gummies. To learn more about the company, visit www.A88CBD.com and www.TheAlkalineWaterCo.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to WTER are available in the company’s newsroom at http://cnw.fm/WTER

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CannabisNewsBreaks – Sugarmade Inc. (SGMD) Releases BudCars Q3 Numbers, Report Highlights Sales Records for Burgeoning Business

Sugarmade (SGMD), a leading, multidivisional/multiproduct/multisector supply company, has shared a preannouncement of financial numbers for its BudCars Cannabis Delivery Service (“BudCars”). The announcement notes several new sales records. Highlights of the report include gross receipts reaching nearly $2 million, with more than 60% growth being reported in net sales, customer orders and gross profits on a quarter-to-quarter basis. BudCars has been consistently tracking ahead of expectations, the announcement states, with geographic expansion being a key component to continued growth and success. The company has plans in place to expand into the North San Francisco Bay Area as well as nearby wine country counties. In addition, Sugarmade is planning to open BudCars Los Angeles in November. Previously, the company also announced that it had leased a property zoned for cannabis cultivation where it intends to establish a licensed cannabis cultivation facility. “BudCars continues to perform, setting records in basically every key metric we track,” said Sugarmade CEO Jimmy Chan in the press release. “It was a tremendous quarter, with a big jump in customers and regional market share and robust margins on every sale. That paints a very motivating picture as we gear up to significantly expand our service territory, with upcoming expansion into the North Bay and Wine Country areas, as well as our upcoming grand opening of BudCars LA.”

To view the full press release, visit https://cnw.fm/N11VU

About Sugarmade Inc.

Sugarmade is a product and branding marketing company investing in operations and technologies with disruptive potential. The company’s brand portfolio includes CarryOutsupplies.com, SugarRush(TM) and Budcars.com. For more information, see the company’s website at www.Sugarmade.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to SGMD are available in the company’s newsroom at http://cnw.fm/SUGAR

About CannabisNewsWire

CannabisNewsWire (CNW) is an information service that provides (1) access to our news aggregation and syndication servers, (2) CannabisNewsBreaks that summarize corporate news and information, (3) enhanced press release services, (4) social media distribution and optimization services, and (5) a full array of corporate communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and content distribution company with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, CNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. CNW has an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the country. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, CNW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. CNW is where news, content and information converge.

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420 with CNW – The US Government Now Supports Globally Rescheduling Marijuana

According to news coming in from last Thursday’s Vienna meeting of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs, the U.S. federal government supports a recommendation by the World Health Organization to remove marijuana from category IV, the strictest category, of globally controlled substances.

Patt Prugh, an attorney advisor at the United States State Department, spoke on behalf of the U.S. government during that meeting. While supporting marijuana rescheduling, she spoke vehemently against a proposal to remove cannabidiol from international substance control treaties. She argued that making those proposed reforms would create legal loopholes and ambiguities which could potentially compromise the effective control of drugs globally.

This strong opposition is hard to comprehend because the proposal by WHO suggests that the UN body declares that any CBD whose THC content is less than 0.2% isn’t regarded as a controlled substance in international drug control treaties.

However, Prugh seemed to contradict herself during her testimony before the narcotics body. She said that keeping marijuana in the most restrictive category of controlled substances undermines new science which proves that the substance has medicinal value. This is contradictory because while she is advocating for rescheduling at the international level, she is in support of keeping marijuana in Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act back home in the U.S. Schedule 1 is the most restrictive of all the categories of substances listed under that Act.

The support for global cannabis rescheduling is in stark contrast to an earlier position indicated in a government document in which the federal government stated that putting marijuana in a less restrictive category internationally would make drug reform advocates think that the way has been opened for marijuana to be legalized in different jurisdictions around the world.

Even as the ambassador revealed that the U.S. position on marijuana had changed, she was still adamant that similar concessions shouldn’t be made for CBD. According to her, the issue was “outside the scope of the substance scheduling process.”

Marijuana policy reform advocates say that the U.S. appears to be caught in the middle of forces that want change (such as the increasing legalization of marijuana at state-level across the U.S.) and the prohibitionist voices which want the status quo to be maintained.

Nevertheless, reform advocates are confident that either way, the people seeking progressive policies on marijuana will win. For example, when the UN narcotics body votes to keep CBD as a controlled substance, the reform movement will be further energized to go all out and break the wall of prohibition once and for all. If, on the other hand, the recommended reforms are passed, that in itself will be a victory for the reform movement and they will channel their energies to other changes that need to be made globally.

It remains be seen what cannabis sector actors like Sugarmade, Inc. (OTCQB: SGMD) think about the politicking going on at the UN.

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420 with CNW – Michigan Plans to Ease Access to the Recreational Cannabis Market Next Year

In an effort to curb black-market sales, Michigan is planning to ease access to the recreational cannabis market next year. In March, Michigan will remove a prerequisite that was included with good intentions but has unintentionally complicated the fight against unlicensed, black market cannabis, the state Marijuana Regulatory Agency announced. From March next year, certain licensed recreational marijuana businesses will no longer be required to first hold a medical license.

Retailers, processors, transporters, safety labs, class B, and class C growers will be subject to lower license fees should they wish to grow, sell, test, or transport recreational marijuana. Most importantly, new businesses that aren’t interested in medical cannabis will now be able to access the recreational cannabis market. The prerequisite was a major barrier to entry into the recreational cannabis sector. Although Michigan issued the first medical licenses in 2018, recreational cannabis dispensaries didn’t start opening until last December.

The original intent of the medical license prerequisite was to give pioneering companies that assumed risk and invested early a chance to establish themselves and recoup costs before the recreational market with its competition could be opened to other players, explains Robin Schneider director of the Michigan Cannabis Industry Association, a trade organization comprised of over 200 marijuana businesses.

Although the prerequisite was to remain in place for two years after the state began awarding licenses last November, there was one caveat. The recreational cannabis law passed in 2018 by voters stated that the state could do away with the requirement one year after the first recreational business applications were received either to curb black-market sales, increase access to rural communities, or to satisfy supply shortages.

In this case, difficulty combating unlicensed and untested marijuana necessitated the move, the Marijuana Regulatory Agency says. “According to data provided by the Michigan State Police Marijuana and Tobacco Investigation Section, 80% of the seizures of illicit marijuana occur in municipalities that do not have regulated marijuana establishments. In the past year, the city of Detroit has seen a 365% increase in narcotics-related homicides and a 214% increase specifically in marijuana-related non-fatal shootings,” the agency says.

“As municipalities throughout the state consider ordinances to allow marijuana establishments, the current eligibility restriction acts as a barrier to approaching local authorization in a way that is equitable. Greater municipal participation is a critical element in reducing the impact of the illicit market.” Additionally, Marijuana Regulatory Agency Director Andrew Brisho says, short supply in the nascent cannabis market has also been an issue.

“We certainly aren’t meeting demand yet, but I think it is important to consider the pace of growth in the regulated market, and whether that is consistently increasing to meet that demand at some point in a reasonable time frame.”

It would be interesting to hear what companies like Pure Extract Technologies Inc. think of how effective the plans of the Michigan authorities are likely to be.

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420 with CNW – Top Arguments for Legalizing Marijuana Sales and Consumption

For the past couple of years, attitudes towards cannabis have been on the mend. Although the controversial plant is still considered illegal at the federal level, over 30 states have legalized it to varying degrees. Renowned for a long time due to its psychoactive abilities, cannabis is increasingly being considered medicinal, with plenty of people using it to help manage conditions like chronic pain in lieu of pharmaceuticals.

We are still a long way from federal decriminalization, though. Cannabis reform activists have been working hard to convince the masses of the benefits of legalizing cannabis. The following are some of the arguments activists have used in favor of cannabis legalization and regulation;

Cannabis is a medicine. Although the hype around cannabis’ medicinal properties has outpaced the science, the plant has still been proven to be an effective treatment in some cases. Research has found that cannabis can help reduce nausea and vomiting in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy as well as intractable seizures caused by pediatric epilepsy. Additionally, cannabis is effective against chronic, pain, stress, anxiety, and a host of other medical conditions.

Cannabis arrests are a waste of resources. The police make more than 660,000 cannabis arrests each year, more than for any other drug. These arrests are mostly for possession, inflicting tens of billions of dollars in economic damage annually, with police dedicating $3.6bn annually to enforce possession laws. If you’re arrested for marijuana possession, it can cost you anywhere from $2,000 to $20,000 to defend yourself in court, not to mention the fines you may have to pay if you lose. All this resource hemorrhage is avoidable.

Most people arrested for cannabis possession are harmless. Most people who use cannabis recreationally and even medically don’t fit into the stereotypical ‘criminal’ role. At best, they just want to smoke (or eat) their marijuana, maybe watch a movie, relax, and go to sleep. However, 92% of marijuana arrests are for possession, branding decent, law-abiding citizens as criminals. And once a drug arrest or even incarceration is on your permanent record, you’ll have a lot of trouble finding adequate employment or even good housing in the future.

Legalization will boost the economy, especially in the coming years as the country struggles to recover from the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The state-legal cannabis industry is already worth $10.73 billion and has created over 200,000 jobs in the U.S. Additionally, states that have legalized cannabis have consistently brought in millions of dollars in cannabis tax. California, for instance, collected a whopping $305 million in cannabis excise tax revenue alone and $635 million total in state and local revenue in its second year of legal sales.

As we head into the next year, legalizing cannabis can help boost the economy by filling state coffers with cannabis tax and providing gainful employment to people who need it. Entities like Pac Roots Cannabis Corp. (CSE: PACR) know all too well the economic potential of marijuana, and that is probably why the industry is so vocal in urging the authorities to create regulated markets for these products.

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420 with CNW – Illinois Marijuana Sales Still Surging, Data Shows

Months into the coronavirus pandemic, the state-legal cannabis industry is still going strong. Although the pandemic forced many industries to shut down, resulting in the loss of millions of jobs, the cannabis industry has fared quite well despite the economic crisis. Most states have seen increased cannabis sales month over month, with some even calling the industry ‘recession-proof’.

One such state is Illinois, which has seen record-breaking marijuana sales for the fifth time in a row. In September, consumers purchased more than 1.4 million marijuana products worth nearly $67 million, with almost $18 million of those sales coming from out-of-state visitors, according to the state Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. This is a slight increase compared to the 1.3 million marijuana products sold for a total of nearly $64 million in August.

In July, Illinois reported nearly $61 million in adult-use cannabis sales, beating out by a wide margin the $44,749,787 worth of cannabis sold in June.

Although the data from September doesn’t include data about purchases made through the state’s medical cannabis program, it seems to support the notion that the cannabis industry is recession-proof.

Like most states that have legalized cannabis, Illinois declared the cannabis industry essential, allowing businesses to keep operating amidst the lockdown orders.

State officials say that although the month over month increase in sales is positive economic news, they are more interested in directing cannabis tax revenue towards restorative justice measures. Most states that allow cannabis have provisions that allocate cannabis tax revenue to programs that reinvest in communities most affected by the decades’ long war on drugs and Illinois is no different.

Illinois has brought in around $52 million in cannabis tax revenue in the first six months since retail sales began in January. Back in May, the state announced that $31 million in restorative justice grants sourced from cannabis sales tax would be available. Under a Restore, Reinvest, and Renew (R3) program established by the legalization bill, the funds would be used to provide grant opportunities for “communities impacted by economic disinvestment, violence and the severe and multilayered harm caused by the war on drugs.”

Later in July, the state announced that 25% of cannabis tax revenue would go toward a social equity program. “We were not doing this to make as much money as we could, “says Toi Hutchinsons, senior cannabis advisor to Gov. J.B Pritzker. “We were actually doing this for the people.”

Many cannabis industry players like The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (NASDAQ: WTER) (CSE: WTER) believe that legalizing and regulating the industry would bring untold economic benefits, and the figures from Illinois prove this to be the case.

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CannabisNewsBreaks – Sugarmade Inc. (SGMD) Updates Shareholders on Two Key Initiatives

Sugarmade (OTCQB: SGMD), today issued a letter to its shareholders, on behalf of its CEO Jimmy Chan, that provided an update on coming expansion steps in regard to its BudCars delivery service as well as the company’s vertical integration. “Today, I want to highlight two themes that will help to drive our value proposition for shareholders over the intermediate term: geographic expansion for BudCars and our move to vertically integrate through the establishment of cultivation operations. Together, they represent tangible catalysts driving both top and bottom-line growth,” Chan stated in the update. “These are exciting times for Sugarmade. We have a rapidly growing business, and we are taking concrete steps now to build on that growth. Once again, we are very grateful to our committed base of support, and I look forward to keeping you engaged as we continue to make new strides and reach new milestones.”

To view the full press release, visit https://cnw.fm/z3PYG

About Sugarmade Inc.

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