420 with CNW Archives - Page 126 of 306

WednesdayJun 01, 2022 4:20 pm

420 with CNW — NIDA Seeks Additional Suppliers of Research-Grade Cannabis

The National Institute on Drug Abuse is seeking new partners that can supply cannabis for study purposes. Last week, the federal drug agency posted a notice on its website for organizations authorized by the DEA to grow marijuana that could acquire or produce marijuana and related materials for research. Before the DEA recently ended the University of Mississippi’s monopoly on cannabis supply and agreed to approve new licenses, the National Institute on Drug Abuse had only a single supplier of marijuana for research. While the agency hasn’t stated how many suppliers it needs, it has listed the criteria for a…

WednesdayJun 01, 2022 4:20 am

420 with CNW — VA Declines Certifying a Veteran’s Hemp Because of Marijuana’s Federal Status

Last week, the Department of Veterans Affairs rejected an application made by a veteran requesting that his hemp product firm be recognized. In its denial letter, the department stated that the department could not endorse the business because it was involved in products derived from the same genus of the marijuana plant, which would give the impression that a federal agency was endorsing the plant. This rejection highlights the confusion around hemp’s legal status, which is defined as cannabis sativa L., and its derivatives, which contain less than 0.3% THC under U.S. law. Marijuana products with higher THC concentrations are…

TuesdayMay 31, 2022 4:20 pm

420 with CNW — Appeals Court Says Delta-8 THC Federally Legal

According to a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals panel, products containing delta-8 THC are legal under federal law. The court ruled that the 2018 farm bill was clear and only restricted delta-9 THC to no more than 0.3% of a product on a dry-weight basis. The panel of three judges agreed unanimously that the law doesn’t mention anything about delta-8 THC, so one cannot claim that the substance is illegal under the 2018 farm bill. Delta-9 THC, commonly called THC, is the most plentiful of all cannabinoids and it is responsible for the “high” that marijuana users experience. This substance…

TuesdayMay 31, 2022 4:20 am

420 with CNW — Pollen Study in Spain Reveals Thriving Illegal Cannabis Grows

A study exploring the concentration of marijuana pollen in the atmosphere in the Spanish city of Murcia has discovered that levels of pollen are increasing in the atmosphere. This is a clear indication that the extent of illicit cannabis farming is trending upwards. For decades, scientists have been documenting the amount of marijuana pollen present in the air in order to estimate the extent of illegal marijuana cultivation taking place in different cities, including Cartagena, Lorca and Murcia. This trio of cities is of special interest because they are located along the seashore acting as a border between Spain and…

FridayMay 27, 2022 4:20 pm

420 with CNW — Franchising Offers Exciting Possibilities for Marijuana Industry

In November 2020, residents in New Jersey voted to legalize marijuana in the state. The next year, Gov. Phil Murphy signed three legislations on the legalization of cannabis. In April of this year, recreational retail stores in the state opened their doors to the public, making New Jersey the 14th state to legalize and implement the sale of recreational cannabis and decrease the penalties for underage use. The commission in the state gave approval to a more than 100 conditional licenses for smaller growers and manufacturers. Despite having approval, it may take a year or longer for these operations to…

FridayMay 27, 2022 4:25 am

420 with CNW — State Regulators Say Cannabis Banking Reform Will Ease Their Jobs

Last week, members of the Cannabis Regulators Association (CANNRA) penned a letter to leaders of congress. The letter’s primary signatories were regulators serving in Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Minnesota, Michigan, Hawaii and Georgia. In the letter, the nonpartisan association outlined primary aspects of worry for the respective cannabis markets in their states. While it didn’t endorse the SAFE Banking Act directly, the letter did highlight that the absence of safe financial and banking services for marijuana industry actors and for the individuals involved in marijuana marketplaces was a public safety matter. Legislators are currently holding a debate to attach the language…

ThursdayMay 26, 2022 4:20 pm

420 with CNW — Commissioner Califf Admits FDA Hasn’t Done Much on CBD

While addressing a Congressional panel, FDA chief Dr. Robert Califf admitted that the agency he heads hasn’t been as fast as stakeholders may want as it handles matters of creating regulatory pathways for different products, including cannabidiol, extracted from hemp. This is despite the legalization at a federal level of hemp as well as its derivatives several years ago. He admitted that while things look the same as they were when hemp was legalized back in 2018, his agency now has more data because it has been doing plenty of research. He added that most of the funds allocated to…

ThursdayMay 26, 2022 4:20 am

420 with CNW — DEA-Approved Cannabis Cultivator Debuts on NASDAQ

Bright Green Corp., a Florida-based cannabis company, made history last week by being the first “plant-touching” company to list its shares on a major securities exchange within the United States. The company, which boasts of being in possession of conditional approval from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to grow research-grade marijuana, started trading on the NASDAQ exchange under the ticker BGXX on Tuesday last week. The exchange had earlier set $8 as the reference price for a share of this company, but when trading opened on Tuesday, the stocks started trading at $15.99. In the course of the day, the…

WednesdayMay 25, 2022 4:20 pm

420 with CNW — Study Finds That Cannabis Legalization Is Associated with Reduced Opioid, Nicotine, Alcohol Use

New research has found that the legalization of cannabis is associated with reduced use of nonprescription opioids, nicotine and alcohol. The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Washington. Its findings were reported in the “Journal of Adolescent Health.” For their study, the researchers conducted an analysis of data on trends of substance use in the period between 2014 and 2019. The data, which was obtained from more than 12,000 adults, led to the discovery that individuals who were 21 to 25 years of age were less prone to consuming more “dangerous” drugs after they were legalized within…

WednesdayMay 25, 2022 4:20 am

420 with CNW — Congressman Calls on DOT to Modify Truck Driver Cannabis Testing Rules

Earlier this week, Rep. Earl Blumenauer sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation urging the federal agency to reform its cannabis testing policies for truckers and other commercial drivers. The congressman explained that these drug tests unnecessarily cost individuals their jobs and also contribute to issues in the supply chain. In the letter, he cited data from the department showing that thousands of drivers lost their jobs due to strict THC drug-screening policies. Blumenauer explained that while no individual wanted impaired drivers on U.S. roads, there didn’t exist tests that could detect impairment, which meant that these individuals…