A New Study Suggests Cannabis Could Treat Cervical Cancer

Through in vitro, or test tube/petri dish, analysis, researchers from the biochemistry department at North-West University in Potchefstroom, South Africa found that the non-psychotropic cannabinoid, or chemical compound, CBD (cannabidiol), taken from a Cannabis sativa extract, could hold anticarcinogenic properties. They pointed out that cannabis acted on the cancerous cells through apoptosis, or a process of cell death, causing only the cancerous cells to kill themselves, and inhibiting their growth.
More @ Vice

Canada - Manitoba’s budding medical marijuana industry

Manitobans currently spend between $300 and $500 million on marijuana annually, and that number is growing. Since receiving their license in 2014, Winnipeg’s Delta 9 Bio-Tech has supplied patients across Canada with government-grade medical marijuana and is currently Winnipeg’s only licensed producer. Vice president and co-founder John Arbuthnot has found himself in the right place at the right time.
More @ Uniter.Ca

Canada - Share marijuana revenue, take zero-tolerance approach for drivers, Calgary tells Ottawa

Calgary officials are urging Ottawa to consider a zero-tolerance policy for drivers under the influence of marijuana, share tax revenue from sales of the drug and surrender addresses of existing medicinal cannabis grow-ops.
More @ Calgary Herald

Thursday October 6, 2016
 

By Dominique Redfearn

Amoeba Music's Berkeley location has found a new venture to stay afloat as record sales continue to decrease: an in-house medical marijuana dispensary. The store has been approved for a license to sell marijuana, Fact reports, and plans to convert its jazz section into a dispensary called Berkeley Compassionate Care Collective, which would have a separate storefront from the record store.

In an interview with Billboard in 2015, Amoeba Records co-founder Marc Weinstein admitted that the store earned half of the revenue that it did in 2008 and that it went from employing 90 people to 35. "[Marijuana is] one of the few products that a brick-and-mortar retailer can get into and consider making a living at," said Weinstein.
More @ Billboard

Marijuana.Ca Comment: Music is a very potent experience. It has the power to comfort and heal. Combining music with medical marijuana can be a wonderful experience.

Abattis' Northern Vine Labs Receives Controlled Substance Licence

Abattis Bioceuticals Corp. announced today in a press release that Northern Vine has received a letter from Health Canada and a copy of the licence informing that it is now an authorized Licensed Dealer.

"We wish to congratulate the Northern Vine team on this important milestone for the Company. We have remained patient in obtaining this licence. We persevered and were granted Licence No. 2016/6368 for our Northern Vine facility."

'The licence allows for the analytical testing of samples of cannabis received from holders of a valid licence issued under the Narcotic Control Regulations, the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulators or from an individual authorized by a valid exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to provide, deliver, transport or send fresh or dried marihuana or cannabis to licensed dealers for the purposes of analytical testing.'
More @ Marijuana.Ca

The Next Generation of Greenhouses May Be Power Plants

Researchers from NC State and UNC-Chapel Hill are launching a project to develop next generation greenhouses with built-in solar cells that make use of the entire spectrum of solar light. “We know that plants don’t make use of all wavelengths of light – leaves reflect green and near-infrared light,” says Brendan O’Connor, primary investigator (PI) of the project and an engineering researcher who studies organic electronics. “So we plan to make solar cells that absorb those unused wavelengths of light, but allow the remainder of the sunlight to pass through to the plants,” O’Connor says. “This would allow us to create greenhouses that generate electricity using solar power, without adversely affecting plant growth. We call the overarching concept the Solar Powered Integrated Greenhouse, or SPRING system.”
More @ News.Ncsu.Edu

Canada - Marijuana grower gets nine months in jail

A 63-year-old man was sentenced Tuesday to nine months in jail for his role in operating a marijuana grow operation. In sentencing "Ben" Gjisbertus Jacbus Delege, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Ron Tindale endorsed defence counsel's position on sentencing. Crown counsel had argued for 12-15 months.
More @ Prince George Citizen

By Ethan Lou

A college in the Atlantic Canadian province of New Brunswick plans to institute a program on marijuana cultivation so that students can be trained to work at local companies that produce the drug, a school official said on Tuesday.

The French-language College Communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick will launch the course sometime next year, said Michel Doucet, executive director of continuing education and customized learning.

Canadian Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau campaigned last year on a promise to legalize recreational marijuana and the government has said it would introduce legislation by the spring of 2017.

Medical marijuana is already legal across Canada, and companies in that relatively small sector have been eyeing the larger recreational market with expansion in mind. 
More @ Globe & Mail

Marijuana.Ca Comment: Instead of putting Canadians in jail for growing, we are moving towards a society that will offer training and education in cultivation that will lead to well paying jobs or entrepreneurial opportunities. It is a moving and inspiring experience to participate and support this important social change that is also connected to the evolution of the marijuana space and industry. 

Tuesday October 4, 2016

By David Brown - Lift

The right to grow your own cannabis made headlines in August. Over a month into the new regulations, there is still no way to legally buy clones or seeds.

Health Canada implemented the new rules for accessing medical cannabis in Canada on August 24th, generating enormous attention for the inclusion of personal cultivation into the new regulations. The new rules require someone to register with Health Canada for the authorization to grow (after getting a doctor’s approval) and receiving a certificate back. They can then purchase their ‘starting materials’ (seeds, clones) from one of 23 licensed producers currently licensed to sell cannabis for medical purposes. 

This was greeted by many as a big step forward for Canada’s medical access program. We are now over a month into this new program, however, and those seeking to legally grow their own cannabis for medical purposes are left with no legal source for seeds or clones. While some producers are scrambling to figure out the logistics (shipping, production space, liability, etc) of how to sell clones or seeds, others are simply not making it a priority. As of publishing this, none of the 23 licensed to sell are offering starting materials of any kind.

Part of the issue appears to stem from the lack of forewarning licensed producers received. Health Canada says they informed all licensed producers of the new regulations on August 11, just under two weeks before the full regulations were announced publicly. Many producers say this was not enough time to add something new into their highly regulated and regimented business models. Some say they only found out in a conference call just a few hours before the regulations were made public. 
More @ Lift

Marijuana.Ca Comment: Health Canada needs to make sure the regulatory and business environment allows for the  smooth and rapid implementation of supply and sales channels. If Licensed Producers are not interested in selling these products, then Health Canada should offer a simplified application process for both seed seller and clone seller licenses.

The logistics of operating a licensed seed selling business are relatively straightforward. We urge Health Canada to offer this type of license as soon as possible so patients can access plant genetics for their medical needs.

Ontario Attorney General: Legalization: MPP Yasir Naqvi addresses U of O law students in homecoming lecture

Naqvi shared that in his position he feels the need to ensure that Canada’s laws are just and that they should be updated in tandem with a changing society.

Naqvi then discussed legalization of marijuana for recreational use in Ontario.

He said that it will take no less than two years to work through the law, as the province can do little until the federal government takes an official stance on the subject.

Naqvi said citizens should be mindful of the effects of recreational marijuana use, and that his mandate will focus on safeguarding the product, enforcing age restrictions, and ensuring road safety.
More @ The Fulcrum

City of Ottawa prepares for new world of legal pot

The tenant next door is CannaGreen, one of the city’s newest marijuana dispensaries. The back room at CannaGreen contains an ATM machine and a couple of display cases filled with dried weed and cannabis-laced cookies, brownies, candy and cola with names like Grow-op Grape.

Neither Poirier nor Chappell oppose marijuana. “I drink alcohol, so I’m not going to point a finger,” says Chappell, who describes himself as a “live and let live kind of guy.”

But they are dumfounded that a shop illegally selling pot can operate freely. Would someone be able to open a store selling moonshine? wonders Chappell. “How can this be possible? Everybody I’ve told just can’t believe it, they just about fall over.”
More @ Ottawa Sun

Damian Marley Is Converting a California Prison into a Pot Farm: Exclusive

Bob Marley's youngest son, along with business partner Ocean Grown Extracts, has created a poetic metaphor and multi-million dollar business model in one. Damian Marley has announced that he, in partnership with Ocean Grown Extracts, is converting a former 77,000 square foot California State prison into a cannabis grow space that will cultivate medical marijuana for state dispensaries.

"Many people sacrificed so much for the herb over the years who got locked up," says Marley, 38, noting the poetic justice of turning a prison that once housed non-violent drug offenders into a cannabis cultivation facility. "If this [venture] helps people and it's used for medicinal purposes and inspires people, it's a success." 
More @ Billboard.com

Monday October 3, 2016

By Martin Halle

Medics are trialling a drug derived from cannabis that could revolutionise the treatment of epilepsy. Doctors at Great Ormond Stree t Hospital are trialing the revolutionary 'cannabis' drug that could transform the lives of thousands of people with epilepsy.

At present as many as a third of the UK's 600,000 epilepsy sufferers are drug resistant with some suffering as many as several dozen seizures a day. Now experts believe a drug derived from cannabis, with the addictive element removed, may help.

The medics are part of an international trial of more than 200 children adults of the drug for a rare form of epilepsy called Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome where sufferers can experience up to 80 seizures a day.

The phase three trial results have been dramatic with the drug working for 42 per cent of patients compared to 17 per cent on placebo. Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome starts in pre-school years and one of the children in the UK trial was just two years old.
More @ Mirror.co.uk

Marijuana.Ca Comment: The expansion of research, studies and clinical trials related to the potential benefits of medical marijuana are long overdue. We commend the companies, researchers and governments supporting these initiatives.

Canada faces choice on international drug treaties over legalized pot

Legalizing pot will violate international treaties. What should Canada do?

As Canada moves forward with its plan to legalize marijuana, government officials have at least one international conundrum to sort out: what to do about the global treaties Canada has signed that prohibit making pot legal?

A senior government official said there are essentially two options available. On the one hand, Canada could take a "principled stand" in favour of the international legalization of pot. The other, quieter approach, would be to withdraw from the treaties and attempt to re-enter with a special exemption for legalized marijuana.

It's the second option, causing the "least international turbulence," that the federal government favours, said the source.

But at least one Canadian researcher believes that would be a missed opportunity for Canada.
More @ CBC

Canadian cities challenged by federal government’s pot plan: Vancouver mayor

The federal government’s handling of marijuana legalization has created problems that Canada’s cities are unequipped to handle, Vancouver’s mayor says. Ottawa’s plan to legalize the drug – a key piece of the Liberal election platform last fall – has spawned hundreds of storefront dispensaries across the country ahead of the legislation, although the federal government has taken no responsibility for the boom it has created.

“The lack of federal regulation and oversight has made the marijuana issue a city problem,” Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson told The Globe and Mail in an interview. “And cities don’t have the capacity or expertise to deal with it.”
More @ Globe & Mail

Canada - Ontario drivers high on drugs to lose their licences temporarily as new rules take effect

Ontario drivers caught high on drugs can now temporarily lose their driver's licence on the spot, just like they would if they were caught drinking and driving.  
More @ CBC

Monday  October 3, 2016

Join us for an amazing day with some incredible kids! 

Ottawa - On Saturday, October 1st, 2016, Dravet.ca will host the 5th Annual "WALK for the KIDS" at:

The Constance Bay Community Centre
262 Len Purcell Drive,
Woodlawn, Ontario,
Canada K0A 3M0
(just outside of Kanata)

It will be a fun filled family event that will include a 3 KM walk, face painting, balloons, silent auction, fundraiser BBQ, raffles, and entertainment. Registration begins at 10:00 AM with the walk beginning at 11:00 AM.

Dravet Syndrome is a rare and catastrophic form of epilepsy for which there currently is no cure. Despite treatment these kids will never outgrow their seizures.

Dravet.ca is a volunteer-based Canadian Charity (#850807843RR0001) dedicated to providing education, support, research and advocacy on behalf of Canadians living with Dravet Syndrome. We rely on the generous support of individuals like you and our community to help raise awareness and funds, and we are extremely grateful for your support.

This year funds raised from the "WALK for the KIDS" will help support exciting new research on Dravet Syndrome from the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) led by Dr. Dave Dyment. Stay tuned for more details! 

Our four previous walks have raised over $180,000 for Dravet Syndrome research!
More @ Dravet.Ca

Marijuana.Ca Comment: We have huge respect and admiration for these kids, parents and caregivers. Many anecdotal accounts show that medical marijuana can reduce or stop seizures in some kids with Dravet Syndrome.

Donate > Here to Dravet.Ca

Whistler Medical Marijuana Offers Cloned Plants For Patients To Grow Their Own : Winter 2016

Introduced in August 2016, Health Canada’s Access to Medical Cannabis Regulations (ACMPR) now allows Canadians to produce a limited amount of Cannabis for their own medical purposes or designate an individual to grow on their behalf.

In response to the new regulations, Whistler Medical Marijuana Corp. are excited to announce that starting Winter 2016 we will be offering organic clones shipped direct to eligible patients.

To determine eligibility to produce, you are required to apply direct to Health Canada for approval. Once approved, Health Canada will issue a confirmation letter which can be used to register with Whistler Medical Marijuana Corp and purchase organic clones.

To stay up to date with the launch please sign up for updates.
More @ Whistler Medical Marijuana

Corrupted Science: the DEA and Marijuana - By Jesse Ventura

While I was on my book tour for Jesse Ventura’s Marijuana Manifesto, I was shocked to discover how many Americans didn’t know our Founding Fathers grew cannabis. From talk radio and TV hosts to fans at my book signings, many were unaware that the 13 colonies were of great value to the British Crown because by law, colonists had to grow hemp and give it to England free of charge as part of their taxes. This obviously saved the British Navy an incredible amount of money, as everything from uniforms to rope to paper to ships’ sails were made from hemp.

Most people I spoke to also didn’t know that the DEA would consider George Washington and Thomas Jefferson criminals today because they grew marijuana and hemp.
More @ CounterPunch.Org

Canada - Medical marijuana patients using Health Canada licences to sell pot illegally

A British Columbia man says Health Canada has handed out so many medical marijuana licences, it's cutting into his profit. "This is how I make my living," said the man we're calling "Jack." "I grow it and sell it. Money is good — well, not as good as it used to be" 
More @ CBC

Wednesday September 28, 2016

By Trey Williams

The $200 billion U.S. alcoholic beverages business is under threat from a budding cannabis industry, as advocates fight to legalize the use of the plant, according to Cowen and Co. senior analyst Vivien Azer. A legal marijuana industry could be worth as much as $50 billion a year by 2026, says Cowen and Co.

“While the alcohol beverage category has looked insulated from cannabis thus far—from a revenue perspective—with the legal market still in its infancy we think the risk to alcoholic beverage consumption will become increasingly apparent,” Azer wrote in a 110-page report on the potential of the cannabis industry.

Azer said men in particular are replacing alcohol with marijuana. In the last 10 years, alcohol incidence for U.S. men has fallen 200 basis points while cannabis has risen 260 basis points. Beer and whiskey are the most at risk of losing business, she said.
More @ Marketwatch.com

Marijuana.Ca Comment: A decline in alcohol consumption has positive ramifications for society.

Marijuana high on the agenda at B.C. municipalities' convention

Municipal leaders will debate several pot related resolutions at the annual UBCM gathering in Victoria.With the federal government looking to legalize the recreational use of marijuana sometime next year, up to four resolutions dealing with pot will be discussed.

Kozak said local governments in B.C. have been watching what's happening in U.S. states that have legalized recreational marijuana. "There is a tremendous amount of money that is being brought in through taxation and it would be very well used at the local government level, not only at assisting with local police forces but also with services that communities provide everyday," she said. Kozak is confident UBCM delegates will pass any revenue sharing resolutions that come up for debate. "I don't think there is any local government that doesn't see the common sense in this," she said.
More @ CBC

Ontario Transportation Minister - "Danger of driving stoned looms large ahead of legalization"

As Ontario’s minister of transportation, I believe a key step for the legalization process will be ensuring we do a good job in educating those who want to use marijuana that they cannot drive while under its influence. As the federal government is planning to introduce legislation next year to begin the process of legalizing and regulating marijuana in Canada, there is an unprecedented urgency to end a new driving behaviour before it is too late.
More @ Ottawa Sun

Facebook's Relationship to Marijuana? It's Complicated

Facebook can’t decide where it stands on cannabis. One the one hand, it says it doesn’t want to promote drug use and bans what it believes is content that approves of smoking marijuana. Things like pictures of people smoking pot. On the other hand, it sometimes allow cannabis-related companies to promote their businesses. Then Facebook reverses course and censors journalism about cannabis. The logic that a story about legalization of marijuana or scientific studies on cannabis-related medicine is promoting cannabis is completely ridiculous. A story about war doesn’t promote war nor does a story about wine entice readers to go get drunk. Facebook didn’t respond to a request for clarification on its policy towards marijuana.
More @ Forbes

Monday September 26, 2016

By Andrew Seymour

Ontario - On Friday, Naqvi was given his mandate letter from the premier tasking him with developing a regulatory framework in anticipation of the federal government's legalization of marijuana for recreational use. Naqvi said the task won't be easy, since Ontario and other provinces are "in a grey zone" until they know exactly what form the federal legislation will take when it's expected to be tabled in 2017. "The concern I have is, how long is this grey zone going to last, because there is a lot of work to be done," said Naqvi. Naqvi said the province is a long way from discussing whether marijuana will be sold alongside alcohol in the LCBO. Naqvi said there hasn't been much cabinet discussion about marijuana yet, but the province has created an inter-ministerial task force including representatives from finance, community safety, health, transportation, community and social services and the ministry of children and youth services.

They are currently doing a canvas of policy options, which includes watching and meeting with jurisdictions like Washington state and Colorado as they have already legalized marijuana, Naqvi said.

Naqvi said the two primary areas of concern are the distribution of it and how society will be safeguarded from its use.
More @ Ottawa Sun

Marijuana.Ca Comment: The momentum towards legalizing marijuana in Canada is ramping up in a very signficant way, as all levels of government are assigning various tasks to ministers and high level bureaucrats. It's a somewhat complex file that requires involving smart, wise and compassionate people to craft an appropriate and effective system.

We think the federal government will set a minimum age for adult use. The provinces may be allowed to implement their own age minimum, that would be higher than the federal age, if they so choose. Sales and distribution regulations and details may be placed in the hands of the provinces, as is the case for beer and wine.

Growing Plants
We think the federal government will be making the decision as to whether adult Canadians can grow some plants for their own personal and non-commercial use. We strongly urge the federal government to allow this.

By Rafferty Baker

29-year-old the lead agronomist for a Whistler marijuana company. As a 14-year-old loading soil at a Quebec poinsettia greenhouse, David Bernard-Perron never would have expected he'd grow up to be the lead agronomist for a marijuana company in Whistler. But at 29, that's exactly what he's doing, and the company he works for is at the forefront of quickly growing industry.

Whistler Medical Marijuana Corporation claims to be the world's first certified organic medical marijuana producer. "We might not have been the first to grow organic weed in the world," said Bernard-Perron. "But we're the first to have it certified by an independent third party body to put their stamp on the production, like, 'yes, your flowers and oil are certified organically grown." "It's a very nice place to work, especially when you finish your day and there's a really nice alpine glow in the mountains. You feel like you're working in the right spot," he said.

The company is about to start selling 'grow at home' kits based on Bernard-Perron's techniques. Last month Health Canada announced patients could grow their own marijuana — something the former federal government had stopped.

And then there's the looming legalization of all marijuana. Health Minister Jane Philpott announced in April that legislation can be expected in spring 2017. "I think that we're really into something and we'll be in very unique options if ever the market opens with legalization," said Bernard-Perron.
More @ CBC.CA

Marijuana.Ca Comment: We've been following Whistler Medical ever since they received their initial license. It's great to see companies like this advance forward. The future is bright.

Creating Your Own Strain: The Basics of Marijuana Breeding

If you’ve thought about growing your own cannabis, then chances are you’ve considered breeding your own strain of plants at least once. Think about it for a moment… how great would it be to have a strain that was truly perfect for you? One that gave you all the effects you desired, whether it be for medical or personal use; it would give you the perfect experience – a blend of your favorite strains. While it may be difficult, it is definitely not impossible – this is how we have come out with the numerous amount of hybrid strains that fill the market today.

One of the most important parts is where to start – which strains will you choose to breed? Choosing two of your favorites would, of course, be a good starting point – but there is more to consider than just which strains to cross. When picking the strains, consider what effects you want to pass from one strain to another – do you want a heavier, indica-like sedating effect or more of a wake-and-bake sativa? Are you looking for something that will stimulate your mind or something that will stimulate your appetite?
More @ MarijuanaTimes.Org

Can CBD and THC in Cannabis be Used for Glaucoma Treatment?

Glaucoma is a common eye condition that often causes optical nerve damage, and when left untreated, can lead to blindness. In the U.S., more than three million Americans live with glaucoma. Globally, the figure is close to 60 million. Glaucoma is recognized as one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness. Since 1980, surgical procedures and treatments have improved significantly, cutting the risk of developing blindness nearly in half. Nonetheless, while treatment has improved, the number of effective topical drugs remains limited. Recognized near universally in medical marijuana states as a qualifying condition, increasing numbers of people have turned to cannabis to treat their condition. But should they?

Given the improvement of existing glaucoma treatments, do the benefits of medical cannabis outweigh the potential side effects or risks? Likewise, given the vital role the body’s endocannabinoid system plays in disease, what promise does the future hold for developing cannabinoid-derived medications to treat cannabis?
More @ Leafly

Canada - Pot shops rush to comply as Victoria’s new rules come into effect

Victoria’s marijuana retailers lost no time in applying for zoning and business licence approvals after the city’s new regulatory regime took effect Friday. Several applications for rezoning and business licences had been submitted by midday, said city clerk Chris Coates. An estimated 39 marijuana-related businesses are operating in the city, with about 35 operating as storefront medical-cannabis retailers. Under the process now in place, a business licence will not be issued until the rezoning has been approved. However, a cannabis retailer may continue to operate while taking steps toward rezoning.
More @ Times Colonist

Friday September 23, 2016

By Don Fraser

The Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce has joined with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) in appealing to Premier Kathleen Wynne to reject a LCBO-based model for that distribution, and allow for a conditional free market. Mishka Balsom, CEO of the Greater Niagara chamber, adds the chamber isn’t saying the federal move is the “right or wrong choice.” As things are already headed in that direction, what’s important is “where do we go from here?”

She said predicted sales in Ontario by 2024 could be $1 billion to $2 billion … ”the question is where do people purchase this?”

It’s also important to look at where production facilities are located — in Niagara, that includes medical marijuana greenhouse grower Tweed Farms in Niagara-on-the-Lake, and others, said Balsom. “We’re saying get ahead of it … be part of the consultations that are actively taking place to determine those (location and other) factors.”

Given concerns about the existing LCBO monopoly model and its barriers, it’s also key the province doesn’t “move forward and say ‘It’s only available there, and nowhere else,’” Balsom said. “A regulated private-sector distribution model can possibly be developed, bring the private sector to the table on this.”

The Niagara chamber’s supporting release adds granting a monopoly on the industry to the LCBO or a similar, government-run organization would not be “in the best interest of Ontario consumers, the public, or business.” “It would be important to implement a means of safely retailing marijuana without giving the LCBO or any other monopoly control over this new and lucrative market,” Fabiano said. “Business should have a role, and could help ensure that the current underground network already well established would be impacted, by not making marijuana more difficult or awkward to purchase.”
More @ St Catharine Standard

Marijuana.Ca Comment: We have been advocating for privately run marijuana focused stores for more than a decade. This is a vital part of the shift from the harms of the prohibition--to a more sensible and enlightened marijuana policy. A competitive recreational marijuana market will be more effective at diminishing the underground economy and would contribute billions to the Canadian economy, as well as create tens of thousands of jobs. 

Emerald Health First to Offer THCA Oil in Canada - Press Release

VICTORIA, /CNW/ - Emerald Health Therapeutics Inc. (TSXV: EMH) ("Therapeutics") is pleased to announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Emerald Health Botanicals Inc. ("Botanicals"), has launched its initial three cannabis oil products - THCA oil, THC oil, and THC:CBD oil.  Our cannabis oils are whole plant cannabis extracts that deliver the benefits of cannabinoids orally. Oils are easily ingested and allow for more accurate dosing without the need for inhalation. Our team of PhDs and MDs are working to further develop a range of cannabis-based products, while researching the effect of cannabis and cannabinoids on health in clinical studies.

Botanicals is proud to be the first Licensed Producer in Canada to offer THCA (Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid) oil.  THCA is the precursor to THC and has no psychotropic effects.  THCA is isolated from cannabis through a very gentle extraction process.
More @ Marijuana.Ca

The Global Medical Cannabis Summit: Dublin, 2016

Experts from around the world, with backgrounds in science, policy, campaigning and business present at the Advancements in the Age of Cannabis summit.

On 14th September at the Smock Alley Theatre in Dublin, international experts from science, policy, campaigning and business backgrounds were brought together to explore emerging new innovations in medical cannabis. Hosted by VolteFace and Help not Harm, and sponsored by Tilray and Leafly, the event was the largest medical cannabis conference ever held in the British Isles and received coverage from the Irish Times.

The conference was kicked off with a segment on the scientific breakthroughs of medical cannabis, chaired by Dr Henry Fisher, Political Director at VolteFace (UK). Presenters included Mike Barnes- Professor of Neurological Rehabilitation at Newcastle University (UK), Dr. Catherine Jacobson- Chief Scientist at Tilray and Dr. Arno Hazekamp- Chief Scientist at Bedrocan (Netherlands).
More @ Lift

Canada - Green thumbs-up for Victoria's pot dispensary rules

Rules say no minors, no advertising, 200-metre buffer from schools and other shops.
More @ CBC

Thursday September 22, 2016

Canadian schools and grads are in a position to capitalize on pot

By Chris Sorensen

Brendan Kennedy first caught a whiff of opportunity six years ago. The former software entrepreneur—newly armed with an M.B.A. from Yale—was working at a Silicon Valley venture capital firm when he spotted something unusual amid the thousands of dossiers on tech, software and biotech firms: a start-up focused on medical marijuana.

Cannabis is a mainstream drug, consumed by regular people and, as a result, will eventually be legalized, creating a global industry worth more than $200 billion.

Those who get in on the ground floor, with strong brands, would end up very rich.

As the industry matures and expands, there’s also been a push to have post-secondary institutions to offer training, particularly in middle management. Tegan Adams, a former medical marijuana consultant, pitched B.C.’s Kwantlen Polytechnic University on a 14-week, online, continuing-education course, which it adopted last year with Adams as its instructor. At the time, Adams says, there was a yawning chasm between growers—who she affectionately refers to as “potheads”—and the deep-pocketed investors who had dumped money into the industry. “It’s one thing to grow cannabis in your basement and a completely different world when you’re growing it for commercial purposes under the supervision of Health Canada,” agrees Deepak Anand, the director of the Canadian National Medical Marijuana Association, who was tapped to co-write the curriculum and will teach the course this fall. “Licensees were having a hard time finding people who had knowledge of the law and the regulations. They had take in people who were completely green and spend months training them.”

Other schools are considering getting into the game. Adams has consulted with the University of British Columbia on an accredited research program, and says that “a large Ontario college” is also interested, although she declined to say which one. Universities in Ottawa, Toronto and London, Ont., have, to various degrees, incorporated medical marijuana into law, pharmacy and biology courses. Adams, who is now the director of business development at a testing lab owned by Luxembourg-based Eurofins Scientific, says one Ontario business school has even looked at a specialization in medical marijuana. With all eyes on Canada’s charge toward legalized weed, the opportunity for Canadian schools to establish themselves as global leaders in marijuana-related research and business training is potentially huge—assuming, of course, they can get past the predictable jokes about dazed and confused students.
More @ MACLEANS

Marijuana.Ca Comment: The marijuana plant is complex. The movement and industry connected to it, is complex and changing rapidly. Education is a vital component for the advancement of this space.  

Podcast: Canada - Kamloops doctor part of study on medical marijuana for PTSD use

Dr. Ian Mitchell is involved in one of Canada's first studies on medical cannabis and PTSD.

More @ CBC

Canada - Alberta pot producers confident of security

Marijuana marauders who held up an Ontario medial pot facility would face a stiffer challenge at Alberta’s only operation, says a rural councillor.

Aurora is one of 35 MMPR-licensed facilities in Canada, and spokesman Cam Battley said security at the site would be much more difficult for intruders to bypass. “We’ve got 150 cameras and 24-hour on-site security. They basically would need to have a tank to get through our security fencing,” Battley said. “They’d probably be better off trying to rob an ATM because we’ve gotten pretty good at this.”
More @ Calgary Sun

Chromatography and Cannabinoid Potency Testing

Marijuana is a complex matrix. Like many natural products it contains thousands of compounds, many of which have yet to be discovered or understood. Separating out the THC and CBD from the diverse soup of compounds contained in your marijuana is essentially like looking for a few needles in a big haystack.
More @ Lift

Wednesday September 21, 2016

The war on drugs, from prohibition to gold rush
By Richard Branson

Cultural icon and entrepreneur Shawn Carter, better known as Jay Z, has released a provocative short video, From Prohibition to Gold Rush, about the disasters of the so-called war on drugs. It was produced in collaboration with Revolve Impact and the Drug Policy Alliance, and illustrated beautifully by artist Molly Crabapple. In less than four minutes, the video narrates the horrible, racist legacy of the drug war, first declared by US President Richard Nixon 45 years ago.

Jay Z lends his powerful and distinctive voice to paint a picture of the many wrongheaded aspects of current drug policies – from their inherent bias against black Americans and Latinos to their ugly role in propping up the crisis of US mass incarceration. Jay Z chronicles the drug war through a uniquely personal lens, alluding to his own experience growing up in a poor community that suffered from extreme neglect and disproportionate targeting by law enforcement.

Among the many eyebrow-raising reflections of the video is the juxtaposition of the young, economically disenfranchised men of colour who were drawn to the underground drug market with the legal marijuana markets emerging around the country in states like Colorado and Oregon. It is no small irony that what was once the justification for locking up and ruining the lives of millions of Americans is now a promising new commercial market for traditional investors.

From a business perspective, the war on drugs has been a colossal failure, except for those who have profited from the morbid profession of entrapping and incarcerating drug offenders.

With growing momentum against the drug war and a rising tide of compassion for people struggling with addiction, what will be the new system that takes its place? Will it be compassionate, just and humane to all people or will it prop up the same bigotries and inequalities that have characterized the drug war?

As active members of the business community, Jay Z and I understand that where there is opportunity, financial interest will surely follow. We are also both people with a commitment to social good and the responsibility to use our platform to promote positive change. I hope this video will result in a strong call to action for those who shape and regulate the legal marijuana industry to acknowledge the racism inherent in the war on drugs and to create a level entrepreneurial playing field in this emerging industry.
More @ Virgin

Marijuana.Ca Comment: The casualties from the drug war are immense and obscene. They continue to occur in many, if not, most countries. Future generations will look back on this era with disdain and incredulty at the level of ignorance, harm and stupidity that governments, politicians, bureaucrats and the citizenry have displayed for the last almost 100 years. 

Irish company GreenLight Medicines gets €500,000 to explore medicinal marijuana

Pharmaceutical start-up GreenLight Medicines has secured €500,000 in funding as it seeks to develop “breakthrough medicines” using cannabis extracts. The company, which primarily focuses on exploring the “full potential of cannabis and cannabinoids as a medicine”, secured the phase-two funding from a consortium of private Irish investors. It follows an initial €100,000 seed investment. The new funding will enable the company to “further progress” its Irish and UK research in advancing medicines using cannabis extracts (cannabinoids) and other plant-derived molecules to treat a variety of illnesses. In addition to the Irish investment, Swiss-American firm Isodiol has committed €1.25 million in CBD hemp oil products over a five-year period to assist GreenLight in cultivating its research studies within Irish universities.
More @ Irish Times

Canada - Calgary cannabis and hemp expo hoping to remove grey area surrounding the green

A two-day expo aimed at clearing the air around marijuana use in Canada is expected to draw big crowds in Calgary. Following similar events in Toronto and Vancouver this year, the HempFest Expo will land in Calgary for the first time Oct. 15 and 16. The events across Canada have been primarily run in an attempt to debunk some myths and remove the taboo from a topic that has been making headlines for years in Canada, with decriminalization now in the sights of the federal Liberal government.
More @ Calgary Herald

California Newspapers Want to End Marijuana Prohibition

The Golden State's leading Editorial Boards support Proposition 64.
More @ Merry Jane

Tuesday September 20, 2016

By David Brown

We were incredibly lucky at the Vancouver Lift Cannabis Expo this past weekend to have heard from legalization and regulation task force Vice Chair Dr. Mark Ware. Dr. Ware discussed the task force’s process and experience thus far engaging Canadians on the subject of legalization, as well as presented some preliminary findings.
More @ Lift

Marijuana.Ca Comment: Dr. Ware spoke well. He covered alot of ground. Two important points to note. Dr. Ware says there needs to be a medical regiment that is separate from recreational. He also said the task force is absolutely considering the hemp industry's interest in making meds. Currently, hemp farmers cannot use the flowers or leaves, which is where CBD is derived from. 

Poll shows little regret in Colorado over legalizing

A majority of Colorado voters say legal cannabis has had a positive impact on the state and its economy and they would not support a repeal of Amendment 64 if it were on the ballot this year, according to a new poll commissioned by the pro-legalization Marijuana Policy Project and conducted by Democratic firm Public Policy Polling. “One of the best indicators of whether legalization has been successful is how the public feels about it, and clearly most Coloradans think it was the right decision and wouldn’t want to change it,” said Mason Tvert, the Marijuana Policy Project spokesman and co-director of Colorado’s Yes on Amendment 64 campaign.

In the poll, 51 percent of respondents said they would oppose a measure to repeal Amendment 64, while 36 percent would support such a measure and 13 percent weren’t sure. When asked about Amendment 64’s impact on Colorado, 47 percent said legal cannabis has been good for the state while 39 percent said it’s been bad, 9 percent said it’s had no real impact and 6 percent weren’t sure. Support was stronger for legalization when voters were asked about legal pot’s impact on Colorado’s economy, where 61 percent said the impact has been positive — and 19 percent said it’s been negative, 14 percent said there has been no impact and 6 percent weren’t sure.
More @ The Cannabist

Canada - P.E.I.'s first medical marijuana facility ready to harvest

Edwin Jewell, president of Canada's Island Garden — the only licensed facility for medical marijuana in Prince Edward Island — says the crop looks good and workers will begin to harvest about 300 plants in coming days. Once harvested, the marijuana will be sent for lab testing to make sure it meets federal standards. Jewell said Health Canada officials will then come to do further inspections.

"Health Canada will come on site for possibly three days, to do a much more detailed inspection of our facility," he said. "Hopefully six to eight weeks from having a license to sell our product, and that's very exciting for us."
More @ CBC

'Nuit Verte': Farmer's market for pot products coming to Toronto

Edibles and topical cannabis goods are for sale at upcoming Nuit Verte, held in a "top secret" location Sept. 25.
More @ Metro News

Monday September 19, 2016

By Maryam Shah

When the feds finally roll out their plan to legalize marijuana, advocates want to see home-grown weed treated like tobacco or alcohol.

The Toronto Sun spoke with several cannabis advocates who cited the need for laws that allow people to grow pot at home — similar to those permitting the cultivating of tobacco or the brewing of beer for personal use.

John Fowler, president and CEO of licensed producer Supreme Pharmaceuticals, said people who want to grow recreational pot safely “should be able to do so.” But, he adds, it’s a “little early” to say what regulating home-grown cannabis should look like. “All I hope ... is that the government is taking a data-driven approach and has every confidence that we’re going to have a really good well-thought-out and functional marijuana industry for both recreational and medical users in a matter of months or years.”

Dana Larsen, a long-time Vancouver cannabis reform advocate, gave away thousands of marijuana seeds throughout Canada during the Overgrow Campaign this summer “to normalize cannabis cultivation.” It’s a move that resulted in Calgary police charging him with trafficking cannabis seeds. “Ultimately, I think everybody should be able to grow as much cannabis as they want, like any other plant,” he said. “But to begin with, it would be nice to see at least if medical users can grow what they need, and a non-medical user can grow six plants or 12 plants or some arbitrary number.”

Brandy Zurborg, co-owner of Queens of Cannabis in Toronto, cites home-brew laws as a model that should be copied. “You can brew your own beer in your house, or make your own wine,” she said, calling it a process that’s “a lot more dangerous and risky.” She anticipates more people will want to grow cannabis at home after legalization.
More @ 24 Hours Toronto

Marijuana.Ca Comment: We strongly support the idea that adult Canadians should be allowed to grow some marijuana plants for personal and non-commercial use. To continue to prohibit growing with criminal sanctions, fines or jailtime would be a serious error in judgement by the Liberal government and an affront to basic and fundamental liberties.   

Canada - Marijuana oil hailed as 'a miracle' for epileptic children

Mandy McKnight says her son Liam, 8, suffered up to 80 grand mal seizures a day before her family began treating his epilepsy with cannabis oil. When Mandy McKnight’s 10-year-old daughter got her first “drug talk” in school last year, the teacher asked if any kids in the Ottawa-area Grade 6 class had ever seen any drugs. McKnight said her daughter’s hand shot up. She told her teacher she had seen drugs, said McKnight — pharmaceutical drugs. Her daughter explained to the class that she’d also seen cannabis, but that she didn’t see cannabis as a drug. It was a medicine, one that had helped her little brother Liam, who suffered from epilepsy.

Cannabis was a last resort for McKnight’s family. Liam, now 8, suffers from Dravet syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy. He had up to 80 grand mal seizures a day, despite being on multiple conventional medications and a special diet. Although cannabis oil hasn’t cured Liam, it has enabled him to experience up to 10 seizure-free days at a time.

Alexander Repetski, of Toronto, another parent and “accidental advocate” said his four-year-old daughter Gwen was diagnosed with a severe, intractable form of epilepsy at just three months old. Gwen’s parents tried at least 10 drugs including steroids before deciding to try medical marijuana oil. Repetski said he hopes the federal government’s push for legalizing recreational cannabis will help raise awareness and push research on medical marijuana and open up funding options.

“The steroids she was put on cost $22,000,” said Repetski. “And they didn’t work.” Repetski says he has spent $5,000 to $6,000 on equipment to extract the cannabinoids from the dried marijuana he purchases for Gwen’s use. Since using cannabis extracts, Gwen hasn’t had a seizure in 20 months said Repetski.
More @ Vancouver Sun

Where would $1 billion in pot money go if California marijuana is legalized?

Here’s a quick glance at how Proposition 64 is set up for spending California marijuana tax if legalized – from local benefits to other revenue predictions.
More @ The Cannabist

USA - Alcohol Industry Bankrolls Fight Against Legal Pot in Battle of the Buzz

The fight against legalized pot is being heavily bankrolled by alcohol and pharmaceutical companies, terrified that they might lose market share. On the heels of a filing last week that revealed that a synthetic cannabis company is financing the opposition to legal marijuana in Arizona comes a new disclosure this week that a beer industry group made one of the largest donations to an organization set up to defeat legalization in Massachusetts. The Beer Distributors PAC, an affiliate that represents 16 beer-distribution companies in Massachusetts, gave $25,000 to the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy Massachusetts, tying it for third place among the largest contributors to the anti-pot organization.
More @ The Intercept

Friday September 16, 2016

By Glen Schaefer

It’s all business for more than 130 industry exhibitors, who will welcome an expected 10,000 of the curious on Saturday and Sunday, a month after the federal government introduced new regulations governing medical marijuana use, and less than a year before the expected legalization of recreational use for adults.

For the marijuana industry in B.C. and Canada, it’s the calm before a commercial storm — selling pot for medicinal use will be dwarfed by the trade in pot for recreational users.

“The people who have been in the industry for a long time are seeing that they need to position themselves differently now that we are close to legalization,” said Natasha Raey of Vancouver-based Expo organizer Lift Cannabis. “The time for sort of rah-rah activism is starting to quiet down. This is the time for, let’s position ourselves as a real, professional industry, so that everyone takes us seriously.”

All the scrambling to get in at the ground floor of a — legally — new business calls to mind the heady days of the dot-com boom at the millennium’s turn. Welcome to the pot-com boom. Among the events are a startup pitch competition, and a cannabis career fair. There will be tutorials on home growing, but this isn’t the event to come to for a contact high.

Angling for a piece of the growing Canadian market is Vancouver-based Aurora Cannabis Inc., which serves 7,700 medical marijuana clients with product grown at a 55,000-square-foot facility northwest of Calgary. Aurora got its medical marijuana licence in November 2015, and began registering clients for its delivery service in January of this year. Clients must be verified by a health care practitioner under current law.

Reflecting on success Neil Belot is chief brand officer at Aurora Cannabis, which just completed a $23 million financing with securities firm Canaccord Genuity to expand its Canada-wide online cannabis delivery service in anticipation of the feds legalizing recreational use next spring.

While Belot and others at the expo talk about medical marijuana users, the real prize is the anticipated legalization of marijuana in Canada by next spring for adult recreational use. Scheduled speakers include Dr. Mark Ware, a medical cannabis researcher at McGill University and vice-chair of the federal government’s Task Force on Marijuana Legalization and Regulation, announced in July.

“The future is definitely bright for the recreational users,” Belot said. “Whether the government decides to pilot it out with a national mail-order program, we would be well positioned to immediately jump into that.”

As to the scale of the recreational market, Belot said, “We’re talking orders of magnitude larger (than the market for medical users). I would say in the millions of potential clients.
More @ Vancouver Sun

Expo Highlights : Saturday Sep 17

- Task Force on Marijuana Legalization and Regulation Update and Q&A with Task Force Vice Chair, Dr. Mark Ware. Dr. Ware will give a brief presentation on the Task Force’s activities so far, then open the floor to questions from the audience.

- Aurora Cannabis: Compassion and Quality. Neil Belot (Aurora Cannabis)

- Comparing legalization models in Canada and the US. Ivan Ross (Aslan Ross Consulting), Amy Margolis (Margolis Legal), Josh Kappel (Vicente Sederberg LLC, Colorado). Hosted by Seth Adler of Cannabis Economy.

- Discovering Careers in Cannabis. Hosted by Viridian Staffing. Kara Bradford, MBA, MM (Co-Founder and Chief Talent Officer of Viridian Staffing.  Founded in 2013, Viridian Staffing provides temporary, temp to hire, direct placement & HR outsourcing services in the cannabis sector)

- Recommendations for Marijuana Legalization and Regulation in Canada ~ from the Responsible Marijuana Retail Alliance of BC (BCGEU & BCPLSA).

- An Overview of the new Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) and What it Means for Patients. Kirk Tousaw (Tousaw Law).
More @ Lift

Marijuana.Ca Comment: There is an incredible pulse in the air these days and it's only going to get more dynamic. It's connected to the dropping away of the stress and fear connected to the insidious Marijuana Prohibition. It has the scent of freedom and opportunity. The next 12 - 18 months are going to be very exciting and historic.   

Canada - Tilray - B.C. researchers are launching the country’s first large-scale clinical trial on marijuana as a treatment for a mental health condition, testing whether pot can ease the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder

Zach Walsh, a clinical psychologist at the University of B.C.’s Okanagan campus, is leading the study, which will put the anecdotal experiences of combat veterans to the test. The marijuana for the study will be supplied be Tilray, the Nanaimo-based licensed medical producer. The researchers are now trying to recruit participants who suffer from PTSD related to military history, work as first responders, traumatic accidents or violent crime.

The triple-blind study will include three different treatments: a placebo with the active ingredients removed, a strain containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and one with both THC and cannabidiol. The participants will each receive a vaporizer to consume the drug, and get a chance to try two of the treatments over three weeks each while the researchers monitor their symptoms.
More @ The Province

Aurora launches phone app for patients to buy their medical marijuana thru their phone

An Alberta-based pot producer has launched a mobile app to make it easier for patients with a prescription to purchase federally-regulated medicinal weed. Cam Battley, of Aurora Cannabis, said the idea was to give customers the same service as giant online retailers such as Amazon. “As far as we know, it is the first legal app for Android and Apple for federally-approved legal medical cannabis,” Battley said. “The fact is that people live on their phones and tablets. They use them to shop for everything from consumer products and health products to medicine. It is an acknowledgment of the reality of how people operate today.”
More @ Calgary Herald

Company claims new technology can detect marijuana edibles

BOSTON - A company claims it's new technology has emerged that can detect consumption of both smoked and edible marijuana, and it's in the form of a portable breathalyzer. Previously, marijuana intake had to be measured in saliva, urine, or blood, which can be a time consuming process.
More @ Fox 25 Boston

Thursday September 15, 2016

By Rob Benzie

The influential Ontario Chamber of Commerce is urging Premier Kathleen Wynne to allow recreational marijuana to be sold by government-licensed private retailers as long as local municipalities approve.

The chamber’s president urges Wynne “to immediately begin a robust consultative process aimed at developing a regulatory framework for the distribution of recreational marijuana.” “We believe that a private-sector, licensing-based, and locally-oriented approach is one worth seriously considering,” writes Allan O’Dette, the 60,000-member chamber’s president and CEO. “The Ontario government has a long and proud history of working with the private sector to implement programming, continues O’Dette.

A distribution system as complex and sensitive as the one required for recreational marijuana may demand a similar level of partnership,” he writes, emphasizing the chamber is “not endorsing an entirely free-market model.” “(But) we caution government against creating a system that is so onerous that it effectively duplicates the existing ineffective regime thus sustaining illegal channels for production and distribution.”

O’Dette says there are ways of controlling access to marijuana without the involvement of the government’s booze monopoly.

On Tuesday, the premier said Queen’s Park is looking for “some clarity” from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government on how legalization will work in Canada. “How long is this going to take? And it is up to the federal government to get this right. I know there are a lot of issues that have to be addressed. But we just need clarity of what the timeline is going to be,” said Wynne. “I would like some clarity on what the process is going to be,” she said.
More @ Toronto Star

Marijuana.Ca Comment: We have been advocating for privately run marijuana stores for more than a decade. This is a vital part of the shift from the harms of the Prohibition to a more sensible and enlightened marijuana policy. A competitive recreational marijuana market will be more effective at diminishing the underground economy and would contribute billions to the Canadian economy, as well as create tens of thousands of jobs.

Canada - Tilray - B.C. researchers are launching the country’s first large-scale clinical trial on marijuana as a treatment for a mental health condition, testing whether pot can ease the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder

Zach Walsh, a clinical psychologist at the University of B.C.’s Okanagan campus, is leading the study, which will put the anecdotal experiences of combat veterans to the test. The marijuana for the study will be supplied be Tilray, the Nanaimo-based licensed medical producer. The researchers are now trying to recruit participants who suffer from PTSD related to military history, work as first responders, traumatic accidents or violent crime.

The triple-blind study will include three different treatments: a placebo with the active ingredients removed, a strain containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and one with both THC and cannabidiol. The participants will each receive a vaporizer to consume the drug, and get a chance to try two of the treatments over three weeks each while the researchers monitor their symptoms.
More @ The Province

Aurora launches phone app for patients to buy their medical marijuana thru their phone

An Alberta-based pot producer has launched a mobile app to make it easier for patients with a prescription to purchase federally-regulated medicinal weed. Cam Battley, of Aurora Cannabis, said the idea was to give customers the same service as giant online retailers such as Amazon. “As far as we know, it is the first legal app for Android and Apple for federally-approved legal medical cannabis,” Battley said. “The fact is that people live on their phones and tablets. They use them to shop for everything from consumer products and health products to medicine. It is an acknowledgment of the reality of how people operate today.”
More @ Calgary Herald

Company claims new technology can detect marijuana edibles

BOSTON - A company claims it's new technology has emerged that can detect consumption of both smoked and edible marijuana, and it's in the form of a portable breathalyzer. Previously, marijuana intake had to be measured in saliva, urine, or blood, which can be a time consuming process.
More @ Fox 25 Boston

Wednesday September 14, 2016

Press Release : Canada's Premier Cannabis Trade Show Comes to Vancouver Sept. 17 - 18

VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - September 12, 2016) - Taking place at the Vancouver Convention Centre with over 130 exhibitors and a projected 10,000 attendees, the Lift Cannabis Expo is one of the most anticipated industry events this year -- and the timing couldn't be better.

With full legalization slated for spring 2017, Canada is leading the way in terms of cannabis policy reform. Yet it is evident that both provincial and municipal governments will have significant roles to play in implementing the federal government's impending legalization strategy. Beyond the often acknowledged "BC Bud," British Columbia is home to a number of Health Canada-licensed producers, cannabis clinics, testing labs, countless dispensaries, seed banks, and a long history of cannabis culture and activism, and so it has much to gain (or lose) depending on how legalization unfolds.

Speaking to the important timing of the event, Lift is pleased to announce that the Vice-Chair of the federal government's Task Force on Marijuana Legalization and Regulation, Dr. Mark Ware, will present at the expo. Dr. Ware will provide updates on the task force's progress to date as well as take questions from the audience.

The Canadian Medical Association has urged the task force to adopt a phased-in approach toward legalizing marijuana, including possibly starting with pilot projects in smaller regions. The group representing Canada’s physicians also wants a strict minimum age of 21 for marijuana consumption with other controls on users under 25.

The Expo will feature speakers from the US and Canada including: cannabis lawyer Kirk Tousaw, Hilary Black -- founder of Canada's first medical cannabis dispensary, Dr Brian Emerson -- BC Provincial Health Officer, Mandy McKnight, Joshua Kappel, Jonathan Valdman, the Canadian Medical Cannabis Council, and many more.
More @ Marketwired

Get your tickets here

Marijuana.Ca Comment: This should be a great convergence of many different groups and stakeholders. We had a wonderful experience at the previous Lift Trade Show in Toronto. Marijuana.Ca will not be attending the Vancouver show, due to other commitments. 

Marijuana Industry Expected to Be Worth $50 Billion by 2026

The legal cannabis industry in the U.S. may grow to $50 billion in the next decade, expanding to more than eight times its current size, as lawful pot purveyors gain new customers and win over users from the illicit market, according to a new report. Legalizing recreational use in California, where the drug is already medically permitted, is on the ballot in November, and approval of that measure alone would triple the size of the nation’s current $6 billion legal industry, according to a report from 10 Cowen & Co. analysts released on Monday. In all, voters in nine states will vote on weed-related initiatives this November -- five to legalize the drug for all adults and four to allow for medical use.
More @ Bloomberg

Has There Been Enough Marijuana Research?

It’s an all-too-familiar refrain: “We just don’t know enough about the effects of cannabis.” From the DEA to Hillary Clinton, bureaucrats and politicians use the lack of research on the effects of cannabis as a reason to slow or even stall the advance of legalization. But is it true? Is there really very little cannabis research compared to other medicines or recreational substances? NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano doesn’t think so. At the Cannabis World Congress and Business Expo held here last week, he laid out his argument that not only have the effects of cannabis been well-researched, but there has been as much or even more scientific scrutiny around cannabis than many frequently used pharmaceuticals.
More @ CII

Vacationing, Colorado-style: Ganjapreneurs combine the great outdoors and cannabis

Bud+Breakfast hotels cater to guests who want to make cannabis part of their vacations while enjoying all that Colorado has to offer
More @ The Cannabist

Tuesday September 13, 2016
 

By Tonda MacCharles

McLellan said there are “important lessons” to be taken from places that have already loosened marijuana laws — chief among them to introduce change slowly.

She said the question of whether to have separate recreational and medical marijuana regimes is “one of toughest issues" facing the task force on how to legalize pot in Canada. She said the task force will have a recommendation for the government but “we haven’t come to ground on it” yet.

“One of the things we have learned, or we have heard . . . , from states like Washington and Colorado . . . is take your time because it’s much harder to pull something back than it is to perhaps be a little bit more restrictive out of the box and then, as you learn, you maybe loosen things up a bit,” she said Monday.

The Canadian Medical Association has urged the task force to adopt a phased-in approach toward legalizing marijuana, including possibly starting with pilot projects in smaller regions. The group representing Canada’s physicians also wants a strict minimum age of 21 for marijuana consumption with other controls on users under 25.

McLellan said no matter how much planning all levels of government do, it is clear “there will be surprises” that will require government to adapt any regime. She said she was not speaking for the task force as a whole but said it has learned from approaches adopted by other jurisdictions, as well as from a series of domestic consultations.

McLellan “never thought it was going to be simple.” Still, she said she has realized after several weeks of travelling to other jurisdictions, holding expert roundtables, and receiving some 30,000 submissions (about 500 from organizations) that it is a massively complicated project.

“The word legalization is a big word, it’s an easy word to say, but when you start to deconstruct what that means for Canadian society as we from prohibition to legalization, the complexity of the issue I think is what has surprised me the most.”
More @ Toronto Star

Marijuana.Ca Comment: The task force and the government must be careful - not be too cautious, as this could result in significant problems from day one. For example, we think it is important that adult Canadians be allowed to grow a small number of marijuana plants for personal non-commercial use. If this is not permitted, the major harms of the prohibition like jailtime, criminal records and large fines will continue.

Allowing private retail stores dedicated to marijuana sales must also be permitted, as selling marijuana at the same location as alcohol sends the wrong message to the public about mixing the two substances. Mixing alcohol and marijuana can have adverse effects, especially for those who are unfamiliar with the effects of mixing both, such as vomiting, dizziness, nausea and poor coordination.  

Canadian marijuana producers ramp up operations to meet the anticipated demands of both medical and recreational markets

By Alexandra Posadzki

TORONTO - Canadian cannabis producers say they are ramping up their operations to keep up with growing demand for medical marijuana and in anticipation of legislation that would allow for recreational use of the drug.

Alberta-based Aurora Cannabis is planning to expand its operations by 600,000 square feet over the next two years. That's a more than tenfold increase over its 55,200 square-foot facility, nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, and would boost production to 70,000 kilograms per year, up from 7,000.

The first 200,000 square feet, which is set to begin producing marijuana by next spring, is needed to satisfy the burgeoning demand from the medical market, says Aurora CEO Terry Booth.

"The medical business in Canada is going crazy," says Booth.

There were 67,075 patients registered to use medical marijuana at the end of May, according to statistics from Health Canada — up from 43,342 at the end of January.

"There's no doubt about it that the medical community is more accepting of it," says Booth, who credits the Liberal party's electoral win last October with removing some of the stigma associated with the drug.

More @ Infotel.Ca

Marijuana.Ca Comment:  The marijuana industry in Canada is in full throttle. Exciting times ahead. We think it's vital that the medical side remains a priority as we head towards adult recreational legalization.

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This story is archived here

Linton’s eyes darted between the open road and the passenger seat, where I scribbled his words into a notebook. He waited for my pen to catch up. “If you really want to get all of this, we need to do a book,” he said. Then he recounted how he and a small team of tech and policy geeks with Bay Street cred had turned an abandoned Hershey’s factory into the most recognized grow op on the planet, and how they were now inking deals with industrialists in Germany, horticulturalists in Australia, sexual-aid manufacturers in Colorado, and celebrities in California. It’s all part of a fast-moving game that, if won, could leave Linton and his executives at the helm of a billion-dollar company when recreational pot becomes legal in Canada.annabis and art have always fit together, but never quite like this.

It’s a two-stage plan. First, he’ll let customers get used to seeing a range of his combustible marijuana strains for sale in the same stores that carry traditional liquors. Then he’ll release a line of drinkable cannabis products. Linton sees a world in which THC will become one of the main ingredients inside corked bottles of what future generations will consider premium booze. THC-laced soda pop is already available on the black market, and people have been infusing liquor with cannabis at their homes for years. Linton is going to take it mainstream, challenging the spirits establishment by producing an entirely new beverage that offers a different sort of buzz. Most people still think of pot as something to smoke and vape, or as something that can be added to food. Linton wants to show it can be so much more.

Then he revealed an entirely new aspect of his vision: “We’re going to grow experimental marijuana trees,” he said, explaining that the plan had been suggested by a Penn State tissue culture propagation specialist the company had hired. “Thick trunks, in 170-litre pots. They’re going to be like oak trees. No one, as far as we’re aware, has ever tried to see how big you can grow these things.”

Just after 11 a.m., Linton looked at his BlackBerry. “We need to get back on the road,” he said. He had a meeting in Toronto with a major pharmaceutical company and didn’t want to be late.
More @ The Walrus

Friday August 19, 2016

Cannabis and art have always fit together, but never quite like this.

"As an emerging brand in an emerging industry, we want to be able to tell our story in creative ways to make memorable and unique first impressions," said Martin Strazovec, Tweed's Chief Creative Officer. "Ezra is a gifted storyteller who will help us expand our reach through his art."

Some of the photography-based projects from the year-long residency will be based on cannabis related subjects and themes such as marijuana and hemp, while others will be photo series and photo-based music videos that speak to the Canadian cities and towns where the Company operates.

Ezra comes to this residency with a long list of cannabis-related credentials to complement his twenty-year career in film and television since graduating from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts in 1994. His cannabis background includes co-directing the award-winning 1993 medical marijuana film Pressure Drop and creating Hemp for the Homeless in 2006, a project which donated functional hemp food and clothing kits to Montreal homeless shelters. Ezra was introduced to the Tweed team when he filmed a scene from his 2015 CBC Documentary Channel movie "Grass Fed". The documentary explored cannabis edibles through the eyes of comedian, sciatica patient and Tweed customer Mike Paterson.

Together, Tweed and Soiferman hope to "bring art to cannabis and cannabis to art." Taking a broad view of the burgeoning cannabis landscape, there is a unique opportunity to engage with a number of communities through the arts. With legalization comes an evolving understanding of cannabis and how it will be woven into society, and Tweed's Artist in Residence program will become an outlet for artistic expression that aligns with Tweed's values as a proudly Canadian company.

"I have always strived to produce work that educates, entertains and even enlightens. Doings so with a forward-thinking company like Tweed will be a highlight in my career and help to bring my stories and images to an increasingly diverse audience," said Soiferman.

Soiferman's first Artist in Residence project is "The Walls of Montreal" a photo-based music video that will make its premiere at the N.D.G. Off The Wall Film Festival in Montreal on Friday, August 26th. Subsequent photo projects will be announced throughout the year at Tweed.com and Soiferman's EzraSoiferman.com.

Here's to Future Growth.

Click here for the press release

The Company originally received an amendment to its licence to produce cannabis oil in August 2015. In the interim, the Company has developed its processes and procedures to perfect the operation of its oil extraction technology and developed three oil extract formulations for sale to medical patients. Aphria's current oil extraction capacity is approximately 12,000 60 mL bottles a month. The Company recently received a second extraction machine and once on-line, it expects its extraction capacity will double.

The Company's oil extract bottle is 60 mL in size and contains the equivalent of 10 grams of dried marijuana sourced from bud. The Company intends to sell each bottle for $99 and will have three products available for sale: Champlain - a high THC product, Rideau - a high CBD product and Capilano - a balanced THC/CBD product. The purchase price on a per gram equivalency basis is $9.90. As of the date of this release, Aphria's pricing compares to an industry average of approximately $18 per gram equivalency.

"While our journey to obtain Health Canada approval was long, we are excited to begin selling our extracts on our website today," said Vic Neufeld, Chief Executive Officer. "Patient feedback suggests that demand will be strong, particularly given our attractive retail price. Capitalizing on our continued growing cost reductions, we believe significant margins will still be generated."
Click here for the Aphria press release in the Marijuana.Ca press release section

Ban on medical marijuana patients growing own pot struck down by Federal Court
Philpott won't appeal Allard ruling on right to grow medical marijuana
Patients approved for medical marijuana will be able to register with Health Canada to grow a "limited" amount of cannabis for their own medical purposes.

"If an individual wants to produce a limited amount of cannabis for his/her own medical purposes, he/she must submit an application to register with Health Canada," said a department background document.

"An original medical document from the health-care practitioner must be provided and the application must include information such as the location of where cannabis will be produced and stored."

They can also designate someone else to grow it for them, for instance if they're not healthy enough to grow their own, granted the other person passes a background check showing they haven't been convicted of a drug offence in the last 10 years and aren't growing for more than two people, themselves included.

The third option is getting it from one of 34 Health Canada-approved producers — the only legal source under the current laws.
More @ CBC.CA

Marijuana.Ca comment:

Wider and more comprehensive access for patients is a welcome change that is long overdue.
Yesterday was an historic day.

The future is bright!

Marijuana.Ca comment: The DEA continues to have it's head in the sand. Keeping marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, or at the same level as heroin and other dangerous drugs with no medical value, flies in the face of mounting evidence and a staggering amount of personal accounts about the effectiveness of medical marijuana for various conditions.

That said, the door has opened slightly for more research and possibly more growing locations. Further evidence of the weakening of the prohibition even within the DEA.

Perhaps President Obama will reschedule marijuana near the end of his term to a Schedule 2. Hillary Clinton, if elected as president, has committed to doing so.

Marijuana.Ca comment: Snoop and Martha are fun together. Contrasts can create wonderful dynamics. We'll be checking this out. Tweed was smart to have done a joint partnership with Snoop Dogg. More info > here about the partnership.

Marijuana.Ca comment: As the medical and recreational prohibition of marijuana continues to collapse in Canada and the US, we now finally have an opportunity to conduct serious research and studies into the myriad of ways that marijuana affects society and individuals.

Marijuana.Ca comment: The tired,stale and harmful marijuana war keeps ratcheting up arrests and criminal records every day for otherwise law abiding Canadians. Future generations will look back on this Marijuana Prohibition and it's negative affect on individuals, families and Canadian society, and pat themselves on the backs for being more enlightened. And so they should.

Surely the Federal Liberals can figure out how to stop criminalizing Canadians now, while they move forward with their legalization plans that will likely not come into effect until late 2017 or 2018.

Doctors prescribed Forrest Trileptal, an anti-seizure medication. But although his seizures had stopped, he was experiencing side effects the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notes occur in about one of every 500 people. “He would scream, he would fight, he would punch himself,” Melser said. Combined with his anger, he also had suicidal thoughts, and once even attempted it. This was her family’s breaking point, and they began looking into giving Forrest medical marijuana.

Nine weeks into being 8, and Forrest’s life is looking a lot calmer, but it’s not because he’s high all the time. The medical marijuana he gets comes in a capsule filled with marijuana-infused oil. Provided by TJ’s Organic Gardens, a Eugene-based medical marijuana farm that’s providing the marijuana for free, it’s a special strain of marijuana containing mostly cannabidiol (CBD), the second most active ingredient in marijuana — behind the high-inducing THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). But unlike THC, it skips the high and provides analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-epileptic effects. In one 2013 study on CBD’s effect on epileptic kids, 16 of 19 parents “reported a reduction in their child’s seizure frequency.” (Most studies on CBD’s effects are small; you can find a list of them here.)

“I feel like it’s saved his life — it has saved his life,” Tanesha Smelser said. “I know it sounds scary, and I know it sounds unconventional, but it’s working. It’s working!”
More @ Medical Daily

Marijuana.Ca comment: We regularly come across stories like this. They are part of an increasing body of evidence that shows the effectiveness of marijuana in reducing or eliminating seizures in some children with severe epilepsy. This is especially significant because pharmaceutical drugs either don't reduce seizures or have very negative side effects. The story above is from 2014.

Marijuana.Ca comment: Patient home growing without excessive bureaucratic obstacles, is a critical aspect of access.  Some Canadians, who have been effectively treating their respective health conditions with medical marijuana, have been burdened long enough in this country with ongoing affordability and access issues.

We respectfully urge Health Canada to immediately announce that all current and future patients with a medical note/prescription (to use medical marijuana) from a doctor, will now be allowed to grow their medical marijuana at home and continue to be able to buy medical marijuana from Licensed Producers.

Marijuana.Ca comment: Powerful concept. Traditionally, most indigenous groups have a strong relationship to the land and have a history of using herbs as medicine. The local and global evolution of medical marijuana changes the status of these people from criminals who could be jailed, to medicine growers that will contribute to the National University research centre.

Marijuana.Ca comment: There is very significant interest from many stakeholders about the upcoming medical marijuana regulation changes that will be released by Health Canada. Health Canada and Health Minister Philpott have been silent about whether patients will be allowed to grow their own medical marijuana for personal medical use. The deadline set by the judge in the Allard Case is August 24th, 2016. Unless Health Canada requests, and is granted, an extension of time, new regulations or amendements to the MMPR will be announced at some point between today and August 24th, 2016.

We urge Health Canada to allow medical marijuana patients to grow their own medicine for personal use and, also allow access to medical marijuana thru licensed producers.  It is important that patients be able to grow specific strains that work for them, that aren't available from licensed producers, and that patients have the opportunity to grow very low cost medicine and have control over availability of supply.  To someone with a medical condition, having access to the right medicine is critically important.  Medical marijuana patients have been fighting tirelessly for many years to have access to a secure supply of the right medicine.  It's time to get it right and fully support medical marijuana patients.  The only reasonable and constitutional path forward for Health Canada is to allow for home grows. 

Marijuana.Ca comment: The opiod epidemic exists in the US, Canada and in many other countries. This is an urgent and challenging issue that must be addressed now. We have heard and read many accounts of people reducing or eliminating their consumption of pain meds and pharmaceuticals in general, when they start using medical marijuana.

More @ Mirth's Website

Marijuana.Ca comment: The sky did not fall after this video was published on YouTube.

Less hysteria, more euphoria.

Yet in court, the only successful argument for expanding access to cannabis has been the case for medical marijuana. Politics will soon intervene. An expert task force led by former Liberal cabinet minister Anne McLellan will make recommendations this November on how the Liberals can implement their promise to legalize pot for recreational use. The government has promised legislation by next spring.

The question now is, once recreational cannabis consumption is no longer a crime, will there be any reason to maintain a separate system for medical marijuana? The answer, from the perspective of constitutional law, is almost certainly “no.”
More @ Policy Options

Marijuana.Ca comment: We are not constitutional law experts here, so we don't know if Adam's assertion is correct, as per the constitutional aspect of his article.

That said, we think that there are many important reasons to maintain a specific and dedicated medical marijuana system and industry in Canada and internationally. For example, the needs of patients are different than the needs of the general public that will consume marijuana for recreational purposes. As well, the medical value of marijuana is just beginning to come to light. Having a specific medical mandate can accelerate the research and development of strains and delivery systems that can bring signicant benefit to many Canadians and reduce healthcare costs.

Canopy Growth Corporation announced that its wholly owed subsidiary Tweed Inc., has received approval from Health Canada to begin export of Tweed products to medical marijuana patients in Germany.

Tweed is working with MedCann in Germany, a privately held pharmaceutical company.

About MedCann:
(The following excerpt was taken from the Tweed press release)

"MedCann GmbH was founded in June 2015 by Dr. Pierre Debs and Rainer Hofmann. MedCann GmbH is an importer, manufacturer and distributor of medical cannabis products and is federally licensed by the German Heath Ministry. Dr. Debs is a stem cell biologist with over 25 years research experience at world class research universities in the US and Europe. Rainer Hofmann is a successful businessman having established and directed a variety of businesses in the Heidelberg area for over 20 years. MedCann GmbH operates under strict GMP and GDP guide-lines for all aspects of sourcing, transporting and releasing medical cannabis products."

In securing the medical marijuana export license, Tweed becomes the first Canadian licensed producer to receive authorization to export to a major G7 country.

In a press release issued July, 25, 2016 by Canopy Growth Corporation:

Chairman and CEO of Canopy Growth said, "Introducing Tweed product to German medical cannabis patients is an exciting and groundbreaking event. Patients will soon have a new choice in variety for their medical cannabis, and we are honoured to be involved in the changing landscape for German access and choice."

Germans can presently access legal medical cannabis through pharmacies for a variety of medical conditions, though adequate domestic production has not yet been established. Tweed will launch an initial two strains in Germany, and hopes to bring further variety to market as soon as possible. 

"As the German population now knows, the regulatory aspects and laws concerning medical cannabis have evolved to address the growing needs of medical cannabis patients in Germany," said Dr. Pierre Debs, co-founder of MedCann. "Now, in the summer of 2016, through the concerted efforts of MedCann and Tweed, patients across Germany can be assured of a new supply and variety of the highest quality medical cannabis."

With this new Tweed announcement, Canopy is on the road to building a recognizable international brand by bringing its medical marijuana products and expert knowledge to four continents, North America, South America (Brazil), Australia, and now, Europe (Germany).