EP101 (07.29.2019) Oregon Hempfest Sessionz Continue w/ Irie Rockerz, Last Dab Standing/Cannabis vs. Cancer Campout, Project Scarecrow & Tastee Treats

More from Roo’s 2019 Oregon Hempfest Sessions - Roo gets down n’ dirty w/members of the cannabis community from the West coast to the East!  Interviews Include:

• Irie Rockers of Humboldt County - Northern Cali Reggae Rock Band - a dynamic musical experience!​​​
• Project Scarecrow - Our mission is to facilitate or assist access to quality of life products, therapies and other services for Oregonians with debilitating medical conditions.
• Tastee Treats - Yummy edibles, topicals, vapes and other cbd products. 
• Travis from Last Dab Standing // Cannabis vs. Cancer Campout! Last Dab Standing is the newest Cannasport taking the Pacific NorthWest by storm w/ PGN monthlies and Oregon Hempfest and 710. Will you be the Last Dabber? // The 4th anuual Cannabis vs Cancer Campout is a private fundraiser Hosted by TeamCvsC. Nestled back in the beautiful woods in a quiet campground located right next to Cougar Hot Springs and the Mckenzie River with easy access to both all weekend. A section will be designated to accommodate the needs of the disabled community. Those who attend can enjoy this amazing gathering as an intersection of family fun, full of information, music, art, and most importantly giving back to the cancer community together. Where beautiful souls can gather with positive spirits and relax while enjoying a weekend of fun sharing personal experiences, strengths, and hopes with each other. Bringing the community closer, an Army Bigger and Stronger. Spend a few hours with your feet in the water, or sit and relax in a nice warm hot spring there's family fun for everyone!

//CANNABIS NEWS// July 22-29, 2019

//HEADLINES//

• Forbes — The chairman of a key congressional committee responsible for crime policy is teaming up with a senator running for president to file legislation on Tuesday that would federally legalize marijuana and seek to repair some of the harms of a war on drugs that has been waged primarily against people of color. The move by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), who leads the Judiciary Committee, and 2020 Democratic contender Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) signals that, at least on the House side of the Capitol, a floor vote to end federal cannabis prohibition could come before the end of the year. If enacted, the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act would remove marijuana and THC from the Controlled Substances Act, provide for expungement and resentencing of prior convictions and prevent federal agencies from using cannabis as a reason to deny access to benefits or citizenship status for immigrants. It would also impose a five percent federal tax on the sales of marijuana products. Some of that revenue would be directed toward a new Opportunity Trust Fund aimed at supporting grant programs to provide job training and legal aid for people impacted by prohibition enforcement, loans for small marijuana businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals and efforts to minimize barriers to licensing and employment in the legal industry. Some of these efforts would be run through a new Cannabis Justice Office in the Department of Justice.
• A scientific review concluded that "CBD may reduce problems related with crack-cocaine addiction, such as withdrawal symptoms, craving, impulsivity and paranoia” and is a “promising candidate” to treat methamphetamine, cocaine and other stimulant use disorders. Marijuana Moment — Previous studies have indicated that cannabidiol (CBD) has the potential to help people battling substance use disorders involving alcohol and opioids. Now, new research suggests that the non-intoxicating marijuana compound could also benefit those addicted to cocaine, amphetamine and methamphetamine. Currently, there are no pharmaceutical treatment options for people dependent on cocaine and meth. Between 2015 and 2019, however, scientists ramped up their investigations into how CBD may impact addiction to these stimulants. Researchers at the University of Valencia and University of Zaragoza in Spain reviewed the current literature and determined that some preliminary studies suggest CBD is “a promising candidate” for these stimulant abuse disorders, though more research is necessary. “A limited number of preclinical studies indicate that CBD could have therapeutic properties on cocaine and METH addiction and some preliminary data suggest that CBD may be beneficial in cocaine-crack addiction in humans,” the study states. “CBD has shown promising results in reducing the inflammation and seizures induced by cocaine and in several preclinical models of addiction to amphetamine, cocaine and METH. Importantly, a brief treatment of CBD induces a long-lasting prevention of reinstatement of cocaine and METH seeking behaviours.” 
• Meanwhile, The Food and Drug Administration sent a letter warning Curaleaf, Inc. of Wakefield, MA about its CBD products. The letter begins, “This letter is to advise you that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviewed your website at the Internet address https://curaleafhemp.com in April and June 2019 and has determined that you take orders there for the products “CBD Lotion,” “CBD Pain-Relief Patch,” “CBD Tincture” (5 versions), “CBD Disposable Vape Pen” (5 versions) and “Bido CBD for Pets” (3 versions), all of which you promote as products containing cannabidiol (CBD).1 We have also reviewed your social media websites . . . These products are misbranded drugs under section 502(f)(1) of the FD&C Act, 21 U.S.C. 352(f)(1). FDA has also determined that your “Bido CBD for Pets” products are unapproved new animal drugs that are unsafe under section 512(a) of the FD&C Act, 21 U.S.C. 360b(a), and adulterated under section 501(a)(5) of the FD&C Act, 21 U.S.C. 351(a)(5). As explained further below, introducing or delivering these products for introduction into interstate commerce for such uses violates the FD&C Act. You can find the FD&C Act and FDA regulations through links on FDA’s home page at www.fda.gov. CVS Health (CVS) said it would pull some products made by U.S. cannabis producer Curaleaf after they learned of the warning letter. 
• The Juneau, Alaska Assembly approved an ordinance allowing on-site consumption at marijuana retail locations. The Juneau Assembly approved an ordinance Monday that allows patrons to consume marijuana edibles inside licensed retailers and smoke in designated outdoor areas. Still, John Nemeth, who co-owns the Juneau-based marijuana company Top Hat Concentrates, said he was happy with Monday’s result. Until now, retailers were forced to tell customers off the cruise ships there was no place they could legally use products. The ordinance will take effect in 30 days. Businesses must receive an endorsement from the state Marijuana Control Board before they can offer on-site consumption.
• The Food and Drug Administration rejected for the second time a prohibitionist group's request to further restrict marijuana and THC with "negative monograph" status. A negative monograph is a classification for substances that FDA does not consider “generally recognized as safe and effective,” meaning they are illegal to market. Drug Watch International (DWI), an anti-drug group led by a former Drug Enforcement Administration special agent, initially submitted a petition asking FDA to classify cannabis and THC as “negative monographs” in November 2017, arguing that doing so would send a message to the marijuana industry and mitigate public health risks.
• The New York City Council approved two measures focused on resolving child custody issues related to marijuana—One of the newly approved measures calls on the city’s Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) to implement a policy “finding that a person’s mere possession or use of marijuana does not by itself create an imminent risk of harm to a child, warranting the child’s removal.” Child custody issues are perhaps one of the most severe but largely overlooked implications of marijuana consumption—including in some jurisdictions where the drug is legal for medical or adult use. The other measure passed by the Council implores the state legislature to pass a bill requiring the New York Department of Health to create hospital drug testing regulations for pregnant women or those giving birth, “including informing patients of their rights before any discussion of drug use or drug testing.” If a pregnant person tests positive for drugs, including marijuana, the hospital must report that to the Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment, which prompts ACS to launch a child welfare investigation. The resolution notes that it’s unclear how hospitals enforce drug testing policies but that it appears to primarily impact “low-income women and women of color.” Further, the resolution explains that research on the impact of cannabis use during pregnancy is limited, but that preliminary evidence suggests it “is not an independent risk factor for adverse neonatal outcomes after adjusting for confounding factors.” Importantly, the lack of clarity around hospital drug testing policies could cause some women to voluntarily disclose information about substance use that can have “child welfare ramifications.”Women should be encouraged to share their medical history, including drug use, with their health care provider without fear of a child welfare case being opened,” the text states.The lack of clear consent policy in Health+Hospitals system regarding prenatal and postpartum drug testing on mothers of color is extremely concerning to Caucus Members, and can lead to child separation and decades of collateral consequences for parents, whose child welfare investigation case can stay on their record for decades.”
• Meanwhile, a new study claims that cannabis-consuming parents are harsher with discipline than parents who don’t consume cannabis. A study of 3,000 California parents found that those who consumed cannabis were more likely to discipline their kids in a variety of ways, ranging from timeouts and spankings to even harsher physical abuse. Researchers randomly selected parents of children 12 or younger and asked their recent and past use of alcohol, cannabis, methamphetamines and other drugs in addition to asking about their disciplinary habits Findings from the study revealed parents who used cannabis or alcohol were more likely to discipline their children than non-users and the more substances used, the more likely they were to use all forms of discipline. The study was unclear as to whether the substances make parents more intolerant or if they just don’t want their buzz ruined. “It appears that users may be quicker than other parents to react to minor misbehavior,” said Bridget Freisthler, co-author of the study and professor of social work at Ohio State University, said. “We can’t tell from this study, but it may be that parents who use marijuana or alcohol don’t want their children to spoil the buzz they have, or bother them when they have a hangover.” Read More...

​//Oregon//​

• Oregon regulators approved marijuana violation stipulated settlement agreements. Two retailers and one farm were forced to surrender their licenses in this session for multiple violations.
• The State of Legal Weed in Southern Oregon: Legal cannabis in Southern Oregon has had four years to get its feet and shuffle for position in the green rush. I wanted to know what it’s like to run a cannabis farm right now as the dust settles a bit. To get my hands dirty with the issues, I talked to some local, small farmers and F.A.R.M.S. Inc. (a farmer-run, nonprofit organization working to protect Oregon’s craft cannabis farmers).
• Survey Time: What Are People Most Concerned About in the Southern Oregon Cannabis Industry? Roo Grostein asked those on the ground making it happen in the latest “Don’t Smoke the Messenger”, Roo’s weekly column in the Rogue Valley Messenger - Southern Oregon’s Alt-Weekly paper and a great resource for local events! 
• Orchid Ventures Acquires GreenBloom Cannabis. Orchid will purchase retail, cultivation and distribution operations, as well as GreenBloom’s brands in Oregon and California. Orchid Ventures, a California-based, multi-state cannabis brand, has entered into an agreement to purchase assets from GreenBloom Cannabis Co., a vertically integrated cannabis operator with five retail stores, two cultivation facilities, one distribution entity and six brands across Oregon and California. Per the agreement, Orchid will acquire five of GreenBloom’s retail outlets, as well as two of GreenBloom’s cultivation facilities in Oregon and a cultivation and processing facility that is in development in California. Orchid will also acquire a wholesale and retail facility from GreenBloom, as well as a distribution facility. To cap off the deal, Orchid is also acquiring six of GreenBloom’s cannabis brands. The total value of the transaction, which was set in motion on July 2, is estimated at more than $29 million.

 ​//Medical, Health & Research//​

• ALERT FOR INDUSTRY WORKERS AND EMPLOYERS: A results of study of conditions at a medical cannabis dispensary "indicate that potential health hazards of significance are present during cannabis processing, and employers should be aware of potential exposures to [volatile organic compounds], endotoxin, and fungi."
• A new study "demonstrates the anti-cancer activity of various whole cannabis extracts on a set of human cancer cell lines." Researchers tested 12 marijuana extracts tested on 12 types of cancer cells, finding that differing cannabinoid content has unique effects on each cell type.
• A study found that "increasing cannabis retail access was associated with increased current and frequent use."
• A review concluded that "solid conclusions regarding the respiratory consequences of regular cannabis smoking are difficult to make due to a relative paucity of literature, confounding by concurrent tobacco smoking and reports of conflicting outcomes."
• A recent study found that "cannabis policy liberalisation does not appear to result in significant changes in youths’ use, with the possible exception of legalisation for recreational purposes."
• Another study of fish suggested that "CBD holds promise to improve functional recovery of complex learned behaviors following brain injury."
• One unique study found that "religious salience and believing the Bible’s literalness as inspired word are no longer significant and impactful predictors on U.S. opinions towards marijuana legalization support."
• A study demonstrated "CBDs’ defensive role against pest insects, which suggests its possible use as an insecticide."
• A study found that "CBD alone, but not THC alone, significantly attenuated fear-memory reconsolidation when administered immediately after recall" and that "CBD may provide a novel treatment strategy for targeting fear-memories."
• A review concluded that "CBD, either as monotherapy or added to regular antipsychotic medication, improved symptoms in patients with schizophrenia, with particularly promising effects in the early stages of illness" and that "CBD and THC mixtures showed positive effects in reducing short-term withdrawal and craving in cannabis use disorders."
• A review determined that "it is possible to conclude that CBD has negative effects on the reproductive system of males." [“Well if this stuff is the next health miracle like they say it is and I might be prevented from having more than my one beautiful, amazing, wonderful child . . . well then, SIGN ME UP!” -Roo Grostein]
• A study identified the method by which the marijuana plant produces cannflavin A and cannflavin B.

//Industry, Business & Financial//​​​

• Tobacco company Imperial Brands PLC is investing approximately $123 million in Auxly Cannabis Group Inc.
• Canopy Growth Corp. is lobbying Congress on legislation to allow marijuana banking and to respect state cannabis laws
• Sens. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Rand Paul (R-KY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) filed legislation to increase marijuana businesses' access to insurance coverage.
• Former Surgeon General Richard Carmona joined the advisory board of CBD company Kadenwood, LLC.  A press release says, “Carmona will serve as a member of Kadenwood's Advisory Board, aiding in the company's efforts to work cohesively with government officials and health experts.”
• Warning to Americans Investing In Certain Canadian Cannabis Stocks That Have A U.S. Presence You could be (up to) 33% worse off than compared with investing in U.S. stocks because of taxes! Learn the rules on minimizing the additional taxes before you invest. Investors be aware, not all US investors in Canadian stocks are treated equally for tax purposes! There has recently been a flurry of Canadian resident corporations deciding to do business in the United States, including well-known companies such as Aurora Cannabis, Canopy Growth, Cronos, Curaleaf and Ianthus.  Why? Simply put, cannabis is already legal in Canada as it offers a friendly environment for companies to raise public capital and list their shares on its stock exchanges. With the hot performance of this sector, U.S. investors have jumped into the fray. Read More

//Legal//​

• Harborside plans to appeal a Tax Court ruling about the 280E provision that disallows the deduction of certain expenses by cannabis businesses. Last year was a rough one for cannabis companies in Tax Court. Now one of them is fighting back. Harborside Inc., which went public on Canada’s stock exchange earlier this year, plans to appeal its November 2018 Tax Court ruling, the official decision and penalties for which should come any day now, according to the company’s counsel. The court sided with the government and is expected to charge Harborside between $11 million and $13 million in back taxes under a drug war-era tax policy that’s become the bane of pot company CPAs’ existence: Section 280E.
• A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit from a woman who was evicted from federally subsidized housing as a result of her medical cannabis use. According to the judge, she must first go through the difficult task of petitioning the Drug Enforcement Administration to lift restrictions on the drug.
• California Seizes $30 Million in Illicit Market Cannabis from Illegal Marijuana Shops. California authorities have tripled the number of raids on unlicensed cannabis shops in the last year and seized $30 million in products.
• Child Entertainment Firm Sues Oklahoma Marijuana Dispensary, Alleges Trademark Infringement. The federal copyright infringement lawsuit alleges that the business stole its logo from a children's entertainment company based in Canada.
• The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics arrested a man for allegedly selling methamphetamine out of a medical cannabis dispensary. The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics says 38-year-old owner was arrested Wednesday at his store, Left Handed Okies, in Spiro, about 165 miles east of Oklahoma City. Bureau spokesman Mark Woodward says Peregrino was arrested after twice selling methamphetamine to undercover agents inside the store.
• The CEO of CannTrust Holdings Inc. told company officials to “continue as planned” and plant marijuana in an unlicensed room last year, according to documents obtained by Bloomberg. During a meeting held on Nov. 14, senior CannTrust staff stated that RG9 was not licensed by Health Canada. CannTrust's board terminated the CEO and its chairman resigned amidst revelations that the company grew marijuana in unlicensed rooms. 

//Hemp//

• You can Read the Public Comments to the FDA on CBD Policy. The 2018 Farm Bill didn’t legalize CBD, per se; rather, the descheduling of hemp created a legal gray area for the cannabinoid, one which the FDA is working to clarify this year.
• Florida's agriculture commissioner toured NY state hemp businesses since none is yet growing in the Sunshine state. It’s really going to be that hemp is the forward thinking of where America needs to be in the next 10 to 20 years.” She says she envisions hemp becoming a $20 to $30 billion-dollar industry in Florida. Fried says today’s trip was a great opportunity to not only learn, but to also share what has and hasn’t worked for them as well.
• Iowa's agriculture secretary spoke about plans to implement hemp legalization. During the 2019 legislative session, lawmakers approved Senate File 599, which opens the door for commercial hemp production by legalizing it as an agricultural commodity now that the federal government has removed it from the list of controlled substances. Gov. Kim Reynolds signed it into law effective July 1. Even so, hemp cannot currently be legally grown in Iowa.
• The West Virginia Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on hemp regulations, joining the slew of other states testing their hand at hemp.
• The Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing on hemp, with U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency officials providing updates on efforts to implement the crop's legalization.
• The U.S. Hemp Authority is seeking public input on its certification seal guidance plan. You can click on this link or go to hempsupporter.com for more information.

//Culture & Lifestyle//

• A new Gallup poll found that young Americans are significantly more likely to smoke marijuana than cigarettes, and that across age groups cannabis consumption is nearing parity with cigarette smoking.
• Federal agents say that drug smuggling across the border has dropped significantly as more states legalize marijuana, while at the same time human trafficking has increased. Since the start of the fiscal year last October, agents who work in U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations arm have collected slightly more than 8,000 pounds worth of drugs, three-quarters of which was marijuana. But that figure, from the first nine months of the fiscal year, is just 5% of the 163,00 pounds of illicit substances found in 2018, according to data provided by a CBP official. The amount of drugs seized by agents working along the sea border has fluctuated since 2014, but with marijuana making up 90%. [That has changed though.] “Right now, it’s more profitable for the smugglers to bring over humans as opposed to narcotics," said Kris Goland, a supervisory marine interdiction agent, speaking during a boat excursion this week. He said that he wasn't sure why the relative attractiveness of drug-running had declined, but he suggested that the legalization of marijuana in California was a factor.
• South Park released an ad for the fictional marijuana brand Tegridy Farms that appears to satirize the slick short film MedMen and Spike Jonze made earlier this year. South Park took a jab at corporate marijuana in a clip released over the weekend—seemingly riffing off a slick ad that  MedMen published earlier this year—while promoting a fictional cannabis brand called “Tegridy Farms.” While the segment doesn’t call out the multi-state dispensary chain MedMen by name, it appears to satirize a short film the company released in partnership with director Spike Jonze in February, which took a cinematic look at the history of cannabis prohibition and the growing normalization of the industry.
• Spuds Ventures LLC is using the Spuds MacKenzie brand to market CBD pet products following a lawsuit settlement with Anheuser-Busch InBev.
• Weedmaps is opening a Museum of Weed in Los Angeles next month. The Museum of Weed is a ticketed experience running through September 29, featuring 30,000 square feet of exhibits on cannabis history, science, and culture, plus a full cafe and merch shop (note: no actual marijuana can be sold on site). General admission tickets are cheaper than Disneyland, but VIP tickets are a bit pricier. They include special access, plus drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and a gift bag.

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//Education Station//

• Pro Advice for Curious Consumers & CANNA-Questions Answered! 

• This week: 3 Questions to Ask Your Vape Manufacturer: It is increasingly difficult to identify which companies are reliable and which companies can consistently deliver high-quality, safe and compliant products. While you may be doing your homework on which company’s oil is going into your vape cartridge, you may be skipping over another important factor when choosing your next vape cartridge: HARDWARE. Hidden dangers are abundant in cheap and unregulated cartridge manufacturing. With recent tariffs on China increasing the price of most vape hardware that we use for cannabis extracts, we are sure to see manufacturers cutting corners to remain competitive in an ever-evolving and crowded market. That being said, we can help our favorite companies remain true to the ethical medicine that is cannabis by asking THEM questions, or asking our local dispensaries questions that THEY should be asking their cartridge manufacturer when they purchase the empty receptacles that you will be putting your mouths on after they get filled with cannabis extracts. Cannabis Business Times had (3) great questions that can really communicate what is important to a mindful consumer when considering their next vaporizer cartridge purchase:

1. Does their cartridge manufacturer control the entire supply chain? Have they seen Material Safety Data Sheets and Specifications for the core components of its products. Would they be willing to make info on those materials public? If not, what you may believe is the same cartridge that you’ve been purchasing all along has been modified with cheaper, but similar-looking parts. This could lead to malfunction or even health hazards, depending on what corners were cut.
2. Is the safety and compliance of each product guaranteed? When it comes to product safety with cannabis vaping products, the verdict is still out. We are using a product that we, as an industry, don't completely understand; we, as an industry, do not yet have long-term data at our disposal. Years of research will be necessary before we can truly comprehend and master the science of cannabis vaping. Nevertheless, there are ways to mitigate safety, and this starts on the vaping hardware side. The main issue concerning hardware in this phase is heavy metals. Although heavy metals can be present in the concentrate itself, through water, pesticides, soil, etc. --they are also present in the hardware. The process by which they find themselves introduced into the extract is what we call “leaching.” Depending on properties like pH, some cannabis constituents can suck the heavy metals out of the devices; the user then inhales them through vaporization and finds himself faced with potential long-term health risks. Again, questions that hopefully your favorite extract company has asked their vape cartridge manufacturer include: Can you provide long-term heavy metal testing certificates of analysis (COAs) for your products? Can you provide a list of the materials used in each product? Can you provide certificates of conformity for the products? Can you provide any if all of the manufacturing facility’s accreditations or certifications? The truth of the matter is, China is much less regulated than the U.S.--hence the cheaper prices--but this means less stringent measures are taken to guarantee the safety of manufactured goods.
3. How do you guarantee product quality and consistency? The extract company should at least have been presented with a well-documented Quality Control report with detailed findings and photographs when they purchased the empty vape cartridges. The main key point here is that they need to be sure they have a clear understanding of the supplier’s QC process. 

Remember folks, we are helping to build the brands of the future. What may seem like a significant cost in time or money now will be much of a price difference in the near future once companies get efficient and cost-effective. Therefore, we must take this time to effect change by demanding safety and quality when it comes to what we are putting into our bodies. We can do just that by making sure we know we are being as mindful as possible when vaporizing: from the cannabis grown down to the extract company and what hardware they use. 
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//Politics//

•  Montana Gov. Steve Bullock (D), a presidential candidate, said he thinks marijuana legalization "should be left up to the states… I think the federal government should get out of the way and this is a state by state decision."
• South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D), a presidential candidate, spoke about his support for legalizing marijuana and said "we clearly have to take a very deep redesign about the way we think about this and many other drugs."
• Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), a presidential candidate, spoke about his support for legalizing marijuana and his limited experience consuming cannabis.
• Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-TX), a presidential candidate, said that marijuana should be legalized "on a federal basis now. End that prohibition once and forever." He also spokeabout his support for ending the war on drugs.
• Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), a presidential candidate, spoke about her support for expunging marijuana records.

​//International//

• Thailand's tourism minister plans to promote medical cannabis-focused tourism packages. From the Bangkok Post - The new tourism and sports minister plans to promote medical marijuana tourism and legalise ride-hailing and accommodation-sharing apps and websites to attract foreign visitors. Speaking on his first day in office, Pipat Ratchakitprakan, a key Bhumjaithai Party leader, said he wants to include marijuana in medical tourism, especially Thai traditional medicine and massage. "We would like to provide medical tour packages, such as detox, Thai massage and other wellness courses that use marijuana substances," said Mr Pipat.
• A mother whose son needs medical cannabis to treat epilepsy became the first person in Scotland to legally source the drug. Karen Gray, 44, travelled to the Netherlands every few months to buy oil from the whole cannabis plant, which contains the psychoactive ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Despite her fears of being caught by Customs officials, it is the only treatment she has found to improve her son Murray’s seizures. Gray says she is now “hugely relieved” as an anonymous supplier has obtained a licence from the Home Office to import the drug legally and sell it through a pharmacy in Glasgow.
• An Indian court is considering a case challenging the prohibition of marijuana. A petition has been filed before the Delhi High Court challenging the prohibition and criminalization of the use of cannabis in India. The petition preferred by Great Legalisation India Movement Trust has challenged the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 and Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Rules, 1985.

//Northeast//

• Massachusetts Cannabis Commission Taps Six Groups to Boost Social Equity Efforts. The Cannabis Control Commission has selected organizations to provide assistance to prospective business owners from communities disproportionately harmed by past drug laws
• New York lawmakers say they will try again to legalize marijuana in 2020.

​//The Southeast//

• Dozens of Businesses Issued Permits to Sell CBD Products in Louisiana. Gov. John Bel Edwards signed a bill into law June 6, allowing hemp-derived CBD products with a THC concentration of less than 0.3 percent to be legally sold in the state.
• Arkansas activists filed a marijuana legalization amendment they hope to place on the state's 2020 ballot.

//The Midwest//

• Legal hemp cultivation in Nebraska has begun. The Nebraska Department of Agriculture chose 10 randomly drawn applicants early this month, of 176 filed, to be licensed for hemp production and processing in the 2019 season. Because of department staffing and available budget, and because it's the first year for a research program that expands past those at the University of Nebraska, officials said, the department is stepping slowly into allowance of hemp production and processing.

//The West & West Coast//​

• Utah regulators selected companies to grow medical cannabis. The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food and the Utah Division of Purchasing have selected eight companies to participate in Utah’s Medical Cannabis Cultivation Program.

• Washington State regulators recently sent an update about ongoing marijuana tracking software problems. After years of struggle with cannabis tracking system issues including their own share of issues with MJ Freeway and METRC, Washington State regulators moved to eased traceability reporting requirements for marijuana products.  Separately, they are hosting a forum on draft marijuana testing rules on August 22.