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Illegal Marijuana Sales Still Top Starbucks and McDonald’s Combined

Al Olson
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Illegal Marijuana Sales Still Top Starbucks and McDonald’s Combined

Americans and Canadians spend a lot of money on marijuana. How much? According to a report from Arcview Market Research, a marijuana market research firm, citizens from the two nations forked out $53.3 billion in 2016.

To put that in proper perspective, that’s more money than what was spent at Starbucks and McDonald’s combined. 

But even more stunning is that only 13 percent of that $53.3 billion — or $6.7 billion —was spent in the legal market. Another $46.4 billion — or 87 percent — stayed in the black market.

“The enormous amount of existing, if illicit, consumer spending sets cannabis apart from most other major consumer-market investment opportunities throughout history,” said Troy Dayton, CEO of Arcview. “The cannabis industry doesn’t need to create demand for a new product or innovation — it just needs to move demand for an already widely-popular product into legal channels.”

Arcview forecasts that the legal sector will soar at a 26 percent compound annual growth rate for the next four years. The $6.7 billion figure is projected to hit $21.6 billion in 2021. The report did not estimate the size of the illicit market in future years.

In 2015, McDonald’s sold $35.5 billion and Starbucks raked in $13.3 billion in revenue, according to trade publication QSR Magazine.

In 2016, four new states — California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada — joined Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska in legalizing full adult recreational use of cannabis. Another 29 states have medical marijuana programs in place. So Arcview’s report, which will be published in full next month, comes as a bit of a surprise.

“Black market growers and distributors will always find a consumers. It really is a supply and demand principle. If there is demand and a state legislates against supply, the supply doesn’t go away. It just gets funnelled into a different market channel,” said one Northern California grower who wished to remain anonymous. “The longer anti-legalization policies remain in place, the longer we’ll stay in business. Basic economics, really,” he said.

The Arcview report found that the illicit market did shrink slightly in the past year. In 2015, the black market was responsible for 90 percent of sales, so the year-over-year drop was 3 percentage points.

It is logical to assume that the legal market will continue to grow as more states pass more progressive measures. It is also safe to assume that the longer marijuana remains illegal, the black market will thrive.

Diabetes And Marijuana: Here’s What The Plant Can Do To Help

Richard Faulk
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Diabetes And Marijuana: Here’s What The Plant Can Do To Help

The olds among us might remember the French paradox. This was a dieting fad that emerged back in the ’80’s and crested about a decade ago with self-help book whose name falls somewhat short of Gallic sophistication: French Women Don’t Get Fat. The thesis—I’m working from memory here—was something like “We French get to smoke filterless Gauloises, eat double-lobes of foie gras and wheels of triple crème brie, and drink wine with every meal, and you Americans get to have all the heart attacks. Nyah-nyah!”

But at last America can have its retort: the weed-lovers paradox.

A study from SUNY Buffalo, shows that adult marijuana users in the US consume on average more soda, more alcohol—particularly beer—more salt, pork, cheese, and salty snacks, and they eat less fruit than nonusers. And yet, they are skinnier.

This study was cited, along with two other corroborating ones, in a 2013 clinical research study published in The American Journal of Medicine, which found that marijuana users were not only skinnier, but they also had lower levels of insulin and higher levels of HDL-C (AKA “the good kind of cholesterol”) than non-users. They also have lower blood levels of carotenoids, which is the stuff that turns carrots orange and may also be linked to adult onset diabetes.

For those of us who try to lead a healthy lifestyle, eat well, and limit the amount of substances we abuse, the cruel fact seems to be that habitual marijuana users take in more calories and yet are less inclined toward obesity and diabetes.

Of course, this was not a controlled study, so the pot might be a deceptive correlation. Maybe some overlooked factor is actually key—like maybe all the cannabis users also do yoga or bike to work or have tapeworms.

We can always hope.

There are other aspects of diabetes that cannabis might (or might not) help offset. You can find a more detailed breakdown of the research at NORML.

Marijuana’s Top 5 Cannabinoids And What They Do

Maria Loreto
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Marijuana’s Top 5 Cannabinoids And What They Do

Cannabinoids are the chemical compounds found in marijuana that interact with cells and provide tons of medicinal benefits. We still haven’t discovered all the cannabinoids that exist, but early research suggests that there are many of them, and that they hold endless possibilities when it comes to the health benefits that they offer. 

Here are our 5 favorite cannabinoids and how each helps you:

THC

If there’s one cannabinoid that we know intimately, it’s THC. The popular chemical is an abbreviation for Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol and it’s the primary psychoactive compound found in marijuana, being responsible for that “high” feeling that most of cannabis users love. THC also provides a lot of medical benefits for treating diseases like Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, PTSD, Crohn’s Disease and many others.

CBD

The second most famous cannabinoid is Cannabidiol, responsible for providing much more medical benefits than THC without any of the psychoactive effects. Since this is the case, CBD is legal in more states and countries than THC. Cannabidiol is known for treating the symptoms of patients with epilepsy, cancer, depression, anxiety, diabetes, chronic pain, and some psychotic disorders.

CBC

Cannabichromene is not as popular as the previous cannabinoids, but it’s still pretty relevant. CBC is another cannabinoid that’s not psychoactive and that offers a lot of medicinal benefits, like anti-inflammatory properties that work really well when paired with THC, making some people believe that cannabinoids work best when paired together, boosting each other up. Other medical benefits include some anti-tumor, anti-fungal and anti-depressant properties, while also promoting the growth of brain cells. 

CBN

This cannabinoid is originally THC that becomes Cannabinol once the dried plant goes a little stale. This compound has a few useful medicinal uses like, increasing the appetite, acting as an antibiotic, as a pain reliever, and as medicine for ALS patients.

CBG

Also known as Cannabigerol, this compound is hard to find since it only manifests in the early growth cycle of the plant. It is also non-psychoactive and has a lot of medical benefits that include, antibiotic properties, studies that suggest it can treat psoriasis, relieving pain, and acting as an anti-depressant.

Looks Like Raw Marijuana Leaves Are The Next Superfood

Sam Jones
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Looks Like Raw Marijuana Leaves Are The Next Superfood

Cannabis flower is good for you in a myriad of ways, but what about the leaves themselves? Doctors and enthusiasts are starting to ask how raw marijuana leaves can benefit the body.


But before you go sprinkling a gram into your morning kale smoothie, it’s important to note that it does matter how you prepare and serve the cannabis.

When cannabis is heated, cannabinoid acids are activated into psychoactive THC and cannabinoid CBD. In these forms, even the most regular stoner can only handle relatively small doses. The recommended dose for this kind of THC is 10 oral milligrams, but raw cannabis acids can be taken in upwards of thousands of milligrams.

As Herb notes, Dr. William Courtney spoke about the benefits of raw cannabis several years ago:

He says that cannabinoid acids are anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-ischemic, and have anti-tumoural effects. Courtney suggests that because the raw plant doesn’t have psychoactive effect, it allows people who don’t want to feel high to take it in the morning when they get up, while driving, or at work.

Smoothies and juicing the leaves are the most delicious delivery methods for raw cannabis leaves, but the imagination can run a little wild with this one: Keeping it in a little windowsill terra-cotta pot next to your basil and rosemary plants? Snipping off a leaf to sprinkle onto pasta or omelettes? Chopping it into salads or soups? Sure.

Even The New Yorker jumped on this trend, briefly, in 2013.

American Legion Fires Back At VA Secretary Over Medical Marijuana

Terry Hacienda
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American Legion Fires Back At VA Secretary Over Medical Marijuana

The American Legion is mad as hell and is not taking it anymore. This week, the nation’s largest wartime veterans service organization, urged the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to get serious about supporting research into marijuana’s therapeutic benefits in treating PTSD.

The group, chartered by Congress in 1919 to focus on advocating patriotism across the U.S., on Wednesday escalated its campaign to convince VA Secretary David Shulkin to fully get behind an FDA-approved study taking place at the Scottsdale Research Institute in Arizona that could potentially help thousands of disabled veterans.

American Legion National Commander Denise Rohan submitted a letter to Shulkin urging the secretary to stop dragging their feet. Last month at the American Legion National Convention in Reno, the doctor facilitating the study – Dr. Sue Sisley – asked members of the Legion’s Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Division to express their support for her study: 

“We will not be able to achieve this without your help. There is no way we’ll be able to complete this study without the Phoenix VA hospital opening their doors to us. Your leadership is well aware of this problem, and they’ve been very generous in trying to help us address this issue with the hospital. But we have not made any headway.

“The American Legion has already been immensely supportive of the study, but we’ve never formalized that. In fact, this falls within the parameters of the (Legion’s Resolution 11) passed last year. I would urge you to consider endorsing the study as an organization, enabling us to have the momentum of the Legion behind the study to generation the cooperation from the Phoenix VA.”

The Legion apparently heard Sisley’s plea. In her letter to Shulkin, Rohan said, “The Carl T. Hayden Phoenix VA Health Care System is ideally geographically located to assist with this effort and should enthusiastically take the lead in assisting with this research study. … Without the assistance of the Department, this study is in jeopardy of failing due to lack of viable test participants.” 

Rohan closed the letter telling Shulkin “Your immediate attention in this important matter is greatly appreciated. We ask for your direct involvement to ensure this critical research is fully enabled.”

Here is the full text of Rohan’s letter: 

Dr. Mr. Secretary:

For more than a year, The American Legion has called on the federal government to support and enable scientific research to clinically confirm the medicinal value of cannabis. The National Academy of Medicine recently reviewed 10,000 scientific abstracts on the therapeutic value of cannabis and reached nearly 100 conclusions in a report issued earlier this year. As a two million member strong veteran service organization, our primary interest and advocacy is grounded in the wellbeing and improved health of our veterans, and specifically our service disabled veterans.

The Scottsdale Research Institute, outside of Phoenix Arizona, is currently in phase one of an FDA-Approved Marijuana/PTSD research study, being conducted in collaboration with the National Institute of Health (NIH) National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). This study is a Placebo-Controlled, Triple-Blind, Randomized Crossover Pilot Study of the Safety and Efficacy of Four Different Potencies of Smoked Marijuana in 76 Veterans with Chronic, Treatment-Resistant Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

The American Legion is a strong, vocal proponent of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and has published several books, pamphlets, and magazines that help showcase VA’s value to The United States of America. Our members have long been a ferocious advocate for evidence-based, complementary and alternative medicines and therapies. For decades, we have supported increased funding and research in such therapies as hyperbaric oxygen therapy, Quantitative Electroencephalography (QEEG), animal therapy, recreational therapy, meditation, and mindfulness therapies, just to name a few, to improve outcomes for veterans confronted with PTSD.

The American Legion supports VA’s statutory medical research mission and has donated millions of dollars toward expanding VA’s scientific research. VA innovation is widely championed for their breakthrough discoveries in medicine and has been recognized over the years with three Nobel Prizes for scientific work that has benefited the world over.

The research being conducted by the Scottsdale Institute is the first cannabis based research of its kind in The United States and could potentially produce scientific evidence that will enhance, improve, and save the lives of veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Many veterans have approached us to tell us that access to cannabis has materially improved their health and well-being. While their stories are very compelling, we need clinical evidence to have a fact-based discussion on the future of cannabis policy.

As a scientific research leader in this country with a statutory obligation to care for and improve the lives of our nation’s veterans, The American Legion calls on the Department of Veterans Affairs to assist the Scottsdale Institute, in accordance with VA’s existing policies and regulations (VHA Directive 1200 §2.b and §5.tt VHA Handbook 1200.01 §8.g and §10.a(1) VHA Handbook 1200.05 §3.xxx(note)) that states, in part;

“NOTE: This guidance does not preclude VA clinicians, in the normal course of their clinical duties, from discussing specific research studies with their patients where appropriate, and referring them to a non-VA investigator for more information about a non-VA study. However, VA personnel should not provide the non-VA investigator with the names or contact information of Veterans who might be eligible for the study. Instead, the VA clinician should provide the Veteran with the contact information for the non-VA investigator so the Veteran may initiate contact if he/she is interested in participating in the non-VA study.”

The Carl T. Hayden Phoenix VA Health Care System is ideally geographically located to assist with this effort and should enthusiastically take the lead in assisting with this research study. There is an overwhelming body of evidence suggests that cannabis is effective in treating a number of service connected related illnesses, including PTSD and chronic pain, the two most persistent and widespread illnesses and injuries plaguing our veteran community. Without the assistance of the Department, this study is in jeopardy of failing due to lack of viable test participants. Project scientists have screened thousands of applicants, but due to the strict requirements of the study which is required to produce reliable scientific data, nearly 99 percent of these applicants are eliminated for a variety of screening reasons. This study needs 50 more participants and the Phoenix VA is in the best possible position to assist by simply allowing principle investigators to brief VAMC medical staff on the progress of the study, and by allowing clinicians to reveal the existence of the study to potential participants.

Your immediate attention in this important matter is greatly appreciated. We ask for your direct involvement to ensure this critical research is fully enabled.

Sincerely,

Denise H. Rohan 

Olivia Newton-John Says Marijuana Has Helped Her Battle Cancer

Amy Hansen
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Olivia Newton-John Says Marijuana Has Helped Her Battle Cancer

In May of this year, Olivia-Newton John got news that the cancer she beat 24 years ago had returned. This time, in her lower back.

She initially thought she had sciatica. Still performing, Newton-John, who made a name for herself in the movie Grease, says she’d grit her teeth, pop some aspirin and go on.

Turns out, her breast cancer had metastasized to the sacrum. The prognosis? Newton-John says she doesn’t read into prognosis and statistics because “I’m not going to be one of those statistics, I’m going to be fine,” the 68-year old told the Today show. She says that she will probably deal with cancer the rest of her life but thinks “you can live with cancer the way you live with other things if you take care of yourself.”

And for her, that includes medical marijuana, which she credits for helping her get back on her feet during bouts of crippling pain.

“People have this vision from the ’60s of people just sitting around, you know, getting stoned, and I think it’s not about that. This plant is a healing plant. I think we need to change the vision of what it is because it helped me greatly and it helps with pain and inflammation.”

When she was treated for cancer the first time, NJ said she felt the need for more than just traditional treatment. She supplemented chemotherapy with meditation, yoga, art and music — all of which she offers other cancer patients at her wellness and research center in her hometown of Melbourne, Australia.

What has cancer taught her about herself? “I think it taught me that I’m stronger than I thought I was, because even though you have a team around you and people are helping you, really in the end it’s up to you.”

Next year marks the 40th anniversary of Grease. Newton-John plans to auction off her famous leather pants from the movie to help fund her wellness center.

Here’s The Number One Reason Why People Use Marijuana

Terry Hacienda
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Here’s The Number One Reason Why People Use Marijuana

Roughly 40 million Americans have some sort of sleep issues and more and more of these sleep-deprived souls are turning to cannabis to get a restful night in bed. Sure, marijuana is used by millions for its psychoactive high, but a recent survey reveals that nearly 50 percent of consumers of the herb just want to doze off at night.

The survey, conducted in the Denver area by Consumer Research Around Cannabis, found that only pain relief rivals sleep as a reason for using marijuana, Forbes reported. The researchers surveyed 1,258 cannabis users in the Denver metropolitan area and nearby parts of Wyoming and Nebraska.

According to the study, 47.2 percent of the respondents bought marijuana to help them sleep and 47.2 percent said the herb helps treat chronic or recurring pain. The third most popular reason, at 45.7 percent, use it for depression or anxiety.

Nearly a third of the respondents (32.8 percent) claim they consume cannabis for “creative purposes and expanding perceptions and thought processes.” Only 28.5 percent of those surveyed said they use cannabis to have a good time with friends and family.

Lack of sleep is becoming a serious issue in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers sleep apnea and other related disorders a dangerously hidden public health issue. According to the CDC, “persons experiencing sleep insufficiency are also more likely to suffer from chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, depression, and obesity, as well as from cancer, increased mortality, and reduced quality of life and productivity.”

Unlike prescription or over-the-counter sleep medications, cannabis users report that they do not feel groggy or impaired in the morning. And even the most ardent drug warrior will concede that cannabis is much less addictive than medications such as Ambien or Lunesta.

An estimated 10 million Americans have a prescription for Ambien or some other pharmaceutical sleep medication and 4 percent of adults report that they have taken a sleeping pill or sedative in the previous month.

Jackpot! Las Vegas Gets First 24/7 Marijuana Store

Terry Hacienda
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Jackpot! Las Vegas Gets First 24/7 Marijuana Store

For night owls, Las Vegas is their kind of town. In Sin City, it’s legal to gamble and buy booze 24 hours a day. Beginning this weekend, it will be legal to buy marijuana any time of day too.

When Nevada legalized the sale of recreational marijuana last November, Las Vegas officials mandated retail outlets to shut their doors from 3-6 a.m. But the city council on Wednesday voted unanimously to allow one shop — Oasis Cannabis — to keep its doors open 24/7. And Benjamin Sillitoe, CEO and co-founder of Oasis Cannabis, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he plans on making the change as early as Friday.

The move helps clarify a murky set of local laws that appeared to favor some retail outlets over others. In nearby North Las Vegas, Reef Dispensaries already enjoyed all-night status. Earlier this week, Clark County commissioners voted to allow its 26 marijuana stores to keep their doors open, but that change will take weeks to implement.

Sillitoe told the Review-Journal that businesses neighboring his facility, including a tavern and a body painting studio, are allowed to remain open. “We have people lined up at our door at 6 a.m., and (we) are rushing people out at 3 a.m.,” Sillitoe told the newspaper.

According to North Las Vegas Planning Manager Marc Jordan, being open all night long has not created a nuisance in the neighborhood. The city has allowed all-night sales since the medical marijuana program began three years ago. “We haven’t had any reason to establish hours,” Jordan said. “(And) we haven’t had any concerns come down from City Council or citizen complaints that I am aware of that would warrant us to revisit it.”

Reef Dispensaries CEO Matthew Morgan said the extended hours has helped his business. “It’s thriving,” he said. “Three in the morning to 7 a.m. is a huge window for people who enjoy the nightlife in Las Vegas and are looking for something to settle down.”

Will Washingtonians Finally Get To Grow Their Own Marijuana?

Daniel Shortt
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Will Washingtonians Finally Get To Grow Their Own Marijuana?

Unlike other states with recreational cannabis, Washington does not allow for home cultivation of recreational cannabis. However, that could change soon as SB 5131 requires the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) to study the viability of home cultivation.

The LCB will hold a public hearing on October 4 on whether the State should allow home grows of recreational marijuana. (If you live in the state, written public comments may be submitted through October 11 at rules@lcb.wa.gov or hard copy at PO Box 43080, Olympia, WA 98504.)

The LCB must consider home cultivation in light of the Cole Memorandum, the Obama-era policy statement from the Department of Justice that tacitly permits states to legalize marijuana so long as those states enact strong and effective regulations. The Cole Memo outlines eight enforcement priorities:

  1. Preventing the distribution of marijuana to minors;
  2. Preventing revenue from the sale of marijuana from going to criminal enterprises, gangs, and cartels;
  3. Preventing the diversion of marijuana from states where it is legal under state law in some form to other states;
  4. Preventing state-authorized marijuana activity from being used as a cover or pretext for the trafficking of other illegal drugs or other illegal activity;
  5. Preventing violence and the use of firearms in the cultivation and distribution of marijuana;
  6. Preventing drugged driving and the exacerbation of other adverse public health consequences associated with marijuana use;
  7. Preventing the growing of marijuana on public lands and the attendant public safety and environmental dangers posed by marijuana production on public lands; and
  8. Preventing marijuana possession or use on federal property.

The LCB has opposed home cultivation in the past. In 2015, Washington lawmakers considered a bill that would have allowed cultivation of up to six cannabis plants. In response, the LCB sent a letter outlining the Board’s concern that unregulated home grows would increase the occurrence of all eight enforcement priorities outlined in the Cole Memo.

The LCB worries that home cultivation will lead to diversion. Washington producer, processors, transporters, researchers, and retailers must all use “seed-to-sale” traceability software. As the name suggests, a cannabis plant is monitored throughout its life to prevent cannabis from being diverted to other states, to minors, or to the black market.

The LCB is seeking public input on three proposed options:

  1. Tightly Regulated Recreational Marijuana Home Grows
    This option would impose a strict regulatory framework. Home cultivators would need a permit to grow legally. Permit holders could then purchase plants from licensed producers. Each household would be allowed four plants and all plants would be tracked in the same traceability system used to monitor commercially grown cannabis.  The LCB would impose requirements to ensure security, preventing youth access, and preventing diversion. Both the LCB and local authorities would monitor home grows. Cannabis processing would be subject to the same restrictions as apply to medical cannabis (e.g., no combustible processing).
  2. Local Control Of Recreational Marijuana Home Grows
    Like Option One, this option would require a permit, require safeguards to prevent diversion, limit each household to four plants, and allow permit holders to purchase plants from producers. Option Two would not require home cultivators to use the State’s traceability system. It also would give greater authority to local jurisdictions to create more restrictions and to authorize, control, and enforce the home grown program.
  3. Recreational Home Grows Are Prohibited
    The third option is to maintain the status quo and prohibit home cultivation.

The LCB must report its findings to Washington’s legislature by December 1. Lawmakers provided the LCB with no additional funds, meaning the Board must conduct its study without expanding its budget. There is no guarantee that anything changes but this is could be the beginning of recreational home cultivation in Washington.

Daniel Shortt is an attorney at Harris Bricken, a law firm with lawyers in Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Barcelona, and Beijing. This story was originally published on the Canna Law Blog.  

This Country Will Be The Next To Legalize Medical Marijuana

Maria Loreto
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This Country Will Be The Next To Legalize Medical Marijuana

The debate on whether to legalize medical marijuana sparked up last February, when a makeshift cannabis lab, run by mothers who were trying to medicate their sick children, was raided by the police in Peru. The raid made a lot of people angry, with the public understanding and backing the mothers, which inspired large groups of people to push for the legalization of the drug, at least for medical purposes.

President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski was one of the first to propose the consideration for legalizing the drug, proposing a legislation outlining medical marijuana. The legislation was approved and it must now face the Peruvian Council, which will declare if medical marijuana will be legalized or not. It’s understood that the measure, if successful, would benefit all patients suffering from cancer, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and many other illnesses.

Cannabis oil is also included in the legislation and would become a legalized product, since it’s considered medicinal. Recreational cannabis is still something that’s debated and that hasn’t been specified in the legislation.

Many people believe that this is a critical moment for the future of recreational and medicinal marijuana in Peru, signaling yet another country that’s planning on moving forward with their views on the drug and that’s in favor of progress.  

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