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Cannabis News Roundup: Trouble brewing between unions and cannabis industry

Untitled by Pixabay user futurefilmworks. Licensed under Creative Commons CC0. Cropped.

Governor Brown’s plan to join state rules ... Mendocino County okays cultivation ... Yoga & ganga ... John Oliver explains it all for you ... and more.

[Click the blue hyperlink headline to read the full story.]

LEGISLATION

Brown releases plan to resolve competing rules // The Cannifornian

California Governor Jerry Brown hopes “the conflicts between California’s medical and recreational cannabis laws [are] resolved by the end of the year.” That’s when legal recreational sales are due to start.

Aligning state regulations expected to be turbulent // San Diego Union Tribune

“Crafting comprehensive state marijuana regulations this year will likely be a turbulent process of trial and error, California’s top marijuana official told a few dozen San Diego industry leaders during a forum” last week.

Mendo County cultivation rules approved // Daily Journal

“In crafting the ordinance, the county government sought to balance the needs and interests of the growers and their neighbors. Mendocino County’s most famous industry has long raised the ire of many surrounding communities, whose residents have often felt under siege by the criminal behavior and environmental destruction practiced by some growers.”

Santa Barbara County puts outdoor grows on hold // KCOY – TV

While the non-medial use of pot is now legal under state law, county supervisors voted to restrict new growers from crops used for recreation. The two year restriction gives the county time to look into what would be fair in terms of regulation, which cannabis growers seemed to want.”

COPS & COURTS

$25 fine for pot possession in heart of the Midwest // NPR

“Missouri deems marijuana possession a crime that carries hundreds of dollars in fines and a potential jail term. But residents of Kansas City voted overwhelmingly to reduce the penalties there, becoming the latest city in the state to relax punishments for people caught with small amounts of pot.”

BUSINESS

Trouble brewing over union involvement in legal cannabis industry // SF Chronicle

“Though she said she has long supported unions, [Dale Sky Jones of Oaksterdam University] wonders how organized labor’s combativeness will square with growers and shop owners who, she said, already collaborate with their workers and are generally known to be quite mellow.” And then there’s City College of San Francisco and their planned cannabis class to consider.

How about a cup of cannabis tea? // KALW Radio

Hear what one restaurateur plans to add to his menu after legalization, and what the chief of the state agency regulating such things has to say. [Audio.]

Yoga and ganga: do they mix? // Washington Post          

“We’re bringing together two great spiritual practices. Marijuana is a way of enhancing the experience,” says Goda Yoga in Culver City (Los Angeles County).

HEALTH

Synthetic cannabis gets Schedule II rating // Culture magazine

“All cannabis in the United States is classified under Schedule I, the most restrictive classification possible under the Control Substances Act. A drug containing synthetic THC, however, was granted Schedule II status by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. Schedule II status means that the drug can be prescribed by a doctor, but the drug is labeled for a high potential of abuse like painkillers or low amounts of cocaine or methamphetamine.

PTSD marijuana study goes up in smoke // The Cannabist

Johns Hopkins University has pulled out of a post-traumatic stress disorder study on marijuana use for treating the condition.

“The Santa Cruz-based Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) said the dispute was over federal drug policy, and whether to openly challenge federal rules that say medical cannabis research must rely on marijuana grown by the federal National Institute on Drug Abuse.”

Pesticides prevalent in pot products // NBC –TV LA           

“After an NBC4 I-Team investigation revealed that some of California's medical marijuana supply was contaminated with potentially toxic pesticides, several local dispensaries have pulled pot products off their shelves.”

Lock up your edibles, cautions pediatrics group // AAP

It’s common sense to keep marijuana away from kids and pets, in any form. But common sense isn’t always that common, which is why the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) warns against using or eating it in front of children —especially in edible form.

“Marijuana edibles look like regular food. However, a single edible often contains several serving sizes and a large amount of THC. Sometimes, edibles are in packages similar to popular treats. A child who accidentally eats a whole piece of the food can overdose. And because it takes up to three or four hours to feel the effects of edible marijuana, teens might eat more and overdose.”

EVENT

“Unity conference” this weekend in Washington // National Medical Cannabis Unity conference

“With the uncertainty of policies under a new US President, 2017 will be one of the most important years for medical cannabis policy ever. We will need to work harder than ever to continue the momentum of moving forward with changes in laws and policies that result in safe access globally.

“Our goal is to connect advocates, industry workers and leaders, researchers, doctors and others to effect real change for medical cannabis.”

IN OTHER NEWS

Attorney general keeps them guessing // NPR.org

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has said he’s “definitely not a fan of expanded use of marijuana." But with 28 states having medical cannabis laws, and eight with recreational rules, should he adhere to “the will of the people?”

John Oliver explains it all for you // Last Week Tonight

New to this topic? Don’t like to read much? Then just let talk show host John Oliver fill you in. [Video]

LEAP changes its name // The Leaf Online

LEAP no longer stands for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. It’s now Law Enforcement Action Partnership.

“The group is keeping its initials, its redesigned website and expanding on its social justice mission to legalize prohibited substances and regulate to reduce incarcerations and push out the criminal element.”

New NORML leadership talks about changes // The Leaf Online

“The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws – NORML, the nation’s leading organization representing responsible cannabis consumers” has a new political director. Click on the blue headline above to read his thoughts.