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Author: Johnny Green

International Travel Icon Rick Steves Urges Voters To Support Legalization

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Politics.

Rick Steves is one of the most beloved humans on earth. Steves’ books and television shows dedicated to traveling the world have been read/viewed by tens of millions of people all over the globe.

Steves is one of the biggest champions for cannabis reform that the cannabis community has ever known. He has fought for cannabis reform and leveraged his celebrity status to support legalization efforts all over the planet, including and especially in the United States.

Rick’s support of cannabis reform is a big reason why we were so honored to have him as a keynote speaker at our virtual cannabis event that we held earlier this year.

Rick Steves is urging voters in various states to support legalization initiatives that will be appearing on the ballot in November. Below is more information about it via a press release that was sent to us by our friends at NORML:

Internationally renowned travel guide, author, and NORML Board member Rick Steves released a video message today urging voters this November to decide in favor of a number of statewide ballot proposals seeking to legalize the use of marijuana for either medical or adult use.

In his message, Steves calls the criminalization of marijuana a “counterproductive law” with racist origins, and praises state-level legalization policies for having raised tax revenue, mitigated the size of the illicit market, and promoted civil liberties. “We’re glad we legalized [marijuana in Washington state in 2012] and so are citizens in lots of other states. And with this election, in your state you can legalize too. Be sure to vote, and vote ‘yes’ on marijuana.”

Voters in Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota will decide on adult-use legalization ballot initiatives on Election Day. Voters in Mississippi and South Dakota will decide this November on medicalization ballot measures.

In a text accompanying his video message, Steves wrote: “I’ve campaigned for marijuana legalization in six different states — Washington (2012), Oregon (2014), Massachusetts and Maine (2016), and Illinois and Michigan (2018) — and in each one, we’ve been successful. And for 2020, as I’m doing that work from home, I’ll be ‘barn-storming’ virtually in four states: New Jersey, Arizona, South Dakota, and Montana. We’re polling well in all four states and fully expect to win — as long as people who believe it’s time to update the racist and counter-productive current laws get out to vote.

“Partnering with MPP (the Marijuana Policy Project, in South Dakota and Montana) and NORML (the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws — of which I’m a longtime board member — in Arizona and New Jersey), I’ve committed myself to ten solid days of media work (from September 21 through September 30) in these four states.

“I see this work as a civic duty…an act of good citizenship. If you care about fighting racism, defending civil liberties, and replacing a thriving black market with a highly regulated and taxed legal one, I hope you can work to elect politicians who favor an end to the prohibition on marijuana with this year’s election.”

NORML‘s Erik Altieri said: “We are thrilled to have Rick Steves taking time out of his busy schedule to emphasize that marijuana prohibition laws are a tragic, costly, and counterproductive policies for our country. Rick knows, as do the majority of voters in this country, that it is time to end this failed policy and legalize marijuana.”

Further information and additional videos are available at RickSteves.com here.

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Zimbabwe Announces Rules For Cultivating Cannabis

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Business.

The legal cannabis industry is emerging all over the planet right now, and that includes spreading across the African continent. An increasing number of countries in Africa are getting on the right side of history and allowing the legal cannabis industry to operate.

One of those countries is Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe may not be the first country that a person thinks of when they think of cannabis reform and the emerging cannabis industry, however, the country is in the midst of a cannabis policy transformation.

Officials in Zimbabwe recently announced the rules that will govern cannabis production within Zimbabwe’s borders, along with rules pertaining to cannabis research. Per Bloomberg:

Anxious Masuka, the agriculture minister, under regulations published in a government gazette said three types of permits can be issued for growers, researchers and industrial hemp merchants.

Growers are only allowed to cultivate, market and sell industrial hemp and researchers may cultivate for research purposes. A merchant can contract individual farmers, procure and process industrial hemp into a specified product.

Zimbabwe’s current law only allows for the legal cultivation of hemp and not higher-THC varieties of cannabis. Hopefully as time goes by that restriction is lifted and all types of cannabis will be allowed to be legally cultivated.

For now, the rules that were announced will have to do, and it’s worth noting that they are far superior to prohibition. Historically, the cultivation of cannabis carried a prison sentence of up to 12 years.

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Cannabis Opponents’ Poll Backfires, Shows Legalization Winning By Large Margin

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Politics.

Support for cannabis reform has surged in the last 10 years according to various polls. It’s tough to say whether the polls are accurately reflecting a change in opinion among voters around the globe, or if people are just simply confident enough to now admit that they support cannabis reform and have for a very long time.

Regardless, the end result is that support for cannabis reform is at an all-time high, especially in the United States. A record 66% of respondents in Gallup’s annual cannabis legalization poll expressed support for legalization last year. The results for this year’s poll should be out any day, and it’s a safe bet that support for legalization has either remained consistent or increased.

A number of states will be voting on cannabis legalization in November in the United States, including South Dakota. South Dakota will be the first state in U.S. history to place medical legalization and adult-use legalization initiatives on the same ballot for voters to decide.

Cannabis opponents conducted their own poll recently to gauge voter interest in both of the South Dakota measures, and unfortunately for opponents (but fortunately for supporters!) the results were presumably not what opponents were hoping for, as reported by Marijuana Moment:

There’s strong support for each of the measures in the new prohibitionist-funded survey, which was conducted June 27-30 and announced in a press release on Thursday. Roughly sixty percent of South Dakota voters said they favor recreational legalization, while more than 70 percent said they back medical cannabis legalization, according to the No Way on A Committee, which didn’t publish detailed cross-tabs, or even specific basic top-line numbers, from the poll results.

The decision by the prohibitionist committee to release the results of a poll showing such broad support for legalization is an interesting one. Typically, ballot campaigns and candidates use polling results to demonstrate momentum, but perhaps the South Dakota group is seeking to sound the alarm and generate donations from national legalization opponents to help stop the measure. If South Dakota votes to legalize cannabis this November, that would signal that the policy can pass almost anywhere.

Neither cannabis reform measure in South Dakota is earth shattering so to speak. They are both sensible measures that have policy components that are already in place in other states.

Just as there are no significant issues regarding the policy changes in other states that have legalized cannabis for medical and/or adult use, the same will prove to be true in South Dakota. Hopefully the poll results prove to be accurate and South Dakota gets on the right side of history in November.

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Why Is The MORE Act Vote A Really Big Deal?

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Politics.

The United States House of Representatives is expected to hold a vote later this month that is going to be truly historic. Below is more information about it via a press release sent to us by our friends at NORML:

BY PAUL ARMENTANO, NORML DEPUTY DIRECTOR

Members of the US House of Representatives are expected to vote later this month on The Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement Act (a/k/a The MORE Act). Since its introduction last August, NORML has worked diligently to gain political support for the Act, which is now co-sponsored by nearly one-quarter of the US House.

While NORML anticipates successful passage of the bill in the House, we also recognize that this vote is far from the end of this campaign. Nonetheless, the forthcoming House vote will mark an important and significant milestone in the history of marijuana law reform.

First, Some Context

To date, 33 states and the District of Columbia regulate the production, sale, and use of marijuana and marijuana-infused products for medical purposes. Eleven of these states also permit marijuana possession by adults, and ten of them also regulate adult-use sales. Yet, to date, all of these state-level legalization policies are incongruous with federal law, which classifies the cannabis plant as a Schedule I criminal substance.

This state-federal conflict is problematic for a variety of reasons. For example, those who operate state-licensed marijuana establishments experience unnecessary fears and hardships as a result of this conflict – such as a lack of banking access, the failure to qualify for federal small business loans, and the lingering concern that one day their activities may be the target of a federal prosecution. Ultimately, only legislative action by the federal government can rectify this schizophrenic-like situation.

Of course, gaining Congressional approval for any legislation is a difficult task – over the past decade, fewer than three percent of bills or resolutions introduced in Congress were signed into law – and passing substantive marijuana reforms at the federal level is even more difficult. Nonetheless, passing legislation through Congress remains the most viable pathway for amending the federal Controlled Substances Act, so therefore it is the primary avenue that advocates must pursue.

What Does the MORE Act Do?

There are many competing marijuana-related reform bills pending in Congress. The MORE Act is the most significant and comprehensive of these legislative efforts.

Most importantly, The MORE Act removes cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act — thus providing individual states with the authority to be the primary arbiters of cannabis policy and eliminating the existing conflict between state-level marijuana legalization policies and federal law.

The MORE Act would also make several other important changes to federal marijuana policy. For example, it permits physicians affiliated with the Veterans Administration for the first time to make medical cannabis recommendations to qualifying veterans who reside in legal states, and it incentivizes states to move ahead with expungement policies that will end the stigma and lost opportunities suffered by those with past, low-level cannabis convictions. The MORE Act also allows the Small Business Administration to support entrepreneurs and businesses as they seek to gain a foothold in this emerging industry.

Why Is This Vote So Important?

Despite the reality that Senate GOP leaders, and Speaker Mitch McConnell in particular, at this time lack the appetite to advance even moderate cannabis reform legislation, House action on The MORE Act is significant nonetheless.

First, the House’s pending floor vote is historic. It will be the first time since the passage of the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 that a Congressional chamber has ever voted on legislation to remove marijuana from its prohibitive classification under federal law.

Second, this vote puts the 435 members of the House on record. Following this vote, the public will know who in the US House of Representatives stands with the majority of Americans in support of an end to the failed federal policy of marijuana prohibition. Conversely, voters will also know which members wish to continue to threaten the freedom and liberty of the millions of Americans who reside in states that have enacted common-sense alternatives to cannabis criminalization.

Third, a majority vote in favor of MORE will provide reformers with significant political clout to encourage the Biden campaign to take a more progressive and aggressive stance on the marijuana reform issue. Currently, the campaign has publicly endorsed a policy of marijuana rescheduling – a policy that NORML believes is woefully inadequate and that could inadvertently complicate statewide reform efforts. However, approval of The MORE Act by the Democratic-controlled House could be the impetus necessary for the Biden campaign to revisit its existing stance and move in a direction that provides for federally descheduling marijuana — a position already held by Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris..

Finally, the advancement of The MORE Act by the House sets the stage for a potential, and necessary, Senate battle in 2021. If Democrats gain majority control of the Senate in November, our most significant hurdle – Speaker Mitch McConnell – will no longer be able to single-handedly stonewall legislative progress. Further, several powerful Senate Democrats,  such as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, are already on record in support of descheduling and would likely be receptive to debating and advancing this and other important marijuana reform legislation in the next Congress.

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NORML advocates for changes in public policy so that the responsible possession and use of marijuana by adults is no longer subject to criminal penalties. NORML further advocates for a regulated commercial cannabis market so that activities involving the for-profit production and retail sale of cannabis and cannabis products are safe, transparent, consumer-friendly, and are subject to state and/or local licensure. Finally, NORML advocates for additional changes in legal and regulatory policies so that those who use marijuana responsibly are no longer face either social stigma or workplace discrimination, and so that those with past criminal records for marijuana-related violations have the opportunity to have their records automatically expunged.

Find out more at norml.org and read our Fact Sheets on the most common misconceptions and myths regarding reform efforts around the country

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Colorado Dispensaries Sold A Record Amount Of Cannabis In July

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Business.

Colorado and Washington State were the first two states in the U.S. to vote to legalize cannabis for adult use. The successful legalization votes in Colorado and Washington predate Canada and Uruguay’s legalization laws.

At the time both states were celebrated for their historic public policy changes. Legal adult-use sales took longer to launch in Washington, which made Colorado the first state to ever allow legal adult-use cannabis sales in the United States (January 2014).

Since the start of 2014 when legal adult-use sales began in Colorado, the world has watched closely to try to gain insight regarding what has worked and what hasn’t, in Colorado, and how big Colorado’s industry will eventually get.

Since Colorado launched adult-use sales a number of other states have followed suit. That has led many industry observers to wonder what Colorado’s ceiling is when it comes to sales? Apparently, there is still room for growth based on recent sales figures. Per Westword:

Most business owners will be shaking their fists at 2020 for the remainder of their lives, but this year has been kind to the marijuana industry. After setting a new monthly record in June, dispensary sales kicked down the door in July, crossing the $200 million mark for the first time, according to the state’s Department of Revenue.

Colorado marijuana sales started booming in May, increasing 23 percent over April to nearly $192.2 million, and they haven’t looked back. Dispensaries sold almost $199 million worth of weed in June, then jumped another 12 percent to over $226.3 million in July, DOR numbers show. That’s more than $617.4 million in legal marijuana sales in three months.

Why isn’t every state doing what Colorado is doing by allowing adult-use sales? The amount of tax revenue and jobs that Colorado’s industry has created, in addition to boosts to local economies, is significant. There’s no real downside to permitting regulated cannabis sales.

Colorado’s industry growth has started to level off, however, it clearly has not hit its peak yet. Over half a decade has passed since the first legal adult-use transaction occurred, and sales are still climbing.

Even if July proves to be the ceiling for Colorado’s industry, the numbers are still impressive if they can be maintained and sales figures should raise the eyebrows of every lawmaker in every prohibition state that is searching for solutions to address ongoing budget shortfalls.

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Jamaican Officials Highlight Efforts To Increase Cannabis Imports/Exports

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Business.

The cannabis plant is obviously a big part of the culture in Jamaica. Cannabis is consumed for religious purposes in Jamaica, in addition to medical and recreational purposes. Few countries on earth, if any, are as revered for their quality of cannabis as Jamaica is.

With that being said, Jamaica clearly has a rightful spot at the front of the line when it comes to the emerging cannabis industry. The cannabis industry is spreading all over the globe, and some countries like Canada are reaping the rewards of international cannabis commerce.

Unfortunately, Jamaica has struggled in some ways to try to navigate the cannabis industry at the international level. One major hurdle that Jamaica has run into is banking. Several times industry and government officials in Jamaica have cited inadequate access to international banking services as hindering the growth of Jamaica’s cannabis industry.

Jamaica is trying very hard to be an international leader in the cannabis industry and specifically to boost cannabis imports and exports. International commerce is very difficult without adequate access to banking services. Fortunately, that has not dampened the spirit of government officials in Jamaica. Per Jamaica Information Service:

Director of Research Development and Communications at the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA), Felicia Bailey, says the agency is committed to facilitating the import and export of cannabis until the import/export regulations are promulgated.

Under the Interim Measures, licensees can export cannabis inflorescence/buds and extracts from Jamaica to jurisdictions across the world. CLA licensees have exported to countries such as Canada, Australia, Israel, Zimbabwe and the Cayman Islands.

“Getting into the global space is what we are aiming for, as becoming global players is very important, and that is why we are doing all that we can to ensure that our licensees have that ability to export and they have been taking advantage of that opportunity,” said Ms Bailey at a recent JIS Think Tank.

Obviously, the global demand for authentic Jamaican cannabis is enormous. Entrepreneurs in Jamaica should be able to take full advantage of changing policies in many countries regarding cannabis, and in the process create jobs, boost the local economy in Jamaica, and raise public funds via tax revenues and licensing fees.

Legal international cannabis sales are still in the infancy stage by all measures, and Jamaica is not the only country experiencing growing pains. The rules and regulations regarding international cannabis commerce are largely being written right now, and in an odd scenario in which cannabis is still prohibited by various international treaties. Bumps and hurdles are to be expected.

The growing pains will likely continue for Jamaica and other countries throughout this decade, but eventually the dust will settle and the regulatory framework for imports and exports will become more stable. Once that happens, Jamaica will hopefully have taken its rightful place in the legal cannabis industry and be a true international powerhouse.

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Study: Hemp Essential Oil Can Inhibit Or Reduce Bacterial Growth

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Science.

The hemp plant is one of the most versatile plants on earth. It has the ability to feed, to clothe, and to heal. It is estimated that the hemp plant can be used to make tens of thousands of products from paper to plastic.

For many centuries hemp was primarily associated with making rope and textiles. However, that has changed in recent years with the rise in popularity and the availability of hemp-derived oil.

Hemp oil can come in various forms, with the most common being in a liquid capsule form. The hemp plant is rich in the cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD), and CBD has been found by numerous studies and personal experiences to help successfully treat a number of health conditions, especially epilepsy.

Essential oil made from the hemp plant appears to be able to inhibit or reduce bacterial growth, at least according to the results of a recent study.

A team of researchers in Italy recently explored the relationship between hemp oil and bacteria, especially when it comes to food products. “The essential oil extracted from these inflorescences was investigated for the antioxidant potentialities and for the terpenic profile.” the researchers stated.

The researchers went on to say, “The antibacterial activity of hemp essential oil (HEO) against some pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms isolated from food was also evaluated by determining the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC).”

“The results obtained suggest that hemp essential oil can inhibit or reduce bacterial growth, also exerting antioxidant activity, and therefore it can find an advantageous application in the food processing field.” the study’s authors concluded.

Results from this study are significant because hemp oil is likely to be used a lot in food products going forward.

Hemp oil is quickly becoming labeled as a ‘super food’ by many nutritionists, and the fact that hemp oil may be able to inhibit or reduce bacterial growth makes it an even more viable ingredient in foods than many previously thought.

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South Africa’s Parliament To Miss Cannabis Legalization Vote Deadline

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Politics.

As it stands only Canada and Uruguay have legalized cannabis for adult use. The two nations’ legalization model differs in many ways, however, both countries permit the possession, cultivation, and legal sales of adult-use cannabis in one way or another.

Many other countries are exploring ending cannabis prohibition within their borders, and Mexico and Italy have court decisions in place that require legalization to be implemented. Neither Mexico nor Italy has seen its lawmakers step up and successfully pass a legalization measure.

One country that is not on many people’s radars when it comes to legalization is South Africa. South Africa’s Parliament has been in discussions to legalize cannabis for adult use for a while now and was set to vote on a legalization measure in order to comply with a 2018 court ruling.

Unfortunately, it appears that the vote will not happen, at least not by the initial deadline of September 17. Below is more information about what is being proposed, per Business Day:

According to the Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill, the maximum quantity allowed for possession for personal consumption will be 600g of dried cannabis or cannabis equivalent per adult, or 1,200g per dwelling occupied by two or more people. The maximum permissible quantity in a public place will be 100g.

In terms of cultivation no more than four cannabis plants can be grown per adult or not more than eight plants in a dwelling occupied by two or more people. Dealing will remain prohibited, as will smoking cannabis in public.

It is unclear at this time if/when the measure will get another chance at a vote. With a court ruling having been previously handed down, it’s fair to assume that a legalization measure will eventually be passed and implemented in South Africa.

With that being said, the effort to legalize in South Africa could linger on for a while. After all, the process involves politicians, and politicians are not exactly the most efficient when it comes to getting things done.

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Cannabis Consumers Prefer Floral Cannabis Over Concentrates According To Survey

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Business.

For many decades cannabis flower dominated the unregulated market. Cannabis concentrates, often referred to as ‘hash’, were a novelty. That’s not to say that cannabis concentrates weren’t popular among consumers, because they absolutely were. However, access to hash and other concentrates was very rare.

Zoom forward to today, and cannabis concentrates are far more common, especially in regulated states. Cannabis concentrates are readily available at almost all regulated dispensaries, including in vape pen cartridge form as well as various other forms of concentrates.

Many wondered if the increased availability of concentrates would create a situation in which sales of cannabis flower would significantly diminish. Many consumers feel that cannabis concentrates are a more convenient way to consume cannabis.

It appears that cannabis flower is still holding strong, and is still considered to be more desirable to many patients and consumers, per the results of a recent study. Below is more information about the study via a press release sent to us from our friends at NORML:

Nearly eight in ten cannabis consumers say that they prefer herbal cannabis over marijuana-infused concentrates, according to data published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Concentrates typically possess significantly higher cannabinoid levels, in particular THC, than does herbal cannabis.

Researchers with Arizona State University surveyed 574 subjects with a history of consuming both herbal cannabis and marijuana concentrates. Seventy-eight percent of respondents selected herbal cannabis over concentrates as their “preferred type of cannabis.” Respondents said that the consumption of concentrates was more likely to result in unwanted effects, such as paranoia, memory disruption, and hangovers. Respondents also said that herbal cannabis was more effective at providing pain relief and that it was a better value for their money than concentrates.

Authors concluded: “Findings showing that marijuana produces greater positive effects than concentrates are consistent with cannabis administration studies documenting that moderate THC doses are preferred to high doses. … The present study suggests that, contrary to concerns, ultra-high THC cannabis, such as concentrates, might not produce greater positive, reinforcing effects relative to lower-THC cannabis, such as marijuana (flower).”

Commenting on the study’s findings, NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: “The conclusion that most marijuana consumers prefer low-to-moderate potency options over high potency options is hardly surprising. Just as the majority of those who consume alcohol prefer relatively low potency beer or wine over hard liquor, most adult-use cannabis consumers gravitate toward herbal cannabis preparations and away from the comparatively stronger alternatives.”

Separate analyses of retail sales data, such as those here and here, report that consumers are far more likely to purchase herbal cannabis than any other type of cannabis preparation.

Full text of the study, “A within-person comparison of the subjective effects of higher vs. lower-potency cannabis,” appears in Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

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NORML advocates for changes in public policy so that the responsible possession and use of marijuana by adults is no longer subject to criminal penalties. NORML further advocates for a regulated commercial cannabis market so that activities involving the for-profit production and retail sale of cannabis and cannabis products are safe, transparent, consumer-friendly, and are subject to state and/or local licensure. Finally, NORML advocates for additional changes in legal and regulatory policies so that those who use marijuana responsibly are no longer face either social stigma or workplace discrimination, and so that those with past criminal records for marijuana-related violations have the opportunity to have their records automatically expunged.

Find out more at norml.org and read our Fact Sheets on the most common misconceptions and myths regarding reform efforts around the country