Kentucky Moves First On Hemp Research Projects

Hemp seed plant (Photo: D-Kuru/Wikimedia Commons)

The Kentucky Department of Agriculture has announced plans to conduct some of the first U.S. hemp studies, which are now legal under the new farm bill.

The state will partner with universities to investigate different aspects of hemp cultivation, Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer said on Monday.

A provision in the farm bill that passed this month allows research on hemp in states that have legalized the crop. So far, that includes Kentucky and nine others.

Comer is investigating the legality of commercial production under the farm bill, but says the first year of the program will likely be devoted to research and development.

The Department of Agriculture and various research partners will oversee the five hemp projects.

The projects are expected to begin March 31 and will include:

University of Louisville – A study of hemp’s potential to detoxify polluted soil on former industrial land.

Kentucky State University – A study of the cultivation potential of a “Kentucky heirloom hemp seed.”

Murray State University – A study of the cultivation potential of European hemp varieties.

University of Kentucky – A study of hemp cultivation for medical applications.

University of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky University – A study of the basic agricultural aspects of hemp production, including production cost and machinery requirements.

Source Leaf Science

Colorado Pledges Large Chunk Of Marijuana Taxes For Prevention

(Photo: Sodanie Chea/Flickr)

Colorado plans to spend most of its tax revenue from legal marijuana on preventing substance abuse, according to a FY 2014-2015 budget proposal released on Wednesday.

The proposal allocates $99 million of next year’s budget to the state’s top priority, which is “creating an environment where negative impacts on children from marijuana legalization are avoided completely.”

$45.5 million will go towards youth use prevention, $40.4 million for substance abuse treatment and $12.4 million for public health.

Federal funding makes up 43% of the state’s substance abuse budget and 15% of its youth prevention budget.

A breakdown of the spending shows $5.8 million for a three-year statewide media campaign to educate Coloradans “on the impact of marijuana,” and $1.9 million for a Department of Transportation “Drive High, Get a DUI” campaign.

$7 million will also be used to purchase new beds for substance treatment centers, thereby “increasing the capacity for treating marijuana misuse.”

In total, the state expects to see $184 million in marijuana-related revenue between January 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015.

$40 million of that has already been set aside for public school construction.

“Our administration is committed to the responsible regulation of adult-use marijuana and the effective allocation of resources to protect public safety and health and to prevent underage use,” Gov. John Hickenlooper wrote in a letter accompanying the proposal.

Source Leaf Science

Why Washington’s I-502 Is Being Fought By Patients

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Recreational users may look forward to the implementation of I-502, but many patients aren’t happy with the legislation and are now fighting back.

Yesterday, on the opening day of the state’s 2014 Legislative session, a group of patients, doctors and caregivers introduced a bill outlining their proposed changes to Washington’s new marijuana system.

Backed by Americans for Safe Access, House Bill 2233 aims to fix many of the shortcomings of the Liquor Control Board’s final recommendations, which include restrictions on qualifying medical conditions, the elimination of “collective gardens,” possession and cultivation limits, and excise taxes.

In the Senate, long-time medical marijuana advocate Jeanne Kohl-Welles, a Democratic senator, is also planning to introduce a bill.

Kohl-Welles told Business Insider that her proposal would give patients authorization to purchase marijuana without paying taxes. She also wants to expand the number of stores permitted under I-502, currently capped at around 300.

Only 21 of these are allotted to Seattle, despite the fact that over 150 medical marijuana dispensaries operate in the city today. Most of these dispensaries will likely be forced to close once I-502 rules take over.

Even with medical marijuana’s proliferation in Washington in recent years, state law has always been ambiguous on the issue – something that I-502 was meant to fix.

The last major overhaul happened in 2011, when Kohl-Welles managed to push a comprehensive reform bill through the state legislature. But before then-Governor Christine Gregoire signed the bill, she vetoed many of its most important clauses, which Kohl-Welles says left her “furious.”

With I-502 licenses to be issued by mid-year, now could be the last chance for patient advocates such as Kohl-Welles to achieve medical marijuana reform in Washington. She expects to see a “wide array” of bills, some that will aim to eliminate medical marijuana completely.

Although Kohl-Welles admits it’s uncertain how the Legislature will vote, the senator says current I-502 provisions will likely cause prices to rise. If this were to happen, it would push both recreational and medical users toward the black market, she says.

Source Leaf Science

Poll: One Month Later, More Coloradans Support Legal Marijuana

Colorado governor John Hickenlooper (Photo: Mike Johnston/Flickr)

A new poll suggests support for legal marijuana in Colorado has risen following the first month of retail sales.

Released on Monday, the Quinnipiac University poll shows 58 percent of Colorado residents support marijuana legalization. That number is up from 54 percent when the same poll was conducted last summer.

Amendment 64, the law that legalized recreational marijuana in Colorado, passed in November 2012 with 55 percent support.

On the other hand, 51 percent in the latest poll felt that marijuana legalization has hurt the state’s image. Only 10 percent said they had used recreational marijuana since sales began on January 1.

Indeed, even as the nationwide conversation begins to change tone, Colorado governor John Hickenlooper has shown little support for his own state’s position.

“I hate Colorado having to be the experiment,” he told local newspaper Durango Herald last month.

Ironically, Gov. Hickenlooper made a fortune as a cofounder of Wynkoop Brewing Company before entering a career in politics.

Still, Gov. Hickenlooper has acknowledged marijuana legalization in Colorado as “one of the great social experiments of this century” and, for his part, intends on seeing it done “properly.”

Source Leaf Science

Drug Testing In Schools ‘Not Working,’ Researchers Say

(Photo credit: Jeramey Jannene/Flickr)

Drug testing doesn’t work to prevent high school students from experimenting with substances, according to new research from the U.S.

Approximately 20 percent of U.S. high schools subject their students to drug testing of some form.

But there is little evidence that the strategy is effective, says Daniel Romer, Ph.D. of the University of Pennsylvania Annenberg Public Policy Center in Philadelphia and co-author of the latest study.

“Even though drug testing sounds good, based on the science, it’s not working.”

Published in the January issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, Dr. Romer and his coworkers interviewed 361 high school students and found that, over the next year, those at schools with drug testing programs were no less likely to try marijuana, cigarettes or alcohol than those who weren’t.

About one third of students in the study attended schools with drug testing programs.

Dr. Romer explains that drug testing may lead students to avoid certain substances in the short-run, but doesn’t seem to impact their overall attitude towards drug use.

Instead, the findings point to school environment as a stronger indicator of underage substance use. Students that rated their school environments as more positive tended to use less marijuana and cigarettes.

However, alcohol use was not affected, which Dr. Romer attributes to widespread marketing of the substance.

“It’s a real problem,” he says of underage drinking, “and right now we’re not doing enough to address it.”

According to Scientific American, a 2009 meta-analysis of 20 previous studies also found that students enrolled in drug education programs like D.A.R.E. were just as likely to use drugs as those who received no intervention.

Source Leaf Science

For The First Time, U.S. Law Allows Hemp

(Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr)

On Friday, President Barack Obama signed into law the new farm bill, which includes an amendment allowing industrial hemp to be grown for research purposes.

While the farm bill only permits research in states with existing hemp laws, advocates still celebrated the turning point in federal policy.

“This is the first time in American history that industrial hemp has been legally defined by our federal government as distinct from drug varieties of Cannabis,” said Eric Steenstra, the president of Vote Hemp, in a press release.

Now, academic institutes in ten U.S. states will be able to study different varieties of the crop in order to guide future farming practices. The pilot program could pave the way to a legal hemp industry in the U.S.

So far, few farmers have been brave enough to try growing hemp, even in states that have legalized it.

Under the Controlled Substances Act, hemp is still considered the same as marijuana – a Schedule I substance – though it only contains trace amounts of the psychoactive chemical THC.

But importing hemp products, from countries like Canada and China, is not illegal. According to estimates by the Hemp Industries Association, more than $500 million (retail value) of hemp product was imported to the U.S. in 2012.

Source Leaf Science

Eric Holder’s Pot Problem

Twenty states plus the District of Columbia now allow sales of medicinal marijuana, allowing pot prescriptions to treat pretty much any malady, from a headache to a hangnail. Colorado and Washington have legalized the drug for recreational use, too.

Yet federal law still prohibits the possession, use and sale of marijuana for any reason. This dichotomy explains why some banks are reluctant to accept the large amounts of cash that pot purveyors generate — even if the cash is legal under state law.

To redress this, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has promised to issue guidelines to make it easier for marijuana sellers who are operating in accordance with their state laws to use the banking system. Large amounts of cash “just kind of lying around with no place for it to be appropriately deposited,” Holder mused, “is something that would worry me, from a law enforcement perspective.”

The fact is, Holder encouraged those bundles of unbanked cash to be assembled in the first place. Last year, perhaps in a nod to opinion polls showing that a majority of Americans favor marijuana legalization, he said the Justice Department wouldn’t seek to overturn the Colorado and Washington measures. Nor, he said, would Washington interfere with the 20 states that allow medicinal marijuana. Instead, federal drug agencies and prosecutors would leave it to local authorities to enforce marijuana laws.

All of which raises the question: When did it become acceptable for the country’s top law-enforcement officer to decide which federal statutes to enforce and which to ignore? Even those who agree with the broader policy of marijuana legalization should be left uneasy by open defiance of the rule of law.

Under the 1970 Controlled Substances Act, marijuana is classified as a Schedule 1 drug, which means it has high potential for abuse, serves no medical purpose and isn’t safe even under a doctor’s supervision. As recently as 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that, even in states that allow medical marijuana sales, sellers and users can be prosecuted.

Whether or not a law is outmoded, unpopular or overtaken by cultural change, the attorney general doesn’t have the authority to ignore it altogether in half the country. To do so is wrong, and has practical consequences: Holder’s pronouncement caused a surge of cash to flow from the black-market weed business into the regular economy. His guidelines presumably will make it possible for buyers to use credit and debit cards now — and for banks to accept those transactions — without fear of reprisal. But some banks won’t go along.

Banks are subject to federal banking laws, including the anti-money-laundering statute, which discourages large deposits of cash by requiring reams of paperwork to document where it came from and where it went. When regulators don’t enforce the rules, lawmakers haul them in, Holder’s blind eye notwithstanding.

What’s more, in states that allow marijuana sales, a whole new pot economy has grown up, complete with cannapreneurs, growers, equipment makers, transporters and even private-equity financiers. The National Cannabis Industry Association estimates marijuana sales will exceed $2 billion in 2014 and $10 billion by 2019. Nevertheless, a future president could wipe the industry out by regarding the federal prohibition as wise and strictly enforcing the law.

If that happens, the marijuana industry and thousands of employees would be put out of work or forced back underground. Banks would again refuse to accept their cash, dispensaries would have to unplug their ATMs, and Visa and MasterCard would refuse to process marijuana transactions. Sales of the drug would continue, of course, but they would again go untaxed and unregulated.

At any rate, guidelines from Justice wouldn’t be enforceable in court, and therefore wouldn’t provide the legal defense bank lawyers must have before advising their clients there is a safe harbor against prosecution. 

It’s time Congress recognized reality. With 22 states openly in defiance of the federal statute, lawmakers should decide whether to keep the national ban or turn the question of marijuana decriminalization over to the states. Congress could, for example, withdraw marijuana from the Schedule 1 list, recognize that it has useful medical applications and let the states decide whether and where to allow its use.

What shouldn’t be an option is for the Justice Department to look the other way.

Source Cannabis News

U.S. On The Verge Of Relaxing Hemp Ban

(Photo V.H. Hammer/Flickr)

A provision that allows hemp research to be conducted in states where the crop is legal has a good chance of being passed as part of the new farm bill.

Congress released the final version of the five-year farm bill on Monday, which is set for a final House and Senate vote on Wednesday.

If passed, federal law would allow research institutes in 11 different states to import hemp seed and study its cultivation, explains Tom Murphy of Washington-based advocacy group Vote Hemp.

Climate differences between countries make this type of research essential, he adds.

“Agriculture colleges and other educational research institutions in states that have passed hemp farming laws would then be able to import seed from other places in the world, do research, and develop varieties that are well-suited to that state and to the United States in general.”

But what the farm bill won’t do is give farmers federal approval to grow the crop.

“We would still need to pass the Industrial Hemp Farming Act or have hemp removed from the definition of marijuana in the Controlled Substances Act.”

Murphy explains that industrial hemp is still defined as marijuana under federal law, even though it lacks the chemical that gets you high.

A bill introduced last year in both the House and the Senate, titled the Industrial Hemp Farming Act, aims to solve this problem by defining hemp as varieties of cannabis that contain less than 0.3 percent THC.

But while the bills sit in Congress, a number of states have already taken measures into their own hands.

In 1997, North Dakota became the first state to legalize hemp farming. Since then, the state has been joined by 10 others, Colorado, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Montana, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia.

Yet only one farmer in the country, Ryan Loflin of Colorado, has been brave enough to plant a hemp crop, which he did last year.

According to Murphy, most farmers interested in growing hemp are still wary of the federal ban. Some have even been warned by the DEA of the consequences.

“If marijuana is defined as all varieties, then you would still have the mandatory minimums and you would still have the asset forfeiture proceedings that could be brought against a farmer for growing a crop that is illegal on the federal level.”

“So there’s still a whole lot of other things that need to be done,” he says.

Source Leaf Science

9 Surprising Health Benefits of Hemp Seeds

(Photo: Gumruch/Wikimedia Commons)

Hemp seeds, or hempseed, have drawn more attention in recent years from researchers and health advocates alike.

Hempseed is considered a ‘superfood’ for many reasons. And while its link to the cannabis plant remains a barrier, scientists are continuing to discover new benefits of the seed and its derivatives.

Last month, the American Chemical Society published a paper that revealed “just how many healthful compounds hempseed oil contains.”

But while research may still be evolving, it turns out that hempseed has had a long history as a health food. Here are 9 of the most notable and surprising health benefits that hemp seeds may offer.

1. Used as food and medicine for at least 3000 years

The Ancient Chinese relied on hempseed and hempseed oil as both a food and medicine. However, evidence suggests the seed was used in prehistory as well.

Though hempseed is only starting to gain popularity in the West, it remains an important grain in traditional Asiatic food and medicines.

2. Rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals

Hempseed has high levels of fiber and vitamins A, C, and E. It is also rich in minerals, including phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, sulfur, calcium, and has modest levels of iron and zinc.

3. Rich in antioxidants

Hempseed contains high levels of vitamin E, which is one of the most important antioxidants. It also contains tocopherol, which is known to have benefits in Alzheimer’s and atherosclerosis, and phytol, which has both anticancer and antioxidant properties.

4. Fights bad cholesterol

Studies suggest hempseed and hempseed oil can help break down cholesterol as well as prevent problems caused by high cholesterol, including blood clotting.

5. Improves skin conditions

Dietary hempseed oil has also been shown to improve clinical symptoms of atopic dermatitis. A study published in 2005 concluded that its cholesterol and skin benefits were both due to “the balanced and abundant supply of PUFAs in this hempseed oil.”

6. Contains perfect balance of fatty acids

Hempseed oil contains a 3:1 ratio of the two essential fats (PUFAs), omega-6 and omega-3. This is the ideal ratio recommended by WHO and Health Canada for cardiovascular health. No other nut or vegetable oil contains this ratio.

7. Prevents heart disease

Hempseed’s fat profile is believed to help prevent a variety of heart conditions.

A study published in 2007 concluded hempseed can prevent blood clotting, which “may be of benefit in the protection against clot-induced strokes and myocardial infarctions.” Another study concluded that hempseed may offer significant protection against stroke.

Finally, the American Chemical Society analysis concluded that the high levels of α-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fat) in hempseed “may have favorable nutritional implications and beneficial physiological effects on the prevention of coronary heart disease and cancer.”

8. Beneficial in degenerative diseases

The same analysis concluded that the level of γ-linolenic acid (an omega-6 fat) in hempseed “provides it with a high pharmaceutical value for degenerative chronic diseases.” According to the authors, these may include atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, or certain types of cancer.

9. Reduces inflammation

Hempseed contains a variety of plant sterols and alcohols that are known to reduce inflammation, which is a known factor in a wide range of diseases.

Source Leaf Science

Utah Bill Would Allow Cannabis Treatment For Kids

(Photo: Bari Adams/Flickr)

A Utah lawmaker has sponsored a bill that would allow access to certain forms of marijuana believed to stop seizures in kids.

Rep. Gage Froerer introduced HB 105 to the Utah legislature this week, following through on a promise he made last fall to a group of mothers with epileptic children.

If passed, the bill would allow cannabis extracts containing less than 0.3% THC, the main psychoactive ingredient, to be imported to the state and administered to patients. More importantly, Froerer says the bill would allow parents to give the treatment to minors.

“It’s not a drug and not psychoactive… all this does is give parents and families the ability to have an opportunity to improve their kids’ lives.”

Marijuana with such low levels of THC will not be able to get anyone high. But it can contain high levels of cannabidiol (CBD), a compound that has shown promise in reducing seizures in patients with severe epilepsy.

In fact, researchers at UCSF Pediatric Epilepsy Center and NYU Langone Medical Center have just begun clinical trials on a pharmaceutical version of CBD. But these trials are expected to take over a year.

Although Froerer originally intended to help children with the disorder, adult sufferers have also contacted him to share their success stories. The bill leaves the door open for other conditions as well, he says.

“The only evidence I’ve seen is that CBD oil is effective for some forms of epilepsy and seizures. But if research shows it works for other health problems, that’s great.”

HB 105 refers to the preparations as “hemp extracts,” because of their similarity to the industrial crop. But while hemp also has low levels of THC, industrial strains are rarely rich in CBD.

So far, only a few breeders have managed to develop CBD-rich cannabis. The group of Utah mothers hope to import a strain from Colorado known as Charlotte’s Web, which was specifically bred for a young girl with Dravet syndrome.

Under HB 105, patients seeking cannabis treatment would require approval from both a doctor and the Utah Department of Health. The bill will be brought through the Senate by Sen. Steve Urquhart.

Froerer says he is now working with 12 other state legislatures that are interested in introducing similar bills.

Source Leaf Science

Seeing Green: Colorado Earns $1.2M In Marijuana Taxes In First Month

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The first month of legal recreational marijuana sales generated at least $1.24 million in tax revenue for Colorado state, according to an analysis from NBC News.

Only 18 of the Colorado’s 35 licensed stores provided their sales data, some that had only been selling for a few days, suggesting that total taxes raised in January could be much higher.

Marijuana Business Daily estimates, based on NBC’s figures, total sales during the month were in the range of $8-12 million.

NBC predicts taxes over the year could add up to over $100 million, which would surpass the state’s estimate of $67 million.

In comparison, Colorado took in $40 million in taxes from alcohol sales last year and $166 million from cigarettes.

One reason why tax revenue is so high for cannabis is the rate. In Denver, state and municipal taxes add up to about 29% of the sale price.

Interestingly, Washington state forecasts its upcoming marijuana industry to generate $400 million in annual taxes, but that includes sales of medical marijuana.

On the other hand, Attorney General Eric Holder’s promise to adapt federal banking laws for marijuana has yet to be implemented.

As Fox News points out, until banks come on board, marijuana remains an all-cash business, meaning much of the potential tax revenue could easily disappear.

Source Leaf Science

Now Hiring: Colorado Company Will Pay You Just To Smoke Cannabis

(Photo: Open Vape/Facebook)

A vaporizer company out of Denver is looking to a hire a full-time cannabis specialist, whose primary task will be to test new products.

Earlier this month, Open Vape listed a job opening through its Facebook page for a “Cannabis Quality Control Specialist” who will “sample, evaluate and document details about our cannabis products.” According to the listing, salary will be determined based on “experience.”

While the job seems simple enough, Open Vape Vice President Todd Mitchem told The Daily Dot that the company is looking for a true expert on the subject.

Mitchem says that means someone who can, for example, tell the difference between an indica and a sativa based on smell alone, and someone who is familiar with all forms of cannabis, including flowers, concentrates, edibles and topicals.

The job also entails accurate, objective reporting of the user experience.

(Photo: CannabisEncyclopedia.com)

Open Vape makes vaporizer pens and cannabis oil cartridges that are sold in various dispensaries across Colorado. But with the kick-off of legal recreational marijuana sales, the company, like many others, is poised for expansion.

For instance, Medicine Man, a Denver-based dispensary that carries Open Vape products, is already seeing a boost in business from the recreational market. By this spring, the dispensary will undergo a $2.6 million expansion that will double its growing capacity and revamp its storefront, The Denver Post reports.

In addition to a standard resume, Open Vape is inviting applicants to submit a short video describing what qualifies them for the job. So far, the company has received over 1,000 submissions, which Mitchem says range widely from absurd to serious.

The deadline for those interested in becoming a legitimate Cannabis Quality Control Specialist is March 1.

Source Leaf Science

Alaska Could Become 3rd State To Legalize Marijuana

A campaign to legalize recreational marijuana in Alaska has gathered enough signatures to put the issue on the Aug. 19 ballot.

State officials confirmed Tuesday that the campaign had met the required 30,000 valid voter signatures.

The lieutenant governor’s office is expected to certify the wording of the ballot question in the coming weeks.

“I think Alaskans are watching other states, and they understand that the sky isn’t falling,” said Taylor Bickford, a spokesman for the Alaska Campaign to Regulate Marijuana.

“The effect has been money that was benefiting criminal enterprises and drug dealers is being used to benefit the residents of the state.”

The initiative aims to establish a system similar to Washington and Colorado’s, allowing businesses to grow and sell recreational marijuana.

Adults 21 or older would be able to possess up to an ounce of marijuana and grow as many as six plants. Smoking in public would remain illegal.

Currently, marijuana is decriminalized in Alaska and residents can have a personal supply of up to 4 ounces in their homes.

The state is also one of 20 that have legalized medical marijuana. However, medical marijuana cannot be sold in stores and must be grown by patients or their caregivers.

According to a poll conducted in early 2013, 54% of Alaskans support legalizing marijuana.

Source Leaf Science