Marijuana legalization is popular, more popular than Trump.

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Re: Marijuana legalization is popular, more popular than Tru

Postby seemslikeadream » Mon Apr 10, 2017 8:01 am

Canadian province gambles future on marijuana's 'extreme growth potential'
New Brunswick invests in cannabis industry, which could be worth billions once legalised, with hopes to revive its declining economy and aging population
organigram canada
The New Brunswick government has invested up to C$990,000 in payroll rebates to OrganiGram, the only licensed marijuana producer in the Canadian province. Photograph: Marty Melanson

Ashifa Kassam in Moncton
@ashifa_k
Monday 10 April 2017 05.00 EDT Last modified on Monday 10 April 2017 07.26 EDT
The thick scent of marijuana hangs heavy in the small room where rows of green plants are neatly arranged on shelves.

For the medical marijuana company OrganiGram, this is simply the latest round of production. But for New Brunswick, the small east coast Canadian province where this facility is based, the plants are part of a bigger gamble – one that aims to transform Canada’s looming plans to fully legalise marijuana by July 2018 into an economic boon capable of solving the problems of chronic unemployment and a rapidly aging population.

“We see here an industry that we think has extreme growth potential,” Brian Gallant, the Liberal premier of New Brunswick, told the Guardian.

His province has embraced the country’s nascent marijuana industry like no other, betting heavily on its potential to shake up an economy long dominated by fishing and forestry. “We’re very optimistic that we’ll see significant investments and significant jobs created in the province because of it.”


Some 100,000 Canadians currently use medical marijuana – and the number is growing by 10% each month, according to the Canadian National Medical Marijuana Association.

This growth, along with promises from the federal Liberal government, led by Justin Trudeau, to make Canada the first G7 country to fully legalise marijuana, have led analysts to estimate Canada’s cannabis industry could eventually be worth somewhere between C$5bn and C$7bn annually.

The industry’s potential growth spurt comes just as New Brunswick stares down a fast-approaching perfect storm of an aging demographic and economic decline. “We’re desperate for growth,” said Moncton-based economist Richard Saillant.

In some ways New Brunswick has more in common with countries, such as Greece or Portugal, than with other regions of Canada, said Saillant. “We share the same characteristics as those countries to the extent that they’re slow-growing peripheral economies that are fast aging and that are facing major financial stress.”

Home to some 750,000 people, the province is the only one in Canada with a shrinking population, as deaths outnumber births and younger residents head west for jobs. In their wake they leave an unemployment rate that hovers around 10% – one of the highest in Canada.

One in five residents in New Brunswick is currently aged 65 years or over, said Saillant, compared to about one in eight in western Canada. Within two decades, the number is expected to balloon to one in three, posing a significant challenge for the province’s healthcare system.

The demographics may help explain why a province with conservative tendencies has become so open to the marijuana industry. “I think it’s just the attitude that we have to have – as a smaller province with some challenges – that we have to look at these economic opportunities and be aggressive about them,” said Gallant, the province’s premier.

His government has invested C$4m in a loan to one medical marijuana startup, Zenabis, in order to help build a facility in northern New Brunswick that aims to create more than 200 jobs. In August, a senior government official suggested that these jobs may just be the tip of the iceberg; telling reporters that the sector could become a major economic driver in the province and create thousands of jobs.

The expectation saw New Brunswick become among the first jurisdictions in Canada to establish a working group to explore the issues around legalisation, ranging from how it will be sold to where products could be used. “There’s going to be production and distribution and sales of this across the country,” said Gallant. “So it’s a question of whether we as New Brunswickers can make sure we act quickly to benefit as much as possible from that.”

The provincial government has also invested in OrganiGram – currently the province’s only licensed marijuana producer – providing up to C$990,000 in payroll rebates for the creation of dozens of jobs over the next three years.

ray gracewood organigram canada marijuana
Ray Gracewood, OrganiGram’s COO. Photograph: Sean McGrath
The government’s investment came just as OrganiGram acquired another 136,000 square feet of industrial space in order to ramp up production, said Ray Gracewood, the company’s chief commercial officer.

“It’s fair to say that there really isn’t a model that we can look to to provide a turnkey solution,” said Gracewood. “So in a sense, I think Canadian industry is blazing a trail internationally from a legitimate sort of regulated industry. We’re already starting to get calls from representatives from other countries, asking what we’re doing.”

It hasn’t all been smooth sailing; OrganiGram and two other licensed producers in Canada recently issued a voluntary recall of much of its products sold in 2016 after five lots tested positive for low levels of two unapproved pesticides. The company has since put in place new growing and harvesting protocols.

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The fast-growing industry has also been in a holding pattern as of late. Some worry that the federal government’s timeline of July 2018 is too ambitious, given the scope of work likely to be left to the provinces. A date of 2019 has been floated as more likely.

And while eight US states and the District of Columbia have voted to legalise recreational marijuana, the White House has hinted that the Department of Justice will do more to enforce federal laws prohibiting recreational marijuana, raising concerns over how Canada’s approach will coexist with a potential crackdown south of the border.

Nearly 400,000 people a day cross the shared border between Canada and the US, and any clampdown on the border could have economic repercussions for Canada, which last year sent three-quarters of its exports to the US.

Still, many in this province continue to push forward. In October, a New Brunswick college announced it would launch a specialised program on marijuana cultivation aimed at prepping potential workers for everything from quality control to harvesting. The program, which could be on offer as early as autumn of this year, will compensate for the fact that “most of the experience that exists within the cultivation of marijuana happens in the black market”, said Gracewood.

It’s a necessary development as the industry moves out of the shadows and into legalisation – and another building block that could help the province reap the benefits. “This industry is going to exist whether New Brunswick likes it or not. And the thing that’s most encouraging to me, is that as a province, they’ve truly embraced the opportunity,” said Gracewood. “My sense is that New Brunswick will be one of the most prepared provinces in Canada when the opportunity arises.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/ ... -brunswick
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Re: Marijuana legalization is popular, more popular than Tru

Postby seemslikeadream » Tue Apr 11, 2017 6:08 pm

:D
First hearing on RI marijuana legalization scheduled
http://wpri.com/2017/04/11/first-hearin ... scheduled/


Could Nevada's tribal lands be the next marijuana frontier?
Jenny Kane , Reno Gazette-Journal Published 12:26 p.m. PT April 10, 2017 | Updated 3 hours ago
MEXICO-MARIJUANA-DEMO


Tribal lands could be the next frontier for the marijuana industry in Nevada.

From across the state, tribal leaders appeared at the Nevada Legislature last week to advocate for a bill that would enable tribes to enter into state compacts allowing the medical and recreational marijuana industry to take root on tribal land.

Under Senate Bill 375, introduced by Sen. Tick Segerblom, D-Las Vegas, the state would work with individual tribes whose tribal councils have voted to legalize marijuana for either medical and recreational uses.

"The tribes would oversee what is happening on their reservation, but when they participate in the system they would have to follow the state rules," Segerblom said of the bill.

While some tribes are only interested in opening dispensaries and others are interested additionally in production, all businesses would have to uphold the same health, security and taxation standards expected of state-licensed businesses even though the businesses would not carry state licenses, Segerblom said.

Almost all of the tribal leaders that testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday described high unemployment and poverty rates among their people and insisted that the marijuana industry could create jobs, revenue and other opportunities in their communities.


"We lack a tribal court system, we lack a police department, we lack health services – this may help create those services," said David Decker, Chairman of the Elko Band Council for the Te-Moak Tribe of the Western Shoshone. "Just to pay for dispatch, this is very expensive. This could help us pay for all those economic securities that we currently can’t provide."

Tildon Smart, former chairman of the Fort McDermitt Paiute-Shoshone tribe, told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday that about 98 percent of the approximately 1,100 tribal members are unemployed.

"Education is a major issue. I left the reservation for a while and got an education and came back," Smart said.

He has hope that the marijuana industry could bring as many as 200 jobs to his community.

More: Nevada GOP leaders ask Sessions for help with marijuana laws

More: Nevada bill making all marijuana 'candy' illegal gets pushback

It is unclear which tribal or state agencies would regularly monitor the medical and recreational marijuana industry on tribal lands since state-licensed businesses are constantly monitored by state agencies. Between 24-hour real-time security footage and monthly walk-throughs, the regulation of the cannabis business is no easy feat.

Nevada lawmakers are trying to address everything from marijuana users' gun rights to the danger that edible marijuana products pose to children. Wochit

"Nevada is the most regulated state in the country when it comes to marijuana," said Will Adler, director of the Sierra Cannabis Coalition. "There's nothing easy about marijuana."

To even establish a medical marijuana dispensary, the state requires a minimum investment of $250,000. A lot of people spend millions, Adler said.

If the bill passes, it would not be a national first — though it certainly would be uncommon.

In 2015, Washington state signed a 10-year pact with the Suquamish Tribe, allowing the tribe to open its own pot shop. While other tribes have tried their hands at marijuana, the start-up expense and the threat of federal intervention has smothered many of those efforts.

"They are sticking their necks out on this one, but at some point you have to say, 'We can’t sit around and twiddle our thumbs,'" Segerblom said. "I think the tribes – because they're sovereign nations – they will have a better leg to stand on."

Banking on marijuana is a gamble in the least, especially since many tribes receive a hefty chunk of their funding from the federal government.


"Unless you're using your federal funding for your marijuana program, it's not going to be a problem," said Trent Griffith, secretary-treasurer for the Ely Shoshone tribe in Southern Nevada.

His tribe is already on the right track, he said. In November, the Ely Shoshone Tribe started Nevada's first state-recognized tribal cardholders program, one that allows tribe members to purchase medical marijuana in-state.

"It's really not that we can't dispense now, but we haven't," said Griffith, noting that cardholders still have to drive several hours to Las Vegas for product.

For several years, federal officials have operated under the guidelines of the Wilkinson Memo, which affords tribes the ability to operate under state marijuana laws. The new White House administration, however, has not been as friendly to the idea of marijuana, which is still illegal on a federal level.

More: Sandoval: 'From the beginning' I worried about Feds cracking down on recreational marijuana

More: Nevada recreational marijuana program to get started with $870K

In February, the Moapa Band of Paiutes outside of Las Vegas got a taste of what could be greater enforcement of the nation's continuing pot prohibition.

The tribe received a letter from U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden warning the tribe that they had misinterpreted the Wilkinson Memo when they decided to host one of the largest marijuana festivals in the world, the Cannabis Cup. Several cannabis-focused activities had to be cancelled as a result.

Few of the leaders were too concerned with statements from U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who has voiced his disapproval of marijuana, and from White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer. Spicer in February said that the Department of Justice was going to increase the enforcement of the federal prohibition of recreational marijuana.

"Going into compacts is nothing new for tribes," said Laurie Thom, chairwoman of the Yerington Paiute Tribe.

Thom, a former tribal officer and now a massage therapist, believes in the medicinal elements of marijuana. She wants her tribal members to have the same opportunity to use cannabis as others, especially those who have cancer and other chronic diseases.

"We’re not allowed to provide that medicine, that healing medicine," Thom said. "That hurts me because I've put my hands on these people and I can feel their pain."

Were the tribes to run into legal trouble with the federal government, the tribes would have to defend themselves, according to Segerblom.

"We’re too paternal about tribes. They’re grown up, they can think for themselves," he said.

http://www.rgj.com/story/news/marijuana ... 304759001/
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Re: Marijuana legalization is popular, more popular than Tru

Postby seemslikeadream » Sat Apr 15, 2017 11:33 am

full post in Data Dump

Marijuana legalization is popular, more popular than Trump
viewtopic.php?f=33&t=40477


If Jeff Sessions wants to crack down on medical marijuana, he’ll have to battle more than half the country
By Amber Phillips April 15 at 8:00 AM
Image
Attorney General Jeff Sessions wants to bring back the war on drugs, but on medical marijuana — which he says “has been hyped, maybe too much” — he may be too late.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the ... 67c8a05e3a[/yt_pl]
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Re: Marijuana legalization is popular, more popular than Tru

Postby seemslikeadream » Thu Apr 20, 2017 3:03 pm

Marijuana industry could be worth $50 billion annually by 2026
By Trey Williams
Published: Apr 20, 2017 2:14 p.m. ET


Weed companies are hoping the U.S. government will not disrupt a sector that is raising valuable tax revenue for states
Getty Images
The cannabis industry has made strides in its effort to transform into a legitimate business sector with a growing number of participants now gearing up to celebrate the plant’s informal holiday, 4/20.

November saw the U.S. industry gain state allies in Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada and, importantly, California, as all four voted to legalize recreational marijuana for adult use. There are now eight U.S. states, plus the District of Columbia, where recreational marijuana is legal, there are 28 states in which medical marijuana is legal and more are exploring some form of legalization or decriminalization.

About 21% of the U.S. population now lives in a state where smoking marijuana is legal and polls say roughly 60% of Americans support marijuana legalization. Canada has gone a step further, introducing legislation to federally legalize marijuana across the country in 2018.


At the same time that Americans turn a corner on the plant that was once the center of antidrug campaigns, investors and state and local governments are realizing its potential as a source of tax revenue. In a report published ahead of the November election, analysts at Cowen and Co. estimated that the cannabis industry is worth about $6 billion in annual sales. Another $25 billion could be added to that from black market sales, and if and when those transition to the legal market, it could be worth $50 billion by 2026, the report found.

Marijuana sales rose 30% in 2016 and Colorado, one of the industry’s earliest U.S. test markets, generated $200 million of tax revenue from $1.3 billion in marijuana sales last year.

But for all of the excitement about the rapid change in the industry of the past few years, there are still many obstacles to overcome and challenges that make investing a risky endeavor.

Here are three issues to consider:

Check out: Opinion: How investors can separate the winners from the losers in the marijuana industry

Will they, won’t they
The biggest challenge for the marijuana industry is figuring out how the federal government will approach the industry and whether it will enforce federal laws, which continue to ban use of the plant. Marijuana is still labeled a Schedule I substance along with heroin and LSD, creating complications for growers and sellers in the states where it is legal. For now, the industry seems confident that public approval and expanded research will shield it from government interference, but that doesn’t make critical comments from lawmakers any less disconcerting.

“Even while momentum for legalization continues on the state level and more members of Congress are sponsoring reform legislation, the Trump administration is sending concerning and at times conflicting signals about what its policy will be,” said Tom Angell, chairman of the advocacy group Marijuana Majority, in an email.

During last year’s campaign, now-President Donald Trump was supportive of medical marijuana laws and states’ rights in legalizing and establishing marijuana policies. His Attorney General Jeff Sessions, however, has been a staunch opponent of the plant. Sessions has said “good people don’t smoke marijuana,” and other comments have made it sound as if he is itching for a return to war-on-drugs policies, but he has also recognized there is not much he can do currently to increase enforcement of marijuana laws.

Also read: Expect ‘greater enforcement’ of marijuana laws under Trump, Spicer says

For now, the federal government has its hands tied. The Hinchey-Rohrabacher Amendment prevents the Justice Department from spending federal funds to enforce prohibition laws in states where medical marijuana has been legalized.

Recreational cannabis is a $6 billion industry that is projected to reach $50 billion in legal annual sales by 2026. Here's what you need to know if you're thinking of investing in marijuana.

Standards and regulations
Because the cannabis industry has operated as a black market, it’s not surprising that it has taken time for the industry to create standards and for states to come up with a cohesive set of regulations on its use.

However, because they have operated on a standalone basis, those standards vary from state to state, creating a patchwork of rules to be followed. And that can pose a problem when it comes to how marijuana and cannabis products are distributed.

Check out: Marijuana industry is bracing for a renewed push toward legalization in 2017

Things like edibles, oils used in vape pens and pre rolls have been gaining in popularity among cannabis users. Packaging for such products has come a long way — measures have been made to make them less appealing to children — but the industry is still figuring out the best dosage for such products.

Edibles and oils tend to have a relatively high dosage of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), marijuana’s main psychoactive property. While the package might say what the dosage is, some in the industry are worried that consumers are not sufficiently educated and end up taking too much, too quickly because the effects can lag.

In states like Washington, the legally defined dose is 10 milligrams of THC, but some think that is too high and there are companies opting for microdoses as low as 2.5 milligrams.

Also see: Want to sell medical marijuana in New York? It could cost you $30 million

The lack of industrywide regulations can also be a problem when seeking a dispensary license. In California, for example, the process for determining who is granted a business license to sell marijuana is a hotchpotch of laws and decisions made by local governments, which can differ from city to city.

There is also the issue of banking. Banks are unwilling to take on the legal risk of doing business with an industry that is federally banned. Federal law obliges banks to report any marijuana-related transactions as suspicious activity, and they can open themselves to seizure by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. While some small independent banks have taken the risk, large banking institutions such as J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. JPM, +1.17% have steered clear following a 2014 directive from the U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.

Stoner stigma
The final barrier for the legalization movement may be cultural -- overcoming the stereotype of the pothead as lazy, lethargic and unmotivated. Marijuana clearly has the effect of subduing emotions and can cause sleepiness, but there are also different strains of cannabis with different effects.

Strains are typically broken into three groups: indica, sativa and hybrid. The stoner image of laid-back sedation is associated with indica strains. Sativas have a more invigorating and physically uplifting effect, and hybrids fall somewhere in between.

There are a multitude of cannabinoids that make up cannabis, the most prominent of which are THC and cannabidiol (CBD). While the effects of THC are highly psychoactive, CBDs have little to no psychoactive effects. Some researchers and companies are exploring the effects of individual cannabinoids to better understand them. Denver-based company Ebbu LLC began with the idea that it could produce cannabis products that by extracting certain cannabinoids would give users the same result every time -- whether its something to make them laugh, help them stay up late or put them to sleep.

Hollywood’s portrayal of marijuana tends to further the stoner perception of the drug without showing the other side of cannabis.

Read also: How the marijuana industry is aiming to undo the harm caused by the war on drugs

Don’t miss: These parents are fighting to give pot to their kids

Conversations with people working in and advocating for the industry typically turn to the issues of social justice and marijuana’s ability to treat certain ailments, notably pain.

While there is still research to be done, cannabis has been recognized as a less dangerous substitute for opioids and other painkillers. Cannabis has been used to treat a variety of illnesses, from seizures in children to traumatic brain diseases in athletes.

The Horizons Medical Marijuana Life Sciences ETF HMMJ, -1.20% has gained 4.1% since its first-day closing level on April 5. The S&P 500 SPX, +0.82% has fallen 0.3% in the same time frame.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/mariju ... 2017-04-20
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Re: Marijuana legalization is popular, more popular than Tru

Postby seemslikeadream » Mon Jun 05, 2017 8:47 am

dabbling in doobage Image


FREE THE WEED

5 Big Investors Diving Deep into the Marijuana Industry
Some get in the pot business to do good. Some get into it hoping to do good and do well. Others are just looking to do well.
By Phillip Smith / AlterNet June 1, 2017, 8:54 PM GMT

This is not your father's marijuana industry. In a couple of decades we've gone from a completely black market in marijuana to a legal market valued at $4 billion a year—and projected to increase rapidly—and from tie-dyed Northern California pot farmers hiding from helicopters to people in suits and ties with dollar signs in their eyes.

Increasingly, marijuana is being seen as just another commodity, another profit-source for restless capital seeking to put itself to work in the endless task of creating more capital. Sure, Ma and Pa Pot Farmer are still out there trying to find a place for themselves in the legal markets being born, especially California's, where the legal, recreational pot business will begin next year, and sure, there are countless people in the industry who just believe in weed.

But the industry (and potential profits) is attracting a growing number of people for whom marijuana is no more inherently interesting than mops or mopeds. They're not about the weed or the good vibe or anything like that; they're about the money.

In a recent survey, Marijuana Business Daily reported that investors planned on average to invest half a million dollars in pot businesses this year, with a handful willing to risk more than $25 million. And business is booming: In just a few days, the industry daily has run headlines such as "A $200M Day: Two Investors Reveal Big Plans to Fund Marijuana Businesses" (the principals being "a California real estate investment firm and a wealthy Florida medical marijuana advocate") and "Investors Pump Up to $80 Million into Oregon Marijuana Startups."

It's not just individual investors. Private equity and venture capital firms are also circling, looking for profitable opportunities to monetize marijuana. In fact, we now have any number of firms that are dabbling in doobage. Some have real roots in pot culture or the legalization movement, some don't. According to Forbes, the five below are some of the biggest.

1. MedMen Capital

The MedMen Opportunity fund that closed in April raised $60 million, and MedMen has another $30 million to invest as well. It's into seven different projects ranging from California and New York dispensaries to grow facilities in California, New York and Nevada. "We look for undervalued assets in strategic markets with large addressable demand, constrained supply and high barriers to entry," said spokesman David Yi.

2. Phyto Partners

This group tends to invest chunks of $500,000 to $750,000 in emerging pot businesses, which gives it a significant say in how it operates. "Since we have the ability to deploy a larger amount of capital, the fund can get more favorable terms. This usually means better valuations, more equity and more control," said managing director Brett Finkelstein.

3. Casa Verde Capital

Casa Verde's investments are smaller—typically $250,000 to $500,000 per new company—but its names are bigger. Cannabis culture hero Snoop Dogg is one partner, serial entrepreneur Ted Chung is another, and the other two are a former PriceWaterhouseCoopers director and a former Goldman Sachs exec. Casa Verde has Merry Jane, Flower Shop and ELLO as sister companies, and has invested in a delivery service and an e-commerce platform. "We believe in venture and ancillary markets because technology, software, hardware, products and services are scalable and will help to build the backbone of this burgeoning industry for decades to come," says partner Evan Eneman.

4. Poseidon Asset Management

Founder Emily Paxhia and brother Morgan started Poseidon in 2014 after their parents died of cancer. Because of their newfound knowledge about medical marijuana, they are committed exclusively to marijuana companies and have raised over $25 million, investing in 40 different companies, mainly in real estate and technology. Poseidon led the $3.5 million buy-out of the winery that is expected to switch to weed and also led on the April financing round for Wurk, a workforce compliance program.


5. Arcview Group

These guys grew up in the marijuana reform movement. Partner Steve DeAngelo, head of the Harborside Health Center in Oakland, has been actively trying to free the weed since the 1980s, while partner Troy Dayton earned his spurs as a movement activist in his days with Students for Sensible Drug Policy. Arcview has provided capital for 141 companies including Mass Roots, MJ Freeway, Medicine Man, and Eaze, and has $115 million invested.
http://www.alternet.org/drugs/commodifi ... e-bank-bud



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYLo7d_rXfw
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Re: Marijuana legalization is popular, more popular than Tru

Postby Gnomad » Thu Aug 31, 2017 9:23 am

http://rigorousintuition.ca/board2/view ... 33&t=23504
Cannabis research, medicine and use - thread at Data Dump
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Re: Marijuana legalization is popular, more popular than Tru

Postby seemslikeadream » Thu Sep 07, 2017 7:31 pm

Roger Stone Yanked as Conference Keynote Speaker After Cannabis Community Erupts
Stone's sleazy past and present ultimately outweighed his support for marijuana legalization.
By Phillip Smith / AlterNet September 7, 2017, 11:36 AM GMT


Long-time Republican political trickster and Donald Trump adviser Roger Stone's gig as the keynote speaker at Los Angeles and Boston marijuana expos has been canceled after news of his participation roiled the cannabis community.

The Cannabis World Congress and Business Exposition had selected the white-haired provocatuer to address the two pot business conferences after Stone came out for pot legalization early this summer. But Stone's pro-legalization stance wasn't enough to protect him from charges of racism, misogyny and being too close to Trump, who rode his own racist dog whistles to the White House.

After the announcement of Stone's participation, numerous speakers and exhibitors announced a boycott of CWCBExpo led by the Minority Cannabis Business Alliance, whose members loudly withdrew from the conference.

By Wednesday, CWCBExpo had had enough of the controversy.

"Following collaborative discussions with numerous partners, participants and interested parties who support the legalization of cannabis in an inclusive manner, Cannabis World Congress & Business Expositions, (CWCBExpo) is announcing that Roger Stone will no longer be featured as a keynote speaker at the upcoming CWCBExpo events in Los Angeles and Boston," the organizers announced in a news release.

Stone's presence would work counter to the expo's goals. According to a press release, the conference's forums "are crucial to the growth and legalization of the cannabis industry and they supersede the distractions that have surrounded the events."

Stone wasn't taking the snub lying down. He told the L.A. Weekly he would sue CWCBExpo.

"Sad day for the First Amendment," Stone told the newspaper. "The expo is in breach of contract. I will be suing them for $1 million. I will not be deterred from my efforts to persuade the president to preserve access to legal medicinal marijuana consistent with his pledge to the American people."

Expect the prankster to land on his feat. Stone just started a new Internet and radio program on InfoWars, home of Trump supporter and far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.
http://www.alternet.org/drugs/roger-sto ... e-keynoter
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Re: Marijuana legalization is popular, more popular than Tru

Postby Pele'sDaughter » Fri Sep 08, 2017 7:45 am

http://kxan.com/2017/09/06/texas-issues ... marijuana/

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The first marijuana medical license issued by the state of Texas will be going to a company called Cansortium Texas.

The company, with administrative offices in Schulenberg, Texas, says they are humbled and honored to have earned a license as a low-THC dispensing organization.

“Our commitment is to the patients of Texas suffering from epilepsy and their families who are enduring tremendous hardship,” the company said in a statement. “We are focused on compassionately providing this medicine in an unrivaled professional healthcare environment and will abide by the highest practice and performance levels.”

Cansortium is working with the Texas Department of Public Safety, “who rightfully demands of us the highest standards, an expectation we will always strive to meet and exceed,” the statement continued.

Two additional companies will get medical marijuana licenses from the state. Cansortium Texas hopes to be approved to dispense to patients by the end of the year.

The Associated Press reports the Florida-based company has medical marijuana licenses already in Florida, Pennsylvania and Puerto Rico. The companies seeking the licenses will pay a nearly $490,000 fee once they’re approved, followed by a renewal of the license in two years for nearly $320,000.
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Re: Marijuana legalization is popular, more popular than Tru

Postby seemslikeadream » Tue Nov 21, 2017 1:11 am

The Biggest Legal Pot Economy in the World Starts January 1—What Will It Look Like?


When California initiates legal marijuana commerce on January 1, it will be the world's largest legal pot economy. Now, just weeks away, we're finally seeing the rules that are going to govern the transition from a black and gray market to a legal, taxed and regulated market. (Never mind for now that huge swaths of the state's marijuana industry are going to remain in the black market because their crops are destined for states where pot remains illegal; this is about the legal market in California.)

“I feel a big sigh of relief. It’s a big milestone for us to release these regulations,” said Lori Ajax, chief of the state’s Bureau of Cannabis Control. “But there’s still a lot of work to be done. No rest for the weary.”

State officials unveiled the regulations—276 pages of them—on Thursday. They will govern licensing for state-legal marijuana businesses, as well as a huge range of regulatory issues, from edibles, deliveries and store hours to locations and the size of marijuana farms.

The regulations are temporary and will be subject to modification as the state eases into the new legal marijuana regimen, but this is where the new era begins.

Here are the links to the regs:

Bureau of Cannabis Control regulations (PDF)
CA Department of Food and Agriculture regulations (PDF)
CA Department of Public Health regulations (PDF)
And here are some of the highlights:

Sales will begin January 1, but—and this is a big but—only in localities where local officials have created local permitting processes. The state will license businesses only when they have local permits, so cities and counties that have dilly-dallied, like San Francisco, will not be ready to start sales on day 1. And some localities have decided not to allow marijuana businesses at all, so access to pot shops is going to be patchy.
Marijuana retailers will be allowed to operate between 6am and 10pm, but will have to be at least 600 feet away from schools and daycare centers. And they will need to have 24-hour video surveillance.
Free samples only for medical marijuana patients or their caregivers.
No marijuana sales at strip clubs. Sorry.
Licensing fees are spelled out, and they range from $800 a year for a marijuana delivery service up to $120,000 a year for businesses doing multiple activities that make more than $4.5 million a year. For growers, license fees will range from as low as $1,200 to as much as $80,000, depending on the size of the grow.
There are no limitations on the size of marijuana farms. The Agriculture Department had proposed a one-acre cap, but dropped it before issuing its regulations. Also dropped was a cap on how many small farms and nurseries individuals can own. This likely means the emergence of large-scale pot farming operations and increased pressure on the ma-and-pa producers who created the state's pot industry in the first place.
Marijuana delivery services will be allowed, but will be limited to motorized vehicles driven by humans. No bicycles, boats or drones will be allowed, and neither will self-driving vehicles.
Edibles will be limited to serving sizes that contain no more than 10 milligrams of THC and no edible can contain more than 10 servings, or a maximum of 100 milligrams of THC. The term "candy" cannot be used in any branding, and product labels that portray cartoons or otherwise target kids will not be allowed. And edibles can't be made in the shape of a human being, animal, insect, or fruit.
While edibles are allowed, marijuana-infused alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, or seafood (!) is not. No pot lobster for you.
Advertising is going to be very restricted. The regulations limit advertising to outlets where at least 71.6% (?) of the audience is "reasonably expected to be 21 years of age or older." Good luck with that.
Marijuana-themed events at public facilities, such as fairgrounds, are allowed, but only with a special license.
All products must be tested, but the regulations will allow the sale of untested products through July 1—if the product is labeled as such or if it is put in child-resistant packaging.
Prices are going to go up. A bag of good quality bud that currently goes for $35 is likely to cost $50 or $60 when recreational sales and other taxes kick in.
Phillip Smith is editor of the AlterNet Drug Reporter and author of the Drug War Chronicle.
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Re: Marijuana legalization is popular, more popular than Tru

Postby seemslikeadream » Tue Dec 19, 2017 9:10 am

9 Ways Scientists Are Exploring the Body’s Relationship with Marijuana

In recent years, cannabis has been at the center of one of the most important developments in modern science, which has significantly advanced our understanding of health and disease.

Research on marijuana’s effects led directly to the discovery of a major biochemical signaling system in the human body – the endocannabinoid system – which plays a pivotal role in regulating a wide range of physiological processes that affect our mood, our blood pressure, our bone density, our metabolism, our intestinal fortitude, our energy level, how we experience pain, stress, hunger, and much more.

“By using a plant that has been around for thousands of years, we discovered a new physiological system of immense importance,” says Israeli scientist Raphael Mechoulam. “We wouldn’t have been able to get there if we had not looked at the plant.”

Described by Mechoulam as “a medicinal treasure trove,” cannabis contains more than 100 unique biologically active compounds known as “cannabinoids,” including tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). THC causes the high that cannabis is famous for, CBD does not; both have important therapeutic attributes.

In addition to phytocannabinoids produced by the plant, there are endogenous cannabinoids – marijuana-like molecules – that occur naturally in the human brain and body. And there are also synthetic cannabinoids created by pharmaceutical researchers, who are developing new medicines that target the endocannabinoid system for therapeutic benefit.

Some of these novel synthetic compounds activate the same cannabinoid receptors – CB1 and CB2 – in the brain and body that respond pharmacologically to THC and other cannabis components.1

Medical scientists are also experimenting with synthetic drugs designed to improve “endocannabinoid tone” without binding directly to cannabinoid receptors.

Here are nine strategies that scientists are currently pursuing in an effort to harness the healing potential of the endocannabinoid system:

1. Single-molecule plant cannabinoids

Dronabinol, marketed in pill form as Marinol, is a single-molecule THC extract combined with sesame oil. It got fast-tracked for approval by the Food and Drug Administration in 1985 in response to rising patient demand for medical marijuana.

Other THC preparations are also on the FDA’s radar, including Syndros, a liquid THC drug produced by Insys. But patented single-molecule THC is a poor substitute for whole plant cannabis.

Even though it is highly psychoactive and potentially dysphoric, pharmaceutical THC is legally accessible in all 50 states as a prescription medication.

Cannabidiol, unlike pure THC, is not yet legal in all 50 states. But CBD will soon become a legal pharmaceutical, as the FDA is poised to approve Epidiolex, a botanically derived anti-seizure medication produced by GW Pharmaceuticals. Epidiolex is pure CBD with a dash of cannabidivarin (CBDV), a “minor” cannabinoid that also has potent anti-epileptic properties.

Along with the imminent advent of pharmaceutical CBD, several R&D firms have begun to harvest single-molecule cannabinoids, such as CBDV, from a yeast substrate. As this biotechnology improves, drug developers and pharmacists will have access to numerous single-molecule cannabis compounds.

2. Synthetic cannabinoid analogs

Scientists have created synthetic analogs of plant cannabinoids for research purposes and for commercial sale and distribution. Nabilone, a synthetic THC analog, was developed by Eli Lilly and Co. as a treatment for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.

Marketed under the trade name Cesamet, this synthetic cannabinoid is used as an adjunct therapy for chronic pain management in Canada and other countries. Clinical trials of Nabilone have indicated some effectiveness for fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s, PTSD-related nightmares, irritable bowel disease, and multiple sclerosis.

Researchers are using various synthetic analogs to investigate the biochemical pathways and molecular mechanisms of the endocannabinoid system. Some of these compounds (such as WIN55,212-2 and CP55,940) bind to both cannabinoid receptors – CB1 and CB2 – much like THC. Other experimental drugs target only one type of cannabinoid receptor and not the other. 2

A cannabinoid agonist binds to a cell receptor and causes it to initiate a signaling cascade that modulates various physiological processes and protects neurons against toxic insults. A cannabinoid antagonist binds to a cell receptor and prevents it from signaling.

3. Synthetic cannabinoid antagonists

Cannabinoid CB1 receptors, which mediate the psychoactive effects of THC, are concentrated in the brain and central nervous system. When THC binds to CB1, it can make a person feel stoned – and hungry. The “munchies,” scientists confirmed, are linked to stimulation of CB1 receptors in areas of the brain that regulate hunger and satiety. If activated, CB1 receptors induce appetite; if blocked, they reduce it.

“SR141716,” a synthetic CB1 antagonist developed by the French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi-Aventis, was initially utilized as a research tool: By blocking CB1 and monitoring which functions were altered, scientists advanced their understanding of the endocannabinoid system.

Sanofi strategists believed they had invented the perfect diet pill, and they promoted SR141716 as an appetite suppressant in Europe. But the diet drug, sold as “Rimonabant,” proved to be too blunt an instrument. Before long, the synthetic CB1 antagonist was pulled from circulation because of dangerous side effects – high blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, anxiety, mood swings, depression, headaches, seizures, sleep disorders, and a heightened risk of suicide.

If nothing else, the CB1 antagonist debacle provided vivid evidence that a well-functioning endocannabinoid system is essential for good health.3

4. Peripherally restricted CB1 agonists

Cannabinoid CB1 receptors, the most prevalent protein receptors in the human brain, influence many neurological functions, including marijuana’s mood-altering effects. CB1 receptors are also expressed in the enteric nervous system (the gut), the liver, kidneys, heart and other peripheral organs.

Stimulating CB1 receptors can deliver significant therapeutic benefits, but THC’s psychoactivity limits its medical utility, according to Big Pharma catechism, which defines the CB1-mediated marijuana “high” as an adverse side effect that drug designers should avoid if they hope to win regulatory approval of their patented synthetic novelties.

So pharmaceutical researchers have created peripherally-restricted CB1 agonists (such as AZ11713908) that only activate CB1 receptors outside the central nervous system, but don’t cross the blood-brain barrier.

A peripherally restricted CB1 agonist won’t cause side effects such as disconcerting dysphoria or useless euphoria. But such a compound has never been approved for therapeutic use by the FDA.

5. Selective CB2 agonists

Scientists have been hot on the trail of another type of synthetic cannabinoid – a “selective CB2 agonist” – that will bypass the brain while acting on the peripheral nervous system, where CB2 receptors are concentrated. CB2 receptors regulate immune function, pain perception, and inflammation.

Tinkering with synthetic compounds (such as HU308 and JWH 133) that selectively stimulate CB2receptors raises the prospect of healing without the high because CB2 receptors are localized primarily outside the brain and thus do not induce psychoactivity.

Cannabinoid researchers have their eyes on the ultimate prize, the pharmaceutical Holy Grail – a non-addictive painkiller bereft of adverse side effects. Animal experiments focusing on the CB2 receptor initially showed promise.

Thus far, however, drug companies have not been able to synthesize clinically effective CB2-selective compounds, though not for lack of trying. “If drug discovery is a sea, then CB2 is a rock that is surrounded by shipwrecked-projects,” remarked Italian scientist Giovanni Appendino.

6. Water-soluble cannabinoids

In their natural form, plant cannabinoids and endocannabinoids are oily, hydrophobic substances that don’t dissolve in water. But these lipid molecules can be structurally altered so that they become water soluble without diminishing their therapeutic attributes.

Scientists have developed several ways of synthesizing water-compatible derivatives of THCand other cannabinoids that are more bioavailable and thus potentially more potent than their oily, naturally-occurring counterparts.

The first water-soluble version of THC was created in 1972. Subsequent research found that water-friendly cannabinoid derivatives can lower intraocular pressure in rabbits. A water-soluble cannabinoid ester, “O-1057,” exhibited stronger analgesic properties than THC in preclinical experimentation.

Internet retailers are claiming to sell water-soluble CBD formulated as a nanoemulsion. Pure CBD delivered via nanotechnology is supposed to provide exceptionally high bioavailability and remedial effect compared to a hydrophobic CBD oil extract.

But a CBD isolate typically requires a much higher dose for therapeutic efficacy than a whole plant CBD-rich concentrate – and this factor may cancel out the alleged advantages of nanoemulsified single-molecule CBD.

7. Allosteric cannabinoid receptor modulators

Because direct, full-on stimulation of cannabinoid receptors in the brain may trigger undesirable psychoactive effects, scientists have developed synthetic compounds that change the shape of the CB1 receptor and influence how it signals without causing a THC-like high. These compounds, known as allosteric modulators, can either amplify or decrease a receptor’s ability to transmit a signal.

A “positive allosteric modulator” increases the potency and/or efficacy of CB1 receptor activation by anandamide and 2AG (the two main endogenous cannabinoids), thereby boosting the protective effects of the endocannabinoid system.

Scientists at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland have synthesized a positive allosteric modulator of CB1to treat pain and neurological disorders. When researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University tested this experimental drug (“ZCZ011”) on mice, it reduced inflammatory pain by magnifying the CB1 receptor’s response to anandamide.

But allosteric effects are rarely consistent across species, which significantly impedes drug development in this area.4

8. Inhibitors of endocannabinoid metabolizing enzymes

Medical scientists are experimenting with synthetic designer drugs to enhance endocannabinoid tone without binding directly (or allosterically) to cannabinoid receptors.

Pharmacological augmentation of endocannabinoid signaling can be achieved by inhibiting fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and/or monoglycerol lipase (MAGL), the catabolic enzymes that break down the brain’s own marijuana-like molecules, anandamide and 2AG, respectively.

Simply put, less FAAH and MAGL means more anandamide and 2AG, resulting in greater cannabinoid receptor activity throughout the body. Drugs that suppress endocannabinoid-metabolizing enzymes indirectly boost cannabinoid receptor signaling, causing a natural high without the vivid psychoactive effects associated with synthetic and plant-based CB1 agonists.

Preclinical research suggests that indirect modulation of endocannabinoid signaling could become a treatment option for various inflammatory conditions and stress-related disorders. FAAH and MAGLinhibition have been shown to ease pain, anxiety, colitis, hypertension, opiate withdrawal, diarrhea and arthritis in animal models.

While drug developers investigate synthetic FAAH-inhibitors (such as URB597) and MAGL-inhibitors (such as JZL 184), one need look no further than the kitchen spice rack for phytonutrients that regulate endocannabinoid tone by inhibiting the same catabolic enzymes. Nutmeg, one of many culinary spices that interact with the endocannabinoid system, inhibits the breakdown of both anandamide and 2AG, the brain’s own marijuana.

9. Endocannabinoid reuptake inhibitors

Another way to augment endocannabinoid tone entails delaying the reuptake of anandamide and 2AG. Scientists have synthesized reuptake inhibitors (such as AM404) that target transport molecules known as fatty acid binding proteins. These membrane-penetrating fatty acid binding proteins facilitate the intracellular transport and reuptake of endogenous cannabinoids.

By blocking access to these critical transport molecules, synthetic reuptake inhibitors increase endocannabinoid levels in the brain’s synapses. This results in heightened cannabinoid receptor

signaling and endocannabinoid-induced protective effects.

THC and CBD also inhibit endocannabinoid reuptake. Enhancing endocannabinoid tone via reuptake inhibition may be a key mechanism whereby plant cannabinoids confer protective effects against seizures and neurodegeneration, as well as many other health benefits.

Fool’s gold?

Despite repeated setbacks, the possibility of healing without the high persists as an idée fixe among cannabinoid scientists and pharmaceutical researchers.

The lack of success with selective CB2 agonists, peripherally restricted CB1 agonists, allosteric modulators, CB1 antagonists and other non-euphoric cannabinoids underscores the challenges and limitations of synthetic, monomolecular medicine that targets a single protein receptor while forsaking whole plant synergies.

Synthetic CBD analogs are also in development. By tweaking the mother molecule and removing, adding or editing a molecular side chain, pharmaceutical researchers hope to create a marketable compound that is more potent and more effective than botanical CBD.

But a CBD isolate is not inherently superior to a whole plant CBD-rich extract. Preclinical studies that compare the efficacy of single-molecule CBD and full spectrum CBD-rich oil concentrates indicate that CBDsolo is effective only at precise, high doses – whereas whole plant CBD-rich extracts have a much wider and safer therapeutic window and are effective at significantly lower doses. Problematic drug interactions are also much likelier with high dose single-molecule CBD.

Regulatory policy should not privilege single-molecule meds over full spectrum cannabis remedies. Patients are best served by having access to a wide range of cannabinoid-based therapeutic options, including artisanal whole plant preparations and synthetic isolates, if and when they become available.

Martin A. Lee is the director of Project CBD and the author of Smoke Signals: A Social History of Marijuana – Medical, Recreational and Scientific.

Footnotes

Only four cannabis compounds bind directly to either one or both cannabinoid receptors. THC activates CB1 and CB2. Cannabinol (CBN), a THC breakdown component, activates the CB1 receptor, though with less potency than THC. Tetrahydracannabivarin (THCV), the propyl variant of THC, binds to both cannabinoid receptors, activating CB2 while blocking CB1. And beta caryophyllene, an aromatic terpene found in many cannabis strains, green leafy vegetables, and common kitchen spices, activates CB2. Other cannabinoids, including CBD, interact with the endocannabinoid system indirectly without binding like lock and key to a cannabinoid receptor.
Developed as a research tool to study that endocannabinoid system, JWH-018 is a synthetic cannabinoid compound that activates the CB1 receptor but not CB2. After the formula for this potent CB1 agonist was published in the scientific literature, JWH-018 surfaced as a street drug known as “Spice” or “K2.” Media accounts typically mischaracterize Spice as “synthetic marijuana.”
U.S. government scientists have not given up entirely on Rimonabant. The fact that this compound blocks the euphoric effects of cannabis is a big plus to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which has sponsored research on utilizing CB1 blockers to treat various addictions, including “cannabis dependence.”
Canadian scientists have identified CBD as a “negative allosteric modulator” of the CB1 receptor based on in vitro research. This means that CBD, when administered in combination with THC, will alter the shape of the CB1 receptor in a way that weakens its binding affinity for THC. As a negative allosteric modulator of CB1, CBD lowers the ceiling on THC’s psychoactivity, which might be why people don’t feel as high when using CBD-rich cannabis as compared to a THC-infused product.
Sources
• Han S, Thatte J, Buzard DJ, Jones RM. Therapeutic utility of cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB(2)) selective agonists. J Med Chem. 2013 Nov 14;56(21):8224-56. PubMed PMID: 23865723.
• Ignatowska-Jankowska BM, Baillie GL, Kinsey S, Crowe M, Ghosh S, et al. A Cannabinoid CB1 Receptor-Positive Allosteric Modulator Reduces Neuropathic Pain in the Mouse with No Psychoactive Effects. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2015 Dec;40(13):2948-59. PubMed PMID: 26052038; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4864630.
• Mitjavila J, Yin D, Kulkarni PM, Zanato C, Thakur GA, et al. Enantiomer-specific positive allosteric modulation of CB<sub>1</sub> signaling in autaptic hippocampal neurons. Pharmacol Res. 2017 Nov 20;PubMed PMID: 29158048.
• O’Hearn S, Diaz P, Wan BA, DeAngelis C, Lao N, et al. Modulating the endocannabinoid pathway as treatment for peripheral neuropathic pain: a selected review of preclinical studies. Ann Palliat Med. 2017 Aug 31;PubMed PMID: 29156899.
• Pertwee RG, Gibson TM, Stevenson LA, Ross RA, Banner WK, et al. O-1057, a potent water-soluble cannabinoid receptor agonist with antinociceptive properties. Br J Pharmacol. 2000 Apr;129(8):1577-84. PubMed PMID: 10780961; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC1572002.
• Schindler CW, Scherma M, Redhi GH, Vadivel SK, Makriyannis A, et al. Self-administration of the anandamide transport inhibitor AM404 by squirrel monkeys. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2016 May;233(10):1867-77. PubMed PMID: 26803499; NIHMSID: NIHMS754451; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4846479.
• Wasilewski A, Misicka A, Sacharczuk M, Fichna J. Modulation of the endocannabinoid system by the fatty acid amide hydrolase, monoacylglycerol and diacylglycerol lipase inhibitors as an attractive target for secretory diarrhoea therapy. J Physiol Pharmacol. 2017 Aug;68(4):591-596. PubMed PMID: 29151076.
• Yu XH, Cao CQ, Martino G, Puma C, Morinville A, et al. A peripherally restricted cannabinoid receptor agonist produces robust anti-nociceptive effects in rodent models of inflammatory and neuropathic pain. Pain. 2010 Nov;151(2):337-44. PubMed PMID: 20696525.</

https://www.alternet.org/drugs/treasure ... oid-system



Does Marijuana Make You Stupid? Here’s What Experts Say
What the science says about the perpetual stoner stereotype.
Al Olson By: Al Olson
Jan 09, 2017

The “weed turns you into blithering idiot” stereotype has been with us for generations. We’ve seen the moronic marijuana toker in countless movies and sitcoms. We’ve heard the jokes on late-night talk shows and even legitimate news programs. So, does marijuana make you stupid?


There must be some truth to it, right? Well, the reality is that reputable studies suggest little likelihood of a connections between cannabis consumption and decreased IQ.

In fact, a pair of studies published in 2016 reveal that marijuana has little long-term effect on learning and memory. Further, the studies suggest that any cannabis-related cognitive damage that does occur is reversible.

Even the most ardent defender of cannabis use will cop to the fact that getting high plays tricks on your brain. I mean, that’s what “getting high” means, right? We’ve all misplaced our car keys or struggled to find the correct word.

According to Dr. Mitch Earleywine, a professor of psychology at the University of Albany, “marijuana seems to affect a particular kind of intelligence, like short term retention of vocabulary words and other information that you might learn in school.”


So, yes, your brain is a bit jumbled if you consume a heavy dose of THC. But what about the long-term impact?

The two 2016 reports, one from Britain and the other in the U.S., reached the identical conclusion: There is no evidence that adolescent marijuana use leads to a decline in intelligence.

Despite the research, Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, believes the jury is still out. She points to studies that compare brain scans of teenagers who use marijuana to those who don’t. The scans show thinner, less dense connections between lobes among the cannabis users.

“You could expect that that will decrease your capacity to memorize things and to learn them which is necessary to you to actually further develop your cognitive abilities,” she said.

According to Live Science:

Brain-scan studies in humans suggest that pot may be linked to anatomical brain changes, such as shrinking of the amygdala, a brain region that processes emotion, reward and fear. In some people with genetic vulnerability, such brain changes might be enough to tip someone into schizophrenia, which is more common in people who have used marijuana. However, the genes in question may lead people to smoke more pot and to be more prone to schizophrenia, rather than directly causing the link between pot and psychosis.

Even Volkow concedes there’s little proof that marijuana causes poor brain connections.

NIDA is supporting a study that will map the effects of marijuana on brain development. The Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study (ABCD) will follow 10,000 9- to 10- year-olds through early adulthood, using neuroimaging to map changes in the brain.

The bottom line: There’s not much evidence of permanent harm to the brain. But you probably forget where you left your car keys.
https://thefreshtoast.com/cannabis/is-y ... ou-stupid/
Mazars and Deutsche Bank could have ended this nightmare before it started.
They could still get him out of office.
But instead, they want mass death.
Don’t forget that.
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Re: Marijuana legalization is popular, more popular than Tru

Postby Karmamatterz » Tue Dec 19, 2017 10:21 pm

Would be worthy to change the name of this thread. I ignored it as thinking it was another copy pasta about Trump. turns out there is good stuff on good ol' mary jane.
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Re: Marijuana legalization is popular, more popular than Tru

Postby Elvis » Wed Dec 20, 2017 3:24 am

Legalization is great. They test everything, you know exactly what you're getting. Here, the labs test for pesticides, too, and if a grower didn't report it, they get fined or worse.

Prices are stable, and generally lower than the old black market—but with much more variety. (Try Orange Poison if you can find it!)

Growers, "processors" and retailers play by strict rules, enforced by grumbling liquor board agents who don't appreciate the new workload.

And, for a large segment of the population (potsmokers), fear of the police has more or less evaporated. As for the police, marijuana enforcement is a big extra hassle they don't have to deal with anymore.

:whisper: A lot of cops in WA smoke weed.
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Re: Marijuana legalization is popular, more popular than Tru

Postby Jerky » Wed Dec 20, 2017 8:00 am

Actually, for a large segment of the population (WHITE pot smokers), fear of the police has more or less been a non-issue since the mid-fucking-70's, unless they were doing something incredibly retarded like driving around or walking down the street passing a lit joint around.

With all the weed-trepreneurs popping up recently (the vast majority of them white and upper middle class, of course), it seems to me that something along the lines of reparations should be considered. There's a vast tangled racist mess relating to pot legalization where issues of social justice haven't even begun to be discussed yet.

Pot users are frequently assumed to be more politically engaged and aware than the average citizen, so I can't help but wonder why and how such a situation persists.

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Re: Marijuana legalization is popular, more popular than Tru

Postby seemslikeadream » Thu Jan 04, 2018 10:11 am

Sessions will end policy that allowed marijuana to prosper: report

Mallory Shelbourne
01/04/18 08:53 AM EST

Sessions will end policy that allowed marijuana to prosper: report


Attorney General Jeff Sessions will end a policy that allowed legal marijuana to prosper in the United States, The Associated Press reported Thursday.

The news outlet cited two individuals who were not authorized to speak about the matter prior to an impending announcement.

The policy change will provide states where marijuana is legalized to choose how they will enforce pot laws.

- This is a developing report
http://thehill.com/homenews/administrat ... per-report


Jeff Sessions preparing to go after legal marijuana is highly stupid political move. Incredibly dumb. What has the little guy been smoking?


have to wonder if the timing for this new civil war was coordinated with a White House desperate to distract people from its most disastrous news cycle to date. The Trump Administration is now at war with California -- the world's 6th largest economy. This is insane.

good luck, federales


BUZZKILL
Jeff Sessions’ Marijuana Adviser Wants Doctors to Drug-Test Everyone


Dr. Robert DuPont practically invented the term ‘gateway drug’ in the 1980s. Now he’s back with radical ideas on how to fight the war on drugs.

Christopher Moraff
CHRISTOPHER MORAFF
01.03.18 5:00 AM ET
A adviser on marijuana policy to Attorney General Jeff Sessions wants to see doctors make drug testing a routine part of primary-care medicine and force some users into treatment against their will, he told The Daily Beast.

Dr. Robert DuPont was among a small group of drug-policy experts invited to a closed-door meeting with Sessions last month to discuss federal options for dealing with the rapid liberalization of state marijuana laws. California became the sixth state to allow the sale of marijuana for recreational use on Jan. 1.

DuPont, 81, is one of the most influential drug warriors of the past century. He began his career as a liberal on drug control in the 1970s, calling then for the decriminalization of marijuana possession and launching the first U.S. methadone treatment program for heroin in Washington, D.C. in 1971. By the 1980s, he shifted to the right, popularizing the claim marijuana was a “gateway drug.”

At the December 2017 meeting with Sessions, DuPont was slated to present on “the effect of marijuana on drugged driving,” a topic on which he has proposed some radical ideas.

A national model bill he helped write in 2010 called on law enforcement to test anyone stopped for suspicion of driving under the influence for all controlled substances, and arresting them if any trace at all shows up in their system—regardless of the amount. While the bill includes an exemption for drivers who consumed a drug pursuant to a prescription, it would not apply to medicinal-marijuana users because doctors are not currently allowed to prescribe pot, only offer a recommendation for its use.

The bill’s language makes clear that these people will still face sanction even if they live in a state in which medical marijuana is legal.


“[The] fact that any person charged with violating this subsection is or was legally entitled to consume alcohol or to use a controlled substance, medication, drug, or other impairing substance, shall not constitute a defense against any charge,” it reads.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/jeff-sess ... t-everyone
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Re: Marijuana legalization is popular, more popular than Tru

Postby Elvis » Thu Jan 04, 2018 11:59 am

The "gateway" myth is completely contradicted by the data. As if that matters to those people.
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