Cannabis is emerging from the shadows of prohibition. Every week, there are advancements in many fields related to cannabis. Smoke Reports will be re-capping the weekly events of the cannabis community and industry, so that you can stay up-to-date on the latest developments.
CA Governor Signs Medical Laws
Late October 9th, Gov. Jerry Brown signed the three bills aimed to regulate California’s medical cannabis program. The new laws carry the first licensing and regulatory structure for a legitimate cannabis industry. Licensed businesses that comply with local and state regulations can for the first time in California’s history admit to profits from their operations.
The bills do nothing to affect Prop 215 (the 1996 Compassionate Use Act) and the rights of cannabis patients. This new medical legislation is paving the way for initiatives calling for full cannabis legalization, which is expected to appear on the ballot in 2016.
Croatia Legalizes Medical Cannabis
Legalization of medical cannabis officially went into effect on Thursday, October 15th. The Croatian government lists medical purposes such as cancer, multiple sclerosis and AIDS as valid conditions that are approved for cannabis relief. Medical cannabis in Croatia can only be prescribed by a physician. There are still regulations on how much THC a patient can have per month (0.75 grams) and most of the medicine includes the non-psychoactive component CBD.
UN Assembly on Drugs
The last United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on Drugs was held in 1998, when member states made agreements on political declarations of global drug control. The next UNGASS was originally scheduled for 2019, but several drug-torn countries like Colombia, Guatemala, and Mexico have requested to move the global drug policy summit forward to 2016. In total, 96 member countries have co-sponsored this provision in an effort to quickly combat apathetic drug policies across the world.
August Cannabis Sales in Colorado Pass $100 Million
During the month of August, recreational dispensaries in Colorado sold a total of $59.2 million dollars worth of cannabis products, and medical dispensaries sold just over $41.4 million. Totaling over $100 million dollars in sales, tax revenue from both medical and recreational retailers came in just over $13 million for the month of August. Despite sensational headlines and rapt media attention, the tax revenue from August makes up just 0.625% of Colorado’s monthly state budget.
Democratic Candidates Talk about Cannabis During Debate
The 2016 presidential election is packed to the brim with candidates. The Democratic frontrunners, Sec. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders, both took a stance Tuesday on cannabis legalization, for both medical and recreational purposes.
Sen. Bernie Sanders: “I suspect I would vote yes [on legalizing cannabis]. And I would vote yes because I am seeing in this country too many lives being destroyed for non-violent offenses. We have a criminal justice system that lets CEOs on Wall Street walk away, and yet we are imprisoning or giving jail sentences to young people who are smoking marijuana.
I think we have to think through this war on drugs which has done an enormous amount of damage. We need to rethink our criminal justice system, we’ve got a lot of work to do in that area.”
Sec. Hillary Clinton: “I think that we have the opportunity through the states that are pursuing recreational marijuana to find out a lot more than we know today. I do support the use of medical marijuana, and I think even there we need to do a lot more research so that we know exactly how we’re going to help people for whom medical marijuana provides relief.
So, I think we’re just at the beginning, but I agree completely with the idea that we have got to stop imprisoning people who use marijuana. Therefore, we need more states, cities, and the federal government to begin to address this so that we don’t have this terrible result that Senator Sanders was talking about where we have a huge population in our prisons for nonviolent, low-level offenses that are primarily due to marijuana.”
Upcoming Cannabis Events
Santa Monica 4.20 Mile March (Cannaball Run Kickoff) – (Santa Monica, CA Oct 17)
The 420 Games is hosting another awesome event in partnership with The Weed For Warriors Project. The 4.20 Mile March is a fun run/walk/roll event in beautiful Santa Monica. The event is the first stop on the 2015 Cannaball Run, sponsored by MagicalButter.com. The event begins at 8am at the southern end of Palisades Park near the Santa Monica pier.
First Stop of the 2015 Cannaball Run – (Santa Monica, CA: Oct 17)
The Weed For Warriors Project is kicking off their cross-country cannabis campaign in Santa Monica at the 4.20 Mile March. The Cannaball Run of 2015 is an educational campaign to raise awareness of the medical challenges that military veterans face after returning from service. After returning from service, veterans afflicted with PTSD and chronic pain have been fighting to be able to use cannabis for relief.
Using cannabis medicine conflicts with the federal governments approved list of medications, which are basically a cocktail of pharmaceuticals with residual side-effects. Join the fight by supporting the tour at one of their many stops (full list here).
Anyone can help support the 2015 Cannaball Run. If you are unable to make it to one of the stops, you can donate through the fundraising campaign on Indiegogo.com sponsored by the verified non-profit organization America’s Veterans Demand Change.
(Dallas Marijuana March 2015 – Dallas, TX: Oct 17)
The Dallas Marijuana March is a 1st Amendment Rally held annually by the Dallas/Fort Worth chaper of NORML (DFW NORML). The Dallas Marijuana March is free to attend and open to the public, featuring activists, patients, parents, caregivers, medical professionals, military veterans and attorneys speaking out against the failure of cannabis prohibition in the state of Texas and the urgent need to reform outdated mariuana laws. As always, the event is being planned with the respectful cooperation of Dallas Police Department, Central Patrol Division.
THC Fair (The Hemp & Cannabis Fair) – (Eugene, OR: Oct 17-18)
Attend this event for a celebration of legal marijuana! You’ll find hemp and cannabis products, accessories and tools, grow and harvest equipment and more in our amazing expo hall. Then, take in some great sessions on growing, medicinal benefits, prop 91 and more!
Hempstalk – (Portland, OR: Oct 17-18)
Portland’s annual Hempstalk Harvest Festival in Portland, Oregon advocates decriminalization of marijuana for medicinal, industrial, and recreational use. Founded in 2005 by The Hemp and Cannabis Foundation, the festival takes place on October 17-18, and features food vendors, live music, guest speakers and information booths. This public event has always been free to attend, with a suggested donation of $10 per person.
Calidepfest – (Santa Cruz, CA: Oct 18)
Celebrating California’s premier “light dep” grown cannabis. Prop 215 compliant farmers and patients coming together to learn, share and grow. There will be three categories of cannabis to taste and reflect on. They will be tested for molds and pesticides, as well as cannabinoid content.
This is an invitational event. If you would like a invite to the 2nd annual CaliDepFest, please email us at info@calidepfest.com with a little bit about your interest in the event. This is a no vending industry event focused on learning, sharing and growing as a community.
CA Cannabis Regulation Summit – (San Francico, CA: Oct 20)
CA Cannabis Regulation Summit – (Newport, CA: Oct 22)
These half day-long educational programs will provide a unique opportunity to glean information from the industry leaders and advocates who worked to help pass the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act in California’s state capital this year. You will also hear from cannabusiness professionals and experts with decades of combined experience in the fields of regulatory models, operations, and ancillary businesses.
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The post Another Week in the World of Cannabis: October 16th, 2015 appeared first on The Smoke Reporter.