June 9, 2018
‌
THIS IS WEEDWEEK.
BECAUSE CANNABIS NEWS MATTERS.
DID YOU KNOW? You can list  your conferences, festivals and parties  for FREE on the site. 
Check out those  upcoming events here .

Would you appreciate a WeedWeek supplement with more news from  California ? Or more news about  hemp ? Sign up at the appropriate link.

If you consider WeedWeek a valuable resource, consider supporting us with a  monthly contribution on Patreon .

Swag and discounts start at  $2 a month ..

Brandbuilding opportunities to appear in the newsletter with your links and social media handles start at only  $50 a month .
LIKE US.
FOLLOW US:


ALEX HALPERIN
IN OTHER WEEDWEEK NEWS:

Crypto? I hardly know you

This week, Hayley and Alex talk to Ken Ramirez CEO of cryptocurrency company Alt Thirty Six on his plans to serve the green market. Plus, Trump's Right-to-Try Bill and more!

The episode lands Monday by 4:20 p.m. Pacific.

Don't forget to   rate us five stars on iTunes   !

Previous episodes:
-Episode 21 The CBD Episode with Julie Winter of topicals maker  CBD for Life and Dr. Jordan Tishler, of  Inhale MD,
-Episode 20 Dominatrix and cannabis entrepreneur  Mistress Matisse talks sex workers' rights and her canna-lube brand  Velvet Swing.
-Episode 19  Janice Hardoon, of L.A.'s  KTown Collective on surviving legalization.
-Episode 18  Alan Brochstein, founder of  New Cannabis Ventures, on how to get rich investing in pot stocks.
-Episode 17  Oakland veterinarian  Dr. Gary Richter on pot for pets
-Episide 16  Jennifer Lujan, director of social impact at  Eaze.
-Episode 15 Combat veteran and  IHeartJane CEO  Socrates Rosenfeld.
-Episode 14 Chef     Holden Jagger of SoCal caterer   Altered Plates discusses the alchemy of cooking with cannabis
-Episode 12 Cannabis attorney     Hilary Bricken on what's not working in the California market.   A must listen for professionals!

Comments or feedback?  Don't be shy.

Interested in sponsorship opportunities? Of course you are!  Contact here.
WeedWeek Canada is a Saturday morning newsletter for professionals in the world's largest fully-legal cannabis market. It's the best way to keep up with the vast Canadian green rush.

In today's issue:
-So many legalization amendments
-Cities scramble to get ready
-Industry insiders on the last weeks before legalization

And much more!

Sign up today for a FREE ONE MONTH trial subscription.

Subscriptions are US$15 for one month, US$72 for six months and US$120 for a year. That's as low as $10/month.

Contact Adrienne Nascimento for corporate rates.
*
Aloha from Honolulu! I'll be hanging out here for a few days. Anyone you think I should contact? Email [email protected]

The 2018 U.S. midterm elections are coming. And the primaries are already here. Register to vote and/or get the information you need to register here.
Here's the news.
POLITICS
Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) introduced bipartisan legislation to protect state-legal cannabis use and transactions , and remove hemp from the list of controlled substances. The bill is called Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States Act, or just the STATES Act.

President Trump said he’s likely to support the measure.
Meanwhile, the House Rules Committee, chaired by prohibitionist Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), blocked four marijuana-related bills from reaching the House floor for a vote. Three involved veterans, one involved water rights for marijuana and hemp growers.

A new poll found 65% of Americans think smoking cannabis is morally acceptable , about as many as support legalization.

Marijuana.com sat down with Gavin Newsom (D) , the longtime legalization supporter who finished first in this week’s California gubernatorial primary.

California extended emergency license rules by 180 days.

An environmental group has sued Humboldt County over cannabis growing regulations it says do not protect local watersheds.

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper vetoed a bill which would have allowed dispensary “tasting rooms.” He also vetoed bills which would 1) Add autism as a qualifying condition for MED and 2) Allow public companies to invest in Colorado cannabis companies.

In Florida, there’s a new legal challenge to MED license applications.

Wealthy legalization activist John Morgan called on Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) to drop his appeal to ban smokable cannabis.

Rep. Doug Lamborn (R), who represents conservative Colorado Springs, discussed illegal growing on public lands.

Despite efforts, Michigan Republicans won’t legalize REC legislatively in a bid to depress liberal voter turnout in November. Applicants say getting a MED license in Michigan is too expensive .

Detroit is making another effort to regulate MED.

Ohio’s MED program won’t be ready by the September 8 deadline. The state issued 56 MED dispensary permits , out of 376 applications.

Oklahoma’s upcoming MED ballot initiative has divided people of faith . Supporters of the measure expect it to pass . (Oklahoma recently surpassed Louisiana as the world’s incarceration capital. )

An Arkansas regulator accused an unsuccessful license applicant of trying to bribe him.

The world is watching Canada, as it’s poised to become the first industrialized nation to legalize REC.

On Thursday Canada’s Senate passed legalization bill C-45 with 46 amendments attached. The bill now returns to the House of Commons for a reconciliation process. Legalization could take force as soon as 8 weeks after the final bill is signed. 🍁For more, sign up for a FREE MONTH of WeedWeek Canada!

With legalization imminent, Canada’s Marijuana Party says it will continue fighting “Prohibition 2.0.”

The Globe and Mail says Canada’s “olfactory profile” is about to change.

If it legalized, the U.K. could generate up to £3.5 billion in pot taxes annually , according to a new report. Five of Northern Ireland’s political parties want cannabis oil to be available through the National Health Service.

In his new memoir, Reporter , investigative reporter Seymour Hersh recalls smoking a joint in 1968 with presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy and future California Gov. Jerry Brown.
BUSINESS
Critics of new regulations in California say they show the influence of delivery app Eaze , which has spent more than $174,000 on lobbying in Sacramento, this legislative season. The new rules allow the “ice cream truck” model, roving vehicles stocked like stores to fill orders from Eaze as they arrive. The alternative is the so-called "beehive" model where orders must be assembled at a fixed location.

Hezekiah Allen, head of the California Growers Association, which represents smaller growers, said California’s oversupply problem may be worse than Oregon’s .

California cannabis companies can now access property and liability insurance .
Bloomberg profiles High Times, which is trying to revive its fortunes, despite significant debt. Bloomberg also finds some Wall Streeters have invested in cannabis , but they’re keeping quiet about it.

Nitin Khanna CEO of Oregon company Cura, parent of Select Oil, resigned , amid renewed scrutiny of allegations of sexual assault from 2012. A lawsuit accused Khanna of raping his fiance’s hairdresser on the morning of Khanna's wedding. He settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed sum and has not faced criminal charges.

Cura has filed a $10M lawsuit accusing an unnamed rival of resurfacing the accusations through anonymous Twitter accounts.

L.A.-based retailer MedMen agreed to pay $53M for a Florida growing facility , its license and the right to open 25 dispensaries in the state. Amid criticism, MedMen executives tied their pay more closely to performance.

MJBizDaily looks at the banking situations in California, West Virginia, Ohio and Michigan. The publication also visits Minnesota, one of the most restrictive MED markets .

Two neighbors in Phoenix are suing the local board which greenlit a nearby dispensary.

Facing fundraising difficulties, Marijuana Policy Project cut its staff by 30% .

Canadian businesses say strict branding rules could boost the illegal market . 🍁For more, sign up for a FREE MONTH of WeedWeek Canada!

Two thirds of Canadian users are willing to shift to the legal market , according to a survey by Deloitte. It predicted 2019 sales, legal and illegal combined, of C$7 billion. 🍁For more, sign up for a FREE MONTH of WeedWeek Canada!

Investing site Motley Fool offers five things you don’t know about Canada’s industry .

Canadian food companies are eager to infuse their food ...with weed.

Craft growers in B.C. worry about losing ground in Canada’s legal market. 🍁For more, sign up for a FREE MONTH of WeedWeek Canada!
HEALTH & SCIENCE
Doctors warn pot allergies, which are currently rare, could increase with legalization, especially among those who handle the plant at work. Symptoms include sniffles and hives.
Some California hospitals report an uptick in cannabis-related ER visits , though comprehensive stats aren’t available.

Former Navy SEAL officer and Veterans Cannabis Project founder Nick Etten has an editorial in the Houston Chronicle.


A study found widespread “genetic inconsistencies” in dispensary strain labeling.

With legalization, some cannabis education in schools is shifting from “don’t” to “delay.”

The Trump administration released a series of four hard-to-watch anti-opioid ads. Each features the true story of someone doing themself bodily harm to score more opioids. Trump seeks to “engage and enrage,” a source said.

A study found men who have used a psychedelic at least once are much less likely to be violent towards a partner.

In Ireland, a petition to let a sick boy access cannabis oil has collected more than 9,000 signatures.

A man was ejected from Israel’s parliament (the Knesset) after he drank a bottle of cannabis oil to demonstrate its safety.
Thank You to WeedWeek's Sustaining Patrons:
Pamela Hadfield
Co-Founder,  HelloMD
HelloMD: The largest online community of health and wellness cannabis consumers
HelloMD on  Instagram ,  Facebook

Spencer Vodnoy
CEO,  Critical Mind Inc.  Adelanto, CA
Affiliations: CA State Bar; Board Member, Adelanto Growers Association
Critical Mind, Inc. is a Medical Cannabis Cultivation and Manufacturing Facility located in Adelanto, CA. Providing the highest quality Cannabis products. Compliance without Compromise!
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
In New York City, two dozen social justice groups want city agencies, such as housing and child welfare, to officially disregard past marijuana arrests . With decriminalization weeks away, some New Yorkers are still being arrested for pot offenses.
Trump commuted the sentence of Alice Johnson, who had served more than 20 years for non-violent drug offenses and whose case had been championed by Kim Kardashian West. Vox says the commutation was correct but calls Trump’s usage of the pardon to help allies and celebrities is dangerous .

The federal prosecutor for Utah said legal states are “incubators for organized crime.” Federal marijuana cases have fallen in recent years.

Minneapolis will end the practice of pot stings, following complaints of blatant racial bias.

New Jersey lawmakers considered expunging past pot convictions , if the state goes REC.

After his acquittal for witness tampering, three pending charges against the activist known as NJ Weedman were downgraded or dropped. Prosecutors cited “the recent shift in the climate of marijuana legislation.”

In the Guardian, Rosie Rowbotham, who served 20 years for drug trafficking, calls out the “staggering” hypocrisy of Canadian cops who’re profiting from cannabis, while there’s no pardoning of past convictions.

Researchers have uncovered drug policy recommendations from 1967 (Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration) which they call decades ahead of their time .

Maine’s Attorney General ordered the closure of an outdoor vape tent at a MED event.
CULTURE
Celebrity chef, adventurer, weed fan and very likeable guy Anthony Bourdain committed suicide .

If you’re having thoughts of suicide you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255 (TALK). The group can also be reached by online chat .

My brother Anthony committed suicide in 2011. We miss him terribly. I wrote about him here.
Crypto company PotCoin, which is sending Dennis Rodman to Singapore, for the Trump Kim Jung Un summit, said Rodman, along with Kim and Trump, deserves a Nobel Peace Prize .

In Esquire, Josiah Hesse writes about the joys and hazards of running high . Canada does not consider cannabis “performance enhancing.”

When weed goes corporate, the Guardian asks, ‘What happens to the counterculture?’

Vice calls a guy an “absolute legend” after he grounded a flight by lighting a joint in the bathroom.

Calgary is planning pot gardens at summer festivals where cannabis users can consume.

Portland is getting its first CBD cafe .

Michael Pollan recounts tripping on the “world’s most potent magic mushroom.”

Denver sandwich shop Cheeba Hut could lose its liquor license following public consumption violations on 4/20.
You made it!
Since you made it this far, WeedWeek *might* be worth $2 a month to you.  Consider supporting us on Patreon . Thanks!

Here's the WeedWeek list of  pot journalists on Twitter  and the list of  cannabusiness people on Twitter . Both are works in progress. Recommendations welcome.

I've also created two political Twitter lists you can subscribe to:  Real News  and  Tweeting the Resistance .

Want to reach a devoted audience of top cannabis professionals? Advertise in WeedWeek. Contact Adrienne Nascimento at  [email protected]  for details. 

Bye,
Alex 

Advertising policy: Advertisers and contributors through Patreon have no influence on WeedWeek's editorial content or on the content of articles Alex Halperin and other WeedWeek contributors write for other publications. In an effort to replicate the separation of business and editorial operations practiced at reputable news organizations, a WeedWeek salesperson will be responsible for all sales-related contact with advertisers. All advertising queries sent to editorial staff will be referred to a salesperson. In all WeedWeek material, all ads and other forms of paid content are clearly distinguishable as such. WeedWeek editorial staff does not approach potential advertisers to solicit business, and reserves the right to reject ads if they present a conflict of interest, the appearance of a conflict of interest or for any other reason. Due to our small size, editorial staff may read ads on the podcast or provide editorial input on ads after they have been purchased.

All rights reserved.
CLASSIFIEDS