A pot bust against legal growers in Yolo County seems to go too far If ever you needed proof that we live in an age of confusion about marijuana laws, let me share with you the story of Ted Hicks and Ryan Mears, two Sacramento-area entrepreneurs who decided to start a legal medical cannabis business last year and ended up on the business end of assault rifles wielded by officers from a multi-agency, anti-drug task force. I first heard about the case from Yolo County Supervisor Don Saylor in September, at a "State of Marijuana" conference aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach. Saylor, who was on a panel discussing how cities and counties were dealing with cannabis regulation, said that Hicks and Mears and their business, Big Red Farms, were considered by county officials to be "shining stars" in the cannabis licensing arena. [continues 1201 words]
It looks like pot. It smells like pot. But it's hemp, marijuana's legal cousin, and it's taking over the Bluegrass state. Across the rolling hills of Kentucky, which just two decades ago was the most tobacco-dependent state in the country, farmers are planting less of the crop after rising health concerns shrunk demand. Instead, they're increasingly turning to hemp and have more than doubled sowings of the cannabis variety in 2016 to become the No. 2 producer in the U.S., trailing Colorado. [continues 405 words]
Substance not psychoactive, used for pain, and anxiety Some Edmonton vape shops are pulling products containing a substance derived from cannabis, amid confusion over its legality. Cannabidiol, or CBD, is illegal for anyone to purchase without a prescription, under the federal Controlled Substances and Drugs Act. The substance is not psychoactive - it's tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and not CBD that gets users high - which may be where the confusion comes in. Until late December, Digital Imports carried CBDfx, a vape additive derived from hemp plants that contains concentrated CBD, with the understanding that it was legal. [continues 236 words]
How a renowned Canadian feminist popularized our racist war on drugs Detective Joe Ricci and his partner, Alex Sinclair, were out on a routine bust in Vancouver's Chinatown. It was 1916, and Ricci and Sinclair were front-line officers in the war on opium. The drug had been criminalized in Canada eight years earlier through the introduction of the Western world's earliest drug prohibition law, and the Vancouver police department had been chasing down traffickers ever since. Ricci was a familiar sight in the neighbourhood. He had made such a big arrest in 1913 that for days after, the Vancouver Daily World reported, "not a light [was] to be seen and the ringing noise of the chuck-a-luck dice [had] stopped." But the gamblers and the opium smokers were soon back, and Ricci was out patrolling the streets again. [continues 4172 words]
A cannabis derived-vape additive hitting some specialty store shelves in Edmonton has police warning buyers to beware. "There's still an onus on the user to be aware of what they're ingesting. Just because you purchased it from a store doesn't mean it's blindly OK to use it. A certain degree of research has to be involved," said Mike Tucker, communications manager with Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams. "You aren't exempt from the law just because you purchased it from a store." [continues 378 words]
[photo] Heather Skorinko had hoped to grow industrial hemp on her North Whitehall Township farm, but the state's restrictive pilot program will lock out most family farms, she said. (APRIL BARTHOLOMEW/THE MORNING CALL) Industrial hemp returns to Pennsylvania in 2017. So why are advocates so riled up? Too often in recent years, Heather Skorinko has struggled to make money growing corn and soybeans on her North Whitehall Township farm, which has been in the family for more than 120 years. [continues 1839 words]
Clouded by controversies surrounding the recreational use of pot and a common view that it is a gateway to more serious drug abuse and addiction, medical applications of marijuana are not clearly understood. Based on the reams of disclaimers included with every prescription, all forms of medicine have some unwanted -- and potentially harmful -- side effects. Certainly, marijuana will not be the exception. But it's hard to collect facts when research is not being conducted. The federal Food and Drug Administration requires scientific clinical trials involving thousands of patients to determine the benefits and risks of any possible medication. So far, researchers have not conducted enough large-scale clinical trials to determine if the benefits of the marijuana plant outweigh its risks in patients it is meant to treat, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. [continues 505 words]
Dog treats containing Cannabidiol, better known as CBD, a chemical compound extracted from the marijuana plant, are a growing business as owners seek ways to treat hyperactive and nervous canines. Even for a puppy, Kat Donatello's black Labrador, Austin, was hyperactive. After experimenting with natural supplements on her older dog, Donatello slipped a special biscuit to Austin. "It just kind of took the edge off of him," she recalled. The treat contained Cannabidiol, better known as CBD, a chemical compound extracted from the marijuana plant. [continues 992 words]
As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau moves closer to following through with his campaign promise to legalize recreational cannabis, businesses and individuals are waiting to see the local impact and some feel that legalization would remove stigma surrounding those who also use cannabis for medical reasons. The Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation released its final report to the federal government last week, which will be used to inform legislation to be introduced to parliament this spring. It is too preliminary to abstract a possible implementation timeline beyond that. [continues 407 words]
A decade ago, Vlassis Douvis's storefront window was plastered with T-shirts. "The T-shirts weren't for sale," the Calgary entrepreneur says with a laugh. "It was to hide what was really going on inside." These days, Douvis isn't doing much hiding. It's pretty clear, in fact, what kind of business he operates. At his three Hemp Roots stores in the city, marijuana leaves are painted on the windows and the only thing blocking the view inside is Christmas tinsel. [continues 589 words]
NASHVILLE - Medical marijuana will again become a topic of discussion and legislation during the 2017 legislative session. An announcement from the House Republican Caucus on Friday said an official announcement will come next week from state Rep. Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby, and Sen. Steve Dickerson, RNashville, who are planning to introduce legislation about medical marijuana. Medical marijuana has been a popular discussion within the legislature in recent years, and support from both parties has been steadily growing. Details about the legislation were not immediately clear. [continues 413 words]
SANTA ROSA - Amid the euphoria of this weekend's famed Emerald Cup weed fest, there was this creeping buzzkill: the glacial rollout of legalization. Right when it seems like "The Great Pot Moment" is upon us, it turns out there are a lot of really tough regulatory issues to resolve first, according to government and industry experts who sketched out all the thorny challenges at the two-day conference, competition and harvest celebration at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. And implementation of commercialization could be delayed a year until 2019, said insiders. [continues 102 words]
Amid celebration at Emerald Cup fest, there is angst about regulatory future SANTA ROSA - Amid the euphoria of this weekend's famed Emerald Cup weed fest, there was this creeping buzzkill: the glacial rollout of legalization. Right when it seems like "The Great Pot Moment" is upon us, it turns out there are a lot of really tough regulatory issues to resolve first, according to government and industry experts who sketched out all the thorny challenges at the two-day conference, competition and harvest celebration at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. And implementation of commercialization could be delayed a year until 2019, said insiders. [continues 937 words]
Auntie's founder convinced of weed's medicinal abilities A medical marijuana dispensary operating in Bible Hill is making access easier for people who require it, clients say. The dispensary, called Auntie's Health and Wellness Center, is also beneficial because it offers medicinal cannabis in more forms and wider variety than conventional methods. "I believe people should have direct access to their medication. And they don't," said Auntie's founder Shirley Martineau. She said people who genuinely need marijuana are often forced to acquire it illegally, "and they don't know what they are getting." [continues 381 words]
As the proprietor of Valley Hemp Co., I have some deep thoughts on the matter (Penticton Western News, Nov. 30, Members of DPA nip dispensaries in the bud). Currently, we have completely unregulated operations selling completely unregulated products. These may have medicinal benefits, but administered improperly can be dangerous, or even downright charlatanism, potions that make outrageous and untrue claims and have little or no active ingredients. RCMP can bust these shops, charging both staff and proprietors, and sometimes those staff are left hung out to dry by the owners and deal with the charges on their own. [continues 282 words]
Liberal Party says it will refund donations, but denies any ethical breaches at event attended by Bill Blair Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's point person on legalizing recreational pot was the prize guest at a Liberal Party fundraiser attended by a marijuana lobbying group at a Toronto law office that advises clients in the cannabis business. The event last spring, which featured Bill Blair, the parliamentary secretary to the Justice Minister, appears to violate Liberal Party rules on political fundraisers and Mr. Trudeau's ethics guidelines that direct cabinet ministers and parliamentary secretaries to avoid an "appearance of preferential access." [continues 991 words]
An Airdrie mother of four and cancer survivor is striving to end the social stigma surrounding marijuana. Using a multimedia approach, Melinda Sarpal, 37, is documenting her journey to open Cannabliss - a retail store promoting holistic education and tools focusing on cannabis and health - in Airdrie. With a documentary, television show and podcast currently in the works, she said she wants to be a part of the now global conversation helping to normalize marijuana. "In Alberta, we're so far behind," Sarpal said. "It's time we start bringing (cannabis) into conversation, making it mainstream and making it OK." [continues 600 words]
Are marijuana lobbyists trying to change our state's name to "Marizona" with Prop. 205 legalizing recreational marijuana? Prop 205 allows for the untaxed sale of marijuana products with a concentration of THC of 0.3 percent or less, classified as legal industrial hemp, to be sold without age restriction. That will apply to some marijuana candy and other edibles such as the chocolate THC- laced "Boulder Bar" sold in Colorado to be considered hemp under Prop 205 though it contains 10 servings of THC. [continues 112 words]
I strong support the legalization of marijuana but I'm voting no on Prop 205. I'm not a prohibitionist. I think the reefer madness propaganda campaign against Prop 205 is ridiculous. I'm naturopathic physician that provides medical marijuana certifications. I believe in medical marijuana - like many I have seen the miracles of this plant. I believe in recreational marijuana too - just not this way. First, props to all the hard work done throughout the state in efforts to get legalizing marijuana on the ballot. There are many reasons why I'm voting no THIS time. (I'm intentionally avoiding the legal points because Im not a lawyer. But its important to remember that minor infractions can lead easily lead to felonies). I'll boil it down to a few points against 205 that aren't talked about [continues 673 words]
This is the fourth in a series on Drugs and Drug Prohibition. Today's column focuses on cannabis or marijuana. Marijuana, a remarkably resilient plant, has accompanied mankind's journey in populating the planet from the Neolithic period to the present. Aside from the frozen tundra of the far North, the plant has flourished since the dawn of agriculture over 10,000 years ago. The stems and stalks provided cloth and cordage; the seeds, protein and fatty acid; the roots, leaves, and flowers used in rituals, as medicinals, and as a euphoriant or recreant. [continues 707 words]