WeedLife News Network

The U.S. Hemp Industries Association (HIA) has appointed two new members to its board of directors. HIA named Tim Gordon, Chief Science Officer at CBD maker Functional Remedies, and Todd Runestad, an editor at the New Hope Network & Natural Products Insider website, to board positions, the Association announced in a press release.

“The addition of these two on our already stellar board creates the foundation needed as hemp industries expand globally,” said HIA President Rick Trojan of Colorado-based Hemp Road Trip.

Since the beginning of the year, marijuana companies have seen dramatic declines due to concerns regarding oversupply in Canada and the uncertainty of legalization in the U.S. Year to date as of June 28, the ETFMG Alternative Harvest ETF (NYSEMKT:MJ), an exchange-traded fund tracking the performance of pot stocks, has declined by more than 25%. During the same period, the S&P 500 index fell by less than 7%.

Monday, June 29, West Virginia officially announced the plan to reopen their application process for medical cannabis testing labs so that more labs can get registered and their medical cannabis testing program can get off the ground.

“The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, Bureau for Public Health today announced its Office of Medical Cannabis will resume accepting permit applications for medical cannabis laboratories,” their press release explains about the new change and what to expect. “Laboratory permits are not limited in number and the application process will remain open indefinitely.”

As of now, the state will be accepting applications for an undefined amount of time, and there is no cap on the amount of licenses they will offer. It is not clear if there will eventually be a cap, but the problem currently is not too many applicants, but rather a lack thereof.

“This is a key step in the process to make medical cannabis available to West Virginians with serious medical conditions,” said Jason Frame, Director of the Office of Medical Cannabis, when questioned about the new program. “We and many others continue to work toward a goal of providing eligible West Virginia residents the ability to procure quality-tested medical cannabis.”

Originally, the application process was open for two months, ending February 18 of this year. West Virginia Public Broadcasting reports that during that time, only one business applied for a license, so the process had to be reopened.

The hemp industry prides itself on being more sustainable, but behind that image there’s still waste and room for improvement.

In theory, farming hemp should not be considered damaging to the earth at all. In fact, hemp can be regenerative to the soil on which it’s farmed.

Yet due to the dramatic consumer demand that companies are rushing to meet, many companies (and thus farmers) are now focused on making as much hemp as possible leaving little to no attention on its quality or the soil on which it was grown on. Our legislation is to blame as well: the law which legalized hemp can lead to the forced excessive destruction of perfectly healthy hemp plants. 

Jamaica has a very long history with the cannabis plant. Cannabis is a big part of the culture in Jamaica, is used for religious purposes throughout the country, and grows very well there.

Some of the best cannabis on the planet is cultivated in Jamaica, and the island nation is home to an emerging medical cannabis industry.

Adult-use cannabis remains illegal in Jamaica; however, a growing number of suffering patients are able to find relief through Jamaica’s medical cannabis program.

Soon, patients in Jamaica will be able to purchase cannabis in a new way that harnesses technology.

A survey of more than 1,000 people with multiple sclerosis has found extensive use of complementary and alternative medicine – including the use of cannabis.

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University conducted the survey of MS patients in Oregon and Southwest Washington in 2018, with the results published in the journal Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders.

Around 30% reported they had used cannabis in a variety of forms and of those people, close to 71% found it “very beneficial”.

The survey followed up on a similar study back in 2001 in the same regions. Other key findings:

Lead author of the study, Elizabeth Silbermann, M.D., said more research is needed so neurologists can discuss with patients what does and doesn’t work. Dr. Silbermann recognised the change in patient-doctor dynamics that will make this possible.

Maine marijuana regulators have created new rules about sample collections that are expected to make the state's testing system less burdensome.

Maine approved adult use marijuana in 2016 and has been in the process of crafting rules and regulations about sales since. The coronavirus pandemic has slowed the rollout in recent months.

The Maine Office of Marijuana Policy said the state now has the ability to license and regulate sample collectors. The collectors will be workers who collect samples of marijuana and marijuana products for testing on behalf of marijuana testing facilities and other adult marijuana use establishments, the office said.

The testing facilities themselves were previously responsible for the collection of samples. The marijuana office said that would have been burdensome because of the size of the state.

The rules were emergency adopted and are effective until at least Sept. 22, the office said.

A tax code provision means the federal government profits more from state-by-state legalization than any nationwide model.

Marijuana legalization has been touted as a possible solution to the American economy, which has faced an uphill battle toward recovery following the coronavirus pandemic.  While legalizing marijuana won’t fix every financial woe, the added tax revenue generated through legal cannabis sales and licensing could provide a helpful boost.

In states where cannabis is illegal for adult-use, lawmakers have already pushed cannabis reform legislation with this mindset. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham expressed regret in April that New Mexico had not legalized recreational cannabis before the pandemic. Her reason? The state would have an additional $100 million in its budget and recent projections show New Mexico will have a $100 million budget deficit in the upcoming fiscal year.

Bipartisan legislators in New York and Pennsylvania have taken similar stances, seeing legal cannabis as a quick salve to economic wounds.

“It’s not enough to say the state doesn’t have money. We have to find it,” said New York state Sen. Jessica Ramos. “I believe legalizing marijuana can help.”

A new study found that higher long-term dietary intakes of flavonoids are associated with lower risks of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

Researchers recently discovered that a low flavonoid intake was associated with Alzheimer’s risk, meaning a diet lacking berries, apples, tea, and other flavonoid rich foods could hold one of the keys to the disease.

The April 2020 study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found, “higher long-term dietary intakes of flavonoids are associated with lower risks of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) in U.S. adults.” The study does not provide an immediate connection between the two but rather showcases an association. 

According to Oregon State University, “Evidence suggesting that some flavonoids or flavonoid-rich foods may enhance cognitive function is currently limited, and it is not yet known whether their consumption could lower the risk of cognitive impairments and dementia in humans.” The University also stated that certain flavonoids have been shown to, “cross the blood-brain barrier and exert preventive effects towards cognitive impairments in animal models of normal and pathological aging.” Not only helpful for cardiovascular health, flavonoids are being investigated for their effect on the body all over the world.

A 2019 piece published in Nature Communications also found that foods rich in flavonoids could decrease the risk of cancer. Flavonoid rich foods include apples, berries, cocoa-based products, red grapes, and red wine and tea.

Marijuana legalization is intrinsically tied to social justice.

However, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has maintained his opposition to making cannabis legal. Some hope that could change as more people become aware of the impact that the War on Drugs has had on people of color.

Even as he enjoys an early lead in election polls, people within his own party hope Biden will change his stance. That includes people working on his campaign who have made their support of cannabis legalization public. But any cannabis entrepreneur or investor considering the odds of Biden changing his mind need to look at the full picture of political realities.

First and foremost is the primary vote itself. Despite the fact his opponents took much more progressive stances on marijuana, Biden won.

As Vox noted: “The issue, apparently, wasn’t a major priority for Democratic voters during the primary. Biden still walked away with the most delegates to become the presumptive nominee. With a coronavirus pandemic and recession still underway, perhaps Biden is hoping the same will hold up in the general election, too.”

It's been almost two years since Canada legalized cannabis and pot producers have spent millions of dollars marketing their wares in the hope that consumers would know their Tweeds from their Trailblazers. 

Most of that money may have been completely wasted, according to a new survey that looks at how well Canadians can identify some of the brands available at legal pot shops across the country. 

The survey, published by Brightfield Group, polled 3,000 Canadians in the first quarter of the year. It found that brand awareness remains low, which is confusing consumers and resulting in "decision fatigue." Roughly two out of every five respondents said they were aware of Canopy Growth Corp.'s Tweed brand, while 17 different brands had less than 20 per cent name awareness.

Thousands of people in the state of Colorado with minor marijuana convictions could be pardoned at once in 90 days after Governor Jared Polis signed into law a new bill on Monday.

Under a broader cannabis social equity bill that state lawmakers passed earlier this month, the governor was also granted the authority to unilaterally mass-pardon Coloradans with minor marijuana possession convictions instead of pardoning individuals on a case-by-case basis. 

“There are too many people that have a prior conviction for personal amounts of cannabis fully legal today that prevent them from getting loans, from getting leases, from raising capital, from getting licenses, from getting jobs, from getting mortgages, and that’s wrong,” Polis said at the signing ceremony, which unfolded at Simply Pure, a black-owned dispensary in Denver. 

Polis added that he hopes the measure will be a “first step” for the thousands of Coloradans who lived “with a cloud over their head” for possessing marijuana, which has been legal in the state since 2012. 

“This bill will give me the ability to offer those convicted of possession of up to two ounces of marijuana – it’s the same amount permitted to medical patients in Colorado today – a pardon that will begin in 90 days pursuant to the signature clause,” Polis said. 

Marijuana often demonstrates the ability to win over even the most conservative of individuals. That said, winning over the hearts and minds of America’s vast regions isn’t complete until cannabis endears itself to the nation’s most conservative citizens and lawmakers in the southeast. 

Recent activity indicates that it may just be happening.

Commonly known as the Deep South, the region is the Bible Belt’s shiny, conservative buckle. It’s where conservative viewpoints almost always win out. There, progressive agendas like cannabis reform often face an uphill battle that rivals that of Sisyphus. 

The states that make up the region—Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina—are home to some of the most self-identified conservatives in the nation. A 2014 Pew political poll found Alabama and Louisiana identifying as the most politically conservative in the country. All of the Deep South finds itself in the upper portion of self-identifying as religious states as well, according to Pew. This includes Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi identifying at 86%, 84% and 83% Christian respectively. 

Reform, State By State

Shifting sentiments are underway in areas. The region has made marijuana reform, but not without its hurdles. In Louisiana, its long-anticipated medical market opened in August 2019 after being signed into law in 2015. Despite being slow to open, the medical market could be the first significant legislative domino to fall across the Deep South. 

Customs officials seized nearly five tons of cannabis last week from a truck that was attempting to cross into the U.S. at the Peace Bridge Port of Entry on New York’s border with Canada, federal law enforcement officers announced on Monday. The seizure is the third large pot bust this month at the border crossing that has seen an uptick in smuggling via commercial vehicles since travel restrictions called in response to the COVID-19 pandemic were put in place this spring.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Misha A. Coulson said in a press release from the Department of Justice that the truck attempted to enter the United States not long before midnight on June 25. The commercial truck with Ontario license plates was carrying a load of 55 storage containers, according to an electronic manifest for the cargo.

When Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers conducted an x-ray scan of the truck, it revealed inconsistencies with the cargo in the trailer. The vehicle was then directed to a CBP warehouse loading dock for further examination of the shipment. During a physical inspection of the truck, officers “recovered multiple packages of vacuum sealed bags containing a green leafy substance, which field tested positive for the presence of marijuana.”

Truck Driver Faces Life In Prison

Customs officers recovered approximately 8,320 sealed bags from the shipping containers in the truck. A total of 9,472 pounds of marijuana, which officials valued at approximately $20 million, was confiscated by customs officers. The driver of the truck, a 26-year-old Indian national, has been charged with possessing 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana and importation of marijuana into the United States with the intent to distribute. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life behind bars. The defendant has been arraigned before a federal magistrate and is being held pending a detention hearing scheduled for Wednesday.

Port Director Jennifer De La O praised the seizure, characterizing it as “an excellent job by our officers from start to finish.”

Cannabis stocks have lost about a quarter of their value in the first half of 2020, compounding a 50 per cent drop in 2019.

The upside for investors? There’s never been a better time to do distressed deals, according to Codie Sanchez, managing director at private equity firm Entourage Effect Capital LLC.

Liquidity in the sector has been diminishing since the first quarter of 2019 but now that trend is “on steroids,” with private companies’ access to capital almost completely dried up, Sanchez said at a virtual conference hosted by Prohibition Partners last week.

A lot of athletes take weed. Far more than you know. But when you read that an athlete was suspended for failing a drug test on the news, it is easy to assume that all drugs are bad. To clear the air, two major drugs used by athletes are opioids and cannabis. 

While there are tons of studies that loudly proclaim the negative effects of these drugs, there are just as many that talk about the benefits of cannabis. Pot not only has recreational benefits, but it also has medicinal benefits. 

As a matter of fact, the marijuana industry has grown so much that companies that are involved in marijuana and its derivatives are popping up all around. These companies even have public stocks with tradable shares.

The ban on cannabis for recreational and medicinal use has been lifted in about 8 states in the United States, while some have lifted the ban on medicinal uses of the drug alone. 

In Canada, you can take your weed without fear of getting caught because it is completely legal. But the use of cannabis by athletes has been under a heavy cloud of debate for a long time. 

In less than three months, New Zealanders will vote in the world’s first national referendum on a comprehensive proposal to legalise the recreational use of cannabis.

Unlike cannabis ballots in several US states in which the public only voted on the general proposition of whether cannabis should be legalised or not, New Zealanders have access to the detailed Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill. It outlines how the government proposes to establish a “controlled and tightly regulated” legal cannabis market.

The approach is not like the Brexit referendum, which had no detailed plan of action for a yes vote. Neither is it like New Zealand’s much maligned 2016 flag referendum, in which people knew exactly what they were voting for. In this case, New Zealanders are voting on a proposed law reform, but even following a yes vote, the cannabis regime will have to go through select committees and public consultation. And a legal cannabis market will require monitoring and enforcement.

The cannabis legislation bill sets out how the government would control and regulate a legal cannabis market, including the following measures:

licensing of cannabis industry operators

A little-known cannabinoid called THCV can trigger your brain to eat less and avoid greasy, fatty foods.

Marijuana’s capability as an appetite stimulant is well-documented. And, no, we’re not talking about the “munchies.” We’re referring to its ability to kick-start appetite in potentially life-threatening situations.

Cancer, for instance, can induce adverse metabolic changes in patients, causing them to lose their appetites and tissue in the process, which results in a condition called “cachexia.” Chemotherapy treatment and anti-cancer drugs often exacerbate these effects, but research shows medical cannabis can boost appetite, mood, and caloric intake in cancer patients, while simultaneously battling cancer cells.

AIDS patients similarly suffer from wasting syndrome, in which someone loses more than 10% of their body weight. Multiple studies have reported increased appetite and lowered nausea symptoms for HIV-positive subjects who consumed marijuana when compared to those who took a placebo.

This positive effect on appetite is predominantly associated with THC, the psychoactive cannabinoid in the cannabis plant. Marijuana contains at least 113 cannabinoids and one of them has received newfound attention for its opposite effect — suppressing appetite and potentially improving energy levels.

Dr. Lester Grinspoon, one of the most vocal champions of marijuana legalization in the United States who promoted his advocacy in both best-selling books and Congressional testimony, died on Thursday. He was 92. 

A native of Massachusetts, Grinspoon studied at Harvard Medical School, and later joined the faculty there as a professor. His interest in cannabis began in the 1960s, when he said its use in the U.S. “increased explosively.”

“At that time I had no doubt that it was a very harmful drug that was unfortunately being used by more and more foolish young people who would not listen to or could not believe or understand the warnings about its dangers,” he later wrote.

Grinspoon said his “aim was to define scientifically the nature and degree of those dangers,” but he ultimately discovered that his perception of marijuana had long been off the mark.

“I came to understand that I, like so many other people in this country, had been misinformed and misled,” Grinspoon said. “There was little empirical evidence to support my beliefs about the dangers of marihuana.”

“As these products become increasingly used across the country, getting clearer, scientifically rigorous data is going to be important as we try to understand the overall health effects of cannabis,” notes Robert Harrington, M.D., president of the American Heart Association (AHA).

In late 2019, a report was published in the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) that found, “frequent cannabis (marijuana) use among young people was linked to an increased risk of stroke” as well as an increase in heart rhythm disturbances, or arrhythmias.

Published by the AHA, the study did not look into the direct connection between stroke and cannabis use, rather it discovered it as a potential link.

The study found that younger cannabis users had a heightened risk of stroke, compared to individuals who didn’t use cannabis. Interestingly, the study also cited that, “the cannabis users were also more likely to be heavy drinkers, current cigarette users and e-cigarette users, which may have also influenced their risk, even though the researchers adjusted for those factors in their analysis.”

Study author Tarang Parekh, a health policy researcher at George Mason University in Fairfax, Vir., had this to say: “Young cannabis users, especially those who use tobacco and have other risk factors for strokes, such as high blood pressure, should understand that they may be raising their risk of having a stroke at a young age.”