California’s cannabis companies are urging Governor Gavin Newsom to reject a recently passed measure aimed at dissuading children from accessing marijuana products. The businesses argue that the bill would result in the prohibition of the current branding of numerous established products while failing to address the persisting issue of the black market.
Last week, the California Assembly passed AB 1207, which effectively bans any packaging or labeling of marijuana products deemed “enticing to minors.” This bill defines such packaging as any promotional material featuring elements such as cartoons, toys, robots, fictional or real humans, animals, fruits, vegetables, or anything else that regulators believe might appeal to individuals under 21 years old.
Supporters of the bill, including youth advocates, argue that it is necessary in light of the recent uptick in cases of children accidentally consuming marijuana products, some of which have been designed to resemble popular snacks and candies.
According to Zack Kaldveer, spokesperson for the California Public Health Institute, there has been a notable increase in child poisonings and hospitalizations due to such accidental exposures. The California Poison Control reported a surge in annual cannabis exposures, with numbers rising from fewer than 200 in 2010 to more than 1,600 in 2020, with nearly one-half of these cases involving children.
However, the vast majority of cannabis advocacy groups are firmly against the bill, fearing it may inadvertently exacerbate public safety issues rather than mitigate them.
Should the bill be enacted, the California Marijuana Industry Association estimates that most marijuana businesses would be burdened with costs ranging from $100,000 to $300,000 to redesign their product labels. Furthermore, industry insiders argue that the bill’s scope is overly broad, targeting benign packaging of established brands while letting illicit operators off the hook.
Critics point out that the illicit market frequently mimics well-known cereal, candy and snack brands — a practice already prohibited in the legal cannabis industry — and that these products are regularly sold to children by black-market operators.
Newsom has already signed three drug policy-related bills during this legislative session without issuing any vetoes. One measure includes provisions that grant immunity to individuals in possession of personal-use quantities of controlled substances if they test them for contaminants such as fentanyl, report positive results to law enforcement and provide details about the source of the substance. The second measure empowers the State Water Board to investigate suspected illegal cannabis cultivators and participate in enforcement actions, while a third measure alters background check requirements for cannabis businesses.
The proposed change to the marijuana-product labeling rules in California could be of great concern to major industry actors such as Canopy Growth Corp. (NASDAQ: CGC) (TSX: WEED) since other jurisdictions could follow these extreme restrictions and enact them as well, compelling licensed companies to walk an even tighter rope in a bid to adhere to all the applicable laws in the jurisdictions in which they operate.
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Psychedelics are projected to enjoy a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 55% and achieve a $7.2 billion valuation by 2029. A recent report from data and analytics firm GlobalData revealed that the psychedelic drug market is poised to experience robust growth before the end of the decade thanks to positive developments on the legislative and regulatory side.
The past couple of years have seen an exponential rise in public and scientific psychedelic interest thanks to a plethora of studies associating hallucinogens such as psilocybin, LSD and ayahuasca with significant improvements in mental health. A growing body of research has revealed that psychedelics can offer long-term relief against mental disorders including treatment-resistant depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and eating disorders at relatively small doses and with few side effects.
Compared to traditional antidepressants that require daily use and often have a myriad of adverse side effects, psychedelics are a potential game-changer for psychiatry that could make mental health treatments safer and more effective than they have ever been before. Results from initial studies are so promising that institutional investors and big pharma are already pouring millions of dollars into the research and development of psychedelic-based treatments for several mental health problems.
Psychedelics’ proven effectiveness against conditions such as PTSD and major depressive disorder that so often affect veterans and first responders has garnered the novel drugs plenty of support among the general public and legislators. However, federal prohibition has consistently been a thorn in the side of the nascent psychedelic drug market, making it extremely difficult for scientists to study the potential benefits and risks of psychedelics and hindering extensive research.
While we do know that psychedelics deliver their effects by acting on neural receptors such as serotonin 5-HT2A receptors, a deeper understanding of their underlying biological mechanisms is needed to develop safer and more effective psychedelic-based drugs.
Regulators have also noticed the therapeutic potential of psychedelics and are taking steps to ease psychedelic research and promote further studies. The Federal Drugs Administration (FDA) released draft guidance for running psychedelic-based clinical trials in June, putting psychedelics on track to gaining regulatory acceptance in the country and reaching the mass market.
GlobalData’s pharma analyst Kevin Marcadia predicted that Cybin’s CYB-003, Small Pharma’s SPL-026 and Atai Life Sciences/Otsuka Pharmaceutical’s PCN-101 would be the top psychedelic drugs by 2029 with a market share of 52%. CYB-003 is poised to launch in December 2027 as a treatment for major depressive disorder, PCN-101 will launch in December 2025 and SPL-026 will launch in 2027.
Marcadia noted that the June guidance from the FDA represented the regulatory agency’s willingness to remove the barriers to psychedelic research and could potentially spur further regulatory reforms and accelerate psychedelic drug development. Companies such as Mind Medicine Inc. (NASDAQ: MNMD) (NEO: MMED) (DE: MMQ) already have ongoing psychedelics R&D programs and any easing of the unsupportive regulatory climate will only spur them on.
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Harvest time is a critical moment for any cannabis grower. You have invested a lot of time, effort and money into your crop, so you want to make sure you do it justice. One of the worst things you can do is rush the finishing process.
It reminds me of the old days in the early ’90s when I was involved in the black market. We would harvest a large grow, trim it on the spot, and hang it in a hot room to dry it in three days. We just wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible, which I guess makes sense when you are risking your freedom. But then I discovered the secret to much better weed.
If you want to enjoy the best quality of your cannabis crop, you need to pay attention to how you dry and cure it. In this article, I will show you the seven simple steps to achieve a smooth, tasty and potent product.
1. Flushing
One week before harvest, start flushing your plants with pure water. This means no nutrients or additives. This will remove any excess salts or chemicals from the plant tissues, giving you a cleaner burn and a better flavour.
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2. Lower the temperature
During the last week, lower the temperature of your grow room and water system, especially at night. This will bring out the natural colours of your plants and increase the production of terpenes and cannabinoids. I love seeing the plants go purple, greens of all shades, yellows, blues and reds. Autumn indoors!
3. Going dark
One or two days before harvest, I typically turn off the lights and let the plants rest in darkness. This will boost resin production and preserve the terpenes. It will also prevent the plants from producing more chlorophyll, which can make the weed taste harsher.
4. Whole plant harvesting
When it’s time to harvest, cut down whole plants and hang them upside down in a dry room. Don’t trim any leaves or branches. This will allow the plant to die slowly and evenly, keeping more moisture and flavour.
5. Drying
For the first day of the drying process, I set the temperature to 22°C (72°F) and the relative humidity (RH) to 50 per cent, with some fans and air movement. This helps to remove some of the initial water content more quickly. After that, lower the temperature to 18°C (64°F) and raise the RH to 60 per cent. Reduce the air movement to a gentle breeze. This will set you up for a 12-to-14-day drying cycle.
To check if the buds are dry enough for trimming, I use a water activity meter or check the branches (keep this number at 0.55 to 0.65 water activity). If you don’t have a water meter, the old-school technique is that it’s ready for trimming when the thinnest branches near the bottom have a snap when bent. The leaves should be dry and crispy, but the main stems should still be a bit pliable.
6. Dry room trim
Your buds should be looking nice and frosty, with a spongy texture and a fantastic smell. Trim the buds by hand or by machine. I prefer hand trimming because it preserves more trichomes and gives a better appearance. Appreciate your trimmers because trimming is a hard and tedious process. A pro trimmer can do the work of four amateurs – at least! Try to maintain the same environment in the trim room as in the dry room: 18°C (64°F) to 20°C (68°F) temperature and 55 per cent to 60 per cent RH.
7. Slow cure
It’s good to store your buds in sealed containers for several weeks or months. This will let them mature and develop their full potential in terms of flavour, aroma and potency. I use barrels that can hold five to eight kg (11 to 18 lbs) of weed each. I open and burp them regularly. I also monitor their moisture level and smell. I give them a spin and toss them gently to prevent mould formation. After about four weeks, they are ready to enjoy!
Putting it all together
As you can see, harvesting, drying and curing your cannabis is not a complicated process, but it requires some patience and attention to detail.
After about four weeks, your cheeba is ready to enjoy! It should have a great smell, taste, burn and effect. Get the most out of your crop without compromising its safety or quality. You will be rewarded with a smooth, tasty and potent product that you can be proud of.Happy harvesting!
James Strain is the director of cultivation and master grower at Dycar Pharmaceuticals, home to up-and-coming cannabis brands like J.R. Strain, Lamplighter & Legend Chocolates. With 33 years of experience, Jim delights customers by blending time-honoured techniques with the latest in genetics, science and technology.
Edmonton — Shares of Aurora Cannabis Inc. were down more than 10 per cent after the cannabis company announced plans to raise $33.8 million in a share offering.
The company says Canaccord Genuity has agreed to buy, on a bought deal basis, 46,250,000 shares of the company at a price of 73 cents per share.
It has also granted Canaccord Genuity an over-allotment option for up to an additional 6,937,500 shares on the same terms. If the over-allotment option is exercised in full, the offering will total $38.8 million.
Aurora says it plans to use the money raised to repay the remainder of its outstanding convertible senior notes at or prior to maturity.
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The company says the remainder, if any, will be used for strategic purposes, including potential acquisitions.
Aurora’s stock price was down 13 per cent at 79 cents per share in early trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
Washington — Canadian cannabis companies are cheering a Senate committee’s decision today to push forward with easing federal financing restrictions on the U.S. industry.
The Senate banking committee voted 14-9 to send the SAFER Banking Act for a full vote on the Senate floor, although it is still unclear when that vote will happen.
The bill is just the latest version of a long-standing effort to make it easier for cannabis companies that operate legally under state laws to access federally regulated financial services.
Advocates say the bill would make the industry, much of which is forced to operate on a cash-only basis in the U.S., safer and less prone to money laundering, tax fraud and armed robbery.
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Omar Khan, senior vice-president of corporate and public affairs for Calgary-based retailer High Tide Inc., calls today’s vote a “milestone” for U.S. cannabis reform.
Cannabis companies in Canada, where marijuana has been legal since 2018, are anxiously looking forward to reforms in the U.S. that would allow them to expand stateside.
Officers with New Brunswick’s Department of Justice and Public Safety seized contraband cannabis and various illegal products from a storefront in Saint John on September 20.
A 33-year-old man from Saint John was arrested and released and could face charges for violating New Brunswick’s Cannabis Control Act and the federal Cannabis Act. The investigation is still ongoing.
Image via Department of Justice and Public Safety
Officers say they executed a search warrant at a head shop called “Head Space” at 36 Main St. West, seizing:
675.1 grams of dried cannabis
69.8 grams of hashish
51 packages of gummies
17 jars of cannabis shatter
21 packs of cannabis edibles
13 distillate cartridges
two vape pens
11 pre-rolls of cannabis
$1,541.95 in cash
The Government of New Brunswick operates provincially-run Cannabis NB stores and also licenses a handful of privately-run cannabis stores in the province.
In late August, Department of Justice and Public Safety peace officers in New Brunswick also seized cannabis products from two locations in the province, one in Saint John and one in Moncton.
On August 29, officers executed a search warrant at Up Town Smoke West in Saint John at 391 Lancaster Ave, seizing 3,941 grams of dried cannabis, 801 grams of hashish, an undisclosed quantity of assorted cannabis products and edibles, and $7,065 in cash.
Up Town Smoke was located about a three-minute drive down the road from Head Space.
Then, on August 30, officers executed a search warrant at the L’Nuk Lounge in Moncton at 575 Main St. and seized 7,719.5 grams of dried cannabis, 690.4 grams of hashish, 171.3 grams of psilocybin (magic mushrooms), 246 grams of cannabis shatter, an undisclosed quantity of assorted cannabis products, edibles, contraband cigarettes, and $10,432 in cash.
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