The Veterans Cannabis Project on Wednesday has launched a website for Massachusetts veterans to voice concerns about a lack of access to marijuana after an order by Gov. Charlie Baker closed recreational dispensaries during the COVID-19 pandemic. The website, mass.vetscp.org, has a call to action, asking veterans and supporters to email Baker and state lawmakers and request that recreational marijuana shops be allowed to open. Baker this week asked residents to stay at home and ordered that all non-essential businesses close. While licensed medical dispensaries are considered essential and can stay open, the governor ordered recreational shops to close and the state Cannabis Control Commission issued cease and desist letters. “Our nation’s heroes deserve full access to the legal marijuana treatment options they rely on for medical care,” said Doug Distaso, the Veterans Cannabis Project executive director. “Denying access for veterans, including those who are disabled and are regularly prohibited from obtaining medical marijuana cards, is unnecessarily prohibitive for vets who depend on cannabis to help cope with physical and psychological injuries sustained on the battlefield.” The Veterans Cannabis Project in a statement did applaud Baker and state leadership for keeping medical marijuana dispensaries open. "We understand that maintaining public health and safety during this crisis is paramount and we all must do our part to keep our neighbors safe, Distaso said. "However, cannabis is essential to the veteran communities who rely on it as a treatment option, and denying access could cause them to seek treatment from dangerous products on the illicit market, or worse, return to opioid use.” As of Wednesday afternoon, 15 Massachusetts residents have died from illnesses related to COVID-19 and 1,838 residents have tested positive.
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March 26, 2020
USDA Approves Iowa Hemp Plan
The USDA has approved Iowa’s proposed industrial hemp plan; state officials, however, have specified that the program does not legalize the CBD industry. Iowa’s industrial hemp plan has received approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and farmers in the state can begin applying to cultivate the crop starting April 1. The plan does not legalize the production or use of CBD, according to the state Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship. Under the state’s rules, all individuals associated with hemp production must be listed on the company’s license and undergo a background check and submit fingerprints. In all, the USDA has approved 12 state hemp program plans since the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized hemp. Another 17 states will continue operating under their 2014 pilot programs, while eight other state programs are still pending review by the agency. Connecticut and Tennessee are listed as having submitted a plan to the USDA that required resubmission. Other states not pending review are currently drafting plans, according to agency data. Regulators have also approved 14 tribal hemp production plans and list another 16 as under review. Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) signed the hemp legislation last year. It allows farmers to grow up to 40 acres of the crop.
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March 25, 2020
North Macedonia Waits for a Green Light, and Lucrative High
In a desolate industrial zone of this capital city, a cannabis grow house is under construction that, when finished, will span 178,000 square feet, about the size of a Walmart superstore. At full capacity, 17 tons of marijuana a year, worth about $50 million, will be harvested. Among the planned offerings is an American strain known as Herijuana, a portmanteau of “heroin” and “marijuana,” which has received some rhapsodic online reviews. “I feel blown to the dome omg,” wrote a fan on Leafly, a cannabis review site. “It also gave me the ability to rap.” Pharmacon, the company behind this operation, has everything it needs for a thriving, dome-blowing business, including contracts with buyers in Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom. Construction here in Skopje has slowed in recent days, because new coronavirus regulations restrict the number of people who can work in groups. But the building will soon be completed and then Pharmacon will face a very different kind of impediment: the government. “They told everyone this is a huge opportunity for a new industry,” said Zlatko Keskovski, a former karate instructor turned cannabis entrepreneur, who works for Pharmacon. “They said they would have a good law passed in a few months. That was almost two years ago.” Medical marijuana exports have been legal here since 2016. But to date, the law allows only oils, extracts and tinctures, which, measured by demand, are just 30 percent of the market. The other 70 percent is the smokable bud of the plant, known as “flower” in the industry, the sale and export of which remain prohibited. That was supposed to change in 2018, when government leaders announced that the export law would be amended. Foreign investors were beckoned. Additional licenses were issued. And there was a colorful come-hither last August, when an American cannabis executive named Michael Straumietis, who goes by “Big Mike,” flew in on his private jet, met with the country’s prime minister, Zoran Zaev, and raved to his 2.6 million Instagram followers. “Let me tell you, this country has huge potential,” he wrote, “and I’m excited to be a part of turning Macedonia into one of Europe’s first Cannabis Superpowers.” But the promised amendment has been bottlenecked in Parliament amid allegations of corruption. The opposition party says that the prime minister has steered cannabis licenses to relatives and allies, part of a plan to cash in on a coming green rush.
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Medical cannabis is now more accessible to Utahns. Starting Wednesday, qualifying patients will be able to get medical cannabis with cards from the Utah Department of Health and/or recommendation letters from medical providers. Those with letters will be able to purchase medical cannabis until Dec. 31. “A patient who purchases medical cannabis using a recommendation letter must purchase all of their medical cannabis from the same pharmacy until they obtain a medical cannabis card from the Utah Department of Health,” Richard Oborn, director of the Center for Medical Cannabis, stated in a press release. The change comes after House Bill 425 passed during the legislative session and was signed into law by Gov. Gary Herbert. Prior to the legislation, patients could only purchase medical cannabis with an official medical cannabis card. In order to qualify for a recommendation letter, patients must meet the following requirements: Live in Utah. Present a recommendation letter to the medical cannabis pharmacy from a licensed medical professional that states you have been diagnosed with a qualifying condition. Approved licensed medical professions in Utah include a medical doctor, osteopathic physician, advanced practice registered nurse, or physician assistant. The medical cannabis pharmacy must receive independent confirmation from the individual’s medical provider that the recommendation letter is valid. Present a valid form of photo identification to the medical cannabis pharmacy such as a drivers license, a United States passport or passport card, or a United States military identification card. Recommendation letters will no longer be accepted after Dec. 31. Patients will need to get a medical cannabis card from UDOH in order to buy medical cannabis in 2021.
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March 25, 2020
Marijuana businesses are ineligible for coronavirus disaster relief, federal agency confirms
The federal Small Business Administration reiterated Monday that marijuana companies are not eligible for disaster relief loans to lessen the blow of the coronavirus outbreak. Because cannabis remains illegal at the federal level, the marijuana industry is being denied access to these aid opportunities, including programs administered by SBA. The agency’s Northwest branch confirmed that in a response to a tweet from a cannabis business owner who inquired about eligibility. Greg Hubly, the Washington State-based business owner expressed frustration and said there are “10 families I’m responsible for and know all this talk about business relief is just more [expletive] messaging for my industry.” The agency recommended he explore relief options provided by state or local agencies. Last week, an SBA spokesperson similarly clarified that marijuana companies aren’t getting a cut of the federal dollars being appropriated for business disaster relief. “Because federal law prohibits the sale and distribution of cannabis, the SBA does not provide financial assistance to businesses that are illegal under federal law,” SBA’s Carol Chastang told Cannabis Business Times. “Businesses that aren’t eligible include marijuana growers and dispensers, businesses that sell cannabis products, etc., even if the business is legal under local or state law.” This barrier to aid access for what’s becoming a massive industry across the United States has elicited strong pushback from reform advocates and stakeholders. A coalition of marijuana industry trade groups — including the National Cannabis Industry Association, National Cannabis Roundtable, Minority Cannabis Business Association and Cannabis Trade Federation — signed a joint letter last week, urging congressional leaders to lift restrictions and allow cannabis businesses to obtain the same relief as any other legitimate market. “The ineligibility of cannabis businesses for disaster assistance loans is especially inequitable given that these same cannabis businesses are required to comply with other coronavirus-related measures, such as paid sick leave coverage,” the letter said. “We are not seeking special treatment for state-legal cannabis businesses. We only seek to have them treated on an equal level as all other job-generating, tax-paying companies in this country.” There have been some legislative attempts to address the problem. A bill filed last year by the chairwoman of the House Small Business Committee included provisions that would allow marijuana businesses to access SBA services, and language from that legislation was later inserted in another comprehensive reform bill that cleared the House Judiciary Committee. NORML, meanwhile, is reaching out to lawmakers asking them to ensure that marijuana industry workers are not discriminated against when it comes to unemployment benefits amid the pandemic. The business end of this crisis is just one part of the issue for drug policy reform advocates. A growing number of campaigns to change state and local drug laws have been upended, with signature gathering efforts being suspended to protect public health. From California to Nebraska to Washington, D.C., activists have been left scrambling. With businesses shuttering and governments asking residents to stay at home and avoid close contact with one another, signature collection efforts have been suspended for ballot initiative campaigns to amend reform state marijuana laws, legalize psilocybin mushrooms, and decriminalize psychedelics. Several campaigns are asking officials to allow online signature collection.
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There was a time when Kelly Carney worked as a software developer but the stock market crash of 2008 eventually led this Arkansan to take on a new career: organic farming. "Being an organic farmer this far south is a little risky," Carney said. Carney runs a quaint organic farm operation in the Cabot area. As owner of North Pulaski Farms, Carney grows a diverse set of crops, ranging from fruits to vegetables to more recently -- hemp. Industrial hemp contains less than 0.3 percent of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which limits the effects of one to absorb a "high" similar to marijuana. In 2017, state lawmakers passed the Arkansas Industrial Hemp Act, which allowed the issuing of licenses to grow hemp for research purposes over a 10-year-period. The Arkansas Department of Agriculture's Plant Board has issued 125 licenses to hemp farmers across 51 counties. Turning a profit continues to be a struggle for growers including Carney, who works as a one-man-band of sorts when it comes to producing the final product. "We grow it here, we process it here, we package it here and we distribute it right from here. So it's as local as you can get," Carney said. The extracted cannabidiol (CBD) is often used for the creation of medicinal-branded products. Medicine is what Carney says he's creating, although the cash-flow has yet to fall in his favor. But he remains optimistic that hemp will prove to be a financial asset to Arkansas' economy in the coming years. "In my particular case, since I'm a small CBD manufacturer, I've just got to sell the product so we're able to grow it. We've got the raws in stockpiled and all we need now is more people buying it," Carney said. The Arkansas Department of Agriculture continues to develop its program with emphasis on public education regarding hemp's potential economic benefits While medicinal CBD appears to be the prime product, the plant board is also looking at transforming hemp stocks into fiber for industrial processing. In 2019, the Arkansas hemp farmers generated almost $700,000 in gross income. Arkansas' hemp regulations forbid the sale of dry hemp (flower) to the public, which Carney believes is a missed opportunity for the farmers and the state.
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March 24, 2020
Marijuana Businesses Are Ineligible For Coronavirus Disaster Relief, Federal Agency Confirms
The federal Small Business Administration (SBA) reiterated on Monday that marijuana companies are not eligible for disaster relief loans to lessen the blow of the coronavirus outbreak. Because cannabis remains illegal at the federal level, the marijuana industry is being denied access to these aid opportunities, including programs administered by SBA. The agency’s Northwest branch confirmed that in a response to a tweet from a cannabis business owner who inquired about eligibility. “With the exception of businesses that produce or sell hemp and hemp-derived products [that were federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill], marijuana-related businesses are not eligible for SBA-funded services,” the post states. Greg Hubly, the Washington State-based business owner expressed frustration and said there are “10 families I’m responsible for and know all this talk about business relief is just more bullshit messaging for my industry.” SBA recommended that he explore relief options provided by state or local agencies.Greg Hubly, the Washington State-based business owner expressed frustration and said there are “10 families I’m responsible for and know all this talk about business relief is just more bullshit messaging for my industry.” Last week, an SBA spokesperson similarly clarified that marijuana companies aren’t getting a cut of the federal dollars being appropriated for business disaster relief. “Because federal law prohibits the sale and distribution of cannabis, the SBA does not provide financial assistance to businesses that are illegal under federal law,” SBA’s Carol Chastang told Cannabis Business Times. “Businesses that aren’t eligible include marijuana growers and dispensers, businesses that sell cannabis products, etc., even if the business is legal under local or state law.” This barrier to aid access for what’s becoming a massive industry in states across the U.S. has elicited strong pushback from reform advocates and stakeholders. A coalition of marijuana industry trade groups—including the National Cannabis Industry Association, National Cannabis Roundtable, Minority Cannabis Business Association and Cannabis Trade Federation—signed a joint letter last week, urging congressional leaders to lift restrictions and allow cannabis businesses to obtain the same relief as any other legitimate market. “The ineligibility of cannabis businesses for disaster assistance loans is especially inequitable given that these same cannabis businesses are required to comply with other coronavirus-related measures, such as paid sick leave coverage,” the letter said. “We are not seeking special treatment for state-legal cannabis businesses. We only seek to have them treated on an equal level as all other job-generating, tax-paying companies in this country.” There have been some legislative attempts to address the problem. A bill filed last year by the chairwoman of the House Small Business Committee included provisions that would enable marijuana businesses to access SBA services, and language from that legislation was later inserted in another comprehensive reform bill that cleared the House Judiciary Committee. NORML, meanwhile, is reaching out to lawmakers asking them to ensure that marijuana industry workers are not discriminated against when it comes to unemployment benefits amid the pandemic.
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A campaign working to pass separate measures to legalize marijuana for medical and recreational purposes in South Dakota announced on Sunday that it will be shifting its strategy in the weeks ahead due to the coronavirus outbreak. And it is urging voters to consider absentee ballot options as a way to make sure their voices can be heard in case the COVID-19 pandemic prevents people from going to their polling places come November. In a Facebook post, New Approach South Dakota said it had planned to do in-person outreach and host events to spread the word about the two initiatives, which qualified for the November ballot earlier this year. But now, activists have “set that on the back burner for now & are focusing on reaching you all through social media.” The group said it will host virtual town hall events, remotely broadcast guest speakers and create more editorial content. They’ll also hold weekly Q&A sessions every Monday. Further, New Approach South Dakota said it is encouraging voters to look into absentee voting options to ensure that they can support both the proposed measure to implement a medical cannabis program and the constitutional amendment to legalize for adult use in case coronavirus concerns continue to hamper in-person gatherings by Election Day. “We strongly urge everyone to sign up and go vote as soon as absentee voting opens up,” the post states. “This process ensures democracy doesn’t fall wayside due to COVID-19.” “We still have a very important job to do for the patients in SD & that requires that we all plan to vote Yes for IM26 & Amendment A on the 2020 ballot,” it continues. “Victory is possible & access for patients is possible if we all make a plan to vote early.” A separate organization focused on the recreational cannabis measure, South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws, doesn’t appear to have made an announcement about any altered campaign plans amid the coronavirus outbreak. While it remains to be seen whether the pandemic will negatively impact turnout in the November election, the South Dakota advocates benefit from the fact that both initiatives have already qualified for the ballot. Drug policy reform campaigns in other states across the U.S. are facing a different problem: getting the signatures to make it on the ballot in the first place. From California to Nebraska to Washington, D.C., activists are scrambling to succeed in an increasingly volatile environment. With businesses shuttering and governments asking residents to stay at home and avoid close contact with one another, signature gathering efforts have been suspended for campaigns to amend reform state marijuana laws, legalize psilocybin mushrooms and decriminalize psychedelics. Several campaigns are asking officials to allow online signature collection. In New York, plans to legalize cannabis through the budget appears to have been derailed as the state prioritizes a coronavirus response. Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) hinted on Monday that the reform move may prove too complicated an issue for lawmakers to reach an agreement ahead of an April 1 budget deadline.
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March 23, 2020
New York Governor Says State Will Still Pursue Marijuana Legalization Despite Coronavirus
The governor of New York said on Monday that he expects lawmakers to push ahead with plans to legalize marijuana even as the state works to address the coronavirus pandemic. During a briefing on the public health crisis, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) was asked about his legislative priorities for the budget, which is facing an April 1 deadline to get passed. While he recognized that there are certain policy items he included in his proposal to lawmakers that are more complicated and may have to be delayed, he said the legislature should still pursue cannabis legalization. “We will pass a budget and address the policy items that we laid out and we discussed because it’s not just about passing a budget and the numbers,” Cuomo said. “There are many policy initiatives that I laid out back in January, and we’re going to pursue all of them.” “The only caveat was if you have a really complex issue that normally would require weeks of nuanced, detailed negotiation to do it right, that we won’t do. Because I don’t want to pass any bills that are not really intelligent that I then have to come back and deal with again next year,” he said. “If it’s a highly complex issue, I get it and then let’s put it off because we don’t want to do something sloppy.” While the governor didn’t explicitly state that marijuana reform represented one of those complex issues that needs more time, past experience in the legislature indicates it may be. Cuomo included legalization in his budget last year, but that didn’t pan out as negotiations failed to produce passable legislation as disagreements persisted on issues such as how to allocate tax revenue. Cuomo has repeatedly insisted that the reform move should be advanced through the budget, raising doubts about the legislature’s ability to enact legalization in a timely fashion otherwise. Earlier this month, he told reporters that “without the budget, the easiest thing for a legislative body to do is to do nothing.”
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As the coronavirus crisis continues to rage in New York, state lawmakers have returned to Abany intent on passing a budget, which is due April 1. Given the pandemic, many lawmakers are hoping to reach a deal sooner rather than later. But despite calls from numerous sources that the state pass a bare-bones budget – devoid of the usual big-ticket legislative items that find their way into the spending bill – Gov. Andrew Cuomo has remained adamant that whatever passes should include some key pieces of legislation. One of his priorities remains legalizing recreational marijuana, a massive agenda item that failed to pass last year. “I would like to do legalized marijuana,” Cuomo said at a press conference on Monday when asked about his legislative budget priorities. It was the latest sign that the current health crisis has not swayed him from pursuing the measure. Unless the governor plans to use his influence to force it through, there has still apparently been no compromise between himself and state lawmakers on the biggest outstanding issue on pot legalization: what to do with the tax revenues. State Sen. Liz Krueger and Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes introduced an amended version of their Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act in mid-March. It reflected a number of key changes that brought it closer in line with Cuomo’s most recent executive budget proposal, following negotiations between the Cuomo administration and lawmakers. One modification the lawmakers made was including a cannabis control board within a proposed Office of Cannabis Management, which was Cuomo’s preferred regulatory framework. While there are differences in the two proposals about the makeup of that board, as well as how appointments are made, the key similarity is that it would have the greatest control over the rulemaking authority of the new agency, rather than being run by an executive director.
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