WeedLife News Network

A study by researchers in Israel has shown that prolonged treatment with medicinal cannabis may reduce the frequency of migraines. Results of the study, “Migraine Frequency Decrease Following Prolonged Medical Cannabis Treatment: A Cross-Sectional Study,” were published this month in the journal Brain Sciences.

The goal of the research was to assess the impact that prolonged use of medical cannabis may have on the frequency of monthly migraine attacks. To conduct the study, 145 migraine patients aged 34 to 54 who had been using medical cannabis for a median duration of three years were surveyed. The subjects included 97 women, or 67% of the study group. All patients who participated in the research had been licensed to use medical cannabis. The data collected for the study included a self-reported questionnaire from the study group and information on the characteristics of the medical cannabis treatment used.

Monthly Migraines Reduced By Half

The researchers found that 89, or 61%, of the test subjects reported a 50% or more reduction of monthly migraine attacks following medical cannabis treatment. This sub-group of the study, classified as responders for further data analysis, also reported lower current migraine disability and a lower impact of migraine attacks. Responders also reported better sleep quality and lower rates of consumption of opioids and triptans compared to non-responders, the sub-group of test subjects that reported a less than 50% reduction in monthly migraine attacks with medical cannabis treatment.

“These findings indicate that MC [medical cannabis] results in long-term reduction of migraine frequency in [more than] 60% of treated patients and is associated with less disability and lower antimigraine medication intake,” the authors of the study wrote.

The researchers offered a possible explanation for the effect of medical cannabis reported by responders, noting that “migraine is classified as a pain condition. Mechanistically, endocannabinoids have been shown to have an inhibitory effect on serotonin receptors in vivo, which is shown to modulate pain and emetic responses.”

Michigan retailers sold more recreational marijuana products than medicinal for the first time last week.

Since the sale of recreational marijuana became legal back in December, the weekly sales of adult use cannabis have been creeping up and up. But the sale of medical marijuana was always higher.

Until last week.

The Marijuana Regulatory Agency reports last week state retailers sold just over $10 million worth of recreational marijuana products compared with $9.9 million in medical marijuana. 

Michiganders voted to legalize recreational marijuana use in 2018. State regulators spent most of 2019 crafting rules for the adult use industry, before allowing retail sales to begin in December.

Three hundred to one. Those were the odds against the U.S. legalizing marijuana at the federal level that I calculated 10 months ago. I didn't just pull those numbers out of thin air. They were based on a reasoned analysis of all the dynamics in play last summer.

But a lot has changed since August 2019. The chances of a change in U.S. marijuana laws are much greater than they were just a few months ago. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that U.S. marijuana legalization is now likely on the way as soon as 2021. 

Why federal changes haven't already happened

Before we get to why my view has flipped 180 degrees, let's look at why federal anti-marijuana laws haven't already changed. After all, public support for marijuana legalization is at all-time highs (no pun intended). Thirty-three states have legalized medical cannabis. Eleven states have legalized recreational pot. More states will probably be added to both lists after the November elections.

The lack of federal marijuana legalization hasn't been due to a lack of trying. In November, the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee even passed a bill that would, among other things, remove marijuana from the list of federally controlled substances and allow states to establish their own marijuana policies. 

A bill to legalize cannabis use was approved by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation on Sunday, passing its first hurdle on the way to becoming law.

The legislation will decriminalize the possession of up to 50 grams of marijuana while fully legalizing the possession and consumption of up to 15 grams by individuals above the age of 21.

If the bill becomes law, selling and purchasing marijuana for personal use will be legal for those above 21 and authorized shops will be allowed to sell cannabis product, through growing marijuana at home will still be illegal. The legislation also outlined medical cannabis reform.

“For the first in the State of Israel’s history, my legislative move is officially beginning to regulate the cannabis market in Israel,” Likud MK Sharren Haskel, who co-sponsored the legislation with Blue and White MK Ram Shefa, wrote in a Facebook post. “I’m proud to bring good news to over one million cannabis users and tens of thousands of sick people.”

Housing Minister Yaakov Litzman of the ultra-Orthodox United Judaism Party and Jerusalem Affairs Minister Rafi Peretz of the national-religious Jewish Home both voted against the bill.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a Lebanon County policy that banned the use of medical marijuana by those on probation or parole, even if they have a state-issued identification card authorizing them to do so. The unanimous decision was handed down by the court on Thursday morning and applies to all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties.

“This decision provides further validation that cannabis is medicine and that those Pennsylvanians who rely on it should not be treated any differently or be denied any rights under the law,” Paul Armentano, the deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said after the decision was handed down.

The case stems from a Lebanon County policy issued in 2019 by Judge John Tylwalk that prohibited those being supervised by the county’s probation department from using medical marijuana, even with a doctor’s recommendation and an identification card from the state. Tylwalk cited the federal prohibition on cannabis as rationale for the policy, writing that the probation department “should not knowingly allow violations of law to occur.”

The American Civil Liberties Union, representing three medical marijuana patients affected by the ban, sued to have it overturned. The plaintiffs use medical marijuana for a variety of conditions, including epilepsy, nausea, and chronic pain. The ACLU lawyers argued that the 2016 law establishing Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program gave registered patients “sweeping immunity” from prosecution and other penalties.

The justices agreed with the plaintiffs, writing in their opinion that in enacting the state’s medical marijuana statute, “the Pennsylvania Legislature proceeded pursuant to its independent power to define state criminal law and promote the health and welfare of the citizenry.”

Over the course of the past decade, a large number of scientific studies have analyzed the effects of CBD for nausea. 

Some focused on nausea resulting from chemotherapy, while other studies were dealing with how CBD works for nausea in general. 

This collection of works conclusively showed that CBD is a very promising compound for both nausea and vomiting.

Let’s check out some of the most important research. 

According to this 2011 review, considerable evidence suggests that the manipulation of the endocannabinoid system is capable of regulating nausea and vomiting in humans and other animals.

So, there you are, pondering your finances, there are many expenses and costs that go into running your business and when your budget is already tight, should you add or increase training to the expense list? Why frustrate yourself, looking for ways to train people, when you could be focusing on things like technology, product development or sales that help with business growth?

We all know that product development and sales are important. But what differentiates training from other expenses is that while on the surface training might appear as an expense, it’s not.

Missouri has had a rocky road to cannabis reform and medical cannabis expansion so far, but now, the state is poised for success with their own, commercial cannabis grow facility now fully up and operational. 

In the desert, Republicans and Democrats have found something to agree upon: A majority in both parties plan to vote to make marijuana legal in the upcoming Arizona election if they get the chance.

A new survey by public affairs consultants HighGround of Arizona voters found that 65 percent of them plan to vote “yes” on the Safe and Smart Arizona Act if it makes the November ballot. The act would make weed possession legal for those over 21 and set up a state-regulated adult-use cannabis market. 

Only 25 percent of those surveyed said they oppose the measure. About nine percent have not made up their mind.

The survey asked if the voters, knowing what they know not about the act, would vote “yes” or “no.” The responses were:

The support mirrors that found at the national level. A Gallup survey from fall 2019 found that about 66 percent of U.S. citizens support making weed legal, the same number who said the same thing in 2018. The survey also found support from older people and those from both parties.

Malta Enterprise has played a pivotal role in ensuring support for research and industry in the face of the COVID-19 epidemic. It says Malta’s COVID-19 response is promising for the cannabis industry.

For most of 2020, coronavirus has shaped our lives and the world in which we live. The outbreak and official responses to it have affected all industries and businesses all over the world. The good news is that Malta has been very effective in mitigating and navigating this scenario – so much so that Hans Kluge, General Regional Director of the World Health Organization, singled the country out as the model that other countries should look up to and emulate. This is good news for the cannabis industry in Malta.

Malta cannabis industry: weathering the COVID-19 crisis

Even from an economic point of view, Malta has been praised for the way in which we have handled the situation and supported the local industry in this time of need. In its report titled ‘The great lockdown’, the International Monetary Fund predicts that, of the EU Member States, Malta will be the jurisdiction to suffer the least. The GDP contraction for Malta is expected to be the lowest amongst the EU28, standing at -2.8% in comparison to the average EU contraction of -7.5%. In the post-virus economic landscape, Malta is predicted to grow its GDP by 7% in 2021.

The local manufacturing industry has weathered the first part of this crisis very well. Our sturdy manufacturing ecosystem, which operates in different niches, exports to different markets and trades in different international currencies, has managed to overcome the initial impact of COVID-19. In no uncertain terms, this has been supported by the fact that the country never went into total lockdown, resulting in no days lost from production. In fact, some manufacturers effectively increased production and are now further expanding their operations.

This is very reassuring news to the booming and evolving medical cannabis sector, which is currently setting up its operations on this Mediterranean island. In fact, Malta’s cannabis sector has continued its activities as planned and predicted, with five projects having set up their facilities and applied for the requisite licence from the Malta Medicines Authority. Later on this year we should be seeing the first exports of medical cannabis originating in Malta.

Hexo Corp. says it has sold its facility in Niagara Falls, Ont., for $10.25 million to an undisclosed buyer.

The cannabis company announced in March plans to list the facility after reviewing its cultivation assets.

Hexo determined that it no longer expected to restart operations, which it halted in November 2019, due to an excess of cultivation capacity in the market, forecasted demand for cannabis products and expected market development.

The sale of the Niagara facility included land and greenhouse facilities, as well as certain equipment.

The company says it expects to use the proceeds to fund additional expansion of its Belleville, Ont., facility and for working capital and other general corporate purposes.

nly 3 per cent of Australians using medical cannabis access it through the government’s regulated program, a new study found. 

Medical cannabis has been legal in Australia since November 2016, when the government created a system where doctors could prescribe weed to treat various ailments.

The chief executive officer of Canopy Growth said this week he expects the United States will legalize recreational marijuana at the federal level in 2022.

Speaking to CNBC’s Jim Cramer on his show Mad Money, David Klein said that the growing number of U.S. states legalizing weed will inevitably lead to broader support in Congress that will, in turn, eventually force lawmakers to remove cannabis from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.

A new comprehensive survey found many consumers still need help understanding basic cannabis concepts like THC and alternative delivery methods.

Despite various efforts by numerous companies big and small, education remains the biggest obstacle in the cannabis industry, a new survey conducted by Oasis Intelligence found. The firm’s research showed the majority of legal consumers still lack foundational knowledge about marijuana’s effects, risks, and benefits. One explanation? The number one resource customers use when seeking out information about cannabis and potential products is their friends.

The survey places stark contrast between the conversations occurring inside cannabis spaces and how people discuss marijuana at home.

“We inside the industry have a real advantage when it comes to understanding the plant from a scientific, regulation and usage perspective that is generally a requirement for those in the space,” Oasis Intelligence co-founder Laura Albers told The Fresh Toast. “However, when it comes to the average consumer, we see the needs for education are not about more advanced topics that the industry may prioritize—think terpenes, minor cannabinoids gaining popularity or even the endocannabinoid system.”

According to the Oasis study, over 70% of people are unfamiliar with terms like the “entourage effect” and “endocannabinoid system.” Instead, Albers said, many are still grasping the basics. Subjects that most interest consumers include different available products, CBD:THC ratios, and alternative consumption methods. A significant portion of consumers still seek more understanding around tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.

In this day and time, it is almost impossible to turn on the TV and not find a show or news conference or even live footage of an ongoing protest over “Black Lives Matter” or “Economic Equality”. The same situation exists with social media platforms, radio broadcast, etc., all sharing the common theme of social equity. While we all seek a solution, the state of Illinois is doing their part by awarding the coveted “Adult Use Cannabis” business licenses for Craft Growing, Infusion, Transportation, and Dispensaries to social equity applicants by using a scoring system that favors the social equity applicant. We believe in this vision at TGC Group and our dream is to “pay it forward”. 

We see the world, especially for minorities living in poverty, quite differently because of where we come from. “Black Lives Matter” is a movement to save the lives of all people and have human life viewed equally no matter the race of an individual. Economic equality is a totally different fight. Our communities that are impoverished need cash infusions. There needs to be financial infrastructure that recirculates the dollars from the poor communities, and that comes from having business owners in the affected community put their profits back into their community. There needs to be a system of lending that is not based on credit scores and criminal background checks because most people at the bottom will never qualify. 

An example would be my husband, Christopher Lacy, who went to prison for three-and-a-half years for growing cannabis back in 2009. He is not a violent man; he never even had a fight in prison. He spent much of his time in prison teaching inmates how to read, write, and most importantly, he tried to teach them economics. He is educated about cannabis because he has been intimately involved with this plant and has been growing it for about 20 years. Yet when he tried to apply for jobs in Illinois to grow cannabis, his invisible barrier started with the resume. Just think about it: my husband knows more about cannabis than most people in the industry today and could manage a facility with ease. No one can see his worth because of his background and work experience. So many others in our poor communities face the same situation. We know for a fact that there is hidden talent in the impoverished communities and prison system; we intend to find it and empower these individuals to rebuild what was destroyed by the War On Drugs. I speak for all the ghettos when I say this: Give us access to the capital and we will get the rest done on our own. Conventional banks have their hands tied with this approach because they are regulated, but private funds have more flexibility. The excess capital needed to rebuild will not come from jobs, it only comes from ownership.

Luckily, J.B. Pritzker and Toi Hutchinson are aware of this and hence created the social equity fund to help the social equity applicants fund their projects if and when they are awarded a license. We must find a way to give to the bottom so that the dollars can trickle up. Trickle Down economics is kind of like that movie “Platform” on Netflix: there are never enough resources to get to the bottom because the people sending the resources down have no idea how to get them to the bottom floors of society. Trickle Up economics can start at the very bottom rungs of society and still will reach to this highest level of the economic system because it’s built in such a way that it will inevitably get there. 

Capital Is Needed To Rebuild

These new licenses, literally pathways to financial freedom if operated correctly and efficiently, are revenue machines capable of changing our community. This change does not come from providing jobs, although jobs do help and will be available, but by providing capital to rebuild. These funds can provide scholarships, business loans, even small infrastructure projects that can be accomplished via the tax revenue generated by the local governments. We have already made a written commitment to give a portion of net margins to the village. Capital in the right hands can make dreams come true. In theory, poverty can be solved. Poverty is not a prerequisite to the American way of life. That is why we were so proud to get zoning approval by our village. They see what we see. We can change neighborhoods like Beacon Hill. The dollars must recirculate in the community. Wherever you see high poverty rates you see high crime rates. This is not a coincidence. If you can lower the poverty rate you can lower the crime rates. This raises the quality of life for everyone. We see the state is on board, the county is on board, the Village of Park Forest is on board, and the citizens of the community are on board. Now all we need is the license and capital to get the resurrection started.  

To say 2020 could be a defining year for vertically integrated cannabis companies is an understatement.

It will be. And those driving execution in this complex, regulated industry with an enterprise-level solution will prove to be the leaders. 

This year, the cannabis industry has been thrust into yet another transitional period. Legalization legislation is potentially off the table for the foreseeable future, and many are dealing with a shrinking economy for the first time. 

As the cannabis industry grows globally, no country is according to FTI Consulting better positioned than Colombia to become the “grower” of choice for international cannabis trade. Experts Michael Cullen and Miguel Salcedo explain why. 

While predictions for the global cannabis trade in 2020 vary widely, industry leaders largely concur that legalization efforts will continue across the globe. As of April 2020, medical cannabis is legal (to some degree) in upwards of 50 countries. As a result, marijuana-related business are beginning to leverage international supply chains in pursuit of lower production costs, with a view to Latin America. 

Some countries in the region are positioning themselves to compete in the global cannabis market through regulatory reforms and partnerships with established North American and European players. While their competitiveness will be hampered by persistent political and macroeconomic hurdles, no country is more prepared than Colombia to differentiate itself from other countries in the region to become the industry’s grower of choice. 

Early moves toward legalization

The Colombian government sees cannabis production as a viable alternative to coca growing for farmers in conflict-ridden areas. During the 2016 peace negotiations between the administration of former President Juan Manuel Santos and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia or FARC), a left-wing guerilla group, coca production saw exponential growth following a ban on aerial spraying in favor of manual eradication.

Accordingly, the current administration of President Iván Duque hopes that cannabis production will provide an attractive legal alternative for rural communities, which have historically had few economically viable options beyond cooperating with illegal armed groups in the production of coca.

No other plant has garnered quite so much attention as the humble weed plant.

Throughout history it has been celebrated — even deified — for its curative and euphoric properties. But, especially in recent decades, it has also been vilified, wrongly categorized and cast into the center of raging controversy.

From “Reefer Madness” in the 1930s, to planting “Hemp for Victory” during WWII, to our current status — knocking at the door of legalization nationwide after decades of strict prohibition gave way to a gradual policy thaw — cannabis has been a ubiquitous feature of the American experience.

Cannabis is again taking center stage. So it’s fitting that we take a look back at the most influential recent writing on marijuana and celebrate the books that have highlighted the subject and the triumphant march toward freeing this useful plant.

Colorado lawmakers passed a bill on Monday that would allow the governor to issue pardons for low-level marijuana convictions without input from the judges and prosecutors involved in the original court cases. The measure, House Bill 1424, now heads to the office of Democratic Gov. Jared Polis for his signature.

HB 1424 began its journey through the legislative process only last week, when it was introduced by Democratic Rep. James Coleman as a bill to define social equity applicants in the state’s legal cannabis industry. After speedy approval in the Colorado House of Representatives, the bill moved on to the state Senate, where it was amended to give the governor the authority to issue pardons for convictions for possession of up to two ounces of marijuana.

“This bill is a product of effective stakeholder work that created a path forward on important social equity policies,” said a spokesperson for Polis. “The Governor is happy that a meaningful, bipartisan bill addressing marijuana equity passed the legislature, and thanks lawmakers for their efforts to get this bill to his desk.”

Under the normal process for issuing pardons in Colorado, the governor is required to notify the relevant judge and prosecuting attorney so that they can provide input to guide the decision. HB 1424 eliminates that requirement for low-level marijuana possession cases and instead allows the governor and state attorney general to establish and implement an expungement process.

Bill Also Defines Social Equity Applicants

The original intent of HB 1424 was to create a definition for applicants eligible for the state’s cannabis business accelerator program and a future social equity program for Colorado’s legal cannabis industry. Under the current accelerator program, which is only open to those from economically disadvantaged communities, eligible individuals are permitted to operate marijuana businesses out of existing licensed facilities.