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Law Atrocious and Horrible Cannabis News

Sounds like a fishing expedition to me: Genuine investigations always have a WHY as well as a who, but I see no hint of an actual, *actionable* ground for the ‘investigation’ outlined in the article. Without a coherent reason and focus, I have to call these actions politically-motivated; at least, if there is authorized oversight of the industry at the federal level, it should be *known* and *spelled out* what the range - and - limits of such investigations must be, and a chain of authority set forth (oversight on the fed level is *congressional*; not DOJs job unless clearly spelled out and requested by Congress)
 
Sounds like a fishing expedition to me: Genuine investigations always have a WHY as well as a who, but I see no hint of an actual, *actionable* ground for the ‘investigation’ outlined in the article. Without a coherent reason and focus, I have to call these actions politically-motivated; at least, if there is authorized oversight of the industry at the federal level, it should be *known* and *spelled out* what the range - and - limits of such investigations must be, and a chain of authority set forth (oversight on the fed level is *congressional*; not DOJs job unless clearly spelled out and requested by Congress)
I'm not at all sure I agree. While I am extremely disappointed in this reaction from DOJ in the face of citizen support for legalization, the fact is that MJ is still very illegal at the Federal level, companies like Weedmaps are certainly interstate commerce and fall under Fed jurisdiction, and there is absolutely no need for Congressional action as there are many laws on the books that can be applied....including the highly feared RICO Act.

If DOJ goes with criminal prosecutions, watch for wide spread outcry and condemnation....it won't be pretty.

Just my thoughts on it.
 

Chicago marijuana dispensaries close indefinitely



The bulletproof security glass inside Mission South Shore marijuana dispensary was supposed to be impenetrable. But it gave way Sunday afternoon to looters armed with crowbars and baseball bats.

They smashed through the front door first, then hacked away at the security glass, said Kris Krane, president and co-founder of 4Front Ventures, which owns the dispensary in the South Chicago neighborhood. Everything of value was taken, including the marijuana.

“The store’s been pretty much ransacked,” said Krane, who watched security camera footage of 30 or 40 people breaking into the dispensary. “Nothing was going to hold that many people back."

Every dispensary in Chicago is closed indefinitely to prevent or clean up from weekend looting and vandalizing, fallout from George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis last week. The closures could cause problems for medical patients whose supplies run low.

All the staff members at Mission left before the looters arrived, Krane said. The dispensary shut down as neighboring businesses were looted and the situation appeared unsafe. It was boarded up Monday morning, and will be closed until further notice.

Krane said they are still assessing how deeply the loss of inventory will affect customers and patients.

A person walks by Dispensary 33 on Clark Street in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood on January 29, 2020.

A person walks by Dispensary 33 on Clark Street in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood on January 29, 2020. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Dispensary 33 in the Uptown neighborhood closed early Sunday and remained closed Monday. General manager Paul Lee said he hoped to reopen as soon as possible.
The dispensary’s storefront was broken and kicked down Saturday night, but no one entered the store.

Because of state regulations, marijuana dispensaries in Illinois have robust security systems. Many employ security guards, and, like Mission, have secured areas that customers must pass through before entering the showroom floor. Even there, marijuana products are not allowed to be displayed — they must be kept locked up, in a vault or secured room.

When looters on Saturday night shattered the windows and entered the Sunnyside dispensary in River North, which opened just last week, they did not penetrate the secure area and vault, where the cannabis is stored, said spokesman Jason Erkes.

Cresco Labs, which owns the dispensary, moved all the product out of its dispensaries in River North, Lakeview and Elmwood Park to a state-licensed, secure location. The stores are boarded up, and closed until further notice.

NuMed Chicago sent out a text alert letting customers know it is temporarily closing “due to ongoing protests in our area.” Illinois Supply and Provisions in Springfield also was closed Monday. MedMen, which operates dispensaries in Evanston and Oak Park, closed all of its stores nationwide Sunday.

The unrest follows the death of Floyd, an unarmed black man, at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer. City officials have drawn a distinction between the looters and the protesters.

Still, the unrest is striking an interesting chord in the marijuana industry, which has been criticized for being largely white-owned. Efforts to diversify the industry have been delayed because of the coronavirus.

Krane said he and everyone at Mission “believes deeply” in the causes of social justice, racial justice and ending police brutality. They support the protesters’ goals and don’t want what happened at the dispensary to minimize that, he said.

“The underlying events that caused the protests to erupt in the first place are still not resolved,” he said. “I don’t want us to look like a victim here and I don’t want that to detract from the broader cause and the broader movement.”
 
https://www.leafly.com/news/politic...il_news&utm_campaign=newsletter_061720_us_wed

If cannabis is legal, why is Michael Thompson serving 40 years in prison?
Bill Levers and Jeff LeversJune 11, 2020

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Michael Thompson, now 69, was sentenced to 40-to-60 years in prison for selling 3 pounds of marijuana in 1994. In Michigan, where cannabis is now legal, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is Thompson's only hope of getting out of prison alive. (Leafly illustration/Photo via Last Prisoner Project)
Editor’s note: An expanded version of this article first appeared on the Beard Bros Pharms media site.

In 2018, Michigan voters passed Proposition 1, or the Michigan Taxation and Regulation of Marijuana Act, establishing a legal marketplace for cannabis. That statewide industry raked in $31.9 million in its first three months, January through March of this year.

Michael Thompson has already served 25 years. Your email or phone call can help his bid for clemency.
As the name of the new law implies, Michigan established a taxed and regulated marketplace for cannabis available to any adult aged 21 or older.

Well… not quite any adult.

Michael Thompson is 69-year-old Michigan man who currently resides in the Muskegon Correctional Facility. He’s 25 years into a 40-to-60-year sentence handed down for selling three pounds of weed in 1994. Thompson is now the longest-serving nonviolent offender in Michigan history. And he needs our help.


Doing time but it’s no longer a crime
Selling marijuana is now legal in Michigan, but Michael Thompson remains in prison for an action that is no longer a crime.

After having three appeals denied, along with two previous attempts at clemency, advocates for Thompson see an opening right now. He is eligible for clemency again this year, and there’s renewed hope that a new Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer, may finally set Thompson free.

Thompson’s latest clemency petition has been fortified by more than 20,000 letters from supporters, including support from Genessee County Prosecutor David Leyton, who wrote that Thompson’s sentence “goes against the interests of justice and fairness”.

The 69-year old Thompson has a nearly spotless 25-year prison record and is struggling with Type 2 Diabetes.

With many states ramping up coronavirus compassionate-release programs—aimed at reducing the sentences of elderly, nonviolent, health-compromised inmates—now is the time to get Michael Thompson home and safe with his family.

Related
Cannabis and America’s uprising: It’s time to answer the knock at the door

A call to action
Now, more than ever, we need your help to set Michael Thompson free. We are asking that you call and request that Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer expedite Thompson’s request for clemency. We cannot allow a cannabis sentence to become a death sentence for Michael.

Make your voice heard and let’s free Michael Thompson now!

GOV. WHITMER’S OFFICE
(517) 373-3400


Michael-Thompson-marijuana-prisoner

Michael Thompson: “Explain to me how you can take another person’s life and get less time than I did.” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will soon hear his clemency appeal. (Photo courtesy of Last Prisoner Project)
Born and raised in Flint
A true child of Flint, Michigan, Michael Thompson learned early to make do without while growing up in the 1960s. A starting guard for three seasons on the Flint Central High School basketball team, Thompson went on to serve his country in the U.S. Navy.

Honorably discharged from the Navy, Thompson accepted a job with General Motors. As the quality of life in Flint declined, Thompson stayed in his hometown and is credited with squashing turf wars between local gangs. He was granted the NAACP Youth Award and was even given the “Key to the City” at one point.

This was the 80s and 90s, though, and shit was wild as some of you know. Thompson had his share of run-ins with the law throughout his adulthood, dating back as far as 1982. A review of local court records reveals that Thompson had been convicted of three cocaine-related offenses by the early 1990s.

That made his cannabis sale potentially his fourth felony offense under state law, branding him with the label of Habitual Offender—which could compound his sentence if convicted.

The case: a $4,200 weed sale
Back in 1994, Thompson thought he was dealing with a homeboy. The dude asks him for three elbows, then they agree on a price of $4,200. Thompson tells the guy to kick it while he goes elsewhere—his wife’s house—to get the goods. He grabs the bag, takes it back to the dude, they make the exchange, and go their separate ways.

The sale was a setup. The homeboy was an informant. Thompson was pulled over and arrested shortly thereafter. Police searched the house of Thompson’s wife, where they found their $4,200, more cash, more weed, a handgun, and some antique firearms.

The cops found no gun on Thompson when he was arrested. His wife owned the handgun; police found it tucked under her side of the bed. Other firearms were inside a locked closet and most could be categorized as inoperable antiques.

As a convicted felon, though, Thompson was not legally allowed to own a gun.

The cannabis-related charges of possession with intent to deliver marijuana, conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver marijuana and delivery of marijuana carried a maximum sentence of 4 to 15 years. Thompson entered into a plea deal with the state prosecutor for a four-year sentence.

Judge rejects a plea deal
That deal was seen as far too lenient for the district court judge, though, a notoriously heavy-sentence jurist named Judith Fullerton. Judge Fullerton rejected the plea deal and forced the case to go to trial—and not just on the selling charge. Prosecutors also went after him for possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, too.

Thompson’s public defender approved a 12-person jury that only had one person of color on it. None of the 12 were from Flint. This was not a jury of his peers. The result was his conviction.

After Thompson was found guilty, Judge Fullerton handed him an extreme and life-changing sentence: 40 to 60 years in prison.

He’s been there ever since.

Life passes him by in prison
Sadly, while in prison, Michael Thompson has had to endure the death of his mother, his father, and his son. He was only able to attend the funeral for his mother, whose one wish was that her son not die in prison.

Michael Thompson is not eligible for parole until 2038. At that time he will be 95 years old.

For three pounds of weed. In 1994.

There is some hope, however, and here is how we can help. Call Michigan Gov. Whitmer’s office and urge the governor to expedite Michael Thompson’s request for clemency. With your help, we can get this man home.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office
(517) 373-3400
 
This is disgusting. And "too loud of music" is not probable cause for a search. Also, if he is mentally disabled and unable to make informed decisions, his plea deal should be null and void if he was not allowed to have adequate counsel.

This is a complete and utter screwing of this vet and makes steam come out of my ears.

Disabled Veteran Sentenced to Prison Time in Alabama for Legally-Obtained Cannabis


At a time when America is trying to right its wrongs when it comes to the treatment of people of color and the war on drugs over the past few centuries, a Black, disabled veteran is still being held in prison on minor cannabis charges.
Sean Worsley, an Iraq veteran who suffers from a traumatic brain injury and PTSD, uses medical cannabis for his pain and anxiety. He legally purchased the medicine in his home state of Arizona before his arrest.
Worsley and his wife, Eboni, were arrested in Pickens County, Alabama, where cannabis is still not legal, back in August 2016. This took place when the couple stopped at a gas station and were approached by police officers for listening to music “too loudly”. The police then proceeded to search the vehicle where they found Worsley’s medical cannabis.



“I explained to him that Alabama did not have medical marijuana. I then placed the suspect in handcuffs,” the arresting officers stated in an official report.
In addition to the cannabis, the officers found some unopened alcohol and prescribed pills—all legal. However, the pills were not in their original bottle, which the officers claimed was a felony. The Worsleys spent six days in jail and then faced even more criminal proceedings.
The couple, originally from Arizona, then moved to Nevada, but they got a call a year after the incident explaining that bail bonds were revoked on their case and they had to go back to Alabama or be charged with failing to appear in court. Worsley, who is reportedly not able to make informed decisions on his own due to his disability, was convinced that he had to sign a plea agreement…or he and his wife would face jail time.
Worsley was then sentenced to 60 months in prison.
Alabama, Prison, And Cannabis
There are currently only about 60 or 70 people in the Alabama prison system for cannabis, and those are usually more serious trafficking charges. Because of this, many people are beginning to speak out in Worsley’s defense.
“They got arrested for a whole truckload, semi-truckloads even, for trafficking,” State Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster claims of the other people currently serving time in prison.
In a letter to Alabama Appleseed, written as he serves time in the Pickens County jail, Worsley expressed how upset he is being away from his wife and children, and how humiliated he is having to call them from prison.
“I feel like I’m being thrown away by a country I went and served for,” Worsley wrote in a letter to Alabama Appleseed. “I feel like I lost parts of me in Iraq, parts of my spirit and soul that I can’t ever get back.”
This is clearly not the first (or last) cannabis charge involving a Black man or veteran that needs to be addressed, but the fact that it is now gaining more public attention may help lessen Worsley’s sentence and bring awareness to the issue of the intersection between racial justice and cannabis justice.
 
This is disgusting. And "too loud of music" is not probable cause for a search. Also, if he is mentally disabled and unable to make informed decisions, his plea deal should be null and void if he was not allowed to have adequate counsel.

This is a complete and utter screwing of this vet and makes steam come out of my ears.

Disabled Veteran Sentenced to Prison Time in Alabama for Legally-Obtained Cannabis


At a time when America is trying to right its wrongs when it comes to the treatment of people of color and the war on drugs over the past few centuries, a Black, disabled veteran is still being held in prison on minor cannabis charges.
Sean Worsley, an Iraq veteran who suffers from a traumatic brain injury and PTSD, uses medical cannabis for his pain and anxiety. He legally purchased the medicine in his home state of Arizona before his arrest.
Worsley and his wife, Eboni, were arrested in Pickens County, Alabama, where cannabis is still not legal, back in August 2016. This took place when the couple stopped at a gas station and were approached by police officers for listening to music “too loudly”. The police then proceeded to search the vehicle where they found Worsley’s medical cannabis.



“I explained to him that Alabama did not have medical marijuana. I then placed the suspect in handcuffs,” the arresting officers stated in an official report.
In addition to the cannabis, the officers found some unopened alcohol and prescribed pills—all legal. However, the pills were not in their original bottle, which the officers claimed was a felony. The Worsleys spent six days in jail and then faced even more criminal proceedings.
The couple, originally from Arizona, then moved to Nevada, but they got a call a year after the incident explaining that bail bonds were revoked on their case and they had to go back to Alabama or be charged with failing to appear in court. Worsley, who is reportedly not able to make informed decisions on his own due to his disability, was convinced that he had to sign a plea agreement…or he and his wife would face jail time.
Worsley was then sentenced to 60 months in prison.
Alabama, Prison, And Cannabis
There are currently only about 60 or 70 people in the Alabama prison system for cannabis, and those are usually more serious trafficking charges. Because of this, many people are beginning to speak out in Worsley’s defense.
“They got arrested for a whole truckload, semi-truckloads even, for trafficking,” State Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster claims of the other people currently serving time in prison.
In a letter to Alabama Appleseed, written as he serves time in the Pickens County jail, Worsley expressed how upset he is being away from his wife and children, and how humiliated he is having to call them from prison.
“I feel like I’m being thrown away by a country I went and served for,” Worsley wrote in a letter to Alabama Appleseed. “I feel like I lost parts of me in Iraq, parts of my spirit and soul that I can’t ever get back.”
This is clearly not the first (or last) cannabis charge involving a Black man or veteran that needs to be addressed, but the fact that it is now gaining more public attention may help lessen Worsley’s sentence and bring awareness to the issue of the intersection between racial justice and cannabis justice.
Do we need to wonder why cops have such a bad rep? Loud music is not probable cause. I always wonder why the hard ass routine for some weed. it's crazy. Those in legal and medical states forget about the shenanigans of the police. Bottom line people still go to jail for weed.
 
This is disgusting. And "too loud of music" is not probable cause for a search. Also, if he is mentally disabled and unable to make informed decisions, his plea deal should be null and void if he was not allowed to have adequate counsel.

This is a complete and utter screwing of this vet and makes steam come out of my ears.

Disabled Veteran Sentenced to Prison Time in Alabama for Legally-Obtained Cannabis


At a time when America is trying to right its wrongs when it comes to the treatment of people of color and the war on drugs over the past few centuries, a Black, disabled veteran is still being held in prison on minor cannabis charges.
Sean Worsley, an Iraq veteran who suffers from a traumatic brain injury and PTSD, uses medical cannabis for his pain and anxiety. He legally purchased the medicine in his home state of Arizona before his arrest.
Worsley and his wife, Eboni, were arrested in Pickens County, Alabama, where cannabis is still not legal, back in August 2016. This took place when the couple stopped at a gas station and were approached by police officers for listening to music “too loudly”. The police then proceeded to search the vehicle where they found Worsley’s medical cannabis.



“I explained to him that Alabama did not have medical marijuana. I then placed the suspect in handcuffs,” the arresting officers stated in an official report.
In addition to the cannabis, the officers found some unopened alcohol and prescribed pills—all legal. However, the pills were not in their original bottle, which the officers claimed was a felony. The Worsleys spent six days in jail and then faced even more criminal proceedings.
The couple, originally from Arizona, then moved to Nevada, but they got a call a year after the incident explaining that bail bonds were revoked on their case and they had to go back to Alabama or be charged with failing to appear in court. Worsley, who is reportedly not able to make informed decisions on his own due to his disability, was convinced that he had to sign a plea agreement…or he and his wife would face jail time.
Worsley was then sentenced to 60 months in prison.
Alabama, Prison, And Cannabis
There are currently only about 60 or 70 people in the Alabama prison system for cannabis, and those are usually more serious trafficking charges. Because of this, many people are beginning to speak out in Worsley’s defense.
“They got arrested for a whole truckload, semi-truckloads even, for trafficking,” State Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster claims of the other people currently serving time in prison.
In a letter to Alabama Appleseed, written as he serves time in the Pickens County jail, Worsley expressed how upset he is being away from his wife and children, and how humiliated he is having to call them from prison.
“I feel like I’m being thrown away by a country I went and served for,” Worsley wrote in a letter to Alabama Appleseed. “I feel like I lost parts of me in Iraq, parts of my spirit and soul that I can’t ever get back.”
This is clearly not the first (or last) cannabis charge involving a Black man or veteran that needs to be addressed, but the fact that it is now gaining more public attention may help lessen Worsley’s sentence and bring awareness to the issue of the intersection between racial justice and cannabis justice.
The law’s are mid-evil? (Stupidity is rampant in this state)
 
Do we need to wonder why cops have such a bad rep? Loud music is not probable cause. I always wonder why the hard ass routine for some weed. it's crazy. Those in legal and medical states forget about the shenanigans of the police. Bottom line people still go to jail for weed.
I actually don’t share that view of police and generally support law enforcement as the alternative is anarchy of which we have recently had only a small taste.

These particular cops, however, get my full condemnation.

But the real villain is the prosecuting attorney who jammed this fella into a plea deal of 60 months. How is five years for simple possession equitable or in any way just much less being a “deal”
 
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I actually don’t share that view of police and generally support law enforcement as the alternative is anarchy of which we have recently had only a small taste.

These particular cops, however, get my full condemnation.

But the real villain is the prosecuting attorney who jammed this fella into a plea deal of 60 months. How is five years for simple possession equitable or in any way just much less being a “deal”
I was beat up twice by cops. Once by the sheriffs, and once by Phoenix finest. Your right we need cops. Just not the ones that beat you up. And yes weed was involved both times. Protecting people shouldn't have to mean being a jerk to the people they are protecting.
 
Just not the ones that beat you up
Yes, I agree completely.

But there are 800K LEOs in the country. See what I'm saying.

 
Why should I have to worry about getting my ass beat in the first place ? Now if I have any interaction with police I start to violently shake. I can't help it, and it's very noticeable to the cops pulling me over. Then they start giving me the third degree on why I'm shaking so much ? Are you on drugs ? Have you been drinking ? JAJAJA you sure don't tell them the truth why your shaking! Then they act like they are doing you a huge favor when they have to let you go! Nope ! There is and there always has been cops getting away with being the hard ass for too long. The best thing that could have happened was the invention of the body cam from both perspectives. A few bad cops have tainted the reputations of many but I don't see how I'm responsible for that.
 
Why should I have to worry about getting my ass beat in the first place ? Now if I have any interaction with police I start to violently shake. I can't help it, and it's very noticeable to the cops pulling me over. Then they start giving me the third degree on why I'm shaking so much ? Are you on drugs ? Have you been drinking ? JAJAJA you sure don't tell them the truth why your shaking! Then they act like they are doing you a huge favor when they have to let you go! Nope ! There is and there always has been cops getting away with being the hard ass for too long. The best thing that could have happened was the invention of the body cam from both perspectives. A few bad cops have tainted the reputations of many but I don't see how I'm responsible for that.
If replying to me, no I don’t think you are responsible for that at all.

If that was in reference to my posting the Chris Rock vid, that was just for humor. I think it’s hilarious and yes, all humor is derived from reality.
 
Only government can, with a straight face, promulgate such idiotic absurdity.


European Commission hits pause on natural CBD products — but synthetic CBD is okay


The European Commission (EC) has suspended new applications for food products containing natural CBD while it considers labelling such products as “narcotics-related.”
The commission has reached a “preliminary conclusion” that extracts from the flowerings of hemp plants should be considered a drug under the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, reports Hemp Today.

“The Commission’s preliminary view is that CBD extracted from the flowering and fruiting tops of the hemp plant should be considered as a narcotic falling under the United Nations Single Convention,” the EC said.

In response, the European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA) said in a statement to Hemp Today that this decision could be the “final blow to the sector.”

“Industrial hemp and its downstream products are not narcotic or psychotropic drugs, and therefore are clearly exempted from the scope of the Single Convention,” the association argues.

The restriction applies to novel food products, which are defined as products that were not widely consumed before May 1997. As a result, about 50 product applications have been paused, reports Just Food.

Hemp-derived CBD products are widely available across North America, as well as many European countries like Germany, Czech Republic, and Greece.
While the EC mulls the decision about selling natural CBD, new products that contain synthetic CBD will still be approved. Previously approved products are also permitted to continue sales.

“Novel Food applications for synthetic CBD which is not extracted from the plant, continue in the approval process,” the Commission said, reports Hemp Today.
The EIHA, meanwhile, said that permitting synthetic but not natural hemp extracts is “nonsense from a scientific and environmental point of view.”

The association argues that ruling against natural extracts will hurt farmers and food business operations during a time of global crisis.

“If hemp extracts become a drug, it will not be the farmers and SMEs benefiting from the success of the hemp industry, but only those big companies that can afford the synthetic production of chemicals,” Lorenza Romanese, Managing Director of EIHA, told Hemp Today.

“That’s an absurdity we cannot afford nor accept.”
 
I put this under Atrocious News because.....these idiots at the FDA can seem to test and approve a cannabis extraction made by a major pharma company and sold at a very high price, but they can't seem to do anything at all unless...well, its from a major pharma company.

Just go buy good quality CBD extract or high CBD flower and you have....oh, Epidiolex. FFS

FDA approves CBD-based drug for seizures associated with rare genetic disease


Last week, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved the cannabis-based drug Epidiolex for the treatment of seizures associated with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC).
Back in 2018, Epidiolex, manufactured by GW Pharmaceuticals, became the first cannabis-derived drug to be approved by the FDA. The drug, which is almost completely based on CBD, the non-psychoactive compound found in the cannabis plant, is used as a treatment for Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome – two rare and severe forms of epilepsy.
Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a rare genetic disease that causes non-cancerous tumors to grow in the brain, kidneys, heart, liver, eyes, and lungs.
“The FDA continues to believe the drug approval process represents the best way to make new medicines, including any drugs derived from cannabis, available to patients in need of appropriate medical therapy such as the treatment of seizures associated with these rare conditions. This paradigm ensures new therapies are safe, effective, and manufactured to a high quality that provides uniform and reliable dosing for patients,” Douglas Throckmorton of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said in a statement.
Furthermore, the FDA is committed to supporting research on the other potential medicinal uses of cannabis-based treatments, he added.
Commenting on the FDA’s approval, GW’s chief executive officer Justin Gover said that patients can look forward to gaining broader access to cannabinoid medicines in the future. TSC patients can also immediately seek Epidiolex for relief, as the drug has already been made available two years ago.
The US drug regulator highlighted Epidiolex’s effectiveness was studied in three clinical trials involving over 500 patients suffering from the two rare forms of epilepsy. Epidiolex proved itself effective in reducing the frequency of seizures in comparison with a placebo.
Side-effects noted in the FDA’s statement include drowsiness, lethargy, decreased appetite, diarrhea, rash, fatigue, insomnia, poor quality sleep, and other issues.
Regarding seizures associated with TSC, a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial with over 200 participants has shown Epidiolex to be helpful in reducing seizure frequency.
In fact, patients treated with Epidiolex “had a significantly greater reduction in the frequency of seizures during the treatment period than patients who received placebo (inactive treatment),” an effect that was observed within eight weeks of treatment.
The most common side-effects TSC patients on Epidiolex experienced were diarrhea, elevated liver enzymes, decreased appetite, sleepiness, fever, and vomiting.
 
California wildfires claim several marijuana farms, threatening growers with financial losses
Published 3 hours ago | By John Schroyer

Northern-California-fires-min-300x190.jpg

Flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires jump Interstate 80 in Vacaville, California. (Photo by Associated Press)
The series of wildfires ravaging Northern California have inflicted major damage on several marijuana farms, with possibly more outdoor grow operations threatened in the region.

“There are a ton of farms that are located in the fire’s path. No one’s out of the woods yet. This is just starting,” said Keala Peterson, whose small, family-run cannabis operation, Sweet Creek Farms in Sonoma County, was damaged by the fires.

Peterson noted that many of the largest fire complexes were either not contained at all or only slightly contained by firefighters, a situation that exposes cannabis farmers to significant financial losses because the outdoor crops aren’t necessarily insured.

Peterson said Sweet Creek Farms lost about four-fifths of its marijuana crop to the fire on Wednesday but noted that firefighters were able to save part of her family compound.




“It looks like a wasteland,” she said. “Pretty much, it’s a total loss.”


Peterson said her cannabis crop isn’t insured, and she estimated her family will likely absorb about $150,000 in losses, perhaps more, if they aren’t able to salvage the unburned marijuana that has yet to fully flower.

“We’re guardedly optimistic that those (unburned marijuana plants) could come to term, but with smoke damage, if the bud has set enough, it’ll just be smoky marijuana, and nobody wants to smoke that,” Peterson said.

Still, she’s not too worried about the future of Sweet Creek because her family has a diversified income and doesn’t rely solely on cannabis.

The fires, many caused by lightning and sometimes pushed by strong winds, have burned hundreds of thousands of acres as they chewed through brushland, rural areas, canyon country and dense forest surrounding San Francisco. Fires also burned in the Sierra Nevada and Southern California wild lands.

Another Sonoma County cannabis farmer replied to a call for comment with a text message that said, “I’m evacuating. Sorry I can’t talk now.”

Santa Cruz operations threatened

To the south of San Francisco, in Santa Cruz County, longtime medical cannabis nonprofit WAMM Phytotherapies also likely lost a farm, said founder Valerie Corral. But she’s not even certain of the farm’s status because she had to evacuate Tuesday night.

“We just found out that probably everything burned” at WAMM’s farm in northern Santa Cruz County, she said, adding that a second farm, in southern Santa Cruz, was still untouched.

“It’s pretty awful here in Santa Cruz,” Corral said. “I have to be thankful that no one’s life has been lost.”

The WAMM farm was also uninsured, but Corral said she and her organization have been through worse and they’ll get back on their feet, one way or another.

Yet another series of fires in Yolo County, directly west of Sacramento, is threatening Preferred Gardens, said owner David Polley.

He said Thursday he’ll have to deal with smoke damage to at least 2,000 of his 12,000 plants, which he said might have to be destroyed.

What he’s worried about is the possibility of the winds shifting and that the fires might turn and begin heading south toward his farm.

“If this fire doesn’t get under wraps, then everything is going to go down,” Polley said. ” We’re just going to pray that doesn’t happen.”

If it does, Polley said, it could put his losses in the millions of dollars and potentially put him out of business.

But Polley, like others in the industry, remains stubbornly optimistic, and he pointed out that he’s been in the industry for 15 years.

“I’ve been through all different kinds of hell,” he said. “This is just another day.”

John Schroyer can be reached at johns@mjbizdaily.com

The Associated Press contributed to this report


I put this under Atrocious News because.....these idiots at the FDA can seem to test and approve a cannabis extraction made by a major pharma company and sold at a very high price, but they can't seem to do anything at all unless...well, its from a major pharma company.

Just go buy good quality CBD extract or high CBD flower and you have....oh, Epidiolex. FFS

FDA approves CBD-based drug for seizures associated with rare genetic disease


Last week, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved the cannabis-based drug Epidiolex for the treatment of seizures associated with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC).
Back in 2018, Epidiolex, manufactured by GW Pharmaceuticals, became the first cannabis-derived drug to be approved by the FDA. The drug, which is almost completely based on CBD, the non-psychoactive compound found in the cannabis plant, is used as a treatment for Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome – two rare and severe forms of epilepsy.
Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a rare genetic disease that causes non-cancerous tumors to grow in the brain, kidneys, heart, liver, eyes, and lungs.

Furthermore, the FDA is committed to supporting research on the other potential medicinal uses of cannabis-based treatments, he added.
Commenting on the FDA’s approval, GW’s chief executive officer Justin Gover said that patients can look forward to gaining broader access to cannabinoid medicines in the future. TSC patients can also immediately seek Epidiolex for relief, as the drug has already been made available two years ago.
The US drug regulator highlighted Epidiolex’s effectiveness was studied in three clinical trials involving over 500 patients suffering from the two rare forms of epilepsy. Epidiolex proved itself effective in reducing the frequency of seizures in comparison with a placebo.
Side-effects noted in the FDA’s statement include drowsiness, lethargy, decreased appetite, diarrhea, rash, fatigue, insomnia, poor quality sleep, and other issues.
Regarding seizures associated with TSC, a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial with over 200 participants has shown Epidiolex to be helpful in reducing seizure frequency.
In fact, patients treated with Epidiolex “had a significantly greater reduction in the frequency of seizures during the treatment period than patients who received placebo (inactive treatment),” an effect that was observed within eight weeks of treatment.
The most common side-effects TSC patients on Epidiolex experienced were diarrhea, elevated liver enzymes, decreased appetite, sleepiness, fever, and vomiting.
We have close friends whose son has Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome – two rare and severe forms of epilepsy. Their doctor had to fight to get their son on Epidiolex. It's still very expensive and very hard to qualify. Compared to all the other drugs they had him on, Epidiolex has given their son on new lease on life. He's active now and they took him off his feeding tube. He's on solid food now for the first time in his life. In order to qualify your child has to have one of three forms of epilepsy. He has two and the results are amazing. He's off most of the epilepsy drugs now and is thriving.
 
We have close friends whose son has Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome – two rare and severe forms of epilepsy. Their doctor had to fight to get their son on Epidiolex. It's still very expensive and very hard to qualify. Compared to all the other drugs they had him on, Epidiolex has given their son on new lease on life. He's active now and they took him off his feeding tube. He's on solid food now for the first time in his life. In order to qualify your child has to have one of three forms of epilepsy. He has two and the results are amazing. He's off most of the epilepsy drugs now and is thriving.
Did they try CBD other than Epidiolex and was there any diff in effectiveness?

Glad to here the child is dong much better.
 
Did they try CBD other than Epidiolex and was there any diff in effectiveness?

Glad to here the child is dong much better.
They tried topical lotions. With very minor success. At that time the child was very sick. It took forever to get him qualified, and then they had to wean him off his other drugs. That took months . He still gets some seizures, but they are few and nowhere near as severe as experienced. Were talking multiple seizures daily reduced to a couple a month. From what the doctors explained to them Epidiolex is way stronger than any commercial cbd available on the market. I think they said the costs were $1300 a unit which is covered by our state.
 
the doctors explained to them Epidiolex is way stronger than any commercial cbd available on the market.
Wow, all due respect to your friend's doctor, but I would like to see some sort of comparison of active ingredients. My limited understanding of Epidiolex is its just CBD. Oh, cleaned up and concentrated in a pharma production facility but I believe that the only active ingredient is CBD????

I'm not at all suggesting that your friends run any experiments with their child. I'm sure that they must be ecstatic to have any sort of solution for the tike.

But I am curious and I do have a definite bias with big pharma and them trying to sell us for huge $$ what we already have naturally.

Cheers
 
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