EP96 (06.24.2019) Josh of Pistil Point Cannabis Company

EP95 (06.24.2019) Josh of Pistil Point Cannabis Company
Pistil Point - A premium craft cannabis producer and extractor operating one of the largest indoor cannabis facilities in the Pacific Northwest. The farm is watched over by a gifted Northern California grow team bringing decades long levels of excellence while Pistil Point Management brings seasoned business professionals from the worlds of cannabis, entertainment, law, engineering and medicine. Pistil Point is an active supporter of medical cannabis programs on an international level and has helped secure licensing in Washington DC, New York, Michigan, Colorado, California, Washington, Oregon and Jamaica for cannabis operations and events.


//CANNABIS NEWS// June 17-24, 2019

//HEADLINES//

• A research paper highlighted in National Geographic examined the “earliest directly dated and scientifically verified evidence” of cannabis smoking, which was recently found at a burial site dating to circa 500 BCE. Read More...
• The Food and Drug Administration published a blog post outlining its efforts to formulate CBD regulations.
• The House of Representatives debated amendments to protect state and territory marijuana laws, as well as those of Indian tribes, from federal interference. Both passed in voice votes, but a roll call vote was requested on the first measure.
• U.S. House Approves Measure to Protect State Cannabis Programs Against Federal Interference. “The historic nature of this vote cannot be overstated," Neal Levine, CEO of the Cannabis Trade Federation, said. The amendment to the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill prohibits the Justice Department from using funds to prevent states, U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia from implementing laws authorizing the use, distribution, possession, and cultivation of marijuana. The measure, which was sponsored by Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), and Tom McClintock (R-CA), passed 267-165. A similar amendment approved by voice vote Wednesday prohibits the Justice Department from using funds to prevent Indian tribes from enacting or implementing their own cannabis laws. Thursday’s vote marks the first time a chamber of Congress has declared that the federal government should defer to state cannabis laws. A similar appropriations rider specific to state medical cannabis programs, known as the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment and then the Leahy amendment, has been in effect since first passing in 2014.
• The House of Representatives also approved an amendment from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) stripping $5 million from the Drug Enforcement Administration and redirecting it to opioid treatment as well as a separate measure directing the Food and Drug Administration to formulate CBD regulations.
• The Food and Drug Administration is extending the deadline to comment on CBD regulations to July 16.
• Columbia Care Launches Credit Card for Cannabis Purchases. The credit program launched in New York dispensaries, and Columbia Care will roll it out nationwide this year.
• What Is the Science Behind White Ash and Black Ash? Is the longstanding popular belief that white ash is ‘good’ nothing more than a myth?  It appears the manipulation of temperature and light with the goal of chlorophyll degradation and sugar transformation are major contributors to a pleasant smoke and “white” ash, not a good pre-harvest “flush.” This is an example of how easy answers based on poorly informed beliefs likely are not correct. That said, rituals and belief systems that every grower brings into how they grow cannabis might still result in their desired outcome.

//Politics//

• A group of 10 U.S. senators sent a letter calling on the Trump administration to end a policy that says immigrants who work in the marijuana industry don’t have “good moral character” and are not eligible for citizenship.
• Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), a presidential candidate, unveiled a plan to grant clemency to 17,000 drug war prisoners if he’s elected president and is pledging to take action on the issue on the very first day of his administration.
• How to Advocate for Cannabis Reform as a Business Professional. Use your democratic power to change your world and help your business. How can we get engaged? Everything you learned in high school civics class is true: Voters, in many places, can write and pass their own laws using the initiative process. This is how many modern cannabis laws were created, at both state and local levels. State legislatures only recently started passing their own reform laws, often to avoid the enormous cost of placing initiatives on the ballot. We can support pro-marijuana candidates, or run for office ourselves, especially in places where the voices of reform are not being heard by those currently in power. Citizens can demand a recount if the vote count is close or if something about it seems wrong. If people think the government made a bad law, it can be repealed using the referendum process. Advocates can work directly with regulators and elected officials to help craft state and local laws and regulations. We can join the regulatory boards responsible for creating industry rules, or attend meetings, testify and write in comments about proposed regulations. We are the experts, after all, and regulators generally do listen, want to know more, and welcome help creating workable rules.  People can sue police departments and individual officers for refusing to follow legalization laws. Citizens can be heard in courtrooms, where judges, prosecutors and juries listen and make key decisions based on what you say. We can appeal cases all the way to the Supreme Court. And, we can educate others by spreading the word about how we’re ending cannabis prohibition through employing the basic tools of democracy to change laws and create regulations. Thank you Debbie Goldsberry, executive director of Magnolia Wellness for that one!
• A representative from prohibitionist organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana will debate a pro-legalization Pennsylvania senator on July 8.
• Former FDA Chief Scott Gottlieb Says Some Claims About Health Benefits of CBD Are ‘Pretty Hokey’. CBD is not a “benign compound,” and regulations will be needed to protect people from possible unknown side effects, Gottlieb said.

​//Medical, Health & Research//​

• New research from the Danish psychiatric project, iPSYCH, shows that a specific gene is associated with an increased risk of cannabis abuse. The gene is the source of a so-called nicotine receptor in the brain, and people with low amounts of this receptor have an increased risk of cannabis abuse. Cannabis is the most commonly used illegal drug in both Denmark and internationally, and around one in ten users becomes addicted to the drug. Researchers from iPSYCH have discovered a gene that they associate with the abuse of cannabis. Read More
• A new study verified that more veterans are turning to cannabis versus being given prescription drugs that often cause dangerous side effects. Read More...
• A review concluded that "evidence for the efficacy of cannabis medicine (given as an adjunct to other medication) was found in patients with chronic pain and spasticity due to multiple sclerosis" and that "benefits were also found for appetite stimulation, improvement of nausea, and weight gain in patients with cancer, HIV/AIDS or in palliative care, while that "adverse effects of cannabis medicine are often reported; severe adverse effects were mentioned in single cases only."
• An analysis of wastewater found "a significant increase in consumption in Washington, USA following legalization, and that legal sales appear to have displaced a large portion of the illicit market."
• Three separate new studies published this month examine the impact of nearby marijuana dispensaries on youth cannabis use in Los Angeles—with differing findings.
• A study concluded that "cannabis-exposed hospitalized patients with [acute pancreatitis]had lower age-adjusted, mortality, morbidity, and hospitalization-cost than non–cannabis-exposed patients."
• A study of rats found that hemp extract "improves semen parameters by reducing plasma prolactin and enhancing plasma anti-oxidant status" and that "its pro-fertility potentialmight be associated with its deficiency in the widely known gonadotoxic phytocannabinoids."
• A study found that "arrest rates of youths significantly decreased in states that decriminalized cannabis possession for everyone but did not decrease in states that legalized adult use.
• A review concluded that "pain (64%), anxiety (50%), and depression/mood (34%) were common reasons for medical cannabis use."
• A study found that "prevalence and frequency of past-month cannabis use among pregnant women increased between 2002 and 2017 and were higher for the first trimester than later trimesters."
• A new Colorado marijuana study undermines a key anti-legalization argument, finding that “permitting or not permitting recreational cannabis dispensaries in a community does not appear to change student cannabis use or perceptions towards cannabis.”
• A study found that "THC:CBD oromucosal spray proved to be an effective and well-tolerated add-on treatment for patients with elsewhere refractory chronic pain – especially of neuropathic origin."
• A study suggested that "as compared to [benzodiazepines], cannabis can be a healthier and less harmful alternative form of treatment for adults living with anxiety."
• According to a new study published in The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse and epublished by the U.S. National Institute of Health, military veterans who use medical marijuana frequently substitute cannabis for alcohol and other controlled substances. Nearly 80 percent of respondents reported using cannabis “to treat both physical and mental health symptoms.” Respondents were most likely to report consuming cannabis therapeutically to mitigate symptoms of chronic pain (69 percent), anxiety (66 percent), post-traumatic stress (59 percent), and depression (56 percent).
• A study on kidney donations concluded that "there was no difference in donor or recipient perioperative characteristics or postoperative outcomes based upon donor marijuana use" and that "considering individuals with a history of marijuana use for living kidney donation could increase the donor pool and yield acceptable outcomes."
• A study concluded that "CBD may have beneficial effects in patients with [developmental and epileptic encephalopathy] and an acceptable safety profile."

//Industry, Business & Financial//​​​

• Colorado has surpassed $1 billion in marijuana revenue to date since adult-use marijuana sales began in 2014, according to the Colorado Department of Revenue (CDOR)’s monthly reports for marijuana sales and revenue data released today. To date, marijuana tax, license and fee revenue has reached just over $1.02 billion and marijuana sales to date exceeded $6.56 billion. Currently, Colorado has 2,917 licensed marijuana businesses and 41,076 individuals who are licensed to work in the industry.
• Should You Patent Your Cannabis Plants? The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has been issuing both variety and utility patents for cannabis varieties, triggering industry groups and labs to begin open-sourcing genetic and chemical profiles of plants on legal markets in an attempt to prove prior art and prevent more broad utility patents on plants. Variety patents, which are issued for all kinds of plants under the Plant Variety Protection Act of 1970 (PVPA), are issued only for plants that were asexually produced (clones) and are not found in nature, but rather the dedicated work of a breeder to create something new and unique. Variety patents last 25 years and allow breeders to have total control over their creation, including charging licensing fees and/or royalties if they enter into a contract with a producer. Utility patents, on the other hand, usually apply to new methods of delivery (like vaporizers) or new processes (a new extraction device). But in 2015, a very controversial patent was issued to a biopharmaceutical firm, Biotech Institute LLC. The issued plant patent is so incredibly broad in scope that the vast majority of landrace varieties (or Type-II varieties) fit within their scope; plants that make both THC and CBD and are not dominant in the terpene myrcene.
• Lawmakers Explore Easing Rules on Small Cannabis Businesses. House lawmakers on Wednesday explored efforts to ease rules and boost small business owners in the legal cannabis industry. Small Business Committee Chairwoman Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.) in her opening remarks said she called the hearing to draw "needed attention to an industry that is rapidly evolving" with "small businesses at the forefront."
• Google is running a trial program to allow CBD ads. Alphabet Inc.’s Google is taking steps toward ending its prohibition on advertising for cannabidiol products through a trial program that allows select companies in the budding hemp sub-industry to purchase ads on its platform, according to one CBD retailer that was asked to participate. Shedrack Anderson, co-founder of the CBD-infused skincare line Chilyo LP, said Thursday that Google approached him to be part of a “trial realm” of companies that could purchase advertising on the site through its Google Ads portal. He declined to say when Google made its overture or how many other CBD retailers are in the program.
• Canopy Growth Corporation reported annual net revenue growth of 191% to $226.3 million.
• S&P Global Ratings published an analysis projecting "slow but substantial growth of legal cannabis over the next decade."
• Cash Is King, But It’s Canadian Stock Transactions That Are Fueling Cannabis M&A Growth. New report outlines how cannabis businesses are raising capital in a risk-prone legal environment.
• Brewbound reported this week that Lighthouse Strategies, the company behind Cannabiniers and Two Roots Brewing Co., is finalizing a deal to acquire a craft beer company in the Great Lakes region. "Big and small [companies] alike are all interested in how to evolve in this new market," CEO Michael Hayford said. Stay tuned.
• MTech Acquisition Corp. Completes Merger with MJ Freeway LLC to Form Akerna Corp. The combination creates a Nasdaq-listed compliance technology company in the cannabis space.
• Molson Coors Brewing Co. and Hexo Corp.'s joint venture will start selling marijuana-infused beverages in Canada.

//Legal//​

• The Delaware Senate voted to approve a bill expanding the decriminalization of marijuana to cover juveniles. “This is one of those cleanup bills that can seem small but is actually very important,” said Sen. Trey Paradee (D-Dover), sponsor of the bill. “Making sure that Delaware’s teens aren’t made criminals for the same minor possession charges we just decriminalized for adults is important. It’s fundamentally about fairness and uniformity in our code, but it will also – like many other criminal justice bills this year – ensure that kids aren’t being saddled with criminal records for minor offenses.”
• The owner of proposed Massachusetts marijuana dispensary Stem is suing two local businessmen for alleged extortion.
• High Times Holding Corp. is being sued for allegedly failing to pay up to $4 million owed as part of its acquisition of Culture Magazine. High Times Holding Corp. has recently gone on a cannabis industry buying spree, acquiring Dope Magazine, Spannabis, Reggae on the River, Culture Magazine and more...

//Hemp//

• Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO), a presidential candidate, sent a letter pressing federal financial regulators to issue guidance on banking access for hemp businesses.
• Marijuana Moment — The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) confirmed in an expanded policy update last week that hemp products are legal to mail under certain circumstances since the crop is no longer a federally controlled substance.
• In guideline published in the agency’s Postal Bulletin, USPS said that it has “received numerous inquiries from commercial entities and individuals wishing to use the mail to transport cannabidiol (CBD) oil and various other products derived from the cannabis plant” since the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized hemp. Accordingly, the institution circulated internal guidelines on the matter in March and is now externally clarifying what it considers legally mailable. Here’s the language of the new policy: “Hemp and hemp-based products, including cannabidiol (CBD) with the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration of such hemp (or its derivatives) not exceeding a 0.3 percent limit are permitted to be mailed only when:
  • a. The mailer complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws (such as the Agricultural Act of 2014 and the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018) pertaining to hemp production, processing, distribution, and sales; and
  • b. The mailer retains records establishing compliance with such laws, including laboratory test results, licenses, or compliance reports, for no less than 2 years after the date of mailing.”

//Culture & Lifestyle//

• Martha Stewart appeared at the World Cannabis Congress in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada on June 18 to speak about her role in the cannabis industry and reveal some of the details about her upcoming CBD product line. Read More...
• R&B singer Billy Ocean, 69, recently revealed that he smokes cannabis and prefers it as an inebriant over alcohol. Ocean was highly prolific during the 1980s and hit number one in the U.S. three times with “Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run),” “There’ll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)” and “Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car.” Overall, Ocean has sold over 30 million albums, riding on the popularity of his hits on the radio and on television. “You have got a choice, you can either be in the bottle drinking as much alcohol as possible or you can relax smoking herb […] marijuana […] and I’d rather do that,” he said. Read More...
• Rapper Ice Cube said it is "cool to be on the right side of history" in supporting marijuana legalization before it was popular.
• A poll funded by the AAA Foundation surveyed Americans' attitudes about driving under the influence of marijuana. Seventy percent of respondents consider driving shortly (within an hour) after using marijuana to be very or extremely dangerous. However, over 7% of drivers personally approve of driving shortly after using marijuana.
• Killer Mike said that rappers should get more credit for the legalization of marijuana: "A lot of people are going to get credit for it—a lot of activists, a lot of workers. But I can show you a line that leads straight back to Cypress Hill, that leads straight back to Snoop Dogg.”

​//International//

• Italian regulators posted an application for companies that want to import medical cannabis. The Italian government plans to import 400 kilograms of medical cannabis over two years and has opened the bidding process to companies that want to supply Europe’s second-largest market. The Italian Ministry of Defense – through its office of Stabilimento Chimico Farmaceutico Militare (SCFM) – published the details of the application process for the tender.
• French lawmakers are filing a marijuana legalization bill that gives the government a monopoly on production and sales.
• Colombia’s Prosecutor General’s Office ordered that electricity be cut off to a region of the country in an attempt to disrupt marijuana cultivation.
• Beijing's leading drug enforcement body has blamed the legalization of marijuana in Canada and parts of the United States for a spike in the amount of drugs smuggled into the country, describing it as a "new threat to China." At a press conference in Beijing Monday, Liu Yuejin, deputy director of the China National Narcotics Control Commission, said that the number of cannabis users in China had grown by more than 25% in 2018, rising to about 24,000 people. Read More
• Canada Releases Regulations for Ingestible Cannabis Products. Edibles, extracts and topicals will be legal Oct. 17, but will not hit store shelves until mid-December.

//Northeast//

• Restrictive Massachusetts Guidelines on Selling CBD Products Worry Hemp Farmers. Farmers are pushing back against new regulations.
• Massachusetts's secretary of state warned about marijuana-related fraud cases and charged one company with securities violations. Separately, agriculture regulators are cracking down on CBD products. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives approved a hemp bill.
• New York lawmakers failed to reach a deal of marijuana legalization legislation, but a backup plan to expand decriminalization and provide for record expungements is still under consideration.

​//The Southeast//

• A poll found that Florida voters support legalizing marijuana, 65%-30% and back legal cannabis sales in their own communities, 61%-34%.
• Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) signed bill allowing patients to inhale medical cannabis and setting fees on sales. Separately, regulators released the application form for permits to sell CBD products.
• Mississippi Medical Marijuana Initiative Closes In on Enough Signatures for 2020 Ballot. Mississippians for Compassionate Care has been gathering signatures since September 2018, and organizers say more than 57,000 of the required 86,185 signatures have been certified by state circuit clerks

//The Midwest//

•  

//The West & West Coast//​

• California regulators are conducting a survey to assess interest in a comparable-to-organic cannabis certification program.

​//Oregon//​

• Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) tweeted, "Congrats to @OregonState on the launch of its Global Hemp Innovation Center. OSU has been blazing the trail in research and development of new and innovative ways to use hemp. This project will lead the way in unlocking the hemp industry's huge economic potential."
• At its monthly meeting June 20, 2019, OLCC Commissioners additionally held discussion, heard staff administrative reports on the following: Using CBD and Hemp in Alcohol
• ODA now has a handout on post-harvest hemp tests. Hemp products for human consumption* must meet specific testing requirements. The handout does not replace reading the full rules available on the hemp webpage. The handout is available on the ODA hemp webpage at https://oda.direct/hemp or at the link below. * Human consumption means inhalation, applications to skin or hair, and anything we eat or drink. Post-harvest Hemp Testing Requirements
• SB 218 - Cap on Production Licenses **SIGNED by Gov**

SB 218 gives the OLCC the authority to restrict the number of production applications submitted after 6/15/18 it processes based off of market supply analysis.  It was signed by the Governor June 17th.

1. The OLCC must process production applications submitted before June 15th 2018.  Applicants however, must have their land use compatibility statements submitted by July 8th 2019 (21 days after the Gov's signature June 17th).
2. You will no longer be able to change the location on an application or 51% of ownership for outstanding production applications submitted before 6/15/18.
3. The OLCC's authority to cap production licenses lasts until 2022.
4. This bill does not apply to existing licenses, including renewals, or for changes of location, or changes of ownership for existing businesses.
5. This bill only applies to production licenses and applications.

 

• SB 2098 - Cannabis Omnibus Bill **SIGNED by Gov**

ORCA highlighted some of the bigger effects of this bill and noted where to find the relevant text in the bill. Directs the OLCC to setup an advisory committee to help develop and maintain standards for testing cannabis and cannabis items.See Section 1.(1) on page 1.

1. Authorizes the OLCC to establish pilot programs to expand access to medical cannabis. See Section 5.(2)(g) on page 5.
2. Defines “kief” and allows producers to produce and transfer "kief".  See Section 6.(3)(a) on page 6.
3. Allows certified retailers to sell and deliver medical cannabis to medical cardholders who are at least 18 years of age. See Section 12 on page 9.
4. Directs the OLCC to revoke marijuana retailer licenses if a retailer fails to pay or file their returns twice in any consecutive four quarters. See Section 14.(2) on Page 10.
5. Increases the maximum civil penalty for licensees from $5,000 to $10,000 per violation. See Section 15 on page 10.