In a fresh lawsuit brought against the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), MMJ BioPharma Cultivation, a marijuana company based in Rhode Island, is seeking to halt an administrative law judge’s review of its application to produce cannabis for research.
The lawsuit contends that DEA director Anne Milgram unlawfully appointed administrative law Judge Teresa Wallbaum. The company argues that this action violates the constitutionality of the process and the decision-maker involved, as well as lacks accountability to the president. The lawsuit names DEA Administrator Anne Milgram, DEA Administrative Law Judge Teresa Wallbaum, the DOJ and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland as defendants.
The company submitted its application to legally cultivate cannabis for research in 2018 to create clinical trials medicines addressing conditions such as Huntington’s disease and multiple sclerosis. However, it claims that despite applying five years ago, it has faced delays and uncertainties from the DEA leading to significant negative impacts on its operations, including the inability to expand its workforce and the loss of revenue.
Despite the legal action, Wallbaum stated that given the available facts and unique circumstances, a stay seemed appropriate. Highlighting MMJ’s challenge to the tribunal’s jurisdiction under Axon, which allows federal courts to handle structural challenges, she indicated that this presents a complex issue affecting the DEA’s possibility of success. Moreover, she referred to the Axon court’s decision, underscoring that exposing a party to legal proceedings carried out within an unconstitutional framework could itself amount to legal harm.
During recent committee hearings in Congress, Congressman Earl Blumenauer raised concerns about medical marijuana research and treatment delays. He noted that delays such as MMJ’s had an impact on Biden’s administration.
The company’s president, Duane Boise, condemned the DEA’s action, accusing the agency of impeding cannabis research. He underlined that even while MMJ complies with the law, the DEA has not, which has resulted in hardship for patients in need as a result of inaction on the part of the government.
Attorney Tim Moynahan, who is also the company’s chair, expressed hope that by challenging the DEA’s constitutionality while offering a path for correction, this case would be resolved. He urged the DEA to settle the matter, especially considering MMJ’s crucial role in developing drugs to aid patients with conditions such as Huntington’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
The scheduled hearing before the DEA administrative law judge on April 10, 2024, has been temporarily halted following the filing of the federal lawsuit.
For quite some time, complaints have persisted about the way the DEA handles applications related to marijuana research. The outcome of this lawsuit could play a role in bringing about some needed changes so that companies such as Cronos Group Inc. (NASDAQ: CRON) (TSX: CRON) can face fewer hurdles should they ever require DEA approval for any cannabis study that they wish to undertake.
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(Globe Newswire) Vancouver — Village Farms International, Inc. notes its disappointment that a change to the current Cannabis Excise Duty was not included in today’s Canadian federal budget.
“We remain focused on working with industry and government to create more favourable tax conditions for the cannabisindustry and advance a level playing field for all,” said Michael DeGiglio, president and CEO, Village Farms. “While Village Farms’ Canadian Cannabis division remains profitable under the current taxation framework, it is our view that the true measure of success for any industry is the ability to contribute tax revenue from profitable income, not taxation from topline sales.”
“Organigram is very disappointed that Deputy Prime Minister Freeland did not announce a review of the cannabis excise framework in Budget 2024,” said Beena Goldenberg, CEO of Organigram Inc., a federally licensed producer of cannabis products with facilities in Moncton, Lac-Supérieur and Winnipeg.
Goldenberg noted that, “Canada’s federally licensed cannabis producers struggle to compete with aggressive illicit suppliers, who continue to operate with relative impunity and who are not subject to any regulatory regime.” She also noted that “the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance and Health Canada’s Expert Panel on the Legislative Review of the Cannabis Act both recognized these pressures and recommended that Finance Canada rework the excise framework. We simply don’t understand why the federal government ignored these recommendations.”
“The Federal Government has ignored the needs of the sector and jeopardized its ability to compete with illicit suppliers,” explained Goldenberg, adding, “Lowering the excise rate so that it is limited to a 10 per cent ad valorem rate and amending the onerous excise stamping requirements will free up much needed capital to allow Canada’s nascent cannabis sector to deliver on the public policy objectives of cannabis legalization to keep profits out of the hands of criminals, and to keep kids safe.”
The possession and use of cannabis is illegal under federal law in the United States. Despite this, many states across the country have legalized the drug for recreational or medical purposes. This comes as public support for legalization continued to increase.
Below are some facts about cannabis in the United States, based on recent data.
Almost 90% of Americans want cannabis to be legalized for recreational or medical use.
A survey conducted by Pew Research Center in January found that 88% of adults in America think cannabis should be legal for recreational or medical use.
More than 50% live in a state where both recreational and medical use is legal.
A data analysis conducted by the Census Bureau found that 54% of Americans live in legal states, while another 74% live in states where cannabis is legal for either medical or recreational use.
The first states to legalize recreational cannabis were Washington and Colorado.
Almost 80% of Americans live in a county with at least one marijuana dispensary.
According to the Census Bureau analysis, there are almost 15,000 marijuana dispensaries across the country. More than 75% of individuals live in states where recreational marijuana is legal while another 23% live in medical states.
The states with the largest number of dispensaries include Oklahoma, California, Michigan, Colorado and Florida.
Support for cannabis legalization has grown greatly over the last 20 years.
A 2023 Gallup survey found that 70% of adults support the legalization of cannabis. This is more than double the number of individuals who supported the drug’s legalization in 2000.
Views on cannabis legalization differ by political party, age, ethnicity and race.
An estimated 71% of adults aged 30 years and younger are in favor of recreational and medical legalization of cannabis. In comparison, 31% of those aged 75 and older support cannabis legalization for recreational and medical use. In addition, 72% of Democrats favor cannabis legalization for both uses while 42% of GOP members favor the drug’s legalization for both uses.
The January survey also found that 65% of Blacks, 59% of Whites and 45% of Asian Americans and Hispanics support the drug’s legalization for recreational and medical use.
About 50% of Americans have used cannabis.
A survey carried out by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health last year found that 50% of Americans have used cannabis before. This is a smaller share than the 64% who have used tobacco products and the 84% who admitted to consuming alcohol.
All these statistics and facts point to the changing perception of marijuana, and enterprises such as SNDL Inc. (NASDAQ: SNDL) are looking forward to the time when the federal prohibition of cannabis finally ends.
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As expected, the Federal Budget 2024 did not include any changes to cannabis excise rates.
This is unsurprising, despite recent recommendations for such changes by the federal House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance and years of industry lobbying, given the complexities of the issue.
Nonetheless, some in the industry took the opportunity to highlight the issues of Canada’s $1 per gram federal excise rate. David Klein, CEO of Canopy Growth, called it a missed opportunity and an oversight that “signals a lack of commitment to the legal cannabis industry as well as the jobs and economic growth we create.”
“The failure to correct this broken tax regime and to leave other critical issues like potency limits unaddressed will continue to hinder the growth of legal cannabis business and comprises consumer access to safe, regulated products,” he continued in a post shared on social media.
Others had held out hope that such changes were coming. Beena Goldenberg, CEO of Organigram, had said in February that the changes proposed by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance were what was needed to give the industry an edge in the global market.
“The pre-budget recommendation could not have come at a better time. Excise reform is critical to the long-term viability of the Canadian cannabis industry. The positive impact of the proposed reduction to a 10% ad valorem rate on the sustainability of the sector cannot be underestimated. We sincerely hope that the recommendation made by the Finance Committee is adopted by the Federal, Provincial and Territorial governments so that Canada can retain its position as global leader in the emerging cannabis movement.”
The industry has been calling for these changes for years now. A Cannabis Council of Canada (C3) survey from 2023 said that 96% of respondents viewed the current model as excessively punitive.
The recent report on the review of the federal Cannabis Act suggested changes to the excise program that would see higher rates on higher potency products, a suggestion many in the industry were, unsurprisingly, not supportive of.
Still, as others in the industry have noted and StratCann has covered extensively, such changes will require coordination with provincial authorities, who take home 75% of every dollar collected and are not likely to be eager to give that up.
While the federal government could potentially unilaterally change these rates, doing so without the province’s support would likely have significant political blowback. And in a politically contentious time when governments are desperately looking for revenue, this becomes even more unlikely.
One move the federal government could make, is to lower the rate they collect, which is currently 25% of every dollar. It could also lower initial and annual fees for various aspects of licensing for cannabis producers.
The fact we don’t see these kinds of changes highlights how little leverage the industry has with both politicians and the general public. Despite years of lobbying efforts in Ottawa, the industry has been unable to generate the political capital required to push the issue over the line.
While many of those operating cannabis businesses, especially small-scale producers, express frustration at this lack of response to their concerns, the reality is that politicians will only care when they know it’s an issue voters care about. And there is very little knowledge of the issue outside of those working in or directly connected to this industry. Telling a politician that your company will go out of business if a specific policy doesn’t change will not motivate them as much as telling them such and such issues will help them get reelected.
While similarly-regulated industries like alcohol enjoy all kinds of benefits from government programs, the cannabis industry in Canada has not been able to leverage that kind of political capital. Is this because politicians love alcohol but not weed? Maybe. Or it might be because beer, wine, and spirits operate a more sophisticated ground game at all levels of government, and enjoy a much broader acceptance across the voting public than cannabis.
Of course, these are long-term solutions and many cannabis producers in Canada don’t have that much time. More and more producers are throwing in the towel. Several dozen have chosen to revoke their own licences this year alone. But that’s the reality of this industry. No one is going to swoop in and save the day. Batten down the hatches and figure out how to operate in today’s landscape, as flawed as it may be, because change will take a long time.
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“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single,
thy whole body shall be full of light.”
-Matthew 6:22
An odd weather phenomenon blew through our area on the first evening of Spring in the northern hemisphere. In an instant as I was driving home, I found myself in a darkened world of sideways blowing snow and whiteout conditions, and yet at the same time enveloped in the soft light of the Sun that, despite the angry flurrying skies, was steadfast in its shining beauty.
The ever-present Light in Darkness.
In experiencing this force of Nature, in the next moment I was drawn back into the memory of my life’s own darkened skies.
Eight years ago, I found myself trapped in the eye of burnout’s storm – naked to its fierce elements, feeling defenseless, powerless, as it battered me from all directions, threatening to take with it my very existence.
This storm had been building for years, while I naively ignored its low rumbles on the horizon. Until finally, like this Spring blizzard, it arrived with a merciless vengeance, enveloping me in its cold grasp of debilitating anxiety and depression. Its fierceness numbed me to my core, stopped me in my tracks, and cloaked me in the shadow of the darkest night of my soul.
The storm raged around me for months, but a small flicker, a spark, illuminated from within.
It was the Sun in the blinding blizzard.
Ever-present. Ever-healing. Ever my companion that gave me the strength to move forward and leave the storm behind me.
This eight-year long journey presented me with many opportunities to stop along life’s path to drink from its pools of knowledge and wisdom. At times it was accompanied by a choking gulp, a bitter taste, but with each stop, a new lesson learned, an underlying layer uncovered, a truth discovered.
One powerful truth that revealed itself to me is the truth found in Nature.
It’s always darkest before the dawn, but no matter what, the dawn will always arrive to greet us every morning.
Healing from the storm of my life – anxiety, depression, insomnia, burnout – came from the Light that I found both outside of me and within me:
The healing Light of the Sun, and the healing Light of our inner divine.
God said, “Let there be light.” And there was Light… Many of us are still on the path to understanding what that truly means.
For me, while braving my storm and to this day, it means embracing the very source of our life – the Light – in its many miraculous forms.
In the depths of depression, I described the feeling of being in a deep, dark hole. Above me shone the Light, outlining the outstretched hands of my loved ones, desperately trying to help me to emerge from the darkness. But I couldn’t take their hands. Not because I didn’t want to, but because one of the many truths were revealed to me at this time. I, and I alone, only with the help of that inner divine spark, could climb out of my darkness.
When I did, the Light inside flamed brighter, and I started to understand its power.
“Nothing can dim the light which shines from within.” – Maya Angelou
As the warmth of this inner flame awakened me to the world again, awakened me to memories of my true Self, I turned my eyes to the healing warmth of the Sun.
Speaking of truth… and truth be told, I wanted nothing to do with it at first. It was safer to sit still, numbing the dark voices that had settled down in my thoughts, by watching endless TV, trying to grasp the peace that eluded me, while avoiding and filling the voids.
It was my husband Roman who truly lived out his marriage vows to love me in health and in sickness, that took my hand and literally led me outside into the Light.
In wintry March weather, akin to that which blew through this week, step after step, we walked.
Anyone in Canada knows that the March sun isn’t a warm sun, but it was the medicine that I so desperately needed. It’s the medicine that so many of us take for granted in our search for answers in a magic, but empty pill.
And now eight years down this road together, Roman and I fully embrace the healing power of Light.
Infrared light, like true love, is unconditional, and present all year round.
When your shadow is longer than your body, what light is most present? (I’ll leave the answer in the comments after 24 hours)
Red / infrared
We emerged together, blinking away the fog of our past – mired in both literal and metaphorical darkness, diving deeply into our ancestral wisdom, understanding now that we are so much more powerful than we know.
We have taken back our power by going back to the beginning – the Light.
For some, this all may sound severely over-simplified or annoyingly abstract.
But if you find yourself treading that dark stormy path, seeking answers to your physical and mental health, which seem nowhere to be found, I urge you to read this again and go back to the beginning.
Let there be Light in your life.
Embrace the Sun that shines through the blizzard.
Embrace it every single day.
Embrace it when it peaks over the horizon to greet a new morn.
Embrace it with every breath of rest from your toils.
Embrace it when it bids you its golden a Dieu, whispering promises of peaceful slumbers.
Embrace it when you really don’t want to… but inherently know that you have to, in order to
Survive.
Thrive.
…in order to truly Live.
As Bohdanna so eloquently stated, the Sun always shines above us, even on those cheerless days. But what is the light that shimmers inside us?
Believe it or not, our bodies emit light at the UV-C range, which is stronger than what reaches Earth from our Sun. Our bacteria release light in the 270nm range (UV-C) at extremely low frequencies while we sleep, literally recharging us like a battery from all of the light we accumulated from the day. This is why it’s so important to get our share of AM light, as these wavelengths then help us absorb more UV light throughout the day, regulating our hormones and optimizing overall health.
“According to Oxford University geneticist Frances Ashcroft, the electric field through our ion channel (how our cells get energy) is the equivalent of about 100,000 volts per centimeter (V/cm). If all the electricity in a person’s body could be harnessed and converted to light by DHA, the human body would be sixty thousand times brighter than a comparable mass of the sun.1
Ancient civilizations that built the pyramids were well-aware of this inner truth.
Pyramidos (Greek): “Fire in the middle”
Who here remembers or ever went to Sound Factory in NYC?
Still a meathead
Miss those days
10am, know where your glowsticks r?
No, what’s that?
In 1994, engineer Chris Dunn proposed that the pyramid was a chemical MASER system (or microwave LASER) in his book The Giza Power Plant. Dunn proposed Pyramids would have used compression waves to convert sound energy to electromagnetic energy via the piezoelectric (converts mechanical to electrical energy and vice versa) effect of quartz crystals in the granite of the King’s Chamber.2:
Could this be why even the simple act of humming has profound health benefits, as we can transmit the EMFs in our environment through the crystal structures found in the tectorial membrane3 of our ears? Believe it or not – we can actually hear light frequencies. This is why many who are very sensitive to EMF can develop tinnitus.
Why tinnitus is an electrical illness
Read full story
While all this may seem fascinating on a material level, the spiritual light of our existence is even more wild, as it’s unknown.
How do we cultivate our spiritual light?
By attempting the unknown, whilst knowing ourselves. When we understand, and hold true to purpose in life, we create a vision that illuminates previously concealed roads we never thought we’d take.
For instance, remember when the pandemic broke out, and so often you heard the phrase “because I want to travel…”, how many of us chose instead to traverse the foreign heartlands of new relationships, and embark on a personal adventure from within?
That’s what I believe the quote from the Bible “if thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light,” means. In this passage, the Greek word for “single” means “simple, unfolded.” When we see with our soul, we become illuminated.
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
–Matthew 7:13-14.
You see, we must let go of our ego of past desires and cravings, and seize the narrow path where only the brave dare tread without the fires of society to guide us. If we want to be the light, most of which is invisible, then we need to understand what we don’t see.
The straits of the yellow brick road are calling.
Won’t you join us?
Together, we are more powerful than we know.
and
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