| |
|
Here we go::
Politics
Legalization is ahead in
all nine states where it’s on the ballot.
In Massachusetts, sheriffs have shown
bipartisan opposition
to legalization. Eleven medical groups
also oppose
.
Asian Americans
oppose legalization
, with the exception of Indian Americans who narrowly support it. The American Prospect says that in the upcoming votes, millennials and racial minorities are the
key voting blocs
.
Pro-legalization TV ads are
on the air
in Maine and Massachusetts.
California too
.
Maine REC supporters have
outspent opponents 26-1.
In the Washington Post, journalist Maia Szalavitz says we ignore the killings of drug users in the Philippines because drug users are “
dehumanized” by mainstream society. “Nearly 3,000 people have already been gunned down, either by police or vigilante death squads, encouraged by Duterte, who has promised immunity. About 600,000 have also turned themselves in, many now caged in hideously crowded prisons that already look like concentration camps."
The president of the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus said the group will
file emergency legislation to block the state’s MED program until racial disparities in the industry are resolved. None of the 15 licenses awarded in the state went to black-owned businesses.
In Arkansas, MED activists have
learned lessons from past defeat. Two-thirds of Utahns
support MED, though a leaked video from 2010 suggests that
senior Mormons remain deeply wary of it.
Oklahoma could vote on MED in 2018.
There’s a new push to
legalize REC
in New Jersey.
Memphis, Tenn.
decriminalized. Chris Brown, the former mayor of a small city in Los Angeles County,
connects cities with cannabis businesses.
Reuters spoke with California growers who
oppose REC. The San Diego County Board of Supervisors
opposes REC in California.
The effort to ban cannabis businesses in Alaska’s Mat-Su Borough failed. I
wrote about it for High Times. REC sales are expected to
begin soon in the final frontier.
As Canada moves to legalize it has two options regarding international treaties to which it is a part. It could take a “
principled stand” against prohibition or quietly withdraw from the treaties and then attempt to re-enter them with exemptions. Canada being Canada, it is leaning towards the quiet approach.
Former Portuguese prime minister
António Guterres is the U.N.’s new secretary general, leading to speculation that he could push against prohibition worldwide as he did in Portugal.
The New York Times visited Jamaica which is
betting on the plant to charge the nation’s economy.
Snopes
dispels the myth that JFK used MED while in office.
|
|
|
Business
The SEC is
investigating publicly-traded Infinex Ventures and CEO Ronald Salem. The agency says infinex claimed to have access to $100M to invest in cannabis companies but had no “operations, specialized expertise, revenue, or funding.”
Gummies have dethroned chocolates as the
most popular edibles in Colorado.
MassRoots has
repaid the nearly $1M debt payment it owed and its executives took pay cuts.
A study found that indoor grows have
energy needs comparable to data centers.
Stock in Canopy Growth reached a
record high following a deal with Snoop Dogg’s brand Leafs by Snoop. Leafs is also embroiled in a
trademark dispute with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Denver packaging company High Supply
filed for bankruptcy.
A piece in the Huffington Post suggests that much more work is needed
to market cannabis to minority customers.
Real estate developer Peter Knobel plans to
increase his stake in Colorado chain Native Roots.
Health and Science
A study found that early cannabis use is associated with “
abnormal brain function” and lower IQ.
A study suggests CBD could be a
useful therapy for cervical cancer.
Journalist Emily Willingham discusses what’s known about cannabis
relieving symptoms related to autism.
President Obama’s “drug czar” Michael Botticelli,
admitted that the federal government has dragged its feet on MED research. “It’s a somewhat fair criticism that the government hasn’t wholly supported research to really investigate what’s the potential therapeutic value,” he said.
A study found that legalizing MED can
boost workforce participation by older adults. It found that the policy improves health for older men but has more mixed health results for women.
|
|
|
Criminal Justice
South Carolina is considering
jailing overdose victims for three days. The Influence calls the idea “malicious and dangerous.” WRAL (Raleigh, N.C.) says communities nationwide want police to “
de-prioritize” cannabis law enforcement.
The DEA spent $73,000 to
eradicate cannabis in Utah without finding one plant. Denver police are
overwhelmed by the amount of seized cannabis.
In Massachusetts, a National Guard helicopter raid
successfully confiscated one pot plant from an 81-year old woman.
The trial of a Denver man who’s accused of killing his wife after taking edibles is set to begin in March. Attorneys for Richard Kirk have
changed his plea from not guilty to not guilty by reason of insanity.
The Dallas Observer studied drug bust records from Love Field Airport and learned, among other lessons, that authorities will claim they can
see a nervous person’s heartbeat. Also, elaborate ruses to hide contraband can backfire.
Share Christie, wife of Hawaiian cannabis activist Roger Christie, is
trying to stay out of prison.
Oklahoma wants to
reduce incarceration for non-violent female offenders.
A former U.K. Justice Minister, Crispin Blunt, says he was told to
stop asking tough questions about prohibition. The U.K. is also
ceasing CBD sales.
A quiz at The Marshall Project shows how criminal records
stick with people for their whole lives.
Rapper T.I.
talked about how the war on drugs has affected his family, part of the “Why I vote” video series.
Culture
Archaologists in northwest China unearthed a
2,500 year-old tomb where a man was buried with cannabis plants. “Thirteen cannabis plants, each up to almost three feet long, were placed diagonally across the man's chest, with the roots oriented beneath his pelvis and the tops of the plants extending from just under his chin, up and alongside the left side of his face.” It’s more evidence that the plant was “very popular” across Eurasia in millennia ago.
Damian Marley, son of Bob, is
converting a California prison into a large grow.
Margot Robbie appeared on
Saturday Night Live wearing a weed-themed Alexander Wang dress. High Times interviewed SNL star and weed fan
Pete Davidson.
The NFL banned
synthetic marijuana.
Check out this photo shoot in the New York Times Magazine on the “
dizzying grandeur” of industrial agriculture.
Temple University in Philadelphia will offer a course on
marijuana in the news. A Canadian college will teach
cultivation.
Bye,
Alex
Advertising policy:
Advertisers have no influence on WeedWeek's editorial content or on the content of articles that I 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 and will work, as much as possible, without input from me. Any future advertising queries sent to me will be referred to a salesperson. In the newsletter, all ads and other forms of paid content will be clearly marked. I will not approach potential advertisers to solicit business, and reserve the right to reject ads if they present a conflict of interest, the appearance of a conflict of interest or for any other reason.
@alexhalperin
Facebook.com/weedweeknews
alexhalperin.com
All rights reserved.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
