Weekend News Recap
Here are some news articles you might have missed over the weekend. Stay informed by checking out Dabbin Dad each week for all of your cannabis information.
February 26th, 2018
Board to consider adding opioid addiction to medical marijuana conditions list
Can’t stress this enough… It’s about damn time! Thank you for being late to the game, but thank you for showing up when we still need you nonetheless. By the way, this is TODAY!!!
Since Connecticut’s medical marijuana program began in 2014, the list of diagnosed conditions that can qualify someone for a medical marijuana card has grown from 11 to 22.
On Monday, a board of Connecticut doctors will hear appeals to add four more conditions to that list, including one not allowed in any other states with medical marijuana programs: opioid addiction.
Connecticut’s medical marijuana regulations — passed in 2012 with 11 approved conditions: cancer, glaucoma, HIV or AIDS, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, cachexia, wasting syndrome, Crohn’s disease and post-traumatic stress disorder — have been updated through the regulatory process twice since then, adding six new conditions.
Another five were added to the list with a 2016 bill that legalized medical marijuana for children with certain conditions like cystic fibrosis.
In January, the Department of Consumer Protection’s Board of Physicians recommended adding more conditions that are under consideration by department officials and legislators.
People can petition the Board of Physicians to consider adding new conditions to the list. The board then votes on whether to endorse each condition and recommend its inclusion in the medical marijuana program to the Department of Consumer Protection.
On Monday, the board will consider a petition to add opioid use disorders and opioid withdrawal to the list, conditions that are not approved for treatment with medical marijuana in any other state and that face an uphill battle for inclusion on Connecticut’s list. Read more
Could Drivers Under 21 Lose Their License If Caught With Marijuana?
Ok, so I will entertain regulation on stoned driving adolescents. The title of this article made me cringe a little. I mean, they must mean caught driving impaired and possession right?
Both detractors and proponents of legal cannabis can, for the most part, agree on one thing—there should be a set of regulations for driving under the influence of marijuana. However, as it stands, most cannabis-legal states do not have a set of rules, or even, a viable way to accurately test drivers for cannabis consumption. Now, lawmakers in California are considering a set of regulations for one sector of the cannabis consumer community—underage users. Which begs the question: could drivers under 21 lose their license if caught with marijuana?
A New Initiative
California drivers under the age of 21 could lose their license for a year due to new regulations. Getting caught driving with cannabis could result in a year of hitchhiking and public transportation.
Much like alcohol, California residents must be 21 or over to purchase and legally consume pot. State Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) explained that the upcoming provisions will also closely mirror pre-existing legislation. Especially when it comes to underage drinking and driving.
He added that “the state will adhere to a strict ‘zero-tolerance’” policy. Read more
These Tobacco Companies Are Investing in Cannabis
Well, well, well. Say it ain’t so!
It used to just seem like a big conspiracy or urban legend thought up in a smoke sesh. But it is true that Big Tobacco is taking over the weed industry. Now due to a larger recreational market, new investment opportunities in the plant appeal to tobacco companies. Steadily but surely, tobacco companies are investing in cannabis.
Changes For Big Tobacco
Since at least the 1970s, Big Tobacco has sized up pot as its competition. But it has also looked into it as a product. Since laws on weed have relaxed some, tobacco companies have altered their corporate strategies to be ready.
They predict that a day will come when they can sell pot products legally across the whole country. To be successful they would need to have an edge in the market. And they do.
Cigarette smoking has seen a decline in recent years. But weed has been legalized recreationally in many states. States like California promote clean air and restrict public smoking with laws. Yet they also legalized bud.
Tobacco companies are not unaware of this new opportunity. They see the loss in their sales. But wait! Weed could replace cigarettes as their next big product. Not to mention, pot could help to kick that cigarette smoking habit or ease a tobacco-caused issue like ischemia in their existing customer base.
But which tobacco companies are investing in cannabis? Read More