20 Massachusetts Weed Businesses in Running for Recreational Licenses

Massachusetts’ Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) agreed to expedite the application process for the 20 Massachusetts weed businesses in running for recreational licenses. Details about the identities of the businesses that received prioritized review status were disclosed Tuesday night in a document available on the CCC website.

No conflicts of interest were reported in the spreadsheet. Several of the dispensaries are based in Boston, but other businesses are located in remote cities throughout the state, including Holliston, Fall River and Nantucket.

Massachusetts voters opted to legalize recreational marijuana statewide during the November 2016 election. But the implementation of the law has been delayed, as lawmakers continue to debate regulatory provisions such as taxation, which were included in the voter-approved initiative sponsored by the advocacy group, Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (CRMLA).

The Future of Massachusetts’ Recreational Marijuana Market.

Recreational marijuana dispensaries are scheduled to open on July 1, 2018. But as local radio station WBUR reported, there’s uncertainty as to whether the state will be prepared to meet that deadline—in large part due to ongoing disputes over the regulatory policies governing Massachusetts’ recreational cannabis program.

“It is likely that the 17 existing medical marijuana establishments will be allowed to convert to retail sales,” WBUR reported in December 2017. “One problem facing the industry could be supply. Cultivators might not have enough time to grow an adequate amount of cannabis to meet demand. That could spell shortages and initially high prices soon after the doors open to retail sales.”

For business applicants that have met requirements for prioritized certification—including the 20 dispensaries recently approved—the commission is able to certify recreational licenses as early as June 1, 2018, according to the news site WickedLocal.

Steven Hoffman, chairman of the Cannabis Control Commission, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In earlier interviews, however, he insisted that transparency and efficiency represented key components of the recreational marijuana business approval process.

Final Hit: 20 Massachusetts Weed Businesses in Running for Recreational Licenses

Though it remains to be seen why the 20 dispensaries selected for an expedited review process were given such an advantage, Massachusetts has also put in place a separate process for “economic empowerment” candidates. That designation refers to cannabis dispensaries and businesses “connected to communities with high rates of drug-related arrests,” according to Boston Magazine.

Research demonstrates that people of color in low-income communities are at far greater risk of being arrested for marijuana-related offenses such as possession, and so the state’s “economic empowerment” program is one of several launched around the U.S. that aim to assist communities that have been adversely affected by racially biased marijuana enforcement practices, empowering community members to enter the legal industry.

Even so, none of the 20 marijuana dispensaries granted prioritized approval processes qualify under the “economic empowerment” program, as WickedLocal reported. Hoffman argued that his commission’s goal is to facilitate licensing approvals responsibly. Businesses that failed to provide the required information in their applications would be given five business days to amend their applications.

“Our philosophy and intent is to help people get those applications completed,” Hoffman told WickedLocal. “We’re not rejecting applications because they’re not complete, we’re going back and saying, ‘you need to provide this information.'”

Cynthia Nixon Plans To Improve Racial Justice By Legalizing Weed

Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon announced last week that she’s running for governor of New York. During a private fundraiser, Nixon came out in support of recreational marijuana. Today, she clarified her stance on marijuana on Twitter. Cynthia Nixon plans to improve racial justice by legalizing weed. Here’s what we know about this gubernatorial candidate’s marijuana platform.

Why Cynthia Nixon Supports Legalizing Recreational Marijuana in New York

This actress turned politician plans to improve racial justice by legalizing weed, as announced on Twitter. In a video she posted, Nixon explains, “I believe it’s time for New York to follow the lead of eight other states and D.C., and legalize recreational marijuana.”

Nixon is making marijuana a big part of her political campaign. “There are a lot of good reasons for legalizing marijuana,” she continues, “but for me it comes down to this: We have to stop putting people of color in jail for something that white people do with impunity.”

Cynthia Nixon goes on to list some alarming statistics. According to Nixon, black or Latino New Yorkers make up 80 percent of those arrested for cannabis. This is “despite the fact that whites and people of color use marijuana at roughly the same rates.”

New York Is Publishing Arrest Demographics

After a recent bill passage, the New York Police Department must publish arrest demographics online. This is following a City Council hearing in which evidence substantiated the claim that the police discriminate against people of color.

At this hearing, the City Council heard a report that found that 86 percent of people the police arrest for marijuana are Black or Latino. This doesn’t correspond to the population of New York City as only 52 percent are Black or Latino.

These figures are even higher than those Cynthia Nixon lists, but the trend is the same. Black and Latino New Yorkers are ten times more likely to be arrested for marijuana than Whites.

The Current Approach To Changing Arrest Demographics

The NYPD is now publishing arrest data in hopes to hold the police force accountable for racially-motivated arrests. The authorities will publish these reports quarterly.

The data will include low-level possessions and summonses divided by borough and precinct. Furthermore, the report will sort arrests by gender, race and age.

Cynthia Nixon’s Approach To Curbing Racial Disparities In Police Arrests

Cynthia Nixon✔@CynthiaNixon

A lot of you have been asking about my position on marijuana. Here it is.

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Per her Twitter video, Cynthia Nixon plans to improve racial justice by legalizing weed. Specifically, this gubernatorial candidate is concerned about the difficulties of having an arrest record. “The consequences follow people for the rest of their lives,” Nixon explains, “making it harder to get jobs, or housing.”

She adds that the threat of arrest poses a danger to immigrants. “And for non-citizens, putting them in the crosshairs for deportation.”

Legal Weed Would Benefit New York

Legalizing recreational marijuana is an important step in reducing arrests and incarceration rates. It would also be of huge financial benefit to the state. Cynthia Nixon is optimistic about what marijuana could do in New York.

Nixon says, “In addition to ending a key front in the racist war on drugs, regulating and taxing marijuana would generate hundreds of millions of dollars of tax revenue for our people and create important agricultural opportunities for our state.”

We’ve seen this phenomenon in states with legal recreational marijuana. Nevada earned $3.68 million in tax revenue during the first month of legalization.

According to the Colorado Department of Revenue, the state collected half a billion dollars in taxes. The State is using this income to fund education and build much-needed housing.

Final Hit: Cynthia Nixon Plans To Improve Racial Justice By Legalizing Weed

Cynthia Nixon plans to improve racial justice by legalizing weed and provide the state with increased tax revenue.

She also raises the important point that New York is a democratic state, but marijuana is far from legal.

“In 2018, in a blue state like New York, marijuana shouldn’t even be an issue,” Nixon says, concluding her announcement.

This actress believes that she has the “political courage” to make recreational marijuana—including justice reform and increased state revenue—a reality of New York.

Senators Take On Jeff Sessions Over Marijuana Research Restrictions

Bipartisan senators take on Jeff Sessions over marijuana research restrictions, calling for the Justice Department to stop blocking the DEA from approving new suppliers. On Thursday, Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah.) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) sent a letter to the DOJ demanding action on the more than two dozen applications the DEA has yet to review.

Is Jeff Sessions Blocking The DEA From Authorizing More Marijuana Suppliers?

In their letter, Harris and Hatch expressed concern that Jeff Sessions’ Justice Department was sitting on a number of requests from growers looking to supply FDA-approved research on medical cannabis.

While the DEA wants to increase the number of authorized marijuana manufacturers, Sessions’ DOJ appears to be holding them back.

Jeff Sessions extreme opposition to marijuana legalization and his public disdain for cannabis users have prompted concerns that the Trump administration would attempt to roll back policies aimed at expanding access to medical cannabis and ensuring states are free to pass their own marijuana legislation.

And those concerns have already proven themselves to be valid. Since becoming Attorney General, Sessions has repeatedly vowed to ramp up federal drug enforcement. He’s ordered federal judges to pursue the maximum sentence possible even for non-violent, petty drug offenses.

Furthermore, on January 4, Sessions rescinded an Obama-era memo adopting a non-interference policy with legal-cannabis states.

What Sens. Harris and Hatch say Sessions is doing, though, is a bit more subtle than all that. In their letter, the senators reference reports that the Justice Department is preventing the DEA from reviewing applications from cultivators.

Unable to authorize new manufacturers, FDA-approved research projects on medical marijuana can source their cannabis from just one grower. Indeed, the University of Mississippi is currently the only grower licensed to produce cannabis for federally-approved research.

Senators’ Latest Bout With Sessions Takes Aim At Expanding Federal Cannabis Research

For as long as Sessions has been threatening a federal crackdown, however, lawmakers across the nation have pushed back.

Legislators have written letters, sent invitations, sought summits, and even filed lawsuits in response to Sessions’ provocations.

Sens. Kamala Harris and Orrin Hatch went with the letter-writing approach. But their aim isn’t to get Sessions to back down on enforcement. Rather, the bipartisan senators want to expand federal cannabis research, starting at the source.

Nearly two years ago, on Aug 11, 2016 the DEA announced a series of significant actions regarding medical cannabis research and industrial hemp production.

One policy change aimed “to foster research by expanding the number of DEA-registered marijuana manufacturers.”

The change, the DEA said, would “provide researchers with a diverse and robust supply of marijuana.”

Additionally, the DEA has approved every single application researchers have submitted to use federally-supplied cannabis to conduct “scientifically meritorious” studies.

So despite being the law enforcement wing of federal drug policy, the DEA have in recent years been surprisingly committed to advancing cannabis research.

And according to reports referenced in the letter Sens. Harris and Hatch sent to the DOJ, the DEA would be able to license up to 25 new manufacturers to grow cannabis for federal research, were the DOJ not sitting on the applications.

So Harris and Hatch are merely asking the Justice Department to let the DEA move forward on policy changes it adopted nearly two years ago.

Harris And Hatch Have A History With Cannabis

Both Harris and Hatch have had checkered records on the issue of legal cannabis. These days, Harris regularly denounces the war on drugs as a failure. But during her tenure as California’s Attorney General (2011 to 2017), Harris took no action on drug policy reform.

When Obama’s DOJ raided dispensaries in her home state of California in 2011, she issued a brief and largely deferential statement about “the gangs and criminal enterprises that seek to exploit the definite ambiguities in state law.”

In 2012, Harris laughed at the New York Time‘s official endorsement of legalization. In 2014, her Republican opponent ran to her left on marijuana issues. And despite her public support for marijuana, Harris has yet to sign on to any existing reform bills this year.

Unlike Harris, who’s been more inert on the issue than oppositional, Orrin Hatch has had a dramatic cannabis conversion. The senator has gone from being vocally anti-cannabis to one of the Hill’s most ardent champions of medical marijuana.

The Final Hit: Senators Take On Jeff Sessions Over Marijuana Research Restrictions

Whatever their records, however, Hatch and Harris are putting pressure on a significant choke point blocking medical cannabis research from advancing in the United States.

“Research on marijuana is necessary to resolve the critical questions of public health and safety, such as learning the impact of marijuana on developing brains and formulating methods to test marijuana impairment in drivers,” the pair said in the letter.

They’ve asked Sessions for a commitment that the DEA will resolve the 25 pending applications by August 11.

Data Shows The Demand For Legal Cannabis Is Increasing

Demand for legal cannabis continues to show a steady increase, according to new data from Anderson Economic Group (AEG). In particular, the data reveals a significant jump since the 2016 elections, when a number of states passed new legalization laws.

Digging Into the Data

According to AEG’s AndCan Index, which tracks trends in the marijuana industry, the first part of 2018 showed a small uptick in the demand for legal cannabis products. In particular, the report found a 0.1 percent increase in the U.S. demand for legal weed in January of this year.

On its own, that figure is obviously not impressive. But the relatively slow start to 2018 is an anomaly in the context of larger trends, more dramatic trends.

“While 2018 has gotten off to a slow start, the demand for legal cannabis products is poised for even further growth in the coming months,” AEG consultant Traci Giroux said in a press release. “The recreational market in California will start to settle, and the market in Massachusetts is expected to come online this July.”

Despite the tiny uptick in January, the cannabis market has been showing steady growth for years. Since the beginning of 2015, the demand for legal weed in the U.S. has grown by 25.8 percent. Similarly, demand is up almost 11 percent since this time last year.

In the timeline of legal cannabis, 2016 was a standout year. That’s because a number of states voted to legalize new marijuana bills during that year’s elections.

More specifically, Nevada, California, Massachusetts, and Maine voted to legalize recreational weed. Additionally, Florida, Arkansas, Montana, and North Dakota all managed to pass new medical marijuana laws.

As a result of all those legislative changes, 1 in 5 Americans now has access to some form of legal cannabis, whether recreational or medical.

Not surprisingly, these new markets have contributed to the rise in demand for legal weed. And the experts at AEG expect that demand to keep rising. That’s especially true as more and more states continue to loosen their cannabis laws.

Final Hit: Data Shows The Demand For Legal Cannabis Is Increasing

One of the biggest changes to the national weed scene this year was the rollout of legal recreational cannabis in California. Retail sales began at the beginning of 2018. Close on California’s heels, Massachusetts is also expected to get its retail program up and running this year.

Earlier in 2018, Vermont lawmakers voted to legalize recreational weed. There are also at least 12 other states that could see marijuana bills on the ballot this year.

All of these changes could add to the spiking demand for legal weed. But at the same time, the Trump administration continues to generate uncertainty. A lot of the confusion and concern coming from industry players has to do with Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Sessions has long been an outspoken opponent of cannabis. He once said that “good people don’t smoke marijuana.” Earlier this year, he suggested that cannabis is one of the primary causes of the ongoing opioid epidemic.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Sessions rescinded the Cole Memo at the very beginning of January. The Cole Memo is an Obama-era policy that directs federal agencies to take a “hands-off” approach to dealing with states where weed is legal. By rescinding the Cole Memo, Sessions may have opened the door to a federal crackdown on weed-legal states.

How To Treat Eczema With Cannabis

Cannabis has an ever-growing list of medical applications. In the 29 states with medical marijuana programs, dermatologists are explaining to patients with skin conditions, such as eczema, that cannabis can be an effective, and all-natural treatment. Here’s a definitive guide on how to treat eczema with cannabis.

Eczema: A Brief Overview

Eczema is the overarching name for a variety of dry skin conditions. Namely, eczema includes redness, itchiness and dry patches. It’s often located on joints, hands and feet, but can occur anywhere including the face, scalp and eyelids. Eczema is common in both children and adults, who generally experience sporadic flare-ups.

There is no longterm cure for eczema. Typically, dermatologists recommend using sensitive skincare soaps and moisturizers. Many cases, however, require prescription ointments and creams that often contain steroids.

People develop eczema for a number of reasons, many of which are difficult to detect. Environmental factors, allergies and stress can cause outbreaks. For many with eczema, dry, cracked skin, itchiness and redness are a lifelong issue. Most eczema care is preventative with moisturizing and avoiding certain soaps and toxins.

How Cannabis Can Treat Eczema

According to the National Eczema Association, cannabis can be an effective treatment for eczema. Research demonstrates that cannabinoids have anti-itch, anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties–all of which make it an effective tool for coping with eczema.

Cannabis’ use as an eczema treatment goes as far back as Dr. Henry Granger Piffard, the founder of the world-renowned journal, JAMA Dermatology. Dr. Piffard, who lived from 1842 to 1910 was a leader in the study of dermatology.

He writes in the first textbook ever published on dermatological remedies, “a pill of cannabis indica at bedtime has at my hands sometimes afforded relief to the intolerable itching of eczema.”

Cannabis is effective largely because the skin contains cannabinoid receptors. These receptors are part of the endocannabinoid system, a web of neurotransmitters and receptors that exists throughout the whole body. The body’s endocannabinoid system, which has cannabis receptors that interact with other naturally forming cannabinoids, such as those found in cannabis, make’s marijuana such an effective medicine. Through communication with the skin’s cannabinoid receptors, phytocannabinoids found in cannabis can reduce itching and redness.

Cannabis also treats eczema by controlling a bacteria that commonly causes it. Staphylococcus aureus colonization is a normal bacteria found in humans. Its side effects don’t always require treatment, but can lead to severe cases of eczema. According to the National Eczema Association, the most common cannabinoids can control outbreaks of this type of bacteria.

Another benefit of cannabis when it comes to eczema is that topical THC lotions can reduce inflammation. Not only can cannabis reduce the look and itchiness associated with eczema, but it can control the bacteria responsible for the infection. Cannabis’ effectiveness goes beyond homeopathy.

Why Cannabis Is Better Than Traditional Eczema Medication

For some cases of eczema, dermatologists will prescribe steroid creams. Over time, the body builds up a resistance to this type of cream, which means you have to use larger amounts and up the dosage of your prescription.

Steroid cream can thin your skin, and can even cause rosacea. Worse than that, steroid cream can seep into your bloodstream through the skin. This can increase your blood pressure and blood sugar levels and affect your hormones over time.

Steroid cream is not meant for continued use, though it’s often prescribed as an indefinite cure for eczema. This is why knowing how to treat eczema with cannabis could be better for your health in the long run.

How To Treat Eczema With Cannabis Topicals

Just because cannabis can treat eczema doesn’t mean that any cannabis cream will work. People with eczema typically have sensitive skin, which means that certain terpenes can cause skin irritation.

Look for products that are designed for irritated and inflamed skin. Don’t use cannabis topicals made for joint pain, for instance. Stick with something that is mostly CBD rather than THC.

As always, be wary of where you’re buying your topicals. Cannabis regulation is in its infancy, which means that anything could be in your moisturizer. This could include pesticides, heavy metals or other skin irritants. As with any moisturizer or oil you purchase at a drug store, go for the most organic topical you can find.

To avoid something that will aggravate, rather than soothe, your eczema, go to a dispensary rather than buy something online. States with legal medical or recreational marijuana have better regulations. Remember that the FDA has not approved medical marijuana for anything, including eczema.

Final Hit: How To Treat Eczema With Cannabis

Refrain from using steroid cream by treating eczema with all-natural cannabis topicals. Through the interchange between marijuana’s cannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system in the skin, you can reduce inflammation, redness and itchiness. However, take time to research the topicals before trying to remedy any skin condition with cannabis.

Death Count From Synthetic Cannabis Consumption Keeps Rising

Despite efforts from law enforcement, the death count from synthetic cannabis consumption keeps rising in Illinois. The latest victim to fall prey to the dangerous chemical cocktail was a young woman who died on March 28. Although officials have not yet determined the 22-year-old’s cause of death, her autopsy revealed the tell-tale signs of poisoning found in several similar cases of severe reactions to synthetic cannabis use across the state.

Chemicals Used In Synthetic Cannabinoids Linked To Severe Internal Bleeding

Going back to early March, Illinois’ Department of Public Health has received more than 89 reports of hospitalizations due to severe bleeding.

After recognizing a pattern in the cases of severe bleeding, state health officials began linking them to synthetic cannabis use.

Typically branded as “Spice” or “K2,” synthetic cannabinoids are lab-made analogs to the cannabinoids marijuana plants naturally produce, such as THC. But the less-than-perfect copies often produce unpredictable and sometimes lethal consequences.

Synthetic cannabinoids are more “potent” than natural plant cannabinoids and can, therefore, more powerfully affect the brain. Highs from the synthetic drug can be much more intense, longer-lasting, and debilitating.

Oftentimes, however, the adverse reactions to synthetic cannabis use stem just as much from the chemicals used to make the faux cannabinoids. And that seems to be the case for the 22-year-old woman whose recent death health officials have linked to her use of synthetic cannabis.

Specifically, the woman’s autopsy indicated the presence of the lethal anti-coagulant brodifacoum. Simply put, brodifacoum is a poison and widely used in pesticides and to kill rats and other rodents.

When ingested, brodifacoum causes severe internal bleeding. Its effects can last from weeks to months and are often fatal.

“Symptoms may range from unexplained bruising, bleeding from the nose or gums, blood in the urine or stools, coughing up or vomiting blood, to bleeding in the brain,” said toxicologist Dr. Jenny Lu.

Even if symptoms do not manifest, brodifacoum massively impairs blood’s ability to clot, increasing the risk of dangerous bleeding. Dr. Lu encourages anyone who has used synthetic cannabis to seek immediate medical attention, even without signs of bleeding.

Third Death Linked To Synthetic Cannabinoid Use In Illinois

Brodifacoum is a highly lethal rat poison. And it seems to be the common denominator linking the recent rash of severe bleeding cases in Illinois. Patients who admit to using synthetic cannabis are testing positive for the poison.

No official cause of death has been declared for the 22-year-old woman who died on March 28 from excessive internal bleeding. But state health officials are finding more evidence that chemicals used in “Spice” are the culprit.

For their part, Illinois law enforcement agencies have begun cracking down on stores selling “Spice” or “K2” products.

Chicago police have already shut down a handful of convenience stores suspected of selling synthetic cannabis. But officials have not yet linked those stores to the products causing the bleeding.

The Final Hit: Death Count From Synthetic Cannabis Consumption Keeps Rising

As the death count from synthetic cannabis consumption keeps rising, state health officials in Illinois are searching for answers. The March 28 death of a young woman at Advocate Christ Medical Center represents the third synthetic cannabis-related death since severe bleeding cases began spiking in early March.

But the problem with “Spice” is its easy availability. It’s a problem that’s only compounded by the perception that “Spice” is a legal alternative to natural plant cannabis. Cannabis use is illegal in Illinois except as a medicine. By identifying the common ingredient in the synthetic drug that’s causing the bleeding, however, state health officials are one step closer to a solution.

Man Fired For Smoking Weed Gets His Job Back With Bonus Compensation

The question of how employers will handle drug tests grows more complicated as cannabis becomes legal in more places. This is especially true in Canada right now, as full legalization is on the immediate horizon. Most recently, as a man fired for smoking weed gets his job back with bonus compensation in Thunder Bay, Ontario, many of these questions are coming into better focus.

Weed Smoker Gets His Job Back

In October 2017, two workers at Bombardier Transportation were fired after a supervisor said he saw them smoking weed at work. More specifically, the supervisor said he saw the men taking their afternoon break outdoors. He said he smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from their direction and saw smoke.

Further, the supervisor said that when he approached the men, he saw one of them toss something to the ground. The object smoldered and then went out. However, the supervisor was unable to find anything when he searched the ground.

Despite not finding any physical evidence, the supervisor brought the two men to Human Resources. Throughout the entire incident, the two men insisted that they hadn’t been smoking weed. They also said that they would probably fail a drug test since they smoked at home on their own time. Regardless, the company fired both men.

Now, a few months later, one of the men has been reinstated. His co-worker’s case is still ongoing. But for the man who got his job back, things have worked out pretty well.

The arbitrator handling his case said that Bombardier Transportation did not have just cause to fire him. As a result, the company was required to give him his job back with no loss of seniority. Additionally, the company had to compensate the man for lost income during his months of unemployment.

“He was not seen smoking, exhaling, or disposing of drugs or paraphernalia,” arbitrator Paul Craven told TB News Watch. “The company has not demonstrated that it is more probable that the grievor smoked marijuana on its property on October 5 than he did not.”

Final Hit: Man Fired For Smoking Weed Gets His Job Back With Bonus Compensation

Along with citing lack of evidence, Craven also brought up the issue of Canada’s pending legalization. Similarly, he cited concerns with drug testing protocols. In particular, Craven said that drug tests do not accurately determine whether or not a person is impaired at the time the test is administered.

“It has become notorious that current tests for cannabinoids are incapable of demonstrating either present impairment or recent consumption,” he said. He added that companies like Bombardier “might well consider other more reliable methods of assessing impairment and/or alternative policy approaches to the problem of marijuana use in the workplace.”

Ultimately, this case also highlights questions about employment and legal weed. Canada is preparing for federal legalization, which is scheduled to occur sometime this summer. In the age of legalization, many have wondered if it makes sense to allow companies to screen employees or potential employees for marijuana use. This particular case suggests that policy could be moving toward protecting cannabis users.

Canadian Province Lays Out Harsh Penalties For Illegal Weed Sales

Not all weed will be legal in Canada by the end of this summer. As the federal government gives provinces the green light to implement local marijuanaregulation, this Canadian province lays out harsh penalties for illegal weed sales, impaired driving, selling to the underaged, and where you can smoke. Following legalization, Nova Scotia will be cracking down on weed.

A Brief Overview of Canadian Legalization

Last year, Canadian officials introduced legislation that would legalize marijuana by summer 2018. Though this projection was a little optimistic, it looks like the Canadian Parliament will cast the final vote in early July.

This means that by September, the sale, cultivation and use of recreational marijuana will be legal everywhere. Canadians over 18 years old can have up to 30 grams of cannabis, grow a maximum of four marijuana plants and buy marijuana from licensed stores.

However, national legislation (Bill C-45) does not specify who will have cannabis licenses, where it can be sold, where you can smoke it or how the police will enforce it. The provinces are left to determine these regulations.

Nova Scotia’s Cannabis Control Act

Nova Scotia’s Justice Minister Mark Furey proposed the Cannabis Control Act on Tuesday. If passed, this legislation will have some serious consequences for people who use or sell marijuana.

The Cannabis Control Act includes measures that address driving under the influence, selling marijuana (especially to the underaged) and smoking in rented properties.

Driving Under the Influence

Under this Cannabis Control Act, neither the driver nor passengers can smoke marijuana in a car. The minimum fine for doing so is $1,000 but can go as high as $2,000. The police will suspend the driver’s license for a year for the first offense.

The consequences for the second offense are even more extreme. If caught driving under the influence in Nova Scotia, a second offender is looking at a minimum of thirty days in jail and over a year with a suspended license.

Whether or not to charge someone with driving under the influence is at the police’s discretion. Per the Cannabis Control Act, the Nova Scotia police can test your saliva or blood. They can also suspend someone’s license for weeks at a time.

The only legal way to transport weed in a car will be in a sealed container. These laws will also apply to other motorized vehicles.

Justice Minister Furey told CBC News, “Let me be clear, driving while high is not only dangerous, it is a crime and the legislation provides strong sanctions for those who drive while impaired.”

Only The Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. Can Sell Weed

Not only are the driving regulations intense, but Canadian province lays out harsh penalties for illegal weed sales. As is the case in Quebec, the provincial government will have a monopoly on weed sales. To ensure this remains the case, the Cannabis Control Act has some harsh penalties for those selling weed illegally.

Stores caught selling weed will face fines ranging from a $10,000 minimum to $25,000. Individuals selling weed are fined $10,000. Buying cannabis from an illegal retailer earns a maximum of $250 fine.

Furey justifies that these policies aren’t that different from what’s currently in place. “Dispensaries are illegal presently, dispensaries will be illegal once legislation is rolled out,” he explains.

Fines For Selling Weed to the Underaged

Justice Minister Furey told the press, “Our main priority has been the health and safety of Nova Scotians, especially children and youth.” This seems to be true as the Cannabis Control Act includes some hefty fines for selling weed to people under 19.

Per Nova Scotia law, only people aged 19 and up will be allowed to purchase weed. This is in line with the drinking age in Nova Scotia. The legal age for cannabis and alcohol in Canada ranges from 18 to 19 depending on the province.

The fine for selling to someone under 19 can be up to $10,000. For people under 19, the fine for marijuana possession is $150. Additionally, the police will issue fines to anyone selling drug accoutrements–rolling papers, bongs…–to the underage.

Enforcing These Policies Will Require More Resources

Even Furey admits that the Cannabis Control Act as it is today will require more police work. “We may see a spike in [enforcement],” Furey told CBC News.

Nova Scotia isn’t the only province having to pay for enforcing strict legalization laws. Ontario recently pledged $40 million dollars to fund law enforcement agencies ahead of legalization. Though legalization is supposed to diminish police spending, this hasn’t always been true in practice.

Final Hit: Canadian Province Lays Out Harsh Penalties For Illegal Weed Sales

As this Canadian province lays out harsh penalties for illegal weed sales, driving while high and selling to the underage, everyone is looking to see how Canada implements, and enforces, marijuana legalization.

Some organizations, such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), are in favor of Nova Scotia’s new policies. MADD CEO Andrew Murie puts forth, “What we do for alcohol, we should be doing for cannabis. Impairment by drugs by alcohol or a combination is the same.”

Though cannabis and alcohol will be equally legal under Canadian law, cannabis is facing harsher legislation. For instance, the Cannabis Control Act will also permit landlords to ban smoking weed. Public places will also bar marijuana consumption.

Legal Marijuana Sales Could Surpass Soda Sales by 2030

Experts are predicting a huge increase in marijuana sales. According to Cowen & Co, a research company, U.S. marijuana sales will rise to $75 billion in the next twelve years. As soda’s popularity wanes, legal marijuana sales could surpass soda sales by 2030.

Weed Is More Popular Than Ever. Soda Isn’t.

Recreational marijuana is legal in 9 states, and more are expected to follow suit this year. In addition to these states that allow recreational marijuana use, medical marijuana accessibility is on the rise. According to Bloomberg, over 1/5 of Americans can smoke the herb whenever they want.

More Americans and Canadians than ever are taking advantage of legalization. In 2016, Americans and Canadians combined spend $53.3 billion on weed. This makes Cowen & Co’s initial report that the marijuana market will make $50 billion annually by 2026 alone seem low.

The soft drink market is experiencing the opposite trend. North American soda consumption fell to a 31-year low in 2017. Euromonitor International calculated that the soft drink market went from $78.3 billion in 2016 to $76.4 billion in 2017.

Data analysts expect the trend towards weed, which has numerous health benefits, and away from sugary soft drinks to continue.

Predicted Weed Sales in 2030

This means big profits for legal recreational weed. Noting the sharp increase in weed consumption, Cowen & Co amended its initial prediction of $50 billion per year. Analyst Vivien Azer tells Bloomberg, “New forecasts suggest that the market is already that size.”

The firm now predicts that the weed market will earn $75 billion by 2030. This is closely behind the soft drink market in 2017, which made $76.4 billion. Furthermore, experts expect the profits reaped by soft drink companies to diminish while the weed industry grows.

Will Weed Impact Alcohol Sales?

Legal marijuana sales could surpass soda sales by 2030 not because weed is replacing soda, but because people are considering healthier options. Comparatively, marijuana legalization could have a direct impact on alcohol sales.

Two studies suggest that marijuana reduces, rather than increases, alcohol consumption as was previously believed. Published in 2017, Helping Settle the Marijuana and Alcohol Debate: Evidence from Scanner Data looks at the correlation between the two. This study found that legalizing marijuana reduced alcohol sales by 13.8 to 16.2 percent. the study concludes, “We find that marijuana and alcohol are strong substitutes.”

A second study only recorded data from states where medical marijuana is legal. Researchers still discovered that legal medical marijuana decreased alcohol sales. Georgia State University economics professor Alberto Chong explains, “The drop in [alcohol] sales is so huge—it’s like 13 percent—that there has to be some leakage.”

Liquor companies are well aware of the negative impact recreational marijuana can have on liquor sales. California’s Proposition 19, failed to pass in 2010 due to the efforts of the liquor lobby. Wikileaks divulged that Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America contributed to political forces against legalization.

Final Hit: Legal Marijuana Sales Could Surpass Soda Sales by 2030

It’s hard to imagine the scale or the effects that legal marijuana will have in the near future. With federal legalization, marijuana sales could eclipse soft drink sales and take a chunk out of the alcohol industry’s profits. But for the time being, it looks like marijuana will be making $75 billion annually in twelve years.

Michigan May Legalize Recreational Marijuana Before November Ballot

What seems on its surface like an early win for cannabis advocates in Michigan may, in fact, be an attempt to rig the state’s upcoming general election. The question of legalizing recreational marijuana will appear on the November ballot, and voters are expected to turn out to register their support. But the prospect of higher voter turnout has some GOP lawmakers in Lansing worried. Concerned better turnout could impact other races, they’ve begun discussing ways to take legalization off the ballot. But broad support for the issue leaves them with just one move. And that’s why Michigan may legalize recreational marijuana before November ballot.

In A Bid To Suppress Voter Turnout, GOP Lawmakers Want To Legalize Weed Early

Historically, higher voter turnouts tend to favor more liberal or progressive candidates. In other words, more voters typically means more Democrats in office.

No wonder Republican-controlled state legislatures have made voter-suppression tactics a staple of their political strategy. And their efforts have accelerated in the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2013 decision to strike down a key provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

Voter-suppression tactics include things like closing polling locations, issuing strict ID laws, voter purging and disenfranchisement. Gerrymandering, or the redrawing of election districts to favor particular candidates, is another way of distorting democratic representation.

And in these areas, Michigan is one of the worst. In December 2016, Michigan’s Republican-led House passed some of the nation’s strictest voter ID laws in the face of strong objections from Democrats and civil society groups. ID requirements tend to make it harder for minority, elderly, and student voters—groups that tend to vote Democrat—to cast their ballots.

And in April 2017, The Center for Michigan found that gerrymandering in the state is among the nation’s worst. The report shows how districts dramatically and disproportionately favor Republicans.

Put plainly, Michigan Republicans have a documented history of using extreme voter-suppression tactics. And one could argue these have already had a major impact on U.S. democracy. Donald Trump won Michigan by just 10,704 votes.

GOP Lawmakers In Lansing Fear Putting Legal Weed On The Ballot Could Flip The House

The fewer voters the better, as far as GOP lawmakers in Michigan are concerned. But nothing tends to rock the vote quite like a vote on legal recreational marijuana.

All the recent polls show overwhelming support for legal recreational in Michigan. So much so, in fact, that if the vote were to happen today, the measure would pass overwhelmingly.

But polls show another interesting thing about the issue of legal weed in Michigan. Namely, that it could drive voter turnout enough to impact other races.

And in an unpredictable election year many feel could be a wave election flipping state assemblies for the Democrats, some Republicans are viewing the pot voter boost as a legitimate concern.

A few GOP lawmakers in Lansing have already begun discussing whether they should attempt to legalize weed through a legislative process ahead of the state’s general election in November.

In other words, Michigan may legalize recreational marijuana before November ballot in an attempt to keep voters who would otherwise come out to support the ballot, home

Experts expect races will be tight this November. So even a two to three percent boost in voter turnout could make the difference in many districts and cause Republicans to lose the House.

The Final Hit: Michigan May Legalize Recreational Marijuana Before November Ballot

So far, the question of whether to legislatively pass recreational cannabis has been a behind-closed-doors topic among Republican lawmakers. “I don’t think it’s reached critical mass at this point,” said political consultant Dennis Darnoi.

Indeed, deep divisions persist among the caucus over the issue of recreational weed. But concerns over losing the House might be enough to overcome them. Michigan Republicans have previously tried to move a legalization bill through the legislature with no success.