Georgia Adds Pain and PTSD as Conditions for Medical Marijuana

After months of working its way to Governor Nathan Deal’s desk, a new bill hoped to add intractable pain and PTSD to the list of qualifying conditions for medical marijuana in Georgia. And yesterday, Governor Deal signed the bill into law.

A Look at Marijuana in Georgia

Georgia has been easing up on weed penalties for a while. Last fall, Atlanta, the largest city and capital, passed a referendum that decriminalized marijuana. Now, Atlantans cannot be jailed for possession, and the maximum fine is a low $75.

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Since then, lawmakers have introduced new legislation that would extend decriminalization to the whole state. The first bill, House Bill 865, would reclassify possession of 2 ounces as a misdemeanor. Additionally, Senate Bill 105 would decriminalize up to half an ounce, and lower the fine.

Of course, selling, transporting, and growing marijuana would still be illegal. Though this legislation is by no means lenient, it is a movement towards tolerance.

The State’s Medical Marijuana Laws Are Evolving

Georgia legalized medical marijuana in 2015 but continues to expand its list of qualifying conditions. In 2017, Republican State Representative Allen Peake introduced a bill to the House that doubled the list of ailments treatable with medical pot.

The list included HIV/AIDS, Tourette’s Syndrome, autism, autoimmune disease, epidermolysis bullosa, Alzheimer’s disease, and peripheral neuropathy. Today, increasing scientific and anecdotal evidence shows that marijuana can treat these illnesses.

To date, approximately 4,000 Georgians have medical marijuana cards.

This Week, Lawmakers Added More Conditions

On Monday, House Bill 65 reached the final step in the legislative process. Thanks to Governor Nathan Deal’s signature, patients with intractable pain and PTSD can now access medical marijuana.

Getting this bill through was not easy due to intense opposition. A supporter of the legislation, House Rep. David Clark, had some harsh words for the President of the Senate, Casey Cagle. “There are lives at stake. This isn’t a game. … People are dying,” he said to Cagle.

This bill’s passage does not mean that you can get marijuana in any form. Even with a doctor’s approval, you can’t legally smoke marijuana. This legislation only permits is low-THC cannabis oil.

Unfortunately, you may not even be able to get weed oil due to a huge caveat in the new law. Cardholders still have no legal way to get their medicine because you cannot grow marijuana or bring it from one place to another. You cannot legally import it from another state, either.

Georgia’s Medical Marijuana Program Is Far From Complete

Since there isn’t a legal way for patients to obtain medical marijuana, the state is still essentially forcing people to break the law to access medicine they’re legally allowed to have. In early 2018, lawmakers attempted to pass a bill that would have allowed cannabis cultivation. As is the case in Washington D.C.with recreational weed, lawmakers need to find a way to get people access to a substance they’ve legalized.

Despite Georgia’s conservatism when it comes to medical marijuana, some are optimistic that recreational marijuana is coming. This southern state needs to up its tax revenue, and last year, they failed to legalize casinos. As seen in Colorado, marijuana is an untapped source of state income.

Whether discussing medical or recreational marijuana, Georgia’s biggest obstacle is its unique legislative process. A vote cannot legalize weed, so it would need to go through lawmakers… which seems less than likely with a Republican majority in the Georgian Senate and House.

Utah’s ‘Right to Try’ Medical Marijuana Bill is Officially in Effect

Utah’s ‘Right to Try’ medical marijuana bill officially went into effect yesterday. But under the new law, only terminally ill patients will have access to medicinal cannabis.

House Bill 195 (HB195) allows terminally ill patients to possess and use marijuana for medical use. The measure adds medicinal cannabis to the auspices of 2015’s Right to Try Act. That law allows patients with a terminal illness to use medical treatments not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). HB195 officially adds medical marijuana as one of the experimental treatments allowed under the Right to Try Act.

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The Utah Senate easily passed HB 195 on March 7 by a vote of 19-3. The House of Representatives then approved the measure 40-26 on March 20 and sent it to Governor Gary Herbert, who signed the bill into law.

Companion Bill Also Becomes Law

Another new measure, House Bill 197 (HB197), also went into effect yesterday. A companion to HB195, this law authorizes the establishment of a medicinal cannabis cultivation program in the state.

However, HB197 had a more difficult road to approval by the state legislature. Like HB195, it also cleared the Senate without difficulty, by a margin of 20-5.

In the House, bills must receive at least 38 votes (a majority of the body’s 75 members) to pass. HB197 failed to receive approval on an initial vote, with a tally in favor by 36-34 votes.

But a motion to reconsider was approved, resuscitating the measure. Before a second vote, Rep. Brad Daw, the sponsor of both HB195 and HB197, told his fellow lawmakers that patients need both bills.

“This bill becomes the way to supply a genuine cannabis medicine for both those programs. We need to pass this bill if we want to have patients the ability to try both under Right to Try and under research,” Daw said.

New Law May Be Irrelevant Soon

But the two laws that went into effect yesterday may soon be a moot point. A much broader initiative legalizing medical marijuana appears to be heading for November’s ballot.

Organizers of the campaign for the Utah Medical Cannabis Act have already turned in enough signatures to qualify for the election. The Utah Patients Coalition gathered more than 40,000 signatures in excess of the 113,143 necessary.

The Utah Medical Cannabis Act, if successful, would allow patients with a list of specific serious medical conditions to use medical marijuana. The bill also allows for the creation of a legalized cultivation and distribution infrastructure and regulatory framework to manage it. The bill limits patients to two ounces of marijuana or 10 grams of THC or CBD per 14 day period. Smoking marijuana and driving under the influence would still be prohibited. Far more patients would qualify for medical marijuana under the initiative.

However, the measure has not officially qualified for the ballot just yet. And an anti-pot group is hoping to keep it that way. Drug Safe Utah has begun a drive to convince people who have signed petitions to now remove their names from petitions. If enough signers change their minds, the initiative could fail to qualify for the ballot after all.

New Research Shows That Cannabinoids May Treat Sleep Apnea

Though still in its infancy, new research shows some promising results when it comes to cannabinoids’ effect on sleep apnea. A study published in the medical journal Sleep this year confirms that a synthetic cannabinoid can lessen the sometimes dangerous symptoms of sleep apnea. To better understand this study, and what it could potentially mean for sleep apnea patients, we spoke with Dr. Jerald Simmons, MD.

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder. The American Sleep Apnea Association estimates that 22 million Americans have sleep apnea in varying degrees of severity.

People with sleep apnea experience intermittent breathing after they fall asleep. Dr. Jerald Simmons, MD is the founder of Comprehensive Sleep Medicine Associates. He is board certified in Sleep Medicine, Epilepsy and Neurology from Stanford, and spends much of his time treating patients with sleep apnea.

Dr. Simmons described sleep apnea to High Times as an unstable condition that changes depending on which sleep stage you’re in.

“Sleep apnea is a condition where when you’re asleep the airway becomes more narrow,” he explained, “The muscles of the throat relax, and it’s harder for people to breathe. As the airway becomes more narrow, a vacuum gets created in the back of the throat.”

This vacuum is what leads to snoring, and in severe cases, the throat closes completely. Sleep apnea can completely stop you from breathing.

Sleep apnea produces a host of medical problems. According to Dr. Simmons, it can cause strokes, high blood pressure, diabetes, heartburn, fatigue and headaches. Additionally, having millions of poorly rested people on the roads is a safety hazard.

Treating Sleep Apnea Can Be Difficult

“There are a variety of ways of treating this that are basically mechanical methods,” Dr. Simmons clarified. In order to prevent the muscles of the throat from relaxing and potentially closing, patients use either a sleep apnea mask or a dental appliance.

The mask covers your nose and is attached to a machine that consistently moves air to the back of your throat. The dental appliance pushes the jaw forward. Both prevent the muscle relaxation that closes the airway. Another less common option sleep-apnea surgery.

Excluding surgery, which can be costly, these two common treatments can be cumbersome and difficult to use. In many cases, sleep apnea patients either don’t use their mask or dental appliance or use it incorrectly. Today, there are no oral medications that you can take for sleep apnea.

The Study On Cannabinoids and Sleep Apnea

New research shows that an oral cannabinoid medication could soon become a reality.

This study is called the “PACE Clinical Trial: The Effects of Dronabinol in Obstructive Sleep Apnea.” PACE stands for Pharmacotherapy of Apnea by Cannabimimetic Enhancement.

Scientists from the University of Chicago and Northwestern University took 73 sleep apnea patients, First, they tested the severity of their Obstructive Sleep Apnea, meaning that they only dealt with muscular sleep apnea. Conditions ranged from moderate to severe, meaning that the throat closes completely. They also surveyed the participants on their fatigue levels prior to beginning treatment.

Then, researchers administered placebo pills, a low dose of cannabinoidmedication and a high dose of cannabinoid medication to three separate groups. They used dronabinol, which is a synthetic cannabinoid already approved by the FDA to help chemotherapy patients cope with appetite loss.

Though researchers have conducted other studies on cannabinoids and sleep apnea, this one was the most legitimate. “It was done in a proper experimental fashion that, just like any other pharmaceutical compound that would be tested,” Dr. Simmons said.

The Study’s Findings Were Striking

The study found that dronabinol significantly helped for sleep apnea patients. They reported less fatigue and fewer symptoms than the placebo group. Not only that but the higher the dose, the better the patients did.

Significantly, those with the most severe symptoms benefitted the most from the cannabinoid.

Patients also showed the biggest reduction in symptoms at the point in their sleep cycle when they’re usually the most acute. Dr. Simmons explained, “The study showed was that the benefit was most significant in REM sleep, and it was most significant in terms of complete apnea, the ones where the airway is completely blocked.”

The Future of Sleep Apnea Medication

We are still a long way from an oral cannabinoid medication for sleep apnea. Though these are impressive findings that will hopefully promote further cannabinoid research, it is only one study.

On the other hand, the FDA has already approved dronabinol. This means that getting the drug to market would be a less lengthy process than usual.

Sensitive to the difficulty of this condition, Dr. Simmons is hopeful that more testing will back this initial study. “There are no medications available that people can take to treat this, so if there’s a medication that works it would be very helpful. It could help decrease these other issues that sleep apnea can cause.”

An oral medication would make a big difference in the lives and health of the millions of people with sleep apnea.

Marijuana Legalization Effort in Connecticut Is Running Out of Time

The marijuana legalization effort in Connecticut is running out of time, as this year’s legislative session winds to a close this week. Lawmakers have until May 9 to pass a bill pending in the House of Representatives.

But that doesn’t seem likely, according to local media. Both the House and the Senate have other bills more likely to gain lawmakers’ attention.

Last month, the House Appropriations Committee voted 27-24 to support the measure and send it to the full House. If passed, the bill alone would not technically legalize cannabis. But it would direct several state agencies to form a plan to legalize and regulate recreational marijuana in the state. The law also includes provisions for the creation of substance abuse prevention, treatment, and awareness programs.

At that time, House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz did not commit to bringing the measure up for a vote by the full body.

“While the bill was passed by the Appropriations Committee,” he said, “it is still early in the process and I expect we will have continued discussions within the caucus before it can be determined if it will be called for a vote in the House.”

However, the Speaker did indicate that the legislature needs to act on the matter.

“This is one of those tough crossover issues that brings both a social and economic aspect with it, and with a number of states in the region having either already approved legalization and regulation, or are trending this way, it’s clearly something that deserves to be looked at,” he said.

Activists Demonstrate at State Capitol

In an effort to spur action on the legislation, cannabis advocates demonstrated at the Capitol in Hartford on Sunday. At the rally, protestors chanted slogans and carried signs with messages including “Cannabis Heals” and “Weed Deserve a Vote.”

The state chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) organized the demonstration. Avery Press, a spokesperson for Connecticut NORML, said the activists hoped the legislature makes the bill a priority.

“Our mission with this rally is to bring attention to HB 5394 and educate the community about cannabis legalization, so they can urge their legislators to vote favorably, on this issue before the end of the session,” Press said.

The activists also hope to change people’s perceptions about cannabis.

“We’re not just stoners,” Press said. “We’re here today to try and break that stigma. The majority of people want legalization in this state and we are hoping our voices are being heard today by the legislators.”

Keith Wainwright of Stratford was one of the demonstrators at the rally. He believes that the legalization of marijuana is a matter of fairness.

“I just don’t get it,” Wainwright said. “You can buy a pack of cigarettes and right on the pack it has a message saying: “Warning: cigarette smoking can kill you – but it’s perfectly legal to smoke cigarettes. It’s perfectly legal to drink alcohol which also can be harmful.”

Seattle Municipal Court Asked To Vacate Hundreds of Marijuana Charges

Following a new trend in decriminalization, the Seattle municipal court has been asked to vacate hundreds of marijuana charges from up to thirty years ago. Philadelphia made a similar move when District Attorney Larry Krasner announced that his office dropped 51 marijuana charges. Both decisions may have been inspired by San Francisco’s District Attorney who was the first to dismiss thousands of marijuana convictions.

Why Are Cities Dropping Marijuana Charges?

San Francisco was motivated to undo the wrongdoings of the past. That’s when they lifted thousands of marijuana charges dating back to 1975. It would have been hypocritical to allow recreational cannabis to be sold in stores while people continue to suffer from mere possession.

Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes believes dismissing marijuana possession cases will best serve the “interests of equity and justice” in his city. When he became City Attorney he vowed to stop all prosecution of marijuana possession cases.

“As we see marijuana sold in retail storefronts today, people who simply had a joint in their pocket a decade ago still have a red mark on their record,” Holmes told The Stranger.

One of the main motivating factors in San Francisco was the racial disparity in convictions. Holmes also cited the adverse impact marijuana arrests have had on people of color.

“It’s long past time we remedy the drug policies of yesteryear, and this one small step to right the injustices of a drug war that has primarily targeted people of color. I’m hopeful the court will choose to clear these charges.”

In Philadelphia, District Attorney Larry Krasner told reporters dropping marijuana possession charges would free police resources to “solve homicides.”

Washington residents voted to legalize recreational cannabis way back in 2012. According to the Washington Department of Health, there are over one hundred licensed cannabis retailers. There are also “medically endorsed stores.” So far cities in California, Pennsylvania and Washington have chosen to expunge the records of those who were punished for cannabis possession.

Dropping hundreds of marijuana possession charges is a start but there is still plenty of damage to be undone in the rest of the country. Despite the rhetoric of Jeff Sessions, the gears of legalization and decriminalization continue to turn.

In fact, the city of Baton Rouge also loosened their penalties for marijuana charges to prevent more communities of color being destroyed. The city of Albuquerque also met to discuss marijuana legislation.

Marijuana News: A Senate Bill To Decriminalize Marijuana At The Federal Level Is On Its Way

ut plainly, the cannabis industry is budding worldwide. Cannabis research firm ArcView Group has estimated that North American legal marijuana sales could explode from $9.7 billion in 2017 (which represented 33% sales growth from 2016) to more than $47 billion by 2027. Meanwhile, Cowen Group recently raised its global legal cannabis sales forecast from $50 billion by 2026 to $75 billion by 2030.

This article originally appeared in the Motley Fool. 

At the heart of these lofty sales estimates is a major shift in consumer opinion toward pot. What had once been considered a taboo topic is no more. Five national polls over the trailing one-year period -- CBS News, Gallup, Fox News, Pew Research Center, and the independent Quinnipiac University -- found support ranging from 59% to 64% for nationwide legalization. Furthermore, support for medical marijuana in the aforementioned Quinnipiac University poll from August hit an overwhelming 94%. 

Despite Changing Opinions On Cannabis, The U.S. Is Stuck In The Mud

Yet in the United States, the cannabis industry remains stuck in neutral. Despite the fact that 29 states have broad medical marijuana laws and nine states have OK'd the use of recreational weed, the federal government has entrenched its stance on cannabis being a Schedule I drug. This places weed on par with drugs like LSD and heroin, suggests it's highly prone to abuse, and means it has no recognized medical benefits.

In addition to being wholly illegal at the federal level, marijuana's Schedule I status can wreak havoc on businesses operating in the pot industry, as well as patients hoping to receive medical cannabis or cannabis-derived medicines.

For instance, marijuana companies often have little to no access to basic banking services, which constrains their ability to expand and hire. Also, the three-decade-old tax rule known as 280E disallows businesses that sell a federally illegal substance from taking normal corporate income-tax deductions. This means that profitable pot companies could pay an effective tax rate of as high as 90%! And, as noted, patients can suffer given the lengthy amount of red tape surrounding medical cannabis trials and research.

The industry is also challenged by Attorney General Jeff Sessions leading the Justice Department. Sessions is perhaps the most ardent opponent of cannabis in Washington, and he's tried on more than one occasion to upend state-level expansion. In May 2017, Sessions (unsuccessfully) requested that a few of his congressional colleagues repeal the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment, which is responsible for protecting medical marijuana businesses from federal prosecution.

However, Sessions was successful in rescinding the Cole memo in January. The Cole memo provided a loose set of guidelines that states would follow in order to keep the federal government at bay. These guidelines included keeping grown cannabis within legal states and ensuring that adolescents didn't have access to marijuana. Its rescinding opened the door for state-level prosecutors to use their discretion in bringing charges against individuals or businesses that violate the Controlled Substances Act.

This Influential Congressional Leader Is Set To Introduce A Decriminalization Bill

But big changes could be on the way. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced a little over a week ago his intention to introduce a bill to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level -- i.e., remove it from the controlled substances list.

In an interview with Vice News Tonight, Schumer had this to say:

The time has come to decriminalize marijuana. My thinking -- as well as the general population's views -- on the issue has evolved, and so I believe there's no better time than the present to get this done. It's simply the right thing to do. 

If this sounds somewhat familiar, it's because former House Speaker John Boehner, who once described himself as "unalterably opposed" to the idea of decriminalizing marijuana, announced his change of heart just days before Schumer made his own announcement about proposing a decriminalization bill. Said Boehner in a statement to CNBC on why he was joining a cannabis company's board of advisors:

Like that of millions of other Americans, [my thinking on cannabis] has evolved as I've learned more about the issue. I decided to get involved because of the struggles of our country's veterans and the opioid epidemic, after learning how descheduling the drug can potentially help with both crises. Descheduling will reduce the conflict between federal policy and state programs. 

However, Schumer's proposal wouldn't completely wipe out the ability of the federal government to enforce certain controls. Federal regulators would still be able to penalize instances of drug trafficking between legalized states and states that have not chosen to OK the use of legal weed. In addition, the federal government would retain authority over marijuana advertising so as to ensure that children aren't targeted. Ultimately, though, states would have the final say on whether or not cannabis is legal and how it's regulated.

Is Decriminalization A Real Possibility?

Of course, the $64,000 question is this: Does Schumer's decriminalization bill have a chance of passage in the Senate and/or House?

Based on the current make-up of Congress, I'd suggest it wouldn't pass. In Gallup's October 2017 survey, 51% of respondents who identified as Republican favored legalization, albeit this "majority" was still within the margin of error for the poll. Though this represented the first time in history a majority of the GOP was in support of legalization, Republicans still have a decidedly more negative view of weed relative to Democrats and Independents. With numerous big-ticket issues expected to be on the table in Congress this year, including healthcare reform and an infrastructure bill, the chance of a decriminalization bill gaining majority support seems unlikely. 

But things could change after the midterm elections in November. If Republicans lose their majority in the House and/or Senate, it may be possible to garner enough support to reschedule or decriminalize marijuana at the federal level.

Should the U.S. alter its stance on cannabis through decriminalization, it's probable that Canadian growers would rush in to stake their claims. For example,  Aphria (NASDAQOTH:APHQF) , which is expected to be a top-three grower by annual production in Canada (approximately 230,000 kilograms a year), announced its intention to sell off its passive U.S. assets in the wake of Sessions' repeal of the Cole memo. Aphria made good on this promise in February when it announced a divestiture of more than 26.7 million shares of medical cannabis company Liberty Health Sciences. If the U.S. reverses its anti-cannabis stance, Aphria would likely reenter the U.S. market, along with most of its peers. 

More importantly, decriminalizing marijuana in what could arguably be described as the most lucrative weed market in the world would likely remove any concerns about a marijuana glut in Canada. With some estimates suggesting that supply in Canada could outweigh domestic demand by over 1 million kilograms of dried cannabis, the ability to export to legalized countries will be paramount to supporting the margins of Canadian growers.

Personally, I don't believe this is an issue that'll be resolved anytime soon. Chances are that we're going to need to wait until a few months after the midterm elections before we get any clarity on whether a decriminalization bill has any chance of passage in the U.S.

Sean Williams has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

MedMen Dispensary Opens In New York City

With an eye on legalization in the Empire State, a new MedMen dispensary opens in New York City. New York’s newest dispensary, which opened its doors on 4/20, is located on Fifth Ave. Here’s an inside look at the luxurious dispensary that would make the likes of Don Draper proud.

Inside MedMen on Fifth Avenue

The 2,000 square foot flagship store is in good company on New York’s iconic retail street: Barney’s, Apple and Saks Fifth Avenue are mere blocks away. As MedMen CEO Adam Bierman told Business Insider, “It’s the prime retail shopping street in the world.”

The store’s design symbolizes Bierman’s anticipation for what’s next. “This store represents the future,” the CEO explained to a private party on Wednesday. Circular LED chandeliers, crisp walls and iPad displays line the store. Posters on the wall feature people with the subhead ‘Stoner’, crossed out.

MedMen dispensary opens in New York City with a sleek design, a prime location and an important mission: Make marijuana mainstream.

What This Dispensary Is Selling

Currently, MedMen is offering five strains in the form of vape pens, tinctures and capsules. Though California locations carry thousands of products, MedMen abides by New York laws, which are much more restrictive.

The iPad displays offer detailed descriptions of the five different categories: Wellness, Harmony, Awake, Calm and Sleep. They even recommend strains, based on what you’re looking to treat. The display also lists THC and CBDratios.

Need more information? MedMen has a whole staff of pharmacists. No matter what you’re hoping to treat, this dispensary will find the strain and delivery method that’s right for you.

Not Everyone Can Shop At MedMen (For Now)

A MedMen dispensary opens in New York, though most New Yorkers can’t legally buy weed. At least, not yet.

Though you’re more than welcome to explore the dispensary, MedMen only currently caters to medical marijuana users. Until recreational marijuana becomes legal in New York, shoppers will need to provide a medical marijuana card and a doctor’s note before purchasing.

This slims down the market. Out of about 20 million residents, only 33,000 New Yorkers hold medical marijuana cards. Senior vice president of MedMen Daniel Yi explains, “We’re positioning ourselves for what we will believe is going to happen in New York.”

If legalization passes later this year, MedMen, the third dispensary to open to New York City, will be poised to take over the luxury cannabis industry.

The Future of Legalization In New York

Earlier this month, Gubernatorial candidate and Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon announced that she supports legalizing recreational marijuana.

On Twitter, Nixon explained her position. “There are a lot of good reasons for legalizing marijuana,” she said, 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.”

In light of newly released statistics showing racial disparities in New York marijuana arrests, constituents are taking note of Nixon’s critique of racial injustice. Support for marijuana legalization in New York is growing.

So much so that New York’s current governor, and Nixon’s opponent, Andrew Cuomo just changed his mind on cannabis. Just a day after Nixon came out in support of legalizing recreational marijuana, Cuomo reevaluated his position.

“The facts have changed,” explains the Governor, undermining his history of opposing legalization. Once, he even went so far as to call weed a “gateway drug.”

Final Hit: MedMen Dispensary Opens In New York City

MedMen’s arrival on Fifth Ave symbolizes that times are changing when it comes to smoking weed in the Big Apple.

As politicians and big business work towards legalization, the Empire State is poised to become the biggest new marijuana market in the country.

MedMen only has to bide its time.

Missouri House Approves Medical Marijuana Bill

After an evening of sometimes emotional debate, the Missouri House approves medical marijuana bill for the state. House Bill (HB) 1554 was passed by a voice vote on Monday, April 23. The measure would make it legal for some seriously or terminally ill patients to use non-smokable forms of cannabis to treat their conditions.

Rep. Jim Neely, a Republican from Cameron, is the sponsor of the bill. He is also a physician at the Cameron Regional Medical Center.  He addressed the House several times during Monday’s debate, according to local media. Neely told the body that his views stem from his years of experience in the medical field.

“The idea behind that (the bill) is a result of my observation as a person who has worked in healthcare for several decades, and it just seems like this is the right thing to do,” he said.

Neely said that his original intention with the law was to help provide relief to dying patients.

“My bill has to do with people that are terminal, and so I’m trying to provide some comfort to the folks who are in the last stages of life,” Neely said.

HB 1554 defines a terminal illness as one that “without life-saving procedures will result in death in the near future or a state of permanent unconsciousness from which recovery is unlikely.”

Lawmakers Expand Scope of Bill

But as the members of the House discussed the measure, several Representatives offered amendments to allow more patients access to medical marijuana.

Rep. Shamed Dogan, a Republican from Ballwin, proposed adding epilepsy, multiple sclerosis (MS), glaucoma, Crohn’s disease and other medical conditions to the bill.

Republican Rep. Travis Fitzwater of Holts Summit asked his colleagues to support the amendment. He also told the House that both his mother and his sister have MS.

Democrats also got behind the amendment. Rep. Gina Mitten of St. Louis passionately implored all members to help people like the Fitzwater family. Rep. Dogan’s amendment succeeded and lawmakers then added it to the bill.

Rep. Paul Curtman, a Republican from Pacific who is also a Marine Corps infantry veteran, suggested another amendment. He wanted Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to also be included as a condition eligible for treatment with MMJ.

Curtman shared the story of a Missouri vet who sought help from the VA to treat his PTSD. VA doctors prescribed numerous pharmaceuticals, which failed to provide the vet with relief.

“So, this Marine found some cannabis that he was able to use for medical purposes, but since it was illegal his neighbor called the police, ratted him out. The police came, arrested him,” Curtman said.

Curtman’s voice cracked when he said the stricken vet had eventually taken his own life.

HB 1554 has several more hurdles to clear before it becomes law. The House must vote and give its approval one more time, before sending it the state Senate for consideration. If the bill succeeds there, it would then have to be signed into law by Missouri Governor Eric Greitens.

Marijuana growers, manufacturers have yet to get the green light from L.A.

Months after California legalized the marijuana business, pot growers and manufacturers lament that they are still locked out of the legal industry in Los Angeles.

More than 100 shops have already gotten city approval in Los Angeles, but not the companies that have historically furnished them with cannabis, which were supposed to be second in line under a complex set of city regulations passed in December.

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L.A. had originally planned to finish processing their applications by April but has not even started accepting that paperwork. As 4/20 rolled around Friday — the informal holiday for pot enthusiasts — there was no official word on when that would happen.

That has aggravated marijuana growers, manufacturers and other cannabis companies seeking to do business legally in Los Angeles. Under California law, they cannot get state licenses if they do not have local authorization. And if they don't have a state license, it is illegal for newly licensed shops to buy their products.

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"If people don't get their licenses in the very near future, their businesses are tenuous," said Aaron Herzberg, founding partner of Puzzle Group, a law firm specializing in cannabis licensing and real estate. "Maybe those businesses are driven into the black market entirely."

Marijuana companies that had lined up business locations are being "bled dry" as they hang on to costly leases, said Adam Spiker, executive director of the Southern California Coalition, a cannabis industry group. Ryan Jennemann, manager of the cannabis cultivation company THC Design, said his firm has cut dozens of employees in recent months.

"It's an unsettling feeling," Jennemann said. "We're in a state where cannabis is legal. The 4/20 holiday used to be an underground thing — now they're talking about it on MSNBC. And we don't have permits."

The delay has also prevented any new operators, including shops, growers and other marijuana enterprises, from getting into the legal industry in L.A.

Under the regulations, they would get a shot at city approval in a third phase of applications, after L.A. grants approval to marijuana growers and manufacturers that had been supplying existing shops.

City officials have chalked up some of the delay to short staffing as the newly formed Department of Cannabis Regulation started poring over business applications. The department currently has only four staffers and has relied on workers loaned to it from other city agencies. Council members voted to hire more employees in February, but those positions have yet to be filled.

“The shift from cannabis prohibition to regulation — in the largest cannabis market in the world — is complex,” said Cat Packer, who heads L.A.’s Department of Cannabis Regulation. "Getting it right will take time." (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

As of Friday, the department had granted approval to 139 pot shops that had been operating in line with an earlier set of city rules — the group of businesses that were first in line for approval. But before other marijuana businesses can apply, the city has been trying to work out remaining details for its "social equity" program, which is intended to help people and communities hit hardest by the war on drugs.

To be eligible for the second phase of licensing, longtime growers and manufacturers that supplied the existing shops must also qualify for that program. If not, they would have to seek licenses in the third phase along with all other kinds of applicants.

Eligible social equity entrepreneurs include poor applicants who either have been convicted of some marijuana crimes or have lived in areas disproportionately affected by pot arrests, as well as firms providing space or other assistance to disadvantaged applicants.

But city officials say they are still figuring out how to proceed.

This year, council members asked to reexamine whether additional communities in the San Fernando Valley, Boyle Heights and parts of downtown might have been disproportionately affected by the war on drugs, potentially allowing people who had lived in those areas to qualify for the program.

L.A. also needs to fund and set up the outreach and assistance programs that are supposed to be provided under the program — or decide whether to press ahead with licensing social equity applicants before the city can offer such benefits, city officials said. That decision would be made by council members.

A spokeswoman for City Council President Herb Wesson did not provide comment Friday.

"The shift from cannabis prohibition to regulation — in the largest cannabis market in the world — is complex, and involves a broad range of stakeholders," Cat Packer, who heads L.A.'s Department of Cannabis Regulation, said in a written statement Friday. "Getting it right will take time."

California Minority Alliance Chairman Donnie Anderson, whose group advocated for the social equity program, said that "we definitely wanted the city to be farther along, but I understand that the city has to make sure things are right." He added that the city needs to ensure businesses don't find ways to "scam the system" meant to benefit poor and marginalized applicants.

The proposed budget released last week by Mayor Eric Garcetti includes $3.7 million for the cannabis department next budget year, more than four times as much as this year, and provides for 28 staffers.

In his budget, Garcetti also estimated that the city would get $30 million from taxing the marijuana industry, a crucial infusion that will help bankroll city services. The delay in marijuana licensing has already cost the city this year: It had been anticipating $16 million from taxing cannabis businesses this budget year, but is now expecting to pull in only $4.4 million, according to the mayor's office.

Marijuana's margin, like alcohol, is going to be captured in the end product, investor says

• When looking to the future of cannabis, Navy Capital founder Sean Stiefel says the marijuana industry will look a lot more like the alcohol industry, than big tobacco.
• Insofar as the alcohol industry has distinctive branding, different product lines and end product-based margins, the marijuana industry could be quite similar.
• In the short-term, Steifel anticipates Canada's impending nationwide legalization will drive marijuana prices way up.

There's going to be a massive undersupply of pot: Marijuana investor  5 Hours Ago | 04:23

Navy Capital founder Sean Stiefel says for the burgeoning marijuana industry, the profit isn't in the plant — it's in the end product.

"We're talking about vapes, oils, edibles, topicals, sprays -- all of that stuff is coming, and as science catches up to marijuana, you'll see more and more of those end products," Stiefel said on CNBC's "Closing Bell."

Stiefel founded New York-based investment firm Navy Capital in 2014. In 2017, the firm launched Navy Capital Green Fund, which invests in public equities in the global legal cannabis industry.

In Denver, where recreational marijuana has been legal since 2014, Stiefel said sales of the cannabis plant don't dominate the market, so much as products derived from the plant. And that's where the big money is.

"Look on the other side of it, the cosmetics and some of the more luxury items -- you can't keep them on the shelves," he said.

As for the future of the burgeoning industry, Stiefel thinks marijuana will look a lot more like the alcohol industry than big tobacco, but will likely share traits with both.

Insofar as the alcohol industry has distinctive branding, different product lines and product-based margins, the marijuana industry could be quite similar. And while Steifel does not consider cannabis purely a commodity, like tobacco, he does hope the cost of the actual plant will decline considerably.

"We actually would like for the price of raw marijuana to come down, because we are believers that the margin, like alcohol, is going to be captured in the end product," Steifel said. "You don't necessarily know the price of grain or potatoes going in the vodka or beer, but you know the price of the beer, and there's tremendous margins to be captured when you make products for the end user."

In the short-term, however, Steifel anticipates Canada's impending nationwide legalization will drive marijuana prices way up.