June 28, 2020
Another Australian State Loosens Weed Laws as the Country Inches Towards Decriminalization
Australian Doctors and GPs in the northern state of Queensland can now prescribe medicinal cannabis to any patient with any condition, following new legislation that was passed last week. The state’s Department of Health announced in a statement last Tuesday that “any registered medical practitioner” could write a prescription for a medical cannabis product—be it plant-based or synthetic—“if they believe it is clinically appropriate” to their patient’s condition and have obtained the required Commonwealth approval. Appropriate conditions can include severe muscular spasms, nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy and/or palliative care, some types of chronic pain not associated with cancer, and some types of epilepsy with severe seizures, according to the statement. “You may apply for other conditions,” the Department adds, “however, you will need to supply clinical evidence with your application for this to be considered.” This clinical evidence must support the use of the proposed cannabis product—whether that be tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), or both THC and CBD in combination—as a treatment for the patient’s condition. In Australia, medical cannabis products are currently classified as either Schedule 4 (Prescription Only Medicine) or Schedule 8 (Controlled Drug) substances, the latter of which it is illegal to possess “without authority”. Prior to the new legislation, only a small group of specialist practitioners who were registered with Queensland Health were allowed to prescribe these products—and they had to apply for each script via the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Now, as per the Department of Health’s statement, “Queensland doctors can prescribe Schedule 4—cannabidiol (CBD) and Schedule 8—tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or tetrahydrocannabinol: cannabidiol (THC:CBD) products without a Queensland approval”. In short, this makes it much easier for people to get their hands on medicinal weed. That weed can come in the form of vapour, capsules, sprays, or tinctures (oil or alcohol that’s been infused with plant cannabis), although the Department stresses that the smoking of cannabis products will not be approved in Queensland. In the scheme of things, this update to the legislation represents just one small change in how Australian jurisdictions regulate the distribution and use of medical cannabis. But it is indicative of the way in which the nation is slowly shifting towards a more liberal approach—and, in turn, getting ever closer to the potential decriminalisation of the drug. The Australian parliament legalised the growing of cannabis for medicinal and scientific purposes in February 2016, before legalising its the usage at the federal level in November of that year.
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Three members of Congress took to the House floor on Thursday to argue that marijuana reform should not be set aside and forgotten as the body approves policing overhaul legislation. Reps. Lou Correa (D-CA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) each spoke about the issue prior to the law enforcement bill’s passage. Correa said he supports the broad legislation as a means to combat racial injustices fostered by policing practices. However, “I’d hoped that arrest disparities—especially cannabis-related arrests—would have been part of this measure,” he said. “According to the ACLU, black people are more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession, and in some states, up to 10 times more likely to be arrested for cannabis possession,” he said. “We can’t ask our police officers to enforce flawed cannabis policy. Cannabis use is a social and medical issue, and not a criminal matter. Let’s not ask our police officers to do the impossible. I ask for reform in cannabis policy immediately.” Three members of Congress took to the House floor on Thursday to argue that marijuana reform should not be set aside and forgotten as the body approves policing overhaul legislation. Reps. Lou Correa (D-CA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) each spoke about the issue prior to the law enforcement bill’s passage. Correa said he supports the broad legislation as a means to combat racial injustices fostered by policing practices. However, “I’d hoped that arrest disparities—especially cannabis-related arrests—would have been part of this measure,” he said. “According to the ACLU, black people are more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession, and in some states, up to 10 times more likely to be arrested for cannabis possession,” he said. “We can’t ask our police officers to enforce flawed cannabis policy. Cannabis use is a social and medical issue, and not a criminal matter. Let’s not ask our police officers to do the impossible. I ask for reform in cannabis policy immediately.” Watch Correa discuss the need for marijuana reform as part of the policing bill below: The congressman made similar points during a House Judiciary Committee markup of the policing bill last week, stating that while “cannabis reform in terms of its criminalization will not undo the practices that have led to these demonstrations that we’re seeing today, decriminalizing cannabis will be a major step in the right direction.” Although there are similar use rates among people of different races, black people are much more likely to be arrested and convicted for marijuana offenses than white people are. Police often use the alleged smell of cannabis or the presence of other drugs as a pretext to stop and harass people of color. Blumenauer spoke about his work with Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) on marijuana legalization legislation, which he said “would be the next step repealing Nixon’s blatantly racist prohibition of marijuana with its selective enforcement against young black men—which continues to ensnare tens of thousands of young black men every month for something that Americans think should be legal.” “Let’s approve the MORE Act—already passed out of the Judiciary Committee—the next critical step in racial justice reform and protecting young black men from oppression,” he said.
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Canadian cannabis sales soared at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, but not enough to bolster a sector in the throes of reorganisation only two years after the drug was legalised. Fearing a shortage of the dried flower, Canadians rushed to cannabis stores and websites to stock up ahead of what would turn out to be a three-month government-ordered lockdown to slow the spread of Covid-19. Sales jumped almost 20% in March from the previous month and continued at a brisk pace through April, according to the government statistical agency. Classified as an essential service, pot stores remained open while online sales exploded. Industry expert Bradley Poulos, who teaches at Ryerson University in Toronto, said the pandemic has had a positive effect in that the legal market has actually seen an uptick in business. "We saw a transfer of some of the illegal (black market) business over to the legal market during this time," he told AFP. But, he added, that hasn't been enough of a boost for an industry in trouble and still struggling to reach profitability. Canada was the second nation, after Uruguay in 2013, to legalise the recreational use of cannabis. Canadian firms -- including Canopy Growth, Aurora and Tilray -- quickly established themselves as industry leaders, expanding into foreign markets in anticipation of legalisation spreading, for recreational or medical use. They raised billions of dollars from investors, listing on the Toronto and New York stock markets. But the buzz quickly faded.
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Indiana is surrounded by legal marijuana. In Michigan and Illinois, you can legally buy it for recreational use. Ohio allows medical use, and lawmakers in Kentucky are looking to do the same. Governor Eric Holcomb has said publicly that he does not support the legalization of marijuana in Indiana. But more than two-thirds of Hoosiers support the idea. Reporter Katlin Connin spoke to state lawmakers about what would need to happen to bring legal weed to the state.
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Oceanside’s City Council voted 4-1 this week to add the commercial cultivation of recreational marijuana to its list of regulated cannabis businesses. All other businesses such as manufacture, testing and distribution will remain for medical uses only for now, but the council agreed to reconsider in six months whether to allow recreational, also called adult-use, marijuana for them. Opponents say the change continues Oceanside’s gradual creep toward the legalization of all types of cannabis businesses, despite the council’s original stated intention of medical only. Proponents say they are just trying to “level the playing field,” increase the city’s tax revenue and give people fewer reasons to buy from illegal sources.
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June 26, 2020
Kearny puts more limits on medical marijuana
Kearny’s town council passed an ordinance restricting where medical marijuana dispensaries can operate, further limiting a future marijuana industry in the municipality. Under the ordinance, medical dispensaries are now limited to a single industrial zone in South Kearny. Dispensaries are also not be allowed to open within a two-mile radius of each other.
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June 26, 2020
Louisiana hemp production passes critical milestone
The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry says that the first batch of hemp has been tested and that it complies with regulations. The hemp was tested for THC concentration levels and came back below the legal limit of .3% THC total, according to the news release. LDAF’s lab establishes a .104% measurement of uncertainty that will be applied to all official hemp samples of 2020. Hemp used in testing was harvested from a Southwest Louisiana grower who has plans of producing CBD.
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Recent nationwide protests against police brutality and racial injustice have spurred increased calls for the financial-services industry to reckon with its longstanding lack of diversity. The issue lies at heart of a lawsuit filed this week that alleges “systemic racial discrimination” at Morgan Stanley. The plaintiff in the case is significant: Marilyn Booker served as the bank’s diversity chief for 16 years until 2011. Morgan Stanley said it strongly rejects her allegations but acknowledged it still has progress to make in boosting diversity in its employee ranks.
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June 25, 2020
Idaho Medical Marijuana Initiative Could Get New Chance At Ballot After Federal Court Ruling
Idaho activists behind a medical marijuana legalization initiative could get a second wind after a federal judge said on Tuesday that the state must make accommodations for a separate ballot campaign due to signature gathering complications due to the coronavirus pandemic. While the Idaho Cannabis Coalition isn’t involved in the case at hand, organizers are optimistic that the ruling will apply to their campaign. The judge determined that the state must decide by Friday to either place the separate group’s initiative on school funding on the ballot regardless of signature requirements or allow them to collect signatures electronically for an additional 48 days.
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June 25, 2020
Letters to the Editor: Make hemp products instead
Kurtis Alexander’s article hits the nail on the head and is loaded with the information everyone should see. One of the things I keep wondering about is why, following the legalization of marijuana, haven’t we seen any articles about using cannabis to make plastic?
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