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Long-Awaited Cannabis Legalization Bill Introduced In U.S. Senate

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Politics.

When it comes to cannabis policy, the United States is very unique. Cannabis still remains illegal at the federal level in the U.S., however, several states have legalized cannabis for adult use and all but two have legalized cannabis for medical purposes to some degree.

It’s a federalism policy discrepancy that has led to showdowns in the past in the form of dispensary raids and prosecutions. Fortunately, federal raids on state-legal cannabis businesses have subsided in recent years.

A supermajority of United States voters supports ending federal cannabis prohibition, with legalization receiving majority support from both sides of the aisle.

That bipartisan support comes at a time when the United States is as divided as much as ever before. In politically hostile times, you will be hardpressed to find a more winning political issue than cannabis reform.

Unfortunately, Congress has dragged its feet when it comes to passing legalization legislation. Federal cannabis reform measures have passed in the House of Representatives, but not the Senate. A new bill is giving new hope to the status quo changing. Per our friends at NORML:

United States Senate Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), along with Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) unveiled draft legislation repealing the federal prohibition of marijuana at a press conference on Wednesday.

The draft legislation, titled the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, makes numerous changes to federal marijuana laws while providing deference to states’ cannabis policies.

Upon introducing the legislation, Sen. Schumer said: “This is monumental because at long last we are taking steps in the Senate to right the wrongs of the failed war on drugs. … I will use my clout as Majority Leader to make this [legislation] a priority in the Senate. … It makes eminent sense to legalize marijuana.”

NORML Executive Director Erik Altieri said: “The days of federal prohibition are numbered. These actions by Senate Majority Leader Schumer and Senators Booker and Wyden reflect the fact that the supermajority of Americans is demanding that Congress take action to end the cruel and senseless policy of federal prohibition. It is time for legislators to comport federal law with the laws of the growing number of states that have legalized the plant, and it is time for lawmakers to facilitate a federal structure that allows for cannabis commerce so that responsible consumers can obtain high-quality, low-cost cannabis grown right here in America without fear of arrest and incarceration.”

NORML Political Director Justin Strekal added: “Our main priority is to ensure that Americans who choose to responsibly consume cannabis are no longer discriminated against under the law. “With one in eight Americans choosing to consume on a semi-regular basis, including nearly one in four veterans, we must end the practice of arresting over 500,000 Americans every year and denying countless others employment, housing, and other civic rights if we are truly to be the ‘Land of the Free’. The federal government can take great strides toward rectifying this situation by advancing the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act through the legislative process.”

Specifically, the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act directs the US Attorney General to remove marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances Act — thereby allowing states to either maintain or establish their own cannabis regulatory policies free from undue federal interference. Under this scheme, state governments – if they choose to do so – can continue to impose criminal penalties for marijuana possession offenses. However, states would not be permitted to prohibit the interstate commerce of legal cannabis products transported through their borders.

The proposal also mandates for the expungement of the records of anyone convicted of a federal, non-violent marijuana offense. The expungements must take place within one year of the law’s enactment.

The Act also forbids federal officials from taking discriminatory actions against those who legally use cannabis. It prohibits “individuals from being denied any federal public benefit … on the basis of [the] use or possession of cannabis.” It also, for the first time, permits physicians associated with the US Department of Veterans Affairs to make recommendations to their patients to access medical cannabis.

The proposal transfers primary agency jurisdiction over cannabis regulation from the US Drug Enforcement Administration to the Food and Drug Administration and to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau in manner similar to the ways in which these agencies already oversee alcohol and tobacco products. A federal excise tax of 10 percent would be imposed within the first year of the law’s enactment. Medical cannabis access programs, which are operational in the majority of US states, would not be disrupted under this federal plan.

Pending language in the US House of Representatives, the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act of 2021, similarly removes (deschedules) cannabis from the CSA and facilitates the expungement of past federal marijuana-related crimes. House lawmakers passed a previous version of the MORE Act in December by a vote of 228 to 164, marking the first time that a chamber of Congress ever advanced legislation to end the federal prohibition of cannabis. Senate lawmakers, however, failed to take up the bill.

Senators are seeking feedback on the draft legislation through September 1. Public comments may be provided to Cannabis_Reform@finance.senate.gov. In an interview with the publication Politico in April, Sen. Schumer pledged that he would hold a floor vote on the bill “sooner or later” this term. The Senate has never held a floor vote on legislation pertaining to descheduling cannabis.

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Innovative Cannabis Ready-To-Use Drug: World’s Largest Registration Trial By German Company Vertanical Has Started

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Medical.

  • Biopharmaceutical company Vertanical from Bavaria is testing an innovative finished drug based on a unique cannabis extract in the final clinical phase
  • Goal: Establishing an effective painkiller for millions of patients with chronic back pain

Hundreds of millions of people worldwide suffer from some type of back pain, including in Europe where an estimated 25 million people suffer from chronic lower back pain.

Chronic lower back pain is one of the most common reasons why adults visit the doctor and is responsible for a significant amount of lost productivity across the globe.

For instance, back pain is the second most common cause of sick leave and incapacity for work in Germany, second only to respiratory infections. Unfortunately, the problem is only getting worse with numbers rising year after year.

The causes of lower back pain are numerous, which makes prevention efforts very difficult. It’s estimated that as many as 80% of adults worldwide will develop back pain at some point in their lives, many instances of which result in several doctor visits prior to the patient receiving a sufficient diagnosis.

Current Treatments Are Problematic

When it comes to treating chronic lower back pain, doctors currently do not have that many options. Some people go the route of doing physical therapy, which can help mitigate future pain yet typically doesn’t provide any immediate relief.

The most common medical treatment for chronic lower back pain is opioid painkillers, which do provide immediate relief, however, that relief often comes with additional issues for many patients.

Common side effects for opioids include (but are not limited to):

  • Fatigue
  • Dizziness
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Constipation
  • Respiratory Depression

Any one of those side effects are undesirable on their own, but all of them pale in comparison to the most problematic opioid side effect of them all – dependency.

It’s no secret that opioids are very addictive and that opioid addiction is a major public health issue. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 115,000 people died in 2017 from opioids.

New Therapy Option Will Revolutionize Back Pain Treatment

Opioids and cannabis have been the subject of a number of studies, however, most of them are very general and don’t necessarily focus on one type of condition and how certain terpenes interact with those conditions.

To say that ‘cannabis helps pain’ is much different from ‘this specific dose of this specific cannabis medicine has been proven to help this specific condition, as backed up by scientific data.’ With that in mind, the results of a new study are going to be very significant for patients that suffer from chronic lower back pain.

A Munich-based biopharmaceutical company named Vertanical started the last clinical phase this month for a study that focuses on chronic lower back pain and a very specific terpene profile. The study involves 800 patients in approximately 100 qualified and renowned medical pain centers in Germany and Austria and is the largest, most comprehensive double-blind, placebo-controlled study of its kind. Some study participants will receive a placebo while others receive a specially designed medical cannabis product created by Vertanical.

Vertanical conducted extensive research with 500 different genetic types to develop a medicinal therapeutic product based on cannabis extracts with a terpene profile designed to successfully treat chronic low back pain and other chronic pain. The product and study’s creators seek to replace opioids with a much safer, effective, proven medicine.

“With the results of this study and the goal of approval as a finished medicinal product, we want to show the positive dimensions of effect that this unique cannabis-based medicine has for people with this condition. We want to establish a painkiller that is a potent and tolerable alternative to treatment with opioids,” says Dr. med. Clemens Fischer, founder of Vertanical, explaining the therapeutic goals.

Learn More About Vertanical At Our Upcoming Event In Berlin

Dr. med. Clemens Fischer, founder of Vertanical, will be presenting on this very topic at our upcoming International Cannabis Business Conference event in Berlin, which is taking place August 26-27.

Vertanical maintains one of the world’s most modern research facilities and plantations for the cultivation of medicinal cannabis in Denmark. Years of intensive and highly invested research have led to the development of a unique medicine that is expected to replace opioid analgesics worldwide in the future.

The company advises doctors and pharmacists on questions about cannabis therapy; in-depth knowledge is imparted in seminars in Germany and Denmark. The phase III study on the use of a cannabis extract for chronic low back pain heralds another chapter in the company’s history.

In the meantime, find out more about Vertanical via their website, and make sure to grab your tickets to see their team and many other industry-leading professionals and policy makers in Berlin in August!

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‘Cannabis Master Plan’ To Be Presented In South Africa

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Politics.

Cannabis reform is spreading across the African continent slowly but surely. There’s still a tremendous amount of work left to be done, but the momentum for the cannabis movement in Africa is greater than ever.

The country where that is most evident is probably South Africa. In 2018 South Africa’s top court issued a ruling that determined that cannabis prohibition was unconstitutional.

The Court’s ruling is similar to rulings that were issued in Mexico and Italy. Both of those countries have yet to fully implement the courts’ rulings via legislation.

The same is true for South Africa, although a ‘cannabis master plan’ is apparently on its way. Below is more information about it via a government press release:

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) is on the verge of presenting a Cannabis Master Plan to Nedlac.

DALRRD Minister Thoko Didiza says as the legalisation and the commercialisation of cannabis remains at the forefront of public debate and on top of the agenda for policymakers globally, the plan will be presented to the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) by the end of May 2021.

The Minister said this when she tabled the department’s budget vote in Parliament on Thursday.

She said this was one of several masterplans that the department will finalise as part of setting targets and implementing interventions to increase production in the sector.

“An inter-departmental team comprising representatives from various departments was established to guide the development of the National Cannabis Master Plan with [the department] as the convener.

“The Cannabis Master Plan is being presented to Nedlac before the end of May 2021.  The department will, as of October 2021, begin issuing and monitoring permits for the production of hemp in South Africa,” she said.

Interventions to bolster production

Didiza said in order to increase local production in the sector, a combination of interventions as well as different support systems will need to be implemented to realise this vision.

These includes:

  • Increasing land under production. This will mean cultivating land that has been given to individuals and communities through our land reform program and those in communal areas.
  • Strengthening the extension and advisory services by employing capable individual Officers;
  • Collaborating with the private sector and individuals who are willing to be mentors as well as able to give agreements to those who produce;
  • Strengthening government’s agri-financial services to support production;
  • Improving agricultural Research. The Agricultural Research Council will utilise the Parliamentary Grant to focus on the development of scientific solutions, inclusive of the development of new technologies and crop varieties, enhancing the quantity and quality of agricultural produce, devising climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, increasing sustainability, reducing consumer food prices.
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Rastafarians Petition Court In Kenya

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Cultural.

Humans have a long history with the cannabis plant. It is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the Eastern Asia region, being initially used for grain and fiber.

The oldest known use of the cannabis plant for the purpose of fiber and grains is in Japan on the Oki Islands, dating all of the way back to 8000 BCE.

Chinese Emperor Shen Nung, known as the ‘Father of Chinese Medicine’ included medical cannabis in written medical writings back in 2727 BCE. Evidence of cannabis being used for textile purposes dates back even farther in China’s history.

The oldest known evidence of cannabis use for intoxication purposes is found in Central Asia in roughly 2500 BCE, although, cannabis could have certainly been used for that purpose previously, we just haven’t discovered evidence of it yet.

Cannabis has also been used for religious purposes for many years, most notably by Rastafarians. Cannabis use plays a very big role in the Rastafarian religion.

Rastafarianism started in Jamaica and has spread to parts of Africa, including in Kenya where Rastafarians are petitioning to get an exemption from cannabis laws to be able to use cannabis for religious purposes. Per Tuko:

The Rastafarian Society of Kenya and one of their prophets, Mwenda Wambua, have moved to court seeking orders to decriminalise the use of Marijuana in their places of worship.

Through their lawyer Shadrack Wambui, the society sought the court to suspend Section 3 of the Narcotics Act which involves the arrest, prosecution and conviction of the members of the Rastafarian society for their spiritual and private growth and use of cannabis in their private homes or designated places of worship.

It’s unclear right now what the chances are of the petition being granted, but it’s certainly worth a shot. There’s a clear need for the exemption, being that Rastafarians have a legit religious need for it.

No one should be persecuted because of their cannabis use, and that includes cannabis use for religious purposes.

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The Unsung Hero Of Cannabis Compliance: Track-And-Trace

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Business.

The legal cannabis industry is a two-way street. On one side you have cannabis regulators whose goal is to protect public safety, build the guardrails for a well-functioning market, and be good stewards of the freedoms that cannabis activists have fought so hard for.

On the other side you have cannabis companies that create and deliver innovative products while still complying with those regulatory guardrails. It only takes one cannabis company operating ‘out of bounds’ to sully the reputation of the entire industry, at least to some degree. Laws, rules, and regulations are in place for good reason in the legal cannabis industry – to mitigate public health issues (among other things).

One of the most vital components of an effective compliance strategy is seed-to-sale tracking software. For those that are not familiar with the concept, seed-to-sale tracking software is essentially exactly what it sounds like – it tracks cannabis from start to finish. A cannabis seed or clone is assigned a number and tracked throughout its life and the cannabis that the plant yields (and the products that are derived from it) is then tracked through the point of sale.

In the majority of states in the United States where the cannabis industry legally operates the use of seed-to-sale tracking software is required. It’s a requirement that will no doubt become a standard feature of the legal cannabis industry everywhere that it exists in the future.

“Cannabis legalization immediately tasks state governments with a host of challenging demands, including protecting public health, establishing new testing and tracking protocols, and securing the regulated market against illicit product.” says Lewis Koski, COO of Metrc, a leading cannabis industry tracking software company.

Metrc designed the first seed-to-sale tracking system in close collaboration with state regulators in Colorado in 2011, and now has over 220,000 users across the United States – more than any other vendor of its type. Metrc has tracked over $15 billion in legal cannabis sales.

“In states with legal sales, cannabis businesses are required to account for their inventory at every stage of its development and production. Metrc’s system tracks every legal product back to the original source plant, giving state cannabis agencies the tools to ensure no illicit cannabis enters the regulated market, and no cannabis products are diverted and sold unlawfully elsewhere. Product destruction and disposal are similarly monitored to prevent diversion and unlawful sale.” Koski went on to say.

As with any large industry, product recalls occur in the cannabis industry from time to time despite the best efforts by responsible cannabis companies. Just as unforeseen product safety issues can arise with lettuce and automobiles, so too can the same occur with cannabis flower and other cannabis products. It is extremely important that product recall efforts be as streamlined as possible for the sake of public health, and seed-to-sale tracking is at the heart of those efforts.

“Metrc’s centralized database allows regulators to quickly identify, isolate, and recall plants and packages that have tested positive for contamination and deemed unsafe.” points out Lewis Koski.

Seed-to-sale tracking software also serves another important role in the emerging cannabis industry, which is something that Lewis Koski of Metrc points out as well. Data from the software can be used by lawmakers, regulators, and industry members to make the cannabis industry better for everyone.

“Data from robust track-and-trace systems can also streamline compliance, support government agencies and their ability to keep up with the fast-paced cannabis industry, and offer insights on sales growth and tax revenue.” Koski said.

Find out more about seed-to-sale tracking software’s vital role in the emerging cannabis industry at our upcoming events in Berlin, Germany (August 25-27) and Zurich, Switzerland (August 31 – September 1). Grab your tickets now to take advantage of early-bird pricing!

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French Multi-Party Parliamentary Report Calls For Cannabis Legalization

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Politics.

France is home to the greatest cannabis consumption rate out of any of the countries on the European continent according to the World Health Organization. In fact, consumption rates in France are more than double the European average.

Historically, France was home to one of the harshest cannabis policies in Europe, although cannabis is now decriminalized for personal possession. People caught with a personal amount of cannabis in France are now subjected to a 200 euro fine.

For many in France, decriminalization is not good enough, and they are demanding that France legalize cannabis for adult use. One of those people is French lawmaker François-Michel Lambert, who recently used a cannabis joint as a visual aid to hammer home his point as first reported by Marijuana Moment:

A French lawmaker caused a stir on Tuesday when he brandished a marijuana joint on the floor of the National Assembly, denouncing the criminalization of cannabis and calling for a policy change.

Deputy François-Michel Lambert said prohibition “is a total failure” and that “legalization would make it possible to dry up trafficking, create tax revenues and create jobs” before showcasing a cup with a cannabis leaf on it and then pulling a joint from it.

“Other countries have chosen to face the problem rather than the ostrich policy” of France, the deputy said.

Per Marijuana Moment’s reporting, the move by François-Michel Lambert came a day before a report from the National Assembly called for adult-use legalization.

“For fifty years, prohibition has adopted an unattainable objective, without ever having the means to achieve its ambitions. Regulated legalization is the best way to regain control and protect the French.” the report stated.

Hopefully lawmakers head the advice from the report because cannabis prohibition is an epic public policy failure that has ruined way too many lives.

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Revised Medical Cannabis Bill Close To Being Filed In Bahamas

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Medical.

Legal medical cannabis industries are operating all over the planet now thanks to reform victories in recent years and the tireless work of activists and advocates that made those reform victories possible.

Medical cannabis is even being exported across international borders from one country to another, often involving transport across an ocean or two.

With that being said, there are still many countries that continue to prohibit medical cannabis in all of its forms. One of those countries is the Bahamas.

Fortunately, a medical cannabis measure appears to be coming soon. Per The Nassau Guardian:

Following consultation with the Bahamas Christian Council (BCC), various medical professionals and Bahamians in the cannabis business abroad, Attorney General Carl Bethel said yesterday he expects to submit a redrafted medical marijuana bill to a Cabinet subcommittee for review this weekend.

Once the committee reads through the new draft, Bethel said he may present the bill to Cabinet for final approval either next week or the following week.

“(Retired Justice) Dame Anita Allen is working with the Law Reform Commission now to put all of the different suggestions that we deem to be workable, because not everything suggested is workable at the present time, into the redraft of the bill,” Bethel said.

In the summer of 2018 recommendations were offered up by the CARICOM Regional Commission on Marijuana to decriminalize cannabis in the Bahamas.

Later, the Bahamas National Commission on Marijuana recommended legalizing cannabis for medical use. As of right now, it appears that only the medical cannabis provisions will be included in the looming legislation, although we won’t know until the measure is officially submitted.

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Poll Shows That Most In U.S. Want Their State Legalized

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Politics.

Cannabis first became prohibited at the federal level in the United States in 1937. Complete prohibition was in place in the U.S. in all states until 1996 when California became the first state to legalize cannabis for medical use.

Since that time, every state except two (Idaho and Nebraska) have legalized cannabis for medical use, and an ever-growing list of states have legalized cannabis for adult use. Cannabis is also completely legal in Washington D.C.

Now, over 40% of U.S. residents live in a state/district where cannabis is completely legal. However, cannabis still remains illegal at the federal level.

A recent poll by CBS found that a majority of U.S. residents want their states to legalize cannabis for adult use, as outlined in a news release by our friends at NORML which can be found below:

The majority of US adults support legalizing the recreational use of marijuana in their states, according to nationwide polling data compiled by CBS News.

Fifty-five percent of respondents say that they want to see legalization in their home states. Among those already residing in legal states, 60 percent said that they favor the policy change.

Fifty-nine percent of respondents also favor expunging the criminal records of those with past marijuana convictions.

Few of those polled acknowledged being regular consumers of cannabis, and this decision appeared to be largely unaffected by the plant’s legal status. Seven percent of respondents residing in legal states reporting using cannabis versus five percent of those surveyed in jurisdictions where its recreational use remains illegal.

The CBS poll is the latest in a series of recent national polls showing that most Americans believe that the possession and use of marijuana by adults should be legally permitted.

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Lawmakers In Mexico Miss Another Cannabis Legalization Deadline

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Politics.

At the end of 2018, Mexico’s Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling, determining that cannabis prohibition was unconstitutional in Mexico.

As part of the ruling, the Court at the time mandated that lawmakers pass a legalization measure within one year to fully implement the Court’s ruling. Unfortunately, that did not happen.

The Court then issued an extension, and then another extension, and then yet another extension. Lawmakers failed to meet the latest extension, which expired at the end of April, as reported by Marijuana Moment:

This session, it seemed like the reform would finally be achieved. The Senate approved a legalization bill late last year, and then the Chamber of Deputies made revisions and passed it in March, sending it back to the originating chamber. A couple of Senate committees then took up and cleared the amended measure, but leaders quickly started signaling that certain revisions made the proposal unworkable.

That’s where the situation stood for weeks as the court’s latest April 30 deadline approached. There was an expectation that the Senate would again ask the court for an extension, but that did not take place. Instead, lawmakers have begun floating the idea of holding a special legislative session after June’s elections in order to get the job done this year.

A special session may be a really good idea, in that it lets lawmakers focus on passing the required cannabis legalization measure without all of the distractions that come with a standard session.

Mexico needs to do something that hasn’t been tried in the past because at this point legalization in Mexico is a ‘failure to launch.’ Part of that is due to COVID, however, a big part of it is just the slow-moving process that can be politics at times.

Lawmakers need to put their differences and special interests aside and do what is best for the country, including especially for cannabis consumers and patients in Mexico.