420 with CNW – First Medical Cannabis Kitchen Due to Open in Arizona

The Mint Dispensary in Arizona is scheduled to open the first medical cannabis kitchen in the United States. This kitchen will open its doors to the public on October 5. Customers can order breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks at the kitchen. An espresso bar and a juice bar will also be open at the full-service kitchen.

However, only individuals who have a medical marijuana card issued by the state of Arizona will be welcome to the establishment from 8 am to 10 pm every day of the week, weekends inclusive. No consumption will be permitted on the premises in order to prevent patrons from driving under the influence of any psychoactive ingredient which may have been included in the meal ordered.

Mint Dispensary realized that there was an unmet demand for cannabis-infused wholesome meals since only prepackaged items were available on the market. This gap gave the dispensary CEO, Eivan Shahara, an idea of preparing fresh foods that can address the nutritional and medicinal needs of customers.

The food and beverages available at the kitchen will have varying concentrations of cannabis so that visitors can choose the concentration that is suitable for their medical needs as they enjoy a meal, snack or drink.

For breakfast, patients with medical cannabis cards can order Donut Holes, Blueberry Muffins, Banana Bread, Apple Fritters, Scones and other offerings. These can be bought as standalone items or combined with coffee.

For lunch or dinner, patrons can select from Street Tacos, Artisan Burgers, Fries, Pizza, Hatch Chile Macaroni and cheese among others.

Carylann Principal, the Executive Chef overseeing the kitchen, says that the meals will be outstanding since they will be at the intersection between science and art. Chef Principal is a cancer survivor who is passionate about providing wholesome food that is also medicinal.

As the cannabis industry continues to evolve at a fast pace, more offerings beyond what is currently planned for the cannabis kitchen at the Mint Dispensary will be introduced. For example, the kitchen intends to start making home deliveries somewhere in the near future in addition to providing “medicated” catering services for funerals, weddings and other special events.

It remains to be seen what sort of challenges this new service by the dispensary will face. For example, can they be held responsible in case a takeout meal is consumed by someone other than the holder of a medical marijuana card? Such scenarios may or may not have been discussed with the regulators prior to granting the establishment a license to open the kitchen.

Youngevity International, Inc. (NASDAQ: YGYI) and BLOCKStrain Corp. (TSX.V: DNAX) (OTC: BKKSF) must be applauding this bold innovative step taken by the team at Mint Dispensary.

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420 with CNW – Colorado Data Shows Drop in Workplace Fatalities After Medical Marijuana Legalization

Researchers from three universities (Montana State University, American University in Washington D.C. and Colorado State University) have analyzed workplace fatality data spanning from 1992 to 2015 and discovered that there were fewer fatal accidents at work once medical cannabis was legalized. The research will be published in October in the International Journal of Drug Policy.

The findings seem to be unexpected given that it has always been known that cannabis use compromises cognition and psychomotor activity, so fatal accidents would increase rather than decrease once medical cannabis use was permitted by law.

However, the data speaks for itself. A 19.5% drop in the expected workplace fatalities was discovered when the U.S. Department of Labor data for the 25-44 age bracket of employees was analyzed.

Furthermore, this reduction seems to increase as time elapses. A drop of 34% in fatal accidents at work was observed five years after legalization. This seems to suggest that the longer medical marijuana stays on the law books, the fewer the fatalities at work.

The researchers were of the opinion that the drop in workplace fatal accidents could be attributed to the reduced use of alcohol and prescription opioids by workers in favor of medical cannabis. This appears to be true given that the reduction in fatalities is statistically significant in those states where pain is one of the conditions for which medical cannabis can be used.

The drop in fatalities pales to insignificant levels when attention focuses on those states where pain isn’t on the list of qualifying conditions for the use of medical marijuana.

The research provides more concrete proof about the gains which can be realized when medical cannabis is permitted by law.

Nevertheless, many states still allow employers to test for and punish employees who are found with cannabis metabolites in their bodies, regardless of whether such an employee was permitted to use medical cannabis or not.

This opens further work for medical cannabis advocates, because the rights of employees need to be protected. After all, one cannot be fired or sanctioned from going to hospital and taking the medication offered, can they? The same understanding should be extended to patients on medical marijuana.

As things stand, patients and advocates can only hope that the wave of medical cannabis decriminalization that is sweeping across the U.S. results in the necessary legal reforms so that users of medical cannabis stop being victimized at work for consuming a legally permitted product. Companies like BLOCKStrain Technology Corp. (TSX.V: DNAX) (OTC: BKKSF) and Cannabis Strategic Ventures, Inc. (OTC: NUGS) know all too well the headaches associated with a mixed bag of conflicting laws.

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420 with CNW – The Marijuana Bill Undergoes Congressional Vote

Today, the Judiciary Committee of congress is voting on the Medical Cannabis Research Act. The proposed legislation is sponsored by a Republican, Mathew Gaetz, and 40 more cosponsors from both sides of the house. The Medical Cannabis Research Act is primarily intended to remove the legal barriers to the licensing of other producers of marijuana for research purposes. Other related issues are also included in this landmark legislation.

Players in cannabis medical research have previously complained that the single grower (University of Mississippi) of the plant is often unable to supply cannabis of an acceptable quality and volume for the different facilities involved in studying how this plant can be used to treat different health challenges. This frustrates the researchers and slows down their work.

The fact that the act is up for a vote in a congressional committee is itself a victory since the Republican Party has traditionally been opposed to any form of cannabis legalization. The timing of the bill is also favorable given that President Trump has voiced his support for cannabis law reforms.

However, a cloud still hangs over how the vote will go since several objections still exist to some of the provisions within the proposed law. For example, the requirement that manufacturers should get the approval (i.e. letter of good standing) of the law enforcement agencies in their areas of operation has taken some flak since enforcement agencies have been vocal about their objection to cannabis reforms.

Concern has also been raised about the provision which seeks to bar anyone with a drugs conviction from participating in the permitted aspects of the cannabis industry. This, reform advocates are convinced, is geared at excluding large sections of the African American and other minorities who have borne the brunt of drugs enforcement efforts.

Nevertheless, some sections of cannabis stakeholders view the legislation with positive lenses. Matt Gaetz, for example, sees this law as the first step in the right direction, its imperfections notwithstanding. With different states passing their own cannabis legislation, it is only a matter of time before broader reforms are instituted at the federal level. The Gaetz bill is therefore seen as one of the key steps to dismantling the prohibition wall around cannabis.

Observers don’t expect major changes to be made to this bill since it was carefully drafted to include concessions that address the interests of those on both sides of the debate. The question on everyone’s mind is how that bill will pass at the committee level and the impact of the discussions in the committee on how the entire house will receive that bill. Industry players like BLOCKStrain Technology Corp. (TSX.V: DNAX) (OTC: BKKSF) and Cannabis Strategic Ventures Inc. (OTC: NUGS) are keeping a keen eye on this matter since their businesses could greatly benefit from a favorable congressional vote.

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