MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press

Utah’s first medical cannabis dispensary, Dragonfly Wellness, opened in Salt Lake City March 2, as the state launched a slow rollout of its medical cannabis program, according to an ABC News report.

The online application process for patients to obtain medical cannabis cards launched March 1, the news outlet reported.

Gov. Gary Herbert signed legislation Feb. 28, just days before the medical cannabis program launched, that fine-tuned the state’s medical cannabis law. Key changes include dosage form requirements for cannabis products and provisions that protect state employees from penalties for using medical cannabis. Private businesses are not required to allow their employees to use medical cannabis under the law, however.

Utah’s second dispensary is expected to open this month, with seven more opening by June, according to ABC News. The state’s last five dispensaries will open in July.

Tennessee lawmakers plan to introduce a new medical cannabis legalization bill, called the Clinical Cannabis Authorization and Research Act, according to the Tennessean.

The legislation, which will be introduced through amendments by Sen. Steve Dickerson and Rep. Bryan Terry, would allow cannabis oils, tinctures, lotions and capsules, but not smokable cannabis, vapes or edibles, the news outlet reported.

The bill would create a regulatory framework for licensed businesses to grow and sell cannabis products, beginning by the end of this year, according to the Tennessean. Licenses would be capped at six medical cannabis cultivators and 75 dispensaries, but the state could also issue nine vertically integrated cannabis licenses, which would allow businesses to grow, process and sell cannabis products at up to five dispensary locations, the news outlet reported.

The legislation would also establish a new regulatory body, called the Clinical Cannabis Commission, which would issue medical cannabis cards to patients with one of a few dozen qualifying conditions who have been given a recommendation from a medical practitioner, the news outlet reported. Patients would be limited to a maximum of 2,800 milligrams of THC within a 30-day period under the bill.

Sen. Janice Bowling has also introduced medical cannabis legislation this year; in January, she reintroduced a bill that would allow qualified patients to access medical cannabis and license businesses to grow, distribute, transport and sell cannabis products for both medical use and scientific research.

Maine lawmakers voted March 2 to allow regulators to license adult-use cannabis delivery businesses, according to a Portland Press Herald report.

The legislative committee that oversees the state’s adult-use cannabis market approved a bill that would allow the Maine Office of Marijuana Policy to create and adult-use cannabis delivery license, the news outlet reported.

Lawmakers banned the sale of adult-use cannabis through vending machines, drive-thrus, online platforms and delivery services during their rewrite of the 2016 voter-approved initiative that legalized adult-use cannabis in the state, according to the Portland Press Herald. (Medical cannabis businesses, on the other hand, have always been authorized to deliver products to patients.)

When Senate President Troy Jackson first proposed L.D. 1621, opponents argued that its passage would force the Office of Marijuana Policy to rework its licensing regulations, which would ultimately delay the state’s launch of its adult-use cannabis market, according to the Portland Press Herald.

However, the committee vote could signal a shift on the issue of adult-use cannabis delivery, the news outlet reported. Supporters of the bill were able to win approval, in part, due to an amendment that bans home deliveries after 7 p.m. The legislation passed out of committee in a 7-3 vote, the Portland Press Herald reported.

LOS ANGELES, March 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PRESS RELEASE -- OG DNA Genetics, a globally recognized cannabis brand, has announced a licensing agreement with PurePenn LLC, a cultivator and producer of pharmaceutical-grade cannabis capsules, concentrates, tinctures, flower and oils for the Pennsylvania market.

The agreement will grant PurePenn license to the DNA brand, access to its proprietary award-winning genetics and standardized operating procedures for their cultivation at the PurePenn cultivation facility in McKeesport, Penn. PurePenn’s high-tech facility will be comprised of approximately 125,000 square feet of indoor cultivation and production upon completion of its ongoing expansion efforts.

“By partnering with PurePenn, we ensure a mutually beneficial relationship built on the foundation of commitment to quality and best practices,” said Don Morris, co-founder of DNA. “Each time we explore a potential licensing agreement, we look for the best possible partner in each market – PurePenn is that partner for Pennsylvania.”

Dedicated to cutting-edge innovation using the latest technology, highly trained and experienced scientists and operators, and the strictest safety standards, PurePenn's mission is to create the best marijuana-based medicine in Pennsylvania for patients in need.

For more than 15 years, genetics developed by DNA have won more than 200 awards in all categories at the most prestigious cannabis events around the world, making DNA the global standard in breeding and growing truly best-in-class strains. These awards include the High Times ‘Top 10 Strain of the Year’, which was inducted into The High Times seedbank hall of fame in 2009, the High Times 100 list of the most influential people in the industry and the High Times Trailer Blazers Award, for contributions made towards uniting the fields of entrepreneurship, politics and medicine.

CHICAGO (March 2, 2020)—PRESS RELEASE—Joe Caltabiano has announced his resignation as president of Cresco Labs. He intends to continue his role on Cresco’s Board of Directors.

“As the founder who brought the initial idea of entering into the regulated cannabis industry to the original Cresco team in 2013, this day is bittersweet,” Caltabiano noted. “Starting Cresco, and watching it grow to become one of the most important cannabis companies in the industry has been a dream come true. However, as a serial entrepreneur, I know it’s time for the next challenge. I leave the company in a great position to further our original mission.”

The Kentucky House passed a medical cannabis legalization bill Feb. 20, marking the first time legislation to legalize medical cannabis has received a full House vote in the state. While the momentum is encouraging, Matt Simon, legislative analyst at the Marijuana Policy Project ,said the bill’s fate in the Senate is still uncertain.

“It’s the first time a cannabis bill has received a vote in either chamber,” he told Cannabis Business Times. “Advocates have been pushing for years, and they finally got a bill out of committee last year, but couldn’t get a full floor vote, so this was the first time. It passed with a very healthy margin, and now the Senate is likely to be rather more challenging.”

While medical cannabis legalization may have the support it needs among senators, its Senate leadership that worries Simon.

“Senate President Robert Stivers in particular has been completely opposed to it,” he said. “Stivers said a year and a half ago that if patients want to feel better, they should drink Kentucky bourbon instead of [using] cannabis. … He and the other members of leadership have just fought tooth and nail to keep this from getting considered.”

However, momentum has been building in the state for years, and Simon said patients have been active for quite some time, coming to the statehouse and being persistent about meeting with lawmakers. The efforts have finally tipped the scales in the House, Simon said, and he hopes the Senate will listen to the people and approve the legislation before the legislative session ends March 31.

ILLINOIS: Cresco Labs, one of the largest vertically integrated multi-state cannabis operators in the United States, today announced that  has advised the Company of his decision to resign from the position of President effective immediately. Mr. Caltabiano’s management responsibilities will be taken up by CEO and Co-founder Charlie Bachtell as well as other members of the Read the full article...

OHIO: The Medical Marijuana Advisory Committee will hold a meeting on March 5, 2020. ADVISORY COMMITTEE The Medical Marijuana Advisory Committee is coordinated by the Board of Pharmacy. The Committee may develop and submit to the Department of Commerce, State Board of Pharmacy, and the State Medical Board any recommendations related to the Medical Marijuana Control Read the full article...

So far in this election cycle, cannabis reform hasn’t been a significant issue. Earlier in February, the question came up at the South Carolina debate, but the mechanics of any one candidate’s cannabis reform plan haven’t yet received close scrutiny from the press or Washington power brokers.

Across the board, it’s not even a cut-and-dried issue on the Democratic side of the primary season. Most of the remaining candidates support some degree of legalization, while Joe Biden and Michael Bloomberg have stuck close to the decriminalization argument. It’s a point that’s taken a backseat to more immediate national interests and broader economic and health care-related issues, but nonetheless the open question of cannabis reform is more visible than it’s ever been in presidential politics.

We published a poll asking cannabis business owners where they’re leaning as primary season heats up. Prior to Super Tuesday, we had at least seven candidates on the board. Then, Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar dropped out of the race.

In our poll, Buttigieg got the vote from 16% of respondents—second place overall in our results. While he went on to endorse Biden Monday night in Dallas, it’s unclear whether his base will follow his endorsement.

Much like in the actual primary campaign, Bernie Sanders led our poll with 44% of the vote (of 80 responses). He has maintained a strong pro-cannabis reform stance for a long time, speaking regularly about the importance of social justice and small business development—and going so far as to promise some sort of executive action on the first day of his presidency to legalize cannabis.

Here’s the full list of poll results:

Health Canada, the country’s department of health, is starting a committee to research how cannabis and related products can, or should, be used without a prescription or a doctor’s oversight.

The Science Advisory Committee for Health Products Containing Cannabis will “provide independent scientific and clinical advice to support the department’s consideration of appropriate safety, efficacy and quality standards for health products containing cannabis, including the conditions under which these products would be suitable to be used without practitioner oversight,” according to a news release.

The committee’s formation is part of an initiative to form cannabis-related regulations that began in Canada in 2018. As part of that initiative, from June to September of 2019, Health Canada sought feedback from the public and from industry professionals regarding the products they’d be interested in manufacturing, selling or purchasing if a legal pathway were established.

The focus of the new committee is on evidence-based advice and guidance. The committee will review available evidence regarding the use of products containing cannabis and will address specific scientific questions, review current and emerging scientific and clinical issues and provide evidence-based advice to help inform a potential regulatory path forward.

A sub-committee will also be formed to address cannabis use in animals.

The committee will be examining the evidence surrounding the safety, efficacy and quality of cannabis and specific cannabinoids when used therapeutically. The committee will also look at the current regulatory framework for cannabis products, the safety profile of existing products and what factors should be considered when determining dosage thresholds of specific cannabinoids.

New Jersey Senate President Stephen Sweeney has appointed social worker Krista Nash as the first official member of the state’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission, a panel charged with regulating the state’s cannabis industry, according to an NJ.com report.

The commission still needs four additional members before it can become operational, the news outlet reported; Gov. Phil Murphy must appoint three members and State Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin must appoint one under New Jersey’s expanded medical cannabis law.

The Jake Honig Compassionate Use Act, signed into law last year, expanded New Jersey’s medical cannabis program and established the commission to oversee it, NJ.com reported. (The New Jersey Department of Health has been handling the program.)

Once fully staffed, the commission will be responsible for drafting regulations for the state’s medical cannabis industry and, potentially, a legal adult-use cannabis market, if New Jersey voters approve an adult-use legalization ballot measure this November.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert signed legislation Feb. 28 that fine-tunes the state’s medical cannabis law days before the state is set to launch its first medical cannabis sales, according to a local KSL News Radio report.

S.B. 121, sponsored by Sen. Evan Vickers, contains several amendments to the state’s Medical Cannabis Act, which the legislature approved in December 2018 to make changes to Utah’s voter-approved medical cannabis ballot initiative.

Key changes include dosage form requirements for medical cannabis products and a provision that allows Utahns to bring medical cannabis in from outside the state in certain situations, KSL News Radio reported.

The law also allows certain cultivation facilities to operate at two locations and allows the facilities to hold educational events, as long as they comply with the Utah Department of Agriculture’s regulations, according to the news outlet.

Employees working for state-owned businesses are protected from penalties for using medical cannabis use under the new law, but private business owners are not required to allow their employees to use medical cannabis, KSL News Radio reported.

Minnesota regulators have asked lawmakers to establish a state cannabis office to oversee the state’s medical cannabis, hemp and CBD industries, as well as, potentially, an adult-use market, according to a Star Tribune report.

Officials from the state’s Pharmacy Board and departments of Agriculture, Health and Public Safety have asked for a centralized body, called the Office of Cannabis Management, to regulate the industry and prepare the state for the potential legalization of adult-use cannabis in the future, the news outlet reported. According to the various agencies, having one office to oversee the entire industry would bring together a variety of experts and help streamline regulation efforts, Star Tribune reported.

Patient enrollment in Minnesota’s medical cannabis program grew 27% from 2018 to 2019, and more than 18,000 patients are currently enrolled, according to the news outlet. In addition, the number of hemp farmers in the state grew from roughly 50 to 400 in the same timeframe, and more CBD products are increasingly being sold across the state, Star Tribune reported.

The Agriculture Department currently oversees Minnesota’s hemp program and has attempted to regulate CBD products alongside the Board of Pharmacy, according to the news outlet.

Regulators made a formal request to the Minnesota Legislature in January for a central cannabis office, Star Tribune reported, and members of a state work group have said that the proposed Office of Cannabis Management would help ease the regulatory burden on the other state agencies, which often do not have the manpower to oversee all facets of the cannabis industry.

OREGON:  OLCC Notice of Public Hearing. What: OAR 845-025-5760, Audit, Compliance, and Random Testing When:  2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m., Monday, March 16, 2020 Where: Oregon Liquor Control Commission, 9079 SE McLoughlin Blvd., Portland, OR 97222 Public Notice & Proposed Rule Draft The national outbreak of e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury (EVALI) has resulted in Read the full article...

A compound made by cannabis plants has been found to wipe out one of the most common drug-resistant bacteria in a study on mice, raising hopes of a new weapon in the fight against superbugs.

Public health agencies worldwide have identified antibiotic resistance of disease-causing bacteria as one of humanity's most critical challenges.

Click here to read the complete article

Nikki Hancocks ~ NutraIngredients.com ~ 

Considering the neuroprotective effects of cannabinoids and the anti-spastic effects of cannabinoids in multiple sclerosis patients, it only makes sense to consider their use in ALS. Preclinical work and some patient reports are promising.

ALS causes the degeneration of nerves that control voluntary muscle movement, like those that allow us to chew, speak, and walk.

Charlie Wedemeyer was one of Hawaii’s greatest athletes when he attended Punahou School in the 1960s.

He was the quarterback for the football team, but also excelled at basketball and baseball. 

Click here to read the complete article

COLORADO: Just how big is Colorado’s legal cannabis business?  Here are the official MED numbers, as of February, 2020.

Hartford, CT — PRESS RELEASE — On March 2, the Judiciary Committee will hold a public hearing on legislation that would end prohibition and regulate marijuana for adult use in Connecticut.

In early February, Senate President Pro Tem Martin Looney (D) and House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz (D) introduced Governor’s Bill No. 16, which would allow adults 21 and older to possess and purchase up to one and a half ounces of cannabis from licensed retailers. A summary of the marijuana regulation bill can be found here.

Prior to the hearing, the Connecticut Coalition to Regulate Marijuana joined together with prominent supporters for a press conference to rally support for legislation to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana for adult use in Connecticut.

Veterans, civil rights activists, clergy, law enforcement, healthcare professionals, minority business advocates, economists, social workers, state leaders and legislators came together to voice their support for action on the Governor’s Bill and stayed to testify at the public hearing.

Organizations represented included the Connecticut Coalition to Regulate Marijuana; the Commission on Women, Children, and Seniors; the New England Veterans Alliance; the Minority Cannabis Business Association; Clergy United for Marijuana Reform; the State Department of Consumer Protection; Doctors for Cannabis Regulation; Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America; ACLU CT; The Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis at the University of Connecticut, School of Business; the Connecticut Progressive Caucus; the Working Families Party; and municipal and state representatives of Bloomfield, Bridgeport, East Hartford, Hamden, Hartford, New Haven, and Stamford. 

OKLAHOMA: Beginning April 1st, all marijuana product sold by a grower or processor will be required to be tested by an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) licensed laboratory. The mandatory testing requirements were created by the Oklahoma Legislature and went into effect on Nov 1st, 2019. Since that time, the OMMA has been creating the Read the full article...

Ashkelon, March 1, 2020 – PRESS RELEASE – Univo (TASE: UNVO), which owns a plant for the production of medical cannabis products under the new Ministry of Health regulations and sells products in accordance with the IMC-GMP standard to pharmacies in Israel, and also owns a farm currently under construction for the cultivation of medical cannabis, has announced an agreement with Canopy Growth for exclusive collaboration in Israel.

Canopy is traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TOR:WEED.CA) at an estimated value of 8.8 billion Canadian dollars, and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:CGC) at a value of 6.6 billion U.S. dollars. The company has more than 3,000 employees and is one of the companies holding the most extensive knowledge and experience in the world, including in the operation of medical cannabis growing farms in the United States, in Europe and in Africa. The agreement with Univo is the company’s first entry into Israel.

As part of the exclusive agreement in Israel, Univo will in the first stage import into Israel 470 kg of dry medical cannabis grown by Canopy, produce its products with Canopy’s raw materials – products that will bear Univo’s logo and brand, and will exclusively distribute them as finished products in pharmacies in the Israeli market. Univo will import and produce under the GACP standard from which it will produce GMP-standard products, subject to the approvals and guidelines of the Medical Cannabis Agency at the Ministry of Health. In the second stage, Canopy will order manufacturing and processing services from the company at its plant in Ashkelon and will have the right to enter into agreement with Univo as producer and distributor of medical cannabis products under the EU-GMP standard in European markets, subject to the required approvals.

Golan Bitton, CEO of Univo, said, “The agreement with Canopy is a strategic move attesting to Univo’s positioning in the local and the international market as a leading company. The agreement is also proof that there is an advantage in building a technological plant with a large production capacity and with future technological capability for producing products of high quality and to international standards. The agreement will enable us to grow both our market share in Israel, without being dependent on the farm and on local supply, and to continue selling and expanding our product portfolio of medical cannabis products of the highest quality, while laying the foundation for Canopy to produce in the international market.”

Univo recently completed expansion of a commercial agreement with Can-Fite, whereby the parties expanded the scope of the collaboration between them for research on the integration of medical cannabis into the treatment of liver cancer and other cancer indications. Under this framework, Univo will receive an additional c. 400,000 dollars after already having received 500,000 dollars from Can-Fite and allotment of shares without consideration (holding 8.57% of Can-Fite).