WeedLife News Network

Even people who use cannabis for medical purposes risk severe penalties for daring to exercise their Second Amendment rights.

President Joe Biden, who recently issued a mass pardon for low-level marijuana offenders, says cannabis consumption should not be treated as a crime. His administration nevertheless defends the federal ban on gun possession by marijuana users, arguing that Second Amendment rights are limited to "law-abiding citizens."

Last week, a federal judge agreed, dismissing a challenge to that rule by medical marijuana patients in Florida. The reasoning underlying that decision shows that the constitutional right to armed self-defense, which the Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld, is still subject to legislators' arbitrary whims and irrational prejudices.

Florida is one of 37 states that allow medical use of marijuana, most of which also have legalized recreational use—a policy supported by two-thirds of Americans. Under federal law, by contrast, marijuana remains illegal for all purposes except government-approved research, and simple possession is punishable by a fine of $1,000 or more and up to a year in jail.

For marijuana users who own guns, the potential penalties are much more severe. They include up to 15 years in prison for illegal firearm possession, up to 15 years for "trafficking in firearms" by obtaining a gun, and up to 10 years for failing to report cannabis consumption on the form required for gun purchases from federally licensed dealers.

The plaintiffs in the Florida lawsuit included Nikki Fried, a Democrat who runs the state's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; two patients who participate in Florida's medical marijuana program; and a gun owner who says he would like to do so but does not want to surrender his right to arms. They argued that the ban on gun possession by cannabis consumers violates the Second Amendment.

AUSTIN - A topic seen as controversial to some is becoming a booming industry in the Lone Star State.

More Texans are turning to medical marijuana, and this is only the beginning. “We’ve sold medicine to more than 25,000 Texans,” said Morris Denton, CEO of Texas Original. Texas Original first opened their doors on Feb. 8, 2018 and has continued to grow. They are one of three licensed medical cannabis operators in the state. The company is based in Austin, but saw an opportunity in the Piney Woods.

“In East Texas and Nacogdoches in particular, basically started to grow pretty quickly for us,” Denton said. The owners say they are impressed with their dispensary’s performance in Nacogdoches, and now they are looking to expand.

“We anticipate that over the next few years we will end up having a full-time retail location in East Texas,” Denton said. But how is the growing process different from recreational marijuana, which is still illegal here in Texas? Jason Sanders, the Director of Cultivation, takes us through the process from source to dispensaries in your community.

“It all starts with our mother plants. We produce these originally from seed, and then we identify these plants as being the same ratio as what our medicine is,” said Jason Sanders, Director of Cultivation, Texas Original.

They take clippings from the mother plant to create clones. These branches will be planted, left to grow for two weeks, and transferred to a flowering room.

Recreational cannabis sales in New Mexico surpassed the $25 million mark for the first time in the month of October but medical sales continued a downward trend, leaving overall sales totals flat. 

But medical sales continue to fall.

Reducing the smoke you inhale, as well as controlling your dosage are both ways to ensure your body and brain enjoys the benefits of weed without the potential downsides.

Everyone who enjoys marijuana has their preferred method of consumption. In these advanced and semi-legal times, that can be anything from vaporizing to eating to drinking or even good old fashioned smoking. Each way of consumption has a high that kicks in a little differently and comes with its unique set of benefits and downsides.

While many of the pros and cons associated with how you consume your weed are minor and superficial, others are a bit more serious. In fact, the way you consume your marijuana can even affect how healthy (or unhealthy) the substance is for your body — even your brain. After all, all the organs that interact with THC eventually lead to the brain in one way or another. When it comes to eating or smoking your weed, which is better for your brain health?

Why Smoking Weed Is Both Better and Worse for Your Brain

People prefer smoking weed instead of eating it for many reasons, but one of the main ones is the speed in which weed hits you when you smoke versus when you eat it. As we previously reported, smoking weed kicks in much faster than edibles. This not only allows you to get high quicker (which is often the goal), but it also prevents you from consuming too much THC at once. It is much easier to control your dosage and prevent overdoing it, which is great since overdoing it can have negative effects on the brain, including memory issues and paranoia.

Smoking weed, however, can do some real damage to your lungs. As we previously reported, cannabis can cause all sorts of lung issues over time. While these lung issues might seem bad enough to steer you towards a different consumption method, there is also evidence that suggests poor lung health can even affect your brain. According to the book An Overview and Management of Multiple Chronic Conditions, “Lung disease and impaired lung function were associated with greater risk of dementia and mild cognitive impairment through both Alzheimer’s disease and cerebrovascular aetiologies.”

While it might be easier to dose and get high quickly, the potentially compounding health issues with consistently smoking your weed might be why many consumers prefer to eat their THC.  

NORTH SIOUX CITY - Voters will decide whether or not to remove a current ordinance on the number of licensed medical cannabis facilities that can operate in city limits.

As it stands right now, the limits are four dispensaries, two growing, two processing, and two testing facilities.

Licenses for those facilities were given out using a lottery system.

If the voters say yes, those restrictions will choose to remove all restrictions on medical marijuana facilities.

The initiative began with a party who failed to secure one of the lottery licenses for the current facilities that are allowed.

“Yeah, one of the parties that was unsuccessful in the original application process, and didn’t win one of the licenses through the lottery decided to take it to a vote of the public, to see whether the public would be willing to take the limits off, which would allow them and others the opportunity to also open cannabis facilities in the city,” said Eric Christensen, North Sioux City city administrator.

NEW YORK - Hip-hop superstar and businessman Sean "Diddy" Combs is investing in the marijuana business. 

A deal estimated at $185 million is in the works in which Combs would buy cannabis production facilities and retail shops from Cresco Labs and Columbia Care in several states, including New York.

"This industry-changing transaction is rooted in Cresco's vision to develop the most responsible, respectable and robust industry possible, and advances Combs' mission to open new doors in emerging industries for Black entrepreneurs and other diverse founders who are underrepresented and underserved," a press release about the deal states. "Throughout his legendary career, Combs has solidified himself as one of the most successful business leaders and cultural icons."

New York City Cannabis Industry Association President David Holland explained why buying Cresco Labs could be huge for Combs.

"They are vertically integrated in New York — meaning they own the cultivation, the processing, the delivery and the sale of their own merchandise," Holland said. "Those are only 10 such licenses given in New York state and now he's the owner of at least one of those."

My mission has always been to create opportunities for Black entrepreneurs in industries where we've traditionally been denied access.

ANNAPOLIS - Maryland voters are deciding whether to legalize recreational marijuana in a constitutional amendment Tuesday.

Lawmakers already approved legislation this year to take steps to implement recreational marijuana with voter approval, but the General Assembly left matters of licensing and taxes for lawmakers to decide next year.

The constitutional amendment states that recreational marijuana would not be legal until July 2023 for people 21 and over. If voters approve, the law includes provisions spelling out a transitional period between Jan. 1 and July 1 that would include a fine of up to $100 for possession of marijuana of under an ounce and a half.

In addition, legislation will remove criminal penalties for up to 2.5 ounces and create a civil citation. Existing laws on marijuana possession would apply to possession of more than 2.5 ounces.

It also makes changes in criminal law and creates a process for expungement of past marijuana possession convictions.

Starting Jan. 1, a person who is convicted of possession of cannabis may file a petition for expungement after the completion of the sentence and probation. By July 1, 2024, the state’s department of corrections would be required to expunge all cases in which the possession of cannabis is the only charge in the case, and if the charge was issued before July 1, 2023.

As we look back on a decade since Colorado’s landmark vote on legalized cannabis, we assess how arguments from both sides of the debate have borne out.

As we look back on a decade since Colorado’s landmark vote on legalized cannabis, we assess how arguments from both sides of the debate have borne out.

Supporters hail the proposal as "a model for Europe," but it would need to align with EU laws first.

BERLIN - Germany’s health minister unveiled a plan late last month to decriminalize the possession of up to 30 grams (about 1 ounce) of cannabis and to allow the sale of the substance to adults for recreational purposes in a controlled market.

Berlin will check with the European Union’s executive commission whether the plan approved by the German government is in line with EU laws and would proceed with legislation “on this basis” only if it gets the green light, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said.

Lauterbach said the new rules could serve as “a model for Europe.” Realistically, they won’t take effect before 2024, he said.

The plan calls for cannabis to be grown under license and sold to adults at licensed outlets to combat the black market, Lauterbach said. Individuals would be allowed to grow up to three plants, and to buy or possess 20 to 30 grams of marijuana.

If the legislation comes as planned, “this would be, on the one hand, the most liberal cannabis legalization project in Europe, and on the other hand it would also be the most tightly regulated market,” Lauterbach said.

‘​​Moving forward, we urge you to ensure that every step taken to remedy racial injustice includes relief to impacted immigrant communities’

The marijuana business seems like some kind of dense thicket where it is impossible to get through.

You can know a lot more about any other business, but when it comes to cannabis… It would seem that this is your chance to stand out and create something new in a rapidly growing industry. However, once things get down to business, it can be easy to get bogged down. How to create a business in the fast-paced cannabis industry? Now we will find out.

1- Define Your Brand

Before you start your business, you should clearly define the type of activity and the desired products. There are many directions in the cannabis business, and each has its own rules and regulations. What are the most popular business models? You can choose among:

Or other activities not directly related to cannabis. For example, producing various devices for growing cannabis. You can supply LED lamps, thermometers, and other gadgets that will come in handy during marijuana cultivation.

To begin with, you should decide on a small type of activity that will become a priority. In the future, you will be able to expand your business and engage in several business models at the same time. But at the very beginning of the journey, it is worth choosing only one source of income.

The choice of your audience is also vital. For example, smokers and vapers are unlikely to be interested in some CBD-based anti-aging creams. It is essential to determine what is necessary for your audience from the very beginning. Think about the problems your product could potentially solve. For example, did you know that the strong smell of weed sometimes confuses vapers? Then think about how you can drown out this taste with other flavors and smells.

"The Risk of a Post-Election Funk”

“We would be less optimistic about SAFE Plus in the lame duck if the Republicans were to take both chambers,” said Cantor Fitzgerald's Pablo Zuanic. “We will wait for Wednesday morning to have more definitive views.”

Zuanic, who is worried that SAFE Plus may not be a high priority for the Senate leadership in the lame-duck session. “Republicans taking control of both chambers of Congress (as the latest polls signal) could lead to a 'post-election funk' among Democrats."

There is a scenario, says Zuanie, that Sen. McConnell (future Senate Leader, probably) may press Republican Senators to withhold support for SAFE Plus until the 118th Congress.

"True, with cannabis stocks not pricing favorable reform news (MSOS ETF at 11) and 2023 around the corner, the downside may be limited. SAFE Plus with hemp/CBD features (HR 841?) passed by a Republican Congress could be the type of incremental reform the industry needs, but then we are talking 2023-2024, and not lame duck," Zuanic said.

Beyond that, "we would be skeptical about more comprehensive reform in the 118th Congress with Republicans potentially controlling both chambers, although we should not overlook efforts by Representatives Mace (SC) and Joyce (HO)," with proposals like the States Reform Act and the PREPARES Act, respectively, according to the industry report.

New Mexico broke another record for monthly sales of adult-use cannabis in October, when the 50th Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta brought thousands of travelers to the state.

Recreational sales stood at more than $25 million in October – a first since sales began in April, and the fourth straight month of record-breaking sales, according to the Cannabis Control Division.

While adult-use sales have seen an uptick, medical sales have continued to take a nosedive.

Sales numbers for medical cannabis stood at $14.7 million last month – a new low in the age of recreational cannabis sales, according to the CCD data.

Overall, sales numbers for October stood at nearly $39.8 million. And, to date, recreational sales combined have brought in more than $161 million through seven months.

The updated sales numbers for October came through the new Cannabis Reporting Online Portal, which went live Thursday afternoon on the CCD website. The portal also tracks plant counts, the number of dispensaries in the state and other relevant metrics relating to the cannabis industry.

Maine clarifies new limits on medical marijuana providers.

PORTLAND - Maine delivered an October surprise to medical marijuana providers with guidance limiting the sale of pre-rolled marijuana and liquid concentrates by treating them like tobacco.

The Maine Office of Cannabis Policy released guidance on Oct. 7 that effectively bans medical marijuana caregivers without a storefront from providing those products altogether while medical marijuana dispensaries and stores must treat them like tobacco products with an age limit of 21. Previously, those could be provided to people 18 and older with a medical marijuana card.

The guidance caused an outcry because pre-rolled products and liquid concentrates for vaping are among the most popular — and profitable — cannabis products sold in medical and adult recreational stores.

Democratic Sen. Craig Hickman, co-chair of the Legislature's Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee, accused the Maine OCP of "executive branch overreach and bad faith."

A spokesperson for the Department of Administrative and Financial Services said the guidance doesn't reflect a change in policy or rules. She said the guidance was simply issued to answer questions that had been raised by some medical cannabis providers and registrants.

Following the launch of the recreational cannabis marketplace in April, eight out-of-state entities have dominated the landscape, opening and operating all 20 dispensaries currently licensed to sell across New Jersey.

However, Harmony Foundation in Secaucus is hoping to change that by becoming the first New Jersey-based, nonprofit medical dispensary to expand into the state’s adult-use market.

Harmony, one of the recipients of the original six alternative treatment center (ATC) permits granted by the New Jersey Department of Health, began operating in June 2018 under the Medicinal Cannabis Program and has had its permit renewed annually by the state ever since.

“We are showing that cannabis businesses born in this state have the ability to join those multi-state operators and thrive, reinvesting our successes into our local communities,” said Shaya Brodchandel, president and chief executive officer of Harmony.

“This is an exciting step forward for Harmony, and, we believe, for the growing cannabis industry in New Jersey,” added Brodchandel, who reiterated that even after entering the recreational market, the foundation will continue to grant priority to patients and registered caregivers.

Unlike products that are skyrocketing in price, cannabis is still illegal on a federal level, and therefore not regulated the same way. 

Here’s why some industry owners aren’t stoked. Cannabis regulators in New York have long mentioned year’s end as the time when legal dispensaries could be operational.

New York State is edging closer to a functioning cannabis legal market. According to new reports, marijuana dispensary applications may be approved within by late November, fulfilling the state’s stated wish to have dispensaries up and running by the end of the year.

The news was shared on Twitter by Ashley Southall, a reporter for The New York Times. While nothing has been confirmed as yet, some believe New York will soon be moving forward with cannabis.

“New York’s cannabis regulators may approve the state’s first licences to operate adult-use cannabis dispensaries on Nov. 21, when the state control board meets,” notes Southall’s tweet.

“Axel Bernabe, the chief of staff for the Office of Cannabis Management, says his agency has scored applications and will recommend approval for applicants who represent the top of the class,” another comment reports.

Cannabis regulators in New York have long mentioned year’s end as the time when legal dispensaries could be operational. This marks the first time officials have provided a clear timeline and date as to when this decision would be made.

It’s time to vote, and will it be cannabis or can’tabis?

This year, five more states are considering legalizing marijuana, potentially adding to Washington, DC, 19 states and two territories where it is already legal. That number increases when you look at where medical cannabis is legal: Washington, DC, 37 states and three territories.

The five states where voters will be deciding in the midterm elections this November are Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota, reports the Washington Post.

Back in 2018, voters rejected the ballot measure in North Dakota, so the issue is arising again. Similarly, in 2016, Arizonans rejected legalization – but approved it in the next election cycle.

Legalized recreational marijuana use is something that most Americans want. Two-thirds of the population, according to a CBS poll cited by the Post, want it to be legalized both federally and in our state.

But even after polls close in November, decisions may not always be safe or firm. For instance, in South Dakota in 2020, 54 percent of voters approved both medical and recreational legalization. But the state’s Supreme Court nullified the vote since it addressed two issues at once. Instead of fighting, proponents simply put better wording on this year’s ballot.