EP53 (8.20.2018) SHERBINSKI & Josh Crossney, Founder Cannabis Science Conference

• On Episode 53, I'll be speaking with Josh Crossney of the Cannabis Science Conference AND SHERBINSKI of the Cookie Fam and Sherbinski's brands!

NEWS (July 23rd-July 30th)

Quick Rips

• Heads Up! Oregon Has New Cannabis Labeling And Packaging Rules. Failing to update by April 2019 results in fines up to $500 per day. Read More
• A BIPARTISAN BILL WOULD (SORT OF) PROTECT FEDERAL EMPLOYEES’ OFF-WORK MARIJUANA USE. Canna Law Blog — Could the federal government protect the rights of federal employees to use marijuana in states where its legal? Possibly. A bipartisan bill was introduced in Congress on July 28 proposing to protect federal employees’ personal and private use of marijuana in states where it is legal. Congressmen Charlie Crist (D-Fl) and Drew Ferguson (R-Ga) jointly introduced the “Fairness in Federal Drug Testing Under State Laws Act”, which would prohibit federal employers from denying employment or subjecting federal employees to adverse personnel action if they test positive for marijuana and live in a state where it is legal. READ FULL STORY
• A judge in Tallahassee sent Florida on a pathway which could have a revolutionary impact on the state if it stands. Leon County Circuit Judge Charles Dodson ruled in an eight-page order last week that the cap on the number of “medical marijuana treatment centers,” as they are known in Florida law, “directly contradicts the amendment.” “Such limits directly undermine the clear intent of the amendment, which by its language seeks to prevent arbitrary restriction on the number of MMTCs authorized to conduct business in the state. The amendment mandates the availability and safe use of medical marijuana by qualifying patients.” We here at MRR aren’t sure this ruling is going to stand, but it certainly does spice up an already extremely hot medical market in the sunshine state. Read More
• Eureka California Drawing Up Plans To Allow Cannabis Consumption Sites. Five cities in California currently house cannabis lounges. EUREKA, Calif. — The Eureka City Council discussed legislation at their meeting Tuesday night that would allow cannabis consumption sites to be implemented. As part of California's Medicinal and Adult Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act, local jurisdictions may authorize the on-site consumption of cannabis by state-licensed retailers. The practice is being touted for its attraction to tourism as cities throughout the state jump on board. "Just recently the state has started to allow on-site cannabis consumption, meaning you can go to a facility, buy cannabis and consume it in the facility," Eureka Development Services Director Rob Holmlund told North Coast News. Five cities in California currently house cannabis lounges: West Hollywood, San Francisco, Oakland, Alameda and Palm Springs. The list is longer for those working toward cannabis consumption regulationsthat list includes Eureka. Holmlund says he thinks the changes could take smokers off the streets and bring in more retail sales, especially from tourists. Eureka businesses will be able to apply to be consumption sites in early 2019, if all continues as planned. Holmlund said businesses could start to apply in early 2019 so it could be another six months after that before one is operational, but the city could see functional cannabis consumption sites as soon as next summer. To Read This Article On KRCRTV, Click Here
• From the ICBC...Regardless of your political leanings generally, or thoughts about Donald Trump, you probably don’t want to spend more money or make less money. Unfortunately, Trump’s trade war with China is about to hit the cannabis community as the price of equipment and devices from vaporizers to grow equipment to cell phones, to many things in between, are set to increase soon, pushing prices higher for businesses and consumers. Arnaud Dumas de Rauly, co-CEO of The Blinc Group, a vapor and cannabis incubator, and treasurer for the Vapor Technology Association, testified about the detrimental impact of Trump’s proposed tariffs on his business sector as part of The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative public hearings regarding the proposed tariffs on July 24th. CNBC reported on the tariff’s consequences for vaping businesses, other cannabis-related companies, consumers, and patients: Companies that import vaping products will have to either absorb the additional cost of the tariff, source production in another country or increase the prices charged to consumers. However, the profit margin on those devices is only between 10 percent and 15 percent and few alternatives exist for making them, Dumas de Rauly said. As a result, the extra cost of the tariff will be largely passed on to consumers by way of higher prices. That will impact the “entire cannabis consumption market — including medical and recreational marijuana,” he said. “There’s no question that tariffs will raise the price of those products, which producers and importers will try to pass on,” added Dan Ikenson, the director of the Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies at the Cato Institute, a nonprofit think tank in Washington, D.C. As Juan Carlos Negrin, President of the New Jersey Marijuana Retailers Association, explained to Forbes, cannabis companies are particularly vulnerable to increased costs because of the 280e IRS tax provision prohibitions normal deductions of business expenses from their taxes. Negin stated that “A tariff on goods the companies use in daily operations will have a substantially negative impact on their earnings.” READ MORE
• CANNABIS LINK TO RELIEVING INTESTINAL INFLAMMATION EXPLAINED. From ScienceDaily — This is the first-time scientists have reported a biological mechanism to explain why some marijuana users have reported beneficial effects from cannabis on intestine inflammation conditions such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Researchers hope that their findings will lead to the development of drugs and treatments for gut disorders, which affect millions of people around the world and are caused when the body's immune defenses mistakenly attack the lining of the intestine. The findings appear in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. "There's been a lot of anecdotal evidence about the benefits of medical marijuana, but there hasn't been a lot of science to back it up," said Beth A. McCormick, PhD, vice chair and professor of microbiology & physiological systems at UMass Medical School. "For the first time, we have an understanding of the molecules involved in the process and how endocannabinoids and cannabinoids control inflammation. This gives clinical researchers a new drug target to explore to treat patients that suffer from inflammatory bowel diseases, and perhaps other diseases, as well." READ FULL STORY

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Events:

• The Cannabis Science Conference - August 27th-29th - Portland, OR
• The Infused Product Conference - August 27th & 28th, 2018 - Los Angeles, CA
• BIG Industry Show - August 30-31 - Los Angeles Convention Center, CA
• Hall of Flowers (B2B Tradeshow)- Sept. 17th & 18th - Santa Rosa, CA
• International Cannabis Business Conference - Sept. 27th-28th in Portland, Oregon
• Cannabis Expo Show - Oct. 13th & 14th, 2018 - Salinas Valley (King City), CA
• CA Cannabis Biz Conference - Oct. 22nd & 23rd - Aneheim, CA
• Cannabis Expo Show - Nov. 10th & 11th, 2018 - Contra Costa (Antioch), CA
• Cannabis Collaborative Conference​ - January 23rd & 24th, 2019 - Portland, OR
• The Cannabis Conference - April 1st-3rd, 2019 Westgate Resort - Las Vegas, NV 

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BIG Stories:

• FIRES FORCE EVACUATIONS AT CANNABIS FARMS.  Record-breaking wildfires are disrupting and devastating cannabis crops across California.Mendocino County is at the heart of the Emerald Triangle, and certain areas are at risk. Read More... 
• The Marijuana Policy Project, Hires Steve Hawkins as Executive Director. Hawkins, who previously served in leadership roles at the NAACP, Amnesty International USA, and the national Coalition for Public Safety, has been at the forefront of the criminal justice reform movement for three decades. A PRESS RELEASE from DC states: The nation’s largest organization dedicated exclusively to marijuana policy, the Marijuana Policy Project, announced Tuesday it has hired Steve Hawkins to serve as its next executive director. The announcement comes after a months-long candidate search that included several exceptionally qualified candidates." THE MPP’S NEW DIRECTOR IS FOCUSED ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM. Prior to joining MPP, Hawkins had been on the cutting edge of rights advocacy for nearly three decades as a policy strategist, nonprofit leader and foundation executive. Read More
• MARIJUANA-FRIENDLY GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES WIN BIG IN TUESDAY’S PRIMARIES. Marijuana Moment — Voters in three out of four states that held primary elections nominated vocally pro-legalization Democratic candidates for governor. From Vermont to Minnesota, all but one of the new Democratic gubernatorial nominees has gone on the record endorsing adult-use marijuana systems, and the fourth at least supports decriminalization and medical cannabis and wants a referendum on more broadly ending prohibition. As debates over the best direction for the party continue, it’s become increasingly apparent that cannabis reform is a winning issue for Democrats across the country. READ FULL STORY
• BABY BOOMERS CONSUME CANNABIS IN RECORD NUMBERS. New findings suggest that more Baby Boomers are consuming cannabis than ever before. Cannabis consumption among Baby Boomers soared 71.4 percent between 2006 and 2013. Read More... ​

Legal:​

• Colorado Cannabis Patent Lawsuit Will Be Worth Watching. UCANN v. Pure Hemp will provide insight as to how federal courts will approach cannabis IP cases.
• City arrest data on cannabis possession cases was recently presented at a Dallas City Council meeting in Texas, and only nine percent of the cases were for white people. Read More...
• A Medical marijuana user’s boss can drug test them, a NJ court says. A New Jersey business does not have to waive its requirement for mandatory drug testing for a worker who uses medical marijuana, a federal court has ruled. Daniel Cotto Jr. of Bridgeton had sued Ardagh Glass citing the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination after the company wouldn’t allow him to return to his job unless he submitted to breathalyzer and urine screenings. Read More​​

Politics:​

• Lawmakers in the U.S. Mariana Islands have approved a bill to legalize medical and recreational cannabis as well as industrial hemp. Read More...
• Proposed Bill Could Let Nevada Marijuana Businesses Work With Banks. Banking is definitely a top priority in cannabis legislation across legal states. Read More
• California Bill to Create State-Backed Cannabis Bank Stalls. California lawmakers have stalled a plan to create a state-backed bank to handle money associated with the recreational marijuana market.
• NEARLY 500 CALIFORNIA CITIES OPPOSE CANNABIS DELIVERY PLAN. On Monday, Aug. 13, 482 California cities sent a letter rejecting a provision in proposed regulations that would allow cannabis deliveries in any California jurisdiction. Read More... 

Financial :

• Iconic California Cannabis Company Harborside to Go Public in Canada in Deal Valued at C$200 Million. It will provide access to capital required to facilitate Harborside’s expansion plans in California. Read More
• Constellation Brands has signed a deal to invest $5-billion in Canopy Growth Corp. to increase its stake in the marijuana company to 38 per cent and make it its exclusive global cannabis partner. Under the agreement, Constellation, a global producer of beer, wine and spirits, will acquire 104.5 million Canopy shares at a price of $48.60 per share. Canopy shares surged more than 30 per cent in the first minutes of trading Wednesday in Toronto.. Read More

Medical/Health:

• One CALIFORNIA MARIJUANA TESTING LABS SAY PRODUCT RECALLS UNLIKELY TO BE A MAJOR CONCERN From MJ Biz Daily — A pair of voluntary California cannabis product recalls in late July sparked concerns in the industry that other companies would be put in similar situations – and end up spending time and money to ensure their products arrived on retail shelves. Three testing lab executives told Marijuana Business Daily that such fears are likely overblown and that recalls will become less of a risk once the state’s Metrc track-and-trace system gets up and running and MJ regulations take shape. Read More

Business/Industry:

• Measuring your energy performance to mitigate the threat of cost pressures and regulations. Sustainability is a broad topic with deep engagement in a variety of industries, though it is a relatively new conversation in cannabis. That said, in today’s rapidly scaling and globalizing market, intelligent cannabis investors and operators are beginning to contemplate how sustainability can add value to their ventures. Arcview hosted the first major cannabis investor discussion on sustainability a few weeks ago in San Francisco. One question from the audience, while seemingly simple, was particularly insightful and generated an inspired response from the panel. “How do you get started on a sustainability journey?” The responses essentially advised: Evaluate your business activities, Take an inventory of your natural resource impacts, Dive into the process of determining how to reduce one of your significant line items, Take the savings you mined and plow them into additional profit-maximizing activities... Read More
• Are You Unwittingly Hurting Your Predatory Insects? Like your crop, your predatory insects are affected by light, humidity and temperature. Heed this advice to ensure they both thrive. READ MORE
• Rebel Coast Winery recently released a THC-infused wine product that it boasts is the first of its kind. Read More...

Hemp:​

• Agriculture hopes hemp legislation will finally go through. Politico-After years of trying to get laws changed, hemp advocates and would-be farmers are on the cusp of gaining new legal standing via the 2018 farm bill. The question now will be: How do they ramp up production of a formerly illegal crop to the point where they’re competitive on a world scale? The Senate version of the farm bill passed on June 28, S. 3042 (115), includes a provision that would put hemp — marijuana’s non-psychoactive relative — on the same standing as any other commodity crop. With regulation handled by state agriculture departments, hemp researchers will be able to apply for USDA grants and hemp growers can be covered by crop insurance programs.

​Culture:​

• B-Real From Cypress Hill Talks About Opening His First Dispensary In SoCal. His serial entrepreneurship has now cultivated a dispensary called Dr. Greenthumb’s. Read More
• A MORMON FAMILY IS FLEEING UTAH FOR MEDICAL CANNABIS. The Cromar family recently put up their St. George, Utah home up for sale in order to move to Colorado where medical cannabis is legal for their 11-year-old son with epilepsy. Read More... 
• Denver’s First-Of-Its-Kind Social Use Program For Businesses Is Mostly A Bust. Can It Be Fixed?? Interest has fizzled amid city and state restrictions. Read More

Canada:​

• A Canadian company recently announced that it was set to begin conducting clinical trials for a CBD-infused pet food. Read More...
• Ontario Will Allow Private Retail, and Province Will Oversee Online Sales. The Ontario Cannabis Store will also be the wholesaler for private businesses.
• However, there are No Plans to Permit Dispensaries Currently Operating Illegally, Ontario Attorney General Says. The province is preparing to consult with private businesses interested in retail licenses.

East Coast:​

• Chance for New Jersey Medical Marijuana Licenses Draws Hundreds of Applicants. The competition is fierce to win one of six new medical marijuana licenses later this year.
• Marijuana Breathalyzer Key to Recreational Marijuana Legislation in New York. A soon-to-be released breathalyzer that can detect cannabis smoking drivers is said to be a critical element of the future of legalized marijuana in the Empire State...
• Native Pharmaceuticals Competes for One of Five Medical Marijuana Licenses in Virginia.The Virginia-based startup hopes to snag the vertically integrated license for District 5 in Hampton.

The South:​

• Voters in Missouri will be soon be considering three different medical cannabis initiatives on the state’s November ballot. Read More...
• Lawsuit Seeks to Kill Two Out of Three Medical Marijuana Questions on Missouri Ballot. The man backing one of three medical marijuana questions on the November ballot is trying to disqualify his two competitors.
• Louisiana’s First Medical Marijuana Crop Is Delayed. Only the LSU and Southern University agricultural centers can grow medical marijuana.

The Midwest:​

• North Dakota Will Vote on Adult-Use Cannabis in November. The approved ballot measure offers a simple and progressive approach to cannabis reform.
• Officials with the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University announced that medical cannabis won’t be allowed on campus. Read More...
• Michigan State Board Approves 16 Medical Marijuana Licenses. Starting Sept. 15, however, any business that doesn’t have a license must close.
• Developers in Marshall, Michigan plan on hiring 400 people to fill cannabis cultivation and processing jobs.  Read More...
• Ohio finally Clears 2 More Medical Marijuana Processors And 2 More Labs. Spokeswoman Kerry Francis said four more processor applications are in process. Read More

West Coast:​

• Officials at the Hawaii Department of Health authorized the first medical cannabis production center on the state’s largest island. Read More...
• Hey Washingtonians! Washington State Will Write New Cannabis Rules, and Regulators Want Your Input. Public comment is open through October on cannabis testing and packaging. From Marijuana Moment — Marijuana regulators in Washington State will entertain sweeping changes to how marijuana is tested, processed, packaged and sold in one of the U.S.’s oldest recreational marijuana markets, officials announced late Wednesday. Recreational cannabis has been sold in regulated retail outlets in Washington since 2014. Consumers there pay one of the country’s highest tax burdens, generating nearly $400 million in revenue through the first three years of legalization, as the Stranger reported in late 2017. Read more.
• Marijuana ‘Farmers Markets’ Won’t Happen In California After Bill’s Failure. The bill allowed licensed growers to sell directly to consumers at temporary events. Read More
• Sacramento to Prioritize Cannabis Applicants in Some Zip Codes. The city's equity program focuses on zip codes with the highest rate of marijuana-related offenses.
• San Diego’s Cannabis Supply Chain Is Falling Into Place. One production business has been approved and 39 more are on tap. Read More
• Cannabis Taxes Pick Up In California But Still Far Off Target. Californians are buying plenty of cannabis, just not from licensed shops. Read More
• A new study has found that in California, nearly one in five cannabis consumers have purchased cannabis products in an illicit marketplace in the last three months. Read More...
• The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly: Social Equity Cannabis In Los Angeles. Potential applicants on both sides of the social equity aisle need to be aware of the tricks being used to game this new system. Phase II cannabis licensing in the City of Los Angeles (for only non-retail activity) kicked off on August 1 at 12 p.m. (and it will conclude on September 13th). This is the nation’s first look at a social equity program in one of the nation’s largest cities. To qualify for a City of Los Angeles cannabis license during this timeframe, an applicant must, among other things, be eligible for the City’s cannabis social equity program. This qualification factor has propelled a search for business partners who will make them eligible for Phase II cannabis licensing. Though this momentum is spurring business marriages all over the City, many of these “partnerships” are little more than ruses for circumventing the social equity requirements. Read More​

​Oregon:

• In Oregon, Blue Dream, the Strain Rules, But It's Kingdom Fraying. The number of strains for sale in the cannabis market grows, weed-like, every month. But some things still look familiar here in the Beaver State. The Oregon line-up: Blue Dream, $1,543,672; Durban Poison, $1,510,688; and Purple Hindu Kush, $1,321,365. Prices bounce around: Blue Dream sells for an average of $5.95, but the No. 2 strain, Durban Poison, goes for $8.33. Purple Hindu Kush was the cheapest of the top three, at $4.88 a gram. But of the top 15 strains in the Beaver State, Voyager #1 dwells at the very top of top-shelf, with a price of $11.83.  The battle for strain supremacy in Oregon has been an ongoing slugfest for several years. This year, Blue Dream was the third-most-popular strain in January, but by March it held the lead. A month later, Blue Dream was in fourth place, behind that month’s market leader Purple Hindu Kush and other strains. But by June, Blue Dream was back on top again. Read More

Southern Oregon/Northern California:​ 

• Humboldt County, State to Hold Pesticide Use Training for Cannabis Farmers. Humboldt County and state agencies will be offering local cannabis farmers and their employees free pesticide use training Aug. 30 to get them better ...
• City residents in Klamath are going to vote on recreational marijuana. Herald and News- Council affirmed receipt of 1,864 valid signatures for an initiative petition filed by Marianne Yong and Edward Medina Jr. to allow recreational marijuana production and sales within the city and imposing a 3 percent tax on retail sales.The council had three options — to affirm receipt of the notice, reject the initiative petition, or do nothing — however, all of these would have the impact in referring the initiative petition to city voters at the Nov. 6 general election.
• Yurok Tribe calls marijuana eradication campaign a 'major victory ... Eureka Times Standard-The Yurok Tribe is claiming a “major victory” this year in its cannabis ... north into Redwood Creek and several parts of southern Oregon as well as into the Hoopa Valley Tribe’s reservation to the east. The tribe’s Chairman Thomas O’Rourke attributed the success to the tribe’s “zero tolerance policy regarding all drugs, including medical marijuana.”