“Federal law prohibits the use of marijuana for any purpose. Sadly, therefore, I can’t authorize [a parolee’s use of MMJ for back pain]—even if I think that medical marijuana is the greatest thing for pain (and I suspect it is).”
– U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon

Welcome To The Weekly Roll Up – A Compendium of The Week’s Cannabis News

Vermont

Whiskey Dicks play at Nectars tonight


Celebrating MLK Day With Killer Mike


VTCNA Health Tips: Creatively Maladjusted

UVM 2019 Industrial Hemp Conference

Project CBD Sunday: Interview With Greg Gerdeman

Making it in Vermont: Hemp producers ready to grow

Commercial Marijuana Legalization Bill Sponsored By Half Of Vermont Senate

Paul Armentano: Regulating marijuana mitigates its risks

Regional

 Connecticut

Legal weed billboard creating a buzz on I-91

• Legalization Bill Has A Huge Cosponsor List
• MMJ industry sees continued growth
• Gov. Ned Lamont: “the train is leaving the station” on legalization

 Maine

• ME must pass legislation clearing past convictions
• Marijuana’s bumpy road after legalization

 Massachusetts

• Growers turn up pressure on Cannabis Control Commission
• Dispensary Replaces Lines With App
• Boston’s potential first recreational store
• How much stores sold during the snowstorm

 New Hampshire

• Dispensary would be welcome for those in pain

 New Jersey

• Lead sponsor of recreational bill weighing ballot vote
• Nearly Half of CPAs Say Legalization Would Help the Economy
• Opioid Addiction Now An MMJ Qualifying Condition

 New York

• California’s bumpy weed ride a lesson for New York
• State should sell pot; taxpayers will benefit
• Police chief group opposes legalization
• What Brooklyn’s First Dispensary Says About MMJ
• For Lawmaker, Social Justice is Key to Legalization
• Federal Judge Wants To Allow MMJ For Man On Probation

National

 Animals

• How to Pick the Best Cannabis Products for Pets

 Books

• Book Review: ‘The Art of Weed Butter’

 Business

• Joe Montana joins investment in legal marijuana operator
• Cannabis: The industry without a glass ceiling
• Will Big Business Dominate the US Marijuana Landscape?
• Cannabis retailers send lobbyists to Capitol Hill
• Goop considering CBD and THC products
• Pitches From Cannabis Capital Conference
• Vegan CBD Elixir and Hemp Facial Oils
• Cannabis today is like tech 20 years ago

 Cannabis

• Cannabis Addiction Is a Myth
• How To Keep Your Weed Fresh
• On judging cannabis, then and now
• Where Cannabis Is Going Next

 CBD

• Hot Hemp-Derived CBD Products of 2019
• CBD: Is the World Health Organization Tapping the Brakes?

 Commerce

• 2018 global cannabis spending expected to top $12 billion

 Culture

Killer Mike and Joe Rogan – How Big Weed Screwed the Little Guy

CBS rejects Super Bowl ad on benefits of MMJ

• Why I became a born-again pot smoker at 53
• What LA’s First Weed Rave Means for the Future of Cannabis and Nightlife
• New Yorker article strikes nerve with pot researchers
• Want to Get Your Mom to Try Pot? Give Her This Book
• Kevin Smith Tells Us The Last Time He Smoked Weed
• Cannabis Cafes Are Coming

 Economics

• Institute on Taxation & Economic Policy says pot taxes should be based on weight not price

 Education

• NexTech and Cannvas bringing augmented reality to cannabis education
• Want To Minor In Cannabis at SUNY?
• UConn cannabis course responds to industry need

 Entertainment

• ‘High Maintenance’ is HBO’s Sweeping Saga of Modern Weed Era

 Environment

• As legal pot farms expand, so do air pollution worries

 Finance

• A new crowd at Davos — marijuana growers

 Food & Bev

• Beverage Industry Looks to Cannabis for Product Innovation
• Alcohol Sales slump as legalization picks up pace

 Growing And Making

• How To Grow Cannabis In A Small Space Year-Round
• Tips to Neutralize Cannabis Odor
• Cultivate to ditch self-imposed purchase limits

 Health

• Cannabis can help with better sex, but low doses are key
• These Experts Think Mixing Edibles with Sex Is a Big Mistake
• Am I Allergic to Weed?
• Does marijuana use really cause psychotic disorders?
• Can you use MMJ if you’re a diabetic?

 Hemp

• Sierra Club Q&A on Legalized Hemp
• Printing Plant to Be Acquired by Hemp Company
• The Benefits of Hemp Seed Oil
• Senators Urged Update To Hemp Policies During Government Shutdown

 Labor

• BudTrader.com giving free MMJ to federal workers during shutdown
• As More Smoke Pot, Are Their Jobs at Risk?
• NORML says impairment evaluations should be used for drug testing

 Law Enforcement

• Cop Sexually Violates Citizen For The Smell Of Marijuana

 Legalization

• Legalization Advocates Continue the Charge
• 2019 Is the Year to Legalize Marijuana
• Health Poverty Action calling for drugs to be legalized and regulated
• Anti-legalization group releases first pot lobby tracker

 Media

• Tips from the Cannabis Media Summit

 Medical

• U.S. Sinks Bid to Patent Cannabinoids for Epilepsy
• The journey of MMJ
• MMJ Decisions Being Made by Users, Not Doctors

 Military/Veterans

• Veterans look to Congress for legal cannabis
• More people can’t meet military’s eligibility standards because of legalization
• Bill Requires VA To Study MMJ For Veterans
• What is the VA’s policy on medical marijuana?

 Presidential Campaign

• Where Tulsi Gabbard Stands On Marijuana
• Michael Bloomberg Calls Legalization ‘Nonsensical’
• Where Kamala Harris Stands On Marijuana

 Politics

• GOP Congressman Talks To Trump About Marijuana
• Marijuana Descheduling Could Be ‘Next Step’
• Bill to legalize Cole memo has 9 cosponsors
• Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA tweeted, “When people of color are more likely to be arrested for marijuana, it’s clear we need to reform the discriminatory system.”
• Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) tweeted, “As we fight the opioid crisis, we have to consider the role of medical cannabis. Not only have states with medical marijuana laws been found to have lower rates of opioid use but a new study finds that many users completely replace their prescription drugs with cannabis.”
• Rep. Earl Blumenauer tweeted, “Ending the prohibition of marijuana isn’t enough! Restorative justice & access to opportunity for communities of color into this thriving industry must be part of the solution. We cannot allow the war on drugs to continue its harmful trajectory.”

 Science

• Using Cannabis Science to Build Customer Trust

 Seniors

• As older users warm up to cannabis, companies want to learn more

 Social Justice

• Congress Should Lead On Cannabis Justice
• Marc Emery’s #MeToo Moment
• The Cannabis Noire Social Responsibility Fund
• Cannabis equity aimed at helping those most affected by the war on drugs

 Social Media

• Cannabis filmmakers say social media is blocking their ads

 Spirituality

• Cannabis and Rastafari Spiritual Practise

 Sports

• NFL Clings to Prohibition
• Skateboarder Cory Juneau Suspended 6 Months for Smoking Weed
• Former NFL player Terrell Davis said CBD could’ve helped lengthen his career

 Studies

• Healthcare providers generally believe MMJ is legitimate therapy
• HIV-positive men more likely to develop lung disease from smoking marijuana
• Youth in liberal states use more cannabis, but lower rates of dependence
• Nearly half of patients prefer MMJ over medication
• Donated kidneys from marijuana-using donors seems safe
• MMJ well tolerated for autism spectrum disorders
• Study confirms CBD as reliable anticancer drug
• Exploring Cannabis for Patients With MS
• Traffic Deaths Don’t Increase On 4/20 Holiday
• Car crashes are up in 4 states with legalized recreational pot.
• Legalization Affects Cannabis Use in Unexpected Ways

 Stuff

• The most expensive, fancy weed accessories we could find

 Technology

• Weedmaps’ Grip on the High-Flying California Pot Market

 Travel

• Amtrak says marijuana on its trains “in any form for any purpose is prohibited”

 Women

• This Entrepreneur Is Uniting Weed, Rave Culture and Social Justice
• Grow Sisters Spread Their Expertise
• Female-Focused Pot Accelerator Picks 10 Businesses For First Session
• Using marijuana while breastfeeding
• Taylor Blake Is Co-Producer of the Industry’s Largest Festival
• Snowboarding legend Circe Wallace carves her way into cannabis

After Getting Fired for Vaping on TV, This Woman Built Her Own Cannabis Empire

Women In Cannabis Talk Work And Wellness

States

• Majority of nation’s mayors support legalization
• Drug Policy Alliance offers reforms cities and towns can make
• People in Red and Blue States May Use Weed Differently

 Alabama

• Retirement Systems of Alabama all-in for marijuana
• Regulators accepting applications for industrial hemp research program

 Alaska

• Regulatory body critical of rules allowing consumption at dispensaries

 Arizona

• Ricki Lake Brings CBD Documentary Weed The People to FilmBar

 Arkansas

• Building underway at all cannabis cultivation sites
• First six dispensary licenses issued

 California

• Affirmative Action Proposed for MMJ Licensing
• Why is the CHP arresting delivery drivers?
• Weed lounge to open in Palm Springs
• California’s Final Cannabis Rules

  Colorado

• Marijuana Czar Reflects on Running First Legal Market
• Bill Aims to Help Parents Buy MMJ for Children
• Colorado youth drinking less, don’t seem to know what they’re vaping
• CSU hemp program makes headway in research
• Bill allowing MMJ for autism advances

 Delaware

• Legislators working on legalization measure

 Florida

• Gov. DeSantis wants to lift ban on smokable MMJ
• Time for new government to get serious about pot
• Cannabis Industry Could Be on the Verge of a Major Expansion

 Georgia

• Man puts bag of marijuana in wrong mailbox

 Hawaii

• Legislators Must Bypass State Agency With Hemp Plan
• Many cannabis bills filed for the new session

 Idaho

• Idaho needs a study of legalization, not ad campaign
• Gov. Brad Little not opposed to MMJ but doesn’t want recreational

 Illinois

• Governor touts legalization, will he expand MMJ?
• Some Republican lawmakers open to legalization
• Groups urge lawmakers not to legalize recreational
• Prosecutor will expunge misdemeanor convictions, supports legalization

 Indiana

• Legalization bid stalling
• Indiana could see MMJ legalization by 2020
• Hemp could be Indiana’s next big crop
• Replacing Gov. Holcomb Priority for MMJ Advocates

 Iowa

• Iowa mayor, husband arrested in growing case
• First hemp store opens for business

 Kansas

• Legislative script to feature MMJ bills

 Kentucky

• Kentucky approves 1,035 hemp growers

 Louisiana

• MMJ debut pushed back to summer

 Maryland

• State accepting applications for hemp pilot program
• New THC-Infused Beer Coming to Dispensaries

 Michigan

• Seminar explains medical facts on cannabis
• Cannabis trade association debuts
• Whitmer administration changing tone on regulation
• Lawsuit Filed To Remove Cannabis From Controlled Substances Act
• Wealthier communities opting out of marijuana shops

 Minnesota

• Legislators begin pushing legalization

 Missouri

• Lawmakers propose affirmative action for MMJ licensing
• Urban prosecutors put end to most pot cases

 Nebraska

• Lathrop introduces bill to legalize hemp
• AG cautions against legalizing MMJ
• Democratic Party supporting MMJ measure for 2020 ballot

 Nevada

• Clark County Commission directs $12 million in marijuana fees to homelessness programs

 New Mexico

• Judge Rules For MMJ Grower In Free Speech Case
• Representatives file legalization bill
• NMSU rings in new year with hemp production approval
• New Mexico Board of Veterinary Medicine discussing MMJ

 North Carolina 

• Appalachian Growers digging into hemp industry
• Woman invites lawmakers to tour her hemp lab
• Supporters tout benefits of medical cannabis

 North Carolina – Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians

• Cannabis legalization under study in Cherokee

 North Dakota

• North Dakota begins issuing MMJ cards

 Ohio

• Cleveland Clinic Won’t Recommend MMJ
• Why are MMJ prices so high?
• Marijuana Expo: Cleveland
• Rep. Tim Ryan to appear at the harvesting of MMJ

 Oklahoma

• Booming MMJ industry remains highly unregulated
• Tulsa World ed board opposes allowing counties to ban MMJ
• Police Frustrated By Poorly Protected Growing Facility

 Oregon 

• Hemp farmer says upstarts have unfair advantage
• Cannabis Seeds Available at Dispensaries
• Equity grants to two black-owned businesses
• Oregon collected $95 million in 2018 cannabis sales taxes

 Pennsylvania

• Mother laments son, busted for pot, now a criminal
• Entrepreneurs Bet On Industrial Hemp industry
• Governor Announces Legalization Listening Tour
• Plan to Allow Commercial Industrial Hemp Production

 Rhode Island

• Governor to propose legalization

 South Carolina

• SC Attorney General, SLED chief team up to oppose MMJ
• AG claims he didn’t say marijuana is the “most dangerous drug” but there is video
• Rep. Joe Cunningham said AG’s opposition to MMJ is “ridiculous.”
• Farmers eager to learn about hemp attend AgriBiz Expo

 South Dakota

• Senate HHS Committee amends bill to schedule Epidiolex, not CBD

 Tennessee

• House speaker sympathetic to patients who want MMJ legalized
• Pro-hemp group looking to change workplace drug testing laws

 Texas

• House speaker said if there’s support for decrim, he “won’t get in members’ way”
• Colorado Sheriff warns Texas on legalization
• Bill introduced to expand state’s limited low-THC MMJ law

 Utah

• Businesses Reminded To Register Hemp Products

 Virgin Islands

• US Virgin Islands Legalize MMJ

 Virginia

• What Governs Virginia’s Approach to Marijuana?
• Virginia House Panel Snuffs out Marijuana Bills
• Senate Committee on Education and Health allows MMJ at schools

 Washington

• Giving women and people of color an edge on MMJ licensing
• Hemp bills introduced
• Legislature weighs measure to allow home-grow

 Washington D.C.

• House Democratic leadership still blocking D.C. from legalizing

 West Virginia

• Delegates introduced a legalization bill

 Wisconsin 

• Support for legalization grows
• Editorial: Wisconsin should speed up legalization of marijuana

 Wyoming

• Is hemp Wyoming’s next emerging industry?
• House Ag, State and Public Lands & Water Resources Committee approved hemp bill

International

• Global Marijuana Sales to Grow 38% to $16.9 Billion in 2019
• How Legalization Became So Popular Amid Regressive Global Politics
• There Are More Than 50 Medical Cannabis Markets Globally

 Barbados

• The lowdown on MMJ

 Canada

• Meet ‘Creepy Baby’ in NWT’s newest cannabis education campaign
• Western Canada’s first professor of cannabis science
• Edibles and Infused Beverages Should Go On Sale by October
• Police in Ontario writing about 21 cannabis tickets a day
• Large Ontario cities opting out of pot shops is a ‘painful haircut to expectations’

 France

• Country sees increase in ER visits related to cannabis despite cannabis remaining illegal

 Ireland

• Farmers ‘could be given licences to grow cannabis in the future’

 Israel

• Country to approve cannabis exports

 Jamaica

• Weed Ed | #GanjaFacts

 New Zealand

• NZ company gets licensed for high THC cannabis
• Duncan Garner pulls U-turn on 2020 recreational vote
• National Party ramping up criticism of govt’s support for drug policy reform
• Kiwis will be apologising to their kids for legalization

 Philippines

• House of Representatives approved MMJ bill

 Portugal

• Lawmakers defeated legalization legislation

 South Africa

• Beer company promotes ‘cannabis’ beer

 Sri Lanka

• President Sirisena praised Philippine drug war as “example to the world.”

 Trinidad and Tobago

• Trinidad and Tobago to decriminalise cannabis, consider legalisation

 Turkey

• Turkey looks to boost hemp production

 UK

• Former Miss UK rejecting chemo for cannabis
• The scent of London has changed: all I can smell now is cannabis