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Alert: Colorado’s Marijuana Laws Are About To Change

Mary Schumacher
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Alert: Colorado’s Marijuana Laws Are About To Change

Colorado’s marijuana laws are about to change. The Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED) has been conducting meetings to smooth out any wrinkles in existing laws so that stakeholders and government officials can better understand new laws and regulations. The public is highly encouraged to attend and provide input as well.

Cannabis business owners, doctors, lawyers and government officials are discussing how to best implement HB 1034, HB 1261, SB 187 and SB 192, all of which have been signed into law by Governor John Hickenlooper. Since MED oversees the marijuana industry, it’s looking at a wide range of ways in which to enforce the new laws.

Meetings will be conducted through the end of September, however, some big changes we can bet on have already been put on the table. Here are five from the most recent meeting:

Perhaps most importantly for consumers, the issue of contaminated pot is being addressed via rule r1507 of SB 192. Said rule confronts failed test results for retail cannabis. The law is to set up a system of testing, though it also leaves room for one retest. Not of the same product, but if your flowers are in some way contaminated that will be solved by extraction, the extraction can then be tested for contaminants. If it passes, great. If it doesn’t, it’s trash. There will be no retesting of medical products, there it’s simply a pass/fail system.

Employee training is on the docket. The new rule here puts a program in place to train out of state employees on the ins and outs of Colorado legalization and retail sales. Purveyors are also hoping that it addresses the key badge provision. Currently, only team members with key badges can be in a retail dispensary unsupervised. Though the definition of unsupervised varies by locale (in some places, a camera will suffice), businesses hope this rule relaxes a bit.

  • Moving from one location to another is also currently difficult because of the laws that change from one town to another. Rule m206 of HB 1034 would make it so that a business that wants to move to another town simply must pay a change of location application fee instead of paying all fees at once, as must currently be done.
  • Packaging and labeling stand to change as well to work with HB 1261, which called the packaging issues a “matter of statewide concern.” They want essential information to be present with the least amount of packaging required to do so. Colorado is looking at other legal states at the moment to see what they’re doing in the labeling arena. Much of the packaging and labeling decisions will be made later in the month, however, leaving us with…
  • Rule m601 of HB 1034 regarding infused cannabis products. The new rules hit business owners more than consumers; they allow medical infused product (MIP) licenses to sell to other wholesale MIP manufacturers and so on, including the exchange of flowers.

The next round of meetings will be on September 14th and 15th to discuss licensing clinical medical cannabis research. A very exciting prospect. The meetings will be in Golden at the Colorado Gaming Commission conference room, 17301 West Colfax Avenue. Any unresolved issues will be brought up during two separate catch all sessions, September 19th and the 22nd at the same location. The final day that public comment will be considered is October 16th during the final rule hearing.

Gossip: Children Services Investigating Kardashians; Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Planning First Public Appearance

Naughty Gossip
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Gossip: Children Services Investigating Kardashians; Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Planning First Public Appearance

The L.A. County Dept. of Children and Family Services has gone to court so a judge can assist in determining the well-being of Blac Chyna and Rob Kardashian’s daughter, Dream.

via TMZ:

Sources familiar with the case tell TMZ, DCFS opened an investigation involving Chyna’s alleged drug use, and this was before Rob and Chyna split up.

As we reported, Chyna has obtained a restraining order against Rob after claiming he beat her.

We do not know the status of the case, but official court documents list the matter as a related case to the restraining order action.

Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Planning First Public Appearance

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been dating for a little more than a year now, and for an actress and literal royalty, they’ve managed to keep their relationship surprisingly private—but that might be about to change.

According to the Daily Mail they’re planning a huge relationship milestone (for celebrities, anyway): Their first official public appearance as a couple. The big photo op will reportedly take place at the Invictus Games in Toronto on September 23. Sources say an official announcement from Kensington Palace is coming soon.

Even though they haven’t made an official appearance together yet, Harry and Meghan haven’t been hiding their feelings for each other. Harry released an official statement about the relationship through Kensington Palace in November 2016 and Meghan got candid about their love in her interview for the October issue of Vanity Fair.

“I can tell you that at the end of the day I think it’s really simple,” she said. “We’re two people who are really happy and in love.”

Love the fresh dirt we bring over daily from Naughty Gossip? Let us know in the comments!

Study: Just How Much Marijuana Are Canadians Using?

MJ News Network
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Study: Just How Much Marijuana Are Canadians Using?

Currently, nearly 7.5 million Canadians or 26 percent of the population are admitted cannabis consumers.

Nearly 11.5 million Canadians, or 39 percent of adult-age Canadians have admitted they will be cannabis consumers if Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s legalization plans for 2018 come to bloom, and as a country, 57 percent of Canadians are supportive of the Prime Minister’s plan for changing the cannabis laws. This is according to a newly released market research survey that asked 5,000 Canadians (with person to person telephone calls) their views, acceptance and expected consumption of cannabis.

The Canadian Cannabis Report: What’s the Buzz? was created in partnership by cannabis marketing consultant Colin Firth and Oraclepoll Research Ltd. and represents one of the most comprehensive consumer market research study ever performed for the emerging cannabis sector.

The Canadian Cannabis Report: What’s The Buzz? is a valuable research tool created for industry stakeholders including licensed cannabis growers, license applicants, healthcare professionals, government officials, financial and legal service providers and law enforcement agencies to help plan and provide guidance for the road ahead.

These 11.5 million potential Canadian cannabis consumers far exceeds any previous projections and, when translated into the volume of cannabis needed to supply their demand, nearly doubles the expected mid-range amount predicted by the Parliamentary Budget Office in November 2016. At a modest baseline consumption level of only 8 grams/month this translates to over 1,000,000 kilograms per year which bodes well for the Health Canada licensed producers that are ramping up for a massive influx of adult age recreational cannabis consumers with the anticipated legalization in mid 2018.

“We recognized a significant lack of data for this emerging industry. To date, there has not been a study of this magnitude of the Canadian people’s thoughts of the cannabis industry — both on the medical and recreational fronts,” says survey co-creator Colin Firth. “We saw this not just as an opportunity to better understand the Canadian cannabis consumer, or Canadians as a whole, but to help ensure that as a country, we’re all prepared for 2018’s pending legalization. We’re convinced that this report is the single most important document to emerge in this industry since Bill C-45 was tabled.”

Other findings from the 60 page report include:

  • Currently, nearly 7.5 million Canadians or 26 percent of the population are admitted cannabis consumers.
  • 34 percent of Canadians claim they have a friend or family member that currently use recreational cannabis.
  • 78 percent of those surveyed are aware that medical marijuana can replace certain types of medication.
  • 24 percent of current and potential users will replace alcohol with cannabis.
  • 28 percent have an interest in cannabis edibles while 60 percent say they will choose smoking as their preferred method to consume cannabis
  • 77 percent of current and potential cannabis users said they will purchase cannabis from a licensed grower.
  • 63 percent of respondents favour the retail model for recreational cannabis purchases while 30 percent prefer online shopping.
  • 72 percent of Canadians believe that the federal government should pardon and eliminate previous and current convictions for simple cannabis possession.

Respondents were asked 75 questions and the data provides the most current and up to date information on the state of the cannabis industry in Canada. The Canadian Cannabis Report: What’s The Buzz? is a must-have report available for purchase by any cannabis industry stakeholders.

For more cannabis business coverage, visit the MJ News Network.

Medical Marijuana Vs. Brain Cancer: What’s On The Horizon

Brea Mosley
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Medical Marijuana Vs. Brain Cancer: What’s On The Horizon

Cannabis has been proven to be safe and effective to treat a wide variety of ailments. From inhibiting the spread of breast cancer tumors to combating chronic pain, cannabis’ use is multipurpose. But how does the plant fare among one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer? According to a study, very well.

Glioblastoma is a malignant tumor that affects the brain or spine. It is so aggressive that once the glioblastoma reaches stage 4, the average life expectancy is less than two years, even with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Unfortunately, traditional treatments for the disease are very unsuccessful, causing the 200,000 people inflicted by the disease to seek alternative options.

Researchers at the St. George’s University of London have set out to change this unfortunate prognosis. In a study conducted with mice, they observed the effect of cannabis compounds (cannabinoids) on glioma masses, when combined with radiation.

The team studied mice that were suffering from glioma and treated them with radiation alone (as the control group) and radiation with the cannabis compounds THC (the chemical responsible for euphoria) and CBD (the chemical with non-psychoactive side effects). They noted that that after the administration of these compounds and in combination with the radiation, there was a “dramatic” reduction of the glioma masses.

Specifically, researchers noted that “pretreating cell with THC and CBD together for 4 hours before irradiation increased their radiosensitivity when compared with pretreated with either of the cannabinoids individually.” In many cases, the tumors decreased to as low as one-tenth of the sizes of the tumors in the group of mice treated with radiation alone.

The study shows that while there isn’t a confirmed cure for Glioblastoma, the triple power of THC, CBD and radiation is extremely promising, with the possibility of providing “a way of breaking through glioma and saving more lives.”

Disney World’s New Wine Bar Will Blow Your Mind

Amy Hansen
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Disney World’s New Wine Bar Will Blow Your Mind

You know what makes watching Snow White, Mickey Mouse and all the other Disney characters more entertaining? Booze. Disney World knows this and has decided to open a massive wine bar. All together now: FINALLY!

The 6,000-square-foot, 210-seat Wine Bar George is scheduled to open in early 2018, which is not that far off, with more than 100 wines on offer (by the glass and bottle), each hand-selected by master sommelier George Miliotes. And wine’s BFFs, cheese and charcuterie, will also be available.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUhYLJaASLO/

In a statement, Miliotes says:

Disney Springs is the perfect place to open a wine bar and share my passion with the world. Having the opportunity to train and hire my own team while sharing my 40-plus years of knowledge is truly incredible, and I look forward to opening our doors in the coming year.

According to Delish, Miliotes plans to source food straight from local farms, saying “Every menu item will complement selections on our wine list, bringing guests ideal food and wine pairings and culinary explorations.”

Here’s Miliotes, hand-picking some grapes just for you:

Why Blunts Are Bad For You: It’s Not About The Marijuana

Richard Faulk
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Why Blunts Are Bad For You: It’s Not About The Marijuana

Here’s a word problem worthy of Euclid himself: Cannabis can be mildly addictive; tobacco is super addictive. What happens when you put them together? Blunts that are extra-super addictive.

I think that’s called a geometric progression. Maybe it’s exponential. I can’t remember, because I’m a lover and not a mathematician.

What I do know, though, is that I didn’t just make up that syllogism (or whatever it is). It’s an actual, scientific finding of a British research team that was published in the July 2016 issue of Frontiers in Psychiatry. Says lead author Chandni Hindocha, “[M]ixing tobacco with cannabis [blunts] lowers the motivation to quit using these drugs.”

Hindocha’s team of five researchers on two continents analyzed the responses of 33,687 cannabis users from 18 countries in Europe and the Americas who detailed their use of cannabis in answering the 2014 Global Drug Survey. That’s an anonymous online survey conducted every year in conjunction with media outlets such as Die Zeit, The Guardian, Libération, and the Huffington Post (whoops! that’s going to skew some results!). . The researchers found that 66 percent of cannabis users worldwide smoke it mixed with tobacco, typically rolled in a joint called a spliff (as if you didn’t know…).

The mechanics of cannabis usage (the “route of administration” or ROA in medical jargon) matters because it correlates with both users’ desire to quit (either tobacco or marijuana) and their ability to do so. Compared with people who smoked their cannabis mixed with tobacco, the people who use both substances separately were 62 percent more likely to want to cut down on cannabis and 81 percent more wanted to use less tobacco. 104 percent more were seeking help to cut back on tobacco.

While these present an interesting insight into the mechanics of addiction, they are of more practical use in Europe, where the rate of people who take their weed with tobacco ranges from 77 percent to 91 percent. Here in the States it’s a mere 4.4 percent—a statistic that led the Global Health Survey to honor us Americans as the “safest smokers” in the world. U-S-A! U-S-A!

5 Bizarre Food-Flavored Beers That Never Quite Found Their Squad

Jacob Uitti
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5 Bizarre Food-Flavored Beers That Never Quite Found Their Squad

When you ask around about the weirdest beers ever brewed, you’ll inevitably land on a story about Rogue Ales in Oregon. Founded in 1988, the well-known and established brewery has made a plethora of pint-worthy suds, from their popular Rogue Dead Guy (a Maibock named after the Grateful Dead) to their Hazelnut Brown Ale. But the weirdest beer they ever made — likely the weirdest beer ever made anywhere — is their Beard Beer, made from yeast plucked out of their head brewer’s actual beard. Seriously.

But Rogue is not alone in its attempts to create the world’s next weirdest beer. Short’s Brewing Company in Michigan created a “lounge beer,” meant to exude the vibe of hanging out in an old armchair. To create the flavor, Short’s head brewer used real tobacco. In 2011, Beer Advocate reported that Deschutes Brewing in Oregon has a “whole warehouse” of beer that founder Gary Fish said, “we don’t know if they’ll ever see the light of day.”

But what other wacky ingredients have been used and since abandoned by some of the most beloved and cutting-edge breweries around? Let’s find out!

Bacon Beer

Seattle’s Odin Brewing, owned and operated by Dan Lee, one tried to make a Bacon Ale. “We were trying to have a little fun,” smirks Lee. “We wanted to make a name for ourselves in our first six months. So we made a Bacon Ale.” But, there were problems. Odin needed more bacon than they could find. “It was a novel concept,” he says, “we did it, tried it, and that was good enough for me.”

Ramen Beer

Lucky Envelope Brewing, also in Seattle, attempted a Ramen beer. Lucky Envelope owner, Barry Chan, says he made a test batch “complete with several bricks of noodles and accompanying flavor packets.” Chan says the beer tasted alright, “better than it should have,” but it was dumped.

Garlic Beer

Rogue Ales also attempted a Garlic beer for the North Plains Garlic Festival in Oregon. And while garlic is in almost everything we consume—  it’s something of a natural antibiotic — it did not work well in beer.

“To say it was disgusting is an insult do disgusting beers,” says Brett Joyce, president of Rogue.

Oyster Beer

Believe it or not, this beer is still available to drinkers. Maryland’s Flying Dog Brewing’s Pearl Necklace Chesapeake Stout, made with local oysters, and, says the brewery, “the perfect compliment to everyone’s favorite aphrodisiac.” No thanks!

Salsa Beer

Seattle’s Floating Bridge Brewing co-founder, Russ Cornell, attempted a beer for Cinco de Mayo that was brewed with tomatoes, cilantro, lime and jalapeño. “That one turned out really nicely,” says Cornell, “but easily could have not.” For the record, Cornell also created a sour Rhubarb Saison but that beer also “went down the drain.”

Hurricane Irma Fallout Could Cover South Florida In ‘Poop Flood’

Brendan Bures
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Hurricane Irma Fallout Could Cover South Florida In ‘Poop Flood’

While Floridians deal with the devastating ravages of Hurricane Irma, residents might be dealing with another smellier problem—poop. Though power might be out and roadways flooded, the brown stuff could perhaps cause the biggest problem in South Florida.

That’s because, like most of the United States, the state’s sewage system is precarious and rickety. Any floodwater produced by the storm could cause these systems to back up, which isn’t to mention the septic tanks some Floridians have underneath their homes. Because of rising sea levels and larger storms, that water might not have anywhere to go and cause some serious problems.

Via Quartz:

Backed up toilets are also becoming a more common occurrence. The waste produced by about a third of the people going to the bathroom any given day in Florida (that includes tourists) goes into a septic tank. In order for a tank to do its job, there needs to be room for the liquid portion of the waste to slowly filter down into the ground. When groundwater levels go up, though, they push the waste back up, sometimes resulting in a poop flood.

That decidedly doesn’t sound like a good time. A similar issue occurred following Hurricane Sandy’s damage caused to the Northeast. Residents couldn’t flush for two weeks because of backed-up sewer systems. Hopefully the people of Florida are good at holding it, as they might just be doing that in the coming days.

The Fresh Toast Weekly Marijuana Business Roundup: Sept. 11

Jacob Ellman
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The Fresh Toast Weekly Marijuana Business Roundup: Sept. 11

On the national stage, the cannabis industry had a very interesting week. With news ranging from Texas granting its first medical marijuana license, to the House Committee blocking medical marijuana protections.  The major index used to track market movements in the broader North American marijuana industry is the Solactive North American Medical Marijuana Index.

While the broad market index did not see much movement over the short week, there were some a handful of notable cannabis investment developments worth talking about.

$10,000,000 For Massive Massachusetts Marijuana Facility 

 Mountain States Capital, LLC has agreed to a $10,000,000 commitment to help AmeriCann, Inc. (OTC:ACAN) build out Phase 1 of their massive 1 million square foot cultivation and processing facility, otherwise known as the “Massachusetts Medical Cannabis Center.” This funding is a huge step in the build out of the facility on the over 50 acre piece of land that the company purchased from Boston Beer Company in late 2016 for just under $4.5 million.  

 Tweed Farms Inc. To Create 100 New Cannabis Jobs 

 While Canadian unemployment rates have been dropping since 2009, it’s becoming more and more apparent that the legalization of the cannabis industry will be a contributing factor to continuing the job growth. Tweed Farms Inc. which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Canopy Growth Corporation (TSX: WEED), just recently announced their acquisition of a new parcel of land which included an operational 458,000 sq. ft. greenhouse. This new $9 million expansion for Tweed Farms Inc., will create over 100 new full time jobs in this emerging industry. 

 Real Time Price Per Pound Cannabis Commodity Index Launch 

 The launch of this price per pound cannabis commodity index by Budtrader.com will be the first to update cannabis prices daily, in real time, based on the median price of a pound, as posted by the one million plus users currently on BudTrader’s platform. This is a big step in terms of helping to normalize the cannabis industry for this who are not involved, and create more of a stable market in terms of the price of cannabis in the market.  This increased transparency and stability is sure to benefit buyers, sellers, and and even investors in the marijuana industry.  

 The “Roll-Up” 

 That’s all for this week’s marijuana business roll-up. Be sure to follow us and subscribe to our newsletters so you never miss an important cannabis business update! Looking forward to see what updates next week brings! 

Gossip: Kanye West And Jay-Z Are Reportedly Ending Feud; Lady Gaga’s Must Read Quote About Madonna

Naughty Gossip
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Gossip: Kanye West And Jay-Z Are Reportedly Ending Feud; Lady Gaga’s Must Read Quote About Madonna

According to reports, Jay-Z and Kanye West are in the early stages of ending their feud.

via TMZ:

Sources familiar with the situation tell us, Kanye asked for a face-to-face with Jay, to hash out the beef that was ignited when Kanye went onstage last Fall and went after Jay, Beyonce and even Blue Ivy.

Jay said he paid no mind to Kanye targeting him, but going after his family crossed the line. And Jay called Kanye out in the song “Kill Jay Z.” Kanye’s people feel Jay should cut him some slack because Kanye wasn’t in his right mind … Kanye went on the rant shortly before his hospitalization.

It’s interesting … TMZ broke the story Kanye and Jay are embroiled in a financial dispute over Yeezy’s Tidal deal and millions are in contention. Yet we’re told money is not the source of conflict between the 2 men. They both have plenty. It’s all about their relationship.

One source says they seem to be reconciling, adding they have the classic love/hate relationship and frequently bounce back between the 2 emotions.

As for the Tidal dispute, we’re told it’s being hashed out.

Lady Gaga’s Must Read Quote About Madonna

“The thing with me and Madonna is that I admired her always and still admire her, no matter what she might think of me. The only thing that really bothers me about her is [that] I’m Italian and from New York, so if I have a problem with somebody, I’m gonna tell you to your face. She wouldn’t look me in the eye and tell me I’m reductive. I just want Madonna to push me up against the wall and kiss me and tell me I’m a piece of shit.”

Love the fresh dirt we bring over daily from Naughty Gossip? Let us know in the comments!

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