WeedLife News Network

President Donald Trump is afraid of marijuana. He said so himself: In a campaign appearance in Wisconsin earlier this month, the president cracked a nervous “joke” with former Gov. Scott Walker, suggesting that cannabis-related ballot initiatives drove Democratic Party-minded voters to the polls.

From instituting new on-the-spot cannabis fines, to battling it out in court with the EU over the legality of CBD imports, France is quite busy right now, and the implications of its case could change cannabis laws throughout Europe.

Some countries make more sense in their slower acquiescence to accepting cannabis (and some have barely started the process at all). But many countries, particularly those of Western Europe, are gradually easing restrictions on cannabis use. This is not the case for France, which just instituted new fines for cannabis users, and is fighting the EU to restrict CBD imports that have any THC at all.

Cannabis in France

In France, it’s illegal to both use and possess cannabis. Unlike most countries, France doesn’t differentiate between personal use and trafficking, meaning the amount of cannabis a person is found with, and the decision of the prosecutor, are what define the circumstance and punishment. It is up to the prosecutor in a particular case to determine whether the offender should go unpunished, if they should enter treatment, or if they will proceed in the court system. A person charged can receive a fine of up to €3,750 as well as a year long prison sentence. This is increased to €75,000 and five years in prison if the offender endangered others while using.

In 2008, the ‘rapid and graduated’ policy began which stated that in clear-cut cases, offenders could possibly get away with just a warning and a treatment program, as well as a possible fine of €450 if the person is not addicted to cannabis (however that is defined).

In 2018, yet another new policy was introduced by the government in which fines could be given on-the-spot to cannabis users. It started as a test in smaller communities, until becoming national policy last month.

As possession and use are illegal and there’s no formal medical program, growing cannabis – for any reason – is illegal, and subject to the same fines and prison time as other cannabis crimes, depending on how the prosecutor deems the case.

Sales of recreational cannabis have broken $100 million for three months in a row in Oregon as the state continues to wrestle with the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to data from the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, which oversees marijuana sales, sales have been up since March, when the state went into lockdown to slow the spread of the virus.

That month total sales in Oregon were $84.5 million, 30% higher than March of 2019.

At the time, some business owners worried the March bump was temporary. But numbers show things have only gotten better, at least for some of the state’s cannabis retailers.

In April, total sales went up 5.7% to $89.7 million which was 44% over the previous April.

Todd Zinicola is pretty sure it’s the only time someone has smoked a Black & Mild cigar in a Virginia courtroom at the request of a judge.

He was defending a client in Fairfax who police searched after saying they smelled marijuana during a routine traffic stop. But Zinicola argued in court that it was impossible for the state trooper to smell the drug, wrapped in two layers of plastic wrap in the back seat, over the overpowering scent of the Black & Mild the man was smoking at the time.

The judge, Jane Marum Roush, who would go on to serve a brief term on the Supreme Court of Virginia, was unfamiliar with the product’s smell and invited him to light it, according to a transcript of the hearing.

“This is highly unorthodox but — here, just go ahead,” she said.

Zinicola wafted the smoke toward Roush, who ultimately agreed — the trooper couldn’t have actually smelled marijuana over the cigar’s overpowering aroma.

The first resort-based medicinal cannabis dispensary in Jamaica, HedoWeedo, has opened in Negril with high-end cannabis making its way to the island's west coast.

HedoWeedo, which is independently owned and operated, is located within the Hedonism II resort, but not part of the all-inclusive experience. Hedonism II, a pioneer in Jamaica's hospitality industry, says it is thrilled to welcome HedoWeedo within its locale.

Curated by the longest-running dispensary on Denver's famous Green Mile, HedoWeedo specialises in high-end craft cannabis with products ranging from joints to flowers to oils, all locally cultivated by licensed farmers.

HedoWeedo says its mission is to promote the well-being of its customers by providing expert, personalised service, while offering a safe and comfortable environment to enjoy top-quality Jamaican cannabis.

HedoWeedo clients, who may include but are not limited to Hedonism II resort guests, will enjoy a unique, world-class dispensary, which the company promises “will far exceed the expectations of novice and experienced medicinal cannabis users alike”.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic the New Mexico Department of Health approved rules that put into practice a state law allowing medical cannabis patients from other states to buy, possess and use medical cannabis in New Mexico. 

The law was passed in 2019 as part of a massive statutory change for medical cannabis. That law also included a separate provision that many have argued would have allowed non-residents of New Mexico to become a New Mexico medical cannabis patient. 

But in 2020 lawmakers, backed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and the DOH, passed a law that made sure that only those who were medical cannabis patients in other states already could qualify for New Mexico’s program. 

They argued that allowing people from nearby states without a medical cannabis program to enroll in the New Mexico Medical Cannabis Program could invite unwanted federal scrutiny. Through legislative debate and public testimony, legislators and public health officials argued that the reciprocity provision in the 2019 law would be adequate enough to provide medicine to non-resident, medical cannabis patients spending time in New Mexico and would provide enough legitimacy to keep the federal government from intervening. 

But even now that the law reverted to only allow New Mexico residents and those already enrolled in a medical cannabis program to buy, possess and use it in the state, there seems to be a loophole of sorts that may allow exactly what the governor and state officials warned against.

Approval of medical marijuana on Nov. 3 by Mississippi voters, based at least on polling, seems like a lead-pipe cinch.

A poll conducted by Millsaps College and Mississippi-based Chism Strategies in 2019 placed support for legalizing medical marijuana at 67% to 27%. In today’s polarized society, it’s difficult to find that level of support for many issues.

Yet some voters, who support the use of marijuana for medical purposes, might have second thoughts on approving the issue at the ballot box.

There will be two medical marijuana proposals on the ballot this November: a citizen-sponsored initiative, and an alternative approved by legislators.

Legislators placed the alternative on the ballot because they argued the citizen-sponsored initiative is too lax, allowing easy access to marijuana. Others would argue the legislators’ proposal is too restrictive and is being placed on the ballot just to confuse voters and guarantee the defeat of both.

A landmark bill that would decriminalize marijuana use at the federal level is up for vote soon.

The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote on the legislation in September, according to an email sent out on Friday by Majority Whip James Clyburn. Politico first reported on the pending vote.

The "Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019" -- also called the MORE Act -- would officially remove cannabis from the list of federally controlled substances. It would also expunge federal marijuana convictions and arrests, and approve the allocation of resources for communities affected by the war on drugs, according to the bill's text.

"A floor vote on the bill would be the greatest federal cannabis reform accomplishment in over 80 years," the Global Alliance for Cannabis Commerce said in a statement Friday.

The House Judiciary Committee passed the bill, introduced by Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., and co-sponsored by more than 50 lawmakers, by a vote of 24-10 in November.

In many states, dispensaries are essential businesses during the pandemic. Here are some of the most common safety measures they’ve implemented.

Even though dispensaries are considered essential businesses, the pandemic has still affected them. Just like any other business, marijuana retailers are enforcing new safety measure to keep you COVID-free. Here are just a few of the precautions they’ve implemented.

Adapting to shopping trends

Unlike other businesses that have had to cope with less customers during the pandemic, dispensaries have been experiencing more visits and larger orders. While sales aren’t exactly as robust as they were when COVID first hit, don’t be surprised to see more people than usual in your dispensary or notice that some products have gone out of stock.

In order to keep people safe, dispensaries are limiting the amount of costumers they let inside, allowing for social distanced waiting lines that are usually held outdoors. Some dispensaries might also be implementing shopping schedules.

Implementing social distancing

Photo by Heath Korvola/Getty Images

How Next Months Trading Could Affect These Top Pot Stocks to Watch

A company in New Zealand has developed the world’s first hemp-based meat, which it plans to roll out as a sustainable alternative to meat as early as next year. 

With the COVID-19 pandemic firmly in place, industries relying on events are being forced to not only rethink their marketing and promotion strategies, they are also seeing a demand to take their shows online by innovating reactive, virtual platforms. 

Bill O’Reilly eyed my brother and me like a hungry lion looking over a couple of lambs. He twisted his face into the trademark O’Reilly sneer and scolded us with a tone of triumph: “Come on, you know what the ruse is, you know what the scam is.”

I’d known the comment was coming. It’s standard procedure for hostile journalists. They all think medical cannabis is a fraud.

My own cannabis recommendation is technically for chronic pain, but I used it for many other purposes. Some were unquestionably therapeutic, like helping me sleep. Others, like shaking off nervousness or sadness, seemed borderline. But there were some that just didn’t fit my definition of medical use, like enhancing the enjoyment of a meal or a piece of music.

Like most people, I used to be locked into an outdated illness concept of human health that views us as either sick or healthy. If we are sick, we go to the doctor, who writes a prescription or recommends a procedure, after which we are supposed to recover and go back to being healthy — if we’re lucky.

But over the last few decades, it has become evident that human health actually operates on a spectrum of wellness. That spectrum occupies the space between perfect health and acute sickness, and it is where most humans spend the majority of their lives.

Though science hasn’t gotten far when it comes to using CBD for sciatica, results from existing studies show CBD can help diminish neuropathic pain and inflammation caused by this condition. 

The studies primarily include research performed with Sativex, a drug that contains both CBD (non-psychoactive) and THC (the psychoactive component of cannabis). 

Clinical research found that Sativex is very effective for treating neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, and this medication is available for MS patients in Canada. 

Studies That Confirm The Effectiveness of a CBD-Containing Drug

During this study from 2006, patients with multiple sclerosis were given Sativex in the form of a spray, and researchers found that 8-12 sprays per day significantly diminished symptoms of MS, most notably neuropathic pain and muscle spasticity. 

Each spray of Sativex delivered 2.5 mg of CBD and 2.7 mg of THC, which in total comes to around 20~30 mg of CBD per day, and 22~32 mg of THC. 

The Netherlands has pioneered many parts of the cannabis industry as it has evolved and changed over the last half century. See the eponymous coffee shop.

As a nation, Holland is home to an entrepreneurial ethos that feels like a mixture of American free market economics overlaid on European sensibilities. Like Germany next door, for example, prostitution and cannabis have more or less been legal for a long time. Indeed cannabis and licensed sex workers were lumped together as “sin” industries, like in say, Las Vegas, New Orleans, or Sun City a bit further afield. Right down to the proximity of the real estate they shared (and sometimes still do) in say, Amsterdam.

Laissez (faire) les bons temps rouler and all that.

As a direct result, Holland and even more iconically its capital and most important port city, encapsulated and carried forward a dream of more accessible if not legal cannabis through very dark days indeed.

It has been a very long journey.

Since Arkansas voters passed the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment in 2016, more than 72,500 Arkansans have obtained Medical Marijuana Prescription Cards in order to obtain products to treat the 18 qualifying conditions.

These Arkansans include a sleepless cancer survivor, a 10-year-old epileptic child with seizures and a combat veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder. Here are the stories of the conditions that led them to pursue medical marijuana as a treatment and their experiences using the drug.

Like many seniors, Pat Edwards likes to stay in shape by exercising at the local community center. Every Tuesday, she and others would gather at the Bishop Park Senior Activity Center in Benton for line dancing class. One day in 2017, she noticed something a little different about herself.

Brian Chilson

A REMEDY FOR SLEEPLESSNESS: Cancer survivor Pat Edwards no longer needs her marijuana cookies every night.

As Executive Director of The Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association and as a former member of the Pennsylvania Department of Health Medical Marijuana Advisory Board, I would like to express my concerns, and those of many of our membership, about the legalization of marijuana and the relative effects on public safety in or communities.

I believe that marijuana legalization in Pennsylvania will pose significant challenges for law enforcement resulting from the unanticipated consequences it has on crime and public safety.

In our meeting with Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, we supported decriminalization. There is an important distinction to be made here for the commonwealth’s residents. Legalization of marijuana is the process of removing all legal prohibitions against it. Marijuana would then be available to the adult general population for purchase and use at will, similar to tobacco and alcohol. Decriminalization is the act of removing criminal sanctions against an act, article or behavior.

There are insufficient data to determine the true impact of legalized marijuana on crime and safety. However, studies in Colorado show:

One of the most salient concerns we have relates to the consequences of drug-impaired driving. We have all witnessed our share of crashes and traffic congestion, as well as vehicular, pedestrian and cyclist fatalities. Law enforcement officials are uniquely qualified to discuss the issues and concerns related to impaired driving.

It’s been four years since Florida voters signed off on a law legalizing medical marijuana, but cannabis patients in the Sunshine State have been unable to receive treatment in the form of edibles—until now.

The Florida Department of Health published new emergency rules on Wednesday evening that clear the way for the state’s medical marijuana industry to sell edible cannabis products. According to local television station WESH, the new rules allow licensed marijuana dispensaries in the state to “produce and sell THC-infused edible products like brownies and candy.” The edibles must be “lozenges, baked goods, gelatins, chocolates or drink powders,” the outlet reported.

Florida’s medical marijuana law was approved overwhelmingly by the state’s voters in 2016, with more than 70 percent supporting the proposal. But the law was beset with limitations. It wasn’t until last year that smokable medical marijuana was made available to Florida patients. That came after the state’s governor, Republican Ron DeSantis, signed a bill making smokeables legal.

“Over 70 percent of Florida voters approved medical marijuana in 2016,” DeSantis said in a tweet at the time. “I thank my colleagues in the Legislature for working with me to ensure the will of the voters is upheld.”

With The Change Comes Restrictions

The rule changes unveiled by the Florida Department of Health, which go into effect immediately, represent another expansion to the four-year-old law.

2020 will always be remembered as the year of coronavirus. In the retail marketplace, people were driven away from physical retail stores and became increasingly reliant on remote shopping. Also, many nervous consumers dealing with pandemic-induced stress and sleeping disorders have been embracing the relatively new marketplace of cannabidiol (CBD) products. 

Unfortunately, this dynamic has created a perfect storm for fraud, as scam artists hide behind the anonymity of the internet and prey on unsuspecting consumers with subpar, fake and/or counterfeit CBD goods. 

With snowballing fraud now jeopardizing the growth of the industry, it has become absolutely critical for manufacturers and distributors of CBD products to quickly stem the tide of abuse and guard against any further erosion of the relationship between consumer expectations and the CBD industry. Luckily, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and many online retail outlets now have tools available to help protect CBD brands and their customers from online scams. 

In an effort to slow the spread of fraud and counterfeits on its platform, Amazon has enacted a brand registry system that provides trademark owners with enhanced tools to more accurately present their brands to consumers, find and remove counterfeit products and other violations, and work directly with the Amazon enforcement team to proactively prevent violations and build brand presence.

These tools are invaluable in building marketplace momentum and protecting consumer interactions with your brand; however, a company must have an active federal trademark registration in order to participate. Amazon will not accept any other method of validating brand ownership for purposes of the registry, so trademark registration is now even more important than in the past.