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Author: Johnny Green

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Canada Grants Only 257 Cannabis Pardons In Program’s First Year

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Politics.

A cannabis offense on a person’s record can literally ruin their life. When someone is arrested and convicted of a cannabis offense, the initial punishment is the fine and/or incarceration. However, the punishment continues well after the offender has served their ‘debt to society.’

Cannabis offenders are essentially branded with the ‘cannabis scarlet letter’ and they carry it for as long as the offense pops up on background checks, which can prove to be the case for decades after the offense.

A cannabis offense on a record can result in someone being turned down for a job that they are otherwise qualified for. It can prevent people from receiving government assistance, including financial aid for college. People can lose out on housing opportunities and can even be prevented from volunteering for various organizations and causes.

No one should have to live like that – not for possessing a plant that is 114 times safer than alcohol. Canada, which legalized cannabis for adult use in 2018, launched a program roughly a year ago that was geared towards helping folks get cannabis offenses removed from their records. Unfortunately, it appears that the program has not helped enough people. Per CBC:

It has been one year since the government launched a program offering Canadians with a criminal record for simple pot possession a fast, free pardon — but only 257 people have been granted one so far.

Critics say the low number proves the program is “unconscionable” and a “total failure.” They’re calling on the government to deliver an automatic removal of those criminal records.

According to figures provided by the Parole Board of Canada (PBC), 458 people have applied to the program. Of those, 259 were accepted for consideration, with 257 granted and two discontinued. Another 194 applications were returned because the person was ineligible or the file was incomplete, while five more are still in the works.

It should be a standard feature of any legalization measure going forward, regardless of the country or jurisdiction, that past cannabis convictions get automatically expunged and the records sealed.

It makes zero sense for someone to continue to be punished, no matter how major or minor the punishment is, after the binding law is changed.

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South Africa Cabinet Approves Measure To Regulate Private Cannabis Use

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Politics.

As of right now, there are only two countries that have legalized cannabis for adult use. Uruguay was the first (2013) and Canada was second (2018).

Two other nations, Mexico and Italy, have court rulings in place that mandate the implementation of a regulated adult-use system, however, compliance with the court decisions has yet to occur in those countries.

A handful of other countries, including the Netherlands, are exploring pilot programs to ‘test the waters’ of cannabis legalization. Assuming that the pilot programs are launched and prove to be successful, those nations could end up legalizing cannabis for adult use sooner rather than later.

One nation that appears to be moving in the right direction is South Africa. South Africa’s cabinet recently approved a measure that would legalize personal cannabis consumption by adults. Per Business Tech:

“This Bill regulates the use and possession of cannabis and the cultivation of cannabis plants by an adult for personal use.

“It provides the limit of the quantity of cannabis that may be possessed by an adult and criminalizes the smoking of cannabis in public places. ”

The bill will have to face parliamentary consideration and a public consultation process before being signed into law.

Cannabis prohibition is a failed public policy no matter where it exists, including in South Africa. The cannabis plant has been found to be 114 times safer than alcohol, and if alcohol can be used responsibly and legally by adults in South Africa, the same activity should be allowed when it comes to cannabis.

The odds of the measure making it all the way to becoming law is unclear at this time. As previously noted, there are additional steps that have to be overcome in order for the measure to get to the finish line, and there will no doubt be hurdles that pop up. However, the measure moving forward via the recent vote is definitely encouraging.

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The United Kingdom Can Legalize Cannabis To Help Address Institutional Racism

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Politics.

Cannabis prohibition is a failed public policy no matter where it exists. It is often a form of institutional racism as well, which is often demonstrated in arrest statistics.

For instance, in the United States, African American individuals are nearly four times as likely to be arrested for cannabis compared to Caucasian individuals. There also seems to be a similar issue in the United Kingdom.

According to cannabis advocates lobbying lawmakers in the United Kingdom, cannabis prohibition has a disproportionate impact on Black people in the U.K. Per Independent:

One in five of those found guilty of cannabis possession in England and Wales last year was black, official figures show, prompting accusations of racial injustice at the heart of the UK’s drug laws.

Campaigners said the rate was grossly disproportionate when only an estimated 3 per cent of the population is black.

They also warned of a link between the convictions and the police stop and search policy, a central concern during the Black Lives Matter protests.

The math speaks for itself. Whenever a subpopulation only makes up 3 percent of the total population, yet is subjected to roughly 20 percent of public policy violation enforcement, it’s blatant institutional discrimination.

If the United Kingdom wants to address racial injustices in the U.K. then it clearly needs to address cannabis prohibition. If Canada and Uruguay can legalize cannabis for adult-use without any major issues then the United Kingdom should be able to do the same.

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Illinois Adult-Use Cannabis Sales Set A Record In July

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Business.

The State of Illinois is one of the most populated states in the U.S. and is also home to a regulated adult-use cannabis industry. Illinois’ adult-use industry is one of the most regulated and limited models in the country.

With that being said, the model is still popular enough with consumers to generate sizable tax revenue. In fact, the month of July saw Illinois break a record for tax revenue, as outlined in a recent Chicago Tribune article:

Illinois marijuana shops sold almost $61 million in recreational weed in July, beating the previous record set in June by $13.4 million.

In all, dispensaries have sold about $300.1 million in recreational marijuana since sales started in Illinois Jan. 1.

Much like Washington State, Illinois does not permit adult-use cultivation, however, cultivating up to 5 plants for personal use is only punishable by a $200 fine, compared to cultivation still being a felony in Washington State.

Many lawmakers expressed concern regarding home cultivation when cannabis policies were being crafted which is presumably why it was left out of the model.

However, with personal cultivation not carrying a large penalty, and adult-use sales continuing to spike, it makes sense to remove the penalty for personal cultivation, as it will likely not have a significant impact on tax revenues.

Illinois’ legalization model is not perfect, however, it is better than prohibition and clearly the public policy change is benefiting the state. Hopefully, it builds momentum for other states, and for other nations, to get on the right side of history.

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U.S. House Votes To Protect Legal Marijuana States From Federal Interventions

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Politics.

Below is a press release from NORML containing breaking news:

Washington, DC: Today, the House of Representatives by voice vote passed a wide-ranging amendment restricting the Department of Justice from spending taxpayer dollars to enforce federal anti-marijuana laws in the majority of US states that regulate either the adult-use and/or medical use of cannabis.

A roll call will be made later today and published at NORML.org.

“This is the most significant vote on marijuana policy reform that the House of Representatives has taken this year,” said NORML Political Director Justin Strekal. “The importance of this bipartisan vote cannot be overstated as today; nearly one in four Americans reside in a jurisdiction where the adult use of cannabis is legal under state statute. It is time for Congress to acknowledge this reality and retain these protections in the final spending bill.”

“The next logical step for House Leadership is to bring legislation to the floor to end prohibition and demonstrate to the American people that the era of marijuana criminalization is drawing to a close,” Strekal concluded.

Since 2014, members of Congress have passed annual spending bills that have included language protecting those who engage in the state-sanctioned use, production, and dispensing of medical cannabis from undue prosecution by the Department of Justice. The Blumenauer-McClintock-Norton-Lee amendment expands these protections to also include activities specific to the production and sale of cannabis to adults in the eleven states that have legalized the plant for anyone age 21 or older.

Similar language was passed by the House last year, yet the provision was stripped out of the final appropriations package in the conference committee.

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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 factsheets on the most common misconceptions and myths regarding reform efforts around the country at norml.org/marijuana/fact-sheets

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Will Cannabis Play A Big Role In The 2020 U.S. Election?

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Politics.

Cannabis policy in the United States has advanced by leaps and bounds in the last couple of decades. Non-hemp cannabis is still very much illegal at the federal level in the U.S., however, many states have reformed their cannabis laws, including a growing list of states that have legalized cannabis for adult use.

Support has never been greater for national cannabis legalization in the U.S. with the most recent Gallup poll (October 2019) finding that 66% of U.S. voters support adult-use legalization. That is up from 44% in 2010. The times are changing, and they are changing fast.

The 2020 Election in the United States is quickly approaching, and a number of states are likely to vote on adult-use and/or medical cannabis legalization. Below is a recap, taken from an outstanding summary published by our friends at Leafly:

  • *Arizona (adult-use)
  • *Montana (adult-use)
  • Mississippi (medical)
  • *Nebraska (medical)
  • New Jersey (adult-use)
  • South Dakota (medical and adult-use)

The states that have an asterisk by them have seen campaigns turn in enough signatures to make the ballot, however, final verification by state officials is still pending, so in theory, the measures could not actually make the ballot if enough signatures prove to be invalid. Hopefully, all of them will make the ballot.

Regardless, reform is already going to be on the ballot in at least Mississippi, New Jersey, and South Dakota, which is significant. Also, elected officials will be up for re-election in every state, and fresh faces are trying to become elected in November, and every one of them presumably has some stance on cannabis policy for better or worse.

Cannabis policy is a serious topic now in U.S. politics, and the years of expressing support for cannabis reform being considered ‘political suicide’ are long gone. Now, if a candidate is not on the right side of history, they receive significant push back because cannabis is such a popular and mainstream political issue. It can literally make the difference between someone being elected or not.

Studies have found that when cannabis reform is on the ballot it increases voter turnout because voters that normally don’t participate do so in order to vote for cannabis, and that has a butterfly effect on the rest of the election in the jurisdiction.

If cannabis reform actually makes the ballot in every state listed above and voter turnout spikes, it could have a significant impact on local, state, and even federal elections. Even in states where reform isn’t specifically on the ballot, cannabis voters will still have a significant impact on elections via their support of pro-cannabis candidates over anti-cannabis candidates. The cannabis community is a huge voting block now, thankfully.

The 2020 Election is arguably the most significant election in United States history, and all eyes will be on the results in November. All we can do is wait and watch as things develop and see how the dust settles, but it’s a safe bet that cannabis voters are going to heavily influence voting outcomes across the country.

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Ontario Regulators End Cannabis Delivery And Curbside Pickup Services

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Business.

The ongoing pandemic has altered the way that most, if not all of us, live. All over the planet, people are adapting to the changes that local and national governments have put in place, and are continuing to adapt as those changes evolve (sometimes on a weekly basis).

COVID has also affected the way that entire industries operate, including the cannabis industry. From cultivation operations to distribution operations to retail outlets, cannabis regulators and entrepreneurs have jumped through many hoops to help maintain public safety.

In Ontario, regulators put in place temporary rules that allowed cannabis delivery and curbside pickup services for dispensaries. Unfortunately, it appears that those services will no longer be permitted:

Cannabis delivery and curbside pickup services are great options for customers and patients, and there’s no logical reason to prohibit those services even when a pandemic is not going on.

Safety concerns regarding COVID still exist, and therefore the delivery and curbside services should absolutely remain in place. As far as we can tell, there have been no reported issues related to either service in Ontario.

Regulators in Ontario should reconsider their decision and reinstate the temporary rules to allow delivery and curbside pickup services – or even better, make those rules permanent.

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Ireland Is Delivering Medical Cannabis To Patients Who Cannot Travel To The Netherlands

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Medical.

Every suffering patient deserves safe access to proven medications that help treat their condition(s). Anyone who disagrees lacks compassion. Unfortunately, not every suffering patient has safe access to a popular, effective, and safe medication – the cannabis plant.

A number of countries continue to prohibit cannabis, even for medical purposes. Among the list of countries that do allow medical cannabis, many have programs that are so limited that most suffering patients are left on the outside looking in.

Ireland is home to a limited medical cannabis program, which results in many suffering patients traveling to The Netherlands in order to obtain cannabis. Traveling is much harder right now due to the ongoing pandemic.

Fortunately for the limited number of approved patients in Ireland, their government is helping bridge the gap. Per The Times:

The Department of Health is delivering medicinal cannabis to patients during the pandemic due to travel restrictions and quarantine requirements.

There are about 30 patients with a licence from the government which allows them to travel to the Netherlands to collect medicinal cannabis.

For the 30 patients that this program helps, this is a great thing. However, for the remaining countless suffering patients in Ireland, the gesture by the government is obviously meaningless.

The suffering patients of Ireland deserve to have a comprehensive medical cannabis program – one that helps all suffering patients and allows them to cultivate their own cannabis, in addition to other robust safe access options.

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Major League Soccer May Approve A CBD Sponsorship In 2020

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Business.

Cannabis reform is spreading to all parts of the globe, and that includes professional sports. For many decades professional sports leagues have prohibited cannabis in all forms, including in advertising.

Cannabis prohibition is a harmful policy wherever it exists, and that obviously includes professional sports. Athletes should be measured by their athletic abilities and moral character – not by the level of THC metabolites that they have in their bodily fluids.

The NHL was a pioneer when it comes to cannabis policy, in that it has not included cannabis on its list of banned substances for many years. Other leagues are warming up to the idea. One front of cannabis reform in sports that has been problematic is cannabis-based advertising.

Sports leagues, and teams within those leagues, bring in a lot of revenue from advertising and sponsorships. Numerous cannabis companies would love to support professional sports teams in that manner, however, such advertising is prohibited in most leagues.

Major League Soccer might be changing their policy soon, and allowing CBD advertising. Per Sports Business Daily:

It is “likely” that the MLS Board of Governors will approve CBD as a new commercial opportunity for teams by the end of 2020, multiple sources tell SBJ’s Mark J. Burns & Terry Lefton.

Commissioner Don Garber last month said that the league would suffer a $1 billion loss in revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic. Sources said that allowing even more commercial opportunities, like with CBD, would help teams and the league recoup some of that money, albeit only a small fraction.

Cannabis advertising revenue will not fix every economic issue that Major League Soccer is experiencing, just as it doesn’t fix every single budget issue when it comes to cannabis tax revenue and governments.

However, that new revenue source can help to some extent, and given the fact that CBD is legal nationwide in the U.S. and in a growing number of countries, and CBD is non-toxic and does not induce intoxication, allowing CBD advertising in the MLS, or in any professional sports league, is an obvious no-brainer.