WeedLife News Network

But, distributors could be faced with an even bigger issue.

There's no definite timeline for when medical dispensaries will be able to make the transition, but when they do, they may not be able to meet the high demand for cannabis.

Spencer Andrews is a public affair director for March and Ash, a dispensary in Imperial County. He addresses an important matter that happened when California made the switch.

"What we saw in California was a shortage in the supply chain. I mean, you're just working with many aspects of the supply chain: manufacturing, cultivation, testing, distribution," Andrews explained. "All of these ancillary services have to get up and running and be able to meet the demand."

All of these steps take time.

Sometime before Christmas, Richard DeLisi, 71, will finally be released from the Florida prison where he has lived since 1988.

DeLisi is serving a 90-year prison term for selling marijuana. He tried to sell quite a bit of it—1,500 pounds, as a Miami New Times profile recounts—but he was never charged with a violent crime. Nor was he alleged to have hurt anyone.

Marijuana legalization is very popular these days, and DeLisi has already served more than twice the average sentence for murder. So it seems reasonable and good that he’d be let out, to enjoy what time he has left in relative freedom.

For this, he has COVID-19 to thank—and not marijuana legalization.

Legalization is proving extremely effective at creating a new class of entrepreneurs and creating wealth for investors, but not very good at fulfilling some of its most basic promises.

Now that 15 states have legalized the use of recreational cannabis — and only six states still count it as fully illegal — industry experts say the federal government is facing more pressure to ease its tough standards on the use and sale of the drug.

President-elect Joe Biden has promised to tackle criminal justice reform — including marijuana laws, and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris was an early supporter of the MORE Act, which would lay the groundwork for federal decriminalization by expunging marijuana convictions and prohibiting the denial of benefits on the basis of a “cannabis-event.”

Businesses in the $17 billion cannabis industry would benefit from full legalization with easier investment and banking opportunities, much of which is regulated federally. And state and federal governments may profit from a simpler tax scheme on the drug.

“If you don’t allow that legal operation, somewhere in the community, the sales will continue,” Chris Lindsey, a legislative analyst of Marijuana Policy Project, told Marketplace.

Lindsey compares current federal cannabis policy to alcohol prohibition in the 1920s. Prohibition made it federally illegal to produce, import, transport, and sell alcoholic beverages but consumers were safe from prosecution. This led to criminal organizations controlling a black market and — most importantly — gaining all the profits.

Increased medical knowledge and changes in social norms have meant that over the last decade attitudes towards medical cannabis have changed exponentially. After speaking to clinicians and patients studies have concluded that while it may have once been taboo, medical cannabis is now believed to be a legitimate medical therapy by some. It may be much more accepted but few studies have looked into how patients use medical cannabis and whether men and women see it differently. A new study has found that a significant number of women would use cannabis to treat chronic conditions and pain. 

The study, which was published in the Journal of Women’s Health assessed the gendered attitudes patients have towards medical cannabis. It found that after obtaining a medical cannabis card women are more likely to cut down or discontinue using prescribed medication and medical assistance. The study was supported by research that suggested that while men are more likely to be experienced cannabis users more generally, women are more likely to substitute prescribed medications and painkillers for medical cannabis. 

Cannabinoids are compounds found in cannabis. Research has suggested that they could be a great painkiller. PMS and PMDD, endometriosis and some gynecological cancers are some of the conditions which can cause intimate and pelvic chronic pain. The study revealed that a substantial number of women would be open to using medical cannabis to treat pain, especially if they’d used it before. 

It’s not completely clear as to why women are more likely to swap out prescribed medication for medical cannabis. However, past research has found that women engage with complementary or alternative medicine differently to men. Women are more likely to access preventative services, use alternative medicine to treat pain, mental health conditions or insomnia and for headaches and migraines. As medical cannabis has increasingly been seen as a safe and legitimate treatment and news of the opioid crisis has spread it may now fall under the category of complementary or alternative medicine. 

The researchers wrote, “the implication that women may conceptualize medical cannabis as complementary or alternative medicine merits further research, as this finding may be viewed as a consequence of patient experience with cannabis, and not only of shifting public attitudes toward it.” 

State legislators are rekindling efforts to open New Mexico to recreational marijuana production and sales, with an emphasis on economic opportunity amidst the turmoil of the coronavirus pandemic.

State Rep. Javier Martinez told a panel of lawmakers Tuesday that he will introduce legislation in 2021 to regulate and tax recreational marijuana, hewing closely to a proposal that won House approval earlier this year but died in the Senate without a floor vote.

Elections this year ousted several conservative-leaning Democratic state senators who opposed past legalization efforts. Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham last week reiterated her support for recreational marijuana as an opportunity to expand and diversify the state economy.

“I think the prospect for a recreational bill to pass this year are looking much better,” said Democratic state Sen. Jacob Candelaria of Albuquerque, a sponsor of past recreational marijuana and drug decriminalization initiatives. “What matters most is just the numbers (of potential supporters) in the New Mexico Senate. I think we just have better numbers.”

Candelaria, a medical marijuana patient and attorney who represents current cannabis business license holders, urged the Lujan Grisham administration to lift what he called artificial limits on medical marijuana production to avoid shortages and costly delays in new tax revenue if recreational marijuana is approved by the House and Senate, where Democrats hold majorities.

As consumers increasingly shift to online ordering, click-and-collect, curbside pickup, and delivery, dispensaries must begin leveraging digital advertising options to drive online orders, keep their brands top-of-mind, and increase total sales revenue.

Industry insiders believe Democrat-held Congress would likely take up the SAFE Banking and MORE Acts, generating long-term market effects.

Despite ongoing attempts by the Trump Administration to delay the transition, President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are expected to take power on January 20, 2021, creating an impact on the cannabis stock market that could be substantial. 

A Biden/Harris presidency could prove beneficial for a surging cannabis reform movement and its market after a clean sweep across five states on Election Day. Still, financial and legal experts point out that cannabis reform relies on more than the White House. As such, a delay in both reform and market impact could occur. 

Power, Potential Reform Remains In The Balance

The Biden White House should provide the marijuana market a bump of some form. However, its scope hinges on Biden, a decriminalization proponent, and the U.S. Senate’s power, which remains in limbo until January when two runoffs in Georgia are held. 

The results will determine if the Democrats control both chambers of Congress or Biden’s opposition from cannabis opponent Mitch McConnell. 

Have you gotten swept up in the CBD craze? Careful. It may induce a positive drug test.

That’s according to findings from a clinic trial published last month in the journal JAMA Psychiatry. The findings, which comes via researchers at Harvard, “suggest that patients consistently using full-spectrum, hemp-derived products may have positive test results for THC-COOH on a urinary drug screen,” the authors of the study wrote.

“Despite limitations in sample size and diversity, these findings have important public health implications,” the researchers wrote in their conclusions. “It is often assumed individuals using hemp-derived products will test negative for THC. Current results indicate this may not be true, especially if assays are more sensitive than advertised, underscoring the potential for adverse consequences, including loss of employment and legal or treatment ramifications, despite the legality of hemp-derived products.”

The findings also help fill a gap in what the authors said has been a paucity of research on CBD.

“Despite the growing popularity of cannabidiol (CBD) products, specifically those derived from legal industrial hemp sources,” the authors said, “few studies have directly assessed whether the use of high-CBD products could yield positive results on urinary drug tests assessing cannabis use through the detection of [THC] metabolites.”

New research published in the peer-reviewed journal Addictionsuggests that contemporary cannabis may be up to 25 per cent stronger than cannabis from the ’70s.

The systematic review examined THC and CBD concentrations in cannabis from studies spanning nearly 50 years and multiple countries, including the US, U.K., France, Denmark, Italy, and the Netherlands.

Using a meta-regression analysis, researchers found that THC concentrations in “herbal cannabis”  increased, on average, by 0.29 per cent each year from 1970 to 2017. While THC concentrations in “cannabis resin” increased 0.57 per cent every year from 1975 t0 2017.

The study suggests that the amount of THC in herbal cannabis increased by 2.9 milligrams each year and 5.7 milligrams for cannabis resin, adding that five milligrams of THC is a “standard dose.”

In the case of CBD, concentrations remained stable in both herbal cannabis and cannabis resin.

Don’t worry. The absence of THC combined with the presence of rich cannabidiol compounds won’t make your dogs high.

Cannabidiol is one of the most active compounds found in hemp plants. You can learn more about this on here. Many studies have found out that it can balance the bodily functions of many mammals. When CBD stimulates the endocannabinoid system present in both humans and animals, it can help the body regain homeostasis.

Many pet owners administer cannabidiol to their furry friends because they find that the extract can help with many ailments. Some of the medical conditions in animals that CBD can provide relief for are anxiety, joint pains, backaches, cancer symptoms, seizures, digestive disorders, social withdrawal, stress, insomnia, irritability, mood disorders, and more.

During the recovery phase from surgery, a lot of pet owners have found that CBD seems to stimulate healing, and it has therapeutic benefits for many of our furry friends. At the end of your pet’s life, cannabidiol can also lessen the suffering, anxiety, and pain that your beloved canine or feline may be experiencing. You can learn more about CBD oil’s other benefits at HolistaPet where you can get more information about CBD oil’s potential uses. Some products are exclusively made for pets, so you may want to look for those as well.

About the Endocannabinoid System

A network of receptors is present in the endocannabinoid system, and it is found in the human and animal body.

The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) wants to remind eligible hemp growers and processors/handlers the deadline to apply for a hemp license for the 2021 crop is November 30, 2020 by 5:00 pm (CST). ADAI will accept hemp applications using their new online application system: agi.alabama.gov/hempapp.

Montana made recreational cannabis legal this past election, and now, they’ve begun the process of licensing, already looking ahead to the future of the recreational industry. 

If Virginia legalizes marijuana, sales could generate up to $300 million in annual state tax revenue and create 11,000 jobs, according to a Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission (JLARC) report issued Monday. But legalizing the drug would not be without hurdles.

When three former Marines started laying the groundwork for a veteran advocacy group, the connections between opioid use and suicide became readily apparent, prompting them to look for a way to make a bigger impact.

Bryan Buckley, Matt Curran and Andy Miears started Helmand Valley Growers Company in 2019 as a for-profit cannabis business that would donate 100 percent of its proceeds to Battle Brothers Foundation, a nonprofit founded by Buckley dedicated to researching medical cannabis treatments for veterans with ailments such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

“It’s essentially a call to arms for the cannabis community,” says Buckley, the CEO of HVGC and the president of Battle Brothers.

Miears, now the chief cultivator of HVGC, was the first in the group to champion cannabis, due to the positive effects it was having on his life. Cannabis helped Miears “transition from a warrior to a gardener,” Buckley says.

“Our mission is to provide an alternative to doctors and the health-care system, and that (alternative) is cannabis,” says Curran, the company’s chief operating officer, who acknowledges that cannabis can’t fix every problem, but is “a very effective tool that has marginal side effects when you look at it next to a prescription drug.”

Marijuana won big this election, gaining legal ground in five states, but it remains illegal in North Carolina. That’s not expected to change with the state’s incoming legislature.

Why it matters: Coronavirus has left deep scars on our economy, and proponents of legal marijuana say it could be the jump-start North Carolina needs. Especially for the state’s many tobacco farmers, some of whom have already leaned into the rising hemp industry. In 420-friendly states like Colorado and Washington, marijuana sales has generated hundreds of millions in tax revenue and employed tens of thousands.

Opponents, however, cite a lack of research on the drug’s effects and potential risk factors.

Public opinion: 72.5 percent of N.C. residents support legal marijuana for medical purposes. Unlike other states, legalization can’t be put to a public vote; it’s up to the state legislature. Still, constituents play an important role in any path forward through their vote and their voice.

Where legalization stands: Federally, marijuana is illegal, but a majority of states have now legalized it for medical or recreational use, or both.

A small farm in upstate New York is working to revolutionize the organic farming industry, starting with supporting their local ecosystem while growing, among a variety of grains, hemp — the plant behind the multi-million dollar CBD industry.

Hemp, a species of cannabis that does not create a marijuana-like high, has an ancient history with usage dating back centuries.

Ben Banks-Dobson, who runs Stone House Farm's 2,600-acre operation, is hoping to help the Earth while promoting the unique plant and its variety of uses.

"Hudson Hemp was born out of a transition from conventional to organic farming," he told CBS News' Michelle Miller. "Our corn and soybeans only goes into chicken and hog feed for local farms selling their meat locally."

A new study finds that women are now more open to treating gynecological conditions with cannabis.

A new study reveals that women would consider using cannabis to treat different gynecological conditions, from menopause to menstrual pains.

Published in the Journal of Women’s Health, the study shows that women have a history of using cannabis to cope with chronic pelvic pain, menstrual cramps and pain associated with gynecological cancer. “A larger proportion of women who reported ever using cannabis were willing to use cannabis to treat conditions commonly seen in gynecological practices compared to never-users (91.6% vs. 64.6%),” says Leo Han, MD, MDH, and one of the lead authors of the study.

Authors of the study theorize that this willingness to give cannabis a shot could be influenced by the relative safety associated with cannabis use and with the negative side effects that are common when using opioids for pain management. It’s important to note that conditions like endometriosis are infamously difficult to diagnose and treat, resulting in more and more women being willing to try alternate methods of treatment.

According to Journal of Women’s Health Editor-in-Chief Susan G. Kornstein, MD, the study found that “a large proportion of those women who had never used cannabis were willing to try it to treat gynecological pain. Fewer, but still a substantial percentage, would use it for procedural pain or other gynecological conditions.”

Illinois saw more than $100 million in marijuana sales in October, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation reported Monday.

There was a record $75 million in recreational pot sales last month, up nearly $8 million from the previous month. Sales of medical marijuana totaled another $33 million, according to officials. The first 10 months of legal cannabis sales total more than $500 million, with about $300 million in medical marijuana sales.

Marijuana sales to adults is legal in 11 states and Washington D.C. Four more states approved recreational marijuana use in Tuesday’s election, while six Chicago suburbs joined a growing list of Illinois municipalities allowing cannabis dispensaries for adults.

“There is mass acceptance of the U.S. cannabis industry by the consumer and the voter,” said Ben Kovler, founder and CEO of Chicago-based Green Thumb, a cannabis manufacturer and retailer. “In this divided country, there are very few issues that have that kind of universal acceptance.”

Cannabis industry analyst Andy Seeger said October’s sale figures do not rise to the market’s potential. He says Illinois should be on pace to sell around $1.2 billion in weed this year.

Nearly 75% f the country has legalized cannabis to some extent – either medical, recreational, or both – which begs the question, how are employers dealing with the rapidly changing laws in their regions?

As of election day, November 3rd, 2020, a total of 36 states, District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Island have approved comprehensive medical cannabis programs. Out of those, 15 states have legalized adult-use marijuana. Recreational is even legal in our nation’s capital, Washington D.C., where you will find a robust legal market.

Despite all of that, marijuana is still federally illegal. This presents many unique challenges for employers who maintain drug testing policies and have concerns about productivity and workplace safety, as well as issues for employees who may be denied employed for cannabis use when they are responsible users who are otherwise, completely qualified.

How are these issues being resolved? Is common ground between employees and employers achievable?

Medical use vs recreational use

When it comes to denying employment based on cannabis use, a very important distinction is whether the patient uses it recreationally or medicinally. Outlined under state laws, marijuana can be prescribed for a variety of preapproved conditions. If someone is using marijuana for panic attacks, for example, this could warrant random, all-day availability and use.

“Employers must understand their rights and duties when it comes to drug testing because state laws are evolving,” said David Reischer, attorney and CEO of LegalAdvice.com. “Marijuana is still federally illegal, and employers generally are allowed to have a drug-free workplace and to enforce zero-tolerance policies.”