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Arizona health officials have begun writing the rules for marijuana retailers the state will oversee following the passage of Proposition 207, which legalized adult, recreational use.

Sales of the drug could begin in the spring.

The election results were made official Nov. 30, meaning it's now legal for adults to possess as much as an ounce of marijuana and grow six plants at home, or 12 if there is more than one adult in the home.

But setting up the licensing and oversight of retail shops that sell the drug will take a few months.

Public can weigh in

The Department of Health Services on Thursday announced draft rules, much of which remain to be written, along with a survey asking the public what they like and what they see as deficient in the draft. The survey will be open until Dec. 17.

This week the U.N. Commission on Narcotic Drugs voted to remove cannabis and cannabis resin from a category of the world’s most dangerous drugs. This decision could potentially jumpstart the global medical marijuana industry. Many cannabis companies have eyed global expansion, but the markets have proven to be challenging as laws have remained strict.

The Vienna-based U.N. agency said in a statement that it had voted 27-25, with one abstention, to follow the World Health Organization’s recommendation to remove cannabis and cannabis resin from Schedule IV of the 1961 Convention on Narcotic Drugs, where it was listed with heroin and several other opioids. The drugs that are on Schedule IV are a subset of those on Schedule I of the convention, which already requires the highest levels of international control. The agency voted to leave cannabis and cannabis resin on the list of Schedule I drugs, which also includes cocaine, Fentanyl, morphine, Methadone, opium and oxycodone, the opiate painkiller sold as OxyContin.

Wednesday’s vote does not clear U.N. member nations to legalize marijuana under the international drug control system. Canada and Uruguay have legalized the sale and use of cannabis for recreational purposes, but many countries around the world have decriminalized marijuana possession. The schedules weigh a drug’s medical utility versus the possible harm that it might cause.

European court of justice makes the call

Last week, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) determined that CBD, although technically a narcotic under the 1961 UN convention, should not be considered a narcotic given its lack of a psychoactive effect. The judgment came as part of a case between the French government and Kanavape that sought to limit the company’s ability to market CBD products produced (legally) in another state. Under this ruling, the ECJ (the highest court in the EU) has now allowed for cross-marketing of CBD products produced by leaves and flowers (in addition to seeds and stalks) among EU member nations and opens up the ability for companies to begin registering their products as Novel Foods (eventually allowing for marketing as a CBD food substance).

“The Court notes, next, that, to define the terms ‘drug’ or ‘narcotic drug’, EU law3 makes reference inter alia to two United Nations conventions: the Convention on Psychotropic Substances4 and the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.5 CBD, however, is not mentioned in the former and, while it is true that a literal interpretation of the latter might lead to its being classified as a drug, in so far as it is a cannabis extract, such an interpretation would be contrary to the general spirit of that convention and to its objective of protecting ‘the health and welfare of mankind’. The Court notes that, according to the current state of scientific knowledge, which it is necessary to take into account, unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (commonly called THC), another hemp cannabinoid, the CBD at issue does not appear to have any psychotropic effect or any harmful effect on human health.”

Is cannabis safe for pregnant women to use?

Is there a danger to secondhand cannabis smoke?

Does cannabis use clash with other medications?

All of these are fairly straightforward questions which should be straightforward to study, but not in the nascent grey industry that is legal cannabis.

Scientifically speaking, we know more about the effects of cow flatulence on the atmosphere than the effects of cannabis on the human body.

As marijuana legalization continues to sweep the county—and with Congress potentially moving to finally decriminalize pot on the federal level—a new poll shows that a huge majority of Americans support expunging the criminal records of those who have previously been busted.

The findings, which come via the pollster YouGov.com, found that 70 percent of respondents said yes when asked if they support or oppose “expunging marijuana-related convictions for non-violent offenders.” A mere 17 percent said they oppose the idea. 

Digging into the crosstabs, the poll found a partisan split—though not as wide as it likely was in previous eras. 81 percent of Democrats said they either strongly or somewhat support the idea, while a majority of Republicans—57 percent—said the same. 

The mounting evidence of bipartisan support for relaxed pot policies is reflected not only in surveys like this, but in results at the ballot box and actions on Capitol Hill. 

Last month saw voters in four states move to legalize recreational pot use for adults; two of those, South Dakota and Montana, were carried easily by President Donald Trump. Arizona and New Jersey were the other two states where voters approved legalization measures, while South Dakota voters additionally passed a similar measure legalizing medical marijuana. 

Getting a cannabis license and building a brand in the industry can be incredibly complex and daunting – which has many producers utilizing a practice known as white labeling.

White labeling, or white-label branding, is a common practice in mainstream industries in which a company removes their own brand and logo from the end product and uses another company’s brand, usually a more established one with a wider client base. This is common with many well-known brands such as 365 brand from Whole Foods Market, Costco’s Kirkland brand, and Walmart’s Great Value products – all of which are manufactured by numerous other smaller companies.

More and more countries have been loosening their policies when it comes to the non-psychoactive component of cannabis – CBD (cannabidiol). With a new amendment waiting for final approval, Israel says CBD is not dangerous, and is expected next week to remove it from its Dangerous Drugs Ordinance.

It’s holiday season, and that means only one thing: gifts! Check out the best Delta-8 THC deals for you and everyone you love.

When it comes to cannabis, Israel is not the most lax country when it comes to regulation. However, this undermines the fact that Israel is about the most far ahead when it comes to medical research concerning cannabis. With the help of Raphael Mechoulam, whose work was roundly ignored for decades, and who in the more recent environment of cannabis acceptance has now been lauded for his work, Israel has been the world leader in cannabis research. This did not stop the drug from being completely illegal recreationally, with no personal use laws until only the last couple years. Now, in a move that shows its ready to play catch-up for real, Israel not only is discussing plans for a recreational legalization, but is set to remove CBD from its list of dangerous drugs, with the expectation that CBD products will soon be lining supermarket shelves.

Current Israeli cannabis laws

Israel only instituted a decriminalization policy for cannabis in 2019, which affords personal use rights for small amounts in the home. The term ‘small amounts’ was defined by the Anti-Drug Authority as 15 grams. Public use and possession still results in a fine of 1000 NIS, or $307 (by today’s conversion), though this is a vast improvement from what it was before, when offenders could be required to pay as much as 226,000 NIS, or $69,479 (by today’s conversion). The 1000 NIS is just for a first offense, and doubles with the second offence, and turns into a criminal act on the third. This comes with the loss of a drivers’ license and/or gun as well. Minors under the age of 18 who reject a treatment program when caught, can still be subjected to jail time.

Like pretty much anywhere in the world, selling and supply crimes are illegal, and offenders can find themselves with 20-year prison sentences. This can be increased to 25 years in the case of extenuating circumstances, like selling to a minor. Cultivation is technically illegal, but also seems to fall into gray area. According to the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, growing can carry up to 20 years. In 2017, the publication Cannabis made public that there had been an order issued which stated that growing small amounts for personal use would only be seen as a minor violation. This was meant to be a way to separate large-scale, and small-scale growers. However, this order was obviously never meant to be public, and when Cannabis put out the news, the response from law enforcement was that no change had legally been made.

The cost of cannabis flower has fluctuated throughout the years. 

For many decades the standard cannabis flower that was available in most parts of the world originated in third-world countries, was compressed into bricks, and then distributed to various markets.

The cannabis flower was often low-quality and not that potent, and it was priced accordingly. 

Cannabis was more expensive than other crops due to the illegalities involved, but for the most part it was affordable for many consumers.

Prices for cannabis started to climb as sophisticated cultivation practices were implemented, such as hydroponic cultivation methods.

The executive in charge of Canopy Growth Corp.'s global beverage unit is leaving less than a year after he joined the company, a high-level departure that comes as the pot giant looks to ramp up sales of cannabis-infused drinks to the Canadian recreational market. 

Andrew Rapsey joined Canopy in January and took on the role of global head of beverages in August. He announced in a LinkedIn post on Wednesday he is leaving the company and plans to return to Alphabet Inc.'s Google in 2021. 

"As I gear up for 2021, I have decided to head back to Google Canada for some unfinished business with a marketing team I adore," Rapsey said in the post. 

California is on pace to collect $1 billion in taxes from licensed cannabis sales in 2020, even amid challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and a still thriving black market for it, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s senior adviser on cannabis business said Thursday.

Now that Mississippi has officially joined the ranks of U.S. states legally allowing medical cannabis, the next step is more cannabis legislation, as well as a thriving cannabis industry, so the state needs to be prepared. In order to help provide services for those next steps, Mississippi now has an official cannabis trade association. 

It’s early on a mid-March Friday morning at the Oregon CBD headquarters, outside Corvallis, Oregon. The company’s co-founder, Eric Crawford, is breaking up a piece of intimidatingly frosty cannabis as I watch with apprehension.

“Don’t worry, it’s only hemp,” Crawford jokes as he packs the flower into the bowl of a glass pipe. “It has no measurable THC or CBD, but about 15 percent CBG and it really helps with staying focused.”

Fridays are usually filled with non-stop meetings at the industrial hemp seed firm, especially as the cannabis growing season approaches. Clients travel from across the nation to sit down and pick the two brains behind the business: Eric Crawford and his co-founder and brother Seth Crawford. The brothers admit that with the barrage of questions visiting clients often lob their way, sometimes a little help with focus can go a long way.

While their innovative early-finishing, CBD-rich strains have brought them success in the past, the duo has spent the last two years working to stabilize the nation’s first production-ready, CBG-dominant varietals in seed form.

CBG, the non-intoxicating cannabis compound whose full name is cannabigerol, has been garnering attention for its promising effects in the treatment of a wide variety of medical conditions.

There was a lot of uncertainty surrounding the re-emerging industrial hemp crop in Texas at the start of the year, but now that harvest is complete and more questions have been answered, growers are pleased with the results. 

Hemp hasn't been widely grown in Texas for 80 years, and while three licenses were issued by the Texas Department of Agriculture in the Panhandle and 33 licenses in the Lubbock region, some growers sat this year out to see how it goes for others. 

Kyle Bingham, president of the Texas Hemp Growers Association, has worked on growing new crops and commodities before, and found that hemp has been one of the easier crops to grow. 

For one, technology is creating more effective CBD products for the CBD market, and better, more efficient products.

Wall Street experts project the CBD industry to swell to more than 22 billion dollars over the next two years. Within a decade that number is projected to exponentially grow towards 75 billion dollars.

As is with any big industry boom, everyone wants a piece of the action. Fortunately, with CBD hemp there is plenty of pie to go around. And technology plays a big role in the CBD industry from seed to shelf and beyond.

This article goes over four important aspects of the CBD industry and how technology shapes and molds the big boom of CBD oil.

Tech-Centered CBD Hemp Farming

Farming is labor-intensive process that requires lots of tedious work. It’s no wonder that tech steps in to make certain processes and tasks more efficient. Equipment and machines that speed up tasks such as potting, planting, and digging aren’t the only kinds of technology on the farm. Visit a tech-centered hemp farm and you’ll find RFID tags on plants, biometric security systems, and incredibly advanced.

2020 was a historic year for marijuana legalization as four states — Arizona, Montana, New Jersey and South Dakota — legalized recreational marijuana for adults, and Mississippi legalized medical marijuana.

2021 could be another big year for the cannabis industry; MjBizDaily is predicting that these five states will probably legalize recreational marijuana for adults:
– Connecticut
– Maryland
– New Mexico
– New York
– Pennsylvania

“New York, Connecticut, Maryland, New Mexico are ripe for 2021” marijuana legalization via their legislatures, said Steve Hawkins from the MPP. “We’re at 15 (states that have legalized adult use) now, and it’s not outside the realm of possibility that we can be at 25 states” in the near future.”

In recent years, Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont legalized recreational cannabis industries. These are adding fuel to the Northeast fire. The governors in New York and Pennsylvania have openly supported legalizing marijuana for adults for some time.