CBD OIL

A public cannabis company with a strong focus on the international market is stepping into Mexico’s nascent medical cannabis industry.

Clever Leaves, a cultivator, manufacturer and distributor listed on the Nasdaq, announced its entrance into Mexico last month with an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) supply agreement with CBD Life, beginning with cannabidiol (CBD) isolate.

In 2017, Mexico legalized medical cannabis with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentrations below 1%. But Mexico’s health ministry didn’t pass medical cannabis regulations, including those addressing cultivation and harvesting, until this January. (The country’s supreme court also declared adult-use cannabis prohibition unconstitutional in late June.)

Luisa Conesa, an attorney and cannabis activist, told Reuters of the medical regulations: “[The regulation] is not aimed at patients growing their own cannabis, it is aimed at pharmaceutical companies producing pharmaceutical derivatives of cannabis which are classified as controlled substances that need prescription.”

Some companies aiming to create products can import cannabis plant material, according to the news source.

A June press release from Clever Leaves said the company’s partnership with CBD Life “is Clever Leaves’ first commercial agreement in the Mexican market, and it comes shortly after regulations were fully approved in the country, providing a strategic growth opportunity in one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical markets.”

Speaking with Cannabis Business Times and Hemp Grower, Clever Leaves CEO Kyle Detwiler said he and others at the company see Mexico as a “great demand center for medical cannabis, for other cannabinoid products.”

The opening of the market is allowing Clever Leaves to get in on the ground floor with shipping cannabis product there. “I think an announcement like our first shipment to Mexico is a reminder that—listen, in other geographies, cannabis hasn’t really reached the saturation—both societally as well as regulation-wise—as it has in the U.S.,” Detwiler said. “A lot of these countries are just beginning their cannabinoid journey.”

Photo courtesy of Clever Leaves

Clever Leaves follows in-depth quality procedures to produce the pharmaceutical-grade product the Mexican government requires, Detwiler said, noting the company’s adherence to European Union Good Manufacturing Practices (EU-GMP).

Clever Leaves has about 400 employees, 2 million square feet of greenhouse production and 70 million square feet of expansion potential in Colombia, and more than 100,000 square feet of greenhouse production on 9 million square feet of “agricultural and agro-industrial land” in Portugal, according to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings.

“So, we have a smaller operation [in Portugal], but it’s for the production of flower, whereas Colombia’s for the production of extracts right now based on what’s permitted in those two geographies,” Detwiler said.

Simultaneously, Clever Leaves is focused on other operations around the globe, including in the U.S. Its wholly owned subsidiary Herbal Brands, which “manufactures and distributes non-cannabinoid nutraceutical products to more than 15,000 retail locations” across the U.S., per the SEC filings, entered into a partnership with LooperGroup and TruSource Hemp Group in February to import CBD into the U.S.

Detwiler said the goal there is to build upon existing relationships with U.S. retailers to provide them with CBD products, pending greater regulatory clarity in the country.

In Colombia, the company manufactures the CBD isolate that it sells into Mexico, and grows the cannabis from which it derives that isolate.

When asked about future plans for working in the Mexican market, Detwiler said: “Clever Leaves is really out there to be a B2B partner to the industry. I think there’s probably a lot of companies in Mexico thinking through the decision calculus of ‘Hey, wait a minute. Maybe I should go out and build a huge cultivation operation, maybe even a big processing center.’”

However, it could take several years to build out those facilities, become GMP-certified and -compliant—which the Mexican government requires for the entire supply chain—gather stability data and so on, Detwiler said.

“Let me save people the suspense: It’s a pretty low cost to produce our products in Colombia, so even if you could build it in Mexico, I don’t think you would be able to be cost-competitive with sort of a Colombian-produced solution,” he said.

In April 2020, Clever Leaves announced it would supply Canopy Growth subsidiary Canopy LATAM with cannabis extract that Clever Leaves produced through its Colombia operations.

One grower aside from Clever Leaves who has decided to cultivate in Colombia noted the low production costs in speaking with CBT. Cultivator Flora Growth shared its costs to cultivate flower—6 cents per gram—though that business cultivates its entire crop outdoors.

But there are always challenges exporting cannabinoids, Detwiler said, adding: “Imagine showing up with 10 kilograms of fine white powder coming from Colombia into a country for the first time.”

And, when the United Nations’ (UN) Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) voted in December 2020 to remove cannabis from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the CND “opened the door to recognizing the medicinal and therapeutic potential of the drug, although its use for non-medical and non-scientific purposes will continue to remain illegal,” according to a UN webpage.

Still, Detwiler remains optimistic about Latin America. He said he has a history of investing in the region, including while serving as a principal at The Blackstone Group and as a member of Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co.’s private equity practice.

The cannabinoid journey is under way there, as elsewhere, though he said global demand for minor cannabinoids has yet to really take off.

“I think in the U.S., you are starting to see CBN [cannabinol] products often around a sleep claim that are starting to emerge,” he said. “CBG [cannabigerol], CBGA [cannabigerolic acid] are starting to pop up as—I guess some people are saying [they] kind of [accentuate] the cannabinoids that are otherwise already present. There are a variety of different things that I think we’re really just scratching the surface on.”

However, he said, “In any case, Clever Leaves is currently able to provide high THC, high CBD and balanced products to our clients, and also has the capabilities to develop a customized product in a reasonable period of time for our clients.”

A public cannabis company with a strong focus on the international market is stepping into Mexico’s nascent medical cannabis industry.

Clever Leaves, a cultivator, manufacturer and distributor listed on the Nasdaq, announced its entrance into Mexico last month with an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) supply agreement with CBD Life, beginning with cannabidiol (CBD) isolate.

In 2017, Mexico legalized medical cannabis with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentrations below 1%. But Mexico’s health ministry didn’t pass medical cannabis regulations, including those addressing cultivation and harvesting, until this January. (The country’s supreme court also declared adult-use cannabis prohibition unconstitutional in late June.)

Luisa Conesa, an attorney and cannabis activist, told Reuters of the medical regulations: “[The regulation] is not aimed at patients growing their own cannabis, it is aimed at pharmaceutical companies producing pharmaceutical derivatives of cannabis which are classified as controlled substances that need prescription.”

Some companies aiming to create products can import cannabis plant material, according to the news source.

A June press release from Clever Leaves said the company’s partnership with CBD Life “is Clever Leaves’ first commercial agreement in the Mexican market, and it comes shortly after regulations were fully approved in the country, providing a strategic growth opportunity in one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical markets.”

Speaking with Cannabis Business Times and Hemp Grower, Clever Leaves CEO Kyle Detwiler said he and others at the company see Mexico as a “great demand center for medical cannabis, for other cannabinoid products.”

The opening of the market is allowing Clever Leaves to get in on the ground floor with shipping cannabis product there. “I think an announcement like our first shipment to Mexico is a reminder that—listen, in other geographies, cannabis hasn’t really reached the saturation—both societally as well as regulation-wise—as it has in the U.S.,” Detwiler said. “A lot of these countries are just beginning their cannabinoid journey.”

Photo courtesy of Clever Leaves

Clever Leaves follows in-depth quality procedures to produce the pharmaceutical-grade product the Mexican government requires, Detwiler said, noting the company’s adherence to European Union Good Manufacturing Practices (EU-GMP).

Clever Leaves has about 400 employees, 2 million square feet of greenhouse production and 70 million square feet of expansion potential in Colombia, and more than 100,000 square feet of greenhouse production on 9 million square feet of “agricultural and agro-industrial land” in Portugal, according to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings.

“So, we have a smaller operation [in Portugal], but it’s for the production of flower, whereas Colombia’s for the production of extracts right now based on what’s permitted in those two geographies,” Detwiler said.

Simultaneously, Clever Leaves is focused on other operations around the globe, including in the U.S. Its wholly owned subsidiary Herbal Brands, which “manufactures and distributes non-cannabinoid nutraceutical products to more than 15,000 retail locations” across the U.S., per the SEC filings, entered into a partnership with LooperGroup and TruSource Hemp Group in February to import CBD into the U.S.

Detwiler said the goal there is to build upon existing relationships with U.S. retailers to provide them with CBD products, pending greater regulatory clarity in the country.

In Colombia, the company manufactures the CBD isolate that it sells into Mexico, and grows the cannabis from which it derives that isolate.

When asked about future plans for working in the Mexican market, Detwiler said: “Clever Leaves is really out there to be a B2B partner to the industry. I think there’s probably a lot of companies in Mexico thinking through the decision calculus of ‘Hey, wait a minute. Maybe I should go out and build a huge cultivation operation, maybe even a big processing center.’”

However, it could take several years to build out those facilities, become GMP-certified and -compliant—which the Mexican government requires for the entire supply chain—gather stability data and so on, Detwiler said.

“Let me save people the suspense: It’s a pretty low cost to produce our products in Colombia, so even if you could build it in Mexico, I don’t think you would be able to be cost-competitive with sort of a Colombian-produced solution,” he said.

In April 2020, Clever Leaves announced it would supply Canopy Growth subsidiary Canopy LATAM with cannabis extract that Clever Leaves produced through its Colombia operations.

One grower aside from Clever Leaves who has decided to cultivate in Colombia noted the low production costs in speaking with CBT. Cultivator Flora Growth shared its costs to cultivate flower—6 cents per gram—though that business cultivates its entire crop outdoors.

But there are always challenges exporting cannabinoids, Detwiler said, adding: “Imagine showing up with 10 kilograms of fine white powder coming from Colombia into a country for the first time.”

And, when the United Nations’ (UN) Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) voted in December 2020 to remove cannabis from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the CND “opened the door to recognizing the medicinal and therapeutic potential of the drug, although its use for non-medical and non-scientific purposes will continue to remain illegal,” according to a UN webpage.

Still, Detwiler remains optimistic about Latin America. He said he has a history of investing in the region, including while serving as a principal at The Blackstone Group and as a member of Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co.’s private equity practice.

The cannabinoid journey is under way there, as elsewhere, though he said global demand for minor cannabinoids has yet to really take off.

“I think in the U.S., you are starting to see CBN [cannabinol] products often around a sleep claim that are starting to emerge,” he said. “CBG [cannabigerol], CBGA [cannabigerolic acid] are starting to pop up as—I guess some people are saying [they] kind of [accentuate] the cannabinoids that are otherwise already present. There are a variety of different things that I think we’re really just scratching the surface on.”

However, he said, “In any case, Clever Leaves is currently able to provide high THC, high CBD and balanced products to our clients, and also has the capabilities to develop a customized product in a reasonable period of time for our clients.”

A public cannabis company with a strong focus on the international market is stepping into Mexico’s nascent medical cannabis industry.

Clever Leaves, a cultivator, manufacturer and distributor listed on the Nasdaq, announced its entrance into Mexico last month with an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) supply agreement with CBD Life, beginning with cannabidiol (CBD) isolate.

In 2017, Mexico legalized medical cannabis with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentrations below 1%. But Mexico’s health ministry didn’t pass medical cannabis regulations, including those addressing cultivation and harvesting, until this January. (The country’s supreme court also declared adult-use cannabis prohibition unconstitutional in late June.)

Luisa Conesa, an attorney and cannabis activist, told Reuters of the medical regulations: “[The regulation] is not aimed at patients growing their own cannabis, it is aimed at pharmaceutical companies producing pharmaceutical derivatives of cannabis which are classified as controlled substances that need prescription.”

Some companies aiming to create products can import cannabis plant material, according to the news source.

A June press release from Clever Leaves said the company’s partnership with CBD Life “is Clever Leaves’ first commercial agreement in the Mexican market, and it comes shortly after regulations were fully approved in the country, providing a strategic growth opportunity in one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical markets.”

Speaking with Cannabis Business Times and Hemp Grower, Clever Leaves CEO Kyle Detwiler said he and others at the company see Mexico as a “great demand center for medical cannabis, for other cannabinoid products.”

The opening of the market is allowing Clever Leaves to get in on the ground floor with shipping cannabis product there. “I think an announcement like our first shipment to Mexico is a reminder that—listen, in other geographies, cannabis hasn’t really reached the saturation—both societally as well as regulation-wise—as it has in the U.S.,” Detwiler said. “A lot of these countries are just beginning their cannabinoid journey.”

Photo courtesy of Clever Leaves

Clever Leaves follows in-depth quality procedures to produce the pharmaceutical-grade product the Mexican government requires, Detwiler said, noting the company’s adherence to European Union Good Manufacturing Practices (EU-GMP).

Clever Leaves has about 400 employees, 2 million square feet of greenhouse production and 70 million square feet of expansion potential in Colombia, and more than 100,000 square feet of greenhouse production on 9 million square feet of “agricultural and agro-industrial land” in Portugal, according to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings.

“So, we have a smaller operation [in Portugal], but it’s for the production of flower, whereas Colombia’s for the production of extracts right now based on what’s permitted in those two geographies,” Detwiler said.

Simultaneously, Clever Leaves is focused on other operations around the globe, including in the U.S. Its wholly owned subsidiary Herbal Brands, which “manufactures and distributes non-cannabinoid nutraceutical products to more than 15,000 retail locations” across the U.S., per the SEC filings, entered into a partnership with LooperGroup and TruSource Hemp Group in February to import CBD into the U.S.

Detwiler said the goal there is to build upon existing relationships with U.S. retailers to provide them with CBD products, pending greater regulatory clarity in the country.

In Colombia, the company manufactures the CBD isolate that it sells into Mexico, and grows the cannabis from which it derives that isolate.

When asked about future plans for working in the Mexican market, Detwiler said: “Clever Leaves is really out there to be a B2B partner to the industry. I think there’s probably a lot of companies in Mexico thinking through the decision calculus of ‘Hey, wait a minute. Maybe I should go out and build a huge cultivation operation, maybe even a big processing center.’”

However, it could take several years to build out those facilities, become GMP-certified and -compliant—which the Mexican government requires for the entire supply chain—gather stability data and so on, Detwiler said.

“Let me save people the suspense: It’s a pretty low cost to produce our products in Colombia, so even if you could build it in Mexico, I don’t think you would be able to be cost-competitive with sort of a Colombian-produced solution,” he said.

In April 2020, Clever Leaves announced it would supply Canopy Growth subsidiary Canopy LATAM with cannabis extract that Clever Leaves produced through its Colombia operations.

One grower aside from Clever Leaves who has decided to cultivate in Colombia noted the low production costs in speaking with CBT. Cultivator Flora Growth shared its costs to cultivate flower—6 cents per gram—though that business cultivates its entire crop outdoors.

But there are always challenges exporting cannabinoids, Detwiler said, adding: “Imagine showing up with 10 kilograms of fine white powder coming from Colombia into a country for the first time.”

And, when the United Nations’ (UN) Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) voted in December 2020 to remove cannabis from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the CND “opened the door to recognizing the medicinal and therapeutic potential of the drug, although its use for non-medical and non-scientific purposes will continue to remain illegal,” according to a UN webpage.

Still, Detwiler remains optimistic about Latin America. He said he has a history of investing in the region, including while serving as a principal at The Blackstone Group and as a member of Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co.’s private equity practice.

The cannabinoid journey is under way there, as elsewhere, though he said global demand for minor cannabinoids has yet to really take off.

“I think in the U.S., you are starting to see CBN [cannabinol] products often around a sleep claim that are starting to emerge,” he said. “CBG [cannabigerol], CBGA [cannabigerolic acid] are starting to pop up as—I guess some people are saying [they] kind of [accentuate] the cannabinoids that are otherwise already present. There are a variety of different things that I think we’re really just scratching the surface on.”

However, he said, “In any case, Clever Leaves is currently able to provide high THC, high CBD and balanced products to our clients, and also has the capabilities to develop a customized product in a reasonable period of time for our clients.”

The Olympic dream for American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson has been crushed by cannabis.

The 5-foot-1 track and field star rose to fame in 2019 as a freshman at Louisiana State University, where she clocked 10.75 seconds in the 100-meter dash to break the NCAA record.

On June 19, Richardson won the 100 meters during the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore., where the 21-year-old stopped the watch at 10.86 seconds to punch her ticket to the Tokyo Olympics that are scheduled to begin July 23. That’s the exact same time it took to land a top-three podium spot during the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Richardson’s personal best of 10.72 seconds is the fastest time in the world this year.

But Richardson’s Tokyo aspirations were halted July 1, when it became public she tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive component found in cannabis, from a urinary sample collected during the team trials, as first reported by Jamaica Gleaner.

Since Jan. 1, 2021, cannabis has been classified as a “Substance of Abuse” by the World Anti-Doping Agency and currently carries a maximum four-year ban. However, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) said in a statement July 2 that Richardson accepted a one-month suspension—as permitted under the applicable international rules.

“The rules are clear, but this is heartbreaking on many levels,” USADA CEO Travis T. Tygart said. “Hopefully, her acceptance of responsibility and apology will be an important example to us all that we can successfully overcome our regrettable decisions, despite the costly consequences of this one to her.”

According to the USADA, the 2021 World Anti-Doping Code newly classifies THC as a Substance of Abuse because it is frequently used in society outside the context of sport. Should an athlete who tests positive for a Substance of Abuse establish his or her use of the substance occurred out of competition and was unrelated to sports performance, the athlete would receive a three-month sanction. However, if the athlete satisfactorily completes a Substance of Abuse treatment program approved by USADA, the sanction may be further reduced to one month.

NBC Sports Group 

On the Today show July 2, Richardson said she consumed cannabis after learning her biological mother died just before the trials. As shown on NBC television during the trials, she hugged her grandmother in a post-victory embrace following the 100-meter finals.

“My family has kept me grounded. This year has been crazy for me going from just last week losing my biological mother, and I’m still here,” Richardson said during an interview shortly after. “My biological mother passed away, and [I’m] still choosing to pursue my dreams, still coming out here, still making sure to make the family that I do still have on this earth proud.”

While Richardson is disqualified from her U.S. Trials victory, and therefore forfeits her automatic qualification to Tokyo in the 100 meters, her 30-day suspension ends July 27. That opens the door for her to possibly compete on the U.S. women’s relay team races, including the 4×100 relay scheduled for Aug. 5-6.

Beyond the one-month sanction, athlete eligibility for the Tokyo Games is determined by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and the USA Track and Field eligibility rules.

“Right now, I’m just putting all of my time and energy into dealing with what I need to do, which is heal myself,” Richardson said during her Today show interview. “So, if I’m allowed to receive that blessing, then I’m grateful for it, but if not, right now I’m going to just focus on myself.”

In a July 1 tweet, Richardson said, “I am human.”

Richardson’s sponsor, Nike, released a public statement July 2 saying it would stand by her: “We appreciate Sha’Carri’s honesty and accountability and will continue to support her through this time.”

The Olympic dream for American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson has been crushed by cannabis.

The 5-foot-1 track and field star rose to fame in 2019 as a freshman at Louisiana State University, where she clocked 10.75 seconds in the 100-meter dash to break the NCAA record.

On June 19, Richardson won the 100 meters during the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore., where the 21-year-old stopped the watch at 10.86 seconds to punch her ticket to the Tokyo Olympics that are scheduled to begin July 23. That’s the exact same time it took to land a top-three podium spot during the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Richardson’s personal best of 10.72 seconds is the fastest time in the world this year.

But Richardson’s Tokyo aspirations were halted July 1, when it became public she tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive component found in cannabis, from a urinary sample collected during the team trials, as first reported by Jamaica Gleaner.

Since Jan. 1, 2021, cannabis has been classified as a “Substance of Abuse” by the World Anti-Doping Agency and currently carries a maximum four-year ban. However, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) said in a statement July 2 that Richardson accepted a one-month suspension—as permitted under the applicable international rules.

“The rules are clear, but this is heartbreaking on many levels,” USADA CEO Travis T. Tygart said. “Hopefully, her acceptance of responsibility and apology will be an important example to us all that we can successfully overcome our regrettable decisions, despite the costly consequences of this one to her.”

According to the USADA, the 2021 World Anti-Doping Code newly classifies THC as a Substance of Abuse because it is frequently used in society outside the context of sport. Should an athlete who tests positive for a Substance of Abuse establish his or her use of the substance occurred out of competition and was unrelated to sports performance, the athlete would receive a three-month sanction. However, if the athlete satisfactorily completes a Substance of Abuse treatment program approved by USADA, the sanction may be further reduced to one month.

NBC Sports Group 

On the Today show July 2, Richardson said she consumed cannabis after learning her biological mother died just before the trials. As shown on NBC television during the trials, she hugged her grandmother in a post-victory embrace following the 100-meter finals.

“My family has kept me grounded. This year has been crazy for me going from just last week losing my biological mother, and I’m still here,” Richardson said during an interview shortly after. “My biological mother passed away, and [I’m] still choosing to pursue my dreams, still coming out here, still making sure to make the family that I do still have on this earth proud.”

While Richardson is disqualified from her U.S. Trials victory, and therefore forfeits her automatic qualification to Tokyo in the 100 meters, her 30-day suspension ends July 27. That opens the door for her to possibly compete on the U.S. women’s relay team races, including the 4×100 relay scheduled for Aug. 5-6.

Beyond the one-month sanction, athlete eligibility for the Tokyo Games is determined by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and the USA Track and Field eligibility rules.

“Right now, I’m just putting all of my time and energy into dealing with what I need to do, which is heal myself,” Richardson said during her Today show interview. “So, if I’m allowed to receive that blessing, then I’m grateful for it, but if not, right now I’m going to just focus on myself.”

In a July 1 tweet, Richardson said, “I am human.”

Richardson’s sponsor, Nike, released a public statement July 2 saying it would stand by her: “We appreciate Sha’Carri’s honesty and accountability and will continue to support her through this time.”

 

North Carolina took a step toward medical cannabis legalization Wednesday when lawmakers advanced legislation through committee to permit the sale of cannabis and cannabis-infused products to patients with “debilitating medical conditions.”

Some of the qualifying conditions written in the bill include cancer, epilepsy, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, HIV, AIDS, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and more. 

The legislation would establish the regulatory framework for the manufacturing, licensing, distribution and cultivation of medical cannabis in the state.

If passed, a Medical Cannabis Production Commission would issue 10 supplier licenses. The legislation would also reduce the maximum number of medical cannabis centers per supplier from eight to four and would require suppliers to pay the state 10% of the gross revenue derived from cannabis and cannabis-infused products, The Associated Press reported.

The legislation was adopted in a voice vote by Senate Judiciary Committee members, according to the AP, as the majority agreed that cannabis should be offered legally to help alleviate symptoms like pain and nausea caused by severe illnesses and diseases.

Republican Sen. Bill Rabon, bill sponsor and cancer survivor, said the bill had moved him because of his personal experience. “At times, it has been difficult for me to talk to some people about that,” Rabon told the committee. “But I will say again that the time has come that this needs to be discussed, and we need to compassionately care for our fellow man in any way that we can.”

In the first hearing on the bill last week, military veterans expressed their support for the measure stating that cannabis helped alleviate PTSD symptoms. Others criticized the bill for being too narrowly drawn, the AP reported.

Chris Suttle, a cannabis legalization activist, told the committee that he used cannabis when he was suffering from a brain tumor to help alleviate symptoms like swelling in his brain, according to WRAL-TV; however, he said he doesn’t believe the bill would have covered his illness at the time because the tumor could not immediately be identified as cancerous.

“You call this the Compassionate Care Act. I call this an insult,” Suttle said. “The number of dispensaries that you are offering is ridiculous for a state that has 100 counties. The extra regulations that you are putting on this are not fair to those that have been hurt the worst by the war on drugs.”

Conservatives argued against the legislation saying it would lead to an increase in recreational use and that the effectiveness of cannabis use for medical illnesses remains uncertain, according to the AP.

Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League of North Carolina, argued that “smoked marijuana is not medicine.”

Republican Sen. Kathy Harrington said that she would not have supported this bill six months ago; however, her mind has changed once her husband was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and has been going through cancer treatments. “I believe we’ve already had some moments in our lives where this type of medication would have assisted,” she said.

Although the measure cleared its first hurdle, it still has to pass through at least three additional panels before making it to the Senate floor. If passed, it would then head to the House of Representatives for consideration.

Adult-use cannabis legislation has yet to be formally introduced this year in the Pennsylvania Legislature, but the state’s medical cannabis program was expanded June 30.

Pennsylvania Governor’s Office | www.governor.pa.gov

Signed by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday, House Bill 1024 allows qualified patients to legally possess up to a 90-day supply of cannabis, an increase from the previously allowed 30-day supply. It also permits patients to continue utilizing curbside dispensing services. Both changes were adopted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the new law makes those provisions permanent. 

RELATED: Pennsylvania’s Medical Marijuana Advisory Board Discusses Permanently Adopting Temporary Regulations Related to COVID-19

In addition, H.B. 1024 removes the cap that one caregiver may only support a maximum of five patients and authorizes “synchronous interaction,” or physician-patient remote consultations that occur in real time via audio or video conferencing. The law also expands the qualifying conditions for eligibility to include cancer remission therapy, as well as spinal cord or central nervous system damage with “indication of intractable spasticity and other associated neuropathies,” according to the bill’s text.

According to the governor, the new law acts on the recommendations made by the Pennsylvania Department of Health to revise the Medical Marijuana Act, which was signed into law in April 2016.

“It’s been five years since Pennsylvania legalized medical marijuana, and in that time the Department of Health has examined the program’s successes and challenges and made important recommendations on improving the law,” Wolf said in a statement Wednesday. “This legislation provides important updates to our state’s medical marijuana program to ensure that patients have improved access to medication.”

More than 340,000 Pennsylvanians participate in the state’s medical cannabis program, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).

Pennsylvania’s regional organizer for NORML, Chris Goldstein, told The Associated Press that H.B. 1024, which was first considered in committee May 24, moved quickly and there were no hearings to gather input from patients nor their caregivers.

“The bill actually has a lot of provisions that are industry friendly, and most controversial is to allow remediation of mold in cannabis flowers by extracting it into new products,” Goldstein said. “I think that’s where patient voices could have been heard.”

Under the signed legislation, cannabis producers can remediate contaminants, like mold or yeast, to turn it into products that are not to be inhaled or ingested, such as topicals.

With an adequate supply, there are 125 medical cannabis dispensaries in Pennsylvania with product available as of June 30, according to data from the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

While the final version of the bill passed the House, 165-36, and the Senate, 47-3, in the Republican-controlled Legislature, the upper chamber voted to table Democratic Sen. Sharif Street’s amendment that aimed to allow qualifying patients 21 years and older to grow up to five plants at home for personal use. The amendment failed in a 29-21 vote.

In February, Street and Republican Sen. Dan Laughlin—who voted in favor of the home-grow amendment—teamed up to announce their collaboration on crafting an adult-use bill for this legislative session, but they have yet to formally introduce that bill.

RELATED: Talks About Adult-Use Cannabis Bills Heat Up in Pennsylvania; Introduction Does Not

Most provisions in H.B. 1024 became enacted immediately following the governor’s June 30 signing. However, the legislation gives the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture secretary 30 days to make public the list of pesticides that growers and processors can use. That list will be updated annually