420 with CNW — Influential Nonprofit Says Federal Cannabis Bill Insufficient to Fix Harms of Drug War

The war on drugs was ostensibly started to mitigate drug addiction rates in the country and deal a blow to the criminal enterprises behind the illicit drug trade. However, most experts agree that the decades-long drug war was a failure, leading to the arrest and incarceration of tens of thousands of people on minor drug charges. Furthermore, the drug war exacerbated racial and economic inequality in the country and caused nigh-irreparable damage to marginalized communities.

As cannabis reform has swept across America, most activists and lawmakers have championed cannabis legalization measures that contain social equity provisions designed to repair the harms caused by the drug war. This includes funding various community programs and giving people from marginalized communities a leg-up in the cannabis industry. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, an avid supporter of cannabis reform, recently introduced a federal marijuana legalization bill that also contains social equity provisions.

However, a major racial justice nonprofit believes that the federal cannabis bill is not sufficient enough to even begin alleviating the racial harms caused by the decades-long prohibition. After reviewing cannabis laws in the United States, the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund (LDF) said that waiting for congress to pass cannabis reform would do little to address the racist consequences of the drug war and urged voters in states with cannabis legalization in the fall ballot to come out and vote in favor of legalization.

Schumer kept the country waiting for months as he delayed unveiling his Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA) several times. But now that the legislation has been filed, advancing past both houses of Congress and being signed into law will be a challenge. Additionally, the federal legalization bill won’t be able to help people with cannabis offenses on their records since most of these convictions occurred at the state level.

Simeon Spencer, the operations associate for NAACP LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute says that decriminalization as well as expungement on the federal level will offer little benefit to people whose convictions were made under state marijuana regulations. Titled “Redressing America’s Racist Cannabis Laws,” Spencer’s review notes that cannabis criminalization was based on racism and xenophobia, stating that officials outlawed cannabis decades ago to keep Mexican immigrants and Black cultural movements in check.

Media propaganda about Mexican immigrants smoking marijuana was a major contributor to states individually banning cannabis in the following years. According to the NAACP LDF, plenty of Black Americans are currently serving life sentences for cannabis offenses even though the drug is now a multibillion dollar industry. Spencer writes that both the federal governments and state governments will have to work together to adequately mitigate the systemic racial inequalities in cannabis policy.

As those prohibitionist policies are rolled back, a chance could be created for companies such as Advanced Container Technologies Inc. (OTC: ACTX) to serve more people with their innovative products such as the micro gardens transforming the way marijuana and other crops are grown indoors.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Advanced Container Technologies Inc. (OTC: ACTX) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/ACTX

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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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CannabisNewsBreaks – Advanced Container Technologies Inc.’s (ACTX) GrowPods Ideally Poised to Turn Tide Against Food Insecurity

Advanced Container Technologies (OTC: ACTX), the exclusive U.S. distributor of GrowPods, environmentally controlled micro-farms that allow cultivation of ultra-clean crops all year long, believes its products may be part of the solution to eradicate food insecurity and malnutrition. The World Food Program’s (“WFP”) vision for 2030 “calls for the world to eradicate food insecurity and malnutrition and for national and global actors to partner together to achieve several goals, including providing access to food and sustainable food systems. According to WFP, turning the tide against hunger includes, in part, ‘sustainable consumption and production to reduce food loss and waste,’” a recent article reads. “ACTX’s GrowPods appear ideally aligned to these essential initiatives. Modular, stackable and mobile vertical growing environments, these game-changing micro-farms are designed to maximize yield and automation. Made from fully insulated, food-grade shipping containers, GrowPods have been modified to create an optimum controlled environment for growing a wide range of horticultural and agricultural products in a variety of environments and climates… ACTX is pleased to join the efforts to make food sustainability both a priority and a reality by offering a way to produce multiple high-yield harvests every year with no pesticides and using fewer resources.”

To view the full article, visit https://cnw.fm/OVRqu

About Advanced Container Technologies Inc.

Advanced Container Technologies is in the business of selling and distributing self-contained, automated, indoor “micro-farms” called Grow Pods, along with related equipment and supplies. Additionally, the company designs and sells patented proprietary medical-grade plastic containers, known as the Medtainer(R), that store and grind pharmaceuticals, herbs, teas and other solids or liquids. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.AdvancedContainerTechnologies.com.

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

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420 with CNW — Florida Agriculture Commissioner Calls DOJ Memo on Gun Rights Lawsuit Insulting

The agriculture commissioner in Florida has described as “insulting” the memo the U.S. Department of Justice filed supporting its motion to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the denial of the right to buy a firearm by users of medical marijuana. The said lawsuit was filed by Commissioner Nikki Fried in April 2022.

No one is surprised that the DOJ asked the court to dismiss this lawsuit, but the contents of the memo the federal agency penned has attracted widespread criticism from several quarters. For starters, advocates have taken exception to the description of medical marijuana users, such as terminally ill cancer patients and military veterans suffering from chronic pain, as people who are too dangerous to be trusted with firearms.

Fried and other reform activists say describing people in dire need of medical marijuana in such an insensitive way is insulting and disappointing given the sizeable body of scientific evidence backing the therapeutic benefits of marijuana. They also say that the DOJ is insisting on taking a position that is a relic of the reefer madness period while the world, and specifically the American public, has moved past such stereotypes.

More criticism was also triggered by the DOJ using centuries’ old case law to back up its position on gun rights for users of medical marijuana. The department specifically wrote that its stance is supported by bans on gun ownership by Native Americans, panhandlers, Catholics and habitual drug users, and this supposedly justifies its insistence that medical marijuana users shouldn’t be allowed to acquire firearms. The DOJ doesn’t at any point recognize that the case law it is citing was discriminatory and that the country has since made adjustments in its actions.

The case law citations included in the DOJ memo were a direct reply to the petitioners’ inclusion of a ruling made by the Supreme Court in New York stipulating that the amendment to bear firearms is supreme and that any attempt to restrict such rights can only happen if such an infringement is in line with the historical circumstances and intent of the amendment.

The attorneys representing Fried and the other plaintiffs are now working to respond to the last-minute memo filed by the DOJ. It should be noted that Fried is contesting to stand against Governor Ron DeSantis during the November polls. She says that if she is elected to that office, she will have no problem involving her new office in this case since it is a matter to which she is committed.

The sentiments implicit in the DOJ response are likely to rub industry actors such as Advanced Container Technologies Inc. (OTC: ACTX) the wrong way since they are working toward changing the attitude and sentiment toward marijuana users generally and particularly medical marijuana users.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Advanced Container Technologies Inc. (OTC: ACTX) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/ACTX

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420 with CNW — Why Marijuana Retailers Need to Look Beyond THC Concentration

Most cannabis buyers have only the THC concentration in mind when they are choosing a marijuana product, but hasn’t the time come for retailers to look beyond how much THC a given product contains while making a decision about its quality?

Until recently, marijuana was illegal, but dozens of U.S. states have since legalized it either for medical or recreational use. One strong reason for outlawing marijuana was its psychoactive compound THC, which is why most tests look for THC metabolites in the blood, urine and even hair samples.

It is therefore understandable that people will focus on potency (THC concentration) when choosing a product to buy. In the eyes of consumers, more THC equals a promise of a better experience. Or does it?

Buyers are beginning to appreciate that high THC concentrations aren’t for everyone. For example, newbies to smoking cannabis can be spooked when they consume marijuana with THC that is stronger than 25% since it may quickly trigger psychoactive effects. Additionally, some marijuana users prefer a chilled kind of high, and high THC numbers cannot give them what they seek.

The space is beginning to see a growing body of discerning cannabis users who look beyond THC concentration when evaluating the desirability of a given marijuana product. These buyers want to know the flavonoids, terpenes and minor cannabinoids (such as CBG and CBN) present in a product so that they can judge whether that product will give them the experience they are looking for.

This growing sophistication is what marijuana retailers should be working to capitalize on as the nascent industry matures. This is how brands can stand out instead of remaining stuck in the THC concentration battle with every player in the industry.

For starters, manufacturers need to improve their labels to reflect all the compounds present in a given product. Many states only require the amount of THC in a product to be indicated on the label, but future-minded companies can go beyond this basic requirement and outline all compounds available in the product. Remember, the entourage effect is pivotal to one’s experience, so the obsession with THC concentration misses a vital opportunity to stand out.

Budtenders are at the frontline when it comes to getting cannabis products to customers. These professionals need to be adequately trained so that they can educate customers about how, for example, a given terpene combination plus THC of a certain level would be best for meeting certain needs of buyers. Companies can nurture customer loyalty when they adopt this approach, and they can also cement their uniqueness in the industry.

The growing customer sophistication is also creating market for ancillary products such as the grow pods made by Advanced Container Technologies Inc. (OTC: ACTX). Before long, mass-produced cannabis products will be competing with homegrown ones as people opt to take matters into their own hands in jurisdictions where this is allowed.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Advanced Container Technologies Inc. (OTC: ACTX) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/ACTX

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Advanced Container Technologies Inc. (ACTX) Establishing Foothold in Growing Billion-Dollar Vertical Farming Space

Vertical farming projected to reach more than $25 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 23.3%
MRFR report notes that “vertical farming systems and technologies offer a superior approach to farming methods”
ACTX GrowPods are essentially vertical micro-farms that can be placed anywhere, allow cultivation of a wide variety of crops, 365 days a year

A recent Market Research Future (“MRFR”) report shows that vertical farming is projected to reach more than $25 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 23.3% (https://cnw.fm/kKdVm). Those numbers bode well for Advanced Container Technologies (OTC: ACTX), a company in the business of selling GrowPods, self-contained, automated, indoor “micro-farms” that are building a reputation in the vertical farming space.

“Vertical farming systems and technologies offer a superior approach to farming methods, allowing for the growing of large amounts of crops inside a confined land area while requiring little financial investment and having no negative impact on the environment,” reported MRFR’s comprehensive research report. “The main reason for this is because perpendicular stack-based farming lowers the need for additional land and allows for full land utilization for farming, with optimal land and energy use yielding significant returns. The vertical farming market has seen diversified growth in all segments and across different regions as a result of rising populations and rising per capita incomes, which has shifted people’s demands toward more organic, health, and environment-friendly foodstuffs, resulting in the development of the vertical farming market.”

The report also noted that consumers are more aware of what they are eating and are prioritizing health. These changes have “fueled the market for organic farming, which produces fruits and vegetables that are free of insecticides and pesticides and high in nutritional content,” the report continued. “The desire for organic and high-quality foods has transformed vertical farming firms’ production capabilities and created a foundation for ensuring high-quality and quantity-approved production to fulfill rising needs. In addition, people have begun to cultivate fruits and vegetables indoors, giving rise to the concept of indoor vertical farming.”

Advanced Container Technologies is keenly aware of the opportunities in vertical farming and appears uniquely suited for growth in the space. The company is the sole distributor of GrowPods, which are advanced, self-contained hydroponic containers manufactured by GP Solutions Inc.

“These innovative automated systems are essentially micro-farms that can be placed virtually anywhere and, with their controlled and specially filtered environment, allow cultivation of a wide variety of crops, 365 days a year,” states the company. “Grow Pods offer constant temperature, humidity and airflow control, as well as automated watering and lighting schedules for optimal growth and minimal labor requirements, regardless of crop.”

In addition to selling and distributing GrowPods, Advanced Container Technologies offers related equipment and supplies. Additionally, the company designs and sells patented, proprietary medical-grade plastic containers, known as the Medtainer(R), that store and grind pharmaceuticals, herbs, teas and other solids or liquids.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.AdvancedContainerTechnologies.com.

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

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420 with CNW — Studies Question Usefulness of THC Testing to Establish Impairment

For decades, law enforcement has used standardized equipment called breathalyzers to determine the blood-alcohol content of drivers and police-impaired driving. These tests take mere seconds to administer and can give police a decent estimation of how impaired a driver is. As cannabis reform has swept across the country and more states have legalized recreational cannabis, law enforcement and cannabis legalization opponents have argued that legalizing cannabis will inevitably lead to higher levels of impaired driving and road incidents.

We still don’t have a standard test to quickly measure delta-9 THC blood levels. Furthermore, there is relatively little evidence that the level of THC in the breath or blood from recent marijuana use is even associated with impaired driving. With at least a dozen states now allowing recreational cannabis use among adults aged 21 and older, the need to understand the correlation between recent cannabis use and impaired driving as well as develop ways to effectively measure impairment has become even more urgent.

A recent study published in “Scientific Reports” did just that, peering into the cannabis plant to study how cannabinoids impact impairment. Two researchers from California ran a one-year clinical study with 74 users who reported using cannabis daily for approximately nine years. The participants had an average age of 25 years, and most of them reported that smoking or vaping were their most preferred methods of consuming cannabis.

One group of study participants had a baseline THC blood level that surpassed THC limits in five U.S. states, even when they were completely sober. This means that in these five states, the study participants were not legally allowed to get behind a wheel even if they had not used any cannabis. Previous studies from Michael DeGregorio, one of the researchers behind the recent study, and other researchers had found that marijuana use could result in short-term functional impairment.

The extent of this impairment depends on factors such as frequency of use and age. Building on previous research, this study found that 16 cannabis users had more than 5ng/ml of delta-9 THC in their blood even though they had abstained from cannabis and were not impaired. Breath and blood samples indicated high THC levels despite no recent cannabis use and no impairment.

Participants who had used cannabis for longer periods had higher baseline THC concentration levels, which in many cases exceeded state limits. However, their duration of impairment was decreased, meaning they were impaired for shorter periods of time even though their baseline THC levels remained elevated. The researchers concluded that THC levels in exhaled breath and blood were not reliable indicators of THC impairment.

As more science-backed data becomes available, policymakers are likely to evolve and enact measures that allow companies such as Advanced Container Technologies Inc. (OTC: ACTX) to serve indoor cannabis growers without any fear that reprisals will follow such commercial activity.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Advanced Container Technologies Inc. (OTC: ACTX) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/ACTX

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Advanced Container Technologies Inc. (ACTX) GrowPods May be Part of Solution to Global Food Security

In 2021, a staggering 45 million people were at emergency levels of acute hunger
Providing access to food, sustainable food systems are key to WFP’s vision of eradicating food insecurity and malnutrition
GrowPods create an optimum controlled environment for growing a wide range of crops in a variety of environments and climates

With hunger on the rise again, companies and communities are working together to find realistic solutions. The world’s largest humanitarian organization, the World Food Programme (“WFP”), has identified access to food and sustainable food systems as two of eight key targets in its vision to eradicate food insecurity and malnutrition (https://cnw.fm/ZcoK6). Advanced Container Technologies (OTC: ACTX), the exclusive U.S. distributor of GrowPods, environmentally controlled micro-farms that allow cultivation of ultra-clean crops all year long, believes its products may be part of that solution.

“The world today is more complex and volatile than it was five years ago,” declares WFP in its 2022–2025 strategic plan. “Hunger has been on the rise since 2014. The situation deteriorated drastically in 2020, with up to 811 million people classified as chronically hungry. Across the countries where WFP operates, an estimated 283 million people needed urgent food assistance in 2021. A staggering 45 million were at emergency levels of acute hunger and more than half a million faced famine-like conditions.”

The organization’s “vision for 2030” calls for the world to eradicate food insecurity and malnutrition and for national and global actors to partner together to achieve several goals including providing access to food and sustainable food systems (https://cnw.fm/fgZWf). According to WFP, turning the tide against hunger includes, in part, “sustainable consumption and production to reduce food loss and waste.

ACTX’s GrowPods appear ideally aligned to these essential initiatives. Modular, stackable and mobile vertical growing environments, these game-changing micro-farms are designed to maximize yield and automation. Made from fully insulated, food-grade shipping containers, GrowPods have been modified to create an optimum controlled environment for growing a wide range of horticultural and agricultural products in a variety of environments and climates.

“In a world of plenty, where enough food is produced to feed everyone on the planet, hunger should be a thing of the past,” WFP declares. “However, conflict, climate change, disasters, inequality and — most recently — the COVID-19 pandemic mean one in nine people globally is still going to bed hungry and famine looms for millions.”

ACTX is pleased to join the efforts to make food sustainability both a priority and a reality by offering a way to produce multiple high-yield harvests every year with no pesticides and using fewer resources (https://cnw.fm/OnS39).

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.AdvancedContainerTechnologies.com.

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

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CannabisNewsBreaks – Advanced Container Technologies Inc. (ACTX) Poised in the ‘Future of Agriculture’

Advanced Container Technologies (OTC: ACTX) today announced that it is operating in a sector that Barclays Bank says is gaining traction as a sector for investment. According to Jed Lynch, head of Americas, sustainable and impact investment banking at Barclays, “Agriculture has historically been viewed as a mature industry, but we are now seeing significant technology-led innovation across the sector. As a result, we’re seeing a noticeable increase in high-growth startups, venture funding, M&A activity and public-market interest in this space.”

“We are in the right sector at the right time,” Douglas Heldoorn, CEO of Advanced Container Technologies, said in the news release. “Controlled environment farming (‘CEF’) with systems like GrowPods represent nothing less than the future of agriculture.”

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

About Advanced Container Technologies Inc.

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

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420 with CNW — New Bipartisan Bill in Congress Would Expunge Cannabis Criminal Records

For most cannabis reform activists and lawmakers, cannabis legalization has been a matter of criminal justice reform. Most, if not all, state cannabis reform bills contain some sort of social justice provisions and have invested monies toward undoing the harms of the failed drug war. One such social justice effort has been expunging the records of people who were convicted of low-level marijuana offenses.

To that end, bipartisan lawmakers have filed a bill that would design a procedure for the expungement of federal misdemeanor cannabis convictions and give courts the authority to recommend eligible cases for presidential pardons. Introduced by Democratic and Republican representatives Troy Carter and Rodney Davis, the Marijuana Misdemeanor Expungement Act would require the chief justice of the United States to enact rules to expedite the “review, expungement, sealing, sequester and redaction” of low-level federal marijuana offenses from people’s records.

According to the legislation, several criminal codes can be considered “expungable events,” meaning people who were convicted under these codes are eligible to have their records expunged. This includes criminal codes that criminalize the possession and distribution of small amounts of cannabis without financial compensation. It also covers any nonviolent federal infractions, civil penalties, petty offenses and misdemeanors that involve cannabis and cannabis-related equipment.

In a press release, Davis said given that dozens of states have legalized cannabis use for either medical or recreational purposes, the country’s criminal justice system has to keep pace to ensure that people aren’t being penalized for low-level misdemeanor offenses that are no longer criminalized. Davis said that misdemeanors can prevent people from becoming employed and essentially prevent them from participating in society.

The new legislation would deliver much-needed justice to thousands of citizens who have had their lives disrupted by a misdemeanor cannabis offense and suffered inordinate collateral consequences, said Carter. He noted that these misdemeanors, even if they don’t result in a conviction, can have severe lifelong consequences such as limiting people’s access to housing assistance, educational aid and occupational licensing.

As per the legislation, the chief justice will have 12 months from the bill’s passage to put forth procedural expungement rules. Every federal district will be given two years to run a thorough analysis and issue expungement, sealing and sequestering orders pursuant to the chief justice’s rules. Once an individual’s record has been expunged of low-level cannabis misdemeanors, the legislation states that any legal proceedings related to cannabis will be treated as if they never happened.

These are badly needed changes to the criminal justice system. Enacting them would go a long way toward showing how legalizing marijuana at the state level and letting companies such as Advanced Container Technologies Inc. (OTC: ACTX) serve companies and individuals in the indoor cultivation segment could be a boon for the economy and society at large.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Advanced Container Technologies Inc. (OTC: ACTX) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/ACTX

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420 with CNW — Senate Approves VA Nominee Who Supported Medical Marijuana in NJ

The U.S. Departments of Veterans Affairs recently confirmed that a key position in the department had been filled after the Senate voted to confirm President Joseph Biden’s nominee: Shereef Elnahal. In the past, Elnahal has served as the state health commissioner in New Jersey. He helped expand the medical cannabis program in the state while also advocating for the federal legalization of cannabis.

Elnahal, who has been appointed as the Undersecretary of Health at the VA, will be in charge of leading a central division of the VA that has, up until now, prevented doctors from issuing medical marijuana recommendations to military veterans. In a statement, Elnahal talked about how he had run the medical cannabis program in New Jersey, making it easier for veterans to enroll in the program. He has in the past made it clear how he feels about the status of cannabis as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act.

In 2018, he tweeted that marijuana needed to be descheduled at the federal level; he also listed complications of the state-federal policy conflict, which include limited access at health care facilities, inadequate research funding and high costs for patients.

During Elnahal’s confirmation hearing, Senator Dan Sullivan spoke about his marijuana regulatory background and also expressed frustration over the VA’s opposition to legislation, which would promote research into the therapeutic potential of cannabis for conditions which commonly affected the veteran population. Sullivan also asked Elnahal whether he’d observed any benefits from his cannabis regulatory work.

Sen. Jon Tester, who cosponsored the VA marijuana research bill with Sullivan, stated that he was aware of the many health conditions that individuals used cannabis to treat. He noted that he’d be fully on board if there was evidence that supported the use of marijuana as an alternative to dangerous medications, but he added that science needed to support the plant’s medical uses.

Despite the VA testifying against modest marijuana initiatives time and again, this hasn’t stopped legislators from filing and advancing measures and amendments to revise the department’s directives and force policy changes. For instance, the House recently approved an amendment that tackled the issue of permitting VA doctors to issue medical marijuana recommendations to veterans. However, it remains unclear which direction the Senate will take on the matter.

Meanwhile, other bipartisan legislators have directed attention toward veteran and cannabis-related issues, with the House taking up an Appropriations and Defense Bill for the 2023 Fiscal Year.

If the federal government continues on this trajectory of appointing progressive people to key policymaking positions, it may not be long before marijuana prohibition is ended and the sales of ancillary entities such as Advanced Container Technologies Inc. (OTC: ACTX) explode as a wider market is opened for their products.

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