Cannabis Sales in Washington Reach $1B So Far in 2017

According to new figures by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board, cannabis sales in the state have reached more than $1 billion this year, bringing in more than $300 million in excise taxes. The data represents sales through September. Monthly sales in the state have reached more than $130 million. The WSLCB data shows that cultivators have grown nearly 367,000 …

Biotech Startup Awards Grant to Cannabis Pioneer to Explore CBD as Asthma Therapy

CIITECH, a cannabis biotech startup developing Israeli cannabis products in the United Kingdom and European Union, has awarded research funding to two Hebrew University scientists to explore the possible effects of CBD on asthma. The Hebrew University team includes asthma researcher Francesca Levi-Shaffer and Raphael Mechoulam, who is credited with discovering the endocannabinoid system. “We know that CBD has anti-inflammatory …

Arizona Judge Rules Extracts Fall Outside MMJ Law, Appeal Expected

A ruling by Navajo County Superior Court Judge Dale Nielson could force Arizona dispensaries to stop selling vape cartridges, cannabis oils, and edibles, according to a Phoenix New Times report. Nielson’s ruling comes in the case of a 26-year-old registered medical cannabis patient who was arrested for cannabis possession after officers discovered the processed products. “After review of the statues …

Jamaican Cannabis Industry Association Launches Commercial MMJ Council

The Jamaican Ganja Growers and Producers Association has announced they will launch the Cannabis Commercial Council to help address concerns over the nation’s forthcoming medical cannabis industry, the Jamaica Observer reports. The council will begin its work after hosting its upcoming Ganja Stakeholders Forum. According to the report, the council will “research, develop and formulate policies for the holistic development …

By Prohibiting MMJ Access, Lawmakers Complicit in Opioid Epidemic

The opioid overdoses death toll is staggering – reaching 64,070 in 2016 – and at least one estimate suggests opioids could kill a half-million Americans in the next decade. According to the Centers for Disease Control, deaths from “synthetic opioids excluding methadone” more than doubled from 9,945 in Jan. 2016 to 20,145 in Jan. 2017. So-called “natural and semi-synthetic opioids” …

Medical Marijuana Programs Associated With Reductions in Violent Crimes

NORML | October 19, 2017 HAVERFORD, PA — Medical cannabis regulatory programs are associated with reductions in the prevalence of certain types of violent crimes, according to a thesis paper published online on the International Scholar website. The paper evaluates the relationship between state-sanctioned medical cannabis programs and violent crime rates over a two-decade period. It finds that cannabis medicalization laws are …

Canadian Companies Partner for Australia's Largest MMJ Greenhouse

Two Canadian businesses are partnering to build a 1 million-square-foot greenhouse in Casino, New South Wales, Australia for medical cannabis cultivation, according to a report from the Construction Index. The PUF Ventures and MYM Nutraceuticals project will be completed in two stages; the first phase will cover about 300,000 square feet – which alone would represent the largest medical cannabis …

Hawaii Licenses 2nd Testing Lab

Hawaii’s second medical cannabis testing lab has been licensed and can begin testing products immediately, according to a KITV report. Pharmlab Hawaii is expected to test products for dispensaries on Maui; Steep Hill Hawaii, located in Oahu, was approved to test products in July and until now have been the sole testing facility in the state. Wanda Change, Department of …

Peru Legalizes Medical Cannabis

Peru’s Congress has legalized cannabis for medical use in a 67-5 vote with three abstaining, according to a report from Al Día News. The measure legalizes cannabis and its derivatives as a cancer, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s disease therapy. Congressman Alberto de Belaunde, who championed the legislation called the bill’s passage a “historic moment” for the nation’s Congress. Once the bill …

Michigan Gov. Appoints 7 to MMJ Advisory Panel

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has appointed seven members to the state’s Marihuana Advisory Panel, including representatives for law enforcement, physicians, patients, counties, and towns. Snyder is also tasked with appointing another five members to the panel representing cultivators, processors, dispensaries, and safety compliance facilities but according to the governor’s office, those appointments will wait until after the new medical cannabis …