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Taste of the Emerald Triangle: Harvest Box 2016

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QUICK & DIRTY
  • Terpine nerds will go nuts for this 28-gram bonanza of buds from the 2016 Emerald Triangle Harvest. Made to savor.
  • $190, Natural Cannabis Company

Imagine 28 grams of the best marijuana from the 2017 Northern California harvest. Grown on small Mendocino, Humboldt and Sonoma County farms. In a box. On your lap. For under $200.

Which may have something to do with the fact that a review of the  taken more than a month to properly explain why the Natural Cannabis Company’s Best of Harvest Box is the Emerald Report’s first Editor’s Pick.

The Deal: Think of it as a 28-course meat at the French Laundry; 28 bottles of the finest Bordeaux or a terpine-to-terroir tour of the Emerald Triangle. Thing is, this is a box to savor and explore rather than a quick toke. We spent (literally) weeks comparing grams of Pre-98 and Mendo Glue with Tangie and Purple Pineapple. For newer smokers, these flowers are an education in the range of colors, smells, trichromes and flavors. For vets, the box is a solid geography lesson.

harvest_box_top

The Critique (from Reviewer Chris Hanson): “Since each gram is individually packaged in an airtight container, this box could last you months if you are a light weekend smoker. When you do the math this is also a great deal. For  $190 you receive 28 grams, around $6.75 a gram excluding taxes. Overall  the product in the container, the containers, the idea and the price point are great.  As an Indica guy I was hoping for a few more but overall the variety was abundant.”

Standouts: Tangie; Memberberry Diesel; Jah Kush, G-5, Banjo

Natural Cannabis Company's Harvest Box 2016

Natural Cannabis Company’s Harvest Box 2016

The Sell: “This unique collection represents the absolute best of the 2016 harvest and was curated for aroma, flavor, uniqueness and potency.Natural Cannabis Company works exclusively with small farms in Northern California, many located throughout the famous Emerald Triangle and all growing some of the best cannabis in the world. Each box contains 28 unique grams (1 oz) of superior cannabis..” – Natural Cannabis Company 

Where to Buy: Available at all three Natural Cannabis Company Northern California locations: Oakland Organics, Oakland; OrganiCann, Santa Rosa; MendoCann, Hopland.

The Strains and Farms:
Good Life Farms: Gorilla Glue #4

Blazing Oaks: Watermelon Rancher

Catalyst Farms: Passion Orange Guava

OCD Farms: Do-Si-Do

Dos Rios Farms: Jah-Kush

Eel River Farms: Purple Pineapple

Giving Tree Farms: C4

Glen Tucky Family Farm: Pre-98

GreenShock: Purple Candy Cane

Joe’s Farm: Blueberry Cheese

Marley’s Farm: Lemon Garlic OG

McNab Cannabis: Memberberry Diesel

Mendo Dope Family Farms: Qrazy Train

Nara Farms: Durban Mango

Next Year Farms: Banjo

Perfect Flower Farms: Mendo Glue

Queen: Tangie

Rio Oso Flowers: Crypt

Robinson Creek Farms: Cherry Shish

Cannacoast FML Farms: G5

SOG Army: Sour Amnesia

Stoney Mountain Farms: Jack Herer

Strong Mountain Farms: Pineapple

Team Happy Medicine: Burban

Lavish Blooms Farms: Boost

Walnut Lane Farms: John Snow

Yellow Star Farms: Cherry Slider

Zsa Zsa Gardens: Amethyst Rose

The post Taste of the Emerald Triangle: Harvest Box 2016 appeared first on The Emerald Report.


PAX Era: A Vape for Techies

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A vape pen with an app that let’s you control the temperature, records your usage, has a lock feature and the sleek, modern look of a smart device? Yes, please.

For years, PAX products have been at the forefront of portable flower vaporizers. Their products have always been tech-savvy, but the PAX Era — which is exclusively for concentrates–has really sold us with this convenient and discreet product.

The stats: A little shake lights up the Pax’s X light in the device, letting you know it’s on and ready for action. We used the app to control the heat, which is a nice feature on a $60 pen. The pen is sold without a cartridge (called Pods), which cost an additional $40, so you’re looking at about $100 for the set-up. We’ve only had to charge the 240 mAh battery once in two months, which is surprising, since it’s at the low end of the e-cig battery range, but this tiny pen puts out quite the hit. The charger is USB-enabled, making it easy to charge with smart-device equipment.

pax_era_pod_beautyThe pen: Made of bead-blasted anodized aluminum, the PAX Era has a nice, solid feel in your hands, and doesn’t require any button pushing. To fully enjoy this pen you really need the Bluetooth-enabled app for adjusting temperature and locking the vape, but it includes time wasters like changing the color of the lights and even playing games. We also like being able to track usage and amount, making it good for accurate dosages.

The cartridge:The PAX Era has a proprietary cartridge that reminds me of a mini printer cartridge, and comes in child-proof packaging. The pods are simple to swap out, with no mess or unscrewing, just a gentle pull. Currently, Bloom Farms is the exclusive vendor of the cartridges (indica, sativa and hybrid) for the PAX Era, but rumor has it there will be more variety shortly. 

pax_era_podThe Concentrate: Bloom Farms makes good clean CO2 extracted products that are lab tested and consistent. I tried out the indica, and was really pleasantly surprised. There was no harsh burn from a fiber wick and the concentrate was smooth, but fairly flavorless. Just like an indica should be, it was calming and a little sedative. 

This is not your average concentrate pen. Yes, it can work like your standard pen, but that’s like having the newest, fastest computer and just playing Solitaire on it. With all the things you can adjust on the pen with the app, this is the most techie, interactive pen we’ve experienced.

Find it: PAX products are available online, but the Pods are only sold at dispensaries. In the North Bay, Sonoma Patient Group, Redwood Herbal Alliance and Peace in Medicine have the PAX Era, and concentrate Pods. 

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10 Best Valentine Gifts for Cannabis Lovers

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We’re not saying dinner and a movie isn’t enough for you and your sweetie this Valentine’s Day. We’re just saying that these 10 cannabis-related products might just jazz things up when it’s time to head to the bedroom. 

Let’s state the obvious first: If you’re going to imbibe in some cannabis fun with your guy or gal, make sure they’re clear on your intentions, willing, and legal, because Valentine’s Day is for love and intimacy. Not getting someone high without telling them the plan. Un-fun.

Secondly, this article discusses sensual, adult products that are described in a general way, but may be too graphic for some readers. Finally, please call ahead, because we can’t guarantee that the products will be at the dispensaries when you go.

foriaForia Sensual Enhancement Oils: Cannabis to sooth, well, pretty much everything down there without heavy psychoactive effects. “Explore” ($54 for 8) suppositories help stimulate gents, while “Pleasure” ($36) spray is designed for the ladies, creating a warming sensation. “Relief” suppositories are designed to help with monthly menstrual cramps. “Hand-crafted from the female flower of the marijuana plant – one of the oldest known aphrodisiacs in the world,” says the website, foriapleasure.com. Peace in Medicine, 6771 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol.

aya_vapesAYA Vape Kit and Nectar: These classy pens are made for giving. Made with organic cannabis, with balanced, tasty terpenes that will wow first-timers and impress regular users. “Slumber” is an indica dominant blend, while “Awaken” kicks it up with OG Kush and Sour Diesel. An Emerald Report favorite. Organicann, 301 East, Todd Road, Santa Rosa

touchSutra Sensuals: Cannabis infused massage oil with bright orange smell and warm feel on the skin. Made with orange, apricot seed, pomegranate and cannabis oils. Sonoma Patient Group: 2425 Cleveland Ave., #175, Santa Rosa.

Rose Geranium Body Oil, Om Edibles + Medicinals: A female-run collective in the North Bay makes bath soaks and body oils with THC for a relaxing effect. Peace in Medicine, 6771 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries, Satori: Wild dried strawberries covered in milk chocolate make eating weed a little less, well, weedy. The whole box has about 140mg, but suggested servings are 3 pieces, with about 3mg per piece. We’ve eaten a whole handful and barely felt an effect, but hey, it’s still tasty, and your results may vary. Sonoma Patient Group: 2425 Cleveland Ave., #175, Santa Rosa.

vanilladefonceDefonce Chocolatier: With a focus on chocolate rather than just cannabis, these are high-end bars made with white chocolate, vanilla beans, matcha green tea, caramel, coffee and hazelnuts. Luxe packaging makes this a $20 candy bar for grown ups only. Approx. 180 mg per bar.

savorWhoopi and Maya “Savor”: Thick and a bit waxy, this is best for eating straight out of the classy jar, or spreading on your lover. Pace in Medicine, 1061 N. Dutton Ave., Santa Rosa.

Seven Strain Rainbow Tester Tower: We had weeks of fun playing with Organicann’s “Harvest Box” with 28 grams of 2016’s best of the harvest. Equally fun looking: Entinterra Solutions’ Rainbow tower with a lineup of seven classics including Black Lime Tangine, Blackberry Blue Blast and Blue Dream Tangie, $110. Etinterra Solutions Mobile Dispensary at the Bric Hive, 753-4068.

bhang-thcspray1Bhang Mouth Spray: Stay minty and fresh for your sweetie with a quick squirt of these discrete sublingual sprays. THC Spray has 300mg per bottle, so use mindfully. Mercy Wellness, 7950 Redwood Dr., Cotati.

organ_valentineValentine Chocolate Box, Natural Cannabis Co.: Six assorted premium cannabis-infused chocolates, $20. Organicann. Organicann, 301 East, Todd Road, Santa Rosa.

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New cannabis cryptocurrency aims for social impact

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A new cannabis-backed cryptocurrency hopes to prove that a digital currency designed for social impact can solve real-world problems.

The Cannabium marijuana-backed token, which trades like Bitcoin, hopes to be the “first-ever financial contract that you can buy, trade and redeem to get physical CBD,” according to its acting chief executive, Nachshol Cohen. Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of at least 113 active chemical compounds identified in cannabis.

These cannabis tokens are a global initiative. Canada-based Tokenopoly will provide the software and the CBD is to be produced in Colombia using Israeli agriculture technology.

Set for an Initial Coin Offering (ICO) privately in March and in publicly in April, the new company is focused on making CBD more accessible in countries where cannabis‐derived products are federally legal. The company says it also hopes to help standardize the CBD market price and quality, and help turn around lives of impoverished peasant farmers.

“There are over 200 farmers who will benefit from this ICO. It will change their lives from the day after the ICO,” says Cohen, an Israel-based social entrepreneur. “This is a very important social project for the Cauca region in Colombia. Solutions are in need in the area and we’re going to supply solutions.”

The town of Corinto in Colombia’s central-southwest Cauca province has become a huge marijuana producer. It’s home to roughly 50 percent of the marijuana grown in Colombia, an area known for some of the best medicinal strains in the world. In 2015, Colombia legalized marijuana for medical and scientific purposes. The country is now hoping a legal market will enable its peasant cannabis producers to break a cycle of poverty.

Investors from the United States, Canada, Israel and Mexico are currently backing nearly two dozen companies with permits to grow, manufacture and sell medical marijuana products in Colombia.

Among these companies is ONE Colombia, backed by an investment of $1.5 million from Israeli partners. ONE Colombia officials say a factory in Corinto will produce 300 tons of oil extracts each year from crops owned by small, local growers. Cannabium says its cannabis products will be sourced from ONE Colombia, a company that uses Israeli technology to produce high‐quality active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) extracted from its agricultural cultivars.

“This is 100 percent legit. There is a real ecosystem behind this. Real companies. Real farmers,” says Cohen, who’s also the founder of a company specializing in medicinal mushroom-derived health supplements.

Using cryptocurrency for social good is a trending phenomenon. Companies and individuals around the world are hosting meetups or hackathons dedicated to leveraging blockchain technologies to solve the world’s most pressing issues. Cohen says the matchup of cryptocurrency with cannabis can make a real impact.

Each Cannabium token represents 1 gram of 99+ percent pure CBD. Starting this year, Cannabium token holders will be able to redeem their tokens either for the physical delivery of a CBD product — produced in Colombia under government-issued licenses — or as a cash-sale settlement.

“By creating an added value for the investors… you can invest money and get a medicinal product for it or money. Or, you can create a medium of exchange where you can buy cannabis-derived products. And, you can help a thousand people. Corinto is a place of great need. Their entire community is going to change,” Cohen says.

Weed cryptocurrencies are blooming in the world’s digital currency gardens. The likes of PotCoin, CannaCoin and CannabisCoin were created to make transactions easier for medical marijuana dispensaries.

“Cryptocurrency can take the marijuana industry to a whole new level,” says Gabriel Glusman, a senior analyst at Sixgill cyber intelligence firm. “The fact that the marijuana industry is more accepted by the mainstream might play in favor of this cryptocurrency gaining investors.

“From an investment point of view, I don’t think anyone will care if it’s linked to the cannabis industry as long as they can make money off of trading it. The same thing regarding cyber criminals. As long as they can make money out of it, they don’t care what it’s tied to.”

But some critics see flaws in the cannabis cryptocurrency concept. Possible hacking isn’t the only thing making marijuana entrepreneurs wary of the virtual finance space. Dispensaries in the U.S. are worried about breaking local laws.

“We have too many strict state and federal standards to meet, and right now, the cryptocurrencies don’t allow us to meet those high standards,” Zachary Zises, owner at Dispensary33 in Chicago, told Green Market Report. “I don’t think there is any regulated market where a state regulatory agency would allow it, but it’s just a guess.”

Cohen insists that his virtual tokens carry a social mission that other digital currencies ignore.

“I don’t know of another cryptocurrency that took 1,000 people out of poverty in such a direct way,” Cohen says. He says entrepreneurs in Africa and India have asked him to help them with an ICO to raise money for their communities.

“I wanted to see how I could create a win-win-win for the investors, the partners and the whole ecosystem,” Cohen says. “Our initial cause is not about changing the whole world. But I believe that if you create one project, that will start from the surface and go up, and create a change by building real factories with real fields and real farmers and offer a real product, then I think this is awesome.”

Viva Sarah Press is a journalist who specializes in writing about creativity and innovation taking place in Israel and beyond. She is also a speaker, content writer, and medical clowning student. Learn more about Viva online: facebook.com/VivaSarahPress

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Cannabis tourism: Welcoming travelers behind the Redwood Curtain

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California’s new cannabis industry is valued at $7 billion. With such a large green pie on the table, it’s no surprise that legal marijuana comes with a dizzying amount of red tape. Many farmers and business owners are still learning what permits they need and which regulations to follow as the ink dries on the page.

In this climate of cultural change, legal ambiguity is rampant; the federal government maintains a stalwart (and occasionally threatening) attitude toward cannabis. In 2018, opening a cannabis business is roughly akin to a scavenger hunt with clues written in invisible ink. Success is far from guaranteed, and it’s hard to say how the green pie will be divided up.

But for those treading the uncharted waters of California’s growing cannabis industry, it’s an exciting time of innovation and opportunity. Cannabis is being decriminalized across California, saving taxpayers millions of dollars each year and shifting community relationships with law enforcement. Cultural change has started easing the stigma around cannabis use. Gwyneth Paltrow is slipping CBD tinctures into her cocktail and Whoopi Goldberg’s company offers an entire line of “pot-for-PMS” products.

Hundreds of miles north of burgeoning marketplaces in L.A. and the Bay Area, Northern California’s fabled Emerald Triangle is the historic home of cannabis. It’s mystical corner of California bordered by the rugged Pacific Ocean and tooth-picked by stately redwood trees. Growing cannabis has been a way of life here since the hippies moved north in the countercultural ’60s. Since then, countless working-class locals and fortune-seeking outsiders have taken up the trade.

Today, it’s estimated that one in every four dollars comes from cannabis in the Emerald Triangle. Speculation that mounting tax rates and corporate interests will ruin mom-and-pop farms is widespread. In this grim forecast, some are pinning their hopes on cannabis tourism.

“It’s not the miners who got rich during the gold rush, it was the guys selling shovels and picks,” says Sean Roby, founder and CEO of Bud & Breakfast, a cannabis-friendly lodging company.

Roby purchased the budandbreakfast.com domain in 2002, gambling that an end to marijuana prohibition was imminent. Colorado and Washington state were the first to legalize recreational cannabis in 2012. Twelve years after he bought the domain, Roby launched Bud & Breakfast in Boulder, the country’s new playground for recreational cannabis. With California’s Prop. 64 passing into law in 2018, Roby says he has watched the number of properties on Bud & Breakfast triple.

Operating as an online platform for 420-friendly hosts, Bud & Breakfast currently advertises listings in six U.S. states, Canada, Jamaica, Uruguay, Colombia and Spain. While the cannabis component at several Bud & Breakfast properties is simply a designated smoking area, more elaborate listings offer estate-grown bud or cannabis-infused cooking classes. With rentals listed at an average of $250 per night and new properties joining daily, Roby says business is booming.

In Northern California, Lonely Planet recently named “California’s Redwood Coast” the No. 1 place to visit in 2018. Heralded for its stunning coastline and slow pace of life, this region is attracting international attention.

While Humboldt and marijuana are known synonymously, cannabis has always been prescriptively removed from the tourist experience. Tourists staying in bucolic Ferndale or bohemian Arcata are unaware of what happens “on the hill,” as locals say. Most tourists could probably guess the meaning of a fully loaded, off-road truck picking up supplies at Costco. But outsiders have never been welcomed into the secretive world of Northern California cannabis growers – until now.

A cannabis advocate and outdoor enthusiast, Matt Kurth launched Humboldt Cannabis Tours in 2017. Committed to helping cannabis farms thrive in this legalized market, Kurth’s company offers tours of legendary Humboldt County cannabis farms. Like Lonely Planet, Kurth is effusive about what Humboldt has to offer. The oysters, funky and open-minded community, redwoods and rugged Pacific beaches are what he calls the “real Humboldt County.” Kurth stresses that his tours “aren’t for stoners,” but also wants nothing to do with the bachelorette party bus scene that is ubiquitous in wine country.

Many of Kurth’s affiliated farmers are still navigating a convoluted licensing process. Farms need to not only be fully legal and compliant to allow tours, but must also provide state-mandated amenities such as restrooms. Rural cannabis farming has rarely afforded such luxuries.

Still, interest in cannabis tourism is on the rise. It’s been aided by several factors: increased national media attention on legalization, hints of a Humboldt marijuana television series starring John Malkovich, and the success of similar ventures in Oregon, Washington and Colorado.

At Emerald Queen Farms in Willow Creek, Hannah Whyte and her husband, Riley, grow Girl Scout Cookie, Sour Diesel and Skittles strains using regenerative farming methods. In the process of getting licensed by Humboldt County and the state, Whyte says the farm plans to offer yoga and infused cooking classes. Both skateboarding, snowboarding and river enthusiasts, the couple spend as much time outdoors as possible with their two sons.

“We want to incorporate recreational activities and spending time in nature with cannabis tourism,” Whyte says. She imagines that one day her farm will grow flowers and medicinal herbs in addition to cannabis. Like Kurth, she views cannabis tourism as a key opportunity for small family farms.

“Being the largest production area [Humboldt County] in the state, we have a huge opportunity to create and develop a sustainable industry for our area,” says Whyte.

As the cannabis industry emerges from the shadows, rural Northern California holds its title as the original green paradise. Visitors to the Emerald Triangle will soon have more opportunities to legally smoke, eat, drink or otherwise enjoy cannabis products before hiking in the redwoods or going out for oysters. It’s a brave new world for cannabis behind California’s Redwood Curtain.

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Israeli medical marijuana companies may bolt overseas if export ban continues

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At the CannaTech cannabis innovation conference in Tel Aviv this week, medical marijuana activists and business leaders voiced their disappointment with the Israeli government’s move to block medical cannabis exports.

“The government is missing out on a massive opportunity to become the world leader [in the sector],” Saul Kaye, CEO of CannaTech and ICAN Israel, said in a press conference. “This is a mature, robust R&D-focused opportunity that is looking to globalize. So, if the government misses out, we’ll all end up working in Slovenia.”

Reports show the global market for medical marijuana could reach $50 billion by 2025. Initially, the Israeli government valued its share in the export market at more than $1 billion annually.

In 2016, the Israeli government gave firms the green light to set up new farms and grow cannabis for export. By September 2017, Israel’s agriculture minister had declared medical-grade cannabis growing an official farming sector.

Political pressure halts export

With one of the oldest medicinal cannabis programs in the world and renowned innovation in scientific research and agriculture, Israel was expected to become one of the main players in the medicinal cannabis movement.

Last month, however, reports came out saying that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had put the plan to export medical marijuana on hold. A widely shared report suggested that Netanyahu had halted cannabis exports to avoid upsetting U.S. President Donald Trump.

“We don’t look serious,” said Yona Levy, CEO at Alvit LCS Pharma, about the government’s indecisive policies. He voiced dismay that regulators let political considerations sway their policies especially as “many companies here are creating enough IP and creating an industry, doing clinical trials… and we may now lose the possibility of being a leader in the industry. It’s a disgrace.”

Kaye said investors are already adding new clauses to agreements with Israeli companies, citing the $110 million deal announced earlier this month by Israeli medical cannabis company Medivie Therapeutic to grow and export medical cannabis to an unnamed international financial investor.

Medivie said in a statement that it would grow the cannabis in Israel if the government allows export of medical cannabis, but that it wouldn’t think twice about transferring its activities to a different country if the export ban continues.

Together Pharma, a newly formed Israel-based company that focuses on growing, exporting and distributing medical cannabis, has already made the step abroad. The company announced in March that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with a foreign firm to build a marijuana farm abroad.

“Together Pharma is not dependent on [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu,” CEO and co-founder Nissim Bracha told The Jerusalem Post. While he “loves the country,” Bracha said Together Pharma will move operations elsewhere if the ban persists.

Israeli tech shapes cannabis industry

While Israel may not be the cutting-edge exporter it had hoped to be in the medical marijuana arena, the country’s cannapreneurs are still forging ahead – eyeing global markets with a keen eye.

The country remains one of the leading cannabinoid centers of research in the world. Israel has been at the forefront of medical cannabis research since 1964, when now retired Hebrew University Professor Raphael Mechoulam led a team that first isolated THC, the main active principle of cannabis.

Israel still holds its status as a trailblazer in new technologies. The 2018 CannaTech conference helped bring that point home, drawing 800 people from 40 countries to Tel Aviv.

Days before the cannabis conference, Kanabo Research, a Tel Aviv-based medical cannabis research company, announced that the Israeli Ministry of Health had granted initial approval of its cannabis vaporizer as a medical device. This action made Israel the first county in the world to grant medical device approval to a vaporizer for the use of medical cannabis extracts and formulations.

“Our device is an auxiliary product. We can sell it worldwide because you don’t have to fill in the cartridges in Israel. Israel will lose out on jobs and income but as a company we have the solutions outside,” Avihu Tamir, CEO of Kanabo, tells The Emerald Report. “Currently we’re working with two producers, one in Oregon in the U.S. and one in Europe, on the production facilities for the extraction, formulation and oils.”

Tamir says his company is getting around the uncertain medical marijuana policies by means of technology transfer. “We’re taking Israeli technology and creating the same material and product outside,” he said.

Cannabis firms find foreign partners

Tikun Olam, the first producer approved by the Israeli government, holds partnerships with U.S. companies to cultivate marijuana in Delaware, Nevada, Washington, Rhode Island, Maryland, Massachusetts and Illinois. Pending government approval, the company had hoped to export cannabis products to Europe and South America.

Ma’ayan Weisberg, head of international relations at Tikun Olam, says her company holds one-third of the medical cannabis market in Israel. The company supplies some 12,000 patients a year, over 800 of them children. Tikun Olam products are used in ongoing clinical trials in Israel, and are administered in the first professional cannabis nursing clinic in Tel Aviv.

She said Tikun Olam holds substantial patient clinical data and is ready to share its knowledge and IP with foreign partners.

“If we’re not able to export, we will continue to do joint ventures globally and be able to export from those other countries,” said Weisberg. “It is a shame the government here is not seeing the potential, because we do believe we are able to provide so much work and income for this country.”

Kaye, CEO of CannaTech, says many cannapreneurs understand the need to scale-up their businesses for potential export issues from the beginning. Some won’t be affected by the government’s recent policies on medical cannabis trade.

“We are building global-scale businesses. We all build our cannabis companies knowing that borders are going to be an impediment, and we scale-up infrastructure across multiple areas so that we can hit multiple jurisdictions,” says Kaye.

Kaye says the Israeli government’s indecisiveness on medical cannabis exports upsets him most because he wants to see these global businesses stay in Israel. A member of the parliamentary Knesset special committee on medical cannabis, he says, “money will flow elsewhere and the expertise will go where the money is. We can prevent that.”

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Nevada law still hazy on cannabis users’ rights at work

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Three years after medical cannabis became legal, and nearly a year into the state’s legalized recreational market, Nevada legal experts say there is no clear guidance or protections for employees who use cannabis.

“Short answer is nobody knows,” said Robert Spretnak, a Las Vegas attorney. “Congress and the Nevada Legislature need to step in and give some guidance.”

A key question is whether Nevada employees can be legally terminated for using cannabis outside of the office. Like other states that have legalized cannabis use for adults, Nevada is navigating murky legal waters as the substance remains illegal on the federal level.

Medical cannabis, for instance, is often prescribed to treat mental health issues like anxiety disorders and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Even when a person consumes cannabis at home, the substance can show up in his or her system for several weeks.

Employees who are terminated for failing a drug test have limited options with the state’s Equal Opportunity Employment Commission ­– even for those using cannabis to treat a disability.

“Because federal law generally supersedes state law, there can really be no expectation of a federally protected right under the ADA to smoke medicinal marijuana for a disability,” said Kara Jenkins, administrator of the Nevada Equal Rights Commission. “Therefore, an employer may prohibit its use even for medical purposes. NERC will take the complaint as a state-only case and address on a case-by-case basis. [The Equal Opportunity Employment Commission] won’t even consider as they are a federal body.”

Some lawyers are challenging the courts and filing wrongful termination suits.

Christian Gabroy, an employment law attorney in Las Vegas, said it’s a case of fairness.

“This is a clear-cut violation of the lawful use statute,” he said. “You can’t be impaired at work. However, if you’re not impaired but it’s just in your system, you can’t be terminated for that.”

Gabroy said he would make this argument for employers who refuse to hire applicants if they failed a drug screening that found marijuana use. “It’s only a matter of time before this gets clarified,” he said.

In one of Gabroy’s recent cases, a Las Vegas hospital fired his client, Scott Nellis, after he tested positive for cannabis. Nellis had obtained a medical marijuana card after an injury.

In February, Nellis won a preliminary victory in the case. Gabroy said this case could have significant implications going forward. But would the ruling apply only to medical cannabis users?

“My position is you can’t be terminated for either [using medical or recreational marijuana],” Gabroy said.

Meanwhile, Spretnak said it’s still not clear what the case will mean in the long term. “That is one judge,” he said. “It hasn’t been tested by the Nevada Supreme Court.”

Spretnak said it’s up to the state legislature, or more ideally Congress, to examine the rights of employees who use cannabis.

Several bills related to cannabis and employment have been proposed in the Nevada Legislature, but those efforts have fallen flat. Spretnak said state lawmakers should have addressed the issue sooner.

“It’s a disgrace,” he said. “[The legislature] has known for several years this issue was coming. They’ve abandoned their legislative duty to straighten it out.”

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Neighbors balk as legal cannabis gains ground in Sonoma County

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David Drips has spent weeks tending cannabis seedlings and clones inside an old milking barn in rural Petaluma in preparation for the day he’d plant them in the ground.

On Friday, that day arrived. With a pending permit and county permission to start, he and several others nestled plant after plant into the loamy soil at the windswept Nadale Ranch on Middle 2 Rock Road, where they’ll grow alongside several hundred head of dairy cows.

But complaints against legal cannabis cultivation are mounting in some rural Sonoma County areas, from wooded enclaves west of Healdsburg to farmland outside Petaluma and narrow vineyard-lined lanes in rural Santa Rosa. Echoing concerns about traffic and water use often spurred by new wineries, critics of legal cannabis farms also question whether they will be safe living or working near marijuana farms.

“The wind will be our biggest obstacle, other than the public opinion of our industry,” Drips said. “But neither can’t be overcome.”

Yet local cultivators and out-of-town entrepreneurs seeking to take part in Sonoma County’s legal trade and broaden its farm-to-table ethos are colliding with neighborhood fears following several violent robberies linked to illicit marijuana. Property and zoning rights are pitted against safety concerns. Potential tax and other revenues are bumping up against fear of the illegal drug trade.

“There are high emotions on both sides of the debate,” said Sonoma County Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, whose district includes a rural Santa Rosa neighborhood where one of the robberies occurred in February. “You have cultivators doing things above board and they’re worried about losing their livelihoods. On the other hand, you have a mom worried about her children growing up smelling pot outside his bedroom. It’s a very emotional conversation right now.”

Jasmine Gibbons arranges cannabis plants into rows where they will be planted at Petaluma Hill Farms.

Jasmine Gibbons arranges cannabis plants into rows where they will be planted at Petaluma Hill Farms. (Christopher Chung/ The Press Democrat)

Concern for safety

A series of home-invasion robberies with out-of-state suspects coming to Sonoma County to steal marijuana, cash and guns have set some neighbors on edge. Robbers broke into five homes during the Feb. 8 and March 12 incidents, tying up residents and ransacking their homes. In one case, a man was killed and another man wounded by gunfire. The targets weren’t legal marijuana growers, according to investigators, but that brings little comfort to people uneasy about marijuana farms near their homes.

“We started to get worried,” said Steve Imbimbo, 59, a retired construction estimator who is trying to get the county to end cannabis cultivation in his remote community in the wooded hills west of Healdsburg. “What if guys come looking for it and come to our house instead? We see cars now up here we’ve never seen before.”

That frightening possibility has been present for years as marijuana has been a thriving, if underground, part of the regional economy. But now, residents have new avenues to object to cannabis operations in their midst.

Imbimbo and other rural residents who don’t want marijuana cultivation near their properties have started organizing. Their ranks include a group of property owners in a dairy region outside Petaluma near Drips who are demanding the county ban any outdoor cultivation and move it all indoors. Cannabis critics showed up at Tuesday’s supervisors meeting wearing red hats with the words “Save our Neighborhoods.”

Legitimate cannabis entrepreneurs are worried policies may be reversed after they’ve invested tens of thousands of dollars into properties, permit fees and technical studies.

Palmer Creek Road neighbors Tony Prussiamerritt, left, Erik Dolgushkin, Steve Imbimbo, Laura Anderson, Douglas Fisher, Jean Hegland, and Garth Fisher, are opposed to plans for cannabis cultivation by a property owner from Sacramento.

Palmer Creek Road neighbors Tony Prussiamerritt, left, Erik Dolgushkin, Steve Imbimbo, Laura Anderson, Douglas Fisher, Jean Hegland, and Garth Fisher, are opposed to plans for cannabis cultivation by a property owner from Sacramento, due to the sensitive streams and narrow private roads. (Christopher Chung/ The Press Democrat)

Neighbors balk as legal pot gains ground in county

“We have an industry that is begging to be regulated, begging to be sunlighted, begging to contribute pretty exorbitant tax revenue,” said Erin Carlstrom, a lawyer and former Santa Rosa City Council member who currently represents cannabis companies coming into compliance.

The neighborhood controversies have led at least one county supervisor — David Rabbitt — to rethink whether the county should further limit cannabis cultivation and change the ordinance governing the newly regulated cannabis industry. The neighborhood controversies are likely to dominate an April 10 Board of Supervisors meeting, the first opportunity they will have to discuss at length how the ordinance appears to be functioning.

Rabbitt, whose southern district includes the Petaluma area where home invasions targeting marijuana occurred in March, said he’s interested in giving residents more ways to oppose cannabis projects and he prefers cultivation to be in warehouses, not outside.

“I know the industry says all these murders and home invasions are happening at illegal grows, but I believe it’s only a matter of time before it happens at legal grows,” Rabbitt said. “And I don’t know if a security plan will lower that risk to an acceptable level.”

At the other end of the political spectrum, Hopkins, whose family runs an organic produce farm, said she envisions a future where small-scale cannabis farms blend seamlessly with their surroundings, giving existing farms ways to diversify their crops while keeping farming vibrant and financially sustainable in Sonoma County.

Some of the arguments against lawful marijuana cultivation echo common objections about any new agricultural project — disputes which arise from a decadeslong socioeconomic shift in Sonoma County where working farms are transforming into rural estates.

“Sometimes, I do find myself reminding people: You did purchase a property in an agricultural area,” Hopkins said. “Let’s not muddy the water between the right to farm, agricultural opportunities and concerns with cannabis.”

Influx of outside growers

Sonoma County supervisors and cannabis industry leaders have said they want to usher the legal local marijuana grower out of hiding and into the mainstream. But policies have done little to make that vision a reality.

The county so far has permitted three cultivation projects to start in unincorporated areas — including one indoor warehouse and two projects to grow outside — a fraction of the estimated 5,000 cannabis growers in the county. Although two of the issued permits went to longtime local growers, applicants include people new to the area, evidence of the county’s allure.

“I had hoped that we’d be advantaging our local growing community coming forward,” Supervisor Susan Gorin said. “Instead, our policies are providing a gateway for cultivation opportunities for the greater Bay Area.”

The Board of Supervisors could have taken steps to prioritize local growers and discourage, or even bar, people who haven’t grown in the area. But it didn’t.

Mendocino County, on the other hand, gave local cultivators an advantage by requiring people to demonstrate proof they had been growing marijuana in the county prior to 2016. That requirement was offered for a little over a year, and it will be lifted after June 30.

Imbimbo, the Healdsburg-area resident, voted along with the majority of Californians in 2016 to legalize cannabis and create a legitimate industry out of an illicit one. But he is building a case for his little community along a private road near the Mill Creek watershed to be what’s called an “exclusion zone” where cannabis cannot be grown, similar to the way neighbors can lobby the county to prevent homes in certain areas from becoming vacation rentals.

Imbimbo feels county supervisors have paid lip service to area’s small-scale farmers, but that policies don’t support that mission. Neighbors of his bought a wooded property last year and applied to the county to grow in three locations: inside a structure and a greenhouse and outside. One of the owners, a Sacramento-area man, said he wasn’t ready to talk publicly about the project.

Imbimbo and his wife moved from Oakland to Sonoma County in mid-2016, landing on a private 4-acre property that was supposed to be remote and safe. Now, they worry criminals will come looking for the pot grower next door but end up at his house instead.

“I don’t smoke marijuana. I drink scotch. But I don’t want a distillery next to me,” Imbimbo said. “I love to travel, but I don’t want an airport next door. It comes across as NIMBY, but this is my house. This is where I live.”

Petaluma Hill Farms co-owner David Drips unloads cannabis plants at his farm, near Petaluma on Friday, March 30, 2018. Drips plans on starting with planting 7000 square feet of cannabis plants, along with growing a variety of vegetables. (Christopher Chung/ The Press Democrat)

No pot zones

Along Purvine Road west of Petaluma, in a bucolic area of the county known for dairies, signs posted on fences read “No Pot on Purvine.”

Galvanized by a shared opposition to a marijuana farm proposed on a 37-acre property, members of the resistance group not only are demanding the county prevent the project and others in the area from moving forward, but also ban outdoor cultivation altogether.

They’ve hired experts to study water issues in the agricultural enclave and convened a meeting last month to present their concerns to Rabbitt and county officials.

A representative for the group, Autymn Condit, 22, said her family moved to their 20-acre property about 10 years ago. Their primary income comes from outside work, but they grow most of their own food. Condit said her coalition of neighbors feel six proposed legal marijuana sites within what they estimate to be a 3-mile radius of Purvine Road is too many.

“The fact is, if it was a winery, we would oppose it on the same grounds, but it (marijuana) also has additional problems,” Condit said, noting safety concerns.

The group’s primary focus is a 1-acre cannabis farm proposed by Sam Magruder, a San Franciscan who is part of an investment group called Big Rock focused on hospitality, wellness and cannabis projects.

Magruder, 39, grew up in Vermont in an area he says looks a lot like Petaluma. He earned bachelor’s degrees in biology, botany and sustainable agriculture from Humboldt State University. He said he started growing pot while a student after becoming a caregiver for a man with multiple sclerosis who used cannabis to treat his symptoms.

Magruder initially bought a property outside Sebastopol but had to sell it after realizing the rectangular shape of the land made it impossible to meet the county’s setback rules, which require marijuana to be a certain distance from property lines and residences. The Purvine Road property meets those standards, and he built a redwood fence to shield the only neighbors within sight.

His property will have two full-time security guards, locked gates, an alarm system and cameras, and all employees will undergo background checks. They will build fences around the garden and surround the fence with native trees and other plants.

They’ll also have vegetables, gardens attracting bees and other pollinators, and small gatherings like a recent lamb roast, Magruder said. He has invited members of No Pot on Purvine to the property and speak with him directly, but said they declined. He feels the neighbors are spreading false information about his project, particularly its estimated water use.

“If you can’t cultivate here, you can’t cultivate anywhere in Sonoma County,” said Magruder.

‘Onerous’ requirements

Sonoma County now anticipates revenue from cannabis taxes and business permits will fall $1.8 million short of initial expectations in the fiscal year that ends June 30, because so few growers have registered to produce pot legally.

Agricultural Commissioner Tony Linegar said the county’s requirements for cannabis cultivation are “onerous,” covering everything from sensitive ecosystems to security — measures required of no other agricultural activity. Legal marijuana growers will be the first agricultural group in Sonoma County required to meter and track groundwater use.

Linegar said the footprint of cannabis will be “tiny.” If every application currently with the county is approved, which is unlikely, the cannabis growing operations would cover about 40 acres. By comparison, Sonoma County’s $590 million wine grape crop covers more than 60,000 acres.

“You can plant 100 acres of potatoes and you need no permit, no permit whatsoever,” Linegar said. “I acknowledge and understand the issues around public safety and security — those have to be addressed. To me those are very important, top of the list. Besides those two items, this should be treated like any other crop.”

Natasha Khallouf has received permission from the county to start her cannabis farm in Penngrove, which has been opposed by a group of neighbors.

Natasha Khallouf has received permission from the county to start her cannabis farm in Penngrove, which has been opposed by a group of neighbors. (Christopher Chung/ The Press Democrat)

Cannabis cultivation shifting

Sonoma County’s rules banned pot cultivation in areas where it traditionally has been grown, areas called rural residential and agriculture residential zones, regardless of the size of the parcel. Some neighborhood groups championed that decision, but the unintended consequence is a majority of existing cannabis operators have been forced to find new places to grow.

“You’re seeing migratory patterns of cannabis cultivation, so that change has been alarming for some of the neighborhoods,” said Hopkins, whose west county district has long been known for marijuana trade.

Natasha Khallouf of Sebastopol is one of those migrating cannabis farmers, and she holds one of the few cultivation permits so far issued by the county. Khallouf, 34, a single mother of two, practices acupuncture, herbal medicine and nutrition at an integrative medical clinic in Sebastopol. She moved to Sonoma County from Santa Cruz about 13 years ago.

She is leasing, with an option to buy, a 5-acre parcel in Penngrove. It is a flat and rectangular piece of land that was used by neighbors with horses. Standing there recently amid crowing roosters and tweeting birds, she described the long hedge row she’s planning with native plants and flowers to shield the neighbors from the sight of marijuana plants. She’ll raise animals and plant a large herb garden geared toward Chinese medicine.

“It’s going to be a beautiful, colorful place,” Khallouf said, noting that across the street other neighbors are planning a 120-acre vineyard. “This is farmland. It is zoned for agricultural use.”

Her parcel is surrounded by houses. Some neighbors have complained, and they convened a meeting with Rabbitt and other county officials. Khallouf wasn’t invited. She attended anyway, but said she felt let down by Rabbitt and other county officials who didn’t invite her to speak or answer questions raised by residents.

Rabbitt, asked about the meeting during an interview, said he was there only as a guest to listen to the neighbors’ concerns.

“I’ve done everything the right way,” Khallouf said. “But a public official allowed me to be ostracized.”

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Your guide to 4/20 events in Sonoma, Mendocino

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Northern California holds a special place in cannabis history and culture. From San Francisco to Crescent City, thousands of people will be celebrating the cannabis holiday on April 20.

The most credible story behind 420’s enduring status among stoners dates back to 1971. A group of students called “the Waldos” hatched a plan to meet at 4:20 p.m. by the statue of Louis Pasteur on the campus of San Rafael High. They met up, got high and went searching for a secret patch of cannabis near Point Reyes. The shorthand stuck.

This year’s 4/20 celebration holds special significance. It lands some four months after cannabis use became legal for all adults in California under Prop. 64.

Whether you’re looking for live music, comedy, nature time or dispensary deals, here is your guide to 4/20 weekend events in Sonoma and Mendocino counties.

Sonoma County

Pacific Soundrise at HopMonk
Vibe to reggae/rock tunes from Pacific Soundrise at HopMonk in Sebastopol. The band will mix original tunes with classic covers and 4/20 requests. Doors open at 9 p.m. Tickets are $12 advance, $15 at the door.

More details: hopmonk-sebastopol.ticketfly.com/event/1629241-pacific-soundrise-sebastopol

Free lunch and 4/20 deals
Sonoma Patient Group in Santa Rosa is serving up free hot dogs Friday from noon to 3 p.m. The dispensary also promises special 4/20 offers for the first 100 customers and in-store deals running all day.

More details: sonomapatientgroup.com/events

Image via SPARC on Facebook.

Vinyl album release
SPARC collaborated with Jazz Dispensary to launch an exclusive limited edition 45rpm single with cannabis-inspired tunes. Private Stock #001 features Bobby Rush’s funky “Mary Jane” and Rusty Bryant’s “Fire Eater” on the flip side. Albums will be available locally at SPARC stores in Sebastopol and Santa Rosa.

More details: sparcsf.org

Dead Again at The Big Easy
Dead Again will be jamming for a second straight year at The Big Easy in Petaluma on Friday. Solo guitarist David Gans opens the show at 7:30 p.m. Cover is $10.

More details: facebook.com/events/1185869501515553

Swim Suit: A Cosmic Dance Party (4/21)
Solful wants you to get weird at the dhyana Center in Sebastopol. DJ Timoteo Gigante will spin music from around the globe. Saturday’s event runs 8 p.m. to just before midnight.

More details: facebook.com/events/465056713931003

Mendocino County

Earth Day meets 4/20
Emerald Pharms invites the public to spend the day at a tranquil, 12-acre permaculture oasis in Hopland. Music, fire spinning, multiple food options, vendors, cannabis product demos, games and dispensary sales. Friday’s event runs noon to 11 p.m.

More details: facebook.com/events/154010798578875

Cannabis conference and 4/20 celebration
Mendocino Cannabis Resource hosts its annual conference and 4/20 celebration at Little Lake Grange in Willits. Morning sessions cover environmental regulations, afternoon sessions focus on business development. Dinner starts at 7 p.m. with music and dancing to follow.

Buy tickets: mendocinocannabisresource.com

Image via Mendo Group on Facebook.

Music and comedy in Weed Country
Mendo Group is hosting a 4/20 party with live music and comedy. Beats by DJ Smokin’ Joe, live music, comedy and more. Friday’s event starts at 4:20 p.m. at McCarty’s Bar in Redwood Valley. Tickets are $20.

More details: facebook.com/events/
409325299518825

Leonard Moore Cooperative 4/20 Party
Leonard Moore Cooperative plans a day full of music, friendship, dabs, outdoor fun and special discounts on Friday, plus a special “420 Token Toast” at the dispensary in Mendocino. Normal business hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

More details: facebook.com/events/825595820978396

The Gateway Show (4/21)
Comedians tell their best jokes, then get “way too high” and perform again. The show starts 9 p.m. at Yokayo Bowling Center in Ukiah. General admission tickets are $15 online, $20 at the door.

More details: facebook.com/events/215262045887929

Bonus: Hippie Hill in San Francisco
Would a 4/20 guide be complete without mentioning the West Coast’s haziest celebration? Tens of thousands of cannabis enthusiasts turn a section of Golden Gate Park into a music festival and communal smoke session. The event is free.

More details: 420hippiehill.com

Know about a 4/20 event in Sonoma or Mendocino? Send us a note: info@emeraldreport.com

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New rule for drug testing? Oakland lawmaker pushes bill to protect medical cannabis users at work

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A proposed law that would protect California medical cannabis patients from losing their jobs after failing a company drug test has overcome its first legislative hurdle.

The legislation sailed through its first committee hearing on April 25, but its chances for success remain uncertain. The bill, AB-2069, has reopened a political battle in Sacramento between California business groups and two of the state’s largest unions: SEIU California and the United Food and Commercial Workers.

If passed into law, the bill would prohibit employers from firing workers or job applicants who are medical marijuana patients and test positive for cannabis. The bill’s author, Oakland Assemblyman Rob Bonta, has framed the debate around civil rights, arguing that medical cannabis patients deserve the same employment privileges as those who are prescribed pharmaceutical drugs.

“This is an anti-discrimination issue,” Bonta said in an interview. “It’s very strange that medical cannabis, of all the medicines out there…is being singled out.”

Under the bill, employers would need to make “reasonable accommodations” to employees who are medical cannabis patients to help them continue working. A reasonable accommodation is a broad legal concept that means any adjustment that allows an employee to fulfill the essential duties of his or her job. California employers could still dismiss a medical cannabis patient after demonstrating that those essential duties were not fulfilled.

The protections outlined in the bill would not cover employees who came to work stoned. Bonta’s bill also fails to offer protection for recreational cannabis users.

A 2016 law that legalized cannabis in California states that employers can still deny employment to anyone who fails a drug test. But that law only considers recreational cannabis, not medical.

The right of employers to fire medical marijuana patients for failing a drug test was established in a 2008 ruling by the California Supreme Court. The new bill, AB-2069, would bypass that ruling.

FILE – In this Jan. 9, 2018, file photo Assemblyman Rob Bonta, D-Oakland, speaks during a news conference in Sacramento. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)

The bill is opposed by the influential California Chamber of Commerce and a long list of other business groups representing retailers, restaurants and other industries. The opposition’s primary argument is that it’s impossible to prove whether a cannabis user is impaired on the job.

They have a point. Even California law enforcement admits that drug tests cannot yet reliably detect cannabis intoxication.

Anthony Trenton, president of the Sacramento franchise of ARCpoint Labs, a national drug testing service, argues that cannabis can be detrimental to work performance days after it is ingested.

“There is no way to tell the last time that somebody used,” he said. “Even if you are using it in your off time, it still hurts the business.”

Trenton points to studies that link regular cannabis use to negative work performance such as decreased motivation. But other research suggests the question remains up for debate. A 2014 study suggests that regular use of cannabis had little effect on workplace productivity, except in cases of heavy use. Still another study showed that absenteeism rates have fallen in states that legalized medical marijuana.

Federal law poses another threat to the potential success of AB-2069. California employers could cite federal law as a reason for dismissing an employee who tests positive for cannabis, and possibly win in court.

“It would probably be the subject of challenge in California down the road,” said Robin Largent, a Sacramento employment attorney.

Laws granting employment protections to medical cannabis users have passed in 11 states. Those rights have held up to court challenges in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut, according to The Cannifornian.

Federal employees would be exempt from the bill’s protections, as would federal contractors who receive funds in adherence with the Drug-Free Workplace Act.

Whether this bill succeeds or fails, it’s clear that California will cast a long shadow on legal cannabis’ thorny questions.

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From recreation to medicine, more seniors turning to cannabis in Sonoma County

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Edna Fogarty first heard about cannabis in her mid-twenties. The Montreal native had recently left a convent in the Northeastern United States, where she was a nun for eight years. She soon found herself in Boston, smoking marijuana for the first time with a group of friends.

“It was for pure recreational use,” says Fogarty, now 74. “We didn’t have any idea that it had any qualities that could help us medically.”

Today Fogarty, a retired school teacher in Santa Rosa, uses cannabis to ease a variety of ailments like arthritis pain, stress and as a sleep aid. She prefers high cannabidiol (CBD) vape cartridges, which she says she first purchased after her Kaiser physician gave her the go-ahead.

“I don’t like smoking it, I don’t like ashes, I don’t like matches and I don’t like bad breath,” says Fogarty. “I don’t like any of the stuff that happens when you smoke it, which I did for the first 20 years because that was the only way we had to use it.”

She also grows one plant per year for personal use. California residents are allowed to grow up to six cannabis plants annually (per residence) for personal use. Medical patients can cultivate as much cannabis as they need, depending on zoning regulations.

“I’ve learned a lot about edibles, about making either a butter-based cannabis oil or a coconut-based oil, and I use it in baking, like cookies or brownies,” she says. “One plant lasts me an entire year so I don’t feel any need to plant more than that. I stick it in with my tomatoes and nobody seems to care.”

Fogarty’s story is one of many in a rapidly growing population of older adults turning to cannabis as an alternative or supplement to traditional pharmaceuticals.

In April 2018, the National Poll on Healthy Aging at the University of Michigan reported that 4 out of 5 older adults support the use of cannabis when recommended by a doctor, and 70 percent of those polled said they would ask their physician about marijuana use if they were diagnosed with a serious health condition.

Some studies suggest that 6 percent of adults over 65 were active cannabis users in 2014, a 250 percent increase over the previous decade. Mitcho Thompson, a Sonoma County cannabis advocate and founding member of Peace in Medicine, says that number may have skyrocketed in California since legalization went into effect in January.

Thompson says New Year’s Day brought a long line of seniors to Peace in Medicine for their first legal cannabis purchases, with roughly three-quarters of the older adults in line visiting the dispensary for the first time. Peace in Medicine, he says, has served a growing number of seniors ever since.

Mitcho Thompson is a cannabis advocate and founding member of Peace in Medicine.

Thompson serves as the community liaison at Peace in Medicine and is vice president of the Sonoma County Herb Association. With a background in herbal medicine and medical marijuana, he has been teaching classes on the benefits and uses of cannabis for a decade. Thompson has offered classes specifically for seniors for nearly eight years.

“I go into various senior centers or facilities, and it ranges from senior centers to even teaching the people who are actually giving drug services to seniors,” he says. “Cannabis is particularly suited for a lot of the problems that seniors face, such as aches and pains, rheumatoid arthritis, joint pain, insomnia, appetite and anxiety.”

There are many different ways seniors can use cannabis—smoking, ingesting through edibles or tinctures, vaping and topical application—but seniors should start slow if they have never used it before, says Thompson, particularly with edibles.

“They don’t have to eat the whole edible. They shouldn’t. They should really just try a little bit, like a tiny piece of it first, and see. Because one, it’s strong, and two, seniors need less,” says Thompson. “In herbal medicine, seniors don’t need as large a dose as younger adults. So they need to keep that in mind. But they also need to be aware that cannabis is actually safe. It’s the safest plant that we know of. You can get into more trouble and get sick off of peppermint before you’ll get sick off of cannabis.”

Thompson recommends cutting up an edible, such as a brownie, into tiny pill-like pieces to experiment with small doses. Edibles can also take a bit longer to take effect than smoking cannabis, so waiting about two hours before eating more is a wise approach.

Regardless of how seniors use cannabis, statistics suggest that older folks are warming to it as the stigma slowly fades in post-legalization California.

A new cannabis company is even working on permits for a dispensary in Oakmont Village, an active senior community just east of Santa Rosa. Residents seem to welcome the move. Oakmont also has a monthly Cannabis Club, which hosts guest speakers to discuss the many uses of the plant.

Fogarty, who lives in a senior mobile home park, says she has noticed more openness around cannabis use.

“I went around to do a little community activism at one point and I was surprised at how many doors opened and the smell of marijuana just wafted out,” she says with a laugh. “And I realized, whoa, this is all right.”

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Estonian district asks the internet for help picking new symbol. Their answer: a cannabis leaf

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This much ought to be clear by now: If you ask the internet to settle anything, you do so at your own peril.

A municipality in southeastern Estonia recently asked internet users what its symbol should be. Their answer: the cannabis leaf.

Undeterred, the town, Kanepi, adopted the leaf as its emblem Wednesday. Kaido Koiv, chairman of the town council, defended the decision as a “very democratic” process, according to Reuters, even though the number of online voters in favor of it — about 12,000 — was more than double the municipality’s population of 5,000.

The choice of the marijuana plant is not entirely incongruous: Kanep means cannabis in Estonian, and the leaf, according to local legend, has been used as a symbol of the area for at least 150 years, referring to the hemp traditionally grown and made into cloth, oil and rope there.

Arno Kakk, another council member, expressed some reservations, however.

“I must say that I am not for the fact that we will be marching under this kind of flag,” he told Reuters.

Nine members of the local council voted in favor of the design, while eight opposed it.

The sale and consumption of marijuana are illegal in Estonia, and possession in small amounts is subject to a fine.

The episode underscores some of the perils of inviting internet users to make decisions.

In 2016, the Science Ministry in Britain started a campaign to name an Antarctic research vessel, but the plan backfired to much amusement when voters overwhelmingly supported the name Boaty McBoatface — an option that failed to capture the grandeur that officials had probably been seeking.

To the dismay of many, the ministry ignored the results of the poll and announced that the ship would be named after naturalist David Attenborough.

In an attempt to soothe hurt feelings, British officials acknowledged the Boaty McBoatface phenomenon by bestowing the name on a remotely operated submarine that would accompany the David Attenborough in collecting data and samples.


By Kimiko de Freytas-Tamura
New York Times

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High Times’ Santa Rosa cannabis cup will be second event in nation to allow on-site consumption

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High Times, the pioneering marijuana media company, is bringing its two-day cannabis festival back to the Sonoma County Fairgrounds this weekend and making local history in the process.

The marijuana art and culture festival in Santa Rosa event will be the second pot event in the nation to allow anyone age 21 or older to buy and consume marijuana on site, according to High Times. Attendees don’t need a medical marijuana recommendation, only identification proving they are at least 21 years old.

Other states like Washington and Colorado legalized marijuana for recreational uses ahead of California, but state lawmakers there have yet to allow on-site consumption at events.

“California is pushing the envelope with legalization,”said Jon Cappetta, a publicist for High Times, which is based in New York City. “They’re exploring all the monetization options. They’re allowing people to get together and consume cannabis.”

The first event allowing recreational consumption was another High Times festival the weekend of May 4 in Sacramento.

“All you need is to be 21 years of age and have a heartbeat,” said Omar Figueroa, a Sebastopol-based cannabis attorney.

The landmark shift appears to coincide with a broader, more mainstream focus for High Times, which launched as a magazine in the early 1970s and has deep counterculture roots.

“It’s not as activist as it once was,” Figueroa said. “It’s now run by a corporation and is bottom-line driven. But I’m going to go because it looks like good music.”

High Times’ Cannabis Cup NorCal runs from noon to 9 p.m. Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $50 at the door. Headlining music acts include Arrested Development, G. Love and Special Sauce, Blues Traveler and Phil Lesh and Friends.

The event includes a cannabis products judging ceremony Sunday afternoon in which dozens of contestants vie to win categories including best flower, vape cartridge, packaged products and edibles.

Cappetta said that because High Times hosts these events in several California cities, the Santa Rosa event features a strong showing from regional producers.

By law, this year’s exhibitors and vendors must have state-issued sellers permits and the event can no longer include alcohol sales. Sonoma County Fair officials said they expect about 8,000 visitors each day.

Becky Bartling, the fair’s chief executive officer, said the event producers are following a whole new slate of laws this year, including requiring all exhibitors and vendors to have state-issued sellers permits and cannabis business licenses. There is also a new state-regulated system for tracking cannabis sales.

High Times received permission to include adult consumption of cannabis products from the city of Santa Rosa.

The Sonoma County Fairgrounds has hosted two annual cannabis events for the past several years, including the High Times event and the locally produced Emerald Cup.

Bartling called the Emerald Cup “a tried and true tradition” and said that event typically draws larger daily crowds of about 10,000 visitors.

“Both High and the Emerald Cup are experienced in doing this,” Bartling said.

The Emerald Cup, which began 15 years ago in northern Mendocino County as a small post-harvest competition for the best flower, will be held Dec. 15 and 16 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. The event features products made from marijuana that’s grown outdoors.

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Petaluma chooses first cannabis delivery service from 4 finalists

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When Claire Firestone’s mother was diagnosed with cancer, conventional medications failed to provide much relief. She started researching the benefits of cannabis products and found that it was far more helpful in her mother’s battle, she said.

As a result, Firestone, 29, became a medical cannabis caregiver, and developed an empathetic connection to its power to aid cancer patients.

Last month she and her partner, James Clark, were selected as Petaluma’s first-ever cannabis delivery retailers.

Around the time Firestone was caring for her mom, Clark, 28, had left his job at an elderly care facility in Marin County, and also started seeking out the cannabis industry to identify a career that provided relief to others in pain.

“We were kind of on these two separate paths within the industry and realized that we wanted to build something together that had the vision we both had,” Firestone said.

During her search for products for her mother, Firestone found staff at dispensaries were often ill-equipped to answer specific questions she had, particularly as she comes from a background in biology and chemistry.

Firestone put the onus on herself to research cannabis to her own high standards and that became a defining attribute of their delivery service for Petaluma, Farmhouse Artisan Market or FAM.

“We really plan on being a resource for customers and patients to get the right information because one of the biggest issues is false information running around, and stigmas off of that,” Clark said. “We want to help negate that.”

Clark and Firestone, romantic partners who make their home in Petaluma, said FAM will provide a high-end customer experience that allow patients to interact with staff members online as well as over the phone.

The ownership group is targeting vendors that employ ethical growing techniques that focus on their environmental impact, as well as the patient’s experience with their products. FAM wants to create a line directly to farmers, so customers can see who and where their products are coming from.

“We’re paying attention to the ways that they’re farming,” Firestone said. “We want to make sure we’re working with people who care about the planet as well, and are using ethical practices – not using crazy pesticides, not overusing water, and are really trying to protect the people that are consuming as well as the environment.”

The flower will come from “small farmers” throughout the North Coast, including Sonoma, Mendocino and Humboldt counties, Clark said.

“We want … people that have been doing it awhile and really have a true connection to the plant,” he said. “We want to support small, artisan growers.”

“We want to make sure we’re working with people who care about the planet as well, and are using ethical practices – not using crazy pesticides, not overusing water, and are really trying to protect the people that are consuming as well as the environment.” (Crissy Pascual / Argus-Courier staff)

FAM also wants to create a bridge to local businesses outside the industry, and provide organic opportunities to sell products beyond cannabis that fit into their culture of seeking a better quality of life.

“We want to make sure cannabis becomes part of a larger conversation around shopping local and knowing your farmer and having an active, healthy lifestyle,” Firestone said.

The city submitted a request for cannabis delivery proposals in March and fielded replies from seven companies by the April 3 deadline, according to a staff report from Economic Development Manager Ingrid Alverde. Using a series of specific criteria, including business experience, financial stability and security plans, the city whittled down the competition to four finalists.

The top four, Luma, Rhizome, Rx Family and Petaluma Holistic Group, were offered interviews with a panel that featured Alverde, interim planning manager Jeff Bradley, two local business owners, and San Rafael Economic Development Director Danielle O’Leary, who has extensive experience applying state and local regulations to cannabis businesses.

Clark and Firestone, the principal owners of Rhizome, were the only company out of the final four to pass scrutiny and earn a future permit.

Police Chief Ken Savano disqualified two of the finalists while assisting the panel with background checks. During the consent portion of Monday night’s city council meeting, city manager John Brown said “things came up that the police chief and (city) staff frankly were not comfortable with.”

A representative of the fourth finalist that was turned down spoke at Monday’s council meeting. Michael Taylor, co-owner of Ukiah Valley Holistics expressed dismay at the city’s decision to pass on his proposal because of perceived financial instability.

While responding to councilmember inquiries about Alverde’s report, Brown explained that “there were several areas of concern about that group and how they were going to perform.”

City council spent the better part of 2017 molding its cannabis policies and decided storefront dispensaries would not be permitted, but two delivery services and an unlimited number of edible and topical manufacturers could set up shop in six specific business parks.

Among the other various regulations, each business would have to pay an initial permit fee of $3,500 for the first year and will have to ensure operations adhere to the city’s established standards in order to get renewed. Brown hopes to submit another request for proposals for the final slot “by the end of the calendar year.”

The owners of FAM operated a delivery last year called Pacific Medicinals, which served Sonoma, Marin and Napa counties under medicinal marijuana laws.

But once Proposition 64 was approved by voters in November 2016, allowing adult-use of marijuana, cannabis businesses needed state-issued licenses to continue operating. Pacific Mendicinals opted to start fresh under the new laws and officially shut down Jan. 1.

When Petaluma began shaping its own cannabis policies, Firestone and Clark, two North Bay natives, said they didn’t look anywhere else. The next step for FAM is locating a home for the business. After that, they’re hoping to be fully operational and serving Petaluma this fall as the only cannabis retailer – at least for now.

“We love Petaluma. It’s our home,” Firestone said. “We wanted to make sure that, if cannabis came to Petaluma, it came in a way that it should for Petaluma.”

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DIY extraction: Sonoma couple shares tips to make cannabis tinctures at home

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Dispensaries hawk a wide range of cannabis products, from flowers and edibles to topicals and extracts for vaporizers and capsules. Medicinal cannabis tinctures, which are alcohol-based extracts that can be taken as drops directly on or under the tongue, or in a small cup of water or juice, have fast become a favorite for many cannabis users.

Cannabis tinctures can be a strong option for those who don’t want to smoke pot, but purchasing them can be costly. You can expect to spend anywhere from $60 to $150 for a one-ounce bottle.

Amy and Luc Charnay of Sonoma County make cannabis tinctures for their own personal use. Amy is a clinical herbalist with a background in environmental science and botany, and a master’s in herbal medicine and nutrition. She has worked as a product developer and formulator, and in quality control in product labs. She is also a master gardener.

Her husband, Luc, is a business consultant who spent 13 years working for General Hydroponics, a local manufacturer of hydroponic nutrients and systems for both indoor and outdoor farms. The Charnays have an urban farm in Santa Rosa where they use combined expertise to grow a few outdoor plants in their garden.

Amy says her first experience with medical cannabis was after an ankle surgery seven years ago. When her painkillers weren’t doing the trick, Luc suggested she try a cannabis topical. Amy says the topical helped calm her spasms and reduce pain.

“It was so effective and so helpful that I’ve managed every other surgical pain I’ve had since then with just cannabis,” she says.

Amy has since started a cannabis therapy consultant training that she plans to finish in the next year. She hopes this training will help support clients in her clinical practice.

Luc says he first used cannabis recreationally. Attending cannabis conferences and visiting dispensaries, he started learning about potential medical benefits from cannabis.

“That’s what opened my eyes, and also connecting with patients. Slowly I got into the more medical aspect of it and I really realized that it was making a huge difference,” says Luc. “Once there was more focus on the medical aspect of it, people were discovering and creating more strains that had wider range of medical applications.”

Amy says she loves that consumers who use tinctures can better control their dosing. People new to medical cannabis can start with just a single drop. She says tinctures can be a good option for those who don’t want to smoke pot or consume edibles, which sometimes involve a psychoactive response.

To make tinctures, the couple uses pure, high-proof alcohol as the solvent. The Charnays prefer grape alcohol, which can be purchased in bulk. Amy says that other herbalists sometimes use an organic sugarcane alcohol for making tinctures.

“Not that there’s anything wrong with brandy or tequila, but they’re not empty solvents,” says Amy. “They already have flavorings and other herbs — gin is infused with Juniper berries, so the holding capacity isn’t as strong as just an empty alcohol.”

Amy and Luc both say that using dried cannabis produces a more potent tincture. Because grinding or chopping exposes more surface area for extraction, the Charnays grind up the plant, spread it in a glass baking pan, and bake it at 200 degrees for an hour and 15 minutes. Heating the cannabis prompts decarboxylation, the process which converts THCA, the non-psychoactive cannabinoid, to THC.

“Something that is worth mentioning is that contrary to processing flowers, you have barely any trimming to do,” says Luc.

After the baking pan is removed from the oven and cooled, the next step is to weigh the cannabis and add it to a large mason jar. The Charnays recommend a 1:5 ratio; one part cannabis to five parts 80-proof alcohol. When using higher-proof alcohols, the Charnays will dilute the liquor slightly with water. For example, 800 ml of 100-proof alcohol is diluted with 200 ml of water.

“If you had 100 grams of cannabis you’d use 500 milliliters of your menstruum [solvent]. But sometimes that’s not enough. It depends on how finely ground it is,” says Amy. “You really have to look and play around with it. I like to remind people you can add more, you can’t take it away. It’s good to have a scale.”

The alcohol should be enough to completely cover the organic matter. Amy suggests using either a plastic lid or a piece of wax paper under a metal lid to prevent contamination.

Then, simply shake the jar once a day and let the process continue for at least two weeks before straining, bottling and labeling the tincture. If you can’t wait two weeks, Amy says there are still medicinal properties extracted from the cannabis in a matter of days. She also says that the tincture can sit unstrained for a long period of time, as alcohol acts as an excellent preservative.

Making tinctures is a simple process that anyone can do at home, but there are a few additional tips that should be taken into consideration:

  1. All instruments should be sterilized to avoid contamination.
  2. Because the gas from alcohol can settle into pools, it is important to ensure that your formulation space is well ventilated and to avoid lighting matches.
  3. If you are using a cloth pressing bag to strain the plant matter from the tincture, wet the bag so you don’t saturate it with your tincture.
  4. Start slowly when consuming tinctures. Some people might be sensitive to dropping tinctures made with high-proof alcohol directly onto or under the tongue.
  5. Label your bottles with the type of cannabis in your tincture so you know if you are taking a high CBD or THC product. It’s no fun to accidentally get high when you are just hoping to treat pain or inflammation.
  6. If you are interested in blending cannabis tincture with other herbs, prepare the plant tinctures individually and create the formula with the final products.

Disclaimer: The cannabis plant produces more than 80 different cannabinoids, or cannabis compounds. These compounds can have unexpected effects. Always check the math, measure carefully and be especially sure to not overdo it.

The post DIY extraction: Sonoma couple shares tips to make cannabis tinctures at home appeared first on The Emerald Report.


Sonoma dispensaries say stock up on cannabis before Sunday or face shortages

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California cannabis sellers are facing a harrowing decision this week: Sell much of their inventory at fire-sale prices, or dispose of any remaining products — from joints and edibles to topicals and flowers — that don’t comply with rigorous new state testing and packaging laws.

“If it’s not out of here by July 1, we have to have it destroyed at our own cost,” said Eli Melrod, co-owner of Solful cannabis dispensary in Sebastopol, who has been selling much of his current inventory at cost just to get rid of it before Sunday.

“We’re literally having liquidation sales going on all week, because we don’t want to have to destroy it,” he said.

Six months after the legal sales of recreational marijuana began, the California Bureau of Cannabis Control is implementing tighter control over cannabis products sold to the public. New rules include lab testing, child-resistant and tamper-evident packaging, dosage limits on edibles and a cadre of other requirements that range from font-sizes on package labeling to lengthy warning statements.

Many from the cannabis industry, however, say that there’s been little time to make major changes, and much of the business and state regulatory framework hasn’t even been built.

“We can’t send it back up the supply chain, we can’t even send it back for repackaging. It’s crazy. There will be thousands of perfectly good products that will be destroyed because of regulations,” said Melrod. “The state has deadlines they have to hit that were legislated, but no one is able to meet them. Everyone is racing to these deadlines, but its just a big mess we’re all trying to navigate through,” he added.

“We’re as prepared as you can be, but even the largest brands in the industry are still struggling to get compliant. It’s troubling how much there is to manage, and for a lot of small operators, it’s going to be really hard to make it through this transition,” Melrod said, adding, “I think that these regulations and cost structures have put an unfair burden on small operators. In Northern California, where we have such vibrant businesses, I hate to see them go under or into the black market.”

Edible cannabis products are facing some of the most difficult hurdles, with limited access to facilities to make the product, expensive testing and new rules on the amount of THC allowable — 10 mg per serving or 100 mg per package. Additionally, candies — which are the most popular edibles — cannot be appealing to children (like brightly colored gummy bears) and must be sold in opaque packaging, another new requirement.

“It’s a really big investment, and not a lot of people have that capital,” said Brandon Levine, executive director of Mercy Wellness in Cotati, who is also working to meet upcoming compliance laws. “Now we only have a handful of brands, where we used to have options of hundreds of edibles.”

Independent lab testing requirements are another major hurdle, according to both dispensary owners.

One of the rallying cries of the state-regulated system was to eliminate dangerous contaminants like pesticides, herbicides and other toxins that can be found in marijuana plants. In states like Oregon and Washington, packaging includes state testing results. In California, there has been little incentive to test cannabis until now, because it can be very expensive for growers and lead to an unsellable crop.

“We’re just now seeing cultivators actually testing product,” said Levine. “In first few months, we had a hard time getting cultivators to get proper testing done.”

Batch testing can be upwards of $1,600, according to Levine, nearly 5 times what it used to cost.

Only a limited number of internationally certified, independent labs are set up and ready to do the painstaking testing, which measures toxins in parts per trillion, a process far more stringent than similar testing on other agricultural crops.

Packaging has been another troublesome issue.

Every cannabis item sold to the public must be in child-resistant containers. While packaging from the pharmaceutical industry has provided some guidelines, like pill bottle caps, adapting things like beverage cans hasn’t been so easy to figure out.

Kial Long, vice president of marketing for Santa Rosa-based CannaCraft, said that some of their child-resistant packaging has been challenging to envision, like the soda cans that will hold their new Hi-Fi Hops sparkling THC water, made in collaboration with Lagunitas. The beverage contains no alcohol, but is made with hops, water and 5 or 10 mg of THC.

Hi-Fi Hops will be released in late July after the final packaging has been approved to be in compliance with new regulations. Other CannaCraft packaging, like that for their concentrates, has been in the works for months.

“We are preparing to lose most of the product line for the last six months due to packaging and testing,” said Levine. “We have a lot of product that was purchased during the grace period (from Jan. 1, 2018, to July 1, 2018) that won’t meet the new standards. Most of the companies we work with have not had the opportunity to work through their old packaging yet,” said Levine.

“We own our own packaging company but with new state regulations and people buying all this child-proof packaging, there’s a shortage on lids. If we don’t have the lids, we can’t sell the product,” said Levine.

“There’s a real shortage coming,” said Levine, saying that so little product has gone through all of the compliance requirements that it could be weeks or months before California sees its legal cannabis market rebound. It’s an opportunity for the black market to surge, which is exactly what the state is trying to avoid.

Soful’s Melrod agrees: “People are confused as to why stuff is out of stock, and its a lot of work for us to manage those expectations. We’re looking forward a month or so and getting into August when things will calm down,” he said.

But what’s equally challenging, say both dispensary owners, is educating consumers.

“All of this (regulatory change) goes into the wholesale cost, and we have to adjust our business to try to absorb that cost. We’re doing what we can to not pass it on, because we get blamed for being greedy and adding to the price, but we’re not the ones who add all the taxes,” said Levine. “We are following what the state regulates us to do.”

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Flow Kana raises $22 million to expand Mendocino County cannabis site

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Flow Kana has raised $22 million in additional funding that will help ramp up its cannabis manufacturing and processing facility in Mendocino County on the former Fetzer Vineyards property in Redwood Valley.

With the latest round of funding, the San Francisco-based company said it has now raised $50 million since its inception in 2015. Gotham Green Partners, a New York-based private equity firm that invests in cannabis, provided $15 million in new funds while the other $7 million came from institutional investors.

The money will be used to expand capacity at its 87,000-square-foot facility in Mendocino County. In April, the facility started processing cannabis — produced by about 100 small growers around Northern California — into packaged buds and flowers that can be bought at licensed retailers. Around 35 people work there, said Cate Powers, company spokeswoman.

“This allows us to take on more farmers,” Powers said. The company has a core group of 25 to 35 farmers that it works with regularly in the Emerald Triangle counties of Mendocino, Humboldt and Trinity.

Co-founder and CEO Michael Steinmetz said he wants to become “the Whole Foods of cannabis” with his company, which already manufactures prerolled joints and cannabis buds for Willie Nelson’s line of products. He has talked of making the Redwood Valley facility a tourism destination akin to the customer outreach of local wineries.

The company is also going through the local and state permitting process so that it can produce bulk cannabis oil that can be used in a whole range of products, including massage oils, edibles, drinks and vape cartridges. Flow Kana would like to have that type of production ready by year’s end, Powers said. It also will house a testing facility that will be operated by a third party, which is crucial now that only lab-tested products can be sold by licensed retailers.

The edible and drink category is a growing segment of the market. Last month, Lagunitas Brewing Co. of Petaluma announced a partnership with Santa Rosa-based CannaCraft to produce a cannabis-infused sparkling water that will be available by the end of the month.

“The industry is changing so fast. We are really working on getting to a place to meet the demands we are seeing,” Powers said.

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Move over, mint chip. Cannabis ice cream is moving into new markets

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Ice cream infused with cannabis or flavored with terpenes seems to be popping up everywhere this summer. From North Carolina and Oregon to Canada and Israel, dessert makers are looking to cannabidiol (CBD) oil and hemp oil to elevate their normal ice cream selection.

The taste of cannabis is an enigma, as the plant is usually inhaled or mixed into a more dominant flavor (pot brownies, for instance, taste mostly of chocolate). To craft a true cannabis flavor is a challenge some chefs and food entrepreneurs are now trying to master.

“Ask people what cannabis tastes like and no one knows. People don’t eat it. To create a cannabis flavor for ice cream, I realized that I had to learn about the marijuana plant and its different terpenes and aromas,” said Itay Rogozinsky, owner and chef glacier at Vaniglia, a popular Israeli ice cream chain.

Rogozinsky, 34, is known for his high-quality gelato and sorbet flavors. The Vaniglia brand, which started in 2002, has became known for its locally sourced ingredients. Vaniglia’s flavors also change regularly. The most popular in 2018, Rogozinsky says, are hazelnut, pistachio and fruit sorbets like strawberry and mango.

He introduced the country’s first cannabis-flavored ice cream in March of this year. The green dessert blend comprises cannabis terpenes, hemp seed oil and chlorophyl.

“I don’t like gimmicks,” says Rogozinsky, noting his newest flavor is not a publicity stunt. “My goal was to create an ice cream that tasted like the aroma of cannabis. I sourced natural ingredients and created a number of blended profiles. After a lot of experimentation, I found the blend that tastes like cannabis. I’m very proud of the product.”

Vaniglia debuted its cannabis-flavored ice cream at the CannaTech cannabis innovation conference. Since then, the flavor has been met with some interest. Israelis are known for being early adopters and willing to try new things. Cannabis-flavored ice cream was no exception.

“It’s like guava: Either you like it or you don’t. Most people are surprised for the better. It has a bit of a nutty taste,” Rogozinsky says.

His company’s gelato is part of a growing trend of artisanal creameries eager to scoop up cannabis-flavored — and even CBD-infused — ice cream.

Cannabis-infused ice cream makes sense, says pharmacist Saul Kaye, because CBD works well with fatty acids.

“I see CBD being added into things like milk [and ice cream] in the future. CBD likes fat and oil, and milk is a fatty oily drink that we have every day. Adding CBD to milk will be a natural progression. We already see CBD in water all over America, and now ice cream,” says Kaye. “CBD is going to be the next additive in everything.”

In the United States, CBD-infused edibles are legal if they’re derived from hemp.

In Asheville, North Carolina, a popular ice cream café, The Hop, introduced CBD oil hemp milk as a new base for its ice cream flavors in late June 2018. Other flavors on the vegan ice cream menu use rice milk, coconut milk and even pumpkin seed milk, according to information shared by the company.

Some producers are starting to add THC, the main psychoactive constituent of cannabis, to ice cream for a more complete cannabis experience.

Drip’s THC-infused ice cream seems to be a hit in Portland, Oregon. In San Bernadino, the Cann Eye Dream brand serves up a lavender-vanilla vegan ice cream with 100mg of CBD and 5mg of THC, according to a report in Dope Magazine.

Far to the north, Remedy Ice Cream in Calgary, Canada has a medicinal cannabis ice cream treat on the market — but only for those with a prescription.

Rogozinsky of Vaniglia says he won’t use THC in his desserts. “I don’t believe in using THC. I think it is dangerous unless it is used for a medical marijuana ice cream and has a specific dosage,” he says. While it has the distinct cannabis flavor, Vaniglia cannabis ice cream does not contain CBD. Yet.

“This ice cream is legal. The moment CBD oil is legalized — we already know it’s a great ingredient with a lot of uses — we’ll for sure add it to our ice cream. There’s a huge demand in Israel and around the world. We’re waiting for the regulators,” he says.

As cannabis continues to gain mainstream support, ever more products are claiming ties to the green leaf. With CBD-infused beer, water, and vitamin drops already on the market, it seems cannabis oil is becoming one of 2018’s chic ingredients.

“The World Health Organization is about to reschedule CBD. It has been misunderstood and shouldn’t be classified as it is. It is 100% safe,” says Saul Kaye, chief executive of iCAN Israel-Cannabis, a pharmaceutical company that invests in cannabis products and solutions.

“I see a time when CBD will be added into everything. Remember with Vitamin D, it was found to be efficient, and all of a sudden we saw Vitamin D in all sorts of products,” Kaye tells the Emerald Report. “CBD is more like a wellness product today than a pharmaceutical. It’s going to be the next additive in everything. Just like Omega 3 or Vitamin D. It’s going to be in everything.”

“These are the last moments whereby CBD is not yet classified as a nutrient,” concludes Rogozinsky. “The moment the regulators okay CBD, nutritional and food companies will be the first to adapt it. There is so much research highlighting its therapeutic properties. It will become standard in products on health food shelves, pharmacy shelves and in ice cream shops.”

The post Move over, mint chip. Cannabis ice cream is moving into new markets appeared first on The Emerald Report.

Mendocino cannabis job fair returns to Willits July 28

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Gone are the days when cannabis work was limited to farming, trimming or sales. More than seven months into California’s recreational cannabis market, companies are hiring to fill positions ranging from chefs and budtenders to laboratory technicians and environmental scientists.

Mendocino Cannabis Resource will host a cannabis job fair Saturday, July 28, at the Little Lake Grange in Willits, Calif. The event, now in its second year, looks to connect cannabis businesses with prospective employees. General entry to the event runs 1 to 4 p.m. and includes a resume writing packet. Early entry runs 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a $10 fee.

More than 500 people registered for last year’s job fair, according to event organizers. Companies affiliated with the job fair include the Emerald Law Group, Flow Kana, Emerald Cup Products, Mendocino County Growers Alliance, KB Cannabusiness Consulting & Staffing, Emerald City Distributions, Mendocino Management Group, Nurturing Seed and Mendocino Group.

For more information, visit the Mendocino Cannabis Resource site or call 707-223-4367.

 

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Santa Rosa family fights for girl’s medical cannabis use in school

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Brooke Adams stretched across a gray sectional in her Rincon Valley home Tuesday, playing educational games on an iPad.

Like many kids her age, the red-headed, pigtailed 5-year-old girl can count to 20. She also knows most of her letters.

But Brooke was diagnosed before her first birthday with Dravet Syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy that causes frequent and long-lasting seizures. The first seizure came when she was only a few months old, said her mom, Jana Adams.

“She frequented the ER for the first few years of her life,” she said. “It’s in her genes, so she’ll never get out of it.”

After trying pharmaceuticals that did little to prevent seizures, Adams said they turned to daily doses of cannabidiol, a marijuana compound also known as CBD, and THC oil to fend off Brooke’s convulsions. Larger doses of the THC medication are applied to her gums when seizures strike.

“CBD is more like maintenance,” Jana Adams said. “The THC actually works like a rescue medication. It stops (the seizures) within three minutes, and that’s really the life-saving part for us.”

But the critical medication, which has helped cut down seizures to about once a week, is now preventing Brooke from attending kindergarten, her mom said.

The Rincon Valley Union School District does not allow students to use the cannabis-based oils on campus, even for medical reasons. District officials point to several state and federal rules that prohibit allowing the medication onto school grounds.

Brooke’s lawyer, Joe Rogoway, said the rules conflict with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which requires public schools to provide children with disabilities needed services and accommodations.

A state judge on Wednesday and Thursday will hear arguments on the school district’s decision to bar the girl from taking the medicine on campus, a case that highlights legal barriers prohibiting medical marijuana in schools.

“Fundamentally, what this is about is giving a 5-year-old the ability to go to kindergarten, while at the same time having access to medicine that the voters of California have said several times is appropriate,” Rogoway said. “Federal law says the school has to accommodate her medical needs.”

Currently, states like Maine, New Jersey and Colorado have made exceptions for students whose doctors approve the use of medical marijuana, allowing parents or authorized caregivers to administer the drug.

California Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, pushed for similar legislation in February, introducing a bill that would give schools the option to allow parents or guardians to administer medical marijuana to their children. But the bill, currently in the California Assembly, would prohibit the medication from being kept at schools.

Jana Adams said her daughter wouldn’t benefit from the proposed legislation because the seizures happen sporadically and need to be immediately treated with the THC oil, rather than wait several minutes for her to reach the school in an emergency.

“What Brooke needs is someone at the school to administer and keep it on campus,” Rogoway said.

The Rincon Valley Union School District did accommodate her daughter two years ago when she started preschool. The district paid for Brooke to attend Humboldt Community Preschool, a Santa Rosa private school that agreed to let her bring the cannabis-based medication in case of emergencies, Adams said. The school also provided her daughter with a nurse who goes to school with her.

But the district did not make the same accommodations when Brooke was preparing to start elementary school earlier this year, Adams said. It instead proposed Brooke be home-schooled, an option Adams believes doesn’t meet federal standards defined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

“Going to school, she’s able to socialize,” she said. “By not going to school, she’s not able to play with others and be in the same environment that all kids should be able to experience.”

Cathy Myhers, the district’s assistant superintendent for student services, cited several regulations that she said prevent school officials from allowing students to take medical cannabis on campus. For example, under the California Health and Safety Code, no one can smoke or ingest cannabis within 1,000 feet of a school, day care or youth center. The federal Every Student Succeeds Act requires schools remain drug-free environments, Myhers said.

“Our goal is to serve the needs of our students,” Myhers said. “I hope that we will receive guidance on how to best serve the needs of students who require medical cannabis on a public school campus, without breaking the law and jeopardizing our state and federal funding. The only alternatives that I am aware of would be to serve students through a home-based program.”

Brooke’s case was submitted to the California Office of Administrative Hearings’ Special Education Division on May 14. The division is responsible for resolving disagreements between school districts and parents of children with disabilities, according to its website.

Rogoway said the two-day public hearing will allow him and attorneys representing the school district to make their case on how Rincon Valley should proceed with Brooke’s education.

The hearing for Brooke’s case will start at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at Santa Rosa’s Madrone Elementary School in Room 18, Adams said.

You can reach Staff Writer Nashelly Chavez at 707-521-5203 or nashelly.chavez@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @nashellytweets.

The post Santa Rosa family fights for girl’s medical cannabis use in school appeared first on The Emerald Report.

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