MJ News for 07/08/2014

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7greeneyes

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http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2014/jul/08/one-spokane-marijuana-store-set-to-open-today/




One Spokane marijuana store set to open today


Three stores in north Spokane are among the 25 applicants awarded Washington’s first licenses to sell recreational marijuana, but only one expects to open today, the first day such sales are legal.

The state Liquor Control Board announced the first list of store licenses it is issuing for communities across Washington on Monday. Of the 10 in Eastern Washington, three are in the Spokane area.

But only Spokane Green Leaf, 9107 N. Country Homes Blvd., expects to be open today, and one of the owners said they have not yet settled on a time. Because of supply problems that include a processor in the Seattle area canceling over the weekend, it may be a “soft opening” followed by a grand opening this weekend. Store employees later told Spokane television stations Green Leaf likely will open at 2 p.m.

The other two local licensees said they will open in the near future but have not set dates.

Justin Wilson of Satori, 9301 N. Division St., said opening today “would be amazing” but he thinks a more likely scenario would be next week because of supply problems. He’s been working with producers and processors who don’t have marijuana available yet and is reaching out to other suppliers who may have been working with stores that didn’t receive a license in the first round.

“It’s up in the air right now,” said Wilson, whose recreational marijuana store is opening in a former fitness center next to Piece of Mind, a tobacco, pipe and accessories store he owns. Satori is a Buddhist term that means sudden enlightenment, which Wilson said he thought was appropriate for the state’s people and its government finally waking up to the potential of the drug.

Sam Calvert of Green Star Cannabis, 1403 N. Division St., said his business plan was always to open a little later than the first week and he’s sticking with that. He’s looking at a range of dates and will announce an opening soon.

Starting today, the stores can open after receiving marijuana and entering it into a system that tracks the drug through its growth and harvesting, processing and eventual sale. But receiving the license is not a guarantee of opening. The stores can only sell marijuana from state-licensed growers and processors, and that reportedly is in short supply.

Because of early shortages and a series of taxes imposed on the drug by the law that legalized it for adults, the price of recreational marijuana is expected to be $20 per gram or more, about twice what it is at medical marijuana dispensaries, which are largely unregulated and operate under a different set of laws. Recreational marijuana also is more heavily taxed, with an excise tax levied on producers, processors and retailers.

Washington voters legalized recreational marijuana use for adults by passing Initiative 502 in 2012, but it has taken about a year and a half to set up the system to accommodate legal sales.

The initiative put the state Liquor Control Board in charge of regulating the production, processing and sale of recreational marijuana, and the board held a series of public hearings before setting up regulations for those businesses.

It set the upper limit of recreational marijuana stores for the state at 334, with the number of licenses divided among the 39 counties and most cities. The stores had to be at least 1,000 feet from schools, parks and other facilities that cater to children, and meet local zoning rules.

Some would-be marijuana business operators quickly ran into problems finding a location, and some communities passed temporary or permanent bans on stores, farms or processors. All businesses struggle with banking because federal banking rules do not allow deposits from illegal drug operations, and federal law still classifies marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, making it illegal for all uses.

The state had more than 2,100 applications for the 334 retail slots and held lotteries in most communities to select who would be given the first chance to complete the licensing and open a store.

The 25 stores to receive a green light Monday first passed background checks and inspections for security equipment and had in place a system to track the marijuana and payment of final fees.

A dozen or so more stores will receive the go-ahead in the near future, agency officials said.

Although the state received more than 2,650 applications to grow marijuana, as of last week it had approved only 62 licenses.

Liquor Control Board staff blame the delay on applicants not being ready for inspections, while some potential growers complain they are ready but can’t get inspected. A marijuana plant takes about two months to be ready to harvest, so only the growing operations licensed before May are likely to have product available for the start of retail sales.

The agency has not yet approved any edible products such as cookies, brownies or candies, which must be clearly labeled with the dosage of the psychoactive ingredient and marked to show what a single dose is.

Other agency rules say marijuana products must be packaged in child-proof containers and not have labels that target children or teens. Sales are limited to people 21 or older, and minors are not allowed in stores.
 
http://www.boston.com/news/local/ma...s-marijuana/TIjND7PZIXtP5pqM0tAmsJ/story.html




Patients Sue Massachusetts for Access to Marijuana


Fiffteen patients who say they suffer from “cancer, multiple sclerosis, and other debilitating conditions” and their self-described caregiver are suing the state for access to marijuana, The Boston Globe reports.

Although Mass. voters approved the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes in November 2012, there are no medical marijuana dispensaries open in the state yet. The law required the State Health Department to register up to 35 medical marijuana dispensaries within a year of Jan. 1, 2013, but as of June 27, 2014, the Globe reports that only 11 dispensaries had preliminary licenses, and would probably not open till next year.

William Downing, owner of Yankee Care Givers in Reading and his patients filed the suit last week in the state Supreme Judicial Court, alleging that state health officials have “harmed patients by warning Downing to close his marijuana delivery business.”

The suit says that the state’s failure to get medical marijuana dispensaries running more than 18 months after a law legalizing it for medicinal use went into effect has created a hardship for patients.
Yankee Care Givers website encourages Downing’s patients to join their lawsuit to restore access to medicinal cannabis, saying that Yankee will pay the lawyers so patient participation is free.

According to Yankee Care Givers:

No patient will be asked to testify or appear in court unless they want to. To participate, all you need do is indicate you are willing to do so by allowing Yankee lawyers to know you are a patient, which is private health information.
No date has been set for the court hearing.
 
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...-legalised-cannabis-prompts-pot-shortage.html




Dopeless in Seattle: legalised cannabis prompts pot shortage


A broad smile spreads across the face of shopkeeper James Lathrop as he surveys his shiny new store, for he knows he's about to become the most popular man in Seattle.

On Tuesday the state of Washington will become only the second in the US, after Colorado, to allow the sale of cannabis for recreational use.
And for the 635,000 residents of its biggest city there will be only one place to buy it. That's Mr Lathrop's 620 sq ft outlet "Cannabis City," which is expected to be swamped.

Mr Lathrop, 44, a former Army nurse, who served in Desert Storm, is the only cannabis entrepreneur in the home of grunge who managed to negotiate a labyrinthine licensing system in time for the big day.

"It is exciting to be the only one, but also overwhelming," he said. "There's going to be a big line outside. We're going to have to try to make this like McDonald's, as efficient as possible, so people are in and out, boom, boom, boom.

"We've only got 10 pounds of marijuana though and we expect it all to go very quickly on the first day."

In November 2012 voters in Washington and Colorado chose to legalise cannabis and tax its sale, allowing people over 21 to buy up to an ounce. At the time users in Seattle celebrated by lighting up under the Space Needle.
But since then Washington has been left behind in the race to become America's most pot-friendly state.

Colorado opened its first shops on Jan 1, 2014 and in the first four months sold $69 million (£40m) worth of cannabis, recouping $10.9 million in taxes.

In Washington there has been delay after delay. And now, as opening day finally approaches, there isn't nearly enough cannabis to satisfy demand.
Of more than 2,600 businesses that applied for permission to grow cannabis plants, fewer than 100 have so far been given licences.

Many of the ones who were approved got the licences too late to harvest in time for shops opening on July 8.

Even fewer of the shops who applied for separate sales permits have received them. Only about a dozen are expected to open around the state on day one, with Mr Lathrop's the only one definitely doing so in Seattle. One other shop owner there is still hopeful of receiving his licence in time.
One of the few approved cannabis growers Bob Leeds, 70, of Sea of Green Farms, said: "There's clearly going to be a big shortage. Here, we have about 45 pounds of marijuana ready to go but all of it is spoken for. It will go to four retailers who haven't been licensed yet, but are hoping to be at some point.

"We have eight to 10 other retailers call us every day but we just don't have any product for them. By 2pm today there were 20 requests. I'm afraid they're going to have to wait three or four months for it."

An unlikely cannabis entrepreneur, Mr Leeds spent most of his career working in a bank as a loans adviser and had never seen a cannabis plant until 18 months ago.

He now develops strains with names like Sleestack, Beaver Dawg, Spacebomb and Dutch Hawaiian, at a former call centre he and his partners bought for $2 million and turned into a cannabis factory.

He doesn't smoke the drug himself but has discovered that a cannabis-infused tincture helps with the arthritis in his shoulders.

"I never thought I'd have 5,000 marijuana plants, but I came out of retirement for this and it's fun," he said.

Even for Mr Leeds, with his extensive business experience, getting a cannabis licence in Washington was a challenge. It took him more than 50 hours to fill out a 45-page application document. Each of his plants has to be fitted with four different bar codes and a plethora of labels.

Some businessmen who invested millions of dollars in growing facilities that still lie idle are now believed to be considering suing the state, accusing it of strangling the emerging industry with red tape.

Douglas Taylor, 43, a would-be grower, spent around $250,000 on property to turn into a cannabis farm but is yet to nurture a single plant.
He said: "It's been basically a total mess. I've been hanging in limbo for months. The stores are now opening and they don't have anything to sell, They're going to have less than a third of what they need and growers are going into a loss of revenue mode. I've now missed the outdoor grow season so that's a loss of another half a million dollars."

He said the shortage would contribute to high prices at stores, which in turn would send people to the black market instead. The prices at stores are expected to be twice those on the street.

In 2012 Washington predicted the cannabis industry could bring in $1.9 billion in tax revenue over five years. That estimate has now been cut dramatically to $586 million over four years.

But in Colorado the initial estimate of how much recreational cannabis will be sold in 2014/15 doubled to $612 million with tax revenue of $117.8 million in taxes.

Would-be shop owners in Washington expressed frustration about having to take part in a state lottery in May to win the chance of applying for one of 334 retail licences. Some winners were then disqualified for not meeting regulations such as being further than 1,000ft away from a school, child care centre or park.

Mr Lathrop, who was one of the lottery winners, said he has already spent tens of thousands of dollars meeting various regulations including installing 11 security cameras. "It was a very expensive lottery to win," he said.

But Brian Smith, a spokesman for Washington's Liquor Control Board, which has been overseeing the process, said: "We are not going to apologise for tight regulations and controls, that's the intention of the system.

"If you step back and remember, this is still an illegal drug at the federal level and the Department of Justice is very clear this has to be done under a tightly regulated system. If people in other states want to see systems like Colorado and Washington's come to their states they have to accept that."

He denied that not enough cannabis was being grown, saying: "There's enough canopy to fill 10 or 11 football fields. There's a lot out there, not all of its been harvested yet

"One of the issues is that people are not ready to be licensed. I think a lot of people are coming into this from an environment where they're not used to tight regulation.

"This is a rolling roll-out. A lot of people aren't ready and we are going to continue to issue more and more licences. It's an emerging market and it's going to be a very robust market."
 
http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/ar...ity-seattles-first-pot-store-opening-tomorrow




Where to Eat After You Go to Cannabis City, Seattle's Only Pot Store


Cannabis City—aka Seattle's first pot store! THE FUTURE IS NOW!!!—opens tomorrow at Fourth Avenue South and Lander in Sodo. Lots has already been said about this historic moment, but what you want to know is: Where should I eat after I buy my newly-legal-pot-store marijuana? (Before you go home and legally enjoy it there, of course—not after you surreptitiously spark a bowl on the street and proceed to a nicely stoned, celebratory lunch, for that would be technically illegal.)

Here is where to go have lunch after your historical purchase, friends! If you're walking or biking, stay hydrated—the blocks in Sodo are long, and it's going to be hot out there (for Seattle).

1. Cafe Con Leche: This weird-in-a-legitimately-Cuban-way Cuban place has good pressed sandwiches, and the weirdness of it seems exactly right for this circumstance—things move slowly at Cafe Con Leche, and no one's going to freak you out, and you can wander back and explore the huge, dim, weird room of Club Sur. Good luck finding the bathrooms! (Hint: north-west corner of giant dim Club Sur). I wrote more about this place a couple summers ago, so here, read it!

2. Gastropod: This is a tiny, totally casual brewpub for Epic Ales, with food made by super-cute chef Travis Kukull. The not-all-that-small plates are, in general, goddamned great, and also a really good value: If you're lucky, they will have cool, refreshing watermelon gazpacho served with roasted corn salsa ($6). And the Epic beers are interesting and generally wonderful (and also inexpensive) too: Epic's Partytime tastes like lemons and fun, and the Tart Miso, made with actual miso, tastes like champagne and grapefruit (venture into the weirder beers, made with mushrooms and such, only if you are mentally prepared). Also, Gastropod's logo has a cute snail. Gastropod rules. i reviewed when it opened—here are Eight Reasons to Love Gastropod!

3. Pecos Pit BBQ: As with all barbecue joints in Seattle, some people love it, some people hate it. If you are coming from our city's first legal pot store and you like barbecue, I'm just going to guess that you'll probably love it.

4. Pho Cyclo: This pho/Vietnamese standby (there's also one on Broadway with amazing murals) is a good choice for your pot-store mission for the cold rice noodle bowls—with pork, shrimp, and/or other savory goodies on top, they're great summertime food and also full of different flavors and textures... whoa, man.

5. Zinnia Bistro: This little lunch place looks like a warehouse from the outside, but inside there's handmade marble tables, fresh flowers, and sandwiches that people love, including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options for you goddamn hippies.

6. By’s: It's ain't gourmet, but people say that the burgers, fish 'n' chips, and onion rings are quite tasty at this Seattle drive-in classic.

And for those of us who relish an occasional trip to America's Number One Chain Diner, there's the Sodo Denny’s... and I insist that you read this article by David Schmader about the time they served free breakfast there.

Congratulations to us all, and bon appetit!
 
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ca...to-authorize-medical-marijuana-use-2014-07-08




Cannabis Science, Inc. (CBIS) Prepares for New York State as it becomes the 23rd state to authorize Medical Marijuana use


COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., July 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Cannabis Science, Inc. CBIS +6.32% , a U.S. Company specializing in cannabis formulation-based drug development and related consulting applauds the legalization of medical marijuana usage in New York State opening the opportunity to help one of the largest US populations of patients with legal medical cannabis.

As Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the Compassionate Care Act, one of the largest marketplaces for medical marijuana has opened up to companies focused on medical grade marijuana treatments. The legalization of medical marijuana has had "overwhelming support" in state polls, State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has said in a statement. Cannabis Science has been actively involved in the procurement and initiation to place treatment and scientific research for the anticipated usage in New York State. With extremely high proliferation of usage numbers coming from Colorado, a state that has legalized both recreational and medical usage, Cannabis Science is extremely excited to see a population base of almost 20 million citizens be part of regulation reform. It is anticipated that these changes will also allow copious amounts of data to be gathered to provide evidence based therapy approach administered in a manner that protects public health and safety.

On the other side of the country after almost 2 years of anticipation, the first licenses for legal sale where issued yesterday and sales are intended to begin today in the state of Washington. Recreational dispensary candidates are currently applying and 20 of the 334 authorized permits have already been approved in the first wave of applications submitted to the state government.

These developments signify change in the lawmakers' attitudes and will continue driving changes in legalizing the use of medical marijuana worldwide. The Cannabis Science management board view these events as a progressive step to boost the cannabinoid science and the opportunity for the scientific innovations held by Cannabis Science to be developed in order to respond to the unmet medical needs in multiple markets.

About Cannabis Science, Inc.

Cannabis Science, Inc., takes advantage of its unique understanding of metabolic processes to provide novel treatment approaches to a number of illnesses for which current treatments and understanding remain unsatisfactory. Cannabinoids have an extensive history dating back thousands of years, and currently there are a growing number of peer-reviewed scientific publications that document the underlying biochemical pathways that cannabinoids modulate. The Company works with leading experts in drug development, medicinal characterization, and clinical research to develop, produce, and commercialize novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment for illnesses caused by infections as well as for age-related illness. Our initial focus is on skin cancers and neurological conditions.
 
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ca...d-cannabis-stocks-higher-last-week-2014-07-08




Cannabis Sativa & Easton Pharmaceuticals Led Cannabis Stocks Higher Last Week


Jul 08, 2014 (ACCESSWIRE via COMTEX) -- Whitefish, MT / July 8, 2014 / The Marijuana Index(tm) was mixed last week, as index heavyweights GW Pharmaceuticals plc GWPH -9.37% and Medbox Inc. MDBX -2.17% gave up some of their earlier gains towards the end of the week.

Top gainers included Cannabis Sativa Inc. CBDS -16.94% , which jumped 80% after completing its acquisition of Kush and naming former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson as its CEO, and Easton Pharmaceuticals Inc. EAPH -7.11% , which jumped 65% after announcing that its medical marijuana facility build-out was nearing completion per Health Canada's guidelines prior to inspection.

Cannabis regulatory initiatives continued to gain ground, although there have been some concerns that have arisen. For example, Washington State faces a number of growing pains associated with its recreational marijuana rollout, while some energy companies are expressing concerns that marijuana growers are and would continue to put a strain on the nation's energy grid if left unchecked.

What's New?

- Marijuana Reclassification Could Benefit Cannabis Therapy - CannabisFN takes a look at how the FDA's reclassification of marijuana could benefit companies like Cannabis Therapy Corp. CTCO +1.00% .

- Cannabis Cultivation Strains Electricity Grid - Cannabis growers are increasingly putting a strain on the nation's energy grid, which has led some utilities to propose alternatives for the industry.

- CannLabs Signs Deal with Premier Edibles Maker - CannLabs Inc. SDSPD -15.97% recently announced a 12-month exclusive agreement to provide testing services for Dixie Elixirs and Edibles, one of the largest edibles firms.

- Washington Cannabis Industry Faces Growing Pains - Washington State's legalization of recreational marijuana hasn'' been quite as smooth as Colorado's as regulators face some issues implementing the law.

- DigiPath Launches Cannabis Education Program - DigiPath Inc. DIGP -14.29% launched its new cannabis education and training division in partnership with Oak Tree Educational Partners Inc.

Exclusive Interview Series

In a recent episode of CannabisFN's Executive Interview Series, Mike Elliott sits down to talk with Supreme Pharmaceuticals' CEO David Stadnyk about the company's efforts in applying for a Canadian MMPR license and more.

Click Here: Watch the Full Interview

CannabisFN's Mike Elliott also sat down to talk with Cannabis Technologies Inc.'s CEO Craig Schneider about the company's unique focus on cannabinoid-based drug discovery and development leveraging its proprietary platform.

Click Here: Watch the Full Interview

What to Watch This Week

The cannabis sector was somewhat mixed last week, but many smaller companies in the space experienced strong gains. While traders may take profits off the table for some of these companies, the market for marijuana stocks continues to strongly recover from its lows made earlier this year. Regulatory initiatives could also provide an ongoing source of catalysts over the long-term.
 

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