"In particular, I will expect you to work with your colleagues and through established legislative, regulatory, and Cabinet processes to deliver on your top priorities:
Working with the Ministers of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and Health, create a federal-provincial-territorial process that will lead to the legalization and regulation of marijuana.
(This was the 6th 'top priority' in a list of 15. - Marijuana.Ca)
I know I can count on you to fulfill the important responsibilities entrusted in you. In turn, please know that you can count on me to support you every day in your role as Minister.
I am deeply grateful to have this opportunity to serve with you as we build an even greater country. Together, we will work tirelessly to honour the trust Canadians have given us."
> click here to see the full letter on pm.gc.ca
7 Unconventional Ways To Get The Benefits of Marijuana.
Whether you're a medical or recreational cannabis user, there's an ever-expanding array of ways to consume out there. If you're ready to branch out from the same old routine of smoking and vaping, here are some outside-the-box options - each with unique effects and benefits.
> more @ Civilized.Life
Colombia to legalize commercial sale of medical marijuana.
Colombia’s justice minister says the country plans to legalize the cultivation and sale of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Yesid Reyes made the announcement Thursday in an interview with Caracol Radio. Reyes says the new regulations will apply only to medical and scientific uses of the drug. The news was a surprise in a country long identified with U.S.-backed policies aimed at fighting the production of illicit drugs. The new policy would include Colombia in a wave of changing attitudes toward marijuana that has sparked recent legalization efforts from Mexico to Chile.
> more @ GlobalNews.Ca
HEMP - Hemp Blue – A New, Incredible Denim and Apparel Brand with a Cause.
Kickstarter Campaign : Hemp Blue is an incredible, new denim and apparel brand with a cause. The recently announced brand is promoting the legalization of agricultural hemp as a sustainable crop in the United States. While their first collection isn’t made entirely out of hemp, their goal is to create an environmentally friendly denim brand, made entirely out of agricultural hemp.
> more @ Kickstarter
Canada - Professor Serge Brochu, a criminologist, supports the legalization of marijuana.
The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, spoke out clearly in favour of legalizing marijuana during the election campaign that brought him to power on October 19. Professor Serge Brochu of University of Montreal's School of Criminology would support this policy change and has answered several questions to clarify the rational and nuance surrounding his opinion.
> more @ Phys.Org
The golden Pax vaporizer is what mainstream pot culture looks like.
A gold vaporizer is cool in its confident uncoolness.
> more @ The Verge
HEMP - Unraveling Threads: Fabrics made from hemp have numerous benefits/
The benefits of hemp fabrics, from planting to growing to manufacturing clothing, have often been overlooked in arguments for or against the legalization of marijuana. Compared to a product such as cotton, which we use every day, hemp provides more output for less input.
> more @ The Post Athens
Leafs by Snoop Dogg: The scoop on rapper’s new weed brand.
Snoop Dogg launched his new marijuana line at a private party in Denver last night. Leafs by Snoop cannabis flower, edibles and concentrates will go on sale Nov. 10 at LivWell stores.
> more @ The Cannabist
USA - Oregon to allow Recreational Marijuana deliveries.
Delivery services will be allowed, but only in a very limited fashion. The Measure 91 legalization initiative called for the allowance of delivery services. However, after some pressure from local governments, law enforcement and even some inside the industry, the OLCC is only allowing deliveries where no more than $100 of marijuana products are carried and deliveries may not be made into jurisdictions that have banned marijuana retail outlets. Allowing delivery, even into communities that have banned marijuana businesses, is important to some legislators, and certainly many constituents living within these areas, that we may see some legislative changes regarding delivery as well.
> more @ Marijuana Politics
HEMP - Bringing it Home. Movie about Hemp.
Bringing it Home, a documentary film that takes a close look at the past, present and future of hemp and a global industry that includes textiles, building materials, food products, bio-plastics, auto parts and more.
> more @ BringingItHomeMovie.com
Canada - Toronto - Medicinal Marijuana Dispenary on the Danforth.
Walking into Weedz Glass and Gifts on the Danforth, one can see how attitudes to marijuana are changing. A reporter views an elderly woman peering into the cannabis dispensary’s main display. In front of her is a selection of both indicas, marijuana with numbing sedative effects, and its cousin sativa, a mood-enhancing type used to treat depression and PTSD. “Mom, make sure you get the right kind of medicine,” the woman’s middle-aged daughter says to her.
> more @ TorontoObserver.Ca
USA - South Dakota tribe says it destroyed marijuana crop due to fear of federal raid.
A South Dakota American Indian tribe that sought to open the nation’s first marijuana resort says it burned its crop after federal officials signalled a potential raid. Flandreau Santee Sioux President Anthony Reider told The Associated Press the tribe had three weeks of discussions with authorities that culminated with a meeting in Washington that included a Justice Department official and U.S. Attorney for South Dakota Randall Seiler. Reider says the tribe wasn’t told a raid was imminent, only that one was possible if the government’s concerns weren’t addressed. Reider says the main holdup is whether the tribe can sell marijuana to non-Indians, along with the origin of the seeds used for its crop.
> more @ Turtle Island News
HEMP - USA - Kentucky Farmers Ready for Growth of Hemp Industry.
Tucked away off a narrow country road in Clark County, Kentucky, in the middle of a farm, 27 acres of hemp grew all summer. Now, the plants will be harvested and processed. Kentucky, hailed as a leader by industrial hemp advocates, has grown the hemp. Now the state is working on growing the industry.
> more @ Insurance Journal
USA - Medical Marijuana Cuts Suicide Rates By 10% In Years Following Legalization.
Legalization of medical marijuana has been found to correlate to a significant drop in suicide rates, providing additional evidence that the federally outlawed substance may have a positive effect on U.S. public health. The new study, which is published in the American Journal of Public Health, shows that the suicide rate among men ages 20 to 29 and 30 to 39 fell by 10.8 percent and 9.8 percent respectively following a given state’s decision to legalize medical marijuana.
> more @ MedicalDaily.com
Canada - Jen Gerson: No, pot’s not legal yet. Put the bong down.
With the formalities of the swearing-in ceremony now behind us, the hazy question on the tip of millions of voters’ tongues begins to form: “When will pot be legal?” And, “Is pot legal yet?” Just about everybody remembers that he promised to legalize weed. Repeatedly. Articulately. Legalizing marijuana is one of those highly visible policy goals that will affect just about every Canadian, whether he’s one of the many who smokes up on a regular basis, or the everybody else who knows somebody who does. This is a promise Trudeau won’t get away with breaking. And if his cabinet is any indication, he has no intention of doing so.
> more @ National Post
HEMP - USA - Toledo Hemp Company Provides Blankets To Toledo’s Homeless, Again.
Toledo Hemp Center LLC is once again gathering blankets for it’s 2nd Annual Blanket Drive for the Homeless campaign to help raise awareness of the area’s growing homeless issue in the upcoming winter months.
> more @ The Weed Blog
Canada’s - Dose for Dose: THC limits in LP Cannabis Oil vs. other cannabinoid products.
Several Licensed Producers may now produce (and soon sell) cannabis oil, which is broadly defined as a liquid vegetable oil containing dried marijuana or cannabis.
> more @ Lift
USA - DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) Chief Says Medical Marijuana Is a ‘Joke’.
“What really bothers me is the notion that marijuana is also medicinal — because it’s not,” Rosenberg said, CBS reports. “We can have an intellectually honest debate about whether we should legalize something that is bad and dangerous, but don’t call it medicine —that is a joke.” - Chuck Rosenberg
> more @ Time.com
Marijuana.Ca comment : What an idiotic and ignorant statement that is easily refutable by cancer patients and others.
HEMP - Bombay Hemp Company makes products from hitherto ‘unrecognised’ fibre.
India - Mumbai - Inside a cluttered office in one of Lower Parel's mill compounds, seven twentysomethings are dreaming of another green revolution. They are the team that runs India's first industrial hemp startup—Bombay Hemp Company.
> more @ India Times
Canada’s - Vancouver Police chief says he will follow Justin Trudeau's lead on marijuana.
Chief Constable Adam Palmer points to Vancouver's already progressive approach to pot.
> more @ cbc.ca
Canada - BC - Nelson medical marijuana dispensaries still in gray area. legalization may solve this issue.
Mayor Kozak says "Legalization is likely one of the issues the new prime minister will tackle in the first month,” Kozak told the Star. “We’re going to welcome legalization here in Nelson. It will provide clarity for local government.”
> more @ Leafly
HEMP - Press Release - Colorado Taxpayers Award $4.89 Million Economic Incentive Package to Hemp Oil Company.
City of Pueblo With O.penVAPE and Thar Process to Develop Cradle of New Multi-Billion Dollar Industry. The City of Pueblo will grant the newly formed hemp oil processing company CBD BioSciences, $4.89 million in capital incentives. The historic deal marks the first time a city has backed a hemp company to spur economic development. The incentive package establishes Pueblo as a primary hub in the CBD and hemp production industry. This is a joint venture between O.penVAPE and Thar Process. CBD BiosSciences will manage operations in Pueblo.
> more @ Marketwired
Canada’s 1 million square feet of medical marijuana growing space.
As of Nov 1, 2015, there is over 1,000,000 square feet of approved medical marijuana production space in Canada, spread out across 26 different facilities from Vancouver Island to New Brunswick.
> more @ Lift Cannabis
Yoga, Cannabis, and You: 6 Best Practices for Pairing Yoga with Marijuana.
As a yogi and someone who enjoys cannabis, I am interested in the benefits of using it as a way to enhance my yoga practice. It is exciting and exhilarating to develop and explore yoga as a practice, and I’ve been happily surprised to discover that cannabis can enhance this exploration. My hope in sharing my thoughts about combining cannabis and yoga is not to encourage you to go off the deep end, but rather to help you refine both your practice and your cannabis use. Combining cannabis with yoga is a fairly controversial subject within the wildly diverse community of yogis.
> more @ Leafly
HEMP - Canada - Victoria company wows celebrity chefs Hemp based food wrap product.
Desrosiers' product, Abeego, is a reusable beeswax food wrap made from hemp, certified organic cotton infused with pure beeswax, certified organic jojoba oil and pine tree resin. It can be used to wrap fresh produce such as fruits, herbs, greens and onions, and is breathable and antibacterial.
> more @ Vic News
Canada's Green Rush: An Interview with Jodie Emery, the "Pot Princess of Vancouver".
Canada’s Liberal Party victory for cannabis means that legalization is all but a sure thing. We sat down with Jodie Emery, known as the "Pot Princess of Vancouver," who runs Cannabis Culture with her husband Mark, to discuss what the future holds for cannabis in Canada, as well as what’s in store for Cannabis Culture.
Jodie Emery: We’re hoping that Trudeau will pick a Health Minister who also agrees that marijuana should be legal. The Health Minister has the power to remove marijuana from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, and should encourage marijuana use to reduce prescription pill abuse.
> more @ Leafly
Can Jamaica make up for lost ground in cannabis research following decriminalisation?
Following the partial decriminalisation of cannabis earlier this year, Jamaican scientists are harnessing more than 40 years of research in a bid to cash in on the lucrative global medical marijuana market. As of April 2015, the possession of two ounces of marijuana, or less, is no longer an arrestable offence in Jamaica and the establishment of a Cannabis Licensing Authority is paving the way for the development of a set of rules and regulations to govern this burgeoning pharmaceutical industry, estimated to be worth US$100 billion worldwide.
> more @ EqualTimes.Org
HEMP - Hemp Legalized in North Carolina..
The prohibition on growing industrial hemp never made sense. It is a classic example of regulatory overreach. Passage of this law will contribute to our farm economy and to job growth in rural areas.
> more @ NewObserver.com
USA : Vermont Cites More for Pot Possession. Decriminalization Leads to Fewer Arrests and More Fines.
Last year, law enforcement around the state filed paperwork with the court for 1,366 adult civil marijuana complaints, more than double the amount of arrests on file with the Vermont Crime Information Center in 2012 when a similar offense was still criminal, according to records obtained by The Associated Press.
> more @ vnews.com
Marijuana.Ca comment : We and many others are categorically opposed to the introduction of a system that subjects Canadians to Financial Penalties in the form of Fines.
Why Does Marijuana Cause Paranoia in Some But Helps Anxiety in Others?
If you’re susceptible to or worried about cannabis-induced paranoia, fear not – there are ways to prevent, even counter, that anxiety. Here are just a few tips: Try a low-THC and/or high-CBD strain. CBD is a non-psychoactive compound that combats anxiety and counteracts THC’s psychoactive effects, resulting in a calmer and more clear-headed experience. Go easy on the dose. Smoking and vaporizing offer better dose control than oils and edibles, so consider starting there if you’re worried about getting too high. Find a comfortable place. Set and setting is pivotal to the experience, so get to a happy place to reduce panic and paranoia. Partner up with the right strain. Every strain has something different to offer on a chemical level, so keep track of which ones worked for you. Sativa strains tend to deliver racier, high-energy effects while indicas tend to be more relaxing.
> more @ Leafly
HEMP - 6 surprising health benefits of hemp seeds.
Hemp is known to reduce the effects of eczema and even lower the risk of heart attack.
> more @ Salon.com
Colombian Health Minister Announces Decree to Legalize Commercialization of Medical Marijuana Products.
Health Minister Alejandro Gaviria reportedly stated that he is working on a decree to allow for the commercialization of medical cannabis products. The decree would allow for the elaboration and sale of phytotherapeutic products, or herbal medicines, that contain cannabis.
> more @ Colombia Reports
Canada - Ontario - Legalize pot if we have to, says APH top doctor.
Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, Medical Officer of Health and Chief Executive Officer of the Sudbury and District Health Unit (who is also currently serving as interim Medical Officer of Health at Algoma Public Health), for her opinion on marijuana legalization from a physician/public health officer point of view. "I'm not promoting the use of marijuana, cigarettes or alcohol, but people are using it and we need to face that fact and put this within a framework like we have with other substances to ensure that individuals and community public health is best protected," Sutcliffe said. "What I would say is we need to have a really robust public health approach to cannabis use and we don't currently have that, what we have now is criminalization." "The fact is about a quarter of our high school students are using marijuana, about a third of our young adults are using marijuana, so the criminalization of marijuana has not reduced its use," Sutcliffe said.
> more @ SooToday.com
HEMP - Boulder County company sees first hemp harvest for use in 'cannaceuticals'. More than 3,500 acres grown in Colorado this year.
"We harvested about 100,000 hemp plants, all USDA certified organic," said Alexis Korybut, president of CBDRx, a wholesaler of hemp and extracted oils with a 132-acre grow operation in Pueblo and a research and development facility in Longmont. Most of those plants will be used for "cannaceutical" purposes — oils, tinctures and capsules that are marketed as medicinal products, Korybut said. Other buyers make and market CBD-infused foods and supplements as nutritional products, or "nutriceuticals."
> more @ Daily Camera
Q&A with medpot pioneer Lester Grinspoon.
Renowned Harvard professor of psychiatry talks about his research into prohibition, how Carl Sagan turned him on to the wonders of weed and why, at age 42, he started using it himself. "It was just too interesting an experience to let go." Lester Grinspoon, associate professor emeritus of psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School, began researching the medicinal legitimacy of marihuana 45 years ago and discovered that an immense chain of lies served as a basis for sending millions of people to jail in the US. Since then, he has become an ardent promoter of pot’s spiritual and medicinal benefits.
> more @ Now Toronto
Ireland : Decision looms for Government on legalising marijuana.
Oireachtas committee on justice may recommend that Ireland follow the example of Portugal which 14 years ago decriminalised all drugs.
> more @ Irish Times
HEMP - Press Release - Hemp & Cannabis Pioneers Asquith and Saxton Launch Green Gorilla, Inc.
Hemp & Olive CBD Infused Goods are Initial Product Line to be Rolled Out.
> more @ DigitalJournal.com
Canada - Sarah Leamon: What would marijuana legalization really look like in Canada?
One of the most hotly anticipated changes under Trudeau’s new leadership has to do with marijuana. The legalization and regulation of marijuana was a key platform issue for the Liberal party throughout their campaign. From the very beginning, Trudeau was very clear about his intentions to legalize marijuana, saying that he would begin the process “right away” if elected to office. He contends that the legalization of the drug will keep it away from minors, while also keeping money away from gangsters.
> more @ Georgia Straight
Canada - Seth Rogen on Justin Trudeau win: I think it's great. ‘Bright, new direction’.
Employing his trademark laugh, Rogen adds he’s also a fan of PM-elect Justin Trudeau’s promise to decriminalize marijuana. “Again, I think we’re heading in a bright, new direction.”
> more @ GlobalNews.Ca
HEMP - Is Hemp the Best Alternative to Synthetic Materials?
Hemp is renewable, biodegradable, and beneficial to the environment. Hemp fibers have some of the strongest mechanical properties of all natural fibers. Additionally, hemp materials can be used in thousands of applications, ranging from incredibly strong ropes to luxuriously comfortable fabrics, from bottles to building materials. Hemp can even be converted into biofuels to power the mills that use it.
> more @ Leafly
Could Canada Usher in a New Era for Marijuana?
A monumental week for Canada means that the new Prime Minister has got a lot of work ahead of him, but he’s got a lot of backers sending support and advice on the best ways to legalize cannabis. After Justin Trudeau’s stunning victory as the new Prime Minister, Canada will usher in a new era led by the Canadian Liberal Party, which now takes up a majority of the seats in the House of Common. As a result of campaign promises for legalization and expectations from the public, Trudeau has been receiving all sorts of unsolicited advice on the matter. B.C. Senator Larry Campbell offered his take, saying that the process should not be hasty, that Canada should take a year to 18 months for a complete rollout, and that officials should look to Colorado as an example of seamless transition and regulation.
> more @ Leafly
Canada - Few Vancouver marijuana dispensaries move on in application process while others ordered closed.
It was revealed that just 11 of 176 applications the city received meet all zoning requirements and are ready to proceed to phase two of the procedure.
> more @ Georgia Straight
HEMP - Hempcrete. Hemp-based render gives striated skin and insulation to renovated house by Martens Van Caimere.
"Hempcrete combines the insulation and finishing in one layer, reducing building costs," he continued. "Plus it is durable and sustainable, because it is made from a waste product."
> more @ Dezeen.com
Canada - Calgary Police Chief Roger Chaffin says he's ready to talk pot legalization with new federal government.
Calgary’s police chief said Thursday he’s ready to hash out the details of marijuana legalization with the federal government. While Calgary Police Chief Roger Chaffin said his force will continue to enforce the current prohibition, in a statement he didn’t condemn the election promise by Prime Minister-elect Justin Trudeau to legalize cannabis.
> more @ Calgary Sun
Canada - Edmonton police union head says legalizing Marijuana is a “good idea”.
"My police reaction, and I certainly won't speak for the chief, is I think it's a good idea," said Sgt. Maurice Brodeur, president of the Edmonton Police Association, when asked about the possibility of marijuana being legalized and regulated. "I think we're wasting a whole bunch of time for some very simple, common, low grade things such as simple possession of marijuana."
> more @ Edmonton Sun
HEMP - Hemp taking over Kentucky's tobacco resources; 22 companies investing so far.
Mangone-Miranda, who estimates that hemp could become a billion-dollar industry, said his group is in hemp for the long run. Kentucky also has resources that in the past were used for tobacco that have converted well to hemp cultivation.
> more @ Kentucky.com
Canada - Tokyo Smoke - How did marijuana go from shadowy activity to being uber stylish?
At new Toronto coffee spot Tokyo Smoke, owner Alan Gertner (pictured at right) spends his time chatting with customers who seek an elevated smoking experience. Though it’s currently a smoke-free atmosphere here, Gertner’s brand will soon start distributing eponymous marijuana products in Washington state.
> more @ Globe and Mail
Canada - Manitoba government ready to talk about legalizing marijuana.
Manitoba Attorney General Gord MackIntosh told CBC News the Manitoba government is ready to discuss legalizing marijuana in a safe manner.
> more @ cbc.ca
USA - Marijuana Legalization Looks Certain for Canada.
Advocates and experts say it's only a matter of time after the Liberal Party's election romp. “Oh, it’s going to happen,” Canadian Sen. Larry Campbell of the Liberal Party, a former mayor of Vancouver, tells U.S. News. “Certainly within the next four years, but I suspect a closer time frame is two [years].” Tom Angell, an American legalization advocate, says developments in Canada may spur more U.S. states, such as Maine and Vermont, to jump on the bandwagon to avoid losing potential tax revenue. Maine is among a handful of states that may legalize marijuana through ballot initiatives next year. Vermont, many advocates believe, may be among the first U.S. states to legalize marijuana through legislation. Campbell says Canada's anticipated movement toward legalization is directly related to pioneering U.S. ballot initiatives. "Without Colorado and Oregon and Alaska and Washington, it would have made our job much more difficult," he says. "The U.S. really opened this up, quite frankly. Our biggest worry was always that we'd have our border shut down or that we'd cause some difficulties in our relationships with your country. I think that's passed.
> more @ USNews.com
HEMP - Where the Hemp & Marijuana Market is Going.
CBD is naturally found in higher concentrations in industrial hemp than in today’s marijuana. In fact, the use and acceptance of hemp medicinally for thousands of years could be as much due to the psychoactive effects of THC, as to the anti-inflammatory and balancing effects of CBD.
> more @ BizWest.com
Canada - Marijuana supporters want legalization done right, including the right to grow in one's home for personal use.
Marijuana consumers in Regina are hoping Justin Trudeau sticks to his promise to legalize marijuana. "I think it could be a really good thing. But it’s only going to be good if people can grow the plants in their own homes.”“I think this should be up front because cannabis users that have been using it for years as a medicine have been really downtrodden and looked upon in a negative light,” said hydroponics grower Darin Wheatley.
> more @ GlobalNews.Ca
Canada - A Majority of Canadians Support Marijuana Legalization. Why?
On October 19th, Liberals gained a “sweeping victory” in elections for the Canadian Parliament, with Justin Trudeau replacing Conservative Stephen Harper as Prime Minister. This development promises to have a profound impact on the legal status of cannabis in Canada. The Liberal’s platform is unequivocal: “We will legalize, regulate and restrict access to marijuana. We will…design a new system of strict marijuana sales and distribution, with appropriate federal and provincial excise taxes applied.” It seems the people have spoken, and most are speaking for reducing or eliminating penalties for marijuana consumption. Let’s look at some of the reasons why.
> more @ Leafly
The biggest myths about marijuana—debunked by an addiction expert.
The march of marijuana legalization continues, and so do the questions about its effect on the health of smokers. Kevin Hill, an addiction psychiatrist at McLean Hospital in Harvard Medical School and author of Marijuana: The Unbiased Truth about the World’s Most Popular Weed, recently took to Reddit to answer questions from the public. Quartz has condensed and edited the highlights of the discussion.
> more @ QZ.com
HEMP - USA - Murphy plans launch of Hemp Business Journal.
Investor and entrepreneur Sean Murphy on Tuesday announced the launch of the Boulder-based Hemp Business Journal, with a plan for the first print edition to hit mailboxes in December.
> more @ BizWest.com
Canada - Ontario - Premier Kathleen Wynne says legalizing and regulating marijuana was an idea, "whose time has come"
Asked how much new tax revenue her cash-strapped government could expect from levies on the cannabis products Trudeau has vowed to legalize, the premier stressed she had “no idea.” But she added that legalizing and regulating marijuana was an idea, “whose time has come.
> more @ The Toronto Star
Canada - BC - BC's premier Christy Clark, on the question of marijuana legalization, which Trudeau previously promised would be an early goal of his government, Clark said she will be following Ottawa’s lead.
“It’s a federal issue and we will work with the federal government in whatever moves they make on this front,” she said. “If and when they make changes, we’ll work with them to make sure the changes can be effective in B.C.”
> more @ CTV News
USA - Canada - Canada's newly elected Liberals may legalize marijuana. That could impact US drug policy.
If marijuana were legalized in Canada, it would be a first among developed nations. The policy was a big part of the Liberals' campaign: "We will legalize, regulate, and restrict access to marijuana. Canada's current system of marijuana prohibition does not work. It does not prevent young people from using marijuana and too many Canadians end up with criminal records for possessing small amounts of the drug."
> more @ Vox
HEMP - Legal Hemp Growing, But Not Yet Booming In Vermont.
Vermonters have just harvested their second crop of industrial hemp since the legislature legalized it in 2013. But because of obstacles to cultivating hemp in the state, few farmers have grown the crop.
> more @ VPR.NET
Australia Moves Forward With Medical Marijuana Cultivation for Medical Trials.
Australia is altering its drug laws to allow for the cultivation of marijuana for medicinal and scientific purposes, removing a major hurdle to the establishment of clinical trials of the drug, the government said on Saturday.
> more @ Marijuana Politics
Mexico may be close to legalising marijuana as supreme court discusses allowing it for recreational use.
On 28 October, the supreme court judges will be voting on whether a federal health law which currently prohibits recreational marijuana should be declared unconstitutional.
> more @ City AM
USA - Hardworking Medical Cannabis Activist Serra Frank Re-Fires Up 420 Mommy Blog.
Willie Nelson is hoping the “dark ages are finally behind us” in the mission to get marijuana legalised. The 82-year-old country singing legend has been passionate about decriminalising the drug throughout the United States for years. “I’m more passionate than ever about this cause,” Willie told Billboard magazine. “I was recently encouraged to read about parents travelling to Colorado and Oregon where they could legally obtain marijuana so that, under a doctor’s care, their children’s seizures could be effectively treated. When it comes to pot, the dark ages may finally be behind us.
> more @ The Weed Blog
HEMP - Dutch company invests 5 million Euros in hemp growing and processing in Romania.
Dutch group HempFlax has invested EUR 5 million in hemp growing and processing in Romania, where it opened its first factory in October. The factory is located in Alba county, in central Romania.
> more @ Romania Insider
USA - Canada - Hillary Clinton Says It’s ‘Important’ To Let States Legalize Marijuana.
I really believe it's important that states like Colorado lead the way, so that we can learn what works and what doesn't work. And I would certainly not want the federal government to interfere with the legal decision made by the people of Colorado, and enforced by your elected officials, as to how you should be conducting this business that you have approved. So, no, I want to give you the space and I want other states to learn from you, what works and what doesn't work.
> more @ The Weed Blog
Marijuana not a gateway drug, says addiction psychiatrist.
Dr Kevin Hill said it doesn't mean you're 'doomed' if you smoke weed when you're younger. An addiction psychiatrist has said smoking marijuana does not necessarily cause addiction to other drugs later in life, contradicting the common theory it is a 'gateway drug'. Dr Kevin Hill, a director at McLean psychiatric hospital in Massachusetts and assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard University was answering questions about marijuana on Reddit, when he shared his opinion.
> more @ Independent.co.uk
Willie Nelson: We’re winning the pot war.
Willie Nelson is hoping the “dark ages are finally behind us” in the mission to get marijuana legalised. The 82-year-old country singing legend has been passionate about decriminalising the drug throughout the United States for years. “I’m more passionate than ever about this cause,” Willie told Billboard magazine. “I was recently encouraged to read about parents travelling to Colorado and Oregon where they could legally obtain marijuana so that, under a doctor’s care, their children’s seizures could be effectively treated. When it comes to pot, the dark ages may finally be behind us.
> more @ Music-News.com
HEMP - Heartland Hemp: Gorgeous Fields of Green Dreams.
Photo Gallery. #1 is a crop of industrial hemp in Ontario, Canada is destined for a carpet company where it will be blended with other fibers.
> more @ High Times
Canada - USA - Former Cara CEO enters marijuana sector through Golden Leaf Holdings Ltd.
Don Robinson says he is bringing the “best of big business practice” to just about the last place investors would think to look for it: the marijuana sector. “We’re a marriage of industry experts who don’t have corporate experience with corporate grey-hair adult supervision,” he said of his new company Golden Leaf Holdings Ltd. “That marriage is really critical.” Robinson, 61, has been in the food business for more than 30 years, most recently as chief executive of Toronto-based Cara Operations Ltd.
> more @ Financial Post
USA - Clinton facing pressure on marijuana reform.
Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton is facing pressure from marijuana advocates ahead of the first debate.
> more @ The Hill
Press Release - CITIVA Jamaica, LLC Enters Research Agreement with the University of the West Indies
The University of the West Indies, Mona (UWI) made history this past July by establishing itself as the world's premier institution for the research and development of marijuana and its use in the field of medicine. This was made possible through a partnership with CITIVA, LLC, which is a medical research company specializing in safe and effective cannabinoid products. The goal of the partnership is to identify which combinations of cannabinoids are effective at treating specific diseases and symptoms.
> more @ Digital Journal
HEMP - USA -The Great Kentucky Hemp Experiment.
The Shell Farms & Greenhouses is an expansive 1,000-acre property in Garrard County, 37 miles south of Lexington, Kentucky, and are now home to 3,200 industrial hemp plants. The five-generation family farm is operated by 31-year-old Giles Shell and his 60-year-old father, Gary. The two are whizzes at making ornamental flowers flourish, and like most farmers in the area, the family has grown tobacco for years.
> more @ Newsweek
USA - Music and Marijuana. Amoeba's Flagship Music Store Wants to Trade Its Jazz Section for a Pot Dispensary.
The proposed dispensary will be at Amoeba's flagship location on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley, CA. The plan involves renovating the store's jazz room and turning it into a haven for, ahem, jazz cigarettes. The permit will be handed out this fall, and Amoeba is competing against five other companies who are also seeking to open a dispensary.
> more @ Exclaim.ca
UK - England - Legalising marijuana in the UK 'would raise hundreds of millions'.
Private analysis for the Treasury concludes that regulation could also produce huge savings for the justice system.
> more @ Independent.co.uk
USA - It’s Official: Major Changes are Coming to California Medical Marijuana.
Here are some of the changes you can expect to roll out between now and 2018. A robust system of licensing, tracking, and testing will be put in place. Agencies will be chosen to oversee cultivation, processing, transport, and sale of cannabis products. Cannabis will be categorized as an agricultural good and held to strict standards for production, water, and pesticides.
> more @ Leafly
HEMP - Canada - USA - Manitoba Harvest sales approaching C$100m in 2015 as hemp food market heats up.
This ultra-versatile super seed is finally gaining traction as a food ingredient in the United States, according to the world’s largest hemp foods manufacturer.
> more @ FoodNaviator-usa.com
‘The Mary Kay of MJ’: Startups help Colorado marijuana industry mature.
New marijuana-minded enterprises in Boulder County target health-conscious consumers, even as the marijuana industry seeks the old-fashioned services of accountants and attorneys.
> more @ The Cannabist
Buckingham Palace soil used in Tate exhibit 'could grow marijuana'.
Artist Abraham Cruzvillegas's Empty Lot features 240 wooden planters holding soil from 34 London parks and gardens - but visitors have begun throwing their own seeds onto the plots even before the sculpture officially opens. Asked if visitors might throw the drug's seeds onto the soil, Curator Mark Godfrey said: "As to what grows - you mentioned marijuana - people might throw seeds in. We don't know." Director Chris Dercon said that although throwing seeds will not be actively encouraged, the Tate has accepted that such plants might grow.
> more @ Belfast Telegraph
Do you jog? Scientists say ‘runner’s high’ is like a marijuana buzz.
A new study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences challenges that notion and puts forth a different theory: That "high" could be due to different substance called endocannabinoids. Endocannabinoids can basically be thought of as the body's self-produced marijuana and, like cannabis, can impact a wide range of physiological processes, including appetite, pain, memory and mood.
> more @ The Spec
HEMP - Pennsylvania's House of Representatives Loves Hemp.
In fact, they love it so much that the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee approved the newly-introduced House Bill 967 within minutes of introduction, sending it to the house floor for debate and vote.
> more @ magazine.good.is
USA - Oregon legalizes pot, and America is not shocked.
What if we legalized marijuana and no one really cared? That's the overwhelming feeling I get standing inside Zion Cannabis in downtown Portland as customers buy marijuana from the friendly staff five days after legalized marijuana legislation went into effect Oct. 1. No muss, no fuss.
> more @ USA Today
UK - England - Liberal Democratic Party set up expert panel on Liberal legalisation.
Group including former government adviser and ex-chief constable will consider how a legal market for cannabis could work in Britain.
> more @ The Guardian
Jamaica - Marijuana comes to Negril.
For most of his 67 years, Verald Vassell has preached ganja's medicinal and religious virtues. Until last year, those who listened were largely from his Rastafarian faith. With use of small portions of the weed decriminalised in Jamaica this year, Vassell, popularly known as Ras Iyah, is preparing to host the Cannabis Cup in Westmoreland, his home parish.
> more @ Jamaica Observer
HEMP - Sports Car made of hemp makes Denver stop.
Prototype fashioned from hemp, runs on biofuel.
> more @ Denver Post
Canadian Feds Threaten Medical Marijuana Crackdown.
Vancouver's BC Compassion Club Society and 12 other area cannabis dispensaries are waiting for clarification from Canada's federal government following a threat to call in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)—unless they close their doors. John Conroy, the Compassion Club's attorney, told local News 1130 that he wrote back to Health Canada after they received the threatening letter last month, asking them "to comply with the duty to act fairly that falls upon all administrators when they are going to take action that could adversely affect anyone."
> more @ High Times
Oregon’s First Week of Recreational Pot Sales Brings In More Than $11 Million.
This puts Oregon far ahead of the pace of Colorado, which made $5 million its first week of recreational sales, and Washington, which didn’t make $2 million until four weeks in, the Oregon Retail Cannabis Association told KGW. Oregon made $3.2 million on the first day of sales alone.
> more @ Time Magazine
Medical pot use expanding to pets. Edible marijuana can relieve chronic pain in dogs and cats.
San Diego's first legal medical marijuana dispensary in Otay Mesa recently began selling a liquid form of the drug designed to help pets struggling with arthritis, separation anxiety, nausea, loss of appetite and other problems. “My dog’s been on medication for years and he was always vomiting and dealing with other side effects, so when I saw this I knew I had to try it,” said Sandra Moreland, whose dog Vago has an auto-immune disorder, kidney problems and a torn ACL. “It’s been a miracle. There’s been no more vomiting, a lot less pain and he’s just a happier dog.”
> more @ San Diego Union Tribune
HEMP - Hemp vs Cotton: 3 Reasons Why Cotton is Not King (and Why Hemp Should Be).
Hemp Crops Use Less Water Than Cotton Crops. Hemp Production is More Efficient Than Cotton Production.
The Medical Minute: How marijuana Could Help Solve the Substance Abuse Epidemic.
In a study published last month in Drug and Alcohol Review, researchers found that most patients (of a 473-person sample size) using medical marijuana ditched alcohol and prescription drugs. Over 80 percent reported substituting prescription drugs with cannabis, almost 52 percent used it in place of alcohol, and 32 percent left other illicit drugs for it. Read over these statistics and tell me that this isn’t good news.
> more @ KATU.com
USA - Every Veteran Deserves Legal Access To Medical Marijuana.
A former Navy SEAL makes the case for why the federal ban on medical marijuana needs to be lifted. Nick Etten is the founder of the Veterans Cannabis Project, the leading national organization dedicated to improving U.S. military veterans’ quality of life through access to cannabis for medical purposes. Etten is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a former Navy SEAL.
> more @ TaskAndPurpose.com
The Secret History of Marijuana in Japan.
Today Japan has some of the strictest anti-cannabis laws in the world. Punishment for possession is a maximum 5 years behind bars and illicit growers face 7-year sentences. Annually around 2000 people fall foul of these laws – their names splashed on the nightly news and their careers ruined forever. “Most Japanese people see cannabis as a subculture of Japan but they’re wrong. For thousands of years cannabis has been at the very heart of Japanese culture,” explains Junichi Takayasu, one of the country’s leading experts. According to Takayasu, the earliest traces of cannabis in Japan are seeds and woven fibers discovered in the west of the country dating back to the Jomon Period (10,000 BC – 300 BC).
> more @ GlobalResearch.Ca
HEMP - Uniti, a new electric car prototype designed in Sweden.
The vehicle is a two-seater, with one seat behind the other, and the spacious interior has a distinctly 'sci-fi' feeling. Materials such as hemp and flax fibre biocomposites maintain a premium cachet with an organic nature.
USA - Oregon - Marijuana dispensaries report massive growth following the beginning of recreational sales. One store had $55,000 in sales in one day.
Marijuana dispensaries saw gangbusters business in the first four days of recreational sales. Oregrown, a dispensary and grow company based in Bend, was tops in sales statewide. The shop sold $55,000 worth of marijuana Thursday. Oregon launched its recreational sales Thursday, with some stores opening up at midnight. Brothers Cannabis in Southeast Portland opened up at midnight and says they're serving 600 people a day -- that's about 20 times more than they usually do.
> more @ KATU.com
USA - Georgia-based clinical trials have shown early promise in using cannabis oil to treat epileptic seizures.
Researchers said they won’t know for sure until at least the end of next year what strides they have made in the study of medical marijuana.
> more @ MyAJC.com
USA - Full Text Of The California Control, Regulate, And Tax Cannabis Act Of 2016 (ReformCA)
Many experts consider ReformCA’s marijuana legalization effort to be California’s best shot at legalizing recreational marijuana during the 2016 Election.
> more @ Motley Fool
HEMP - Industrial Hemp To Be Grown In New York State.
New York’s first legal hemp seeds are closer to being sown next spring by universities and local farmers after revised regulations were issued by the State Department of Agriculture and Markets last week.
Canada - Medical marijuana "a life changer".
“A life changer.” That’s how retired veteran Rob Kennedy explains the impact switching from pharmaceuticals to medical marijuana had on his life. n July of this year he retired for medical reasons due to both chronic pain and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a result of his time in service. “I have a lot of injuries from my service, a broken hip, a herniated disc in my back and a lot of severe arthritis,” he explained.
> more @ CommunityPress.Ca
US Attorney General Expresses Support For States’ Rights On Marijuana Policy.
The nation’s top cop thinks states should be allowed to legalize marijuana, but believes the federal government has a role to play in keeping Marijuana away from kids and stopping interstate trafficking in the drug. “I think states have to make those decisions on their own. They listen to their citizens and they take actions,” said Attorney General Loretta Lynch, in an interview with NBC’s Chuck Todd on Thursday. “What we have said and what we continue to say is that states have to also have a system designed to, number one, mitigate violence associated with their marijuana industries. And number two, and perhaps most importantly, keep young people, children away from the products.”
> more @ The Weed Blog
5 Famous Business Leaders Who Support the Legalization of Marijuana.
George Soros. Richard Branson. John Mackey (Whole Foods). Peter Thiel (Paypal). George Zimmer. (Men's Wearhouse).
> more @ Motley Fool
HEMP - Market demand for Canadian hemp exceeding supply.
Canada’s crop this year is expected to measure 100,000 acres, about the same size as last year’s. The majority of the acres have been sold, though, with Shukla estimating 90 per cent have been contracted to five key processors across the country. “There’s no way we can meet market demand at this point in time. We’re always looking for more processors to address that market demand that exists.” According to Shukla the average price for hemp right now is between 65 to 85 cents per pound, which is about the same level as last year.
> more @ canadiancattlement.ca
Marijuana could be ‘exit drug’, not gateway drug: UVic and UBC research
People that started using medical marijuana reported stopping the use of other substances such as prescription drugs, alcohol and illicit drugs, according to a new study.
> more @ MetroNews.Ca
USA - Celebrating My First Legal Marijuana Purchase in Oregon. - Cyd Maurer
Today, along with thousands of others around the state, I purchased legal marijuana in Oregon for the first time ever! If you’re not sure how to react to this, let me just say… YOU SHOULD BE CELEBRATING! Even if you don’t consume cannabis, there are many reasons you should be happy there is now a legal system in place for those who do.
> more @ MarijuanaPolitics.com
Marijuana coming next year to your local pharmacy - in Uruguay.
Marijuana pioneer Uruguay said on Thursday it had granted licenses to two companies to grow the plant for commercial distribution, adding that the pot should go on sale in pharmacies next year.
> more @ Reuters.com
HEMP - Afends Hemp Revolution Official Trailer (2015)
No Evidence To Support Cannabis/Schizophrenia Link.
A brain and mental health researcher is strongly arguing that there is no link between cannabis use and developing schizophrenia.
> more @ PsychiatriyAdvisor.com
Canada - Press Release - Former Toronto Police Chief, Bill Blair, strongly supports Marijuana Legalization for Adult Use.
"The Liberals are the only party proposing a fresh and responsible approach on how we deal with marijuana. Instead of leaving it in the hands of organized crime, we will - in collaboration with the provinces and territories - strictly regulate marijuana the way we do for alcohol," said Mr. Blair. "This will ensure that its sale is controlled, and that teenagers do not have access to it. That's the only way we can ensure the safety of our communities, and lower drug use among young people."
> more @ WireService.Ca
USA - Colorado retail sales.
The stores said that they’ve gone form a range of 100-300 customers a day, to 150-350 per day.
> more @ Forbes
HEMP - Go Hemp Go. 75% of Manitoba hemp crop now harvested.
A cereal crop specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development reports over 75 percent of the province’s 2015 crop has now been harvested.
> more @ MySteinbach.Ca
Canada - Trevor Hancock: The ‘Great War’ on drugs: Time for re-think. Legalize Marijuana.
For a “soft” drug such as marijuana (which I do not use), it is hard to see a reason to treat it differently from alcohol. I have never seen the difference between people smoking a joint after work and people having a beer or glass of wine. In fact, alcohol causes far more health problems than does marijuana. The legalization of marijuana in Washington, Colorado and Uruguay shows it is possible.
> more @ Times Colonist
Canada - Medical marijuana seems to help chronic pain patients, appears to be safe: study.
Medical marijuana appears to be reasonably safe as well as effective in helping to relieve chronic pain — at least in patients who have previously used the drug, a study has found. The benchmark study, conducted at seven pain-management clinics across Canada, found that patients who used medical marijuana to treat chronic pain had a similar level of serious side-effects as those not using the herb.
> more @ Vancouver Sun
USA - How Marijuana Could Help Determine the Outcome of the 2016 Presidential Election.
The 2016 Presidential Election could draw the largest voter turnout this country has ever seen. And it's not because the list of Presidential candidates is exciting and controversial. It's because the huge millennial generation will be voting in this election and social issues, like the use of marijuana, could be at the forefront. Candidates' policies on the still illegal drug could play a major part in determining our country's next commander-in-chief. Expect this millennial youth vote to be especially strong in key swing states like Florida and Nevada, where state marijuana ballot initiatives will be slated for 2016.
> more @ TheStreet.com
USA - Native American tribe to open a Marijuana resort in South Dakota.
HEMP - Laguna blends to do direct selling of their hemp products.
So Stuart Gray, the CEO of Kelowna-based hemp beverage company Laguna Blends, vows to make his direct selling company different.
> more @ Kelowna Daily Courier
Ontario judge strikes down mandatory minimum sentence for pot growing.
An Ontario judge has struck down one of the Conservative government’s signature drug laws – a six-month minimum jail term for growing between six and 200 marijuana plants for the purpose of trafficking. The ruling applies only in Ontario, although it could be influential if similar challenges occur in other provinces.
> more @ Globe and Mail
Canada - The Success And Benefits Of Medical Marijuana. Interview with Dr. Mac Burnham and Alex Repetski.
Alex's his three year old daughter is completely free of seizures since she's started using marijuana oil. Dr. Mac Burnham, Professor of Pharmacology, University of Toronto, co-director of EpLink, the Epilepsy Research Program of the Ontario Brain Institute. Evolving new therapies for treating epilepsy and particularly interested in CBD (Cannabidoil) as a possible new approach to seizure control. Organizing clinical trial for CBD for seizures in adults.
> more @ Abby News
USA - Every minute, someone gets arrested for marijuana possession in the U.S.
The nation's law enforcement agencies are still arresting people for marijuana possession at near record-high rates, according to the latest national data released today by the FBI. In 2014, at least 620,000 people were arrested for simple pot possession -- that's 1,700 people per day, or more than 1 per minute. And that number is an undercount, because a handful of states either don't report arrest numbers to the FBI, or do so only on a limited basis.
> more @ Washington Post
USA - Florida: Man Caught Growing Marijuana for Cancer-Stricken Wife Faces 35 Years in Prison.
HEMP - Understanding the “Hemptourage Effect” and the Diversity of Compounds in Agricultural Hemp.
You may have already heard about the "entourage effect" present in high-THC Cannabis sativa. But did you know that a similar dynamic exists with regards to hemp? Many cannabis consumers and advocates in the industry have been misinformed about the actual composition of some CBD-rich hemp products. This article will clear up a common misconception regarding high-quality, low-THC/high-CBD cannabis extract, also known as agricultural hemp.
> more @ Leafly
I tried recipes from the Cannabis Kitchen Cookbook, then I needed a long nap.
I dined on garlic-herb magic mushrooms, lush weed-infused butter, a decadent pot brownie and a cool glass of green juice to top it all off. If the pot industry is looking to reach the bourgie middle class, this is surely the way to go.
> more @ The Guardian
Canada - Bedrocan and Tweed to start marijuana studies at local clinics.
Bedrocan Canada and Tweed Inc., two companies that produce and distribute medical marijuana, are sponsoring the study into two of their own strains, which can be prescribed by doctors to manage symptoms of a variety of ailments and diseases.The survey aims to enroll some 6,000 patients and track their progress, and medical marijuana’s effects on their lives, over the course of a year. The company is billing the study as “one of the world’s largest studies on the therapeutic effects of medical cannabis.” It will be launched at three clinics, including Greenleaf Medical Clinic in Abbotsford.
> more @ Abby News
UK - England - Ex-police chief to head pro-legalisation National Cannabis Coalition.
Tom Lloyd, who will chair new cannabis law reform umbrella group, says he regrets arresting drug users during his career as a police officer.
> more @ The Guardian
How Well Do You Know the Different Medicinal Marijuana Consumption Methods?
HEMP - The 10 Most Common Misconceptions About Hemp.
If you’ve been keeping up with our Leafly series about hemp, you know that the industrial properties of the cannabis plant are widely misunderstood. In an effort to help set the record straight, here is a breakdown of the top 10 misconceptions we hear about hemp.
> more @ Leafly
Canada - Gwen Repetski’s incredible story of dramatic recovery from intractable epilepsy. Gwen is 3 years old.
When I see the youthful curiosity in the Gwen Repetski’s glistening eyes, I feel a fluttering in my heart along with a sensation of lightness. They make me want to dance. Alex’s daughter Gwen was diagnosed with intractable epilepsy at 3 months old. After 9 traditional therapies were tried, Gwen was still experiencing major seizures as well as consistent sub-clinical seizure activity. Sub-clinical seizure activity occurs without the physical shaking that is commonly recognized, “it’s like your brain is being scrambled”, which was preventing Gwen’s natural development.Gwen hasn’t had a seizure since the second day of her treatment. EEG’s have continued to show no sub-clinical seizure activity. She is currently 80% through the process of weaning herself off of her previous conventional treatment, Valproic Acid (which didn’t offer the seizure control or benefits they have seen with cannabis).
> more @ Lift
No sign of safety risks with longterm medicinal marijuana use for chronic pain.
Researchers at McGill University in Canada found no serious effects from 2.5g/day.
> more @ ArsTechnica.com
Marijuana is on the menu in America - so who will be the Starbucks of marijuana?
The change in US marijuana laws has led to a growing market in food and drink infused with the herb.
> more @ The Guardian
5 Musicians Launching Marijuana Brands
HEMP - Hemp Homes Could Hit New High As Growing Hemp Gets Legal.
Times are changing for the cannabis cousins. States are legalizing marijuana, and the U.S. is easing its ban on growing hemp. Will a hemp boom follow? The Declaration of Independence was drafted on paper made from it. Henry Ford built car parts with it. George Washington grew it. Now, as more farmers are allowed to harvest this multi-purpose plant, hemp might see a new heyday—in homes.
> more @ National Geographic
USA - Taxpayers are paying $60 for every pot plant the DEA destroys in Oregon.
The Drug Enforcement Administration spent $960,000 to destroy marijuana plants in that state in 2014 as part of its "Cannabis Eradication Program," according to a recent report by NBC affiliate KGW in Portland, Ore. That year, the DEA succeeded in removing 16,067 pot plants from Oregon, which at first blush sounds like a lot of weed. But when you do the math, that works out to a cost to taxpayers of $60 per uprooted plant.
> more @ Washington Post
Research - Medical marijuana: Showdown at the cannabis corral.
Researchers are gathering clinical data for medical marijuana against a backdrop of deregulation. Mary Jane Rathbun was beloved among patients with AIDS at San Francisco General Hospital in the late 1980s and early 1990s. As a volunteer, she took them for X-rays, filed their prescriptions — and supplied them with marijuana-laced brownies to alleviate their debilitating pain and wasting symptoms.
> more @ Nature.com
UK - Woman who grew marijuana to help dying husband gets community order.
Jeanette Hurst, 58, produced hemp oil to be used as treatment for her cancer-suffering husband Roy, Burnley crown court hears.
> more @ The Guardian
Why legalizing weed is unlikely to turn your kid into a pothead.
HEMP - Getting creative with greens.
Recipe for a late summer salad of goat cheese, Hemp Seeds, melon, blueberry and spinach.
> more @ Edmonton Journal
Accused in Edmonton marijuana-dispensary raid will fight charges.
The head of a marijuana dispensary raided in July says he hopes the related charges are resolved quickly, but he’s prepared to fight a lengthy court battle. “We’ll go to the Supreme Court if we have to,” Aaron Bott said outside the courthouse Tuesday where a crowd of supporters stood nearby after his first appearance on a trafficking charge. “We’re a little bit confused on why we have to defend ourselves. We’re not criminals.”
> more @ Edmonton Journal
Canada - BC - Nelson mayor on medicinal marijuana dispensaries: ‘We’re in a bit of a bind’.
News of a fourth pot dispensary potentially moving to the downtown core of Nelson — joining three existing locations on Front St. — has spurred high-level dialogue about the controversial facilities, according to Mayor Deb Kozak, and exploratory conversations on the topic of legalization and regulation have already begun.
> more @ Nelson Star
Leaf Is A “Plug N’ Plant” Box To Automatically Grow Pot In Your Home.
Leaf, a TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2015 Battlefield company, is leading the revolution with its automated “Plug N’ Plant” home growing system. Leaf’s device is a 4′ x 2′ box that will fit two plants, which will yield between 4-5 ounces of weed.
> more @ Tech Crunch
Canada - Vancouver to cap medicinal marijuana shops at 20.
HEMP - 6 Reasons Why You Should Eat Hemp Seeds.
Hemp seeds are the seeds of the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa. They are from the same species as cannabis (marijuana). However, hemp seeds contain only trace amounts of THC, the compound that causes the drug-like effects of marijuana. Hemp seeds are exceptionally nutritious and rich in healthy fats, protein and various minerals.
> more @ EcoWatch.com
5 Ways Marijuana Could Be Helping Alzheimer’s Patients.
Today is National Alzheimer’s Day, a day dedicated to the pursuit of medical research that could one day better the lives of millions of people who are affected by this disease. If you’ve been keeping a pulse on medical marijuana studies in recent years, you’re probably already keen to the fact that cannabis compounds are demonstrating some promise in the lab.
> more @ Leafly.com
2015 Canadian Cannabis Awards.
Vote for your favourite medicinal marijuana strain.
> more @ Canadian Cannabis Awards
The Genetic Structure of Marijuana and Hemp.
Despite its cultivation as a source of food, fibre and medicine, and its global status as the most used illicit drug, the genus Cannabis has an inconclusive taxonomic organization and evolutionary history.
> more @ Dal.Ca
Snoop Dogg Has Launched a Marijuana-Lifestyle Media Platform Called Merry Jane.
HEMP - Hemp Protein power-ups for post-school play.
Stave off kids’ hunger until dinnertime with these healthy snack options.
> more @ TheProvince.com
USA - Colorado Is Now Collecting More Tax Revenue From Marijuana Than From Alcohol.
Colorado’s Department of Revenue reports it collected $69.9 million U.S. in marijuana revenue in the year from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015. In that same period, the state collected $41.8 million in alcohol revenue. “It’s crazy how much revenue our state used to flush down the drain by forcing marijuana sales into the underground market,” said Mason Tvert, communications director at the Marijuana Policy Project, in a statement. “It’s even crazier that so many states are still doing it. Tax revenue is just one of many good reasons to replace marijuana prohibition with a system of regulation.”
> more @ HuffingtonPost.Ca
USA - Denver May Allow Pot In Bars And Restaurants.
It's already legal to smoke pot at home in Colorado. Now the Denver City Council is considering allowing use in some public places.
> more @ NPR.ORG
Men's Wearhouse founder, George Zimmer, comes out in favor of pot legalization.
You can count on one hand the number of chief executives of large companies who publicly support the legalization of marijuana. The list goes as follows: John Mackey, co-CEO of Whole Foods Market; Richard Branson of the Virgin Group; billionaire financier George Soros; and Peter Lewis of Progressive Insurance (who was a longtime advocate before passing away in 2013). Now, there's a fifth CEO–George Zimmer, founder of Men's Wearhouse, a company that fired him two years ago. He divulged to CNBC that he's a cannabis aficionado of sorts. "I've been smoking marijuana on a regular basis for about 50 years," Zimmer said to CNBC, before joking, "As you can see, it's really impacted me in a negative way."
> more @ CNBC
Canada - BC - Vancouver police board dismisses pot complaint by Pamela McColl.
HEMP - Press Release - True Leaf Launches Healthy Hemp Chews for Dogs.
They're an innovative line of chews for dogs featuring hemp and other plant-based active ingredients to provide joint, calming and antioxidant support for dogs.
> more @ BayStreet.Ca
Canada - Health Canada threatens 13 medicinal marijuana dispensaries with up to five years in jail and up to a $2 million fine.
Health Canada confirms authenticity of ‘cease and desist’ letters to pot dispensaries. Lawyer Kirk Tousaw, who represents a number of dispensaries, says this is a bully approach from a government that has failed to get the medical marijuana program right.
> more @ cknw.com
Canada - Women Grow : Toronto Launch.
Guest speaker was Mandy McKnight. A well attended event.
> more @ LIveStream.com
Canada - Press Release - CARP and CanniMed announce partnership to educate Canadians about medical cannabis.
CARP, Canada's largest non-profit, non-partisan advocacy association for Canadians As We Age, has announced a new "CARP Recommended" partnership with CanniMed Ltd., an industry leader in providing Canadians with access to a standardized, safe and trusted supply of pharmaceutical-grade cannabis under the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR), governed by Health Canada.
> more @ newswire.ca
USA - Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper Upbeat on Marijuana Legalization.
HEMP - Press Release - CannaVest Sponsors First Graduate Student Concentrating on Hemp Research at University of Kentucky.
CannaVest strongly supports Kentucky's continued efforts to revive hemp agriculture in the United States. The first year graduate student in the University of Kentucky's College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment will receive a full grant to support her research focusing on hemp, the first of its kind for the college.
> more @ StyleCaster.com
Canada - Ontario - Meet the lawyer whose office sits above a grow-op.
How Mark Zekulin landed a sweet gig as in-house lawyer at Tweed, a marijuana distributor.
> more @ Law and Style
UK - England - Parliament will debate legalisation of cannabis on 12 October, 2015.
Parliament is to debate the legalisation of cannabis after a petition received 200,000 signatures.
> more @ Metro.co.uk
‘Let’s Talk Terpenes!’ Hosted By The Oregon Cannabis Association.
Terpenoids: flavor, fragrance, and so much more! The profiles of terpenoids found across the different varieties of cannabis is unmatched by any other genus of plants on earth. Come and learn more about how these diverse profiles contribute to the aesthetics and the effects of cannabis.
> more @ The Weed Blog
Marijuana & Wellness: The Spa Connection.
HEMP - Heal Your Skin With Hemp While Binging This Web Series.
After a long week sitting in an air-conditioned office, your skin (and sanity) could probably use a reboot. But what’s a millennial to do if she doesn’t have time for an hour-long facial and a (many hours long) Netflix binge? Glad you asked. With one moisturizing face treatment and one insanely addictive web series, you can get all of the R&R you need in under 20 minutes. Just add the secret ingredient: THC.
> more @ StyleCaster.com
USA - Oregon marijuana industry targets tourist market.
The recent opening of Simpson's store in Oregon wine country signals the latest evolution in an industry going mainstream. The Portland market is saturated with marijuana dispensaries, prompting a handful of entrepreneurs to set their sights on a different crowd: tourists.
> more @ Oregon Live
Canada - Aurora Appoints Mr. Neil Belot as Chief Brand Officer.
In joining Aurora, Mr. Belot resigned his position as the inaugural Executive Director of the Canadian Medical Cannabis Industry Association ("CMCIA") - the medical cannabis industry's trade association for Licensed Producers ("LPs") under Health Canada's Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations ("MMPR"). In addition to leading CMCIA's advocacy work and lobbying efforts, Mr. Belot also acted as the industry association's primary point of contact for the media, regulators, patient organizations, partners, and other key stakeholders.
> more @ Stockhouse.com
Tweed Marijuana eyes its next big milestone after making first acquisition: Positive cash flow.
Chairman and chief executive Bruce Linton thinks positive cash flow is achievable in the very near future: in early 2016 or possibly sooner. Tweed, based in Smiths Falls, Ont., has about 6,000 customers following its friendly acquisition of Bedrocan Cannabis Corp., which closed last week. Once the company gets to 10,000 to 11,000 patients, it expects to generate positive cash.
> more @ Financial Post
A Thank You To Cannabis Industry Workers From The Weed Blog
HEMP - The buzz about superfoods.
Hemp hearts: The buzz – In appearance, these are roughly similar to sesame seeds except for some green colouring that is bursting with detoxifying chlorophyll content. They taste nutty and pair well with both sweet and savoury foods. Hemp hearts are powerhouses when it comes to essential fatty acids. These healthy fats boost our immune systems, ward off cardiovascular disease and give our brain function a boost.
> more @ CommonGround.Ca
Cathy Jordan, ALS survivor says marijuana saved her, fights to legalize it.
When you pull up to the home of Bob and Cathy Jordan and see a FLCAN sign, you know exactly what they stand for. "We're flat out legalization but regulate," said Bob. Cathy has Lou Gehrig's disease or ALS. It's deadly and there's no known cure. But, she is a 30-year survivor of it. The married couple of 33 years attributes that to marijuana. "It's a horrible disease, I think it's the worst disease out there," Bob said. "She goes 10 days without cannabis, at the most 10 days, her twitching comes back, she starts drooling."
> more @ wtsp.com
USA - Colorado raises $150 million from marijuana. Will more states legalize?
Colorado has collected so much marijuana tax revenue that a state law may return some of it to the public.
> more @ CS Monitor
Pot has gone mainstream in the U.S.
The culture around marijuana is changing for recreational use.
> more @ Times Union
MediPen: We tried out the UK’s first legal marijuana vaporiser.
HEMP - Could hemp milk be the next superfood?
"Nutritionally hemp milk is very high in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and is a high-protein milk that contains the full spectrum of amino acids," says Paul Benhaim, who founded the NSW-based Hemp Foods Australia in 2000. "Hemp milk is non-dairy so suitable for vegans and people with allergies."
> more @ Goodfood.com.au
Canada - Q&A with Dr. Dave Hepburn, B.C. doctor going on medical marijuana speaking tour.
Victoria GP aims to challenge some of the stigma around medical marijuana. Medical marijuana can be an effective medication when it is properly prescribed. That's the message a B.C. doctor will be giving his fellow physicians on a cross-country speaking tour this month.
> more @ cbc.ca
Epileptic girl challenges Mexico medical marijuana ban.
Just eight years old, Graciela could become Mexico's first authorized consumer of medical marijuana to alleviate the hundreds of epileptic seizures that strike her small frame every day.
> more @ Digital Journal
Legal Marijuana Could Be The First Billion-Dollar Industry Led By Women.
More women are cultivating cannabis careers than ever before. As a matter of fact the emerging commercial cannabis industry isn’t just hurriedly accumulating women as it blossoms—it could actually be led by women. Newsweek recently ran a cover story about the trend. Women are moving into the pot business so quickly that they could make it the first billion-dollar industry that isn’t dominated by men, the mag predicts.
> more @ The Weed Blog
Tuatara Capital Raises $26M to Invest in Marijuana Companies.
HEMP - 5 must-have healthy foods for a college student's grocery list.
Whether you’re on your own for the first time or an old pro at dorm life, it can be challenging to eat well on a budget and in a hurry when you are going to university. Good Quality Protein Powder. Awesome for quick on the go breakfasts or a protein boost. Use in smoothies to make them more filling or add a scoop to oatmeal. Tip: Look for a protein powder with few ingredients without added sugars. I love Manitoba Harvest’s hemp protein line or Omega’s pumpkin seed for their minimal processing and cheaper price tag.
> more @ Van City Buzz
USA - Washington State - Grandma Built A Legal Pot Shop -- Now She Wants To Sell It.
82-year-old Florence Childs has chosen to work with another kind of plant. In 2014 she won the license for, and created the Top Shelf recreational marijuana store near Spokane Washington.
> more @ Forbes
Guess Where You Can Medically Expense Your Medicinal Marijuana Purchases?
Canada!
O Canada. Patients who purchase medical cannabis from licensed producers under the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR) are eligible to expense their purchases under the Income Tax Act.
The Canada Revenue Agency weighed in, saying:
"...The Canada Revenue Agency will not disallow eligible medical expenses claimed for the purchase of medical marihuana allowable under these new regulations."
> more @ Leafly
USA - Oregon - Cannabis Classic Golf Tournament.
The Oregon Cannabis Classic raises money for the Oregon Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society and gives those in the cannabis community and industry to network and have fun.
> more @ Marijuana Politics.com
The Green Rush: Finding Tech Business Opportunities Within The Marijuana Sector.
HEMP - Press Release - For Pets :Peak Pharmaceuticals Launches Six New Canna-Pet(R) Advanced Formula Products.
The company has launched several new products on its website which include both capsules and biscuit treats made with a new Advanced Formula of hemp cannabinoids, including CBD.
> more
Canada - Tweed Marijuana’s growing pains will soon subside, says M Partners.
“We have established the clear market leader and are driving the evolution of the cannabis sector in Canada,” said Tweed CEO Bruce Linton. “The acquisition of Bedrocan is the first step, and we intend to continue to take the initiative, growing our portfolio of brands, expanding clinical research on cannabis, adding new products and services, and introducing additional innovations for patients and consumers.”
> more @ CanTechLetter.com
Canada - Canada - Hydropothecary company gets OK to produce medical marijuana oil.
It can’t sell the oil yet. For now, the company can only do research and produce oil, but it hopes to get permission to sell it through a series of approvals that Health Canada requires.
> more @ Ottawa Citizen
USA - California - Telehealth aims to boost medical marijuana.
Thousands of new patients, including many in the Central Valley, are reportedly accessing medical marijuana through California’s Telehealth Advancement Act. The emerging trend capitalizes on a new law that allows patients, without ever leaving the house, to “see” a doctor, obtain a prescription and have cannabis delivered right to their front door.
> more @ The Business Journal
USA - Denver cracking down on pesticide use in marijuana products.
HEMP - Can Hemp Join Corn And Wheat As Everyday Crops? CSU Researchers Are On It.
Hemp-based foods have taken off, same with body care products that use the plant's oil. Some of its lesser known compounds could be used as medicine. But there’s little scientific research published about hemp because of decades of prohibition, which is why CSU got involved, McKay says.
> more @ Kunc.Org
Canada - Ontario - Barrie medical marijuana businesa featured on William Shatner tv show.
Simcoe Holistic Health has announced it will be featured on a TV series about medical marijuana. Clinic director Justin Whitehall will appear on the Planet TV medical review show, hosted by William Shatner. He’ll talk about a young medicinal marijuana patient who has successfully used the product to reduce his daily seizures.
> more @ Simcoe.com
Canada - Ontario - Medical marijuana clinic to open in Kitchener.
A specialized medical marijuana clinic is coming to Kitchener and is set to open at Glasgow Street in September. The new clinic will be operated by Canadian Cannabis Clinic, a medical office with doctors that specialize in assessing patients who may benefit from medical marijuana use.
> more @ cbc.ca
USA - Medicinal - Which States are Expanding Their Qualifying Conditions?
The Leafly Legalization Roundup.
> more @ Leafly
Israel - Marijuana Study: Full-Spectrum Marijuana Extracts More Medically Effective than CBD Alone.
HEMP - Canada - Ontario - Farm and food tours a part of Peterborough's first Local Food Month.
Lisa Dixon, owner of Black Honey in Peterborough, is one of many business owners in Peterborough making an effort to use local ingredients in the products she offers her customers, which includes her ‘Localicious’ squares made from locally-sourced red fife wheat, hemp hearts and honey.
> more @ MyKawartha.com
George Zimmer of Men's Wearhouse To Keynote At The Cannabis World Congress And Business Expo In Los Angeles.
You may recognize the name George Zimmer from his commercials for his company, Men’s Wearhouse. He ends every commercial with, ‘You will love the way you look, I guarantee it.’ As a renowned business leader, and one of the early pioneers of Conscious Capitalism’s stakeholder model, Mr. Zimmer started what would become the largest men’s tailored clothing company in America.
> more @ The Weed Blog
USA - Conference looks at business opportunities if marijuana legalized.
As Ohioans prepare for a Nov. 3 vote on legalizing marijuana, budding entrepreneurs are looking at whether they could earn a living from it.
> more @ Dispatch.com
Canada - BC - Vancouver starts reviewing 176 applications for medicinal marijuana shops.
Applicants will find out within two months if they need to close, or can proceed to next step. The city introduced zoning and business licence regulations in June and gave applicants until Aug. 21 to apply for the new licences. Sixty-nine of the applicants could be licensed as compassion clubs, while the rest applied as retail businesses.
> more @ cbc.ca
9 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Raising Money in the Marijuana Industry.
HEMP - USA - 1 of Oregon's first hemp farmers says startup slow due to lack of seed.
One of Oregon's first hemp farmers says a lack of seed is making it tough to get going. Josephine County Commissioner Cheryl Walker says that fertile seed is expensive and hard to come by, because the federal government prohibits imports. Harvesting machinery is expensive, and there is no plant in Oregon to process the plants into fiber, seed and oil.
> more @ Winnipeg Free Press
USA - From Alabama to California: Family moves to obtain medical marijuana for daughter with epilepsy.
Aubrie Hill, 20, grew up in Huntsville but moved to California earlier this month to have legal access to medical marijuana to help treat her epilepsy.
> more @ Al.com
Canada - Ontario - Clearview couple putting a new twist on agriculture with Agripharm medical marijuana facility.
Peter and Naomi Miller are blazing a new trail in agriculture. The entrepreneurs founded and operate Agripharm, a facility to grow medical marijuana. It was purchased by Mettrum Health Corp. in June 2014 and received a licence from Health Canada in December. Now the couple wants to build an electricity-generating bio-gas plant using farm animal manure as a separate business on the 100-acre property. The Miller family has been in the agricultural business in the Cashtown Corners area since the 1850s.
> more @ the enterprise bulletin
Scientists fear legalization will lead to GMO marijuana.
A team of researchers at Phylos Bioscience launched the Cannabis Evolution Project last year in an effort to map the genetic structure of marijuana, effectively protecting the biodiversity of cannabis from corporate interests, such as Monsanto, which might be tempted to capitalize on legal weed by securing exclusive patents on select strains. For years it has been rumored that Monsanto, a multinational agrochemical corporation, was developing genetically modified cannabis in advance of federal legalization.
> more @ Business Insider
Marijuana Does Not Affect Brain Volume, Study Finds.
HEMP - USA - Oregon - After Conflict With Outdoor Marijuana Growers, Hemp Licenses Suspended by the Oregon Department of Agriculture.
The pause is essentially a win for Southern Oregon medical marijuana growers, who asked the Legislature last session to instill buffer zones and other regulations to ensure hemp and marijuana plants don’t cross-pollinate with potentially ruinous effects for both plants.
> more @ Marijuana Politics
By significant margins, Republican voters in the early primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire say that states should be able to carry out their own marijuana laws without federal interference. Sixty-four percent of GOP voters in Iowa say that states should be able to carry out their own laws vs. only 21 percent who say that the federal government should arrest and prosecute people who are following state marijuana laws.
> more @ Washington Post
Marijuana.Ca comment : The harms and dangers of The Prohibition are becoming much more controversial than the concept and implementation of Legalization for Adult Use. The Marijuana Prohibition continues to collapse in the United States and Canada. Still lots more work to do. Remain vigilant.
Canada - Ontario - Undercover Cop buys $260 worth of marijuana, one person goes to jail, another forced into house arrest.
On June 19, 2014, the officer purchased 1/4 ounce of marijuana for $60, federal prosecutor Roland Aube said. A couple of months later on Aug. 27, the officer returned to the residence, where he bought 1/2 ounce of marijuana for $120 and 1/4 ounce of cannabis resin for $80. That same day, the drug unit executed a search warrant at the couple's home and charged the pair with numerous offences.
> more @ Soo Today
Canada - Barbara Yaffe: Vancouver needs a tax regime for marijuana sales.
Political squabbling has obscured pot’s potential fiscal contribution. Dana Larsen believes taxation oversight will eventually come, now that municipal bylaws to regulate the dispensaries have been put in place.
> more @ Vancouver Sun
USA - Pioneer Pot States Have Collected More Than $200 Million In Marijuana Taxes.
"It turns out government can be pretty good at this." And the total haul for both states is several million higher if all additional revenue from marijuana -- such as sales taxes, jurisdictional taxes, fees and licensing costs -- is included. Colorado also funded about $8 million in marijuana research using revenue generated from various marijuana fees, putting it towards eight different studies investigating the medical promise of cannabis.
> more @ Huffington Post
HEMP - Canada - Eco-friendly couture collection.
Most of the designers show everyday-wear made from eco friendly materials like hemp.
> more @ Castlegar News
The NDP says they'll decriminalize ("immediately") for small amounts, but won't commit to legalizing marijuana if elected. When asked about doobies during his VanCity whistle stop, Mulcair didn’t bring up the NDP report, but Toronto candidates assure me it’s party policy. Mulcair would only promise to immediately decriminalize pot for “personal use,” which could still mean issuing tickets to tokers.
> more @ Now Magazine - Matt Mernagh
Marijuana.Ca comment : Mr. Mulcair and the NDP need to immediately clarify what they mean by decriminalization.
The minimum standard for decriminalization would be the right for Adults to possess/consume a certain amount, share with other adults, and have the right to grow a number of plants (say, 10 plants) in our homes or on our property. Anything less than that is NOT decriminalization. The sooner the NDP and Tom Mulcair clarify their position, the better it is for all Canadians. A majority of Canadians support Legalization for Adult Use.
Canada - Five tips for growing and selling marijuana like a pro – from a university instructor in Canada.
Tegan Adams, the developer, behind a Canadian university’s online course for prospective marijuana professionals offers key advice for success in the newly legal business. Vancouver based Kwantlen Polytechnic University's new 14-week online course will sculpt aspiring dealers into professionals in a robust – and newly legal – field.
> more @ The Guardian
Press Release - Ross' Gold Rolls Out Redesigned Online Store to Meet Accelerated Demand.
Ross' Gold™ today announced that it has rolled out a redesigned www.rossgoldglass.com as the Ross' Gold Glass™ line gains traction through increased usage.
> more
Canada - More concerns raised over Saskatoon medicinal marijuana dispensary.
Advocate says marijuana sold at dispensaries lacks testing, oversight.Fred Glawischnig said patients who rely on compassion clubs or dispensaries need to take a closer look at what they're ingesting. Quality control questioned. "They have no quality control or quality assurance regulations," said Glawischnig. "There's no oversight, there's no testing and there's no recall procedure."
> more @ cbc.ca
HEMP - All You Need to Know About Hemp Seeds.
Many people are constantly on the lookout for meat-free ways to up their protein intake. If you're one of them, hemp seeds could be the answer you've been searching for.
> more @ tv3.ie
Speaking in Belleville, Ont., on Monday, Trudeau said that if elected, the Liberals will re-establish lifelong pensions, as well as increase the value of the disability award. The disability award is a tax-free sum of money that is given to injured members of the Canadian Forces or veterans. The Liberals will also re-open nine regional Veterans Affairs offices that were closed under the Harper government, he said.
Chris Dupee is the president of the Ontario chapter of Marijuana for Trauma, an organization that offers medical cannabis consulting services to veterans. While he welcomed Trudeau’s announcement, he told CTV’s Power Play it’s unfortunate that it took an election campaign to bring the policy to the forefront.
> more @ CTV News
Canada - Bedrocan, medical marijuana grower obtains final Health Canada approvals, now fully-licensed.
Company can produce well in excess of 3,000 kilograms yearly with approval.
> more @ CanadianManufacturing.com
Medical pot offers hope for autistic children.
Estimates show that autism rates have risen in every report since tracking began in 2002, from 1 in 150 in 2002 to 1 in 68 in 2010. There is not a cure, however, new studies show, autism can be treated. Some 800 pages of research along with 75 peer review articles on cannabis as a viable option for the treatment of autism were recently gathered by Dr. Christian Bogner, a prominent pediatrician currently in practice with one of Metro Detroit’s largest health systems, and presented to LARA, the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.
> more @ DetroitNews.com
Growth In Women-Related Marijuana Business Groups.
The number of women entrepreneurs in the marijuana industry is on the rise. So too are the number of groups being created to provide these business leaders with resources and networking opportunities.
> more @ AssociationsNow.com
HEMP - 8 of the healthiest oils to incorporate into our diet.
Hemp oil is one of them.
> more @ Hello Magazine
The Conservatives remain staunch in their stance against marijuana, the NDP are talking about decriminalizing it, while the Liberals are all for legalizing pot and taxing it. According to a new poll by Ipsos, 65 per cent of Canadians would support a move to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana. Associate economics professor Jason Childs said the system we have is not working.
> more @ GlobalNews.Ca
Marijuana.Ca comment: Legalize and Regulate Marijuana for Adult Use. Use a model similar to what we have for beer and wine.
Canada - B.C. Parents Want Critically Ill Baby To Be Treated With Marijuana Oil.
Arnold and her husband Justin Pierce are both 21 and suffer from epilepsy, for which they take cannabis oil. They are seeking a court order to gain more control over medical decisions in the care of their baby. The couple wants doctors to resume treating her with cannabis oil — even though a lawyer for B.C. Women's Hospital said it might have worsened her symptoms. Mary Jane Pierce was born premature at 25 weeks and has been in hospital ever since with serious health problems including brain bleeding, cerebral palsy and severe seizures.
> more @ HuffingtonPost.Ca
USA - First Medical Marijuana Dispensary In Las Vegas To Open today.
A lot of marijuana industry members have had their eyes on Las Vegas for a long time. Medical marijuana dispensaries are set to open all over Nevada in the near future, and all of them will be able to sell to tourists from other states that are valid medical marijuana patients in their home states. Considering how many tourists visit Las Vegas, it could become the medical marijuana sales capital of the world fairly quickly.
> more @ The Weed Blog
Medical marijuana boosts natural pest control business.
Chemical sprays barred by government regulations, shunned by some producers.
> more @ CTV News
HEMP - Henry Ford Designed a Car made of Hemp: More Fuel Efficient, More Durable: It Disappeared.
Henry Ford was an innovator ahead of his time. By 1941, Ford had been working on ways to invent more fuel efficient and durable vehicles that could operate with alternative fuel sources. He came up with a hemp-bodied prototype automobile, which he foresaw running on alcohol generated from agricultural products such as Hemp.
> more @ Washington Times
The poll question: "Do you agree or disagree marijuana should be legal in Canada?
> more @ Hill Times
Marijuana.Ca comment: The clarity of the wording of this kind of question is important.
For example, if the same people had been asked:
Should Marijuana be regulated for Adult use, similar to how we regulate beer and wine?
We speculate that the Yes results would be higher than 53 percent.
Canada - Conservative - “I don’t think you want to stigmatize or criminalize people for youthful indiscretions,” said current Conservative MP and Government Whip John Duncan.
He said he hasn’t given the topic a lot of thought, but “The fact is for users, marijuana has largely been decriminalized,” and that his “government’s position on marijuana is actually striking a very good balance.”
> more @ PQB News
Marijuana.Ca comment : Conservative MP John Duncan's position is quite opposite to Stephen Harper's position. Mr. Harper's position is Not striking a very good balance at all.
Canada - Thomas Mulcair says an NDP government would move to decriminalize marijuana "immediately".
“The NDP’s position is decriminalization the minute we form government,” he told reporters at an August 20 campaign stop in Vancouver. “It is something that we can do right away.” “The NDP has had the same position for about 40 years,” he said. “Decriminalizing marijuana is the position of the NDP, it is my position, and it is something that we can do immediately.
> more @ Georgia Straight
Marijuana.Ca comment : Mr. Mulclair and the NDP should immediately clarify what they mean by decriminalization, as some people think that still ticketing people is a form of decriminalization. The minimum standard for decriminalization would be the right for Adults to possess/consume, share with other adults, and have the right to grow a number of plants in our homes or on our property. The sooner the NDP clarifies their position, the better it is for all Canadians.
Canada - Winnipeg - Court battle over medical marijuana dispensary gets underway.
Glenn Price made his first court appearance Thursday, fighting charges of drug trafficking and possession and a small crowd was on hand to show its support. Colleen Carlson bought marijuana from Price's store. She lives with arthritis and got a prescription to use medical marijuana. "I went on this for one month—I was able to reduce my Tylenol intake by one-third. Now I'm out. He's closed down. I am now sentenced to live in pain," said Carlson.
> more @ CTV News
HEMP - National conference in Kentucky to explore future of hemp.
A nonprofit association that advocates for hemp growers is hosting an annual conference with a keynote address by Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer. The Hemp Industries Association organized the three-day conference, which begins on Sept. 27. Its members are hemp businesses and farmers. It’s the first time the conference will be held in Kentucky.
> more @ Washington Times
Ipsos found 65 per cent of Canadians (29 per cent strongly/36 per cent somewhat) support the decriminalization of marijuana so that possession of small amounts would no longer carry a penalty or fine. Conversely, 35 per cent of people oppose (18 per cent strongly/17 per cent somewhat) decriminalization.
> more @ GlobalNews.Ca
Marijuana.Ca comment: 65% support is very significant, and way beyond the tipping point. The Marijuana Prohibition in Canada is a terrible and dysfunctional policy that causes significant harm to Canadians, and wastes an enormous amount of tax dollars. Regulating it for Adult Use is the best way to move forward on this issue.
Trudeau gets it. Harper and Mulcair don't. Your vote matters. The election will be October 19th, 2015.
Canada - Justin Trudeau: Liberal government would look at overturning convictions for marijuana crimes.
At an August 19 campaign stop in Vancouver, prime ministerial hopeful Justin Trudeau reiterated a campaign promise to legalize cannabis for recreational purposes. He then went one step further, adding that after a Liberal government is elected and has reversed laws that criminalize marijuana, it will begin discussing what should happen with people who have been charged for transgressions that the country no longer considers criminal. “That’s something that we’ll be looking into as we move forward,” he said, answering a question from the Georgia Straight. “There has been many situations over history when laws come in that overturn previous convictions and there will be a process for that that we will set up in a responsible way.”
> more @ The Georgia Straight
Canada - "It's like somebody driving a screwdriver into your back between the vertebra, and then just twisting it," Keith Mullin - Canadian Veteran.
Canadian Veteran, Keith Mullin, endures major delay for marijuana prescription. Veteran Affairs rejected his doctor's prescription renewal for three months.
Keith Mullin was injured in 1984 while serving aboard HMCS Saguenay. He fell four metres onto a wooden crate, bending his spine backwards and damaging vertebrae. Since the incident, Mullin has had chronic neck, back and leg pain. Each opiate and pain medication he was prescribed had side effects. In 2005, doctors prescribed him medical marijuana and Mullin has been taking it ever since. Mullin said on five separate occasions, his doctor faxed a description of his injuries to Veterans Affairs Canada. Each time, Mullin said the government rejected the form, didn't acknowledge its receipt or requested another response. "They spent three months running me around in a circle," he said. Mullin and his ex-wife Terra McMullin-Mullin contacted CBC after she became concerned about his well-being.
> more @ cbc.ca
Women in Weed: How Legal Marijuana Could Be the First Billion-Dollar Industry Not Dominated by Men.
It seems fitting that a plant called Mary Jane could smash the patriarchy. After all, only female marijuana flowers produce cannabinoids like the potent THC chemical that gets users buzzed. Pot farmers strive to keep all their crops female through flowering female clones of one plant, called the Mother. And women are moving into the pot business so quickly that they could make it the first billion-dollar industry that isn’t dominated by men.
HEMP - Country of Cyprus poise to Legalize Hemp.
Bill to legalise industrial hemp expected to have cabinet approval.
> more @ Cyprus-Mail.com
"There's a mix of dispensaries in Vancouver, the early ones are all medical-only, some newer ones are selling to all adults. But the city's new bylaws are going to mean all dispensaries can sell to all adults, so it's going to be an Amsterdam-style model here soon.
(Dana Larsen posted this in the comment section of the CBC article at the link below.)
> more @ cbc.ca
USA - Colorado marijuana tax revenues are up nearly 100 percent.
New numbers confirm what many of us already know: Colorado's pot industry is growing like a… well, you know. Tax revenues from marijuana are up nearly 100 percent.
> more @ The Denver Channnel
Breakenridge: Let's admit that the war on drugs has been a failure.
A similar dearth of evidence exists around the government’s approach to marijuana. While one federal leader seems to have come to grips with the failure of prohibition, Harper remains completely oblivious to it. He claimed last week that a majority of Canadians in fact support his position on pot, though several recent surveys on the matter would disagree. Harper made claims about how legalization would lead to greater availability and reduced health outcomes, claims that were thoroughly debunked in a report that was coincidentally released last week by the Toronto-based International Centre for Science in Drug Policy.
> more @ Calgary Herald
Want to Keep Marijuana Away From Teenagers? Regulate it.
As a budtender, or cannabis salesperson in a state-legal dispensary (Colorado), I was responsible for abiding by all the regulatory rules set out by government, including clear legal age restrictions. One of the most important parts of my job was to make sure that people under the age of 21 didn't have access to cannabis. I did this by checking photo ID at multiple points in a single customer transaction. I was the gatekeeper to legal cannabis access. The biggest irony is that there is no gatekeeper in the illegal drug market.
HEMP - America’s First Hemp House Pulls CO2 From the Air.
This beautiful eco-friendly home only costs $133 per square foot to build.
> more @ Alternet.Org
In the wake of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s commitment earlier this week to strengthen Canada’s anti-drug strategy after the election, a handful of local candidates weighed in on the subject that is creating buzz across the country. Chris Bittle, the St. Catharines Liberal candidate, believes the government’s existing cannabis policies have been a “complete failure,” with drug use remaining too high, particularly among teens.
> more @ Welland Tribune
Marijuana.Ca comment: The upcoming election in Canada could end the Marijuana Prohibition. This is a big deal. Your vote matters.
Women’s Health: Introduction To Cannabis And Endometriosis.
Two years ago, TWB published a story I wrote on strains that have been known to help women manage chronic pain stemming from PMS/PMDD. After a panicked trip to the emergency room revealed a potentially life-threating ectopic pregnancy; my right ovary had grown to the size of softball to boot. Since 2014, I have been working on my own recovery while translating my pain and experiences into cannabis advocacy that specifically addresses women’s health issues such as: endometriosis, fibromyalgia, menopause and PMDD.
> more @ The Weed Blog
USA - Marijuana tourism industry gets creative.
Clark County marijuana growers, retail shops turn to tourism, increasing presence at community events to attract customers to their products and facilities.
> more @ Columbian
USA - Why Montana Is Going Backward on Medical Marijuana.
The industry has been crippled by state legislators and a determined grass-roots opposition. And a state Supreme Court decision coming as early as October could all but wipe it out.
> more @ NBC News
HEMP - Vancouver Island farmer hails hemp as demand grows. Blake Hunter.
A Vancouver Island farmer is mounting a new effort to promote growing industrial hemp as demand for the products made from the crop increases. Area farmers are expressing interest in growing hemp, said Blake Hunter of Good Seed Hemp Co. Inc., which sells hemp hearts, oils and protein powder.
> more @ Times Colonist
Voters will decide this November whether the state will legalize marijuana use for both medicinal and recreational purpose. Ohio may become the first state in the Midwest to legalize marijuana use.
> more @ CS Monitor
Marijuana.Ca comment: If Ohio Legalizes Marijuana for Adult Use this November, it will add even more momentum towards Legalization for Adult Use in Canada and the USA. Ohio borders Ontario, Canada (via Lake Erie). More than a third of Canadians live in Ontario. Toronto and Ottawa are in Ontario. The Marijuana Prohibition continues to fall apart.
This election, let's have a real debate about legalizing marijuana.
So the real debate is whether we should decriminalize or legalize pot. My sense is that legalization is the best approach, if accompanied by appropriate regulation and taxation policies. Decriminalization stops making users into criminals, but it won't stop harms associated with organized crime. Moreover, it presumes that usage is a negative. Having a drink after work and having a toke should be treated the same in the eyes of the law. So the case for legalization is that it shines daylight on an activity for which there is already widespread civil disobedience; it cuts organized crime out of the picture; could drive new innovations in health; creates new centres of economic activity; and provides revenues to governments, while reducing or reallocating public expenditures arising from criminality.
> more @ Rabble.Ca
USA - The Dangerous Drug War - The Price Of Pot Prohibition: A Dead Teenager, A Violated Woman, And An Imprisoned Grandfather. - Jacob Sullum
On Wednesday night the Justice Department announced that it will look into the death of 19-year-old Zachary Hammond, who was shot and killed by a police officer outside a Hardee’s in Seneca, South Carolina, on July 26. At the time, Hammond was on a first date with 23-year-old Toni Morton, who according to police had been lured to the restaurant’s parking lot by an undercover officer posing as a marijuana buyer. After the shooting she was charged with possessing 10 grams of pot—about a third of an ounce.
> more @ Forbes
Marijuana Strain Review: Afghani Kush at Magnolia Road Cannabis Co.
Afghani Kush is a naturally growing indica from the Hindu Kush mountains and a founding father in the strain world. Sometimes referred to as a landrace because of its pure effects and genetics, Afghani Kush has an innate dankness that hits a warm spot in the heart of anyone looking to get sedated. When I opened the bottle, smells of berries and firewood jumped out, with a little tinge of hash lingering behind. Pinching one of the bright-green buds released even more pungent and sweet, earthy scents, and my fingers became sticky with ’Ghani resin.
> more @ Westword.com
HEMP - press release. Ross' Gold(TM) Hemp Planted Under Pilot Program for Upcoming Global Sales Through Licensing Partner Canna Products USA.
Once the hemp is harvested and processed, it will be combined with natural terpenes and essential oils for various applications. The proprietary blend of natural terpenes are infused with industrial hemp oil to give the health enthusiast the full spectrum of cannabinoids found in medicinal cannabis but without the side effect of THC and feeling euphoric.
> more
Conservative Canadian politicians continue to feed myths such as the legalization of marijuana in Colorado has led to a spike in teen use and that a clear link has been established between cannabis use and mental illness, says an international network of drug policy scientists and academics.
> more @ Globe and Mail
USA - Marijuana legalization on Ohio ballot for November 2015. Ohio is on the Canadian/Ontario border. Bingo.
Ohio voters will have the chance to decide this fall whether marijuana should be legalized for medicinal and recreational use, the state’s elections chief determined Wednesday. Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted said ResponsibleOhio’s legalization proposal met the state’s signature requirements to qualify for the Nov. 3 ballot.
> more @ The Cannabist
Girl with seizure disorder receives medical marijuana.
Erin and Wes Cleveland have fought hard to get cannabis oil for their 2-year-old daughter. Their work is paying off; Lainey is becoming more like her old self, even smiling and laughing.
> more @ 11 Alive
USA - The Next 11 States to Legalize Marijuana.
To identify the next states to legalize marijuana, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed states where possession of small amounts of marijuana is not punishable by jail and also where medical marijuana is currently legal based on data from The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP).
> more @ 247 Wall St
HEMP - press release. HempAmericana Announces "Mama Coca" Hemp-Based Energy Drink.
Mama Coca, is an all natural hemp-based 8-hour energy drink. It is expected to be available in stores by the end of 2015. Initial flavors will be tropical fruit and mango.
> more
Being a woman in the cannabis industry, I have been questioned many times on how I would approach any future children about my cannabis use, and I’ve also had conversations with many women about how they explain marijuana use to their own kids. This is a very important topic these days, as we strive to eradicate the “Reefer Madness” approach to marijuana education, and create a more factual dialogue.
> more @ The Weed Blog
USA - Coloradans May Soon be Allowed to Smoke Marijuana on Patios at Bars.
Patrons would have to bring their own weed and comply with clean-air laws. That means the marijuana would have to be edible, or if smoked, consumed on an outside patio shielded from public view.
> more @ Marijuana Politics
A Marijuana startup wants you to choose your own high.
What if you could choose exactly the type of high you felt when you smoked a joint or ate a pot brownie? Scientists at the cannabis company Ebbu are creating marijuana extracts to conjure up the kind of mood you’d like to feel. They want consumers to experience one of their five branded feelings: giggle, create, energy, chill, and bliss.
> more @ Fusion.Net
Canada - Marijuana activists protest dispensary regulations outside Vancouver City Hall.
'We're protesting the bad side of the regulations,' says Neil Magnuson. Robert Moore, one of the protesters, says the city's high permit cost of $30,000 will force the closure of dozens of dispensaries that have been open for years.
> more @ cbc.ca
HEMP - The World’s First Hemp Airplane.
The dream of Derek Kesek, CEO and Founder of Hempearth Group Ltd., is to create a more progressive society where everyone can live in a culture of abundance. His approach has him creating some of the first hemp products to ever exist in their category.
> more @ cashinbis.com
"My prediction, barring unforeseen events; A conservative minority will likely lead to a ticketing scheme for personal possession, while a somewhat divided opposition hopefully leverages enough capital to begin crafting reasonable ‘recreational/adult’ distribution, managed much like alcohol currently is. The unknowns at this point are home production, taxation and how commercial production and distribution will be managed." - David Brown - Lift Cannabis
> more @ Lift Cannabis
Canada - More marijuana dispensaries are sure to pop up in Winnipeg, so let’s just regulate them already.
Why is it that residents of one Canadian city (Vancouver) can sell medical marijuana from startup dispensaries and residents of another cannot? How can patients in Winnipeg be required to buy from one of the 25 producers licensed by Health Canada, and patients in Vancouver can visit one of roughly 100 dispensaries? Only Ross Eadie, councillor for Mynarski Ward, and St. Vital councillor Brian Mayes staked out a position on the issue. Both believe Winnipeg should regulate medical marijuana dispensaries in a similar way to Vancouver, not ban them. Of course the city should regulate them.
> more @ Metro News
Canada - Q & A with Pam Goldsmith-Jones. Federal Liberal candidate talks about LNG, Marijuana and your vote.
Q: Medical marijuana dispensaries have been an issue here for Squamish since the RCMP ordered our local storefront marijuana dispensary to stop offering the drug. Where do you stand on this?
A: We believe in a science-based approach. We believe in protecting our children, and stripping organized crime of their wealth and power, and choice, and control by government health agencies. I am not an expert, but what I do know is that abdicating leadership on the part of this government is not helping. Ignoring the question is not helping, letting local communities flounder around without a common shared understanding and shared standard is not helping, and so I am much more inclined to want to dive into the problem to work together with communities toward a safe, healthy and also current thinking around what helps people and what keeps communities’ quality of life enhanced.
> more @ Squamish Chief
Canadian Federal Election 2015: Federal candidates discuss marijuana plans.
Don Johnston, the Kootenay-Columbia Liberal candidate, agrees with Trudeau’s plans (to Legalize and Regulate Marijuana for adult use). He said that, whatever happens, something needs to be done quickly about the way marijuana is handled in this country. NDP candidate Wayne Stetski is also in favour of decriminalizing marijuana, though his approach to changing policy around the drug is far less aggressive than Johnston’s. Stetski said he is not in support of legalizing the drug at the federal level until it is clear what effects such a policy would have. Kootenay-Columbia Conservative MP David Wilks has been a strong advocate for the continued criminalization of marijuana since being elected in 2011.
> more @ Invermere Valley Echo
HEMP - Press Release - Natural Organic Clothing: Absolutely Irresistible New Arrivals from Caclo Creations.
Organic clothes are getting rapidly popular in view of the benefits involved. Very popular amongst people who are into yoga, Caclo creations brings a whole new range of natural organic clothing made of bamboo, soy and hemp.
> Caclo Website
Health Canada’s decision to allow licensed producers to produce and sell cannabis oil, fresh marijuana buds and leaves, and dried marijuana could speed the acceptance of cannabis with doctors, says M Partners analyst Daniel Pearlstein.
> more @ cantech letter
Marijuana: Silicon Valley’s hot new sector.
California has the biggest medical marijuana market in the US. Ahead of a referendum that could see recreational use legalised, start-ups are proliferating and investment is pouring in.
> more @ Financial Times
Canada - Medicinal Marijuana Doctors - CMAJ - Medical Journal
Doctors can become subspecialists in fields such as cardiology, gynecology or neurology, but what about cannabinoidology? Just over a year after new federal regulations made physicians the gatekeepers for prescribing access to medical marijuana, a handful are focusing on cannabis as a therapeutic agent and carving out a new subspecialty.
> more @ CMAJ.ca
Did William Shakespeare smoke marijuana? Scientist claims the Bard blazed marijuana using a bong.
William Shakespeare sought inspiration by smoking weed in the sort of pipe commonly referred to as a "bong", a South African scientist has claimed. In a paper published in the South African Journal of Science last month, Francis Thackeray suggested the playwright used cannabis as a "stimulant which had mind-stimulating properties".
> more @ mirror.co.uk
CanniMed® oil 18:0 - containing 18.3 mg/ml THC and 0.2 mg/ml CBD
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"We are very proud to be among the first licensed producers to receive the go ahead from Health Canada to manufacture CanniMed oils for our patients," said Brent Zettl, President and CEO of Prairie Plant Systems Inc. and CanniMed Ltd. "Patient requests for oils have been significant with as many as 67 per cent responding to an informal survey suggesting they would prefer this delivery method over smoking or vaporizing."
CanniMed® oil will be packaged in 60 ml bottles and include an oral syringe for consistent dosing and as a spill prevention.
HEMP - A skateboarder's field of dreams? Professional riders hit a half pipe in the middle of Australia's biggest hemp crop.
A bunch of skaters have built a half pipe surrounded by a field of hemp. The team at Afends, an alternative fashion brand out of Byron Bay in northern NSW, headed inland from Toowoomba and produced a video to promote their move to making hemp products.
> more
Legalization makes the most sense. Legalization allows for good control and for taxation of a recreational substance, moving it into storefronts and out of the realm of organized criminals. Neither pot nor booze should be used by the young, the pregnant or when operating dangerous machinery or motor vehicles — that’s where government public-health campaigns, statutes and sanctions are most useful.
> more @ Winnipeg Free Press
HBO's John Oliver Slams the Drug War on the Regular.
USA - A Nevada Family Sees the Positive Impacts of Medical Marijuana on Their Child.
Tyler Richard, a 14 year old from Nevada, spent the first 13 years of his life dealing with symptoms from his autism and epilepsy. Going through thousands of seizures every week, some of which were small and some led to his mother, Toni Richard, having to personally give him CPR before calling 911. The dozen medications that he was prescribed were unable to control the negative effects his illnesses had on him. “The first night we tried it (medical marijuana) he slept through the night.” With the help of cannabis oil, Tyler has slept much better, has fewer outbursts and is doing better in school.
> more @ whaxy.com
USA - The Marijuana Industry: A Hotspot For Women Entrepreneurs.
Jazmin Hupp thinks its long past time for women to lead an industry. The one she has in mind happens to be the fastest-growing in the county—the marijuana industry. The opportunity is big. Marijuana is now legal, to varying degrees, in about half of states. Legal sales totaled about $2.7 billion last year, up from $1.5 billion the previous year, and are projected to reach 10.8 billion by 2019, according to the ArcView Group, an investment and research firm covering the industry.
> more @ Forbes
HEMP - Philadelphia - Give hemp a chance: Local eco-friendly movement is budding.
More than 8,000 people packed the Festival Pier late last month for the 4th Annual Hemp Heals Music Festival. The sold-out show featured musical performances by Sublime, Matisyahu and other heavy hitters, but the real crux of the event was to bring attention to the benefits and myriad uses of a plant called hemp.
> more
Chronic marijuana in the teenage years does not cause depression, psychotic symptoms, asthma or any other conditions thought of associated to it, a recent study revealed. Even the researchers were surprised with the results. "What we found was a little surprising," Dr. Jordan Bechtold, a psychology research fellow at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, revealed in a press statement. "There were no differences in any of the mental or physical health outcomes that we measured regardless of the amount or frequency of marijuana used during adolescence," he continued.
> more @ Science Times
United Kingdom - Why Doris puts marijuana in her sandwiches.
Doris, 73, who lives in Goosnargh, has suffered from rheumatoid arthritis for many years and says the crippling pain and swelling has been making her life a misery. Doris says she has tried a multitude of medications over the years, but nothing brought her relief for any period of time. As Doris abhors smoking, she uses cannabis in her food - and says it works wonders for her arthritic pain.
> more @ Lep.co.uk
Canada - Winnipeg police arrest owner and patient at medical marijuana dispensary.
Winnipeg police warned owner to stop selling marijuana citing Health Canada pressure.
> more @ cbc.ca
Canada - Educational Seminar Set for Atlantic Region Truck Fleets.
Part of this will be the seminar “Medical Marijuana and the Workplace”, presented by Dr. Barry Kurtzer, a physician with more than 30 years of experience providing occupational health programs to employers.
> more @ Todays Trucking
HEMP - Press Release - HempLife Today to Offer Its Proprietary CannazALL Hemp Oils Extracted Exclusively From Non-Industrial Purpose Grown Hemp Plants.
Public demand for (non-psychoactive) phyto-cannabinoids rich in CBD (Cannabidiol) has exploded since their health benefits were dramatized publically on shows like the very popular CNN documentaries hosted by Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Hemp is the obvious choice for this purpose as oil extracted from hemp does contain high quantities of (non-psychoactive) phyto-cannabinoids.
> more
Mulcair has many political assets. He's smart, tough-minded, and an outstanding debater. But he's also, on occasion, shown a degree of caution that might cause some anti-Harper voters to question how he might govern. Unlike Trudeau, Mulcair has not shown nearly as much eagerness to end the war on drugs by legalizing and regulating marijuana. Unlike Trudeau, Mulcair also hasn't declared that he'll cut off payments of the child-care benefit to rich parents and make this allowance tax-free. There's something endearing about Trudeau's willingness to take political risks.
> more @ Georgia Straight
Health Canada to monitor online marijuana ads.
Health Minister Rona Ambrose says she ordered a more proactive approach to enforcement due to the rise of illegal online and storefront marijuana dispensaries. Marijuana advocate Jodie Emery said the government's opposition to advertising marijuana was based on "an ideological...rather than a scientifically health-based approach." She said the strict ban on advertising did a disservice to Canadians who wish to inform themselves. "Many patients, especially seniors in Canada's aging population need information about marijuana and medical marijuana," she told The Canadian Press. "It prevents the ability of Canadians to get information that they are interested in and require."
> more @ The Star
USA - Iowa Family Fights To Get Their Daughter Access To Marijuana Oil. Shelby gets daily seizures.
An Everly, Iowa family is braving all odds to get cannabis oil in to the state for their daughter, Shelby.
> more @ Siouxland Matters
As Pot Legalizes, This Investor Wants to Build Its Open Market.
Invest In Cannabis vies to have a piece of each aspect of the coming legal pot market, but facilitating the market itself seems like the safest bet.
> more @ Observer.com
HEMP - Press Release - Stevia Corp. Launches Its Online Store at www.RealhempStore.com Featuring Realhemp(TM) Branded Food and Skincare Product Lines.
The Realhemp™ food line features organic, all natural hulled hemp seeds and protein powder. Realhemp™ Hulled Hemp Seeds are extremely versatile nutritious seeds that can be added to countless dishes providing substantial nutritional benefits. Realhemp™ Protein Powder is a complete protein providing all 9 essential amino acids that is easy to digest with high amounts of insoluble fiber and no additives.
> more
Maclean’s is your destination for the 2015 election. Start with our in-depth primers on the 12 big issues, including marijuana.
> more @ Macleans
USA - For one family, medical marijuana has been life-changing.
A year ago it was hard to even count how many seizures Tyler Richard would have in one day. Diagnosed with autism and epilepsy, Tyler, now 14, was on a dozen different medications. "The first night we tried it ('medicinal marijuana) he slept through the night," she said. Since then, her son sleeps. He has fewer outbursts and is more alert.
> more @ RGJ.com
Sungrown Marijuana. Three Bottom Lines Are Better than One: Getting to Know Sungrown Marijuana.
“Frankly, it was the DEA’s sudden crackdown on outdoor production that drove all the suppliers to go indoors,” says Founder and Owner of Forever Flowering, Jonathan Valdman. In 2006, Valdman started the first greenhouse producer to specialize in utilizing light deprivation techniques for budding marijuana plants in the United States. “I mean, before the 80’s,” Valdman continues, “all weed was sungrown.”
> more @ ReadTextbook.com
USA - Groups team up to give free medicinal marijuana to veterans.
Grow4Vets has been handing out cannabis to military veterans for a year in Colorado.
> more @ KMOV
HEMP - Minnesota joins hemp crop push.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A once-banished crop could soon sprout legally again in select Minnesota farm fields: hemp plants that lead to oils, lotions, seeds, rope fibers and other industrial uses.
> more @ Agrinews-pubs.com
Brian Emerson, a medical consultant with the provincial Health Ministry since 2003, told Vancouver Coastal Health’s top doctor and the Provincial Health Officer that British Columbia could apply for a special exemption to federal drug laws, allowing it to move ahead on its own.
As Vancouver struggled to regulate its explosion of marijuana dispensaries, top provincial health officials considered how they could legalize the recreational use of the drug across British Columbia. In a series of e-mails released through a Freedom of Information request, the health officials acknowledged there would likely be little progress toward legalization while the staunchly anti-drug Conservatives hold power in Ottawa, instead suggesting such a radical change would likely come about only if the Liberals win the fall election.
> more @ Globe & Mail
Canada - Dr. David Hepburn is on a mission to change how family doctors view medical marijuana.
For the past year and a half, David Hepburn has been travelling Canada, educating his fellow family doctors on why and when to prescribe medical marijuana. Speaking at conferences, sometimes sponsored by the commercial growers licensed by Health Canada, Dr. Hepburn runs through the history of cannabis prohibition and the research that has been done on the plant. He says he is trying to change the minds of a medical establishment loath to endorse a drug that has vast amounts of anecdotal evidence, but scant clinical trials, to support its use. He said cannabis can be a suitable medicine for patients suffering migraines, nerve-related pain, neurodegenerative conditions, such as MS, and symptoms such as insomnia or anxiety.
> more @ Globe & Mail
USA - Advocacy Group Launches The Truth About Medical Marijuana Educational Series.
This morning Americans for Safe Access (ASA) launched the Truth About Medical Marijuana educational website and accompanying event series. The Truth About Medical Marijuana will focus on emerging issues in the area of medical marijuana, including understanding the research behind the medicine, emerging policies issues surrounding cannabidiol (CBD) and consumer safety issues.
> more @ The Weed Blog
Congress's Summer Fling With Marijuana. How Congress turned on the DEA and embraced weed.
It’s not easy being the DEA these days. After an unprecedented losing streak on Capitol Hill, the once-untouchable Drug Enforcement Administration suffered last week what might be considered the ultimate indignity: A Senate panel, for the first time, voted in favor of legal, recreational marijuana. Last Thursday, the Appropriations Committee voted 16-14 on an amendment to allow marijuana businesses access to federal banking services, a landmark shift that will help states like Colorado, where pot is legal, fully integrate marijuana into their economies. As significant as the vote was—according to drug policy reform advocates, it marked the first time that either house of Congress has voted to advance legislation concerning legal marijuana—it’s only the latest vote in a remarkable run of success marijuana advocates have had this year on Capitol Hill.
> more @ Politico.com
HEMP - Growers pin success on alternative crops.
Of all the unique crops he’s tried, Chris has had the most success with hemp.
> more @ producer.com
An Edmonton mother is worried about the health of her severely-disabled son after police raided a local medical marijuana dispensary last week. Katie Ann Lepine's 15-year-old son Christopher suffers from spina bifida, cerebral palsy, epilepsy and a heart condition.
> more @ cbc.ca
Luxury Marijuana Tourism: Here's Your Guide.
TravelTHC is operating in only two markets right now, and for good reason. It's a company designed specifically to connect people with marijuana-friendly vacation properties. And there are only a handful of states to date, where marijuana has been legalized. As marijuana legalization expands, of course, there will be ample room for growth.
> more @ The Street
USA - Maine veteran aims to make medical marijuana an option for treating injured veterans.
Chronic pain, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder are just a few of the health issues facing many veterans who return home from serving our country.
> more @ WGME
United Kingdom - 5 men convicted of using beautiful gorgeous lovely awesome majestic stylish stately home to run cannabis farm. (Photo at link below.)
The men A gang used a Grade II stately home in a quiet Cumbrian village to cultivate a £5 million cannabis farm have been found guilty of conspiracy to supply the drug.
> more @ Telegraph.co.uk
HEMP - Hemp vs. Marijuana: Why Growing Hemp Should Not Be Restricted Like Pot.
Researchers find genetic difference between hemp and marijuana.
> more @ Medical Daily
Neil speaks about the CMCIA and his personal experience (the 3 minute mark) with medicinal marijuana and his illness. @ the Lift forum in Toronto.
> CMCIA website
B.C. cannabis pastor refuses city’s demand to tear down cannabis church.
Mr. Douglas, who refers to himself as Pastor Robin in a series of YouTube videos explaining his doctrine, says his church views marijuana as a sacrament and that its members should be able to enjoy the drug as part of their constitutional right to practice their religion. He said there are about nine other pastors and that his church supports 11 cancer patients by providing them free marijuana donated by friends running illegal farms.
> more @ Globe & Mail
USA - Oregon To Begin Recreational Marijuana Sales Early, Starts October 1, 2015, a year earlier than expected.
"If marijuana is legal to use, it shouldn’t be illegal to buy."
> more @ Huffington Post
Canada - Press Release - Bedrocan Receives Health Canada Approval to Sell Domestically Produced Medical Cannabis.
Health Canada Also Approves 8 More Growing Rooms.
> more
HEMP - What is Hemp's Current Status in the United States?
After a century of prohibition, hemp is once again taking root in American soil. With the passing of the 2014 federal farm bill (section 7606), farmers in states with industrial hemp legislation are allowed to grow and harvest hemp in conjunction with their state departments of agriculture for research through pilot programs.
> more @ Leafly
It's early days, but a Hibbing couple are ecstatic about their daughter's initial response to treatment with medical marijuana. "We gave her her first dose on Friday morning," Angie Weaver said on Monday about 9-year-old daughter Amelia. "She had a seizure-free day."
> more @ Duluth News Tribune
United Kingdom - Marijuana Legalization legislation petition has more than 100,000 signatures, which will force a debate in parliament.
Polling shows legalizing pot has more than 50 percent approval in Michigan.
> more @ Alternet.Org
Canada - Clients upset after police raid Edmonton medicinal marijuana dispensary.
“Shutting down a Rexall pharmacy… why would they do that? And to me, this is no different. This was my pharmacy to go to,” said Ryan Wolff, a medicinal marijuana user. Wolff uses prescribed marijuana to deal with chronic pain.
> more @ Global News
USA - Poll - The majority of New Hampshire voters, including most independents, favor the legalization of recreational marijuana and decriminalization of pot.
The early voting state is one of the most important for presidential candidates. So marijuana advocates hope the findings will encourage White House hopefuls to embrace their cause.
> more @ The Hill
Hemp - UK - Three arrested after Facebook group raid cannabis field – only to find it is hemp.
Large numbers of trespassers descended on the West Sussex field after the erroneous post, which mistakenly said the crop was the psychoactive cannabis plant.
> more @ The Independent
Canadians who have been prescribed medical marijuana could one day see their insurance company footing the bill, experts predict, following the introduction of new Health Canada rules that allow for the sale of cannabis oils.
> more @ Globe & Mail
USA. Marijuana legalization appears to be a lock for Michigan's 2016 ballot.
Polling shows legalizing pot has more than 50 percent approval in Michigan.
> more @ Click On Detroit
Marijuana.Ca comment: Michigan is a border state with Canada. We are witnessing the collapse of the Marijuana Prohibition in the USA and Canada.
Israel - Medical marijuana to be available at pharmacies with prescription, deputy minister says.
Deputy Health Minister Ya'akov Litzman announced on Monday that medicinal marijuana will now be available in pharmacies, a decision that will result in more doctors being allowed to prescribe the drug.
> more @ Jpost
USA - Vermont - Word of mouth drives this medical marijuana business.
Since Shayne Lynn opened his first medical marijuana dispensary in June 2013, demand for products has eclipsed his five-year business plan. The executive director of Champlain Valley Dispensary and Southern Vermont Wellness is opening a 28,000-square-foot cultivation and research center in Milton that will double capacity for the number of patients the two dispensaries can serve. “After two years, we are basically in our fifth-year business plan,” Lynn says. “That was the impetus here. I didn’t want to get constrained again.”
> more @ Burlington Free Press
Hemp - Historic Hawaii hemp harvest buoys hopes.
University of Hawaii researchers celebrate first harvest of hemp plants.
> more @ KITV
“Our current approach isn’t working. We need the federal government to regulate it, control it, and work with provincial partners and regulators to organize dispensaries.” - Justin Trudeau, Liberal Leader
> more @ cjob.com
Inhaled Marijuana Promising for Painful Diabetic Neuropathy.
Inhaled cannabis can blunt the pain of diabetic neuropathy without seriously impairing cognitive function, a new study shows. "The higher the dose, the more the pain relief," first author Mark Wallace, MD, told Medscape Medical News. "There was, however, a dose-dependent increase in euphoria."
> more @ medscape (signup may be required)
USA - Senate Appropriations Committee Allows Marijuana Legalization to Move Forward in Washington D.C.!
If the bill becomes law, D.C. could finally regulate marijuana – setting time and place restrictions, requiring proper labeling and content control, establishing age restrictions, and taxing marijuana and using the proceeds for treatment, education, and rebuilding communities devastated by the failed war on drugs.
> more @ DrugPolicy.Org
5 Promising Marijuana Studies That Explore How Cannabinoids Interact with the Human Body.
1. Your Endocannabinoid System Could Impact Your Metabolic Health.
2. Different Cannabis Compounds May Affect CB1 Receptors Differently.
3. CBD May Have Anti-Psychotic Properties.
4. CBD Could Also Prove Beneficial for Various Neurodegenerative Disorders.
5. CBG May Minimize Muscle Loss from Various Diseases.
Hemp - Press Release - Voila Natural Adds New Hemp Lotion To Their Product Line And Explains The Benefits Of Hemp Seed Oil For Dry Irritated Skin.
Voila Natural, a natural health and beauty company based in Colfax, North Carolina, has recently announced the launch of their newest product, Hemp Hand and Body Lotion. The all-natural formula is designed to nourish and revitalize dry skin with organic plant oils including argan oil and marula oil, plus the added health and beauty benefits of organic Hemp Seed Oil.
> more
Trudeau is the only supporter of Marijuana Legalization who has a chance to become the next prime minister.
It’s been 92 years since marijuana was made illegal, so why don’t we say we gave prohibition a fair shot and try something else? This October, marijuana prohibition will be a federal election issue for the first time since 1923, when the substance was first outlawed. The onus is on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to make the case for extending prohibition into year 93 and beyond.
A clear majority of Canadians want this experiment in social engineering to come to an end. As with any policy that defies the will of the people, the government of the day has a moral obligation to explain why it refuses to bend to the wishes of its citizens.
For those who are soft supporters of legalization but think it’s a relatively trivial issue in the scheme of things — think again. Prohibition has enormous social costs and is also prohibitively expensive to administer. Whatever your views on marijuana, prohibition is unsustainable in the year 2015.
Sean O’Malley is a volunteer for the NORML Canada Election Project.
> more @ National Post
Marijuana.Ca comment : We strongly support NORML Canada's efforts to Legalize Marijuana for Adult Use.
Trudeau and the Liberals have an intelligent and reasonable approach to the marijuana issue. We strongly urge Mulcair and the NDP to stop dragging their feet on this issue, and come out in support of Legalization and Regulation for Adult Use.
Click here > for NORML Canada's 2015 Election Project on their website.
USA - Nearly half of United States has tried marijuana: Poll.
Forty-four percent of Americans say they have tried marijuana, according to a new Gallup poll. The American research-based consulting company, which is best known for its opinion polls, says this is the highest percentage to admit to having tried the soft drug since it first started asking the question in 1969 — when only 4 percent said they had sampled it.
> more @ yahoo.com
Medical Marijuana Users Believe Drug's Effectiveness Is Greater Than Other Treatments.
Even if some experts believe more research on the effectiveness of medical cannabis is needed, users undergoing the controversial treatment believe it works – at least for certain conditions. A little more than 75% of users said they use medical cannabis because other treatments aren’t as effective or cause too many side effects, or both, according to the results of a survey conducted by PatientsLikeMe. The patient-powered search network didn’t ask participants any further questions about past treatments.
> more @ Forbes
Neil Young tells Howard Stern his secret cure for high paranoia. Black Pepper.
“I do it every once in a while,” Young told Stern on the Oct. 14 show. “Just a little tiny bit.” It turns out Stern no longer gets high — and he hasn’t for years because he often gets too paranoid. And that’s when Young piped in with some advice for Stern, and others, in those uncomfortable moments of being too high. “Try black pepper balls if you get paranoid,” Young told Stern. “Just chew two or three pieces. I just found this out myself. Try it.”
> more @ The Cannabist
Hemp - Pot pasta: Italian food fest in London features hemp oil-infused cannabis fare.
Farmers from southern Italy presenting their wares at a London food festival this week say their hemp pasta, oil and bread won’t get you high, but do provide a healthy, tasty alternative to the traditional, wheat variety. “Hemp food is truly organic,” said Marzio Ilario Fiore, 30, whose farm in the Molise region produces hemp oil and flour. “Hemp requires no pesticides, no fertilizers, and only moderate amounts of water.”
> more @ Japan Times
Police throughout England and Wales are being urged to end the blanket criminal prosecution of all cannabis growers by a north-east police commissioner who says his force is already by-passing Home Office guidelines on cultivating the banned drug and no longer targets small-scale production.
> more @ Independent.co.uk
Marijuana.Ca comment : This is very significant. Another sign pointing to the collapse of the Marijuana Prohibition. It is more than reasonable to expect that citizens should be allowed to grow some marijuana plants in their own homes. The Canadian laws that criminalize or jail citizens for growing this plant need to be changed immediately. Welcome to the 21st century.
Canada - Non-Patients Now Eligible for Exemptions to Possession and Trafficking Laws.
"… a peculiar provision inserted into the amendment enabling non-patients, or ‘persons providing assistance’, to claim an exemption from possession and trafficking laws to the extent necessary to provide assistance to a patient, if the marijuana was obtained by the patient. “person providing assistance” means a person who is providing assistance in the administration of marihuana or a product described in the applicable paragraph (c) of the “Scope of Exemption” section below to a client or an out-patient of a hospital."
> more @ Lift Cannabis
Canada - Winnipeg - Medicinal Marijuana shop re-opens doors despite police warning.
The owner of a medical pot shop in Winnipeg is back open for business. Your Medical Cannabis Headquarters on Main Street was busy serving customers on Tuesday. Owner Glenn Price stopped selling product last week after he says Winnipeg police warned him they would shut him down.
> more @ CTV news
Canada - Winnipeg - Editorial : Even cops don't seem to care much about pot.
There is no better evidence of the change in attitudes about marijuana than the forbearance demonstrated by the Winnipeg Police Service in connection with a man who is openly selling pot from a storefront operation. Like the failed abortion prosecutions of the early 1980s, police and the Crown may find juries and judges are loathe to jail citizens who are dispensing marijuana to people with a doctor’s prescription, particularly when the evidence would show Ottawa is incompetent and obstructionist in carrying out the task.
"It’s time to change the law and end this persecution of pot users."
> more @ Winnipeg Free Press
Hemp - Press Release : True Leaf Medicine is Conducting Trial Runs in Preparation of Fall Launch of Hemp-based Pet Chews.
True Leaf Medicine has begun trial runs for its hemp-based pet chews in preparation for a fall launch to the specialty natural pet product industry. The company is entering the $60 billion pet industry with a line of hemp focused pet chews and supplements marketed through natural pet health and veterinary channels in Canada and the US.
> more
'It's a beautiful plant,' says neighbour.
> more @ cbc.ca
USA - Get Gourmet Marijuana Delivered.
Love getting high but hate the hassle? Wonder why your marijuana can’t be as organically grown and ethically sourced as the rest of your groceries? Fear not, Potbox is here for you. Potbox is a premium medical marijuana subscription service that will deliver ethically grown weed from farm to door. Each delivery includes a set of (beautifully packaged) essentials: two quarter-ounce strains of cannabis, two freshly rolled joints, and everything you’ve ever wanted to know about your weed: from lab results that include THC and CBD levels, to details on exactly where the leaves were grown.
> more @ PSFK
Canada - Sacramental use: Church of the Holy Smoke seeks a reprieve from White Rock council.
Council has maintained that Church of the Holy Smoke founder Robin Douglas contravened provincial building regulations and failed to obtain building permits when he erected tents at 14737 Marine Drive.
> more @ Georgia Straight
Canada - Press Release - Aphria Inc. Announces R&D and Oil Extraction Build Out and Preliminary 4th Quarter Operational Highlights.
Aphria is pleased to announce board approval for the Company to build out a Research & Development laboratory and related advanced equipment technology at its growing facility in Leamington, Ontario. "The industry has opened a new chapter after Health Canada's recent announcement allowing for the extraction and sale of cannabis oils. This expansion will provide Aphria with the opportunity to diversify into marijuana oil extracts and compete in this emerging segment of the market," stated CEO Vic Neufeld. The expansion, budgeted at $1.7 million, is in addition to the previously announced two-phase greenhouse expansion and remains subject to Health Canada approval.
> more
Hemp - The majority leader of the United States Senate is a huge fan of industrial hemp.
Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, is so hopeful about the economic benefits the plant can bring to his home state that he inserted a provision in a large agriculture bill now being considered by the Senate that would protect hemp farmers from federal interference.
> more @ marijuana.com
Marijuana could be used in medicinal form to speed up the healing of broken bones, according to a new study. Researchers found that the non-psychotropic element in cannabis - the element that does not lead to the user experiencing a high - known as cannabidiol (CBD), significantly sped up the healing process for fractured leg bones in rats after eight weeks.
> more @ Newsweek
USA - Not your Grandma’s cookies: Winterlife Cannabis breaks into edibles.
Winterlife Cannabis began as a not-so-legal marijuana delivery service. Now, owner Evan Cox hopes his fledgling edibles business will lend legitimacy to Washington’s recreational cannabis industry.
> more @ Seattle Times
Canada - National Post View: Veiled political messaging behind latest anti-pot ads.
All the more unpalatably, the Health Canada ads have landed just weeks before the writ. With the advent of fixed election dates, the pre-writ period has taken on new importance as political parties, activist groups, and yes, incumbent governments launch multi-million dollar advertising blitzes before the regular campaign spending limits kick in.
> more @ National Post
Canada - Winnipeg - "Smoke-in" planned for police HQ to support Glenn Price.
A “smoke-in” in support of Winnipeg’s only medical marijuana dispensary, Your Medical Marijuana Headquarters, is planned to take place just outside Winnipeg police headquarters Monday morning.
> more @ Winnipeg Sun
Hemp - Hempcrete is the newest green building material.
Add hemp fiber to lime and you get a lightweight building material that can be shaped like a cinder block. When fully cured, it floats in water. Buildings up to 10 stories tall have been built from hempcrete in Europe according to Philly.com.
> more @ Green Building Elements
"I found an abundance of scientific research available that showed the therapeutic benefits of cannabis not only for epilepsy but also as a viable treatment option for specific cancers, chronic pain and strong research results specifically with brain tumours, as well as a host of other conditions. After reading this information we immediately commenced the medical cannabis treatment. Within seven weeks of starting the cannabis treatment we witnessed my son's brain tumor reduce by almost half of its original diagnosed size. My son not only experienced positive benefits of a reduction in the tumor size but also found it to be an effective treatment for controlling his epilepsy and the management of his chronic pain and frequent nausea that he suffered from the lesion. When we are in the US we have the complete support of a team of doctors who hold a wealth of knowledge and experience in the use of cannabis and cannabinoids as a frontline treatment option."
> more @ The Chronicle
Canada - Australian family pins health hopes on medicinal marijuana in Victoria, BC.
Bobby Fulton is a cannabis-oil evangelist. The Australian woman uprooted her family two weeks ago to spend the summer in Victoria so her two daughters suffering a rare degenerative lung disease could get a steady, legal supply of the drug. After her elder daughter collapsed last October from toxic levels of the steroids, the family tried cannabis oil. Within two weeks, Tabetha’s heart had returned to its normal size and a month after consuming cannabis oil on a daily basis she needed oxygen only at night, her mother said.
> more @ Globe & Mail
USA - Denver’s ABC affiliate will run its first pot ad next week, pre-Jimmy Kimmel.
Is this the first time a pot product has been advertised on TV? The station’s vice president said it will follow the state’s strict cannabis advertising laws. “KMGH has agreed to accept ads from legal cannabis businesses,” said Brad Remington, the station’s vice president and general manager. “The first of these TV ads will probably air within the next week. We have set some strict guidelines on when these ads can run and the content of the ads. Ads for recreational use, for example, cannot air until after 10 p.m. and cannot show people using the product. We will also accept ads from legal businesses on The Denver Channel, with restrictions.”
> more @ The Cannabist
USA - Marijuana legalization in California: Leading group moves to place initiative on 2016 ballot.
Proponents of a proposed ballot measure aimed at making California the fifth state to legalize pot for recreational use are a few weeks away from kicking off their November 2016 campaign, supporters said Thursday. During a conference call with reporters, Sky Jones said she thinks it will take up to $14 million to run a successful campaign.
> more @ Mercury News
Hemp - Hemp, hemp hooray: Ballot time.
Since 2013, I have been affiliated with a group of citizens working to place on the statewide ballot the California Cannabis Hemp Initiative, or CCHI as we call it (www.cchi2016.org ). - by Scott Kender
> more @ Times Standard
The marijuana vote is real, and it's spectacular, according to an exclusive poll provided to VICE News. Forum Research contacted Canadians across the country to ask if they would be more like to cast a ballot for a pro-legalization candidate. For more than half of Canadians polled, the answer is: yes. The results are surprising not because Canadians are pro-legalization—previous opinion surveys have pegged support for legalizing or decriminalizing at roughly two-thirds—but the poll shows that people actually see it as an election issue.
> more @ Vice - Justin Ling
Winnipeg medical marijuana dispensary owner refuses to be shut down.
Glenn Price says police asked him to stop selling medicinal marijuana on Tuesday.
> more @ cbc.ca
Canada’s Changing Medical Marijuana Landscape Creating Opportunities, Headwinds for Businesses.
Canada’s medical marijuana industry is undergoing a sizable shift on several fronts, creating both opportunities and difficulties for business owners. A ruling by the country’s top court has opened the door for the sale of cannabis oils, giving licensed producers a new avenue to serve patients, boost revenues and expand the market. “What you’re seeing is the growth of a nascent industry,” Michael Lickver said. “There’s increased competition, and the number of patients are increasing, but not very quickly, so it’s a small pie for 25 people to eat. There’s going to be more consolidation — there’s no way to avoid that. It’s a textbook life cycle for any industry.”
> more @ MJBiz Daily
USA - Press Release - MaryJane Group Announces Grand Opening of Hotel San Ayre by Bud+Breakfast.
Hotel San Ayre today officially re-opens as a Bud+Breakfast™ property, owned and operated by The MaryJane Group, Inc. (OTCQB: MJMJ). Joining the company’s two existing Bud+Breakfast locations in the Denver area, Hotel San Ayre is poised to offer guests seeking a cannabis-themed vacation even more opportunities for education and enjoyment.
> more
Hemp - Kanèsis Looks to Bring Hemp Filament to Market for 3D Printing Hemp Drones & Much More.
For two Italian men, named Giovanni Milazzo (23) and Antonio Caruso (27), they are looking to bring this naturally grown product into the 3D printing space in quite an interesting way: via 3D printer filament. That’s right, they are looking to sell hemp as a feedstock for 3D printing products through their company, Kanèsis.
> more @ 3DPrint.com
I don't smoke marijuana, but I recently visited Colorado and decided to check out a marijuana dispensary. Colorado's tourism industry has been skyrocketing, and many claim it's due to January 2014's legalization of the possession and sale of cannabis. Whether that's true or not, dispensaries are estimated to have brought in $295 million in sales as well as $51 million in tax revenue in 2014.
> more @ Business Insider - Sophie-Claire Hoeller
When Marijuana Is The Cure: A Doctor's Case for Medical Marijuana.
A year and a half ago, Dr. David Casarett did not take medical marijuana very seriously. "When I first started this project, I really thought of medical marijuana as a joke," he tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross. But then the palliative care specialist began to look seriously into the issue, and his mind began to change: "I've come to realize there really are medical benefits to medical marijuana. ... For many of the patients I spoke with, medical marijuana is not a joke. It's not funny. It's a treatment that they've come to rely on."
> more @ NPR.org
Dispensaries - The Wild West of Vancouver.
Just because medical marijuana dispensaries are now regulated doesn't mean that people will become addicted to marijuana, adds Dr. Benedikt Fischer, a senior scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. He compares the current marijuana situation with the temperance movement and the prohibition of alcohol in the early 20th century. Back then, the only place people could get alcohol was in the pharmacies for supposed medicinal purposes. "These weren't chronically ill people discovering that alcohol was a medical cure for the chronic illness they had; it's just a substance they wanted to consume for a variety of reasons."
> more @ CMAJ.CA - Shannon Lough
Learning To Accept Marijuana Victory And Build On It. By Keith Stroup, NORML Legal Counsel.
It is important as we continue to move forward that we recognize the value of slow, steady change, and that we learn to accept and enjoy our victories as they occur, even though they will seldom be as complete as we might wish, and will require additional work in coming years to fix problems that remain. It is far easier to fine-tune these laws to make them work in a more equitable manner, once marijuana smoking has been legitimized and marijuana smokers are no longer considered criminals.
> more @ The Weed Blog
Hemp - USA - Hemp 101: What is Hemp, What's It Used For, and Why is It Illegal?
Hemp is one of the oldest domesticated crops known to man. It has been used for paper, textiles, and cordage for thousands of years. In fact, the Columbia History of the World states that the oldest relic of human industry is a scrap of hemp fabric dating back to approximately 8,000 BC.
> more @ Leafly - Kentucky Hempsters
"You'll never hear me say that marijuana is a medicine." - Rona Ambrose, Minister of Health. With those words, Rona Ambrose arguably provided the catalyst for marijuana's de facto full-scale legalization in British Columbia. Her recent rants (along with some ridiculous public service announcements and attack ads) could also conceivably cost her party the election, as voters increasingly see legalization as a key election issue in a tight race where every vote will count.
> more @ Chris Clay
Medical marijuana effectively treats Multiple Sclerosis symptoms, review finds.
"One thing that is just intolerable for me are these excruciating leg cramps," she says. Powerful muscle relaxants didn't help. She now has a medical marijuana permit and uses an extract specifically made for her. "I tried it as a last resort, and it's been an absolute blessing for me," she says. On Monday, for the first time, the American Academy of Neurology said medical marijuana is an effective treatment for some symptoms of multiple sclerosis. It concluded spasm, muscle tightness and pain can all be helped.
> more @ CBS News
Marijuana may be helping to overcome painkiller abuse in America.
It’s yet another feather in the cap of those who champion legalizing pot in the US. In a working paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research (paywall), researchers observed that in US states with medical marijuana dispensaries, the number of admissions to rehabilitation facilities for pain medication and opioid overdoses has decreased by 15% and 16% respectively.
> more @ QZ.com
Canada - Health Canada spends $1,500,000 of your tax dollars on recycled pot and drug TV ads.
Health Canada is spending $1.5 million to air recycled ads on prescription drugs and pot in the run-up to the fall federal election. The Canadian Medical Association, the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada refused to endorse the campaign, saying it had become a “political football on Canada’s marijuana policy.”
> more @ Metro News
Hemp - Hemp Beauty: Hibiscus Organic Healing Cream is Fijian Fabulous.
Kama Fiji’s Hibiscus Organic Healing Cream is infused with CBD hemp oil, the strongest concentrated CBD topical available anywhere at 200mg per oz. Don’t worry, you won’t get high from this hemp oil, CBD is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory solution that helps ease the pain for a wide variety of ailments.
> more @ Monsters and Critics
Katie Marsh’s unusual recipe stems from being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, three years ago. The autoimmune disease causes painful swelling in the hands and feet. She met Dr. William Courtney, a physician, researcher and leading expert in raw dietary cannabis who is based in Mendocino, Calif. Once she learned what strains to look for, she obtained a bag from a grower and started juicing it every day. “I saw results very quickly. Within a matter of a couple of days I was able to stop the prednisone and ibuprofen,” she said.
> more @ Fox News
Canada - BC - Medical marijuana dispensary pilot project considered by White Rock city council.
Randy Caine wants the city to prepare for a potential influx of marijuana dispensaries. White Rock city council have voted to direct staff to look into the viability of a pilot dispensary project.
> more @ cbc.ca
USA - Airport in Oregon allows pot on in-state flights.
Those who are flying within the state of Oregon can bring their marijuana with them on in-state flights, as the Portland airport now allows it.
> more @ Digital Journal
USA - Dr. Sue Sisley, Marijuana researcher to speak Wednesday. She is investigating marijuana and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).
An Arizona doctor and prominent medical pot researcher is scheduled to give a lecture in Pueblo Wednesday on the effects of marijuana on combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.
> more @ Chieftain
Hemp - Hemp sector seeks move to Ag Canada umbrella.
The usual jokes about marijuana in connection with hemp were refreshingly absent during a tour of industrial hemp plots near Lethbridge June 24. Maybe Jan Slaski’s mission is getting results. “I am on a mission to educate the general public about differences in these two close cousins: industrial hemp and marijuana,” said Slaski, who is the team lead on crop development and management for Alberta Innovates Technology Futures.
> more @ Producer.com
Kash Heed says provincial government could follow Washington state and legalize, regulate and tax marijuana use by adults. “B.C. could do it in a responsible way, if there was the political will provincially,” said Heed, who also served as the commanding officer of the Vancouver Police Department’s drug squad. “It’s time for them to take a position on this at the provincial level, absolutely.
> more @ The Province
Canada - 7 Answers About Health Canada's New Medical Marijuana Rules. By Dana Larsen
Health Canada has changed medical marijuana regulations to allow the production and distribution of marijuana oil and fresh bud. Find out what the new rules actually mean for patients.
> more @ Cannabis Culture
USA - AMC stirs the pot with ad in High Times marijuana magazine.
In a sign that the political winds are changing, High Times — the 41-year-old monthly magazine dedicated to all things marijuana — has landed its first ever non-pot-related advertiser. IFC, the cable TV channel owned by AMC Networks, has taken out an ad in the October issue for its show “Comedy Bang! Bang!”. Publisher Mary McEvoy, an 11-year veteran of the magazine, said, “This is a first. We hope it unplugs the dam.”
> more @ NY Post
Canada - Hydropothecary. The Apple Store of medical marijuana?
A boutique brand aims to give medical marijuana the white-glove, apothecary-chic treatment.
> more @ Macleans
Hemp - Canada's hemp industry growing fast but competition on the horizon.
Business is booming for Canada's hemp industry, but industry experts say it could be on the cusp of even bigger things. "This year is a year of change," says Jan Slaski, a senior researcher at the government-funded Alberta Innovates Technology Futures who has been studying hemp uses.
> more @ Chronicle Journal
- Statement on Supreme Court of Canada Decision in R. v. Smith -
Health Canada has taken the immediate step of issuing a section 56 exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), allowing licensed producers to produce and sell cannabis oil and fresh marijuana buds and leaves in addition to dried marijuana (plant material that can be used to propagate marijuana will not be permitted to be sold by licensed producers to clients).USA - Potbox: It’s a monthly marijuana subscription.
Potbox is a San Francisco-based startup launching today that will ship ethically sourced, premium-quality marijuana to its customers.
> more @ Fast Company
Canada - Lawyers see ample opportunity as marijuana goes mainstream.
The legalized pot industry is quickly moving into the mainstream of Canada's business and legal communities. Driving growth is the new Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulation (MMPR).
> more @ Financial Post
Canada - BC marijuana producers hail Health Canada for approving sale of oils.
“It’s a great day for patients; it’s a great day for the future of our legitimate industry.”
> more @ CKNW
Hemp - Hemp Oil Canada Inc.,a hemp company in Manitoba receives funding. Investment worth more than $300,000.
The governments of Canada and Manitoba are working together by investing in the province’s successful hemp industry.
> more @ Farms.com
Canada - New research into medical marijuana and arthritis to be conducted at Dalhousie.
The Arthritis Society has announced it is funding research into medical cannabis at Dalhousie University. The society also announced it will host the first national conference on medical marijuana later this year. Officials said Aphria Inc. and The Peace Naturals Project, two Ontario-based marijuana producers, will donate $100,000 each.
> more @ GlobalNews.Ca
10 Arguments in Favor of Legalizing Marijuana.
1. The World Will Not Collapse into Chaos.
2. The Prohibition of Marijuana Takes a Financial and Social Toll on Society.
> more @ Leafly
This 3D-Printed Hydroponic System from 3Dponics Snaps Together Like Pot-Laced LEGO.
As we move towards a 420 future, hydroponic systems for a bit of homegrown foliage will be in great demand. The folks at 3Dponics are ready.
> more @ Tech Crunch
Hemp - Get a nutritional hit with hemp.
Cousin of cannabis won’t get you high, but it’s an easy way to boost food’s healthiness.
> more @ The Province
USA - It’s a year since Washington legalised marijuana and the sky hasn’t fallen down.
It turns out legalising marijuana in Washington wasn’t such a bad idea. Who would have thought (a few people actually did) that making weed widely available in the state would not be catastrophic. If you’re judging the decision based on money generated, it was certainly a good one. Washington’s racked up more than $250 million (£160m) in marijuana sales in the past year from around 160 weed stores — roughly $62m (£39m) of which constitute marijuana excise taxes.
> more @ Metro.co.uk
USA - How Travis Maurer went from Missouri pot bust to masterminding Oregon's marijuana initiative.
Travis Maurer drove across Portland's Burnside Bridge at midnight on July 1, savoring the sight of hundreds of revelers celebrating legal marijuana. "I can't believe we did this," Maurer remembers thinking, flashing back to the years of effort that led to this moment.
> more @ Oregon Live
Painless solution: medical marijuana. A doctor speaks.
From my position as a physician, as well as someone who suffers from a debilitating neurologic-pain disease, recommending something that provides a seriously ill patient with proven relief, and which is safer than current treatments, is a no-brainer. How in good conscience can lawmakers not support legalization of a drug that the AMA itself concludes is effective in relieving suffering for some of their constituents? Jeffrey Fogel, M.D., Ambler
> more @ Philly.com
Hemp - Hemp Hits New Highs.
In a small town about an hour north of Denver sits a nondescript warehouse where, decades ago, workers canned beans and tomatoes on an assembly line. Today, the chemists inside have much loftier ambitions. They’re aiming at a cheap, fast and sustainable way to make the stuff that makes our world, from sugars to fibers to plastics.
> more @ ozy.com
Marijuana extractions.
Marijuana extractions of any kind have made an incredible boom in both the medical and recreational markets. They’re versatile, have countless uses, and have incredible medicating properties.
> more @ Lift
USA - Boston - So you want to sell legal medicinal marijuana .Four steps to get you in business.
You may have a passion for the product, but getting the go-ahead to start growing and selling marijuana in Massachusetts can be a long, expensive and difficult path.
> more @ Boston.com
USA - What It’s Like To Experience The Freedom Of Marijuana Legalization.
On Election Day 2014 Oregon voters approved Measure 91, which ended marijuana prohibition for people like me. July 1st marked the first day that the law took effect, and I’ve been living fear free for almost two days now. It’s a feeling that I can’t fully capture in words.
> more @ The Weed Blog
Hemp - Kentucky funds hemp seed processing plant with tobacco settlement money.
Using money from a settlement with cigarette makers, Kentucky has invested in Boer goats, honeybees and even prawns to help shift the state's farm economy away from tobacco. Now, hemp is joining that list.
> more @ wdrb
One family's powerful and heart wrenching medical-marijuana story.
Erika and Michael Zorn pause on a walk in their Bucks County neighborhood June 4, 2015 with children, Lily (right), 2-1/2 and Emma (left), 6-1/2. Erika has struggled with severe Lupus and found relief for her debilitating symptoms: She smokes pot, which they illegally grew in their basement for years until cops were alerted and arrested them on drug charges.
> more @ philly.com
Canada - Tweed’s acquisition of Bedrocan changes Canada’s marijuana industry, says M Partners.
“We are bringing the two strongest brands in Canadian cannabis under one roof,” said Tweed CEO Bruce Linton. “We will continue to develop and grow the Tweed and Bedrocan Canada brands, focusing on rapidly increasing market penetration for our full-line of products. Over 5,000 existing customers will now benefit from having access to products from two producers. For future patients and physicians, the choice will be clear.”
> more @ can tech letter
Canada - What Montreal Would Look Like If Marijuana Was Legalized.
Montreal is known for its party life and epicurean tendencies, but legalizing marijuana brings so much more to the table than fostering that lifestyle. In fact, it has some serious benefits, so why is there such a big divide? For starters, we know that it would definitely increase tourism. It also has therapeutic properties that have been proven helpful for cancer patients and other illnesses.
> more @ mtl blog
Hemp - 10 Ways Hemp Seeds Could Benefit Your Life.
"Being a source of all essential amino acids and fatty acids, and an array of vitamins and minerals makes hemp seed a nutrient dense, complete nutrition-packed seed," says Shaistha Zaheeruddin, registered dietitian and founder of Modest Nutrition in Milton. "This seed is comparable to many healthy nuts and seeds (like walnuts, flax, chia seeds) with a lot of promise [for long term health benefits]."
> more @ huffington post
Canada - Aurora Cannabis, Alberta's first commercial medicinal marijuana operation, harvests first crop.
“It was a good crop. We have seven different strains. The buds look good,” said C.E.O Terry Booth.
> more @ ctv news
Canada - Winnipeg's first medical marijuana dispensary now open.
Your Medical Marijuana Headquarters opened on Main Street on July 1. The store offers marijuana for purchase with the appropriate paperwork from a doctor.
> more @ cbc.ca
Marijuana.Ca comment : It will be important to see how the city of Winnipeg and the Winnipeg police respond to this.
NFL RUMORS: Marijuana Used By 60 Percent Of Players As Aid Against Concussions, Head Trauma; Better Option Than Opioid Painkillers?
One unnamed player claimed that the use of marijuana kept him from committing suicide.
> more @ HNGN
Hemp - How Hemp Can Save Fish, Reduce Water and Help Save Trees.
For many people who strive to live healthier lives, the message is clear: make sure you get enough Omega fatty acids in your diet. Many people like the convenience of supplements to get Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. However, most Omega fatty acid supplements come from fish oil that is extracted from harvesting fish, which is wreaking havoc on certain fish populations. Envision Naturals launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise capital for and awareness of the Save the Fish Hemp Oil supplements.
> more @ Just Means
Canada - Tom Kott: Legalize pot — just don’t let the government monopolize it.
All roads currently lead to the marijuana’s eventual liberalization: both the NDP and the Liberal Party support some form of decriminalization or legalization. A change of government, then, will see the country embrace some less draconian approach to the drug. The biggest mistake any of these parties could make, then — and sadly, the mostly likely one — would be to give the government a monopoly on the sale and production of cannabis.
> more @ National Post
Why Canada should update its archaic marijuana laws.
It’s no longer rational for marijuana to remain illegal.
> more @ The-Peak.Ca
USA - California - I Got A Marijuana Prescription And Pot In Minutes Without Leaving My Couch.
(The Eaze company sometimes delivers marijuana in 15 minutes! - Marijuana.Ca)
Perhaps that’s what makes my experience with Eaze, an on-demand weed delivery marketplace, all the more surreal. Last Friday while sitting in my friend’s living room, I was able to get a preview of the company’s new app-based feature, which allows users to consult with a doctor via their mobile phones or computers for medical marijuana assessments. Within an hour I used Eaze to video conference with a doctor, receive a marijuana recommendation and purchase an eighth of an ounce of “Sour Diesel” for delivery.
> more @ Forbes
Canada - Marni Soupcoff: City of Vancouver not the marijuana freedom fighter sick patients need.
If one reviews the Supreme Court of Canada’s recent unanimous decision that possession and production of medicinal marijuana cannot be restricted to dried cannabis — in other words, that if you’re a cancer patient with a prescription for medical marijuana, the government can’t demand you smoke the substance rather than eat it — one is struck by the degree to which the current legal regime is a muddled mess. Now, cancer patients who are too nauseated to smoke may legally possess the pot brownies that offer them considerable relief, but they’d better be proficient at cannabis baking because no one is allowed to sell them the confections. It’s still illegal to sell medicinal marijuana edibles. But who’s protecting sick Canadians of all ages — and their right to seek medical treatment and solace from suffering? Vancouver is not the villain it’s being made out to be by Ambrose and company, but neither is it the freedom-bearing hero that we need.
> more @ National Post
Hemp - Nourish: Fight inflammation through food.
Foods high in Omega-3s such as hemp seeds or walnuts can bring those Omega fats back into balance.
> more @ The Star Phoenix
USA - A year after Utah OKs therapeutic hemp oil, parents say it’s ‘single most effective’ treatment for kids with epilepsy.
The torrents racking Isabelle Knowlton's brain have subsided. The 10-year-old girl is now winking at boys in church. For the first time, she is giving hugs and lighting up at the mention of her favorite TV show. Therapeutic cannabis has put an end to the seizures that derailed her development until January. And Isabelle is not alone. One year after Utah first allowed patients with intractable epilepsy to obtain a type of hemp extract, other families are sharing similar stories.
> more @ SLTrib
Why American Investors May Prefer Canada's Marijuana Industry.
On June 11, the Supreme Court of Canada struck down a provision in the country's medical marijuana law prohibiting the possession of marijuana extracts. The ruling potentially opened the door to the production of medical marijuana derivatives including tinctures, edibles, pills, and oils — and American investors took note.
> more @ Vice
Uruguay Stands Up to UN on Marijuana Legalization.
After several meetings with the United Nations, Uruguay has stood up to the international body once again over the country’s legalization of marijuana consumption. On Thursday, June 26, Juan Andrés Roballo, the president of Uruguay’s National Drug Board (JND) announced he will present a report before the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights defending the country’s regulation of the marijuana market. He says he will urge the international body to discuss the topic “without taboos.”
> more @ Panam Post
USA - A first for a presidential candidate: a fundraiser with the marijuana industry.
Presidential candidate, Rand Paul, to raise money with marijuana industry in Denver.
> more @ Denver Post
Hemp - Another hemp shop opens in Poland.
Cannabis-based products on offer at a newly opened shop in Poznan, central Poland.
> more @ TheNews.PL
Canada - Former Vancouver mayor Larry Campbell praises Vancouver medicinal marijuana regulations.
Larry Campbell has been an advocate of legalizing pot for more than a decade.
> more @ CBC.CA
Canada - BC - Tilray layoffs underscore problems with Conservative government's restrictive approach to medical marijuana.
The reality is that Tilray is having trouble competing with dispensaries in urban markets that sell edibles and extracts prohibited under the federal licensing regime.
> more @ The Georgia Straight
USA - The Prohibition Continues to Crumble. Citizens of Oregon can grow up to 4 plants at home, starting Wednesday July 1st, 2015!
A couple of caveats: You've got to be 21 or older to possess and grow cannabis in Oregon and your yard should be a private place where neighbors and passersby can't easily see your plants.
> more @ Oregon Live
USA - Medical marijuana arrives next week in Minnesota – but smoking it is banned.
Under new rules that set the state apart from others, patients will have to stick with pills and oils, and the drug will only be sold in eight locations.
> more @ The Guardian
Hemp - What’s a safe distance between hemp and marijuana plants?
What is the risk of pollination between hemp and marijuana? — Seedy Grower. We don’t have sea winds carrying hemp pollen into Colorado, but it can be windy nonetheless. According to Hermann, a safe starting distance between marijuana and hemp plants is 10 miles. “There is no scientific backing to guarantee that distance, but it is a safe starting point.”
> more @ The Cannabist
Canada - Stephen Harper's reefer madness.
Keep in mind the real war on medical cannabis is being driven by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
> more @ Straight
Canada - BC - City of Victoria mayor, Lisa Helps, wants to regulate medicinal marijuana dispensaries in Victoria.
Victoria’s mayor says her city will look to emulate Vancouver’s plan to regulate marijuana dispensaries despite warnings from the Conservative federal government that they are illegal and threaten public health. Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps said her staff are studying Vancouver’s guidelines and will report to council in September about imposing similar regulations on the provincial capital’s 19 dispensaries and compassion clubs. Ms. Helps said Victoria, like Vancouver, was forced to look for ways to regulate the retail shops after they doubled in number over the past year.
> more @ Globe & Mail
USA - Is California Going to Legalize Marijuana?
California might Legalize Marijuana in 2016. ...if and when the state goes green, that could be the death knell for pot prohibition. In one fell swoop, 15% of the entire country will have legalized it--and that's not even counting other states also likely to legalize it the same day, including Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada. When the nation's most populous state does something, the rest of us take notice.
> more @ Alternet
Press Release - CannTrust is a Proud Sponsor of Toronto Pride
CannTrust to promote education regarding Medical Cannabis at Toronto Pride June 26th-28th.
> more
Hemp - Press Release - Hemp Gala Global Introducing New Cannabidiol Products derived from Hemp.
The planned new products in CBD Livin pipeline are CBD Life Water, CBD Life Teas and CBD Life Vape pens.
> more
Canada - Tweed Marijuana to buy Bedrocan Cannabis in merger of medical pot producers.
Tweed Marijuana is offering to buy Bedrocan Cannabis Corp. in a friendly deal that would combine the two companies into what they say would be Canada’s largest licensed pot producer. The deal was worth $61-million when it was announced early Wednesday – although the final value will vary with Tweed’s stock price.
> more @ Globe & Mail
Time Magazine - Canada - Vancouver Votes to Regulate Medicinal Marijuana Stores, but Canada’s Government Isn’t Happy About It.
City's move also fuels debate surrounding recreational marijuana legalization in the lead-up to October's federal election.
> more @ Time.com
Canada - BC - City of Victoria considering regulating medical marijuana storefronts.
Officials say they know of 20 medical marijuana dispensaries calling Victoria home -- even eclipsing the number of Starbucks retailers in the city.
> more @ CTV News
The Actual Benefit of Medical Marijuana: What Does the Research Indicate?
Based on 80 randomized trials involving close to 6,500 individuals, there's "moderate support" for using marijuana to help treat the following conditions: Chronic pain, Muscle spasms (including those related to multiple sclerosis) and Involuntary movements.
> more @ Leafly
Hemp - The Past and Potential Future of Industrial Hemp in Kentucky.
Hemp was once among Kentucky’s main exports—until it was federally criminalized in the 1930s. The crop is extremely versatile and can be processed into oils, wax, rope, cloth, paper, fuel and even food products. It’s also a variety of cannabis—albeit one that doesn’t get you high, like another cannabis plant, marijuana.
> more @ WFPL
Canada - BC - Marijuana dispensary regulations to be voted on today by Vancouver city council.
The measure is expected to pass.
> more @ cbc.ca
Australia - NSW government pledges $9 million in budget for medical marijuana trials.
Children with severe epilepsy, terminally ill adults and patients undergoing chemotherapy who are suffering extreme nausea and vomiting will take part in the trials, which were first announced last December.
> more @ 9 news
Canada - Health Canada approves CanniMed medical marijuana study/clinical trial.
Many arthritis patients have high hopes that the first Health Canada-approved medical marijuana clinical trial provides evidence that cannabis can help them. Saskatoon-based CanniMed, a subsidiary of Prairie Plant Systems Inc., announced it is now recruiting 40 patients for a yearlong trial studying marijuana's effect on adults with osteoarthritis of the knee.
> more @ The Star Phoenix
USA - Smoking marijuana is so old-fashioned: Colorado pot products range from tasty to pasty.
After about 18 months of legal recreational marijuana sales in Colorado, the market keeps getting bigger. And now a new survey shows that pot prices in Colorado are actually declining, even as the number of customers increases.
> more @ Cleveland.com
Hemp - Canada - Alberta - Hemp becoming popular cash crop.
“The hemp industry has been growing rapidly over the last five to six years, with 20-30-per-cent increases annually,” he said. “Last year, we exceeded 100,000 licensed acres.”
> more @ Lethbridge Herald
Canada - Vancouver City Hall to vote on medicinal marijuana dispensary rules on Wednesday.
After four days of public hearings and more than 200 speakers, the City of Vancouver is ready to vote on proposed pot shop regulations Wednesday.
> more @ AM 730
Canada - Press Release - First Health Canada Approved Medical Cannabis Clinical Trial Starts Patient Recruitment. (Osteoarthritis of the Knee )
Prairie Plant Systems and CanniMed, Canada's most well-established and reliable producer of medical cannabis, along with researchers at McGill University Health Centre and Dalhousie Universities, officially start patient engagement today on the CAPRI Trial (Cannabinoid Profile Investigation of Vaporized Cannabis in Patients with Osteoarthritis of the Knee), a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled, proof-of-concept, crossover clinical trial of single dose vaporized cannabis in adults with painful osteoarthritis of the knee.
> more @news wire .ca
Canada - Vancouver plans to outlaw illegal marijuana 'vapour lounges'
As Vancouver's illegal marijuana dispensaries test the limits of governments and police, vapour lounges that allow customers to smoke and vape are pushing the boundaries even further. But as Mike Hager reports, the city is set to crack down.
> more @ Globe & Mail
USA - Here’s Why Marijuana Prices Appear to Be Dropping in Colorado.
After about 18 months of legal recreational marijuana sales in Colorado, the market keeps getting bigger. And now a new survey shows that pot prices in Colorado are actually declining, even as the number of customers increases.
> more @ Time
Hemp - Legislature legalizes industrial hemp in Maine.
A new law allowing hemp cultivation for commercial uses in Maine is in effect now that the Legislature has overridden a veto by Gov. Paul LePage.
> more @ Sun Journal
Canada - Supreme Court Edibles ruling gives greater choices to patients and opportunity for legal marijuana plants. Some LP's are already researching how to make oils.
The Supreme Court of Canada’s decision to allow approved patients to turn their dried marijuana product into oils or edibles has been much anticipated by industry members like Tweed of Smiths Falls whose application for oils is currently in process. About nine months ago Health Canada began accepting applications for an attribute (or additional permission to an existing license) that would allow approved companies like Tweed to take the dried marijuana flower and extract the oils. Tweed got in on that process last fall, and while the length of this process is unclear, Bruce Linton, CEO of Tweed said: “I think we’re well along it. That attribute could be much more valuable given that ruling.”
> more @ Inside Brockville
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Marijuana.Ca urges Health Canada to move immediately to allow Licensed Producers to produce various kinds of derivatives, edibles, oils and topical creams. There are many kinds of authorized MMPR patients who, for various reasons, cannot or should not smoke or vaporize dried marijuana. For example, most sick Canadians who are on ventilators should not smoke or vaporize dried marijuana. Same goes for many of the Canadian kids who have severe epilepsy or Dravet Syndrome.
Canada - Medical marijuana ruling on edibles boosts business that supplies grey area (Legal or Not?) Medicinal Marijuana Dispensaries across Canada.
Court Decision: “As soon as it happened on Thursday [June 11], our phone started ringing off the hook from different dispensaries across Canada wanting to get our product into their stores,” said Michelle Sikora, who owns and operates S&M Medicinal Sweet Shoppe with her husband Doug out of their home in Selma Park. “People are asking us, ‘How much can we get and how fast?’”
> more @ Coast Reporter
Canada - Ontario - Company behind proposal to develop medical pot in Owen Sound buoyed by Supreme Court ruling related to edibles and derivatives.
"The head of the company that plans to develop cannabis-based oils, creams and capsules in Owen Sound is applauding a Supreme Court of Canada decision that expands the definition of legal medical marijuana beyond the traditional smoked variety. “We’re excited. It plays right into our opportunity because we had always wanted to focus on oils and derivatives and concentrates and so forth,” Scott Boyes, president of the Toronto-based Canadian Bioceutical Corporation.
> more @ Owen Sound Times
How to Open a Medical Marijuana Dispensary or Recreational Marijuana Shop in Colorado.
Interested in starting your own recreational cannabis shop or medical marijuana dispensary in Colorado? Want to join an exciting, rapidly-growing industry before it starts to get crazy crowded? Here’s a handy, step-by-step guide to opening your own cannabis location, whether it's medical or recreational, in Colorado.
> more @ Leafly
Hemp - Cultivation areas of industrial hemp in Europe and Canada reach highest acreage in 30 years.
The 12th International Conference of the European Industrial Hemp Association, the leading event for industrial hemp, concluded in Wesseling, Germany, last month, attracting record participation of 260 industrial hemp experts from 38 countries.
> more @ Innovation In Textiles
USA - The Marijuana Prohibition is Sadistic and Insane.
Bernard Noble of New Orleans has served 4 years in prison for possession of 2 joints, and must serve at least 10 years.
Bernard Noble of New Orleans was found guilty of drug possession when he was 12, and again when he was 24. When he got caught with two joints four years ago, Louisiana's habitual offender law kicked in and Noble, now 48, received a 13-year prison sentence. He applied for clemency but Gov. Bobby Jindal denied the appeal because Nobel had not yet served 10 years in prison, which he feels Nobel must serve for the crime of being caught with two joints.
> more @ Boing Boing
Smoking Marijuana Causes ‘Complete Remission’ of Crohn’s Disease, No Side Effects, New Study Shows.
Smoking pot caused a “complete remission” of Crohn’s disease compared to placebo in half the patients who lit up for eight weeks, according to clinical trial data to be published the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
> more @ SFgate.com
Marijuana Strain Recommendations for Beginners and Lightweights.
"Let’s start with the first and most obvious piece of advice: slowly ease into high-THC cannabis, as they’re more likely to cause anxiety and paranoia. Settle yourself in to a comfortable place and start with a low dose, maybe even just a single small hit if it’s your first time."
> more @ Leafly
Canada - Calgary city council asks for guidelines on medical marijuana shops.
Mayor Nenshi says current legal situation is unclear. Calgary city council is wading into the murky legal environment surrounding medical marijuana businesses. Council has has asked for a report by the autumn on how it should deal with such businesses and whether it has the means to regulate the sector.
> more @ CBC.CA
Hemp - USA - How Colorado hemp has grown from novelty to an industry with potential.
This year, hype is being replaced with indicators of hemp’s industrial potential as seen in farm fields, factories, retail outlets and university laboratories. Hemp and its byproducts have a wide range of uses in nutrition, clothing, building materials, cosmetics and health.
> more @ The Cannabist
Canada - Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson credits marijuana for helping him write most of the band’s music.
“I find that smoking pot can be a really great creative agent.” Alex Lifeson
> more @ Global News
Canada - Interview with Adam Miron, of The Hydropothecary, a new Health Canada Licensed Producer.
When a close family member became ill and found medical pot was the best source of relief, he became convinced the company could do some good.
> more @ Kamloops This Week
USA - Large study says U.S. medical marijuana laws don’t foster teen use.
A new study suggests passing a medical marijuana law does not lead to increased use of the drug by teenagers in that jurisdiction. American researchers looked at self-reported marijuana use among more than one million adolescents from 48 U.S. states between 1991 to 2014.
> more @ Globe & Mail
USA - Native American Tribe in South Dakota Legalizes Marijuana for Adult Use.
Looking to Amsterdam, South Dakota reservation becomes island of legalization. The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe’s governing body quietly voted last week to legalize pot for recreational use and welcome tourists 21 and older to consume it on tribal land.
> more @ US News .com
Hemp - USA - Rhode Island House Committee Passes Bill to Legalize Hemp Farming, Nullify Federal Ban in Practice
By a 14-2 vote yesterday, an important House committee passed a bill that would authorize and regulate the growth and production of industrial hemp, effectively nullifying federal prohibition of the plant in practice.
> more @ Tenth Amendment Center
Canada - Lawyer, Trina Fraser : Supreme Court Edibles/Derivatives Decision. R. v. Smith – What does it Mean?
"On a strict reading of the decision, it is still an offence (under s.7 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (“CDSA”)) for anyone to “produce” marijuana derivatives. I know, it’s kind of an absurd result. Obviously, before you can possess a derivative, someone has to produce it." - Trina Fraser - Partner at > BrazeauSeller.LLP
> more @ Lift
Canada - Edible medical-pot advocates see signs of hope in Supreme Court ruling.
36-year-old Vancouver woman, Brina Levitt, says she was left with debilitating back pain and insomnia that over-the-counter pain medication and sleeping pills could not fix. She had smoked marijuana only a few times in her life, but her partner suggested it might help the pain. She says smoking made her cough too much, which irritated her back, but she found relief from her sciatica and sleeplessness when she ate pot cookies.
> more @ Globe & Mail
Canada - Supreme Court’s edible and derivative marijuana ruling leaves medicinal marijuana producers unsure.
“I think there’s a little bit of a lack of clarity,” said lawyer Kirk Tousaw, who represented the successful plaintiff. “The impact on a supply option for those derivative options is really what’s unclear."
> more @ Globe & Mail
Canada - One of Vancouver’s most prestigious annual cultural events has been warned it could face millions of dollars in fines for putting marijuana dispensary advertisements in its program guide.
Health Canada told Vancouver International Jazz Festival organizers to stop distributing the guide immediately, or face a maximum fine of $5 million and up to two years in prison.
> more @ CTV News
Hemp - Industrial Hemp in Strong Upturn.
According to organisers, EIHA, the industrial hemp business is growing every year. It says the strong fibres are used for insulation materials and biocomposites, mainly in automotive interiors. Hemp food products are increasing in market volume and with the extraction of Cannabidiol (CBD) for pharmaceutical applications, farmers can maximise profits.
> more @ NetComposites
USA - Canada - Two Marijuana Legalization Petitions Approved In Michigan for the 2016 election.
Michigan borders Ontario, Canada.
> more @ the weedblog
Brady Bunch. Cindy Brady actress, re: marijuana: 'I grew it'. Her real name is Susan Olsen.
“I have never really enjoyed smoking it, it makes me paranoid,” she said. “But it was my husband’s idea. It was really fascinating and I’ve always been into ‘gardening’ and it’s such a complicated, wonderfully fascinating plant.
> more @ fox news
Snoop Dogg's Marijuana-Focused Venture Capital Fund Is Called Casa Verde Capital.
> more @ Forbes
Australia - New South Wales - New South Wales is leading the world with its $12m medicinal marijuana research centre, the state’s premier, Mike Baird, says.
> more @ the guardian
Hemp - Hemp is ready for prime time, says Evo Hemp co-founder: We’re growing at 300% year over year.
> more @ food navigator
Canada - Dad treating epileptic daughter with marijuana oil relieved by SCC ruling, but a major access problem remains.
Alex Repetski gives his 3 year old daughter Gwenevere marijuana oil to treat her epilepsy. But under rules in place until this week, that oil has been illegal because medical pot users were only permitted to use dried marijuana.
Marijuana.Ca comment : The major problem here is that Health Minister Rona Ambrose and Health Canada will not allow Licensed Producers to make this marijuana oil, which forces Alex to either give his daughter joints to smoke or to make the oil himself.
> link - CTVnews.Ca
Canada - Lawyer Kirk Tousaw calls Health Minister Rona Ambrose utterly ignorant about medical marijuana.
"[She] is busy blaming the courts when she should really be looking at her own office instead of vitriolicly condemning a unanimous Supreme Court of Canada decision with a bunch of justices that her boss [Stephen Harper] appointed to that court," Tousaw said. "Maybe go back to the drawing board, listen to patients for a change, and come up with a system that is going to work." - Kirk Tousaw
> link - Straight.com
Canada - Supreme Court Decision: Medical Marijuana More Than Just Dried Pot.
Cheryl Rose, whose daughter Hayley takes marijuana for a severe form of epilepsy, was overjoyed by the decision and said her 22-year-old's seizures have dropped dramatically. Under the old law, Hayley was ingesting 15 capsules of dried cannabis daily. Now, she will only have to swallow one concentrated capsule made with oil.
Marijuana.Ca comment : The Harper Government and Health Canada will not allow Licensed Producers to make this oil for Haley Rose. Health Canada should change the regulations immediately to allow for this.
> HuffingtonPost.Ca
Canada - Supreme Court of Canada medicinal marijuana ruling applauded by Montreal patients.
In his 25 short years, Tristan Williams has battled two cancers, had countless surgeries and a hip replacement. And as if that wasn't enough, he also suffers from multiple sclerosis. Inhalation offers fast relief, but Williams says he often prefers the milder, longer-lasting feeling from edibles such as cookies, oils and butters.
Marijuana.Ca comment : Health Canada and Health Minister Rona Ambrose will not allow Licensed Producers to make edibles, teas, oils or topical creams. Health Canada and Minister Ambrose only allow licensed producers to sell dry Marijuana. This forces authorized patients to either smoke it or vapourize it, or go thru the difficult and untested method of processing it themselves, which is very difficult or impossible if you are very sick, on a ventilator or paralyzed.
> - ctvnews.ca
Hemp - Tennessee hemp farmers start planting highly regulated seeds.
> more @ wbir
Canada - Toronto - The High Life. Inside Toronto Vaporizer, the upscale local showroom that sells vaporizers to investment bankers and socialites. - Now Toronto
> more
Canada - Vancouver - Hearing into Vancouver medical pot dispensaries urges another look at edible marijuana. - Globe and Mail
> more
Desperate Parents Of Autistic Children Trying medical marijuana oil. - forbes.com
> more
Canada - Canadian medical marijuana oversight increases with new Health Canada rules in effect. - MetroNews.ca
The federal government says the updated rules are a response to requests from medical licensing bodies to increase the information available to them on how doctors are authorizing marijuana. The regulations require licensed producers of medical marijuana to provide quarterly reports to health-care licensing bodies, like the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, on how health-care practitioners are authorizing the use of marijuana.
> more
Hemp - USA - Hemp - Senator Ron Wyden: U.S. Ban On Hemp Makes About As Much Sense As 'A Ban On Portobello Mushrooms' - HuffingtonPost.Com
> more
New Zealand - Family's joy at Marijuana Oil treatment approval for their son in a coma, who is in a prolongued seizure state. - stuff.co.nz
> more
USA - Marijuana Legalization 2015: Californians’ Support For Adult's Recreational Use Of Pot Reaches Record High of 54 percent in support of Legalization for Adult use. - ibtimes.com
> more
Tour America's First All-Inclusive Marijuana Ranch Resort, called CannaCamp. - curbed.com
> more
Investors finally seeing marijuana's high market potential. USA sales were 1.5 billion in 2013. 2.7 billion in 2014. Estimated to be 3.6 billion in 2015 and 11 billion by 2019. - fortune.com
> more
Hemp - Nevada Governor OKs Industrial Hemp Research As US Eases Marijuana Restrictions. The drug war turned this cash crop into forbidden fruit, yet other nations around the world continue to reap huge profits from the domestic and international use of the wildly versatile plant. - mintpressnews.com
> more
USA - Colorado Will Lower Marijuana Tax Rate in order to reduce black market sales. - TheWeedBlog.com
> more
USA - Cannabis oil ‘cured’ my Stage IV cancer, says Hollywood stuntman. - metro.co.uk
Mark Chavarria was offered the oil to help with the pain he suffered from the advanced cancer, which had spread from his colon into his liver. He says, ‘Once I got on this oil, I was able to get rid of everything. All the Oxycontin, everything. Chavarria faced a gruelling regime of chemotherapy and radiation treatment, but says he believed that the cannabis oil actually helped beat the cancer.
> more
USA - Shona Banda, who has Crohn's Disease and who uses medical marijuana, faces up to 30 years in prison - washingtonpost.com
> more
Canada - University of British Columbia to explore pot’s healing potential - 24hrs.ca
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Hemp - U.S. firm buys 'Manitoba Harvest' hemp company for $133M - cbc.ca
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USA - Where Do Presidential Candidates Stand on Marijuana? - marijuana.com
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Canada - CEO of new medical marijuana centre wants to ‘talk answers’. Gulwant Bajwa is the new ceo of National Access Cannabis. It’s not a dispensary; there’s “not a speck” of pot on site, according to the new CEO, who left his job in Health Canada’s medical marijuana program to join the company two months ago. - ottawacommunitynews.com
> more
USA - The ‘most advanced marijuana investment conference in history’ marks a significant shift in the industry - investorintel.com
> more
USA - This Legal Marijuana Clause May Be a Precedent for Other States to Follow - fool.com
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Hemp - Offering consumers information is essential for hemp juice success, says Sana - beveragedaily.com
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Canada - The head of B.C.’s medical association says the federal government is failing Canada’s doctors by not providing meaningful guidelines on how to talk to their patients about medical marijuana prescriptions in the absence of reliable clinical studies. - Globe and Mail
Brian Kierans, a 30-year-old TV industry worker in Toronto, uses medicinal marijuana for his irritable bowel syndrome: “The system that’s set up is set up to be as complicated as possible and, unfortunately, we’re all just caught in it,” Mr. Kierans said. “And we’re all just trying to do our best.”
> more
USA - Texas - Medical Marijuana Oil, A Legal Treatment For Epileptics. - everythinglubbock.com
Jared Dempsey, neuroscientist and executive director of Addiction Recovery Research Institute, said case studies have proven that a tailored and controlled dosage of cannabis oil helps reduce the amount of seizures for some epileptics that are resistant to medications.
"There are many people that need this treatment, because no other treatment works and they are going to places to access it and it can be quite dangerous," Dempsey said. "What we need to do and what the state is moving towards is putting this in the hands of physicians and providers and regulating it and providing therapeutic dose levels." - Jared Dempsey
> more
Study: 16% of Patients With MS Are Using Marijuana. - NARCOMS : North American Research Committee on Multiple Sclerosis
> more
USA - The Marijuana Prohibition continues to fall apart. Congressional Votes signal growing support in Congress for legalized marijuana protections - washingtontimes.com
> more
Hemp - 3 Tasty and Nutritious Ways to Celebrate Hemp History Week. - glamour.com
> more
USA - Without medical marijuana, grandma is willing to go to jail to help her grandson. - pennlive.com
> more
Canada - Hydropothecary is the first Quebec firm — and the second local one — to be awarded a license to sell medical marijuana. To date, 19 companies have been licensed to grow and sell medical marijuana. - OttawaCitizen.com
> more
What are the Best Marijuana Strains for Anxiety? - leafly.com
> more
Israel - Lawmakers have high hopes for Marijuana Legalization. Joint left-right support for rehashed bill makes green light likelier than ever for recreational use. Under the move spearheaded by freshman MK Yinon Magal, the plant would be legal for private use, with individuals allowed to keep small amounts of marijuana and derivative products in their homes.
> more
Hemp - Hemp has many nutritional benefits. Here are ten of them. - westmanjournal.com
> more
Canada - Vancouver sets public hearing for proposed medical marijuana shop rules - metronews.ca
> more
"How Will Marijuana Affect Me?" 5 Basic Cannabis Questions Answered - leafly.com
> more
Canada - Manitoba - Medical marijuana users in Manitoba will be unjustly impacted by the province's proposed legislation banning vaporizers from being used in most indoors spaces, says Steven Stairs, a medical marijuana user and advocate.
'You wouldn't force somebody to take an insulin needle out on the street corner,' Steven Stairs says.
> more
USA - Indiana's Church Of Marijuana Granted Tax-Exempt Status From IRS - HuffingtonPost.com
> more
Hemp - USA - Atlanta activists to showcase all things hemp. GA HEROs will focus on promoting hemp usage as a way of strengthening Georgia’s economy and generating safe, sustainable alternatives to products such as plastics, textiles, and even food. - clatl.com
> more
The Evidence Behind Marijuana and PTSD - leafscience.com
Some patients find marijuana helpful for managing symptoms of PTSD. Now, researchers think marijuana might offer more ways of combating the disorder. In a recent study, researchers at the University of Haifa in Israel were able to prevent rats from developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by treating them with the active compounds in marijuana, or cannabinoids.
> more
Canada - Trailer Park Boys to host Kush Cup in Vancouver - straight.com
> more
USA - Texas Legalizes Medical Marijuana Oils For Epilepsy - huffingtonpost.com
> more
UK - Lib Dem leadership candidate Norman Lamb calls for marijuana legalisation - theguardian.com
> more
Hemp - USA - ʻOhana Open House to Showcase Industrial Hempcrete' - mauinow.com
> more
Alex Renton's family is in a desperate quest for marijuana oil for his seizure related coma. - stuff.co.nz
> more
Susan Sarandon enjoys marijuana and supports legalization for adult use. - niagarathisweek.com
> more
Medical Marijuana Movement in India - hindustantimes.com
> more
Catapult Wants To Be The Starbucks Of Marijuana-Infused Coffee - forbes.com
> more
Hemp - 15 Hemptastic Recipes for National Hemp History Week - onegreenplanet.org
> more
Canada - New Veteran's support facility in Sydney, Nova Scotia aims to fill void left by Veterans Affairs office closure - ctvnews.ca
> more
USA - New Denver hotel, Nativ Hotel, allows marijuana use. - kdvr.com
> more
Marijuana businesses: meet the respectable leaders of the pot-com boom.
As marijuana becomes legal in several US states, reputable businessmen and members of the establishment are cashing in on weed. - telegraph.co.uk
> more
Learn How To Start A Marijuana Career From Robert Calkin At The Cannabis World Congress And Business Expo - theweedblog.com
> more
Hemp - Hemp History Week Remains Strong In 2015. Starts June 1. - wholefoodsmagazine.com
> more
USA - Ross Kaminsky : "I don’t smoke pot and I warn my young children away from it. But the genie of marijuana legalization is not going back into the bottle, nor should it in a free society. All jokes aside, Colorado is leading the way in understanding both the benefits and perils of legal pot and of its regulatory framework. Other states, rather than stamping their feet and running to the feds, should watch this laboratory of democracy and learn from our success and our temporary failures." - Spectator.Org
> more
The Insane Marijuana War : Indonesia - Two men will be executed for possession of large amounts of Marijuana. - TheJakartaPost.com
> more
Solid gold 2,400-year-old Marijuana Bongs used by royal family, dug up in Russia - express.co.uk
> more
USA - Pennsylvania Governor Wolf's marijuana decriminalization could save Pennsylvania millions. Wolf said the criminalization of marijuana rips families apart. - philly.com
> more
Hemp - Canada - BC - A space to start a business. The Cumberland Hemp Company also uses the kitchen to make gelato. One of the products is Hempscream, a non-dairy frozen dessert with hemp and coconut milk. - Comox Valley Record
> more
USA - A new federally funded study: Marijuana and its effect on veterans with PTSD - chicagonow.com
> more
Some things that scientists know about marijuana - mprnews.org
> more
Beautiful Pot Brownie. - wbur.org
> more
USA - Will the New DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) Chief Go Easy on Pot? - the daily beast
> more
Hemp - New Swedish facility can process Hemp into nanocrystalline cellulose. This high-value nanomaterial cam be used to manufacture a wide range of uniquely enhanced products like pharmaceuticals, bone replacement, tooth repair, paper, high strength fibres and more. - pulpandpapercanada.com
> more
USA / Canada. Michigan marijuana legalization drive poised to clear a procedural step. Michigan borders Canada. Bingo. TimesUnion.com
> more
USA - Hearing set on using marijuana for autism. Lisa Smith says her son’s behavior was dangerous: hair pulling, kicks, punches, all related to a severe form of autism. But it began to change more than a year ago when he was given daily oral doses of oil extracted from marijuana. - lansingstatejournal.com
> more
Canada - Canadian Cannabis Clinics opening London Ontario location in June - TheLonder.Ca
> more
USA - This Lawyer Wants Hillary to Loosen Up on Pot. Hillary Clinton heads to the Sunshine State this week but could get some shade from one of the state’s most prominent donors because of her views on marijuana. - thedailybeast.com
> more
Hemp - USA - New Mexico - If we're growing pot, why not grow hemp? - currentargus.com
> more
New York Times : An Important Victory for Medical Marijuana at the Federal Level!
> more
USA - Marijuana Legalization 2015: Pot Industry Sales May Hit $30 to $50 Billion By 2019. ibtimes.com
"Since I've given up pain meds I ride a push bike, I get in the water and try and swim."
> more
USA - Veteran’s PTSD led to marijuana, arrest and a lucky break. Jared Hunter faced 5 years in prison. But last week, he accepted a new offer. It requires him to pay court costs and costs of prosecution, amounting to less than $1,000. His record will show not a conviction, but a withhold of adjudication — essentially, a judicial get-out-of-jail-free card that leaves his civil rights intact. The next person in the same situation may end up in jail for 5 years. - seattletimes.com
> more
Sungrown Marijuana. A Brighter Future for Marijuana Growing. - Vancouver Sun
> more
Hemp - USA - Pennsylvania considers industrial hemp cultivation - phillyvoice.com
> more
Canada - Marijuana oil showing promising results for Summerland toddler, Kyla Williams. Results are remarkable, says her grandmother, Elaine Nuessler. Kyla was suffering 100's of seizures a day. Now, no more pharmaceuticals, and she's Down to 10 seizures a day, and sometimes none at all. - GlobalNews.Ca
> more
Pot kills crippling pain. Cancer-suffering medical marijuana user Paul Lawrence says. - abc.net.au
Cancer-sufferer Paul Lawrence says he survives crippling daily pain with medical marijuana, including a breakfast marijuana smoothie, joints and hash oil throughout the day. The 52-year-old from Wollongong underwent a world-first operation in 2010 to remove a chordoma, a rare spinal tumour, the size of a football. At the time he was given just months to live and told there was a high likelihood he would die during surgery. It left him bedridden, and about nine months ago he switched to medical marijuana. "After about a month of not taking the medications it was like a fog started to clear, and I just looked back at what I'd not been doing for the last four years and thought 'this is ridiculous'," he said.
"Since I've given up pain meds I ride a push bike, I get in the water and try and swim."
> more
Canada - BC - Nelson - Time to tax legal marijuana. Not only should medical marijuana be available in Nelson, but all adult use should be legal, taxed and regulated. Marijuana prohibition is indefensible. Neighboring US states have legalized marijuana; Ottawa can no longer claim Canada must uphold marijuana prohibition in order to maintain good US relations. Consider the experience of Canada’s southern neighbour. - NelsonStar.com
> more
Pets/Animals - Press Release - One of North America's foremost holistic veterinarians and a world expert on cannabis and its medicinal benefits for pets is joining True Leaf Medicine International's advisory board, the company announced today. Dr. Robert Silver of Boulder, Colorado, will provide True Leaf with knowledge and guidance as it develops cannabinoid-based therapies for animal and pet health.
> more
Hemp - USA - Hemp farmers waiting for delivery of seeds - johnsoncitypress.com
> more
Canada - Press Release - Bedrocan Receives Expanded Health Canada Production License. Capacity Increases with 12 Additional Growing Rooms Approved at Domestic Production Facility.
> more
USA - Michigan - There has been No ‘zombie apocalypse’ after pot legalized. State Rep. Brandon Dillon says there is a good case for making pot legal. - woodtv.com
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Canada - Ottawa marijuana vapour lounge to reopen as early as Friday, says owner - MetroNews.Ca
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Looks Good Enough To Smoke or Eat: Marijuana Gets Its Glamour Moment. - NPR.ORG
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Hemp - USA - Hemp History Week coming up. Events taking place from June 1st -7th, 2015
> more
Medical marijuana changes life for Texas girl, Alexi Bortell. - kgns.tv
The results from medical marijuana are remarkable for Alexis. Seizures have gone from once a day in Texas to once a month in Colorado.
"We're not seeing symptom reduction," Dean Bortell said. "We're seeing symptom elimination."
> more
USA - Democratic Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders Supports Decriminalizing Marijuana and may be receptive to Legalizing it for Adult Use - dailycaller.com
> more
Colorado passes bill to allow Young patients to possess medicinal marijuana on school grounds. Jack Splitt, a 14-year-old suffers from spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy and dystonia is one of them. - durangoherald.com
> more
Oh God, Mom and Dad, You and Your Medical Marijuana Are So Embarrassing! Last night’s episode of True Life was titled “My Parents Love Their Weed.” What else do you possibly need to know? - gawker.com
> more
Hemp - Surrounded by hemp: Plan to use Colorado crop for building insulation. There are 159 registered Colorado hemp growers who have filed to plant 2,648 acres this year, according to the state Department of Agriculture. - TheCannabist.Co
> more
National Geographic - USA - Will Marijuana for Sick Kids Get the Federal Government to Rethink Marijuana Laws?
> more
Canada - USA - Deep in the weeds: How Colorado is dealing with legalized marijuana - Globe and Mail
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Marijuana Prohibition Is a Moral Scandal Built on a Mountain of Lies.
Why the war on weed is unscientific, unconstitutional, and unjust. - Reason.com
> more
Brazil to Allow the Import of CBD Hemp Oil Products from the U.S. - leafly.com
> more
Hemp - Small steps with super foods can make an impact. Incorporating super foods like hemp and chia seeds and goji berries is also an option. - camrosecanadian.com
> more
Forbes - Marijuana Prohibition Is Unscientific, Unconstitutional, And Unjust. - Jacob Sullum
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Jamaica hoping to be world leader in medical marijuana - jamaica-gleaner.com
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Canada - Tweed Marijuana’s physician outreach is a shrewd move, says M Partners - cantechletter.com
> more
Canada - BC - Video: Tantalus Labs' 115,000 square foot medical marijuana greenhouse under construction. Sun grown marijuana - theprovince.com
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Hemp - Living the high life: posh London postcode welcomes the UK's first Hemp/ Low THC Cannabis pharmacy. - express.co.uk
> more
Canada - Marijuana for PTSD rejected by Erin O'Toole, Conservative Veterans Affairs Minister. Mr. O'Toole ignores the experiences of many veterans. - cbc.ca
> more
Medical marijuana 420 Clinic opens in Calgary. - GlobalNews.Ca
The 420 Clinic is not a dispensary, and no marijuana will be kept on site. Instead, the clinic will help patients navigate new federal rules around how medical marijuana can be accessed.
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USA - 9-month-old Penelope McCall has been taking prescription medications to treat her Infantile Spasms her entire life, but now the McCall family is seeing a difference with an all-natural remedy, Marijuana Oil that does Not get her high. It has Low THC and high levels of CBD - wcyb.com
Marijuana.Ca comment - There is an incredible video at this link with an interview with Penelope's Mom, Ellen.
> more
Canada - Toronto - Interview with Damian Abraham about Marijuana. Abraham is the lead singer of Fucked Up. - Torontoist.com
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Hemp - Kentucky CBD: Back to the Future with Industrial Hemp - sfgate.com
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Canada - Video of Dr. Mark Ware. Montreal's McGill University launches first medical marijuana registry. - cbc.ca
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USA - War veteran, PTSD and Medical Marijuana: Vet, Jared Hunter, who uses marijuana for his PTSD faces possible imprisonment. - orlandoweekly.com
For his military service: Hunter earned an Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Combat Infantry Badge, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal. His military career ended when he was granted an honorable discharge with a medical disability of Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD.
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Canada - Medical marijuana ads on Vancouver radio prompt national agencies to pass to the left - TheProvince.com
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USA - Marijuana Prices - All 50 States Ranked By The Cost Of Weed. Oregon is the least expensive. - forbes.com
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Hemp - USA - Milford woman sells a range of hemp oil products. Body lotions, shampoos, lip balms, chocolates, cooking oils and protein mixes. - stamfordadvocate.com
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Canada - Press Release - Three licensed producers provide funding for launch of Quebec medicinal cannabis registry. Bedrocan, Tweed and Mettrum
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Canada - PTSD hospital admissions in Ontario double in 5 years. Study estimates more than 22,000 people in eastern Ontario suffer from PTSD. - cbc.ca
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USA - The legalization of marijuana in Michigan - michronicleonline.com
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Canada - BC - Father from Surrey, David Hutchinson, wants to see changes in medical marijuana laws. David lost his daughter, Beth, to brain cancer, is echoing an Ontario father’s calls for changes to this country’s medical marijuana laws. - cknw.com
> more
Hemp - Canada. Manitoba Harvest says plant a vital part of 'right-fat' diet. - winnipegsun.com
> more