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News Nuggets – December 2019

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Bay Area

Cannabis Store Becomes Certified Green Business

One of the largest cannabis retailers in Santa Cruz County, KindPeoples, recently announced that it has been named a Certified Green Business for its commitment to helping to save the environment. The achievement fulfills the goals of the company’s founders. “We knew when we opened KindPeoples on Ocean Street in April it had to be a flagship for our values,” said Khalil Moutawakkil, founder and CEO of KindPeoples. “Becoming a Green Certified Business is the first step in implementing green practices that make a lasting impact on our community, our staff and business partners and our planet. This is just the beginning.” KindPeoples worked with theCertified Green Business Program in the City of Santa Cruz to install energy-efficient lighting, use paper products, minimize waste, promote alternative transportation and establish a company-wide Environmental Policy in order to meet the standards required for certification.

Contra Costa County Bans Vape Product Sales

On Nov. 12, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to ban the sale of cannabis vape products and flavored tobacco products. At the meeting, students and local residents flooded the building to participate and testify against the dangers of vaping. “This is a health crisis; there are potentially fatal consequences,” said  Supervisor Candace Andersen. “We are seeing people die, and I would much prefer to have us err on the side of protecting the public.” The ban comes amid reports of around 40 deaths and hundreds of cases of lung illnesses linked to vaping. The ban on sales of flavored tobacco and cannabis vaping products took effect on Nov. 18 for unincorporated areas of Contra Costa County. Incorporated areas of the county, including about 20 cities that are not under the county’s jurisdiction, will not be affected.

Colorado

Cannabis Edible Sales Increase Following Vape Scare

The recent vaping health scare has shifted cannabis industry trends, causing some areas to plummet in sales and others to rise. According to Headset, a Seattle-based cannabis data intelligence company, edible sales are up 15 percent in Colorado and in four other recreational-friendly states, as a result of the decline of vape sales due the recent health crisis. According to a Headset report from Oct. 2, before the “Vapor Crisis” commenced earlier this year, vape pens totaled 15 to 30 percent of all cannabis sales. Every state where cannabis is legal saw an increase in vapor pen usage from January to June 2019, and vapes have been the fastest growing category of cannabis products. However, since the vape scare began with the first death on Aug. 23, vape sales are rapidly declining and have been banned in some areas. Headset reports that Colorado’s edible sales are up 15 percent from 12.7 percent, from Aug. 23 to Oct. 6 respectively. Nevada, California and Washington edible sales are also up a considerable amount. Dr. Anne Schuchat, head deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said that the issue is “continuing at a brisk pace.”

Pueblo County Uses Cannabis Taxes to Fund Jail

Pueblo County is setting another example of how cannabis tax dollars can benefit residents in Colorado. In November, voters said yes to 1B, which will raise retail cannabis tax to from 3.5 percent to six percent in order to raise funds to start construction for the new county jail. The proposal came from the Board of Pueblo County Commissioners on Sept. 3 and was made official by voters during the recent election. The new jail construction will cost an estimated $140 million, which includes demolishing the old jail. According to the county commission, while much of the money will go to the capital infrastructure of the new jail, 50 percent of the tax funds will go toward funding college scholarships. This was proposed to voters last year but was rejected. Now that it has passed, the restructured tax will go into effect Jan. 1, 2020. “Other jurisdictions in the state impose a special sales tax on retail marijuana at a higher rate, and this Board believes moving to six percent of the sales price would better align Pueblo County’s tax with other similar taxes in Colorado,” reads the resolution statement from the Board of Pueblo County Commissioners.

Los Angeles

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Charged with Lying about Cannabis

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Bradley Scott Dietze allegedly lied to the Los Angeles Police Department about a cannabis heist that took place last fall. Dietz was accused of posing as a narcotics officer with a search warrant, along with two other men, and carrying out a bogus raid. At the crime scene, 1,200 pounds of cannabis and $645,000 in cash and money orders were stolen. “The case was filed for warrant on Oct. 25,” a press release reads. “Dietze is expected to be arraigned on Dec. 23 in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Alhambra Branch. Deputy District Attorney Deann Rivard of the Justice System Integrity Division is prosecuting the case. On Oct. 29, 2018, Dietze allegedly lied to a Los Angeles Police Department officer who was investigating whether a marijuana distribution warehouse was being robbed in downtown Los Angeles. If convicted as charged, Dietze faces a possible maximum sentence of one year in county jail.”

Michigan

LARA Announces Cannabis License Rule Changes

The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) released an advisory bulletin on Nov. 13, clarifying transfer rules for equivalent license holders who hold medical and recreational licenses of the same type. Growers, processors and provisioning centers may transfer up to 50 percent of their batch or product from their facility to their establishment if they hold equivalent licenses. Specifically, provisioning centers may transfer 50 percent of each product type such as concentrates or flower. “Under Rule 40 of the Adult-Use Marihuana Establishments Emergency rules, the agency may authorize licensees who hold equivalent licenses to transfer marihuana product from the inventory of their marihuana facility to the inventory of their marihuana establishment,” the bulletin states. “This applies if they hold marihuana grower/grower, marihuana processor/processor, or marihuana retailer/provisioning center equivalent licenses.” The bulletin also announced the updated allowed THC amounts in milligrams for cannabis products.

Portage Begins Accepting Medical Cannabis Permit Applications

Portage city leaders began accepting medical cannabis permit applications for provisioning centers, secure transporters, safety compliance facilities, grower facilities and processor facilities on Nov. 18. The window to apply for a permit ends on Dec. 13 and that date will not be extended. “All applicants must have received pre-qualification from the Michigan Medical Marihuana Licensing Board in order to have their application considered,” a news release states. “There are no exceptions. Applications will not be considered on a first-come-first-served basis. All applications will be reviewed once the application period is closed. The city of Portage reserves the right to alter the application deadline.” According to the news release, a $5,000 permit fee applies, in addition to necessary paperwork. Applicants should keep in mind that 1,000-foot buffers apply to neighboring provisioning centers and sensitive areas.

Oregon

Minors Consume Cannabis at Nation’s Second Highest Rate

A recent study by Las Vegas, Nevada-based US Drug Testing Centers showed that 10.35 percent of Oregonians aged 12 to 17 consumed cannabis during 2017. That makes Oregon the state with the second highest prevalence of youth cannabis consumption in the nation during that time period. Vermont topped the list, where 10.75 percent of children and teens had consumed cannabis during the same time period. Oregon was followed by Maine, New Mexico and Rhode Island for the top youth cannabis consumption rates. The study relied on data gathered in 2017 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Experts speculated that easy access to cannabis was a factor in the high rates of cannabis consumption, although rates have fallen in Oregon since 2002. The report arrives amid a nationwide teen vaping crisis, usually involving youth of the same age groups.

Oregon Court of Appeals Blocks Flavored Vape Ban

On Nov. 14, the Oregon Court of Appeals placed a hold on Gov. Kate Brown’s six-month vape ban that was recently implemented. Just one month ago, the court placed a hold the ban on flavored nicotine products, but the new hold also applies to THC vape products. The court was  “ . . . unable to tie lung injury cases to the type of flavored vape cartridges at issue,” a news release stated. “The court is not convinced that there is a risk of harm to the public if the enforcement of the rule is stayed.” The court went on to say that the details of vaping illness remain unknown, so that a ban cannot be made based on speculation of what is causing the outbreak of pulmonary lung issues. As of mid-November, 17 Oregonians have fallen ill from vaping, including six who used only nicotine products and five who used only THC products, according to the Oregon Health Authority.

San Diego

Oceanside Planning Commission Approves Recreational Cannabis Cultivation

On Nov. 4, with three members absent, the Oceanside Planning Commission unanimously voted to recommend that the Oceanside City Council add recreational cannabis cultivation to its 2018 ordinance that currently allows only medical cannabis cultivation. It would modify Articles 4, 14 and 36 of the City of Oceanside Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance and Chapter 7, Article XIII of the Oceanside City Code. “By limiting cultivation to medical-only, licensed cultivators were restricted to conduct business with a small percentage of the available market in California,” the city’s staff report reads. “Expanding cultivation to include adult-use gives licensed cultivators the ability to sell product to the entire California cannabis market, increasing the product viability and profits.” Oceanside’s latest effort would only remove the medical-only restriction for cultivation from its city code, and storefronts would remain banned in the city.

California Raises Cannabis Tax Rate

On Nov. 22, the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) issued a media alert announcing that higher tax rates will apply to cannabis products beginning on Jan. 1, 2020. The markup rate will be raised to 80 percent, or 30 percent higher than its current mark. The markup rate is used to calculate tax on cannabis products. “After analyzing thousands of transactions in the state’s Track and Trace system, CDTFA analysts have determined that the required markup rate for the period beginning Jan. 1, 2020, is 80 percent,” said CDTFA Spokesperson Casey Wells. In the news release, the CDTFA provided an example, indicating that a product with a wholesale cost of $50 would generate a mark-up of $40 and $13.50 in excise tax. California cannabis industry trade groups were seeking the exact opposite, or lower tax rates, and said they were “stunned and outraged” by the tax increase.

Washington

U.S. Customs Agents Seize Packaging from Cannabis Businesses

Several Washington-based cannabis businesses recently complained that U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents seized all types of items including spice jars, vials and packaging materials. The materials were seized at a port of entry located in Tacoma, and were defined as “paraphernalia,” which angered business owners. The confiscated products were worth more than $8,000. “The seized property, including appraised domestic value (ADV) described as follows: 1,080 85x120mm glass jars with wooden lids, ADV: $1,620.00; 5,303 50x70mm glass jars with wooden lids, ADV: $6,628/75,” customs agents indicated in a Sept. 30 letter. “This merchandise from entry BUU-1311428 was seized as an unlawful importation of drug paraphernalia.” Shipment owners may petition to retrieve their property, but only if they post a bond of $5,000 or 10 percent of the shipment’s assessed value.

Study Links Rising Cannabis Consumption Rates with Legalization

A new study published on Nov. 13 in the journal JAMA Psychiatry suggests an association between legalization in states including Washington and rising cannabis consumption rates. The study defined any kind of problematic use of the plant as cannabis use disorder (CUD). “This study’s findings suggest that although marijuana legalization advanced social justice goals, the small post-RML increase in risk for CUD among respondents aged 12 to 17 years and increased frequent use and CUD among adults 26 years or older in this study are a potential public health concern,” researchers reported. “To undertake prevention efforts, further studies are warranted to assess how these increases occur and to identify subpopulations that may be especially vulnerable.” The study’s lead author, Magdalena Cerdá, said that heavy cannabis consumption is linked to psychological and physical health concerns such as lower educational attainment and decline in social class.

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