420 with CNW – Utah Seeks Cannabis Program Manager After Prop 2 Passes

The Mormon Church, lawmakers and other stakeholders formulated a compromise bill to legalize medical marijuana long before Prop 2 was voted on in the midterm elections. This compromise deal enabled the different factions to cede some ground on their hard stance about medical marijuana and Prop 2 became a pawn to shape how the final legislation would appear depending on which side won the polls.

Now the polls are over and a law is in place to operationalize the medical cannabis program. In light of this development, Utah published an online advert calling for interested individuals to apply for the job of “Cannabis Program Manager”.

The time within which applications can be submitted is slowly ticking away and the deadline is literally hours away. The job is a hefty one, since the selected candidate will spearhead the establishment of a system to regulate not just medical marijuana but industrial hemp as well.

Hemp cultivation was permitted under the recently passed Hemp Farming Act of 2018, so the Cannabis Program Manager has his or her work cut out.

Among other things, the person selected will be expected to have the ability to “navigate highly stressful and political circumstances” in the course of executing his or her duties. This candidate requirement is a reflection of how sharply divided the population is regarding marijuana despite legalization.

The ideal candidate is also expected to have stellar academic qualifications that will enable him to be the go-to expert on all matters cannabis and industrial hemp.

That person will provide training and leadership to the staff charged with inspecting and enforcing the provisions under which medical cannabis became legal in the state.

It is noteworthy that that Utah opted to select an individual to head the medical cannabis program. Many other states place this responsibility in a commission or other such body where several people at the same seniority level share the responsibility of overseeing such programs.

It remains to be seen how the Utah program will pan out under the direction that they have chosen. Actually, that individual may do a better job than boards since he or she will know that the buck starts and stops at his or her desk regarding the successful implementation of the program. All that is therefore left is to put the right person in office without bending to the wishes of one group or the other since the politicking time has long elapsed and work must be done.

Sproutly Canada, Inc. (OTCQB: SRUTF) (CSE: SPR) (FRA: 38G) and other cannabis sector participants like Sugarmade, Inc. (OTC: SGMD) wish the person selected to head the Utah program all the success in the new office.

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420 with CNW – Study Finds Proximity to Cannabis Dispensaries Increases New Home Prices

A recent study whose findings were published in the Contemporary Policy journal shows that prices of new homes jump by up to 7.7 percent in case a cannabis dispensary opens close to those homes.

The researchers compared the data for new homes in Denver, Colorado that were within quarter a mile, half a mile and three-quarters of a mile from a newly opened dispensary. The researchers discovered that the biggest increase (7.7 percent) in price occurred in the price of homes that were within quarter a mile from the cannabis dispensary.

The homes that were within half a mile (but beyond the quarter mile mark) had modest price increases of about 4.7 percent. However, these price hikes fizzled out as the distance between a new home and the cannabis dispensary increased.

It is also interesting to observe that the effect of cannabis dispensaries on housing prices mirrored the effect of new groceries or shopping malls in neighborhoods. However, the researchers refrained from trying to explain why the opening of a cannabis dispensary had such an effect on the price at which homes were sold. They could only guess that it may be due to the convenience of accessing the marijuana dispensary, especially when the public is positive towards marijuana in general.

Another study conducted thousands of miles away in the Netherlands seems to confirm that the findings in Colorado are valid. Igor Goncalves Koehne de Castro, a doctoral student, wrote a master’s dissertation about what happens when a cannabis coffee shop closes in a neighborhood.

He discovered that the rents paid by Airbnb clients reduced by approximately 3 percent in case a cannabis coffee shop closed within a radius of 250 meters from a facility registered on Airbnb.

Locations that were further than 250 meters from the closed coffee shop didn’t register any change in rents.

De Castro had plenty of case studies to follow since lots of coffee shops had closed within the four-year window he examined (2014-2017). Various factors, such as the enactment of laws barring cannabis coffee shops from operating within a certain radius from a school, compelled different marijuana coffee shops to close.

The statistical models from which he gathered his findings reveal that the coffee shops may be an attraction since Amsterdam is a tourist destination and visitors want to be within walking distance from a cannabis coffee shop.

This pair of studies in different geographical locations proves that cannabis legalization has widespread benefits beyond the ones immediately noticeable (taxes and direct jobs in the industry, for example). This also gives further justification that the Colorado jury which dismissed a claim that a marijuana grow facility depressed the value of a nearby property made a correct decision to throw out that claim.

Redfund Capital Corp. (CSE: LOAN) (OTC: PNNRF) (Frankfurt: O3X4) and other industry participants like SinglePoint, Inc. (OTCQB: SING) welcome this piece of additional positive news about the effects that cannabis is having upon the lives of people.

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420 with CNW – Medical Marijuana May Soon Be Allowed in Federally Subsidized Housing

The New York and New Jersey regional officer of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Lynne Patton, has revealed that there is a need to reconcile state and federal marijuana laws so that individuals who are using medical marijuana in locations where it is legal don’t risk losing federally subsidized housing.

She was reacting to media reports about a 78-year old man (John Flickner) who had been evicted from his apartment in Niagara Falls, New York due to his use of medical cannabis.

Lynne Patton went on to reveal that she was working to get Flickner back into permanent housing once more, as well as helping any other individuals in the same situation.

The good news is that John Flickner received a call from his former landlord asking him to retake his apartment shortly after Flickner’s case appeared in the media. The company owning that block of apartments also revealed that it was reconsidering its policy on medical marijuana. It was not clear whether the Department of Housing and Urban Development played a role in getting Flickner to return to his old apartment.

New York is expanding its medical cannabis program, and plans are underway to legalize recreational marijuana as well. These developments have raised concerns about what will happen to all those people who live in federally subsidized housing and want to use medical or recreational marijuana.

It should be remembered that President Clinton signed a law in 1998 barring landlords from having a tenant (new or existing) who uses an illegal substance, such as cannabis.

However, President Obama’s government wrote a memo in 2014 clarifying that landlords had the liberty to accept or reject (even evict) tenants who consume illegal substances. The eviction of Flickner was therefore done at the discretion of the landlord since there was no legal obligation for that action to be taken.

Good news may be on the way for people in federal housing regarding marijuana. This is because the Department of Housing and Urban Development (as hinted upon by Patton) is working to clear up the policy issues resulting from the difference between state and federal laws. In the meantime, Congress may act on the same issue either sooner or after HUD reconsiders its position formally.

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, a Democrat from DC, introduced a bill that seeks to provide housing safeguards at the federal level for people using either medical or recreational marijuana in legal states.

Phivida Holdings Inc. (CSE: VIDA) (OTCQX: PHVAF), Plus Products Inc. (CSE: PLUS) and others in the industry are saddened by the fact that an old man (John Flickner) had to undergo the distress of being evicted in order for the housing authorities to see that things need to change.

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420 with CNW – UN Committee Delays Release of Cannabis Scheduling Recommendations

The Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD) of the World Health Organization (WHO) met in November to discuss whether the scheduling of marijuana should be revised from its current status as a Schedule 1 substance to another less restrictive category. In a surprise move, the expected release of their findings has been postponed to January instead of this month as had earlier been indicated.

The ECDD called for, and received input from various stakeholders regarding various aspects of cannabis, such as its medicinal value as well as evidence of abuse or overdose incidents. The response to this call was massive, as was the situation when the FDA asked for input on the same matter in October.

The WHO committee subsequently released a pre-review report which had some positive findings about cannabis, such as the observation that no evidence had been presented that any fatality had ever occurred due to a cannabis overdose. The pre-review also indicated that there was evidence to show that some ingredients in cannabis can improve sleep and reduce pain.

The findings in the pre-review prompted the agency to take their examination a notch higher with a critical review done on the findings gathered. The findings of that in-depth critical review would then be used by the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs to decide whether to revise the scheduling of cannabis or leave it in the category where it is currently listed.

It is the release of the recommendations made after the in-depth critical review that have been delayed until January next year.

The Expert Committee said more time was needed “for clearance reasons” before the recommendations are made public. This announcement poured cold water on the marijuana advocates’ spirits since they had expected a favorable recommendation on the basis of the findings stated in the pre-review.

Speculation is rife that the delay was motivated by political factors since a recommendation to reschedule cannabis would have imposed a lot of pressure on various authorities to adjust their stance on cannabis. Remember, the UN sets the agenda for many international policies and member states are expected to follow the suggestions made by the world body.

Whatever the true reason for the delay, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs will meet in March 2019 and vote on the scheduling of cannabis. So, a decision will still be made one way or the other, and it may be hard for the Commission to keep cannabis as a Schedule 1 substance yet pure CBD (cannabidiol) was removed from international scheduling so that access by patients isn’t restricted. CBD can be extracted from cannabis.

Industry players like Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions (OTC: REFG) and Net Element (NASDAQ: NETE) eagerly await the decision made by the UN since such a decision will have a global impact on how the cannabis industry evolves.

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420 with CNW – Study Shows Your Working Memory May Improve After Smoking Cannabis

One of the stereotypes that surround marijuana consumers is that they become forgetful when high on cannabis. However, a new study at the University of Florida has established that such a stereotype is just a myth.

The researchers designed the study in a unique way that involved exposing rats to cannabis smoke so that they inhale it. The rats were first taught to perform a number of delayed response tasks, such as poking the nose into a feeding trough a defined number of times before getting a reward of food pellets.

Alternatively, the rats in the study were required to look for, and press a lever several times before getting their reward.

The rats were divided into two groups based on their gender. In total, 32 rats took part in this study. Females tended to have lower working memory scores when compared to the scores of the males before cannabis smoke was introduced.

The researchers compared the working memory scores of the two groups when the rats were sober and how they performed after being exposed to cannabis smoke. The results showed that there appeared to be no difference in the scores obtained by the male rats when sober and after inhaling cannabis smoke.

However, there was a marked improvement in the working memory of the female rats when they performed the delayed response tasks after being exposed to the marijuana smoke. Remember, the female rats had lower scores in the working memory tasks performed prior to the introduction of cannabis smoke.

The placebo smoke used as a control in the study didn’t trigger any changes in the cognitive performance of either the male or female rats. This leaves the only logical conclusion for the better working memory as attributable to the cannabis smoke to which the rats were exposed.

The researchers also experimented with the dosage, the timing and the route of cannabis administration. Each of these variables triggered a difference in the working memory of the rats in the study.

Consequently, the researchers concluded that the cognitive outcomes observed will vary based on the specific route, dosage and duration of cannabis administration. They called for additional research to be done on this subject so that a better understanding of the effects of cannabis on cognitive function can be attained.

Stakeholders in the cannabis sector, such as Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTCQX: LXRP) and Marijuana Company of America Inc. (OTCQB: MCOA) welcome all scientific studies that help to separate fact from myth on the subject of marijuana.

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420 with CNW – Cannabis Cooking Classes Equip Maryland Patients with Edibles Making Skills

A couple that owns a gourmet condiment company in Baltimore has branched into a new niche of teaching medical cannabis card holders how to cook with cannabis. Will Parks and his wife Gwenele Parks decided to branch into cooking with cannabis because they are certified medical cannabis patients and needed other ways to consume their medicine instead of being restricted to smoking it. They imagined, and rightly so, that other patients were interested too.

Maryland banned edibles from its medical marijuana program, but the Parkses and others have partnered with some medical cannabis dispensaries in the state to teach people how to blend marijuana into various foods at home.

In order to avoid flouting the law, Will Parks and his wife don’t use actual cannabis as they conduct their cooking with cannabis classes. Instead, they use ordinary ingredients while teaching the concepts of infusing food with cannabis.

The couple has so far held six classes since July, with some sessions being sold out. Infusing food with cannabis makes the effects of the cannabis last longer since food isn’t digested and absorbed as quickly as smoking cannabis.

The number of patients on the medical cannabis program has been growing rapidly. For example, by November, the registered patients had more than doubled from the 22,437 who had got medical cannabis cards in April. This massive growth is fueling the demand for the lessons offered by the Parkses.

Many patients, such as Kiara Walker, said that they attended the classes in order to get skills to make edibles. The edibles can be carried around discreetly without attracting any of the stigma that is still directed towards those who smoke cannabis.

However, some people still regard cannabis edibles as another avenue for recreational users to abuse cannabis. Will Parks thinks such an attitude is wrong because people can abuse anything, including food and alcohol.

He emphasizes that the lessons he and his wife conduct pay a lot of attention to cannabis dosing so that patients aren’t exposed to the side-effects of consuming too much cannabis at once. Furthermore, this information on dosing is vital given that the effects of cannabis don’t start as quickly as is the case when you smoke the substance.

That wait time can expose you to the risk of eating too much, so knowledge about dosing requirements will safeguard you against that risk.

Will and his wife don’t just teach and leave it at that. They go a step further and give their students a packet of written instructions so that the people who attend the cooking classes can experiment with different recipes while at home.

This, however, doesn’t seem to quieten the critical voices against cannabis edibles and the classes organized by people like Will Parks and his wife. They say cannabis edibles can still end up in the hands of minors, but such critics forget that medical cannabis is also kept at home where minors may access it if care isn’t taken. Similar precautions are taken to keep edibles out of the wrong hands.

Nonetheless, Generation Alpha, Inc. (OTCQB: GNAL), Global Payout, Inc. (OTC: GOHE) and other participants in the marijuana industry applaud the creativity of Will and Gwenele Parks.

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420 with CNW – US Federal Agency Announces Funding for Cannabis Research

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) held a workshop on December 8 to interact with representatives of various cannabis industry stakeholders and federal agencies to discuss cannabinoid research. At the end of that workshop, the federal agency announced four funding opportunities for entities that were interested in conducting research on natural products like cannabis.

For example, one funding opportunity is earmarked for looking into how cannabinoids, excluding THC, affect pain.

Those four research projects are also intended to map the “biological signature” of the natural products being studied as well as establishing dosage levels in case those products are found to be therapeutic.

The researchers who want to access the funding need to secure authorization from the different federal government agencies, such as the DEA, which have jurisdiction over the controlled substances in question. Additionally, the researchers should provide detailed plans of how they intend to conduct the studies.

It is interesting to note that only one of the four funding opportunities makes a direct reference to marijuana even if the content of the briefs appear to focus on cannabis. The careful wording may be an attempt to work around the existing restrictions on funding cannabis research.

The current call for research proposals comes after the Drug Enforcement Administration granted different cultivators authorization to grow approximately 5.400 pounds of marijuana in 2019. This quantity more than quadruples what was grown with DEA permission in 2018.

The agency explained that the spike in the quantity of cannabis grown with the agency’s approval was intended to meet the huge demand for research-grade cannabis in the coming year.

The increased supply from different sources is expected to ease some of the frustrations that researchers had with the Mississippi farm where cannabis could only be obtained in previous years. Researchers complained that they couldn’t obtain sufficient quantities from that Mississippi farm, and even when they got the cannabis it was of such poor quality that it would hardly serve the purpose for which it was obtained.

The fact that different government agencies participated in the workshop organized by NCCIH may indicate that there is a conversation going on within the federal government about cannabis. It is possible that the feds are giving serious thought to the possibility of passing legislation to allow medical cannabis at some point in the future. If that wasn’t the case, then federal money wouldn’t be channeled into cannabis research, or researchers wouldn’t be permitted to study cannabis.

Golden Developing Solutions, Inc. (OTC: DVLP), Green Hygienics Holdings, Inc. (OTC: GRYN) and other stakeholders hope that the funding opportunities increase, and that the federal government eases its prohibitionist stance on marijuana.

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420 with CNW – Interactive Cannabis Museum Opens in Las Vegas

The marijuana industry looks poised to grow massively, and the current wave of legalization in different US states has paved the way for entrepreneurs and innovators to bring new products to the market. The latest addition to the cannabis world is an interactive cannabis museum in downtown Las Vegas aptly named “Cannibition”.

This museum is the brainchild of J.J Walker. He felt that marijuana needed to be given an immersive experience akin to what ice cream, pizza, avocadoes and other products get.

The entrepreneur intends to teach visitors to Cannibition about the entire journey of cannabis from when it is a seed until it is consumed. With a ticket going for $24, museum visitors can expect an unforgettable treat that will see them observe a cannabis grow operation, admire the largest cannabis bong in the world, literally take a dive into a huge pool of cannabis buds, and have so many other cannabis-related experiences.

J.J Walker isn’t just getting into the cannabis industry. He was in thick of things when Colorado legalized medical marijuana in 2008 and he opened a dispensary at a time when the state didn’t have any regulations in place for the industry.

Walker sold the dispensary about three years later and started a cannabis tour company. He operated that tour company for four years and his work there led him to be inspired to start the museum.

He felt that people interested in cannabis deserved better. For example, the cannabis lounges in states where adult-use cannabis is legal aren’t anything to post on Instagram because they tend to be plain locations with seats where people can smoke their joints and leave half an hour later.

Cannibition is intended to address that shortcoming and give cannabis consumers and non-consumers an experience they will enjoy while learning about the plant.

For example, the experienced of “being smoked” into giant red lips before emerging on the other side to the different fragrances of cannabis will thrill all your senses. The experience of touching the 24-foot largest bong in the world is also exhilarating. Everything was designed to be “Instagrammable”, so your smartphone camera will have a very busy time while you are in the museum.

Walker selected Las Vegas because of the 43 million visitors that come there each year. He sees an opportunity to teach as many people as possible about cannabis so that the transformation of cannabis from the shunned “weed” to a lifestyle can be completed sooner.

Remember that the world’s largest cannabis superstore was also opened in Las Vegas, so the city seems to be carving a place for itself as the cannabis capital of the world. Cannabis industry participants like Earth Science Tech, Inc. (OTCQB: ETST) and FinCanna Capital Corp. (CSE: CALI) (OTCQB: FNNZF) congratulate J.J Walker and his team for contributing to the cannabis culture.

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Political Breakthrough Heralds the End of the Prohibition on Hemp

CannabisNewsWire Editorial Coverage: With federal legalization of hemp expected in the United States by Christmas, the farming and cannabidiol product industries are anticipating great changes in their future.

Hemp farming, which has been illegal in the United States since 1970, is about to be made legal under the newest Farm Bill legislation.
Pilot projects and work in Canada have allowed companies to prepare for U.S. hemp farming by developing their techniques, science and crop strains.
With legalization promising great growth, companies are seeking paths to investment opportunities.

Marijuana Company of America, Inc. (OTC: MCOA) (MCOA Profile) is among the innovating companies carrying out cultivation, research and development projects on sites in the United States and Canada. Canopy Growth Corp. (NYSE: CGC) (TSX: WEED) has been expanding its operations through partnerships with other companies, covering investment, supply and research. Cronos Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRON) (TSX: CRON) has expanded its cultivation and markets while negotiating for fresh investment. Aphria, Inc. (NYSE: APHA) (TSX: APHA) has partnered with a company specializing in branding to develop new consumer-driven brands and products for the cannabis market. Aurora Cannabis, Inc. (NYSE: ACB) (TSX: ACB) is putting out new products in the United States and looking to export those products abroad, following the successful export of medical cannabis into Europe.

To view an infographic of this editorial, click here.

The End of an Era?

For decades, hemp has been locked out of agricultural development in the United States. Once a vital crop used to produce the rope and canvas on which the American naval and merchant shipping forces relied, it was made illegal in 1970 under legislation designed to reduce drug addiction. For nearly half a century, farmers have been unable to cultivate this crop despite growing evidence of its usefulness.

Now that is set to change. After months of haggling, politicians in Washington have finally brokered a deal to pass the legislation that will make hemp legal. For the past four years, a small band of farmers and university researchers have been involved in pilot projects, testing the potential of the hemp market. The profitable outlook, together with growing demand for health and wellness products derived from hemp, have led politicians to change their stance.

Could 2019 be the year that hemp’s cannabidiol (CBD) derivatives become household commodities?

Legalization Legislation

The past decade has produced considerable growth for companies working in the hemp sector, such as Marijuana Company of America, Inc. (OTC: MCOA). Hemp is a form of the cannabis plant with very low levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient in the marijuana strains of cannabis. Despite hemp’s essentially innocuous nature, it was made illegal under sweeping federal regulations that classified all forms of cannabis as Schedule I substances, among the most dangerous and least medicinally helpful of drugs.

Since 1996, the legal landscape has been changing as states have introduced pro-cannabis legislation in defiance of federal drug policy. This allowed companies such as MCOA to emerge and start looking at the potential of industrial hemp. However, these companies were caught in a no-man’s-land industry sector between conflicting state and federal legislation. Under those circumstances, building a commercial hemp industry had limited practicality.

A change at the federal level began four years ago, when the 2014 Farm Bill made it legal for companies to carry out pilot projects to grow hemp. Companies moved quickly to make the most of the opportunity, setting up facilities such as the farm MCOA established in Oregon. From 9,650 acres in 15 states in 2015, hemp production grew to 77,000 acres under 3,500 licenses in 23 states in 2018.

During the course of that change, the hemp industry has gained widespread acceptance in Washington and throughout the country, leading to cross-party support for hemp’s inclusion in the new Farm Bill as an agricultural commodity. But conflict over other aspects of the bill held the legislation up until late November. Then, in the waning days of a lame-duck Republican House, an agreement in principle was finally reached.

Once the farm legislation is passed as expected, growing hemp could become fully legal in the United States as early as January. That would be huge news for farmers and a great start to the new year for the fast-growing industry.

Farming Hemp

The anticipated legislative changes may lead to a new agricultural phenomenon for United States farmers, but it will be far from the first hemp crop in North America. Aside from the pilot projects in the United States, more liberal legislation in Canada has allowed farmers to get a head start on hemp production. For MCOA, this has meant pursuing profitable crops and supporting farmers on both sides of the border.

In Canada, MCOA’s efforts have taken the form of an innovative joint venture in New Brunswick. There, MCOA teamed up with Global Hemp Group, Inc. and four local farmers to experiment with techniques for hemp farming. This has led to practical developments, such as the use of a bean harvester to strip leaves and inflorescence from plants, improving the efficiency of the harvest. It has also led to more academic results, including research on plant nutrition with Dr. Ron Smith at the University of New Brunswick.

The company’s U.S. project at Scio, Ore., is earlier in its development and proportionally smaller. The Oregon cultivation benefited from good weather in 2018, extending growing time and leading to an improved harvest. Here, MCOA is already growing hemp with a higher CBD content — 6 to 12 percent. Large greenhouses were used to dry out these plants, with staff continuing to learn and refine their drying techniques with each batch.

On both sides of the border, partnering with other companies is helping MCOA maintain a high pace of innovation and expansion. The company is currently looking for opportunities to work with a cannabinoid extraction player in the United States to make the most of its crops.

Preparing for a Boom Market

With legalization around the corner, hemp companies are moving to strengthen their positions for market expansion.

For MCOA, this has meant a move into mainstream advertising. The company’s hempSMART™ subsidiary has partnered with asseenontv.pro to launch a television advertising campaign for its Full Spectrum Pet Drops, a pet well-being product using CBD.

CEO Donald Steinberg said, “As our hempSMART brand continues to grow, MCOA will continue to search for and utilize new partnerships that will uniquely market our incredible collection of all-natural CBD product formulations. We feel that our strategic partnership with ASONTV is an important milestone for the Company that will help promote our hempSMART Pet Drops to consumers across the country.”

The company has also filed an application to uplist its shares from OTC Pink to the OTCQB tier on the OTC markets. This strategic move should provide better access to institutional investors to raise funds targeted to help the company grow along with the wider industry. A new CFO and independent director were appointed over the summer to ensure strong leadership during this period of huge potential.

Like MCOA, Canadian cannabis company Canopy Growth Corp. (NYSE: CGC) (TSX: WEED) has been partnering with other companies to support its growth. This includes an investment and supply deal with 48North Cannabis Corp., a strategic supply agreement with MediPharm Labs Corp. and a research and development collaboration with Battelle. One of the factors fueling Canopy Growth’s expansion has been an investment from Constellation Brands, which pumped billions into Canopy Growth earlier this year. This financial move should give the American drinks giant a way into the cannabis and hemp markets, including the production and sale of CBD-infused drinks.

Cronos Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRON) (TSX: CRON) has also been pursuing growth, with expansion into Latin America, an increase in the scale of cultivation and a collaboration with Ginkgo Bioworks to develop innovative products for the cannabis market. This has drawn the attention of outside investors, and the company is now in talks with Altria Group, Inc. about potential investments that could provide additional funds at a strategic turning point for the market.

Aphria, Inc. (NYSE: APHA) (TSX: APHA) aims to carve out a distinct space in the market through innovative consumer products. Aphria recently announced the creation of a joint venture with Perennial, Inc. to develop original consumer-driven brands and products for the cannabis market. This will join Perennial’s experience in brand development with Aphria’s expertise in cannabis to explore edibles, beverages and other new lines of products.

Aurora Cannabis, Inc. (NYSE: ACB) (TSX: ACB) is already busy putting new products out. The company has recently announced the release of cannabis softgel capsules for the Canadian market and expects to export them to international markets next year. The company already works on an international scale, having announced its first shipment of medical cannabis to the Czech Republic in November.

Pending hemp legalization in the United States is only the latest in a series of shifts in the wider cannabis sector, shifts that appear to have opened the way for a wave of expansion and innovation.

For more information on Marijuana Company of America, visit Marijuana Company of America, Inc. (OTC: MCOA)

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420 with CNW – New Zealand Passes Medical Cannabis Bill

The government of New Zealand passed the medical cannabis bill earlier today (December 11). The bill provides a legal defense to anyone prosecuted for consuming medical cannabis during the time when a scheme has not yet been established to regulate how medical cannabis can be accessed.

The bill stipulates that the regulatory framework for access to medical cannabis should be in place within 12 months after the bill was passed. In the meantime, those who are terminally ill and are undergoing palliative care or are otherwise in the final stages of terminal illnesses can use cannabis and rely on the legal defense provided in the bill should such patients ever be prosecuted for consuming an illegal substance (cannabis).

The third reading and eventual passing of the bill only became possible after three parties supported the bill. These were the Labor Party, the Green Party and the New Zealand First Party.

The Green Party only supported the bill after getting a concession that native strains of cannabis will be used rather than relying on imported varieties. The Green Party also pushed to have the Medicinal Cannabis Scheme established speedily, in any event not later than one year after the bill was passed.

New Zealand First pushed, and succeeded, in having the legal defense apply not just to patients having less than a year to live, but to all those undergoing palliative care.

Talking after the passing of the bill, Health Minister David Clark said he was delighted with the “most progressive” bill ever passed with regard to cannabis. He promised to do everything possible to ensure that medicinal cannabis would become increasingly affordable as the years go by.

Clark added that his ministry would draft a paper on the medicinal cannabis scheme and invite experts as well as the general public to contribute to this paper before the scheme is implemented. This draft will be ready early next year (2019).

However, the bill didn’t pass without opposition. The National Party initially supported the bill, but voted against it during the third reading in Parliament.

The National Party is of the opinion that the current bill effectively decriminalized marijuana without being explicit about it. Simon Bridges, the leader of the National Party, described the bill as an attempt at “decriminalization by stealth” because the bill doesn’t provide any guidelines regarding the implementation of the scheme.

For example, he wondered what a police officer would do in case that officer encountered someone smoking cannabis outside a school.

The National Party drafted its own National Bill containing a detailed plan of how medical cannabis can be provided without creating any unnecessary risks. For instance, their bill bans the smoking of paper-rolled cannabis and includes a photo-ID system to enable the eligible patients to access medicinal cannabis at pharmacies.

The plan suggested by the National Party may not go to waste, for its recommendations may be considered during the consultative process hinted at by the Health Minister. After all, both sides in this debate want a Medicinal Cannabis Scheme that works for all. ChineseInvestors.com (OTCQB: CIIX), Choom Holdings Inc. (CSE: CHOO) (OTCQB: CHOOF) and other players in the cannabis industry would be glad to see the US pass legislation permitting cannabis in some form at the federal level.

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