MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press
A hi-tech incubator for the development of breakthrough medical cannabis technologies will be established in Yeroham, the Israel Innovation Authority and Economy Ministry announced Monday.
Projecting an estimated investment of NIS 150 million into the small Negev town, the tender to operate the government-backed CanNegev incubator was awarded to crowdfunding investment platform OurCrowd, nonprescription pharmaceutical giant Perrigo and Israeli medical cannabis cultivator BOL Pharma.
Click here to read the complete article
Eytan Halon ~ Jerusalem Post ~
“I think Ohio is missing the boat,” the Cincinnati man said. “They could literally make a lot of money from (recreational) marijuana.”
The line outside Exclusive Brands – a medical and recreational marijuana store, grower and processor in a business park on the south end of town – wrapped around the side of the building and down the block, with customers waiting around three hours Friday afternoon and 3 ½ hours on Saturday.
Many were from Ohio.
Click here to read the complet article
Laura Hancock ~ Cleveland.com ~
OHIO: The State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy today awarded a Dispensary Certificate of Operation to Rise, located at 11818 Madison Ave., Lakewood. The Board has now issued 46 Dispensary Certificates of Operation. The interactive map of Dispensaries with Certificates of Operation will be updated within two business days.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending the comment period for the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program interim final rule until Jan. 29, 2020, to allow stakeholders additional time to provide feedback. USDA published the interim final rule on Oct. 31, 2019, as authorized by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill). Read the full article...
OHIO: Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program Mandatory Product Recall 12/20/19: TOPIC: Mandatory Product Recall ISSUE: The Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program (MMCP) is issuing a mandatory product recall. This recall is being initiated by the MMCP because product destined for a processor was erroneously packaged for sale to a dispensary. Consequently, the product was not tested for heavy Read the full article...
LAKELAND, FL – December 20, 2019 – PRESS RELEASE Metrc, a solution for cannabis and hemp governance, closed out a record year of growth in 2019, serving more than 121,000 users and helping states record more than $11.5 billion in cannabis industry sales. The year of record growth was complimented by key hires in the company’s executive suite including Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Technology Officer (CTO).
“2019 has been a monumental year for Metrc,” said Metrc CEO Jeff Wells. “Our team grew by over 60% in the last 12 months to meet the increased demand for our services, making us the leading small business in this space.”
Through the company’s partnerships with 12 states and the District of Columbia, Metrc serves 15,000 business licenses and has marked over one billion supply chain events, including harvests, transports and tests.
In addition, the company hired Lewis Koski as COO and promoted Jesse Naranjo as its first CTO in 2019. Koski was director of the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division, where he helped build the first state agency to develop and implement medical and adult-use cannabis policy. Koski most recently co-founded Freedman & Koski, where he served as senior director and partnered with government agencies to build model cannabis policies. Naranjo was promoted to CTO after serving as the company’s leading software developer since 2012. A proud Cuban-American immigrant, self-taught English speaker and computer science engineer, Naranjo is the company’s first CTO.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the winners of the state’s 10 medical cannabis testing lab licenses Dec. 19, according to a USA Today report.
The approved facilities include:
Botannis Labs MO. Corp. in SpringfieldGCA, Inc. in HerculaneumEKG Life Science Solutions, LLC in St. LouisFarma Laboratories LLC in Platte CityInovatia AgriTesting Services, LLC in FayetteGreen Orchard Labs, LLC in ChillicotheClearWater Science LLC in Kingdom CityContiCorp LLC in GalenaGreen Hills Labs, LLC in Moscow MillsCloud TEN, LLC in St. LouisAt least 17 applications were submitted for the testing licenses, USA Today reported, and this is the first of six licensing rounds to license the medical cannabis supply chain in the state.
The licensed labs will be responsible for testing the products sold through the state's dispensaries for contaminants like chemicals and mold, and must also verify THC levels, according to the news outlet.
The Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission held its first meeting Dec. 18 to begin exploring ways to manufacture or import medical cannabis oil for the state’s nearly 14,000 registered patients, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Patients have been allowed to possess low-THC cannabis oil (containing less than 5-percent THC) since 2015, but had no way to legally obtain the product in the state until Gov. Brian Kemp signed a law in April that called for a regulated system for the in-state production, processing and sale of the oil.
The law established the commission and tasked it with establishing regulations for the program, as well as issuing business licenses and creating a distribution network for the oil. State officials appointed members to the commission last month, including three doctors, a police chief, a health policy professor, the president of the Georgia Board of Pharmacy and a small business owner. The commission is chaired by Dr. Christopher Edwards, the principal surgeon for the Atlanta Neurological & Spine Institute.
Six companies will ultimately be licensed to cultivate medical cannabis, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported, and the commission will also explore ways to import cannabis oil from other states or grow it at state universities. The oil will be tested for purity and dosages will be determined, according to the news outlet.
Going forward, the commission plans to hire a director, create a website and host monthly public meetings, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
“By law, you and your spouse cannot own both retail and production. So we haven't been able to get married because neither one of us wants to sell our business.”
It wasn’t under the Eiffel Tower or at New Years. When Nick Mayer proposed to his long-time girlfriend Maryam Mirnateghi.
"it was fairly humble," he said. Dinner at an Italian restaurant in Seattle. Some wine. Mayer got down on one knee. A sentimental “Let’s spend our lives together” kind of thing. That was six years ago.
Click here to read the complete article
Anna Boiko-Weyrauch ~ KUOW.org ~
"To ensure safe travel for all residents and visitors, we're encouraging all travelers not to bring cannabis through Chicago's airports as it still remains illegal under federal law," said Chicago Police Commander William Mullane.
With Christmas just days away, many people are preparing for the big holiday escape.
Both the roads and airports are expected to be busy with travelers, but if you're flying, there's a warning about bringing marijuana to the airport.
Click here to read the complete article
Jesse Kirsch ~ ABC7Chicago.com ~
It’s no secret that cannabis isn’t a cure-all. While regular consumption for recreational purposes at the ever-increasing potencies available on the legal market today still appears to have a fairly low level of health risk for the average person, potential cardiovascular impact remains an important consideration for those managing heart disease.
Due to the legal status of cannabis in the United States, studies on cannabis-related cardiovascular events have been primarily observational and self-reported, often pulling from small population samples without differentiation of consumption method. Aside from an incident with a 90mg THC lollipop, almost all studied risks of cannabis on cardiovascular function are based on users of inhaled combustible cannabis – and there’s plenty of data to suggest smoking of any kind may be of particular concern for those with pre-existing cardiovascular disease (CVD). Obviously, more complete clinical data is still needed, but there are a few red flags to consider already in regard to cannabis and heart health.
According to an article published by Harvard Medical School, patients with established heart disease who were also under stress have reported an increased likelihood of chest pain after smoking cannabis. THC, the primary psychoactive substance in adult-use market cannabis, has been shown to increase resting heart rate, dilate blood vessels, and make the heart pump harder – particularly within the first hour after smoking – raising concerns about an increased risk of heart attack immediately after consumption. These effects may be compounded by amplified stress levels within an individual.
Of course, as access continues to outpace transparent consumer education on responsible use, over-consumption of THC and the anxiety-producing effects that intolerance to high potencies can bring may be exasperating the experience of increased stress as well. So, while THC or other cannabinoids may correlate with cardiovascular changes, many of these symptoms may be more directly associated with raised anxiety levels after consuming or even other unknown factors.
Absent of an immediate and major cardiac event, symptoms of cardiac toxicity generally subside quickly and can be avoided with carefully measured dosing. Someone with a pre-existing heart condition who finds needed pain relief from cannabis may still be able to consume without significant risk but should be in communication with a cannabis-educated clinician or trained consultant who can provide observation and guidance. However, cute symptoms in consumers with pre-existing cardiac concerns may not be the only cardiological consideration with cannabis.
Regular Cannabis Use Linked to Structural Changes in the Heart
In a report released this week in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) on Cardiovascular Imaging, researchers at Queen Mary University of London have found a possible link between regular cannabis use and its impact on structural and functional changes to the heart.
TORONTO and DENVER, Dec. 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PRESS RELEASE -- MJardin Group, Inc., a cannabis production company, has announced that it has received its cultivation and processing license from Health Canada for “Warman,” a 120,000-square-foot retro-fitted cultivation facility located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the largest in the company’s portfolio.
Phase 1 construction of the building is complete and cultivation in this area will begin immediately.
“This is a great milestone for our flagship facility in Winnipeg and a great day for the team,” said Pat Witcher, chief executive officer of MJardin Group. “The timing of this achievement keeps us on schedule to reach full capacity in Manitoba by the end of 2020. It also allows us to focus more of our production on extraction at this facility and take full advantage of that high value market.”
Design plans for the full Phase 1 and 2 areas of the Warman facility were released this summer and include a hybrid facility encompassing indoor and greenhouse production capacity, along with full EU GMP certified extraction, processing and packaging capabilities. The completed Phase 2 build-out, expected to be complete in Q4 2020, will see the facility reach production capacity of approximately 4,500 kg of high-quality dried flower and 800 litres of bulk oil for use in refined products.
On Oct. 4, 2019, MJardin announced that the company received a C$11 million payment towards the previously announced letter of intent (LOI) joint venture agreement with Peguis First Nation (51%) that will see Peguis purchase the existing land and buildings from MJardin and additionally fund the capital expenditures required to complete Phase 2 of the facility for approximately C$20.5 million. The joint venture agreement is expected to close in early 2020.
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- PRESS RELEASE -- Lil Wayne, the artistic giant and connoisseur of cannabis, has announced the launch of GKUA Ultra Premium. With an emphasis on purity, GKUA Ultra Premium offers a line of high-potency cannabis products designed to provide consumers with the best high of their lives.
This unique new brand celebrates the best cannabis in the world, with some of the highest natural levels of THC available. GKUA Ultra Premium flower is sourced from the most experienced growers, who produce strains that are very limited, incredibly potent and impossibly difficult to find.
"I used to just want to get high, now I smoke to get inspired," said Lil Wayne. "With GKUA, I'm sharing a feeling that I love."
Beyond the products, GKUA celebrates culture and artistic achievement. As Lil Wayne has done throughout his career, GKUA will support new artists in multiple mediums, such as fashion designers, song writers, musicians, models, dancers and visual artists through artistic collaborations that promote not only the brand, but the GKUA lifestyle.
"The combination of our incredible products, market knowledge and commitment to quality, paired with the unmatched fanbase of Lil Wayne, the ultimate cannabis connoisseur, creates an unprecedented opportunity to create a cannabis brand that values creativity and the artistic pursuit," said Beau Golob, president and co-founder GKUA Inc. "It's an honor to lead this company along with Lil Wayne, curating a premium line of products that inspires people and feeds their creativity. This is historic and really exciting!"
TORONTO, Dec. 4, 2019 /CNW/ - PRESS RELEASE - Khiron Life Sciences Corp., a vertically integrated cannabis company with core operations in Latin America, welcomes the announcement from ANVISA, the National Agency for Health Surveillance of Brazil, establishing a legalized environment for the sale and consumption of cannabis for medical use. The new regulations will be published in the coming days on the Federal Official Gazette and enter into law 90 days after that.
In the announcement from ANVISA, a new class of medical cannabis-based products will be prescribed by doctors and sold through pharmacies, enabling patient safe and legal access. The regulatory framework sets a comprehensive procedure for the manufacture and import of these products as well as the requirements for commercialization, prescription, dispensing, monitoring and supervision of cannabis products for medical purposes. The resolution was approved unanimously and is valid for an initial three-year term.
Andres Galofre, Khiron co-founder and vice president, business development, commented, "We congratulate legislators and the health authority in Brazil for their leadership in establishing a legalized environment for medical cannabis in the country. With a population of over 200 million, this will directly benefit the health and wellbeing of a significant number of patients in Brazil and affirms our position as a LatAm leader in a rapidly globalizing cannabis market."
Khiron has a firmly established market-entry strategy for Brazil, with Dormul S.A., its wholly owned subsidiary based in Uruguay giving the company access to the Brazilian market through the Mercosur Regional Trading Bloc. The company has initiated pre-clinical medical cannabis studies with the Universidad de la República of Uruguay and Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, providing direct strategic opportunity for three million patients for medical cannabis in Uruguay, and a Brazilian market of 3.4 million (New Frontier Data). Further, on Nov. 29, the company announced it had received authorization from the Colombian Technical Quotas Group (TQG) for the commercialization of medical use High THC cannabis for domestic and export purposes, including to Brazil, with manufacture to begin in Q1 2020.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PRESS RELEASE -- Isracann Biosciences Inc., an Israel-based company focused on becoming a premier low cost, high quality cannabis producer for both domestic and European export sales, has advised that it has received the requisite facility design and land use approvals from the Israeli Land Authority preparatory to construction permitting and awarding of building contracts for the proposed phase 1 build-out. Prior to commencement of construction, the company will require the approval of the Israeli Settlement Commissioner and the Israeli Ministry of Health. These approvals are pending.
Isracann’s plans call for the construction of greenhouse facilities in Nir, Israel. Isracann has finalized engineering drawings from AgroPlan Ltd., an architectural design firm with extensive cannabis experience. The company solicited and received detailed proposals from multiple cannabis specialty greenhouse construction firms within Israel (and abroad) that specialize in the design, construction and implementation in support of cannabis agricultural projects. Contract awards were predicated upon receipt of land use approvals and will now move ahead expeditiously.
Phase I involves the fabrication of two Isracann facilities totaling up to 115,000 square feet. Each of the greenhouses is based on a 57,500-square-foot floorplan with an estimated annual production capacity of 5,750 kg of dried cannabis flower. The facilities will be built to comply with the Israeli Medical Cannabis Good Agricultural Practices (IMC-GAP) and Good Security Practices (IMC-GSP).
Each facility is custom designed to meet or exceed regional environmental needs and is proposed to feature a highly ventilated framework with curtains on all four sides of the vaulted roof configuration. The structural designs are in accordance with Israeli standards (steel structure code 1225, load standards 412/1992 and 414/1982). The preliminary design was approved by the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development. The two phase 1 Isracann greenhouses will have an eight-foot-tall fence surrounding the facilities with an electronic gate for vehicular access for added security. Additionally, a closed-circuit television system will be installed to comply with Israeli Medical Cannabis Agency regulations.
The scope of the project includes a roof design employing polyethylene sheets specifically installed for cannabis cultivation in order to achieve maximum advantage of the unique sunlight exposure in Israel. The cooling and ventilation system utilize three types of fans that help control temperature, humidity and radiation throughout the entire facility. The packing facility includes offices with a built-in kitchen for employees, and a post-harvest area totaling 6,500 square feet featuring dedicated drying, curing and trimming rooms.
"I see a lot of veterans that are addicted to opioids and I know that they would probably not be taking so many pills if they had another alternative."
A controversy is brewing involving veterans and medical marijuana.
VA doctors can’t prescribe it because it’s not approved by the FDA and it's illegal in the eyes of the federal government. Some veterans hope that will soon change.
Click here to read the complete article
Albert Pefley ~ CBS12.Com ~
A pot shop in Massachusetts is making history this holiday season by becoming the first dispensary in the state to sell gift cards.
WWLP reported that Insa received approval from the state Cannabis Control Commission to make gift cards available.
The gift cards can be purchased and redeemed at Insa dispensaries in Easthampton, Springfield and Salem.
Click here to read the complete article
NBC 10 News ~
Medical marijuana production in Italy may triple in 2020 as the government aims to lesser its reliance on imports, according to Marijuana Business Daily.
The only organization with the license to cultivate medical cannabis in Italy, Stabilimento Chimico Farmaceutico di Firenze (SCFF), was recently authorized by Italy's health ministry to produce 500 kilograms of cannabis flower in 2020, the publication said.
This year's production is reportedly expected to total less than 200 kilograms.
Click here to read the complete article
Nina Zdinjak ~ Benzinga.com ~
WASHINGTON: The WSLCB yesterday adopted a fundamental re-rewrite of the Packaging and Labeling rules. The new rules were developed collaboratively the with the industry, prevention community, and other stakeholders. These rules will become effective January 1, 2020. Licensees will have until July 1, 2020 to bring all product packaging and labeling into compliance. Retailers will have until Read the full article...
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Congressman Denver Riggleman sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, to discuss potential changes to the implementation of the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program. The letter suggested improvements to benefit farmers and align the rules with the realities that hemp farmers face while growing. “Virginia and the 5th District are uniquely positioned Read the full article...
