Green and White all over
Maryland has had a rocky start getting its medical cannabis program up and running. Although approved in 2013, the program stalled after requiring that the only growers allowed to grow and distribute cannabis be academic centers. After no one stepped up into that role, last year the legislature named 15 finalists to grow, and 15 to process cannabis. Every candidate selected was white, which, you know, happens quite a bit in the industry—and no, it's not cool.
So Rep. Cheryl Glenn, Chair of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, stepped up to sponsor a House bill that added five more grower and processor licenses each. Rep. Glenn pointed out that the state's cannabis law indicates that racial diversity should be considered.
"Passing this bill will show the country that this is not an issue that we're going to lock African Americans and other minorities from participating in this business venture," Glenn said before the House vote. "Less than 1 percent of the licenses held in the entire country are held by African Americans and other minorities."
Governor Super Friends - Assemble!
The Governors from Oregon, Colorado, Alaska and Washington sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin April 3, asking that they "engage with us before embarking on any changes to regulatory and enforcement systems." The letter went on to point out that "overhauling the Cole Memorandum is sure to produce unintended and harmful consequences and that "changes that hurt the regulated market would divert existing marijuana product into the black market and increase dangerous activity in both our states and our neighboring states." They concluded by reminding Sessions and Mnuchin that "28 states, representing more than 60 percent of Americans, have authorized some form of marijuana-related conduct." Earlier in the year, 11 U.S. Senators from eight states that have medical or adult use cannabis programs sent a letter to Sessions asking for virtually the same thing.
No word yet if Sessions read the letter, or, if in fact, can even read.
We need a spine transplant, stat!
John Hopkins University withdrew from an upcoming federally sanctioned study on cannabis and PTSD after its study partner called bullshit on the cannabis to be used. The study is important, as it had something rare: the blessing of the DEA. The withdrawal came about after the study's administrator, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychiatric Studies, or MAPS, challenged federal rules stating that cannabis used in studies must all come from the black hole of decent cannabis: the University of Mississippi. (I've written about just how bad the pot grown there is, and how it is not at all representative of the quality and variety of cannabis available through other channels.) The study will move forward at a private lab in Arizona, along with researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Colorado.
Your Pre Roll may be on Jenny Craig
Just how fat is your fattie? A new study reveals your doobie may have been hitting a spin class while you weren't looking. A new study published by the journal "Drug and Alcohol Dependence," utilized rigorous statistical analysis to determine the weight of the average American's joint. And it's certainly less than most people claim or believe to be present: .32 grams, or just under 1/3 of a gram. This means that an ounce of cannabis, aka 28 grams, would allow for the owner to produce 84 joints. (84 very thin joints, or known by their street term "pinners".) This falls short of what the average smoker believes to be the size of their joints. High Times did a survey of nearly 3,000 readers who responded that they believed the average joint weighed in at .75 grams, with three in 10 respondents believing their joints were 1 gram or more. So check the weight of your pre roll, because a $5 joint weighing .32 grams makes that $15+ per gram. And at $15 a gram, those better be damn strong.
