New Hampshire Lawmakers Consider Legislation to Expand Medical Cannabis Program, Legalize Adult-Use Cannabis
Bills filed for the 2020 session include one to allow patients to cultivate cannabis at home, as well as two separate adult-use legalization proposals.
New Hampshire lawmakers are considering roughly a dozen cannabis-related bills that have been filed for the 2020 session, including one that would allow patients to cultivate medical cannabis at home and two separate adult-use legalization proposals, according to a New Hampshire Public Radio report.
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee heard a handful of bills Jan. 22 that would expand the state’s medical cannabis program to include additional qualifying conditions, such as autism, and that would also address issues like program access and affordability, the news outlet reported.
Some of the bills would allow qualified medical cannabis patients to access additional dispensaries around the state, offer employment protections for qualified patients and allow patients visiting from other states to purchase medical cannabis products from New Hampshire’s dispensaries, according to New Hampshire Public Radio.
Another piece of legislation proposes a “home grow” option that would allow patients to cultivate their own cannabis. The legislature passed a similar bill last year, but the legislation was ultimately vetoed by Gov. Chris Sununu. The House voted to override the veto, but the Senate vote fell short of the required two-thirds majority to override the veto in that chamber.
Two adult-use legalization bills have also been introduced this year. One would allow adults to possess up to 3/4 of an ounce of cannabis and to grow up to six plants at home, but would not create a commercial market in the state, New Hampshire Public Radio reported.
During last year’s legislative session, the New Hampshire House voted 200-163 to pass an adult-use legalization bill, but the Senate voted to delay the legislation after the Judiciary Committee said the issue needs further consideration.
Sununu remains opposed to legalization.
The storefront of Eureka Sky at 3989 17th Street in San Francisco
Photo courtesy of Ray Connolly
Dispensary Issued San Francisco’s First Equity Cannabis Business Permit to Open Jan. 25
Eureka Sky, owned by gay couple Ray Connolly and Desmond Morgan, will serve the city’s Castro District.
After trying for years to open a cannabis business in San Francisco, Ray Connolly and his husband, Desmond Morgan, will open the doors of their first dispensary, in the city’s Castro District.
“We’re two married gay men opening up a dispensary in the heart of the gay neighborhood, so the mapping of it is really perfect,” Connolly says.
Eureka Sky, which opens Jan. 25 at 3989 17th Street, received the first equity cannabis business permit issued by San Francisco’s Office of Cannabis. The roughly 2,300-square-foot dispensary storefront is owned by Connolly, Morgan and equity partner Chris Callaway. Equity partners and owners in San Francisco have been negatively impacted by cannabis prohibition or meet other criteria that allows them to receive government support as they enter the cannabis industry.
With plans to be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, Connolly says Eureka Sky will sell flower, edibles, pre-rolls, concentrates and CBD pet products. The company has hired a chief technology officer, Steve Delavan, as well as a buyer, and plans to soon hire a staff of budtenders.
Connolly’s and Morgan’s decision to open a dispensary has roots stretching back decades. Both their fathers and Morgan’s stepfather died of cancer when they were young. These members of the older generation didn’t consume cannabis, and Morgan notes it wasn’t legally made available to them. But more recent medical studies stating the benefits of cannabis, including for cancer patients, helped prompt Connolly’s and Morgan’s decision to join the industry.
“I'm a longtime cannabis supporter and user, but it was one of the compelling events when the results started to come on just around the medicinal use, that we decided to get into the cannabis industry,” says Connolly, who worked as a software executive for 23 years.
Morgan, who was employed in the pharmaceuticals and biotech space for about 20 years, learned about the endocannabinoid system more than a decade ago while employed at a company that worked on a diet pill.
“I think cannabis has got such a bad rap for the longest time, because it was just clumped together as being a drug,” Morgan says. “Yet a lot of people don't realize the medicinal benefits of cannabis and that our bodies have our own mechanisms [for receiving it] in terms of the endocannabinoid system — it's all natural.”
Photo courtesy of Ray Connolly
Eureka Sky's interior
In addition to Eureka Sky, Connolly and Morgan plan to open a second dispensary, called Sea Weed, in Fisherman’s Wharf. They and equity partner John Wood are still building out the space but plan to open in March.
Pending the receipt of a permanent permit, Connolly and Morgan aim to open Sea Weed at 2627 Taylor Street. It’s the same address where they tried to set up a medical dispensary in 2015, prior to the passage of Proposition 64, but, Connolly says, were driven out by surrounding businesspeople who opposed a cannabis shop in the neighborhood.
“At that time, the merchants of Fisherman's Wharf literally rented a Greyhound bus, and they had their employees and the owners and managers all go down to city hall and fight it,” Connolly says.
In the intervening years, San Francisco examined the economy of Fisherman’s Wharf and learned that having one or multiple dispensaries to serve tourists and residents could be beneficial for the neighborhood, Connolly says. “When I went back to them the second time, they had a different point of view of opening up a cannabis dispensary,” he says.
Equity in San Francisco’s cannabis program
In San Francisco, permits are currently only being issued to equity applicants, equity incubators and operating cannabis businesses.
To apply for a permit, equity applicants must first be verified with the Office of Cannabis. And to be verified, prospective applicants must meet the following criteria:
The verification process for prospective equity applicants opened in March 2018, and the Office of Cannabis began accepting applications in May of that year, according to a spokesman from the office. As of Jan. 23, 325 equity applicants have been verified, the spokesman says.
Once they are verified, applicants will then take steps such as work with San Francisco Planning to find a location, register with the city and state, consent to a background check and disclose ownership materials, according to the Office of Cannabis website. Furthermore, they must follow multiple security steps, and apply for and receive city permits from departments such as Planning and Building Inspection.
In Connolly’s and Morgan’s situation, equity partners Callaway and Wood approached them about working together, Morgan says. Callaway was arrested in 2000 for cultivating cannabis for the terminally ill, according to hoodline.com. Wood also had previous ties to cannabis; he was good friends with renowned cannabis activist Dennis Peron, Connolly says. (Both Callaway and Wood were unavailable for interviews before Cannabis Dispensary’s deadline for this story.)
As more municipalities legalize cannabis, Connolly says San Francisco’s equity program can provide a model for helping the people who played a role in creating the industry when it was still a black market.
“There are individuals who have been impacted by things that had transpired in their lives because of cannabis, that may have found themselves not being able to get jobs or not being able to keep jobs,” Connolly says. “So, this is a program where business owners like Desmond and I can actually help the individuals that helped build the cannabis industry.”
Software for San Francisco’s equity applications
To streamline the review and processing of equity applications, the City and County of San Francisco has teamed up with government technology company CityBase. San Francisco already used CityBase’s management and payment tools, so it asked the company to see if they could be used for cannabis permitting.
The system’s software gives applicants unique identifiers and allows to fill out documents without having to continually repeat steps, says Josh Goldstein, CityBase chief product officer. At the same time, various city departments involved in the application and permitting process, such as Planning, Fire and Police, can log in and access pertinent information.
Having a simple and reliable system for processing applications and issuing licenses and permits helps San Francisco address equity in the cannabis space, Goldstein says.
“Part of it, I think, is just really just making the user interface simpler, I think is a step toward equity in and of itself, because you're inherently penalizing businesses that have less resources — smaller businesses,” he says. “The more regulatory barriers you have up, the more you're discriminating against those, in my opinion.”
Replacing outdated or manual systems can allow governments to provide more equity to businesses and residents, says Liz Fischer, CityBase chief customer officer, adding that her company’s work with San Francisco on cannabis applications, permitting and licensing is an explicit example.
“What's interesting to me, as someone who works with local government clients and tries to solve the access and equity equation from a lot of different perspectives, is these problems are relevant to every person doing business with local government,” Fischer says. “But because cannabis is newly legalized and is therefore a new business industry … the government side has a chance to consider these things from the ground up, like the entire permitting process, licensing process and the steps in that process that either aid or prohibit someone from participating.”
Hawthorne Gardening Company Announces the First DesignLights Consortium Listing for Gavita LED Lighting Fixtures
Hawthorne’s Gavita 1700e has been certified by the DesignLights Consortium.
VANCOUVER, Wash., Jan 23, 2020 – PRESS RELEASE – Hawthorne’s Gavita 1700e LED lighting fixture has been certified by the DesignLights Consortium (DLC). This listing status means growers who purchase the fixture are now eligible for state and national rebates—potentially cutting upfront equipment costs by as much as half and making it increasingly appealing for growers to switch to more efficient LEDs inside their facilities.
“Core to our mission is helping growers to solve their most pressing problems,” said Chris Hagedorn, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Hawthorne Gardening Company. “This is one of the most exciting, innovative and challenging industries to be a part of, and we’re committed to helping cultivators of all sizes succeed. This new DLC listing allows for our Gavita LED to be rebate eligible, making lighting both more efficient and more affordable for growers”.
As the first Gavita fixture with DLC listing status, the 1700e combines power and efficiency like never before in the brand’s three-decade history. More efficient fixtures like the 1700e drive cost savings and improved margins without sacrificing quality, making products more competitive and empowering business owners to invest in growth and innovation in an increasingly competitive industry. The 1700e is designed specifically for the needs of indoor growers an efficacy of 2.6 µmol s-1 per Watt, IP66 wet rating and eight passively cooled bars that eliminate moving parts.
A New Source For Climate Control and Partnership with Spacesaver
In addition to Gavita’s DLC certification, Hawthorne also announced a partnership offering its tools and supplies for commercial growing operations bundled with durable, multi-tier benching from the leading high-density shelving manufacturer, Spacesaver Corporation. This partnership is aimed at helping growers optimize their business by equipping them with products designed for indoor growing that leverage any building configuration. Two-, three- or even four-tier benching systems allow growers to fit more tables and plants in the same square footage than single-tier options, increasing the potential for higher yields in a single growing season while helping streamline workflow and maximize efficiencies.
Technical Services Aimed at Helping Cultivators Build Their Business
The Hawthorne team, including biologists, soil scientists, airflow specialists and horticulturists, provide growers with a range of professional technical support services. From recommendations for purpose-built HVAC equipment and popular nutrient regimens, to custom lighting/benching layouts and water analyses, every offering is aimed at helping licensed producers and commercial growers understand which products can best help them achieve the scale, efficiency and quality needed to make their businesses successful.
Airflow experts at Hawthorne will also work with growers to provide customized product recommendations intended to achieve balanced airflow and ward off pests and disease. Hawthorne recently revealed its portfolio of temperature- and humidity-control systems. With top brands like Quest and York, Hawthorne offers options built to withstand the intense heat and humidity in growing facilities with climate control equipment designed specifically for indoor horticulture.
Michigan Regulatory Agency Recalls Vape Cartridges with High Levels of Vitamin E Acetate
The recall affects vape cartridges sold from Plan B Wellness.
January 22, 2020 – PRESS RELEASE – The Marijuana Regulatory Agency (MRA) issued a health and safety advisory bulletin today due to the recall of vape cartridges which failed laboratory testing – under the Nov. 22, 2019 emergency rules – for high levels of vitamin E acetate.
All affected vape cartridges will have a label that indicates the license number of the marijuana facility and the METRC number assigned to the product in the statewide monitoring system.
This recall affects the following vape cartridges sold from Plan B Wellness – License PC-000137 – located at 20101 8 Mile RD, Detroit, MI 48219 from Oct. 3, 2019 through Nov. 22, 2019 and on Jan. 16, 2020:
METRC # 1A405010000426A000000015 Savage Stick 1G Concentrate
Patients or caregivers who have these affected medical marijuana products in their possession should return them to Plan B Wellness for proper disposal. Plan B Wellness must notify patients or caregivers that purchased these medical marijuana products of the recall.
Patients who have experienced symptoms after using these products should report their symptoms and product use to their physician.
Patients and caregivers are requested to report any adverse product reactions to the MRA via email: MRA-Enforcement@michigan.gov or via phone: 517-284-8599.
Kentucky Will Skip USDA Rule This Year, Will Continue to Operate Under 2014 Farm Bill Pilot Program Rules for 2020
The Bluegrass State joins others in keeping its hemp industry on the status quo as the USDA figures out how to proceed.
Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Dr. Ryan Quarles announced this week that his state will not submit draft hemp regulations to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, opting instead to remain under the auspices of the 2014 Farm Bill’s pilot program provisions through 2020.
The move will allow Kentucky hemp farmers a bit of breathing room, a chance to regroup and watch the federally legalized hemp marketplace settle into itself a bit. And the wariness is not unfounded. Quarles said that he landed on this decision “after much discussion with industry stakeholders in Kentucky.”
He said that his office fears a degree of overreach on the part of the USDA. And this comes more than a year after Quarles eagerly submitted his state’s original plan to the USDA, before President Trump’s signature had even dried on the 2018 Farm Bill. (A federal government shutdown that same week immediately stalled Kentucky’s plans. Here we are now.)
Earlier this month, the Kentucky Hemp Industries Association published an open letter that urged Quarles to run with this idea.
“The Kentucky Hemp Industries Association is very close to our membership, with boots on the ground all over the state,” KYHIA President Mitchell “Tate” Hall said in the public statement. “Everyone broadly supports the Kentucky Hemp Pilot Program and the efforts of the KDA, as we attempt to build hemp as a predictable, new industry.”
The core issues are the USDA’s revised plan for THC testing and the 15-day period between test-sampling and harvest. With untold acres of hemp plants destroyed in late 2019 due to excessive THC levels, the new, more restrictive guidelines are cause for concern. To work around the 0.3% THC limit, industry experts have suggested the cautious approach of importing certified seed stock from Canada, where approved cultivars may be more reliable in the long run. But apart from that, on the newly legal domestic side on the hemp industry, the Kentucky Hemp Industries Association cites access to clean genetics as another problem the USDA regulations aren’t solving just yet.
Minnesota, Wisconsin and South Carolina officials have come out recent and issued similar statements.
Quarles said that his office will take the year to observe the industry and draft a state plan for 2021, which he will submit to the USDA when ready.
“Kentucky hemp producers have learned a lot since the beginning of the 2014 pilot program as they explore the crop’s potential, and we have the nation’s best Agriculture Commissioner in Ryan Quarles leading the way. By maintaining the pilot program for another growing season, Commissioner Quarles is protecting Kentucky’s farmers, processors and manufacturers while the U.S. Department of Agriculture continues developing its final rule,” U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a public statement.
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