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Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has promised swift action on legislation to remove cannabis from the nation’s list of controlled substances if Democrats take control of the U.S. Senate in Tuesday’s election, according to a report from the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). The Democrat from New York said in comments made last week that lawmakers would move to pass the Marijuana Freedom and Opportunity Act, a bill that would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act. The measure also provides support for small businesses and grant funding to support efforts to review and expunge past marijuana convictions at the state level.

“I think we’ll have a good chance to pass that bill,” Schumer said.

“I’m a big fighter for racial justice, and the marijuana laws have been one of the biggest examples of racial injustice, and so to change them makes sense,” he added. “And that fits in with all of the movement now to bring equality in policing, in economics, and in everything else. Our bill is, in a certain sense, at the nexus of racial justice, individual freedom, and states’ rights.”

Schumer made a similar promise to advance cannabis reform legislation in an interview in September.

“My commitment is that if I am leader [of the US Senate], I am going to do everything I can to put the Marijuana Freedom and Opportunity Act on the floor of the Senate,” he said. “The odds are very high it will pass.”

California's most iconic cannabis cultivation zones and its local outdoor growers recently received a boost to their business when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB 67 into law on Sept. 30.

The regulation amends Section 26063 of the Business and Professions Code while enacting a new terroir-based appellation for origin-specific products and its use of the environment during the plant's growth.

Any use of artificial lights, shelters or any other form of temperature or climate control is prohibited under the rules.

The passage of SB 67 is being heralded as a win for the state's iconic operators across California's fertile grounds, including the Emerald Triangle, by recognizing their claim to the fertile region.

San Francisco’s cannabis industry is expected to hang on to a bit more green next year due to a tax break that is likely to pass next week.

Supervisor Rafael Mandelman has proposed the one-year tax reprieve, delaying the implementation of the cannabis tax approved by voters in November 2018.

The estimated tax break and revenue loss to The City is $7.1 million, according to the budget analyst.

The Maryland Department of Agriculture has adopted new regulations that will expand the state’s industrial hemp program. The new regulations bring the state’s program into compliance with provisions of the 2018 U.S. Farm Bill, and will establish industrial hemp as an agricultural commodity.

“Hemp is an emerging agricultural commodity that presents a new opportunity for farmers looking to diversify their operations,” said Secretary of Agriculture Joe Bartenfelder. “We have seen significant interest in the first two years of the Industrial Hemp Research Pilot Program and we are excited to expand the state’s hemp industry with the new Hemp Farming Program.”

What is New Under the New Hemp Program?

Under the new Hemp Farming Program, growers may apply to produce and cultivate hemp for commercial purposes. In previous years, Maryland growers have only been able to produce hemp under the department’s Industrial Hemp Research Pilot Program.

In January 2019, the department began accepting applications for its Industrial Hemp Research Pilot Program. The pilot program is the result of Maryland House Bill 698, a 2018 state law that required growers to partner with the department or an institution of higher learning to grow industrial hemp for research purposes.

Applications for both programs’ 2021 growing season will be announced and posted on the program’s website in the coming weeks.

The Oregon secondary market for cannabis licenses and businesses remains lively. We have been helping industry buy and sell these businesses since 2016. This post is mostly about pricing for retail plays, which is still an evolving standard, but a standard nonetheless.

First, some context.

With marijuana and cannabis use rising rapidly nowadays, it is easy to see why more and more people are wanting to jump on the bandwagon and start their own marijuana seed business. If run and managed well, a marijuana seed business can be a lucrative market to be a part of and can offer a huge number of benefits for both customers and the business alike. But how can you go about starting up your own marijuana seed business? Learn more with our guide for getting started with your seed bank business today.

CANNABIS use is a hotly contested topic the world over - but what are the rules in the UK?

Here we explain the laws surrounding smoking weed, and if it is ok to do it in your own home...

The pungent, slightly floral smell of someone smoking cannabis is often hard to disguiseCredit: Alamy

Is it legal for people to smoke cannabis if it’s in their own home?

Simply, no.

Cannabis, marijuana or weed is classified as a Class B drug, putting it in the same category as ketamine and amphetamine.

A new study out last month from researchers affiliated with DePaul University and John Hopkins University helped illuminate some notable differences between men and women who are prescribed medical cannabis. 

The study, published last month in the Journal of Women’s Health, found that women “are more likely to report decreased use of prescription medications to treat symptoms, and report lower levels of support from physicians for [medical cannabis] use,” and that subsequent research on gender differences among those who use medical cannabis treatment “may benefit from more detailed data related to symptomatology, utilization, dosing, and outcomes associated with [medical cannabis], and interactions with the health care system to extend these findings.”

The researchers surveyed 361 patients who participate in Illinois’ medical cannabis program. “We summarized participants’ qualifying conditions, symptoms treated with MC, perceived physician support for MC use, use of MC and prescription medications, then analyzed differences by participant gender,” the researchers wrote, noting that they found that “that men report higher levels of support for [medical cannabis] use from both specialist and primary care physicians,” while women “were significantly more likely to increase use of cannabis after acquiring an [medical cannabis] card, and to discontinue prescription medications through [medical cannabis] use,” and that “that being a woman, using [medical cannabis] to treat multiple symptoms, and reporting higher levels of support for [medical cannabis] use from a primary care provider significantly increased the likelihood of discontinuing prescription medication through [medical cannabis] use.”

Gender and Cannabis Use

Researchers have long explored differences between gender when it comes to cannabis use. In 2016, a study from researchers at Columbia University found that “prevalence of past-year marijuana use increased for both men and women between 2002 and 2014.” In that same period, researchers found, “more men reported past-year use than women, but since 2007, the rate of increase was greater for men than for women, leading to a widening of the gender gap in marijuana use over time.” But despite such differences, the researchers said it was difficult to pinpoint a clear explanation.

“These changes parallel national trends in decreased perceived harmfulness of marijuana use, and legalization of both recreational and medical use in over half of U.S. states,” said Dr. Hannah Carliner, one of the authors of the Columbia University study.  “However, changes in attitudes and legality do not sufficiently explain why we observe a sharp increase in use in 2007, or why this increase was greater in men than in women.”

Why These Marijuana Stocks Are Still On Top

After several extended deadline extensions, Mexican lawmakers seem on course to legalize adult-use cannabis in the coming weeks.

The most recent indication comes from MORENA Senate majority leader Ricardo Monreal, who says the bill would pass by the end of October and before the Dec. 15 deadline.

Projections expect Mexico to be the most lucrative legalized market, bolstering the nation's economy.

Passing adult-use legislation is also expected to diminish the cartels' long-running, lucrative narcotics arm. That's just one of many benefits Mexico hopes to gain from expanding cannabis access.

Uruguay has been making tremendous strides in international cannabis distribution. The country’s buds have already made it all the way to Germany. 

But a recently approved decree has the potential to propel Uruguay to the forefront of cannabis logistical endeavors.

Other countries can now ship cannabis products to Uruguay. While in the country, the products can get repackaged while in transit before being reexported to other countries – without any payment of customs duties, explained Bruno Guella, managing director of MVD Free Airport.

MVD Free Airport is a company operating the cargo terminal inside the airport for Uruguay’s capital city, Montevideo. The airport area it operates in is a free-trade zone.

The nation may not know who is president on election day, but the people have spoken when it comes to cannabis legislation. Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota have all legalized marijuana for adults 21 and older, as voters in each state approved their respective ballot initiatives at the ballot box. The Garden State has gone green as the closely watched state of New Jersey approved adult-use cannabis.

New Jersey

“Today, New Jerseyans voted overwhelmingly to legalize cannabis for adult use. This is a vital first step for shifting away from punitive cannabis prohibition and toward a regulated market that prioritizes racial and social justice,” said ACLU-NJ Campaign Strategist, Ami Kachalia, on behalf of New Jersey United for Marijuana Reform (NJUMR). “Now, we call on New Jersey legislators and the Governor to implement the vision of cannabis legalization that voters have pushed forward – one that begins to repair the harms of marijuana prohibition and creates an accessible and inclusive new cannabis industry. In determining the details of implementation, lawmakers must include expungement, community reinvestment, and meaningful opportunities for those most harmed by unjust enforcement of marijuana laws to enter into the industry.”

NORML Executive Director Erik Altieri said: “Garden State voters spoke resoundingly. They are demanding their lawmakers end the failed policy of marijuana criminalization, and instead pursue a more sensible path of regulation and legalization. “Law enforcement in New Jersey arrests more citizens each year for minor marijuana violations than almost any other state in the nation. By moving to end this fiscally wasteful and morally repugnant policy, state officials will now be able to prioritize law enforcement resources toward combating more serious criminal activities, better respect the personal freedom and civil liberties of their citizens, end the racist application of marijuana prohibition laws against communities of color, and direct new tax revenues toward important social programs such as education and infrastructure development.”

South Dakota

South Dakota also passed a medical marijuana initiative and became the first state in American history to enact both policies on the same day. The Marijuana Policy Project was instrumental in the Montana and South Dakota campaigns. “This historic set of victories will place even greater pressure on Congress to address the glaring and untenable conflicts between state and federal laws when it comes to cannabis legalization,” said Steve Hawkins, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project. “A few years ago, nobody would have predicted that South Dakota would legalize marijuana before New York,” said Matthew Schweich, deputy director of the Marijuana Policy Project and one of the leaders of the South Dakota campaign. “But that’s the power of the ballot initiative process.”

“South Dakotans sent an unequivocal message in support of allowing patients the ability to legally access it under the advice of their physician,” stated NORML Executive Director Erik Altieri. “When operational, this program will provide lab-tested medical cannabis products to thousands of South Dakotans who can benefit from them. These patients cannot wait, and voters were right to take action to make this access a reality.”

Growing hemp was outlawed in 1970, but since the California Hemp Farming Act was signed into law and became effective on January 1, 2017, hemp is again a legal crop. Still, not just anyone can throw their hat in the ring to legally grow hemp. There is a somewhat involved registration process to wade through first, as well as rules and regulations for California hemp growers to follow. Here’s a brief overview.

Researchers in Brazil have found that cannabis oil can be an effective treatment for patients with fibromyalgia, according to the results of a clinical trial completed recently. An abstract of the study, “Ingestion of THC-rich cannabis oil in people with fibromyalgia: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial,” was published last week in the journal Pain Medicine.

To conduct the study, researchers tested the effectiveness of a plant-derived cannabis oil on 17 women with fibromyalgia (FM), a chronic pain syndrome characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain and fatigue. The patients were treated over a period of eight weeks with a cannabis oil rich in THC. The initial dose was one drop per day, with subsequent dosage increases according to symptoms. The mean dose for those in the cannabis group was 3.6 drops per day, equating to a total of 4.4 milligrams of THC and 0.08 milligrams of CBD per dose.

Patients were separated into two groups, one of which received the cannabis oil, while the members of the control group received a placebo. The Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) was administered at pre- and post intervention moments and in five visits over eight weeks. The researchers reported that “the impact of the intervention on quality of life in the cannabis group participants was evident, resulting in reports of well-being and more energy for activities of daily living. Pain attacks were also reduced.”

First Gold-Standard Study

“To our knowledge, this is the first randomized controlled trial to demonstrate the benefit of cannabis oil – a THC-rich whole plant extract – on symptoms and on quality of life of people with fibromyalgia,” the investigators wrote. “We conclude that phytocannabinoids can be a low-cost and well-tolerated therapy for symptom relief and quality of life improvement in these patients, and we suggest that this therapy could be included as an herbal medicine option for the treatment of this condition in the Brazilian public health system.”

Because of the impact that fibromyalgia can have on the health of patients and the need for effective and affordable medicines to treat them, the researchers recommended further research to study cannabis as a treatment for the condition.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) impacts millions of people in the United States. The mental health disorder occurs when people find themselves in an endless cycle of obsessive thoughts and compulsive actions.

Cannabis may emerge as a treatment to help break that cycle. A new study from the University of Washington, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, found that those who smoked weed saw a reduction in the symptoms common for those who suffer from OCD.

“Inhaled cannabis appears to have short-term beneficial effects on symptoms of OCD,” the researchers wrote. However, researchers noted that they need to also study long-term use as it might lead to a buildup of tolerance to the beneficial effects of cannabis.

Other studies have found similar results when it comes to marijuana and anxiety. And the public certainly made its opinion known by increasing the use of cannabis to deal with anxiety during the coronavirus pandemic.

Details of the study

To understand the impact of cannabis, researchers worked with 87 medical marijuana patients who self-identified as having OCD. The study involved a whopping 1,810 cannabis sessions over 31 months. 

Arizona was one of four states on Election Day to pass a ballot issue allowing recreational marijuana.

Two states approved medical marijuana.

In Arizona, Proposition 207 has passed by a 60%-40% margin, according to unofficial results. It allows for the use and possession of a small amount of marijuana by residents over the age of 21. It also allows the regulated possession of a limited number of marijuana plants.

It levies a 16% excise tax on the sale of marijuana.

About 57% of Pinal County voters approved the proposition. It carried all precincts in the city of Maricopa.

New Jersey voters approved legalizing recreational marijuana on Tuesday, and Democrats Joe Biden and Cory Booker won at the top of the ticket in New Jersey's first mostly mail-in election.

New Jersey now joins the District of Columbia and 11 states legalizing recreational cannabis. Though, people could legally buy and use cannabis under the constitutional amendment voters approved by a wide margin, it's unclear how quickly the new market will be set up.

But the Democrat-led Legislature and Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy supported legalization and are expected to move quickly to pass legislation establishing the marketplace.

Booker will head back to Washington for a second full term. His and Biden's victories confirm Democrats’ firm control of the state’s presidential electors and the party’s lock on Senate seats.

Booker won against Rik Mehta, a business executive with a law degree and a doctorate in pharmacy, who staunchly supported the president.