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Wednesday, October 4, 2017

National News for October 2017 - by Ericca M.

Cannabis Television Ad Runs on National NetworksDenver: For the first time in the cannabis industry, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, Viceland, the Weather Channel, Headline News, and Fox Business are now airing a national advertisement for The Hoban Law Group, a cannabis law firm based in Denver, Colorado.

The Hoban Law Group specializes in hemp, medical marijuana, and adult-use cannabis issues. They worked with Denver-based producer DCP Media to create a spot that met the requirements of a variety of networks.

Bob Hoban, the firm’s founder, told Leafly that the networks wanted to make sure that they didn't hit people over the head with the word ‘marijuana.’ To ensure those requirements were met,  they decided that the ad should focus on industrial hemp, and the medical and adult-use marketplaces. They were also asked not to flash a lot of marijuana plants to prevent offending certain members of the viewing audience.

The ad buy isn’t so much about immediate business development, Hoban said, as it is about keeping his firm on the pioneering edge of the industry. “We’ve been on the leading edge of the cannabis industry not just as lawyers but as business consultants. With this ad we’re continuing to push the boundaries and reinforce the recognition of the Hoban Group as a national brand."

Because of the fact that Hoban's ad is about straightforward legal and business consulting, the Hoban firm was able to obtain primetime slots, from 7pm to 10pm weeknights.

The Hoban ad marks the first time the word “cannabis” is used or spoken directly in a national spot.

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Trump Fumbles, Cannabis With The Recovery
Washington, D.C.:  Last month, Congress passed a bill that would continue to fund the government until December and would also provide additional resources to victims of natural disasters. What President Trump was completely unaware of is that there was a hidden benefit in the bill that marijuana advocates would also benefit from. The bill passed by Congress extends a law that prevents the federal government from using resources to crackdown on marijuana in states where it has been legalized.

The Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment was originally passed in 2014 and was set to expire in late September. The Senate included the amendment as part of its debt and disaster relief bill. Some members of the House spoke out against the amendment, but despite their grievances, it still passed. And President Donald Trump later made it official by signing it into law. The president worked directly with Democrats and sidelined Republicans to finalize the deal. It’s not clear whether President Trump knew the marijuana protections were in the final bill, but in any event, this is a big win for Cannabis advocates and a huge fumble for Trump.

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He's Too YoungIowa: A 10-year-old boy and his mother were recently arrested on cannabis-related charges. They were arrested after the boy took his mom’s weed stash to school and attempted to sell it to one of his peers. The student then reported it to school administration and they immediately called local law enforcement. Authorities say that his case will end up going through juvenile court.

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Ban on Cannabis Apparel RejectedCalifornia:  The California Assembly recently rejected a bill that would have ended the production of hats, t-shirts and other popular forms of cannabis apparel that help marijuana businesses utilize their customers as walking billboards. State Senator Ben Allen, proposed the legislation. Allen claimed that it “was a commonsense measure” that would prevent teens from using cannabis. The bill was supported by the California Police Chiefs Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics. The California Cannabis Manufacturers Association countered his claim, stating that the bill was a violation of their freedom of speech rights.

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MAMMA Wants Autism to Qualify for MarijuanaColorado: MAMMA (Mothers Advocating Medical Marijuana for Autism) has been fighting in Colorado to have the laws changed permanently to include Autism as a qualifying condition, so that individuals who suffer from it can treat it with medical marijuana. Underlying conditions of the disorder include oxidative stress, neurodegenerative diseases and inflammation, all of which can be treated and alleviated with cannabis use.

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Terra Tech Purchases Rapper's DispensarySanta Ana, California:  The Reserver, a dispensary in Santa Ana, California, co-owned by rapper 'The Game,' was purchased by Terra Tech last month for a whopping $7 Million.

Terra Tech plans to rebrand the shop as Blüm, as it will serve as another addition to their growing chain of dispensaries. Their purchase of The Reserver marks the publicly traded company’s first retail space in Southern California. Blum is also located in Oakland, they have four locations in Nevada and another coming soon to San Leandro. Terra Tech plans to keep The Game’s “Trees” strain, and will also be the exclusive distributor of The Game’s strains under the Terra Tech umbrella.

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Cannabis Improves Immunity in HIV PatientsPetersburg, VA:  A team of investigators from Virginia State University and the University of Florida Center for AIDS/HIV Research recently conducted a study to investigate the difference in the lymphocyte count among HIV patients who tested negative for THC and those who tested positive for THC. HIV Patients who tested positive for past cannabis exposure possessed significantly higher CD4+ and CD8+ counts than the patients who tested negative.

The investigators concluded that "the preliminary study showed THC positive patients had better HIV-related immune levels than their negative counterparts, despite not being statistically different on various demographic HIV-related covariates." This proves that marijuana can be used to treat some of the symptoms that are caused by the disease.

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Medical Marijuana Could Save Thousands of Lives Annually Indiana:  A study published by the University of Indiana states that approximately 47,500 American lives could be saved annually if medical marijuana were legalized nationally.

Dr. Thomas M. Clark evaluated the impact of legalized medical marijuana on cancer, appetite and metabolism, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, lung disease, and brain injury. Dr. Clark researched the effects of Cannabis use on organ systems and disease states in his investigation. Then, data on changes in mortality rates or harmful behaviors following legalization of medical marijuana were sought and analyzed.

The study noted that “cannabis use appears to prevent approximately 17,400 to 38,500 premature deaths annually.”


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