Chris@CNW, Author at CannabisNewsWire

TuesdayJul 28, 2020 4:20 am

420 with CNW – Rhode Island Licenses First Lab to Test Marijuana Potency

Rhode Island legalized medical cannabis back in 2006, and it became one of the first states with a cannabis dispensary system when it introduced the system in 2009. As of 2020, there are 3 cannabis dispensaries in the state; Thomas C. Slater Compassion Center in Providence, Summit Medical Compassion Center in Warwick, and Greanleaf Compassion Center in Portsmouth. But Rhode Island's medical marijuana program differed greatly from programs in other states. For years, the state had not licensed any laboratories to test for marijuana potency. Either the growers in Rhode Island tested their own products, dispensaries tested the marijuana themselves…

MondayJul 27, 2020 4:20 pm

420 with CNW – Opponents File Lawsuit against Arizona Marijuana Ballot Measure

At the start of the year, at least 10 states had plans to legalize either medical or recreational cannabis. But as the coronavirus took hold, lawmakers didn't have enough time to discuss comprehensive marijuana reforms. This, coupled with the shutdown and social distancing measures, meant states like New York and Ohio had to postpone their legalization plans. In Arizona, however, activists were able to collect enough signatures to get marijuana legalization on the November ballot, but they are now facing another potential hurdle. A group opposed to legal cannabis has filed a lawsuit arguing that the initiative used deceptive language…

MondayJul 27, 2020 4:20 am

420 with CNW – Congress Passes Measure Allowing Military Personnel to Use CBD

When the 2018 Farm Bill legalized industrial hemp and its derivatives, no one knew just how big cannabidiol (“CBD”) would get. Flush with medical properties, CBD has quickly become a go-to compound for people seeking a natural alternative to pharmaceuticals. However, despite being federally legalized, several military branches have in the past few months issued statements stating that service members were not permitted to use CBD products. In response, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, a military veteran, and former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate sponsored an amendment that would allow military service members to use products containing hemp and its derivatives. Approved by…

FridayJul 24, 2020 4:20 pm

420 with CNW – FDA Finally Releases Cannabis Research Guidelines

In December 2018, Congress passed the 2018 Farm Bill, a landmark legislation that legalized the cultivation and sale of industrial hemp and it's derivatives after decades of prohibition. Cannabidiol, a hemp extract with medical capabilities, quickly grew in popularity, resulting in an unregulated market worth millions of dollars in sales. For months, advocates, stakeholders, and some lawmakers have urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) to create a comprehensive regulatory structure for the industry. On Tuesday, the agency finally released draft guidance on developing cannabis-based drugs, weeks after the White House announced that it had finished reviewing the draft…

FridayJul 24, 2020 4:20 am

420 with CNW – Activists Put Pressure on Mexican Lawmakers to Legalize Recreational Marijuana

The past few years have been great for cannabis. Advanced research into its effects on the body that has found it has plenty of medical benefits, coupled with changing attitudes towards the plant, have pushed it more into the mainstream. As a result, plenty of territories have passed legislation allowing either recreational or medical marijuana within their borders. Many more jurisdictions have cannabis legalization on the books or they are at least considering it. In Mexico, activists have demanded that the Senate include the legalization of recreational cannabis in the next special session that starts on July 29. This comes…

ThursdayJul 23, 2020 4:20 pm

420 with CNW – Third-Party Presidential Nominees Push for Marijuana Legalization

With everything that’s been going on for the past six months, from a global pandemic that’s crippled the economy to the protests against police brutality raging across the country, it’s easy to forget that the November ballot is fast approaching. The ballot may very well be a turning point for the cannabis industry. For starters, the Democratic Party made it clear that if it clinches Congress and the White House this coming November, it will make decriminalizing marijuana one of its top priorities, despite presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s views on the matter. The presidential nominees for both the…

ThursdayJul 23, 2020 4:20 am

420 with CNW – What Current Research Says About Marijuana and Memory

We all know the stereotype of the bumbling, forgetful stoner. Cannabis has for long been associated with memory loss, and that has been one of the main arguments against legalizing. However, most of these claims lacked any scientific backing but over the past few years, researchers have been steadily learning more about cannabis and its effect on the human body, especially the brain. To understand how cannabis affects memory, we’ll first have to discuss short and long term memory. Your short term memory stores immediate events temporarily, for instance, to remember a phone number that has just been recited. It…

WednesdayJul 22, 2020 4:20 pm

420 with CNW – You Don’t Need Lots of Capital to Be Big in the Marijuana Industry

For many young entrepreneurs, launching a startup is pretty straightforward. Make a snazzy business plan, secure as much funding as you can from investors and hit the ground running. However, acquiring startup capital is no easy task and if you do, you and your business are often at the mercy of your investors and advisory boards. More often than not, these entrepreneurs find themselves running businesses that while successful and profitable, have strayed far from their original visions. But who said that’s the only way to go? It’s certainly the quicker way, you’ll have funds to make all the appropriate…

WednesdayJul 22, 2020 4:20 am

420 with CNW – Meta Study Finds CBD Could Treat Cocaine Addiction

For the past couple of years, there has been mounting interest in the medical abilities of cannabidiol (“CBD”), a cannabinoid produced by the cannabis plant. This was compounded by the 2018 Farm Bill which legalized industrial hemp and its derivatives and pushed CBD even more into the mainstream. The cannabinoid is said to be effective against a wide range of medical conditions, ranging from certain forms of epilepsy, chronic pain, anxiety, and depression. A growing body of research has also found that cannabidiol can help treat cocaine addiction. In a new meta-study, scientists analyzed 14 studies from the past five…

TuesdayJul 21, 2020 4:20 pm

420 with CNW – Montana Activists Say Cannabis Reform Measures Will Be on November Ballot

When the coronavirus pandemic struck, there were tens of marijuana legalization initiatives in states across the country. However, social distancing and self-isolation orders made signature collection virtually impossible and as a result, states such as New York and Idaho have had to postpone their legalization efforts until next year and beyond. Montana, on the other hand, is on track to putting marijuana reform on the ballot this November. On Friday, marijuana activists in the state that based on both county-level signature validation as well as their own verification process, said they were surer they had collected enough signatures to qualify…