420 with CNW – Signature Gathering Slated to Start on Nebraska Medical Marijuana Ballot Measure

A petition that is intended to put medical marijuana on the ballot in 2020 has received approval from the Nebraska Secretary of State. This clears the way for the petitioners to start gathering signatures in order to have the ballot measure included among the issues to be voted on during the 2020 elections.

Medical marijuana activists, together with two state senators (Anna Wishart and Adam Morfeld) formed a committee last year to explore ways of getting voters to decide on the matter. This was after numerous attempts to legalize medical marijuana through legislative means failed. The senators involved in this petition are both Democrats.

The petition seeks to amend the constitution of Nebraska so that patients can be given a right to use, access, possess and safely use marijuana materials and products in order to alleviate serious medical conditions that a nurse practitioner or doctor regards as something that can be alleviated by the use of medical cannabis.

By law, petitioners are required to submit their petition to the secretary of state so that the wording of that petition can be approved. The advocates duly submitted their petition last month and it was approved on Friday last week (March 1).

Senator Morfeld announced that since the petition had been approved, plans to legalize medical cannabis in the state would now shift gears to the phase of collecting signatures in support of the petition.

That task of collecting signatures isn’t a small one given that the constitution stipulates that any petition must have the support (by way of signatures) of at least 10 percent of all the registered voters in the state.

Furthermore, the petitioners are required to collect signatures from a minimum of five percent of all the voters in at least 38 counties in the state (out of a total of 98 counties).

Senator Wishart has revealed that they will try to push for a legislative solution as they gather signatures for the ballot measure petition.

However, chances are slim for a bill legalizing marijuana to become law in the state. This is because Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) is determined to use his veto powers to block any law that seeks to legalize marijuana in the state. A ballot measure therefore seems the only realistic way to get medical marijuana legalized.

Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions (OTC: REFG) and MustGrow Biologics Corp. wish the petitioners all the best as they try to get medical cannabis legalized so that the patients in the state can have an extra treatment option for their medical challenges.

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420 with CNW – This is How Much Recreational Pot Canadians Bought in 2018

If you were asked to make a random guess about how much weed Canadians bought (and presumably consumed) since recreational marijuana was legalized in October last year, what would you say? Well, Statistics Canada released recreational cannabis sales data and the figures are surprising, to say the least.

The statistics show that in October last year, Canadians bought recreational cannabis worth $32.7 million while November sales amounted to $40.4 million. In December, Canadians bought recreational cannabis products worth $41.9 million.

These figures are considered to be highly reliable because the Canadian marijuana market is highly regulated. You should therefore not doubt that the first three months of legal recreational pot resulted in total sales of $115 million. That is shocking, given all the hype that accompanied the lead up to legalization.

However, a number of factors may explain why annual recreational cannabis sales are likely to be far less than was predicted.

First, the persistent supply shortages have made it hard for all Canadian who would like to use weed to buy the substance as often as they would like. Without weed on the shelves, where would the sales come from? Many licensed producers predict that it may take years for them to ramp up their production to a level that can meet the current demand.

Secondly, Health Canada has also played a part in dampening the performance of the recreational cannabis sector. The regulator has been very slow in processing the applications for the different entities that would like to become licensed producers/cultivators of cannabis in the country. There are claims that Health Canada takes several months or even years to make a decision on an application. This sluggish way of conducting their business has made it hard for enough producers to be active in the country, hence the supply shortages.

Another reason for the low recreational cannabis sales has to do with a shortage of packaging and processing facilities. There are reports that harvested cannabis takes unnecessarily long to reach the shelves of retail outlets because the few processers licensed in the country cannot handle the volume of weed available for processing and packaging.

Not surprisingly, the packaging and processing problem also goes back to Health Canada who have been slow in issuing processing or packaging licenses to interested players.

Finally, the provinces may also have a role to play in the dismal sales statistics. For example, Ontario has only been selling recreational cannabis through the state-run online outlets. While there are plans to open offline stores, the current sale in online stores alone has reduced the potential sales that would have been made in the densely populated cities within the province.

Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTCQX: LXRP) and Marijuana Company of America Inc. (OTCQB: MCOA) look forward to a speedy resolution of all the limiting factors above so that the Canadian cannabis industry can reach its full potential.

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420 with CNW – US Federal Government Calls for Input on Marijuana Rescheduling

Following the recommendations by the World Health Organization (“WHO”) that whole-plant cannabis and its resin should be reclassified, the U.S. FDA has issued a notice asking interested parties to submit their views on this matter so that the position that the U.S. takes when the matter comes up for a vote at the UN is informed by the views collected.

While this is the third time that the federal government is asking stakeholders for input on marijuana rescheduling, it is the first time that they are doing so from the time WHO released its recommendations.

The World Health Organization observed that the evidence that was presented before its expert committee didn’t show that marijuana deserved to be in the same category as the other substances in Schedule IV of the treaty setting up guidelines on how various substances should be controlled internationally.

The UN body also made it clear that CBD, one of components of cannabis, should not be subjected to any international controls.

Additionally, the World Health Organization admitted that cannabis and its derivatives had demonstrated therapeutic benefits for a number of conditions, such as pain and multiple sclerosis.

The FDA explained that interested people would have up to March 14 to submit their views for consideration. This deadline was set based on an earlier timeline for the planned meeting of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs. That meeting is expected to be held anywhere between March 14 and March 22 this year.

That original timeline was set because the WHO was expected to release its recommendations in December last year. However, that didn’t happen for unknown reasons.

The FDA therefore expects to extend the period within which members of the public and other stakeholders in the U.S. can submit their comments if the UN communicates that the Narcotics Committee will sit at a later time. The alternative dates for that meeting are in December this year or March next year.

The views collected by the FDA will be analyzed and the findings forwarded to the Department of Health and Human Services. HHS will then formulate a recommendation of the position that the U.S. State Department should take when the matter of reclassification comes up for a vote at the UN.

This call for public comments provides a golden chance for stakeholders to play a role in shaping how the federal government will vote on the matter at the UN. Green Growth Brands Inc. (CSE: GGB) (OTCQB: GGBXF) and Green Hygienics Holdings Inc. (OTCQB: GRYN) call upon everyone with an interest in the cannabis industry to share their views with the FDA so that the U.S. can vote in a way that reflects the wishes of the people back home.

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420 with CNW – New Hampshire House Committee Okays Medical Cannabis Home-Grows

As momentum gathers to legalize recreational cannabis in New Hampshire, a House committee has passed a bill permitting patients enrolled on the medical cannabis program to grow their own marijuana, as well as other measures intended to expand the medical marijuana program.

The Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee of the New Hampshire Assembly voted on Tuesday last week to allow patients or their caregivers to have three mature cannabis plants, three immature plants as well as 12 seedlings of cannabis.

The bill also included a raise on the cap of medical marijuana that a patient could have from 6 to 8 ounces.

The move to allow patients to grow their own cannabis and also possess higher amounts of the substance is intended to ease the inconveniences that some patients in distant locations were facing in accessing one of the four medical marijuana dispensaries run by the state.

The contents of the bill are also intended to allow patients to customize their medical cannabis without incurring a high cost. For example, one patient (Heather Marie Brown) revealed that she spends $400 each month on medical cannabis to treat PTSD. However, with home-grows now set to be allowed, she will spend approximately $150 to grow all the cannabis she needs for her condition.

There were calls for the committee members to increase the number of qualifying conditions, but this wasn’t acted on because the lawmakers felt that it was premature for them to make a decision on that matter yet a special committee of medical experts set up to advise the State on the qualifying conditions is scheduled to meet this month (March) to discuss that same matter.

One of the qualifying conditions that was being considered for addition to the list is opioid addiction. However, many legislators were hesitant to approve its inclusion because there was insufficient evidence that cannabis could wean people off prescription opioids. Other lawmakers didn’t think it would be good to recommend the use of one potentially addictive substance as a replacement for another addictive substance/drug.

Meanwhile, the entire House is scheduled to vote on a proposal to legalize recreational marijuana across the state. Previous attempts to get recreational cannabis legalized in the state met with dismal failure, but hopes of success are high this time round since Democrats now have control of both the Senate and the Assembly.

For the sake of the patients and the general population in New Hampshire, Global Payout Inc. (OTC: GOHE) and Golden Developing Solutions Inc. (OTC: DVLP) wish for a speedy conclusion to the different bills before the legislators.

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420 with CNW – South Carolina Medical Cannabis Bill Stalls Until Concerns are Addressed

The members of the subcommittee on Medical Affairs in the South Carolina Senate have decided to stall moving a medical cannabis bill forward to the full committee until all the concerns of the different stakeholders have been taken into account. This decision was made on Wednesday (February 27).

One of the proposed changes that may be made to the bill is to include language that makes it clear that smoking medical marijuana will be outlawed. Those interested in this wording say that nothing that may create an impression that marijuana is being legalized for anything other than medical use should be permitted in the bill.

Another issue that needs further consideration is the matter of the qualifying conditions which will be listed in the bill. The legislators want more time to be taken to study the different conditions which can be alleviated by the use of cannabis. Under the current bill, terminal or debilitating conditions, such as chronic diseases and cancer are currently listed as qualifying conditions. Could other deserving conditions have been left out? The legislators want to hear from stakeholders on this before moving forward.

The members of the subcommittee also want to hear more about the fiscal implications of the proposed six percent sales tax that will be imposed on the medical cannabis sold. Will that tax make medical cannabis too expensive for some patients to afford? Are there other ways to collect revenue from the industry without imposing a sales tax? Stakeholders need to inform the members on all these financial implications before the bill is sent to the whole committee.

In its present form, the bill will allow patients enrolled on the medical cannabis program to buy up to two ounces of cannabis (or its equivalent) once a fortnight as long as a doctor has prescribed it.

Representatives of the law enforcement agencies in the state, such as the Association of South Caroline Sheriffs, have said that they would like to review the bill in order to understand the details it contains and the implications of those details. The devil is always in the details, they say.

Such sentiments give further credence to the decision of the subcommittee to wait and hash out all the concerns of the stakeholders so that the bill forwarded to the whole committee reflects the input collected from everyone concerned.

This proactive way of drafting a legalization bill is good for the cannabis industry, including Choom Holdings Inc. (CSE: CHOO) (OTCQB: CHOOF) and Earth Science Tech, Inc. (OTCQB: ETST).

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420 with CNW – Five Tips for Baby Boomers Trying Cannabis

Baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) are rediscovering cannabis and the industry is taking note of this demographic. However, like everything else, time has exerted its influence on marijuana and the baby boomers would be well advised to keep the following important tips in mind when consuming cannabis.

Start Small

The cannabis of today isn’t the same as what was available decades ago. Plant breeding has yielded cannabis strains that may have more than triple the THC content which was found in the marijuana of the 1970s. It is therefore advisable for you to be cautious when you are just starting out on your “boomerang” journey of reigniting your love for a joint.

Select the Dispensary Carefully

Baby boomers would also be well advised to take their time as they select the dispensary from which to buy marijuana. It is better to select an establishment which has a knowledgeable “budtender.” Such a person will help you to navigate your way through the huge array of cannabis products that are now available in the different dispensaries or retail outlets.

Know the Outcomes You Desire

A knowledgeable budtender can only go so far in helping you to get the right product. You need to make it possible for this person to help you by deciding the effects that you would like to experience when you consume the cannabis you buy. The plant breeding processes mentioned earlier have resulted in the development of different cannabis strains for different purposes.

For example, some strains will calm down your mind as you get ready to sleep while others will reinvigorate your mind and body while you get set for some physical or mental exertion. It is therefore crucial for you to know what experience you want so that the budtender can point you in the right direction.

Learn the Lingo

The cannabis industry has come with its own unique language that one must learn in order to avoid making mistakes. For example, you need to know how “cannabis flower” differs from cannabis “edibles” or “concentrates.” The budtender may help to explain some of the new terminologies you encounter as you explore the new world of marijuana, but it doesn’t hurt to invest some time online learning the language of the industry.

Think About Your Current Medication

It is also helpful to consider how any medication you are currently taking may interact with cannabis. For example, cannabis may increase the uptake of some of the medication you are on, and this may increase the side effects of that medication. To be on the safe side, take the precaution of talking to your doctor first before you consume cannabis.

The cannabis industry, including companies like FinCanna Capital Corp. (CSE: CALI) (OTCQB: FNNZF) and Generation Alpha, Inc. (OTCQB: GNAL), hopes that each baby boomer attains the results for which they try cannabis.

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420 with CNW – New Hampshire Cannabis Legalization Movement Gets First Victory

An effort to legalize marijuana in New Hampshire has scored its first major victory as the House has passed a legalization bill. House Bill 481 got 209 votes while 147 lawmakers voted against the bill.

The bill seeks to make it legal for people aged 21 and above to grow and possess cannabis for recreational use. The possession limit has been placed at an ounce. The bill also outlaws the sale of the marijuana grown by individuals. In its place, regulated retail businesses will be allowed to operate within the state.

The bill also imposes a $30 tax on each pound of cannabis flower sold by the licensed retailers. This decision to tax marijuana by weight is a smart move because it cushions the state from any shocks to its revenue in the event that cannabis prices plummet as has been the case in some jurisdictions.

While the victory in the House should be celebrated, cannabis advocates in the state know that the battle hasn’t been won yet. The Governor, Chris Sununu, has vowed to veto any cannabis legalization law that reaches his desk. To him, marijuana legalization in any form is a bad idea that he will oppose using any means at his disposal.

New Hampshire law does provide a way out if the legislators feel differently from a governor on any issue. That legal outlet is a massive vote in the House in favor of the issue in contention.

However, the cannabis legislation bill was passed in the House without the two-thirds majority needed to insulate that bill from a veto by the Governor.

All the same, the House bill is now headed to the state senate where it will be discussed and modified or voted upon in its present form.

Just as is the case for a House bill, a two-thirds majority vote in the senate is required to override a veto by the Governor. This means that at least 16 of the 24 members of the state senate are required to cast their vote in support of the marijuana legalization bill.

The work of cannabis supporters is therefore clearly cut out for them. They need to work tooth and nail to convince enough state senators to support the bill. For now, it isn’t clear whether the senate will make changes to the bill, pass it and then send it back to the House for a vote on the new language of the bill. The second vote can give representatives a chance to improve the 59 percent support the bill garnered earlier.

All that the cannabis industry, including Canopy Rivers, Inc. (TSX.V: RIV) (OTC: CNPOF) and ChineseInvestors.com (OTCQB: CIIX), can do is hope that the stalemate between the Governor of New Hampshire and the lawmakers is resolved in a way that benefits the people.

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420 with CNW – Federal Reserve Boss Asks Congress for Clarity on Cannabis Banking

Jerome Powell, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, has asked the federal government to provide clarification on matters of banking services for the cannabis industry. Powell made these comments while addressing the Finance Committee of the U.S. Senate.

He was referring to the difficulties that financial institutions face as they wish to serve cannabis businesses in states that have legalized the substance, but those same institutions feel hamstrung by federal banking laws that still regard marijuana as an illegal substance.

It is not just banks and credit unions that are in this difficult position. Even supervisors and regulators face the same dilemma because it isn’t clear where they should draw the line between what is permissible under state law and what aspects of the federal banking laws to implement or place on the backburner.

When asked a follow up question, Jerome Powell also revealed that the clarification provided should also put the record straight on issues of insurance for the marijuana industry.

As things stand, the cannabis industry is still unable to obtain insurance in the same way that other businesses can. This is a serious problem because it denies the cannabis industry the protections provided by insurance.

This isn’t the first time that the Federal Reserve boss is expressing these sentiments. He is on record to have stated the same concerns during a press conference last year. Powell is reported to have said that while his work has nothing to do with cannabis, the institution he leads is concerned about the nascent industry because of the possible impacts to the financial sector if things aren’t handled correctly.

Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury Secretary, has also expressed a desire to see the banking concerns of the cannabis industry addressed. He went as far as saying these issues top the list of the matters that his department is concerned about.

If the indicators coming from Congress are anything to go by, 2019 may well be the year when the concerns of Mnuchin and Powell (as well as the cannabis industry) get addressed. A subcommittee of the 116th Congress is already holding hearings at which different stakeholders, such as marijuana businesses, are providing their submissions on matters of cannabis banking.

These hearings arise out of a bi-partisan bill that seeks to make it possible for cannabis businesses to keep their money in banks without any fear that the federal government will act against them or victimize the banks that have accepted to do business with the cannabis companies.

Youngevity International, Inc. (NASDAQ: YGYI) and Cannabis Strategic Ventures, Inc. (OTC: NUGS) will be extremely relieved if the calls by the Federal Reserve boss and the Treasury Secretary result in concrete steps to ease banking for the cannabis industry in the U.S.

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420 with CNW – Edmonton Considers “Notwithstanding Clause” to Allow Cannabis Retail Shops in Malls

Barely four months after recreational cannabis was legalized in Canada, the city of Edmonton has made a proposal to include a “notwithstanding clause” in the law that stipulates the distance between cannabis retail shops and other public facilities, such as libraries and schools.

The current separation distances stipulated in the city’s bylaws state that there should be at least 200 meters between cannabis retail stores and schools or libraries. The law also stipulates that there should be at least 100 meters between a cannabis retail shop and provincial healthcare sites, parks and other public recreation facilities.

While the approach included in the existing laws is important in keeping minors from accessing cannabis, it is woefully inadequate when one considers large shopping malls and undeveloped land that hasn’t been subdivided as yet.

For example, the existing laws would prevent a cannabis retail facility from being opened in a large mall if that mall was close to a library. The exception clause being advocated for could address such unique situations.

There is no intention to change the rule stating that the distance between one cannabis retail shop and the next one should be at least 200 meters, but the “notwithstanding clause” will clarify how that separation distance is arrived at for different situations.

Such calls for amendments are to be expected when something new like recreational cannabis is first legalized. It is not possible for the framers of the original law to anticipate every possible situation, so the proposed amendments provide an avenue to iron out any kinks that may have been overlooked earlier.

As these calls for city bylaw amendments make their way through the system, the shortages of cannabis throughout the country are still ongoing. However, there is hope that the supply shortages will diminish over the coming months as the different licensed producers begin harvesting from the additional cultivation facilities that they rushed to commission as soon as retailers run out of cannabis a day after recreational cannabis was legalized.

In the meantime, the federal government is beginning to consider draft proposals for the regulation of cannabis edibles in the country. This segment of the industry was left out and there was a promise that an appropriate regulatory framework would be in place one year after recreational cannabis hit the shelves.

TransCanna Holdings Inc. (CSE: TCAN), VIVO Cannabis Inc. (TSX.V: VIVO) (OTCQX: VVCIF) and the entire cannabis industry look forward to the outcome of the amendments proposed in Edmonton since those changes may make it easier for residents to have a retail facility close by.

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420 with CNW – Massachusetts Cannabis Regulators Consider Restricting Delivery Licenses to Small Entities

State marijuana regulators in Massachusetts have for long been baffled by how to ensure that there is equity regarding access to the different opportunities available in the cannabis industry. Now that dilemma may be solved if the proposals floated to ring fence cannabis delivery licenses for “equity” applicants are implemented.

The Cannabis Advisory Board has suggested that as the state moves towards making it possible for cannabis to be delivered to people’s homes, all the home delivery licenses should be reserved for minorities that suffered disproportionately during the war on drugs that lasted for decades.

The board is also suggesting that “equity” applicants should also be given priority when home delivery licenses are being awarded by the state. Equity applicants include people who have a marijuana arrest or conviction on their criminal history.

So far, most of the opportunities, such as dispensary licenses, have been gobbled up by the large cannabis companies at the expense of disadvantaged communities and “equity” applicants. This is because the large companies have easy access to resources and can therefore effortlessly meet the requirements needed by various jurisdictions.

This is in stark contrast to the members of minority populations, such as African-Americans, who may find it hard to obtain financing to secure the premises needed to set up a cannabis grow or manufacturing facility.

The recommendations of the Cannabis Advisory Board aren’t binding, so the Cannabis Control Commission isn’t obliged to implement them. However, the Commission has promised to consider the suggestions made by the Cannabis Advisory Board as it drafts the rules that will be followed when licensing home delivery firms.

If the proposals sail through, then home delivery of cannabis will be done exclusively by small businesses and “equity” applicants at least for the first five years.

This special consideration will foster an air of inclusion for those groups and people who felt that big businesses were locking them out of the cannabis industry. The five years of preferential treatment will also allow minorities and people from impoverished communities to accumulate some capital in order to get a shot at participating in the industry at a higher level.

Chances are also high that the bigger cannabis companies that would like to see their products delivered to people’s homes will help people from the minority groups to secure funding for their small home delivery businesses in a sort of partnership that will benefit both parties. The Green Organic Dutchman (TSX: TGOD) (OTCQX: TGODF) and Therma Bright, Inc. (TSX.V: THRM) (OTC: THRBF) hope that the Cannabis Control Board in Massachusetts adopts the suggestions made by the Cannabis Advisory Board so that more people can be included in the industry.

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