News Nuggets| June 2016

Bay Area

City of El Cerritos Discusses Lifting Cannabis Ban

As city and state officials are anticipating the potential legalization of recreational cannabis come November elections, the city of El Cerritos is weighing its options. According to East Bay Times, the El Cerrito City Council discussed ending its moratorium on cannabis to welcome a medical cannabis collective that hopes to open in an abandoned drive-thru restaurant. This will allow the city to regulate the collective as they see fit and gain nine percent of the collective’s gross sales, which would make up to $1 million a year. At a May 18 meeting, the council concluded that it needs more research to determine whether or not the collective would be a beneficial asset to the city and also weigh in on factors like potential criminal activity and the benefits of medical cannabis. Since the city does not have the budget to conduct research itself, the collective, Davis Wellness Center would sponsor the research “as part of an exclusive deal,” as stated by East Bay Express.

Oakland Plans to Expand its Medical Cannabis Market

Although Oakland was one of the first cities in California to regulate its cannabis collectives, there are currently only eight operating legally within the city. To avoid city inspections, and taxations, many collectives and other cannabis businesses are run just outside of city bounds. However, in early May, the City Council voted to approve a movement that would significantly increase its current amount of legal cannabis businesses in response to the Medical Marijuana Regulations and Safety Act (MMRSA), according to SF Gate. This is Oakland’s way of getting rid of illicitly run collectives and other cannabis businesses and gain revenue with safe and proper regulations. With these new laws the city can now make room for eight new collectives, 30 cultivators, 12 delivery services and 28 manufacturers, amongst other businesses and operations.

Colorado

State Looking to Hire Individual to Analyze Effects of Cannabis on Public Health

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is looking to hire a “marijuana health effects and research manager,” that will “provide oversite of public and environmental health issues as a result of recreational marijuana,” as stated in the online job posting. This person will be responsible for reporting the health consequences of legalized cannabis, collecting data from hospitals, and leading an advisory committee that is expected to report on its findings, according to The Gazette. Not anyone can apply for such position though, the job posting states that those interested in the position must be licensed to practice medicine in the State of Colorado, must have a master’s degree and also two years of public health experience. Mike Van Dyke of the CDPHE stated that those qualifications allow state officials to “ . . . really have those physician-to-physician conversations, which are important.”

 Charlo Greene Hosts Cannabis Diversity Summit in Denver

Charlo Greene the Alaskan news anchor who famously quit on air while reporting on her own cannabis company hosted the very first cannabis diversity summit in Denver this past May. Greene who has gone on to found Go Greene a company dedicated to “cultivating diversity, unity and opportunity in cannabis to help rebuild the communities harmed by prohibition most” created the summit to educate those who attend on many aspects of the cannabis industry from the perspectives of industry leaders and advocates who are people of color. In February, Greene stated that she would offer resources for minorities to gain opportunity in the cannabis industry, which she has succeeded in doing. Speakers at the summit included Colorado NORML President Jake Cabrera and Our Cannabis Culture owner Draya Sallis.

Los Angeles

 New Bill May Ban Cannabis Smoke in Multi-Unit Rentals

If you’re renting an apartment in California, you may not be able to smoke medical cannabis in the comfort of your own home. Assembly Bill 2300, an extension of a 2011 law that allows landlords to ban tenants from smoking tobacco in their units, will also allow landlords to ban the smoking of cannabis. The bill is awaiting approval from the Senate, and if that happens, medical cannabis patients in California will immediately be banned from smoking cannabis in their rented homes, according to The Inquisitr. Although there is already a law in California that prohibits cannabis smoking anywhere tobacco is prohibited, AB-2300 will not allow medical cannabis users to smoke in muti-unit dwellings. This means that medical patients might only be able to imbibe in edibles, tinctures or other non-smokable forms of cannabis when in the comfort of their own apartment.

Agoura Hills’ Medical Cannabis Laws Get More Strict

Medical cannabis patients in Agoura Hills may have trouble obtaining their medicine as the city recently tightened its ban on cannabis. According to The Acorn, the city’s new law prohibits delivery into the city and prohibits the operation of mobile medical cannabis collectives. The only way medical cannabis patients can get their medicine in Agoura Hills is to go outside of the city and bring it back home, which is their only legal option. Most comments from members of the council revealed that it is completely opposed to cannabis legalization, with councilmember Denis Weber stating, “I have my doubts about the legitimacy of it.” Most members however, expressed that they are not comfortable passing ordinances that would be in opposition to federal law.

Bakersfield

 City and County Officials Unconvinced of Cannabis’ Economic Benefits

Although medical cannabis collectives are technically banned in Bakersfield, Bakersfield Now reports that both the city and Kern County have been collecting sales taxes from these establishments. The California Board of Equalization reports that the Kern County ranked in the top 15 California counties with the most medical cannabis sales in 2014 hitting $5,789,158 in cannabis sales and getting a payout of $54,000 in sales tax. Sadly, this has not changed the perception of city or county officials when it comes to legalizing the plant. “I’m not in the mood to regulate medical marijuana dispensaries, and I would regulate them to zero,” stated Chairman Mick Gleason of the Kern County Board of Supervisors, adding that the costs to regulate cannabis collectives outweighs any gain, as reported by Bakersfield Now.

Tehachapi’s City Council Recently Created a Medical Cannabis Committee

In order for the city of Tehachapi to determine if and how it will regulate medical cannabis, the City Council has appointed two of its members to act as a “Medical Marijuana Committee.” The committee, consisting of council members Kim Nixon and Dennis Wahlstrom, will work with city staff to study the effects of medical cannabis regulations and how the city may approach the matter in the future, according to Tehachapi News. When asked exactly what the committee plans on doing to study options for medical cannabis regulations Wahlstrom stated, “That kind of depends on how much leeway we get with it. I’d like to do some workshops. I’d like to hear what everybody says, take four or five hours. It’s an important issue to them.” Nixon also expressed that she would like to obtain input from the public to report back to the council and move on from there.

Oregon 

Recreational Cannabis Users Can Now Purchase Low-Dose Edibles

At the beginning of this month, Oregon’s recreational cannabis market will change, allowing recreational cannabis users to purchase cannabis from medical cannabis dispensaries. Senate Bill 1511, which was signed by Governor Kate Brown on March 29, allows recreational users to purchase low-dose edibles of 15mg or less, and pre-filled cartridges of extract with no more than 1,­000mg of THC, as of June 2, according to The Oregonian. The rules also state that dispensaries can sell one gram of an extract per customer per day, and may only sell non-psychoactive topicals that have six or less percent of THC. Previously, only medical cannabis patients were allowed edibles and extracts. All recreational extracts and edibles sold will be charged a 25 percent sales tax, which is also the same tax for flowers.

 Washington County Commissioners Plan to Update Regulations for Recreational Cannabis Cultivation

With the recent legalization of recreational cannabis, the market is booming and many growers want to get their foot in the door. Currently in Washington County, 100 applicants applied for a permit to operate a cannabis grow site. With this overwhelming demand, county commissioners have shared that they are inclined to change regulations that they approved last year, according to Portland Tribune. Chairman Andy Duyck shared that he does not have a problem with changing local regulations to match state law and is adamant in making changes. “I do not believe we should play games,” Duyck stated. Washington County combined medical and recreational cannabis markets in a single ordinance and have limited cultivation sites to farm-land, industrial and agricultural forest zones and are required to have a minimum lot size of 20 acres. 

Michigan

 Michigan Implements Plan to Set THC Limit for Drivers

As cannabis legalization medically and recreationally is being regulated across the U.S., a number of states are trying to figure out ways to determine the effects of cannabis on drivers. This past April the Michigan House voted 107-1 on House Bill 5204 which will implement research and set a limit on THC levels for drivers. Currently the state protects medical cannabis patients from prosecution for “drugged driving” as long as they are not under the influence of the plant when pulled over by a police officer. This new bill will help officers determine when a driver is under the influence of cannabis and if their driving is impaired. As the state makes moves to regulate cannabis like alcohol, the Detroit Metro Times reports that those who drive while under the influence of cannabis typically drive more carefully than those under the influence of alcohol.

 Lansing City Council Passes Medical Cannabis Moratorium

In May, Lansing’s City Council voted 6-0 to enact a moratorium on new medical cannabis collectives in order to give the city more time to decide whether or not medical cannabis is the right path for Lansing. There are an estimated 70 cannabis provision centers operating illegally in Lansing, although the city does not currently have a process to license cannabis businesses despite a 2011 ordinance it had passed regulating collectives, according to the WLNS 6. Councilwoman Carol Wood stated that the moratorium is necessary, “Currently there has not been the will from the people that administer the laws that we put on the books which is the city attorney’s office, and the police department and the mayor’s office who say ‘okay you’re open illegally and we’re going to close you down,’” stated Wood. There are many divided opinions in Lansing, but Wood hopes that members of the community will help in keeping new collectives from illegally operating by reporting new shops to the City Attorney’s Office.

San Diego

 University of California, San Diego Conducts Study for Cannabis Sobriety Test

University of California, San Diego (UCSD) scientists have been granted $1.8 million by the state of California to work on creating a cannabis sobriety test. This funding is backed by Assembly Bill 266 and the Medical Marijuana Regulations and Safety Act (MMRSA). According to The Guardian, a leading scientist in the study and psychiatry professor at UCSD, Thomas Marcotte, stated that he and his team will test 50 to 60 patients and have them smoke “marijuana cigarettes” at different dosages of THC. “We’ll follow them over the course of the day on driving simulations, some iPad-based cognitive measures as well as collecting fluids, including blood, saliva and breath, to see if we can correlate those levels, objective cognitive performance, and relate those to how they do on those driving simulations,” Marcotte stated. Times are definitely changing and cannabis is finally being regulated similarly to alcohol; this study being the first of many steps, toward that goal.

Cannabis Collectives in San Diego Unsure of Future with Extended Moratorium

County Supervisors in San Diego have decided to extend a 45-day moratorium on new medical cannabis collectives in unincorporated areas to 10 and a half months. This extension will now last until March 2017, according to Valley Road Runner. Not only did supervisors vote on April 27 to extend the moratorium, they voted to make changes to the county’s land use regulations for cannabis businesses. The initial moratorium was put in place due to concern of the overwhelming amount of applications that the county received for medical cannabis cultivation sites. This moratorium has caused many new medical cannabis collectives to put their business development on hold as their future is uncertain. It is reported that county officials are to meet with approved collectives to determine whether or not they “have a vested right to continue their plans.”

Washington

Tacoma to Change Regulations for Recreational Access Points

The Tacoma City Council took its first two votes in May on a new law that would limit the number of access points in the city to 16. This decision came after a five-month moratorium that was placed on access points, and it will allow the 16 permitted cannabis businesses to cluster near one another as well as allow groups of four to cultivate cannabis in “residential collectives,” as reported by The News Tribune. While these regulations are written in state law, the City Council decided to create its own regulations by requiring recreational access points to obtain endorsements that will allow them to sell medical cannabis, to ensure that patients are being sold un-taxed medicines. Another restriction added to the new regulations are decreased buffer zones between access points and schools, parks, jails and libraries. Instead of the state mandated 1,000 feet, access points in Tacoma will be required to be 500 feet from such establishments.

Washington State Sees Decline in Illegal Cannabis Seizures

Since cannabis has been legalized in Washington, the amount of illegal cannabis seized by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has reduced drastically. According to reports from the DEA, the number of cannabis plants it has seized dropped 80 percent between 2010 and 2014, while the amount of processed cannabis has dropped from 3,126 pounds to only 635 pounds. While this may seem like a result of legalized cannabis within the state, the Washington State Patrol says that it is due to the collective efforts put forth by state, local and federal law enforcement. “Production has moved into other states that don’t necessarily have the response teams we do,” said Lieutenant Chris Sweet of the Washington State Patrol. However, sales and marketing consultant Eric Schoep believes that it is due to the state’s cannabis laws. “Due to very lenient MMJ laws (RCW 69.51a), the price was driven down to a point where the risk of operating illegally was no longer worth it compared to operating legally under state MMJ regulations,” said Schoep.

National

Oklahoma House Approves Bill that will Expand Age Range for CBD Use

Oklahoma has not been shy about its opposition towards cannabis, but recently the state has learned to embrace the plant and its therapeutic benefits. In May, the Oklahoma House voted 69-14 to pass a bill that will expand the use of CBD oil, according to KOCO. Previously, CBD oil was only administered to cannabis patients under the age of 18, but the recently approved bill removed that age restriction. Conditions that qualify patients to medicate with CBD oil are those hoping to treat spasticity associated with Multiple Sclerosis and paraplegia, and those looking to alleviate symptoms of chronic wasting disease. This decision came shortly after Governor Mary Fallin signed House Bill 2154, allowing children with severe epilepsy to medicate with CBD oil. The House’s decision currently awaits approval from Governor Fallin.

World

Eighth Annual Cannabis Liberation Day Celebrated in the Netherlands

Since the Cannabis Cup left the Netherlands, there is only one event in the country that celebrates cannabis, Cannabis Liberation Day. Now in its eighth year, the festival, which is organized by the Union for the abolition of cannabis prohibition (VOC), includes a variety of guest speakers and musicians from the Netherlands and abroad, all coming together for the advancement of cannabis reform. While there are still serious issues revolving around cannabis reform all across the globe, organizers of Cannabis Liberation Day created this event with the intent of creating a positive culture surrounding cannabis. Guests can enjoy the event’s Hemp Market and Cannabis Film Festival while checking out vendors and attending lectures. With the recent and unexpected passing of VOC founding member Josep Oomen, a tribute will be held in his honor.