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Label misinterpretation of CBD oil and herbal food supplements at customs: 21-year-old student imprisoned for four and a half weeks

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A 21-year-old student from Thailand, Sirinda Jinparu, was traveling to the United States to accompany her 12-year-old sister to her stepfather when she was stopped at customs and arrested for an unpleasant misunderstanding.

Sirinda was detained in the Georgia Federal Detention Center for weeks after being arrested at airport customs on charges of possession of narcotics. The nasty case began when an Atlanta airport customs officer inspecting Sirinda’s bag found a massage oil marked “THC” and a blister pack of Thai herbal supplements with labels only in Thai. The main ingredient in the oil was CBD, it contained THC below the legal limit of 0.3% and is legally marketed and sold through well-known search engines. The Fah Talai Jone Herbal Extract is widely used in Thailand to strengthen the immune system against the corona virus and did not contain restricted plants or chemicals.

Customs detained Sirinda believing the oil contained THC and the pills contained cannabis and informed her that her visa was revoked. After she was sent to the local police department, the US immigration and customs authorities turned her away with a notice that she should be deported from the United States to Thailand immediately with a five-year ban. Her stepfather and birth father went to great lengths to claim their US citizenship. The unintended situation lasted four and a half weeks, during which Sirinda suffered from imprisonment and the inability to meet her family. The stepfather stated that Sirinda was sent back to Thailand on the 10ththe Juni and she was informed that her visa has been reinstated and can be picked up at the US embassy in Bangkok. A very uncomfortable move and the worthless worry for Sirinda and her family that resulted.

References:

[1] https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/family-college-student-from-thailand-detained-in-immigration-detention-center-over-cbd-oil-and-vitamins
[2] https://www.gofundme.com/f/legal-assistance-for-sirinda-jinparu

picture: https://www.travelinsurance.com/2018/03/what-to-know-about-bringing-food-across-international-borders-when-traveling/

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards Signs Cannabis Decriminalization Bill Into Law

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Debate on adult-use cannabis legalization finally got its day on the Connecticut House floor, where reform proponents prevailed during a special session Wednesday evening.

After House Republicans denied a vote in the regular order of the legislative session through the threat of a filibuster June 9—the final day before adjournment—lawmakers returned to the lower chamber and deliberated for more than seven hours June 16. In the end, legalization efforts prevailed in a 76-62 vote on an amended version of Senate Bill 1201.

The Senate, which passed the legislation in a 19-12 vote the previous day, took up the House’s amended version of the bill for final approval Thursday morning and concurred to push passage through the Legislature. Pending Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont’s signature, Connecticut will be the 19th state to legalize adult-use cannabis. And with some of the social equity language dialed back in this latest version of the bill, Lamont’s signature seems more likely than in previous days.

“Connecticut is just the latest domino to fall as states begin to repeal their failed prohibition of marijuana and replace it with a sensible system of legalization and regulation,” National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) Executive Director Erik Altieri said in a statement.

“Never before has the momentum for legalization looked as strong as it does in 2021, with four state legislatures already approving bills to ensure state law reflects the overwhelming will of their state residents in just a few short months,” he said. New York, Virginia and New Mexico have also passed adult-use bills this year. 

The Connecticut measure will allow adults to possess up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis flower or an equivalent amount of concentrate in public, and up to 5 ounces in their homes, beginning July 1, 2021. Commercial sales could begin as soon as May 2022.

The roughly 300-page bill has been many years in the making and includes several changes and modifications over that time, said Democratic Rep. Steve Stafstrom, who co-chairs the Joint Judiciary Committee and co-sponsored a previous version of the adult-use bill earlier in the regular legislative session.

Connecticut Network | ct-n.com

Democratic Rep. Steve Stafstrom deliberates on adult-use cannabis legalization Wednesday in Connecticut. 

“Connecticut’s time has finally come,” Stafstrom said in his opening remarks Wednesday. “Today, we take the next step as this chamber in recognizing that the war on drugs has failed us, and the criminalization of cannabis was the wrong course of action for our state and for our nation.” 

Legalization in Connecticut will be heavily regulated, he said. The bill limits possession, purchase amounts and dosage; restricts packaging and advertising; bans smoking and vaping in most public locations; allows local municipalities to set appropriate zoning; increases the enforcement and intervention of impaired driving; provides protection to employers; and increases drug prevention funding, Stafstrom said.

The legislation also sets up a council to address social equity issues, although this became a point of contention within the Legislature. The Senate passed an amendment Tuesday, one that would have expanded social equity eligibility for prospective entrepreneurs—but this drew the ire of Lamont, who vowed to veto the bill if that language was not addressed in the House. The House acted accordingly, rejecting the Senate’s amendment by a 125-0 vote.

The rejected Senate amendment would have allowed those with previous drug arrests or convictions a better chance to enter the state-legal cannabis industry through winning social equity licenses made available through the bill.

Republican Rep. Craig Fishbein, a ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, said he was puzzled about the House proponents’ decision to nix that provision that was approved by the Senate in a 26-4 vote the previous day.

Connecticut Network | ct-n.com

Republican Rep. Craig Fishbein deliberates on adult-use cannabis legalization Wednesday in Connecticut. 

“I’m a bit confused, because all through the committee hearings [in] the discussions about this we heard from individuals that had been previously convicted of drug crimes looking for their chance to engage in this market, and they were given assurances that they would be part of that,” he said. “What happened in the Senate was overwhelmingly approving of the amendment.”

Instead of jeopardizing the entire bill over social equity language Lamont didn’t agree with, House members passed their own amendment, which whittled down the Senate’s multi-subject provision to only include one item: banning elected officials from participating in the cannabis industry laid out in the bill for two years after leaving the General Assembly. That amendment passed, 128-0.

When discussion continued on the underlying bill, Fishbein was the main opponent who addressed concerns with the legislation. The first conflict he mentioned was the oath he said he took to uphold the U.S. Constitution, stating that the Supremacy Clause in Article VI establishes that federal law takes precedence over state laws.

Other Republicans, and some Democrats, voiced similar concerns as lawmakers in other states who recently voted against adult-use legalization measures in their legislatures. Public safety and protecting youth were the main two mentioned by Republican Rep. Tom O’Dea.

Connecticut Network | ct-n.com

Republican Rep. Tom O’Dea deliberates on adult-use cannabis legalization Wednesday in Connecticut. 

“This is the most important vote that I will take in my nine years here, and I don’t say that lightly,” he said. “Mark my words: people will die when we pass this bill, because of this bill. Because of recreational marijuana being sold in Connecticut, more people will die.”

O’Dea offered an amendment to increase the legal age for adult-use cannabis from 21 to 25 years. He said he believed the commercialization of cannabis will harm the state’s youth. The amendment was rejected.

Having two young children himself, Stafstrom said he agreed that he does not want cannabis in the hands of youth.  

“But I think actually what we are doing in this bill is putting in place a regulated marketplace,” Stafstrom said. “We are putting in place protections with respect to container sizes and dosage limits, and additional dollars for prevention, and the like, all of which are necessary in many respects because cannabis is legal on our borders whether we like it or not.”

To the north, Massachusetts legalized cannabis through a 2016 ballot measure. And to the west, New York’s Legislature legalized cannabis earlier this year.

The war on drugs has failed Connecticut’s youth, failed its cities and has led to disparate impacts, Stafstrom said. That’s why the bill is titled “An act concerning responsible and equitable regulation of adult-use cannabis,” he said.

Connecticut Network | ct-n.com

Democratic Rep. Juan Candelaria deliberates on adult-use cannabis legalization Wednesday in Connecticut.

Later in the debate, Democratic Rep. Juan Candelaria provided an example of how an unregulated cannabis market affected his family.

“I had a niece who passed away because she was smoking marijuana and it was laced with PCP (phencyclidine),” he said. “The reason that I came around in support of adult-use cannabis is for that same reason—to protect the children. I am a father. I do have children. And I don’t want to see my children go through this path.

“What we are trying to attempt with this bill is to ensure that these kids do not have access.”

Democratic Rep. Jason Rojas, who as House majority leader helped negotiations between the governor’s office and the Legislature to agree upon the final version of the bill, said that now is the time to move in a different direction after a long and complicated road.

“It began with a federal prohibition on marijuana in 1937,” he said. “It was complicated by a war on drugs launched in 1971 that took a tough-on-crime approach—an approach that has impacted the lives of millions of Americans whose involvement with the use of a substance should have been treated as a public health matter rather than a criminal justice matter.”

The Hawthorne Gardening Company Announces Support for Social Justice Organizations Through The Hawthorne Social Justice Fund Within The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation

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Debate on adult-use cannabis legalization finally got its day on the Connecticut House floor, where reform proponents prevailed during a special session Wednesday evening.

After House Republicans denied a vote in the regular order of the legislative session through the threat of a filibuster June 9—the final day before adjournment—lawmakers returned to the lower chamber and deliberated for more than seven hours June 16. In the end, legalization efforts prevailed in a 76-62 vote on an amended version of Senate Bill 1201.

The Senate, which passed the legislation in a 19-12 vote the previous day, took up the House’s amended version of the bill for final approval Thursday morning and concurred to push passage through the Legislature. Pending Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont’s signature, Connecticut will be the 19th state to legalize adult-use cannabis. And with some of the social equity language dialed back in this latest version of the bill, Lamont’s signature seems more likely than in previous days.

“Connecticut is just the latest domino to fall as states begin to repeal their failed prohibition of marijuana and replace it with a sensible system of legalization and regulation,” National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) Executive Director Erik Altieri said in a statement.

“Never before has the momentum for legalization looked as strong as it does in 2021, with four state legislatures already approving bills to ensure state law reflects the overwhelming will of their state residents in just a few short months,” he said. New York, Virginia and New Mexico have also passed adult-use bills this year. 

The Connecticut measure will allow adults to possess up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis flower or an equivalent amount of concentrate in public, and up to 5 ounces in their homes, beginning July 1, 2021. Commercial sales could begin as soon as May 2022.

The roughly 300-page bill has been many years in the making and includes several changes and modifications over that time, said Democratic Rep. Steve Stafstrom, who co-chairs the Joint Judiciary Committee and co-sponsored a previous version of the adult-use bill earlier in the regular legislative session.

Connecticut Network | ct-n.com

Democratic Rep. Steve Stafstrom deliberates on adult-use cannabis legalization Wednesday in Connecticut. 

“Connecticut’s time has finally come,” Stafstrom said in his opening remarks Wednesday. “Today, we take the next step as this chamber in recognizing that the war on drugs has failed us, and the criminalization of cannabis was the wrong course of action for our state and for our nation.” 

Legalization in Connecticut will be heavily regulated, he said. The bill limits possession, purchase amounts and dosage; restricts packaging and advertising; bans smoking and vaping in most public locations; allows local municipalities to set appropriate zoning; increases the enforcement and intervention of impaired driving; provides protection to employers; and increases drug prevention funding, Stafstrom said.

The legislation also sets up a council to address social equity issues, although this became a point of contention within the Legislature. The Senate passed an amendment Tuesday, one that would have expanded social equity eligibility for prospective entrepreneurs—but this drew the ire of Lamont, who vowed to veto the bill if that language was not addressed in the House. The House acted accordingly, rejecting the Senate’s amendment by a 125-0 vote.

The rejected Senate amendment would have allowed those with previous drug arrests or convictions a better chance to enter the state-legal cannabis industry through winning social equity licenses made available through the bill.

Republican Rep. Craig Fishbein, a ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, said he was puzzled about the House proponents’ decision to nix that provision that was approved by the Senate in a 26-4 vote the previous day.

Connecticut Network | ct-n.com

Republican Rep. Craig Fishbein deliberates on adult-use cannabis legalization Wednesday in Connecticut. 

“I’m a bit confused, because all through the committee hearings [in] the discussions about this we heard from individuals that had been previously convicted of drug crimes looking for their chance to engage in this market, and they were given assurances that they would be part of that,” he said. “What happened in the Senate was overwhelmingly approving of the amendment.”

Instead of jeopardizing the entire bill over social equity language Lamont didn’t agree with, House members passed their own amendment, which whittled down the Senate’s multi-subject provision to only include one item: banning elected officials from participating in the cannabis industry laid out in the bill for two years after leaving the General Assembly. That amendment passed, 128-0.

When discussion continued on the underlying bill, Fishbein was the main opponent who addressed concerns with the legislation. The first conflict he mentioned was the oath he said he took to uphold the U.S. Constitution, stating that the Supremacy Clause in Article VI establishes that federal law takes precedence over state laws.

Other Republicans, and some Democrats, voiced similar concerns as lawmakers in other states who recently voted against adult-use legalization measures in their legislatures. Public safety and protecting youth were the main two mentioned by Republican Rep. Tom O’Dea.

Connecticut Network | ct-n.com

Republican Rep. Tom O’Dea deliberates on adult-use cannabis legalization Wednesday in Connecticut. 

“This is the most important vote that I will take in my nine years here, and I don’t say that lightly,” he said. “Mark my words: people will die when we pass this bill, because of this bill. Because of recreational marijuana being sold in Connecticut, more people will die.”

O’Dea offered an amendment to increase the legal age for adult-use cannabis from 21 to 25 years. He said he believed the commercialization of cannabis will harm the state’s youth. The amendment was rejected.

Having two young children himself, Stafstrom said he agreed that he does not want cannabis in the hands of youth.  

“But I think actually what we are doing in this bill is putting in place a regulated marketplace,” Stafstrom said. “We are putting in place protections with respect to container sizes and dosage limits, and additional dollars for prevention, and the like, all of which are necessary in many respects because cannabis is legal on our borders whether we like it or not.”

To the north, Massachusetts legalized cannabis through a 2016 ballot measure. And to the west, New York’s Legislature legalized cannabis earlier this year.

The war on drugs has failed Connecticut’s youth, failed its cities and has led to disparate impacts, Stafstrom said. That’s why the bill is titled “An act concerning responsible and equitable regulation of adult-use cannabis,” he said.

Connecticut Network | ct-n.com

Democratic Rep. Juan Candelaria deliberates on adult-use cannabis legalization Wednesday in Connecticut.

Later in the debate, Democratic Rep. Juan Candelaria provided an example of how an unregulated cannabis market affected his family.

“I had a niece who passed away because she was smoking marijuana and it was laced with PCP (phencyclidine),” he said. “The reason that I came around in support of adult-use cannabis is for that same reason—to protect the children. I am a father. I do have children. And I don’t want to see my children go through this path.

“What we are trying to attempt with this bill is to ensure that these kids do not have access.”

Democratic Rep. Jason Rojas, who as House majority leader helped negotiations between the governor’s office and the Legislature to agree upon the final version of the bill, said that now is the time to move in a different direction after a long and complicated road.

“It began with a federal prohibition on marijuana in 1937,” he said. “It was complicated by a war on drugs launched in 1971 that took a tough-on-crime approach—an approach that has impacted the lives of millions of Americans whose involvement with the use of a substance should have been treated as a public health matter rather than a criminal justice matter.”

Alternative Risk Strategies Launches Captive Insurance Solution for Cannabis, Hemp, CBD Businesses

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BOCA RATON, FL. / DENVER, CO., JUNE 16, 2021 – Alternative Risk Strategies (ARS) today announced a new insurance solution for the cannabis industry that is specifically designed to meet the most difficult insurance challenges cannabis, hemp and cannabidiol (CBD) businesses face today.

Under current market conditions, cannabis businesses that are trying to purchase or renew insurance policies are experiencing an increasingly hardened insurance market characterized by substantially higher premium rates and higher deductibles/retentions for several of their necessary policy lines, such as Directors and Officers insurance. In response to this hard market event, ARS launched Cannabis Captive Solutions for qualifying cannabis companies as a competitive and alternative risk transfer solution that can help cannabis businesses lower their costs, improve cash flow and accumulate wealth.

A captive is a unique insurance company set up by its business owners to insure emerging and unique market conditions and avoid, when available, overpriced traditional insurance policies. As opposed to a traditional insurance company that collects the premium and retains the profits, a business-owned insurance captive has the unique ability to manage, assign and script specific risks and pay claims. A captive with little or no claims, builds up equity to be used for potential future claims (reserves), purchase re-insurance (higher limits) and apply to future premiums (cost reductions) by the company implementing the captive. ARS Captive Solutions is a new and effective way to keep a cannabis business resilient, cash fluid, manage risk mitigation and accumulate wealth.

“Watching the cannabis industry rapidly emerge over the last 6 years, the industry is limited in traditional insurance products and markets. Premiums continue to harden in an industry with little historical data. We are seeing an immediate need to provide alternative risk solutions to qualifying companies,” said Eric Rahn, managing director. “Presently public and private cross [border] (Canadian/USA) cannabis companies are categorized as high-risk in a highly-regulated industry. Insurance companies presently servicing the industry continue to charge huge premiums for coverages that are a critical foundation to protecting their business operations and attracting and retaining valuable officers and directors. With our new ARS Cannabis Captive Solutions, business can finally access the coverages they need to protect their business, transfer risk, and reduce insurance costs over a short period.”

Qualifying cannabis companies can access premium coverages, including Directors & Officers Liability, Professional & Products Liability, Excess Liability and Other Broad Form Coverages. ARS manages the process of analyzing its client’s insurance needs, set risk management goals and objectives, assists cannabis businesses and assist businesses form a captive private insurance company should they qualify. ARS coordinates with all the businesses in-house and outside professionals such as tax/accounting, legal and insurance brokers, and helps form a risk management committee of outside experts to report back to the captive owners.

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Connecticut Set To Legalize Cannabis

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On June 16, 2021, the Connecticut House of Representatives voted to pass their version of S.B 1201, a bill that legalizes adult use cannabis. Following the House’s approval of the changes, the bill made its way back to the Senate on June 17, where they approved all changes. It now heads to the Governor’s desk, where Gov. Ned Lamont is expected to sign it into law.

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont

With Gov. Lamont’s signature, Connecticut will become the 19th state in the country to legalize adult use cannabis. The bill is slated to go into effect on July 1, just a couple of weeks away.

Come July 1, adults in Connecticut can legally possess up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis in public and up to five ounces at their home. The bill allows for adults to grow at home, just not until 2023 unless you are an existing patient registered in the medical program.

According to the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), the bill will expunge cannabis records for low-level crimes and puts “the bulk of excise tax revenues into a Social Equity and Innovation Fund, which will be used to promote a diverse cannabis industry and reinvest in hard-hit communities.” Half of the cannabis business licenses issued will go to social equity applicants that can receive funding, workforce training and other types of assistance from the program.

Connecticut state flag

DeVaughn Ward, senior legislative counsel at MPP, says the bill includes provisions to repair harm done by the prohibition of cannabis. “The Connecticut Legislature’s commitment to legalizing cannabis through a justice-centered approach is commendable,” says Ward. “For decades, cannabis prohibition and criminalization has harmed some of the state’s most vulnerable communities. This bill not only ends this failed and unjust policy, but it also includes measures that will work to repair the harm that it has caused. This state will be a model for others to follow.”

The bill includes strong protections for employees, tenants and students by limiting discriminatory actions based on positive drug tests. It also dedicates 25% of tax revenue from cannabis to go toward mental health and substance use treatment.

Interestingly, the bill has a THC cap in it. Cannabis flower sold at dispensaries is capped at 30% THC content and concentrates (except for vape carts) are capped at 60% THC. To read more about the nuances of the legislation, the MPP has a helpful summary of the bill you can find here.

Connecticut Poised to Become 19th State to Legalize Adult-Use Cannabis

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Debate on adult-use cannabis legalization finally got its day on the Connecticut House floor, where reform proponents prevailed during a special session Wednesday evening.

After House Republicans denied a vote in the regular order of the legislative session through the threat of a filibuster June 9—the final day before adjournment—lawmakers returned to the lower chamber and deliberated for more than seven hours June 16. In the end, legalization efforts prevailed in a 76-62 vote on an amended version of Senate Bill 1201.

The Senate, which passed the legislation in a 19-12 vote the previous day, is expected to take up the House’s amended version of the bill for final approval Thursday morning. Pending Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont’s signature, Connecticut will be the 19th state to legalize adult-use cannabis. And with some of the social equity language dialed back in this latest version of the bill, Lamont’s signature seems more likely than in previous days.

“Connecticut is just the latest domino to fall as states begin to repeal their failed prohibition of marijuana and replace it with a sensible system of legalization and regulation,” National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) Executive Director Erik Altieri said in a statement.

“Never before has the momentum for legalization looked as strong as it does in 2021, with four state legislatures already approving bills to ensure state law reflects the overwhelming will of their state residents in just a few short months,” he said. New York, Virginia and New Mexico have also passed adult-use bills this year. 

The Connecticut measure will allow adults to possess up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis flower or an equivalent amount of concentrate in public, and up to 5 ounces in their homes, beginning July 1, 2021. Commercial sales could begin as soon as May 2022.

The roughly 300-page bill has been many years in the making and includes several changes and modifications over that time, said Democratic Rep. Steve Stafstrom, who co-chairs the Joint Judiciary Committee and co-sponsored a previous version of the adult-use bill earlier in the regular legislative session.

Connecticut Network | ct-n.com

Democratic Rep. Steve Stafstrom deliberates on adult-use cannabis legalization Wednesday in Connecticut. 

“Connecticut’s time has finally come,” Stafstrom said in his opening remarks Wednesday. “Today, we take the next step as this chamber in recognizing that the war on drugs has failed us, and the criminalization of cannabis was the wrong course of action for our state and for our nation.” 

Legalization in Connecticut will be heavily regulated, he said. The bill limits possession, purchase amounts and dosage; restricts packaging and advertising; bans smoking and vaping in most public locations; allows local municipalities to set appropriate zoning; increases the enforcement and intervention of impaired driving; provides protection to employers; and increases drug prevention funding, Stafstrom said.

The legislation also sets up a council to address social equity issues, although this became a point of contention within the legislature. The Senate passed an amendment Tuesday, one that would have expanded social equity eligibility for prospective entrepreneurs—but this drew the ire of Lamont, who vowed to veto the bill if that language was not addressed in the House. The House acted accordingly, rejecting the Senate’s amendment by a 125-0 vote.

The rejected Senate amendment would have allowed those with previous drug arrests or convictions a better chance to enter the state-legal cannabis industry through winning social equity licenses made available through the bill.

Republican Rep. Craig Fishbein, a ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, said he was puzzled about the House proponents’ decision to nix that provision that was approved by the Senate in a 26-4 vote the previous day.

Connecticut Network | ct-n.com

Republican Rep. Craig Fishbein deliberates on adult-use cannabis legalization Wednesday in Connecticut. 

“I’m a bit confused, because all through the committee hearings [in] the discussions about this we heard from individuals that had been previously convicted of drug crimes looking for their chance to engage in this market, and they were given assurances that they would be part of that,” he said. “What happened in the Senate was overwhelmingly approving of the amendment.”

Instead of jeopardizing the entire bill over social equity language Lamont didn’t agree with, House members passed their own amendment, which whittled down the Senate’s multi-subject provision to only include on item: banning elected officials from participating in the cannabis industry laid out in the bill for two years after leaving the General Assembly. That amendment passed, 128-0.

When discussion continued on the underlying bill, Fishbein was the main opponent who addressed concerns with the legislation. The first conflict he mentioned was the oath he said he took to uphold the U.S. Constitution, stating that the Supremacy Clause in Article VI establishes that federal law takes precedence over state laws.

Other Republicans, and some Democrats, voiced similar concerns as lawmakers in other states who recently voted against adult-use legalization measures in their legislatures. Public safety and protecting youth were the main two mentioned by Republican Rep. Tom O’Dea.

Connecticut Network | ct-n.com

Republican Rep. Tom O’Dea deliberates on adult-use cannabis legalization Wednesday in Connecticut. 

“This is the most important vote that I will take in my nine years here, and I don’t say that lightly,” he said. “Mark my words: people will die when we pass this bill, because of this bill. Because of recreational marijuana being sold in Connecticut, more people will die.”

O’Dea offered an amendment to increase the legal age for adult-use cannabis from 21 to 25 years. He said he believed the commercialization of cannabis will harm the state’s youth. The amendment was rejected.

Having two young children himself, Stafstrom said he agreed that he does not want cannabis in the hands of youth.  

“But I think actually what we are doing in this bill is putting in place a regulated marketplace,” Stafstrom said. “We are putting in place protections with respect to container sizes and dosage limits, and additional dollars for prevention, and the like, all of which are necessary in many respects because cannabis is legal on our borders whether we like it or not.”

To the north, Massachusetts legalized cannabis through a 2016 ballot measure. And to the west, New York’s legislature legalized cannabis earlier this year.

The war on drugs has failed Connecticut’s youth, failed its cities and has led to disparate impacts, Stafstrom said. That’s why the bill is titled “An act concerning responsible and equitable regulation of adult-use cannabis,” he said.

Connecticut Network | ct-n.com

Democratic Rep. Juan Candelaria deliberates on adult-use cannabis legalization Wednesday in Connecticut.

Later in the debate, Democratic Rep. Juan Candelaria provided an example of how an unregulated cannabis market affected his family.

“I had a niece who passed away because she was smoking marijuana and it was laced with PCP (phencyclidine),” he said. “The reason that I came around in support of adult-use cannabis is for that same reason—to protect the children. I am a father. I do have children. And I don’t want to see my children go through this path.

“What we are trying to attempt with this bill is to ensure that these kids do not have access.”

Democratic Rep. Jason Rojas, who as House majority leader helped negotiations between the governor’s office and the Legislature to agree upon the final version of the bill, said that now is the time to move in a different direction after a long and complicated road.

“It began with a federal prohibition on marijuana in 1937,” he said. “It was complicated by a war on drugs launched in 1971 that took a tough-on-crime approach—an approach that has impacted the lives of millions of Americans whose involvement with the use of a substance should have been treated as a public health matter rather than a criminal justice matter.”

Connecticut Governor Vows to Veto Senate’s Adult-Use Cannabis Bill

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Social equity has been a pillar for adult-use cannabis passage among many state legislatures that have recently adopted public policy to end prohibition. But language surrounding social equity applications and funding may be the demise of legislation in Connecticut.

The Connecticut Senate passed an adult-use bill by a 19-12 vote during special session June 15, a week after the upper chamber passed the legislation with the same number of yeses during its regular season.

Threats of a House Republican filibuster on the final day before the Legislature adjourned June 9 sidelined the legislation, prompting Gov. Ned Lamont to call the special session.

RELATED: Clock is Ticking for Adult-Use Cannabis Bill in Connecticut 

While Lamont supports adult-use legalization—he proposed it during his February state budget request—the governor vowed to veto the new bill, Senate Bill 1201, over language involving social equity eligibility rules adopted through Amendment A in Tuesday’s special session.

Paul Mounds, the Democratic governor’s chief of staff, said in a statement that the current version of the bill “does not meet the goals laid out during negotiations when it comes to equity and ensuring the wrongs of the past are righted. To the contrary, this proposal opens the floodgates for tens of thousands of previously ineligible applicants to enter the adult-use cannabis industry.”

Specifically, the amendment would allow those with previous drug arrests or convictions a better chance to enter the state-legal cannabis industry through winning social equity licenses made available through the bill.

In his opening remarks Tuesday, Democratic Sen. Gary Winfield, who co-chairs the Joint Judiciary Committee, laid out the framework of Amendment A.

“[The amendment deals] with an issue that was in the definition of [a] social equity applicant, where some people believe that you might not allow for people who have found themselves in our prisons, for actions they had taken during the prohibition of cannabis, to participate,” he said. “It clarifies that. It is an amendment that I think helps to make this bill a better bill.”

In other words, individuals who have paid their debt to society through a prison term or other court orders, or those who have had their records expunged, would be eligible to receive a social equity license.

Among other revisions, the amendment also allows for community service in the place of a fine for those who are indigent; bans elected officials from participating in the cannabis industry laid out in the bill for two years after leaving the General Assembly; eliminates the study of home grows and instead moves forward with home grows (three mature and three immature plants); and requires tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) labels to include the content of products.

Republican Sen. John Kissel, who spoke for roughly 90 minutes in opposition of the underlying bill during last week’s regular-session debate, supported this week’s changes in Amendment A, which passed in a 26-4 vote. Notably, Kissel said he’s a proponent of the amendment’s provision to place a two-year restriction on state lawmakers from entering the industry following the time they leave office.

“From the 30,000-foot mark, I think a lot of the provisions in the amendment move the bill in a positive direction from my perspective, even though I don’t support the legalization of [adult-use cannabis],” Kissel said.

Connecticut Network | ct-n.com

Republican Sen. Dan Champagne talks about his opposition to an amendment included in the adult-use cannabis bill the Connecticut Senate passed in a special session June 15. 

Republican Sen. Dan Champagne, who voted against the amendment, said he didn’t support the social equity applicant language because he doesn’t think people with previous cannabis-related arrests or convictions should be given favorable opportunities over the rest of the state’s 3.6 million people to receive licenses to enter in the industry.

Champagne said he views “equitable” as fair and impartial.

“I’m looking at this as, you know, when arrests are made, arrests are made for people that do something wrong,” he said. “Whether people today say that it wasn’t viewed as something wrong, it doesn’t make a difference. At the time, this legislative body basically made laws and those laws were enforced, and people got arrested.

“We should never give somebody a leg up on a job. We should make sure we treat people as equals.”

According to the bill’s text, nearly half of the state’s licenses to cultivate and sell cannabis would be granted to social equity applicants (or those who reside in neighborhoods adversely impacted by the war on drugs). 

Social equity licensees would also receive a 50% discount on license fees for the first three years of renewals.

The bill sets aside a portion of the licenses for social equity “to deal with the fact that we have policy that has affected these communities in ways that I don’t think any of us want our communities to have ever been affected and allows for them to get into the program that we would have,” Winfield said “There are many people that, no matter what you do, who will have a greater chance in participating in this system than any of us. And particularly, communities of color that have been operated upon because of the way we’ve chosen to operate in this state for many years.

“And, so, I see this as a conversation on equity, where some people will say, ‘Well, you’re getting more than I’m getting.’ That’s not what the conversation is about. The conversation is about the fact that some things have happened, and you have to go back and deal with the fact that they’ve happened. And that doesn’t mean equal—it means equitable.”

After the amendment was passed, Champagne said he also opposed the portion of the main bill dealing with taxes generated from adult-use cannabis sales, from which 65% would go toward social equity, 25% to drug rehabilitation and 10% to the state’s general fund. A Social Equity Council would oversee appropriations for the 65% portion of the taxes, which Champagne said he had concerns with because only two of 15 appointments for that council would come from Republicans.

Instead, that money should be allocated through the budget process by the Legislature—from the general fund—and not an outside group, he said.

“I would consider this not bipartisan on the makeup of this committee,” Champagne said. “And they’re responsible for 65 percent of the income coming off the marijuana tax, which is millions of dollars.”

With S.B. 1201 passing the Senate, the House members are scheduled to take up the legislation during the second day of the special session, June 16.

SC Labs Develops Comprehensive Hemp Testing Panel

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SC Labs, a cannabis testing company with roots in Santa Cruz, California, announced this week that they have developed a comprehensive hemp testing panel that covers a number of contaminants on a national regulatory level. In the press release, the company says they aim to fill the void of national hemp testing requirements.

The hemp testing panel they have developed purportedly meets testing standards in states that require contaminant levels below a certain action limit. The SC Labs hemp testing panel could theoretically be used for regulatory compliance testing across the country, reaching action limits and analyte levels that meet the strictest state requirements.

The panel tests for pesticides, heavy metals, microbiology, mycotoxins, residual solvents and water activity. In the press release, the company says they have received ISO accreditation for the panel, although it’s not immediately clear to what standard it has been accredited.

Still, the test panel is one sign of progress in the long road to nationally harmonized testing standards. “As an industry, we’ve been advocating for national, standardized, and transparent testing regulations for years now,” says Jeff Gray, CEO of SC Labs. “The government has been slow to respond so we decided it was time to act. As an industry, we’ve been advocating for national, standardized, and transparent testing regulations for years now. The government has been slow to respond so we decided it was time to act.”

SC Labs is headquartered in Santa Cruz, but has licenses in California, Oregon, Texas and Colorado (pending). Their California and Oregon locations are both ISO 17025-accredited and conducting THC-containing cannabis testing, as well as hemp testing.

New Perspectives on Navigating IRS Cannabis Tax Policies

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It’s been a busy year for federal cannabis legislation. Will all the activity lead to legalization – or even incremental progress on changing federal law? 

Federal cannabis reform hasn’t passed into law, but it’s not for lack of trying. In 2021 alone, several high-profile cannabis bills have been proposed in both chambers of Congress, while others have been promised later this year.

Moving into the second half of 2021, let’s examine the most prominent federal cannabis bills, assess their current status, and with the help of industry experts, make some predictions about the future.

The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act

Introduced in the House by Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) & other Democratic representatives

May 2021

The current flagship legislation for comprehensive cannabis legalization, the MORE Act was first introduced in the summer of 2019. It passed a full floor vote in December 2020, making history as the first bill to explicitly legalize cannabis to pass in Congress.

Since the bill’s inception, however, momentum has been slowed by a lack of bipartisan support – particularly related to the bill’s strong social equity provisions, which would devote federal grants to help communities hurt most by the War on Drugs. 

“In order to pass the Senate, you’re going to need to get 10 Republicans on board with a descheduling bill without alienating Democrats, and I think that can be pretty tricky,” said Morgan Fox, Director of Media Relations for the National Cannabis Industry Association in a phone interview. “Particularly since in the GOP, the main sticking point tends to be social equity.”

Last month, Rep. Nadler reintroduced the MORE Act, highlighting advancements in state-level cannabis reform in an accompanying statement: “Since I introduced the MORE Act last Congress, numerous states across the nation, including my home state of New York, have moved to legalize marijuana. Our federal laws must keep up with this pace,” said Nadler, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee.

The Common Sense Cannabis Reform for Veterans, Small Businesses, and Medical Professionals Act

Introduced in the House by Reps. David Joyce (R-OH) and Don Young (R-AK)

May 2021

Perhaps recognizing the desire among their Republican party for simple legalization without any social justice provisions, two GOP representatives introduced a bill that would remove cannabis from the DEA’s Controlled Substances schedule, provide protection for cannabis-related financial services companies, and offer blanket protection for veterans to use medical cannabis in accordance with state laws. 

Reps. Joyce and Young, who are members of the bipartisan Congressional Cannabis Caucus, may have introduced the bill as an opening for House Republicans to support plain legalization without attaching their vote to the kind of progressive reform measures included in other legislation.

“One of the reasons the Joyce bill was introduced in the House was to see which Republicans are completely against legalization and which ones are okay with a simple, straightforward bill that only deschedules and doesn’t include any social justice or restorative issues,” said Fox.

Untitled Comprehensive Cannabis Reform

Upcoming in Senate by Senators Cory Booker (D-NY), Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

(Announced) February 2021

This piece of federal cannabis legislation is distinct from others in one important way: No one has seen it. From what the Senators have been saying about it for several months, the legislative package will focus on legalizing cannabis reform, while also striving to “right the wrongs of this failed war [on drugs] and end decades of harm inflicted on communities of color,” and “enact measures that will lift up people who were unfairly targeted in the War on Drugs.” Its promised social justice and equity measures have made it highly anticipated by the industry, but details are scant.

“Nobody to my knowledge outside of their offices has gotten a look at the actual language yet,” said Fox. “So far we’ve been hearing it’s going to be pretty heavy on restorative justice and social equity provisions…but again, we don’t know exactly what that looks like. So I think it’s going to be pretty important, once we see the details, to do a line-by-line with the MORE Act and see how they compare and contrast.”

Dasheeda Dawson, Cannabis Program Manager for the City of Portland and Chair of Cannabis Regulators of Color Coalition (CRCC), said it’s fair to expect the Senate legalization package to go even further than the MORE Act when it comes to restorative justice, given the history of the Senators involved.

“We expect MORE will be the baseline for the Schumer, Booker & Wyden efforts in the Senate,” said Dawson in an email to Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Dispensary. “Much of the foundation of the MORE Act was built on Booker’s Marijuana Justice Act of 2017. If anything, because of the additional time and New York’s landmark legalization bill, I believe the Senate bill will be a slight step above the MORE Act as it pertains to restorative justice and equity.”  

The Secure and Fair Enforcement in (SAFE) Banking Act

Introduced in the House by Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO)

March 2021 – passed April 2021 

The SAFE Banking Act is a more incremental reform step that would allow cannabis businesses access to the same kind of banking products available for other businesses, including credit and insurance. It also provides legal protection for ancillary businesses that provide service to the cannabis industry, such as contractors and packaging companies.

The bill has now passed a full floor vote in the House twice: once in September 2019, and once this past April, after its most recent introduction by Rep. Perlmutter. Now that even more Americans support full cannabis legalization, some in the industry hope the time is finally right to at least allow cannabis companies access to relatively basic business tools.

“SAFE Banking enjoys the support of the banking industry and many Republicans, so it could be seen as a fallback option should comprehensive legalization ultimately fail,” said Kris Krane, Founder of 4Front Ventures and President of Mission Dispensaries. 

But others believe that incremental progress could actually represent a step backwards for cannabis equity.

“On surface the SAFE Banking Act is a helpful band-aid for those already privileged to be participants in this developing industry,” said Dawson. “Passage of SAFE would be an incremental step that actually would further the gap in equity for this industry, even if it temporarily relieves small cannabis business[es] from the oppression of cash-only business management. There’s also risk that it will encourage much bigger industry players, like Amazon, to begin their money moves to position themselves for future domination.” 

In an early June blog post, Amazon announced it would no longer screen prospective hires for cannabis and its policy team would be “actively supporting” the MORE Act.

For now, the SAFE Banking Act awaits a hearing in the Senate after passing a floor vote in the House – just like the MORE Act.

The Hemp Access and Consumer Safety Act

Introduced in the Senate by Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR)

May 2021

Like the SAFE Banking Act, the Hemp Access and Consumer Safety Act is a more incremental cannabis bill that would confirm the legal status of cannabidiol (CBD) and other hemp-derived supplements in foods and beverages. The bill is a companion to the Hemp and Hemp-Derived CBD Consumer Protection and Market Stabilization Act of 2021, which was introduced in the House in February.

The Hemp Access act is designed to help bring clarity to a lucrative yet confusing industry: hemp and CBD. Right now, these products are sold in a gray area, since they’re not technically approved under federal law. Under the Farm Bill of 2018, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was supposed to create guidelines to regulate this prominent sector of the cannabis industry. To date, however, not much progress has been made outside of a few statements and official updates.

“The Hemp Access and Consumer Safety Act is a bill that only exists because the FDA has not done its job of regulating hemp-derived cannabinoids as an ingredient,” said Dawson. “I suspect this bill will be supported because it essentially compels the FDA to treat hemp-derived CBD specifically like a dietary supplement.”

“Theoretically it could move pretty easily, since it’s pretty narrowly-focused and is mandating something the FDA promised to do anyway and just hasn’t gotten around to yet,” added Fox when asked about the prospects of the bill in the Senate.

Despite all this activity, industry insiders are still pessimistic about federal cannabis legislation – particularly on a comprehensive scale.

“I think there’s definitely a chance of something passing this year but I don’t necessarily think that it’s going to be a comprehensive descheduling bill,” predicted Fox. 

“At this point, we don’t expect federal legalization to happen this year,” said Dawson. “There is still too large of a gap in cannabis competency at the federal level, across legislators and would-be regulators.”

 

California Approves $100 Million in Grant Funding to Boost Cannabis Industry

by

It’s been a busy year for federal cannabis legislation. Will all the activity lead to legalization – or even incremental progress on changing federal law? 

Federal cannabis reform hasn’t passed into law, but it’s not for lack of trying. In 2021 alone, several high-profile cannabis bills have been proposed in both chambers of Congress, while others have been promised later this year.

Moving into the second half of 2021, let’s examine the most prominent federal cannabis bills, assess their current status, and with the help of industry experts, make some predictions about the future.

The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act

Introduced in the House by Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) & other Democratic representatives

May 2021

The current flagship legislation for comprehensive cannabis legalization, the MORE Act was first introduced in the summer of 2019. It passed a full floor vote in December 2020, making history as the first bill to explicitly legalize cannabis to pass in Congress.

Since the bill’s inception, however, momentum has been slowed by a lack of bipartisan support – particularly related to the bill’s strong social equity provisions, which would devote federal grants to help communities hurt most by the War on Drugs. 

“In order to pass the Senate, you’re going to need to get 10 Republicans on board with a descheduling bill without alienating Democrats, and I think that can be pretty tricky,” said Morgan Fox, Director of Media Relations for the National Cannabis Industry Association in a phone interview. “Particularly since in the GOP, the main sticking point tends to be social equity.”

Last month, Rep. Nadler reintroduced the MORE Act, highlighting advancements in state-level cannabis reform in an accompanying statement: “Since I introduced the MORE Act last Congress, numerous states across the nation, including my home state of New York, have moved to legalize marijuana. Our federal laws must keep up with this pace,” said Nadler, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee.

The Common Sense Cannabis Reform for Veterans, Small Businesses, and Medical Professionals Act

Introduced in the House by Reps. David Joyce (R-OH) and Don Young (R-AK)

May 2021

Perhaps recognizing the desire among their Republican party for simple legalization without any social justice provisions, two GOP representatives introduced a bill that would remove cannabis from the DEA’s Controlled Substances schedule, provide protection for cannabis-related financial services companies, and offer blanket protection for veterans to use medical cannabis in accordance with state laws. 

Reps. Joyce and Young, who are members of the bipartisan Congressional Cannabis Caucus, may have introduced the bill as an opening for House Republicans to support plain legalization without attaching their vote to the kind of progressive reform measures included in other legislation.

“One of the reasons the Joyce bill was introduced in the House was to see which Republicans are completely against legalization and which ones are okay with a simple, straightforward bill that only deschedules and doesn’t include any social justice or restorative issues,” said Fox.

Untitled Comprehensive Cannabis Reform

Upcoming in Senate by Senators Cory Booker (D-NY), Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

(Announced) February 2021

This piece of federal cannabis legislation is distinct from others in one important way: No one has seen it. From what the Senators have been saying about it for several months, the legislative package will focus on legalizing cannabis reform, while also striving to “right the wrongs of this failed war [on drugs] and end decades of harm inflicted on communities of color,” and “enact measures that will lift up people who were unfairly targeted in the War on Drugs.” Its promised social justice and equity measures have made it highly anticipated by the industry, but details are scant.

“Nobody to my knowledge outside of their offices has gotten a look at the actual language yet,” said Fox. “So far we’ve been hearing it’s going to be pretty heavy on restorative justice and social equity provisions…but again, we don’t know exactly what that looks like. So I think it’s going to be pretty important, once we see the details, to do a line-by-line with the MORE Act and see how they compare and contrast.”

Dasheeda Dawson, Cannabis Program Manager for the City of Portland and Chair of Cannabis Regulators of Color Coalition (CRCC), said it’s fair to expect the Senate legalization package to go even further than the MORE Act when it comes to restorative justice, given the history of the Senators involved.

“We expect MORE will be the baseline for the Schumer, Booker & Wyden efforts in the Senate,” said Dawson in an email to Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Dispensary. “Much of the foundation of the MORE Act was built on Booker’s Marijuana Justice Act of 2017. If anything, because of the additional time and New York’s landmark legalization bill, I believe the Senate bill will be a slight step above the MORE Act as it pertains to restorative justice and equity.”  

The Secure and Fair Enforcement in (SAFE) Banking Act

Introduced in the House by Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO)

March 2021 – passed April 2021 

The SAFE Banking Act is a more incremental reform step that would allow cannabis businesses access to the same kind of banking products available for other businesses, including credit and insurance. It also provides legal protection for ancillary businesses that provide service to the cannabis industry, such as contractors and packaging companies.

The bill has now passed a full floor vote in the House twice: once in September 2019, and once this past April, after its most recent introduction by Rep. Perlmutter. Now that even more Americans support full cannabis legalization, some in the industry hope the time is finally right to at least allow cannabis companies access to relatively basic business tools.

“SAFE Banking enjoys the support of the banking industry and many Republicans, so it could be seen as a fallback option should comprehensive legalization ultimately fail,” said Kris Krane, Founder of 4Front Ventures and President of Mission Dispensaries. 

But others believe that incremental progress could actually represent a step backwards for cannabis equity.

“On surface the SAFE Banking Act is a helpful band-aid for those already privileged to be participants in this developing industry,” said Dawson. “Passage of SAFE would be an incremental step that actually would further the gap in equity for this industry, even if it temporarily relieves small cannabis business[es] from the oppression of cash-only business management. There’s also risk that it will encourage much bigger industry players, like Amazon, to begin their money moves to position themselves for future domination.” 

In an early June blog post, Amazon announced it would no longer screen prospective hires for cannabis and its policy team would be “actively supporting” the MORE Act.

For now, the SAFE Banking Act awaits a hearing in the Senate after passing a floor vote in the House – just like the MORE Act.

The Hemp Access and Consumer Safety Act

Introduced in the Senate by Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR)

May 2021

Like the SAFE Banking Act, the Hemp Access and Consumer Safety Act is a more incremental cannabis bill that would confirm the legal status of cannabidiol (CBD) and other hemp-derived supplements in foods and beverages. The bill is a companion to the Hemp and Hemp-Derived CBD Consumer Protection and Market Stabilization Act of 2021, which was introduced in the House in February.

The Hemp Access act is designed to help bring clarity to a lucrative yet confusing industry: hemp and CBD. Right now, these products are sold in a gray area, since they’re not technically approved under federal law. Under the Farm Bill of 2018, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was supposed to create guidelines to regulate this prominent sector of the cannabis industry. To date, however, not much progress has been made outside of a few statements and official updates.

“The Hemp Access and Consumer Safety Act is a bill that only exists because the FDA has not done its job of regulating hemp-derived cannabinoids as an ingredient,” said Dawson. “I suspect this bill will be supported because it essentially compels the FDA to treat hemp-derived CBD specifically like a dietary supplement.”

“Theoretically it could move pretty easily, since it’s pretty narrowly-focused and is mandating something the FDA promised to do anyway and just hasn’t gotten around to yet,” added Fox when asked about the prospects of the bill in the Senate.

Despite all this activity, industry insiders are still pessimistic about federal cannabis legislation – particularly on a comprehensive scale.

“I think there’s definitely a chance of something passing this year but I don’t necessarily think that it’s going to be a comprehensive descheduling bill,” predicted Fox. 

“At this point, we don’t expect federal legalization to happen this year,” said Dawson. “There is still too large of a gap in cannabis competency at the federal level, across legislators and would-be regulators.”