MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press

The DEA first announced its intent to license private entities to grow Cannabis for FDA approved clinical trials in 2016.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is proposing to amend its regulations to comply with the requirements of the Controlled Substances Act, including consistency with treaty obligations, in order to facilitate the cultivation of "marihuana" for research and other licit purposes, according to the Federal Register.

"Specifically, this proposed rule would amend the provisions of the regulations governing applications by persons seeking to become registered with DEA to grow 'marihuana' as bulk manufacturers and add provisions related to the purchase and sale of this 'marihuana' by DEA."

Click here to read the complete article

Sara Brittany Somerset ~ Forbes.com ~ 

We caught up with NORML Director Erik Altieri to find out the best ways to get stoned during COVID-19.

In the wake of the global coronavirus pandemic, government and health officials have issued mandates and guidelines to help slow the spread of the illness, from the shutdown of Broadway to shelter-in-place — and as a result, many people are struggling to maintain a semblance of normalcy.

Click here to read the complete article

Allie Volpe ~ RollingStone.com ~ 

According to a recent survey, 85% of realtors say they have seen no change to property values near dispensaries.

As marijuana dispensaries are on the rise with more states opting to legalize the recreational use of the drug, some may wonder how other industries are being affected by it, if at all.

One industry that is actually not seeing much of a change is real estate.

Click here to read the complete article

Erika Gonzalez, Patricia Fantis and NBC Washington Staff ~

Michigan’s recreational marijuana industry continued its steady ascent in February, based on the latest monthly statistical report released by the state Marijuana Regulatory Agency.

Monthly recreational marijuana sales hit $14.8 million, a 34% increase over the nearly $9.8 million in January sales.

The first full month of recreational sales, which began Dec. 1, logged $7 million in sales.

Click here to read the complete article

Gus Burns ~ Mlive.com ~

Medical marijuana continues to be sold at state-approved dispensaries in Pennsylvania.

The dispensaries are akin to pharmacies and therefore considered “essential” businesses.

At least one dispensary owner is working to ensure that card-carrying patients can still get their medicines if they get sick with the coronavirus.

Click here to read the complete article

Sam Wood ~ Philadelphia Inquirer ~ 

Is my cannabis dispensary still open? In the season of COVID-19, that question just got a lot more complicated.

Cities, counties, and states across the US began issuing stay-at-home orders this week for all but essential commerce and travel.

Is weed essential? You bet your bong it is. For many folks it’s medical.

Online ordering, Leafly Pickup, and delivery services can really shine in the coming weeks. Restrictions will vary from place to place, and over time, depending on local conditions. 

Click here to read the complete article

If you’re not currently receiving any treatment for insomnia, or if your current treatment isn’t enhancing the duration and quality of your sleep, you may want to give cannabis a try.

Ask any CBD or THC supplier and one of the main referrals for their product is sleep disorders. Known to be a natural sleep aid, cannabis and CBD oil has been proven to assist with insomnia and better sleep.

Here are five things to understand about the effect cannabis has on getting a better night’s sleep.

Click here to read the complete article

Kate-Madonna Hindes ~ TheFreshToast.com ~ 

Toilet paper, hand sanitizer and food aren’t the only things flying off the shelves amid the coronavirus scare in Southern California.

Marijuana is the latest addition to the consumer stockpile. Industry professionals are enjoying the spike in sales, which has prompted one proprietor to buy two used Priuses in the past week as deliveries soar.

He said he is planning to buy three more in case his dispensaries are ordered shut and he has to transition his shop workers to drivers. 

Click here to read the complete article

Joe Nelson and Brooke Staggs ~ San Bernardino Sun via OCRegister.com ~ 

The UCLA Cannabis Research Initiative has been awarded a $3.9 million grant to investigate whether cannabis terpenes can help reduce the use of opioids in pain treatment.

The National Institutes of Health National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health have awarded a $3.9 million grant to the University of California, Los Angeles Cannabis Research Initiative to study whether terpenes can reduce the amount of opioid medication a person needs to lessen pain.

The funding will allow Ziva Cooper, research director of the UCLA Cannabis Research Initiative, to study the entourage effect, or how terpenes and THC interact with each other.

Click here to read the complete article

TG Branfalt ~ Ganjapreneur.com ~ 

People stocked up before lockdowns went into effect, and delivery is strong — but as the coronavirus pandemic progresses, cannabis businesses aren’t in the clear.

On a rainy evening in Los Angeles, the flagship store for Genius, a cannabis brand catering to hipsters and tourists on Melrose Avenue, is empty.

A lone budtender wearing latex gloves stands behind glass display cases in the middle of the showroom, surrounded by vapes and edibles and jars of flower. 

Click here to read the complete article

Mary Jane Gibson ~ RollingStone.com ~ 

Anxiety is a defining element of OCD and can be so all-consuming that it erodes one’s sense of self. There is already considerable evidence that cannabis can help regulate anxiety and stress when delivered in the right dose.

Chances are, you’ve heard OCD used flippantly as a pejorative.

Claiming to have OCD tendencies, or accusing someone else of OCD behavior, makes light of a mental health condition that affects as many as one in forty adults.

Click here to read the complete article

Emma Stone ~ Leafly.com ~ 

Cannabis jobs pay 11% more than the average salary in the United States. Cannabis is hot and the range of cannabis jobs is even hotter.

Cannabis is an industry and the boom in jobs has been huge.

Even with some layoffs and business closures, cannabis is beating the manufacturing industry in job creation.

Click here to read the complete article

Veronica Castillo ~ TheFreshToast.com ~ 

The National Football League is about to make a dramatic change to its drug testing policy thanks to a new collective bargaining agreement that was brokered between players and owners over the weekend.

Under the new CBA, players will no longer face suspensions for positive marijuana tests, and the drug testing period will be restricted to the first two weeks of training camp. The threshold for a positive marijuana test will now rise from from 35 to 150 nanograms of THC, according to ESPN.

“The idea is to focus the drug program on clinical care as opposed to punishment. Basically, if you test positive, your test gets reviewed by a board of jointly appointed medical professionals to determine whether you need any kind of treatment. The NFLPA deal memo also says that ‘violations of law for marijuana possession generally will not result in suspension.’”

Click here to read the complete article

Thomas Edward~High Times

Cannabis stores in Ontario and Alberta reported “unprecedented demand” as the country hunkers down to fight a worsening coronavirus outbreak, industry sources say.

Executives told Marijuana Business Daily there is no threat to supply chains at this time, and safety measures have been put into place for employees and consumers.

Spiritleaf CEO Darren Bondar said his 46 stores “experienced an unprecedented demand for cannabis over the weekend with sales up 20% over the previous one and a record number of customers served.

Click here to read the complete article

Matt Lamers~Marijuana Business Daily

As governors and mayors across North America order the shutdown of bars, restaurants, and gathering events, cannabis stores are experiencing a dramatic surge in sales that started over the weekend and now continues into the work week.

Consumers are stocking up now, eyeing their potential future over in Europe, where some nations have closed all retail outlets except food stores and pharmacies.

Click here to read the complete article

Bruce Barcott and David Downs ~ Leafly

For a professional athlete, a typical bad day at the office might include a broken rib, torn ligaments, or mild traumatic brain injury. So it’s unsurprising that drug use—both legal and illegal—is rampant amongst these modern-day gladiators, who depend on substances not only to enhance their performance, but also to ease their pain. As cannabis legalization spreads across the US, bringing the popularity of plant-derived natural compounds such as CBD along with it, professional sports leagues in the US are updating their policies accordingly.

Three months after Major League Baseball announced that it would remove cannabis from its list of “drugs of abuse,” and treat cannabis consumption more like that of alcohol, a new memo reported by ESPN shows the league is further clarifying its policy. According to ESPN, deputy commissioner Dan Halem wrote the league retains the right to punish players who break existing laws—possession, distribution, and driving under the influence among them—and that players who turn up to practice, games, or other league events visibly under the influence will be subject to a “mandatory evaluation” and potential treatment program.

Click here to read the complete article

Jenni Avins ~ Quartz

Half of patients (47%) got enough relief from cannabis to reduce or cease their painkiller usage.

Fibromyalgia is an intractable condition defined by chronic, widespread pain and debilitation.

But a recent study published in Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology demonstrated that cannabis can be used effectively to remedy these problems, at least by some patients.

Click here to read the complete article

Adrian Devitt-Lee ~ ProjectCBD.org ~

Members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe passed a referendum to legalize medical and recreational marijuana on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, according to preliminary results from the tribe’s election commission.

A proposal to allow alcohol in the tribe’s casino failed. The results of Tuesday’s vote will be certified in the next week.

In the tally from all precincts announced on Wednesday morning, both medical and recreational marijuana passed by wide margins, with 82% of voters approving medical marijuana and 74% approving recreational pot. 

Click here to read the complete article

Stephen Groves ~ Associated Press ~ 

New Jersey’s top court ruled Tuesday that workers can’t be fired for failing a drug test because of medical marijuana.

As long as employees are not under the influence of the drug at work, the state Supreme Court said medical marijuana patients remain protected by the Law Against Discrimination, echoing an earlier appellate court decision.

While Tuesday’s case involved one former funeral home director who lost his job, the implications are broad.

Click here to read the complete article

Blake Nelson ~ NJ Advance Media for NJ.com ~

A new study found that Colorado’s hospitality industry can thank legal weed for making $130 million in revenue since the state first launched adult-use sales in 2014.

In 2012, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock openly opposed recreational pot legalization in Colorado. He warned voters that the “perception that Denver is the marijuana capital” would “disproportionately harm” the Mile High City’s largest industry: tourism.

History has proven Hancock wrong. 

Click here to read the complete article

Randy Robinson ~ MerryJane.com ~