Miesiąc: wrzesień 2019

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Springfield Public School bus drivers have been warned — CBD oils could man a failed drug test.

During their September safety meeting, bus drivers were reminded that any THC in their system would be a fail. It’s something that that local testing facilities say they are getting more questions about.

“We get asked a couple of times a week,” Angela Garrison from Tomo Drug Testing tells KY3.

CBD industry is largely unregulated, so users have no way to know what’s really in the products they’re buying. One study found nearly 70 percent were inconsistent with their labeling, including some with hidden THC.

THC is the same chemical found in marijuana.

“Currently there’s no way to know if that THC positive was from THC from Marijuana use or CBD oil that had higher levels of THC in it causing that drug test to be positive,” Garrison explains.

“I actually think it’s really wise that Springfield Public School District is taking the time to educate their bus drivers that,” Jamie Tillman the Owner of Canna Bliss tells KY3.

She emphasizes the importance of finding a reputable store to purchase CBD from. She recommends one that “does a certificate of analysis and know what’s in their product.”

Testing facilities say though the only way to be sure is to avoid them altogether.

“They need to weigh the factors. Is the results you’re getting from the CBD oil worth your career,” Rob Eagleburger the Owner of Missouri Onsite Testing explains to KY3.

Springfield Public School’s stance is simple: clean tests or no job.

“As you know, we’ve been in the midst of a school bus driver shortage,” Jonathan Shelden, Director of Transportation for Springfield Public schools tells KY3. “We have worked very hard to recruit and retain quality bus drivers. We want to be sure we don’t lose any bus drivers.”

A man was arrested after police say they found dozens of flavored vaping products and marijuana in his car.

The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office says deputies pulled over to help a disabled vehicle on Sunrise Highway in Brookhaven on Friday.

That’s when they say they discovered 150 flavored vape cartridges containing THC and more than two pounds of marijuana in the trunk of the vehicle. 

According to authorities, the suspect Sean Bell was also in violation of driving with six suspensions and operating a car without a Breathalyzer or interlock system. 

A man was arrested after police say they found dozens of flavored vaping products and marijuana in his car.

Police say they pulled over to help a disabled vehicle on Sunrise Highway in Brookhaven on Friday.

That’s when they say they discovered 150 flavored vape cartridges containing THC and more than two pounds of marijuana in the trunk of the vehicle. 

According to police, the suspect Sean Bell was also in violation of driving with six suspensions and operating a car without a Breathalyzer or interlock system. 

Over the summer, Willie’s Remedy introduced green and black teas on its website, and is now growing the brand with three additional non-caffeinated flavors–hibiscus berry, chamomile and peppermint.

The company turned to tea after a successful coffee launch in February. Elizabeth Hogan, co-founder of Willie’s Remedy, told BeverageDaily that the coffee product sold out in the first week and has seen sales grow steadily over the last six months.

The coffee is roasted first before being infused with organic, full-spectrum hemp oil grown in Colorado, and the tea also blends with other herbs and flowers. The coffee is lighter, with a ratio of 1mg of CBD per 1g of coffee beans, while the tea has 2mg of CBD per 1g of tea leaves.

“Tea is a ritual with which people are already familiar. We know how tea works in our lives so adding a version with the benefits of hemp creates an approachable, understandable and shared occasion,”​ Hogan said.

The hemp used in Willie’s Remedy products is selected specifically for its flavor to incorporate a seamless taste. Hogan said the team chooses genetics that complement the flavor of the brewed beverages.
Each 3oz package of tea contains about 300mg of CBD, yielding about 15mg per cup. Hogan called this a flexible serving size for customers to find what works for them. The teas can be served hot or iced.

The black tea is a blend, including Ceylon tea from Sri Lanka which is woody and fruity with notes of molasses and pepper. Indian Assam tea leaves also add a malty and spicy flavor to the black tea, which is categorized as a classic English breakfast style.

In the green tea, Willie’s Remedy uses Chinese tea leaves sourced from the youngest tea trees producing the freshest and most vibrant green teas. After curling the leaves, the tea is brewed and has aromas of fresh cut grass and green wood, with notes of green pepper and citrus.

“CBD is trending, but the benefits of hemp are timeless. It’s a plant that’s part of our ecosystem and perfectly paired to support the endocannabinoid system present in all mammals,” ​Hogan said.

“Hemp has been eliminated from our food supply for generations, so re-introducing it may seem revolutionary for a few years. However, we believe the rational thinking that’s brought hemp back will prevail when it comes to permitting hemp as part of our food supply.”​

The Willie’s Remedy coffee comes in whole bean or ground in Dark Roast, Medium Roast and Decaf. The company also sells a hemp oil tincture and a soothing balm, best used for massaging into sore muscles.

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— More than three-quarters of patients suffering from vaping-related illnesses reported using THC products, according to the CDC. But a leading cannabis industry group warned that state actions intended to curb vaping could unwittingly push individuals into the more dangerous black market.

— National cannabis trade organization NCIA says “deschedule, don’t reschedule” in regulatory white paper. POLITICO has an exclusive look at the white paper in today and Tuesday’s newsletters.

— Multi-state cannabis companies are taking corporate steps on equity. Harvest Health & Recreation is partnering with local prison reentry organizations to offer job training and employment opportunities at its dispensaries.

IT’S MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30. WELCOME TO POLITICO’S DAILY CANNABIS NEWSLETTER. Want to ask us a question about cannabis? Join us October 8 for our cannabis news call, hosted by Natalie, Mona and Paul! In the meantime, be sure to keep sending us cannabis news, tips or snack suggestions — to nfertig@politico.com or on Twitter at @natsfert. And follow us on Twitter: @POLITICOPro. Read about our mission in our inaugural issue.

FEDS FOCUS ON THC VAPES AS SOURCE OF MOST ILLNESSES — A federal investigation into vaping-related illnesses and deaths is increasingly focused on THC vapes.

More than three in four patients reported using products containing THC, with or without nicotine, while 16 percent reported exclusively using nicotine products, according to the latest national data from CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. A second CDC study focused on Illinois and Wisconsin found 87 percent of patients in those states reported using THC-containing products, POLITICO’s Brianna Ehley reports.

CDC Principal Deputy Director Anne Schuchat on a call with reporters advised people to consider “refraining from the use of vaping products, particularly those containing THC,” marking the first time officials have specifically warned against the use of the substance. Officials previously have said they believed most of the illnesses were linked to black market vaping products.

What’s the scope of the outbreak? More than 800 people have been sickened and 14 have died, according to the CDC and state reports.

What are states doing? Washington became the latest state to announce a ban on flavored vaping products. Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee issued an executive order directing the health department to implement the ban, which will apply to products that contain either nicotine or THC. New York, Michigan and Rhode Island have issued similar bans on flavored products. Massachusetts has gone the farthest by prohibiting sales of all vaping products for four months.

Unintended consequences? The National Cannabis Industry Association warned that states may be unwittingly pushing individuals into the illicit vaping market, even though evidence increasingly points to those black market products as the culprit in the vast majority of illnesses. NCIA pointed to a report by NBC News, which found that almost all illicit-market THC vaping products tested contained potentially dangerous contaminants, while none of the products bought through state-legal retailers tested positive for those substances.

“We hope states and localities think twice before repeating the mistakes of prohibition, and we strongly urge consumers to avoid illicit market products and only purchase regulated cannabis products at licensed retail establishments,” NCIA Executive Director Aaron Smith said.

DESCHEDULING, NOT RESCHEDULING — That’s what a new white paper from the National Cannabis Industry Association says is the best way to approach marijuana legalization. The white paper will be available to the public on Wednesday, but POLITICO has an early look.

What is rescheduling? Rescheduling is one strategy mentioned on Capitol Hill to increase access to marijuana research without legalizing it completely. Marijuana is a Schedule I drug — the same classification as heroin — under the Controlled Substances Act. But there are four other schedules, each with their own legal regulations. If marijuana were rescheduled to Schedule II or III, for example, it would then be subject to looser regulations and research would immediately become easier.

Who is talking about it? Just last week, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) suggested doing this, telling POLITICO, “I would like to see marijuana moved from Schedule I so we could actually evaluate what its contraindications are and what the actual level of dosages are.”

NCIA says that rescheduling, though, would force users in legal states to get medical prescriptions. Schedule II includes substances such as Adderall, Ritalin and OxyContin. Schedule III includes Tylenol with codeine and ketamine. All of these require medical prescriptions — and theoretically, re-listing marijuana alongside any of these would require marijuana to be treated as such.

In its white paper, NCIA says “rescheduling would actually create more problems than it would solve,” because recreational use of flower or edibles would still not be legal and companies would need FDA drug approval for every product.

We’ll have the full low-down on NCIA’s regulatory white paper — which outlines a full federal regulatory structure for a post-legalization world — Tuesday.

CANNABIS COSPONSOR CORNER — Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) was busy over the weekend, signing on to cosponsor the MORE Act, the Marijuana Justice Act and the Marijuana Freedom and Opportunity Act.

Markey denied that his newfound enthusiasm for marijuana legalization bills has anything to do with the stiff primary challenge he faces from Rep. Joe Kennedy (D-Mass.) when he was asked about it by POLITICO’s Stephanie Murray, at an event Saturday in Lawrence, Mass. “I supported legalization here in Massachusetts,” Markey told Stephanie, “and I support it nationally as long as it benefits all communities.”

CONNECTICUT BOARD: EXPAND MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROGRAM — Connecticut’s Medical Marijuana Program Board of Physicians recommended that the state add chronic pain and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome to its medical marijuana program, WFSB reported. The program now accepts more than 30 medical conditions.

Why is this important? The vast majority of medical marijuana patients use it to treat chronic pain. A study published earlier this year using data from medical marijuana programs in 20 states found that chronic pain accounted for 62.2 percent of the total patient-reported qualifying conditions.

The Connecticut board’s recommendation still needs approval from a legislative committee. But if other states are any indication, its medical marijuana program stands to grow significantly with the addition of chronic pain.

HARVEST TO LAUNCH RE-ENTRY PROGRAM — Multi-state cannabis company Harvest Health & Recreation is the latest cannabis company to create an initiative aimed at supporting communities targeted by drug enforcement. Last week, POLITICO California’s Alex Nieves reported on a wave of major cannabis companies launching such initiatives, including delivery platform Eaze. Harvest plans to partner with local prison reentry organizations to offer job training to individuals reentering the workplace and provide employment opportunities at its dispensaries.

Advocates are looking beyond jobs: At an expungement event in New York last week, activists discussed how social equity initiatives should go beyond job opportunities. “We’re always like, ‘Oh, go get that good job, but it’s always working for someone else, right?,” said Pilar DeJesus, co-founder of a cannabis consumer-worker cooperative. “If we legalize [marijuana], there’s intergenerational wealth that could come from that.”

MICHIGAN JUDGE STRIKES DOWN BALLOT LAW — A judge struck down a law on Friday that would make it harder for petitions to make it onto the ballot. Last November, voters in Michigan took to the ballot box to legalize marijuana, alongside other Democrat-backed initiatives to create an independent redistricting commission and make it easier for people to vote. Just a month later, the Republican-controlled legislature approved a law to limit the number of signatures a ballot drive can count from a single district.

GW PHARMACEUTICALS STUDYING CANNABIS FOR AUTISM — The director of Montefiore Hospital’s autism program Dr. Eric Hollander is leading a clinical trial to investigate medical marijuana for autism, CNN reports. The CBDV medication is developed by GW Pharmaceuticals, the same drug manufacturer that produces Epidiolex, the first FDA-approved cannabis-derived drug. The study plans to follow 100 patients for 12 weeks of treatment.

Jonathan Clark is joining Maryland medical cannabis company Culta as CFO. He was previously CFO at the restaurant chain CAVA.

— Dr. Sanjay Gupta helped popularize CBD when he released the documentary Weed on CNN in 2013. Now, he revisits the compound and examines how we’re “in an age of wisdom, but also an age of foolishness” when it comes to cannabis.

— You’ve tried picking your own berries, why not your own hemp?

— Gym rats are turning to marijuana to address pain, stave off boredom and address small muscle groups requiring repetitive movements.

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Although some industry promoters would like you to think all cannabis companies are flush with cash, the truth is that we struggle as much, if not more, than any other small business. Cannabis farmers especially.

There are a few easy ways to support for local farmers, letting them know that you appreciate their efforts with your wallet.

Ask for products that are grown locally.

When consumers consistently buy locally-grown products, those dollars would go right back into the community. In Spokane County, there are 172 licensed cannabis farms with plenty of product to stock the area’s 40 retail cannabis stores, top to bottom. Find farms in your county at 502data.com, and request that your favorite local retailer carry locally grown product. In Spokane, New Day Cannabis and Yield Farms are members of The Cannabis Alliance, a statewide non-profit dedicated to the advancement of a vital, ethical and sustainable cannabis industry.

Purchase product that has been tested for pesticides.

Unlike other states with legalized cannabis, Washington State does not require pesticide tests on adult-use/recreational cannabis. Many farms test for pesticides anyway to protect consumer health and safety. Look for the Department of Health “General Use” logo or the “Pesticides Tested with Confidence” logo to know it’s been tested. Only products with this Department of Health logo have been tested to meet state standards; it’s not enough if the package is labeled by the producer as pesticide free.

Support farms with clean, sustainable growing practices.

Clean Green Certification and Certified Kind are private companies that certify organic farms with an additional emphasis on environmental and social responsibility. Cannabis products technically can’t be certified as “USDA organic” because it’s a federal classification, and cannabis isn’t federally recognized. The Washington State Department of Agriculture, with the help of The Cannabis Alliance, is working on developing a Washington organic certification.

Buy more quantity, less single grams.

Washington rules require cannabis to be individually packaged. The Cannabis Alliance is working on solutions to reduce this environmental waste. In the meantime, consumers can help by purchasing product in larger quantities. An ounce, whether in glass or plastic, creates less waste than 28 1-gram Mylar bags. And most quantities are up to half the cost of a single gram when broken down by gram, so you can save the environment and your pocketbook in one fell swoop!

Join The Cannabis Alliance and shop at stores that are members.

Preserving the values we share, encouraging a socially-conscious industry, and fighting the wrongs of the War on Drugs is a huge undertaking, especially as many cannabis licensees are also fighting to keep businesses afloat. Supporting stores who are members means supporting owners who put their money towards social justice causes, like vacating cannabis misdemeanors. You can find a list of members and sign up at thecannabisalliance.us/.

Danielle Rosellison is a mother, advocate and entrepreneur. She owns Trail Blazin’, a Whatcom County cannabis farm, and is president of The Cannabis Alliance.

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