Tim Beck - by MM Report Staff

Tim Beck

For the last couple years, the Lansing cannabis lobby scene was a hornets’ nest of drama. Numerous interest groups slugged it out to shape the Michigan Medical Facilities Licensing Act (MMFLA) and promote or defeat cannabis legalization. Entities like the National Patients Rights Association (NPRA), Michigan Responsibility Council, Keeping Pot out of Neighborhoods and Schools, Michigan Cannabis Development Group, Government Consultant Services, Inc. and a myriad of other business and law enforcement groups bitterly fought to mark their territory, and shape Michigan's cannabis future to benefit their selves.

With the passage of Proposal 1 those days are over--- at least for the moment.

As of this writing, there are only two organized groups seeking to influence the regulation of cannabis after the voters approved legalization in the November election. One of them, the "Michigan Cannabis Industry Association" (MCIA) is running ahead in the race for influence.

MCIA is directed by Lansing veteran Robin Schneider, who started out as a medical marijuana caregiver and grass roots activist ten years ago and rose to the top. Working with the National Patients Rights Association, she played a major role in the passage of the MMFLA in 2016 and went on to become Finance Director for the "Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol" (CRMLA) which spearheaded the legalization of recreational cannabis in Michigan.

Long time behind the scenes reformer and financier Andrew (Drew) Driver is Chairman, and Mark Passerini, owner the "OM of Medicine" provisioning center in Ann Arbor, is Vice Chairman. Josh Hovey Senior Vice President of the Truscott-Rossman public relations agency, who was the media spokesman for CRMLA, is Director of Communications. Board members are still being vetted, but they include representatives of all MMFLA licensed providers such as provisioning centers, secure transport companies, testing labs and large and small licensed growers. In addition the group has six paid staff members.

"We are looking to be the major player in Lansing when it comes to cannabis, just like the Michigan Restaurant Association and the Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers are in their sphere...there is a big need for this. When we first opened our doors last year, the calls flooded in from everywhere." explained Josh Hovey.

Another organization called the "Great Lakes Cannabis Chamber of Commerce" (GLCCC) is also in operation. It seems to have gotten off to a slower start. Its leader Matthew Miner is also CEO of the Lansing based public policy organization "Capitol Strategies Group." Among other things this organization specializes in "association management" and hence Miner is the temporary head of GLCCC.

"We will be transitioning to a full time Executive Director in about six months" Miner explained.

"We just got a bank account set up and are growing our membership" which is "a small group" at this time. "We are about 40-50% formed."

"We are not representing out of state groups" he continued. "We are small business oriented."

GLCCC's  only major public pronouncement to date, was a demand that the Governor and LARA" put an end to caregivers supplying tainted medicine to medical provisioning centers."

Miner explained that there was nothing positive about contaminated medicine, and this has to change. He went on to explain that some of his members who spent thousands of dollars and went through bureaucratic hell to get their licenses were unhappy with some caregivers who are selling overages on the illegal market, and under cutting those who play by the rules.

“Caregivers are not going away” Miner declared, referring to the fact it will take a 3/4 super majority of the Legislature to change anything. "Some caregivers are very good" and he expressed the hope that more of them would transition to a legal methodology and perhaps "become micro growers" under the new legalization rules.

As far as social justice issues like asset forfeiture, expungement of past marijuana criminal records, and drugged driving, Miner said his group had an interest in that kind of reform too, and would deal with these things on a case by case basis.

As far as the year ahead is concerned, MCIA's Robin Schneider expects action in the Legislature to pick up in the months ahead, especially when it comes to the "drugged driving" issue.

She expressed great confidence in MCIA's ability to handle any potential threats. "We have strong funding behind us including national sources" she declared, "Our transparency, in contrast to some other groups, has been very appealing to the cannabis business community in both Michigan and across the country.”

She went on to say "in addition to promoting and protecting the business community, we are strong on social justice issues and intend to be pro active when it comes to asset forfeiture and expungement.” She went on to say that MCIA member Margeaux Bruner is now working with Representative Sheldon Neeley to draft legislation to help those with past convictions. She seconded Matthew Miners opinion that caregivers are on solid ground as a legal entity under the voter initiated law.

As far as GLCCC is concerned, Schneider does not perceive them as a threat and MCIA would be happy to work with them in areas of common interest.

"We are happy to work with other groups whenever possible" she said, explaining that MCIA is affiliated with the Washington DC based "National Cannabis Industry Association", the biggest national lobbying group in the USA.

She cautioned however, that the Michigan cannabis community should not expect any immediate changes in Lansing on anything. "The new administration has other priorities right now and cannabis is not at the top of the pile."

Assuming Ms. Schneider is right about a lack of cannabis legislative activity near term; many of us are just glad to just left alone for awhile. 

Such a situation is a welcome contrast to the bad old days, when Rick Snyder, Bill Schuette, Arlan Meekof, Tom Leonard and Rick Jones were running the show.

Cover Story - Bam-FX: Growth, Yield & Quality - by MM Report Staff

BAM-FX: THE KEY TO POWERFUL PLANTS

BAM Agricultural Solutions, Inc. is a next generation, agricultural biotechnology company offering its patented platform technology product BAM-FX® (Bio Available Minerals-Formula X), which is designed to increase crop yields and quality, while also addressing crop plant mineral deficiencies and environmental stress related challenges. The BAM-FX Plant Mineral Solution, which was originally developed for NASA astronauts to grow robust and nutrient rich food crops in space, now offers substantial agricultural benefits here on Earth. BAM-FX is effective as a stand-alone product and also had synergistic benefits by enabling other treatments and nutritional inputs to perform more efficiently.

BAM-FX is an ionic micronutrient liquid concentrate that allows for the efficient uptake of its mineral and mobilizes other soil micronutrients. It works like a key to unlock a plant's growth and yield potential by enhancing its natural growth processes, which leads to better yield and quality of crops. Field and greenhouse trials have consistently demonstrated significantly greater overall plant growth and vigor response from BAM-FX applications. Robust plants are able to achieve superior growth, yield and quality as well as an enhanced ability to withstand environmental stress.

BAM-FX AND CANNABIS

Increasing regulation and taxation along with decreasing profit margins and pressure to produce a connoisseur level product are common challenges growers are facing in the current market. Growers accustomed to buying top priced products without major impact on profits are now managing their costs down to dollars per acre. Many are looking for a competitive edge through innovation products and practices that can increase their return on investment without compromising product quality.
For an increasing number of growers, BAM-FX gives them the competitive edge they are seeking. BAM-FX trials conducted in Humboldt and Mendocino counties in California and other locations, have consistently demonstrated the product's ability to increase yield and quality, while also lowering the cost and use of other inputs.

ORGANIC GROWER EXPERIENCE

Noah Beck, owner of Highwater Farm, a 20,000 sq. ft organic cannabis farm in Humboldt County, CA had this to say in a recent interview after incorporating BAM-FX into his grow program during the last two seasons:

“I added a small amount of BAM-FX (1mL/gallon) at the nursery stage along with my standard nutrient solutions to a few varieties of plants just as the roots began to emerge from the medium. I saw immediate results in terms of stronger root development, including more fine root hairs. After one more application of BAM-FX foliarly (25mL/50 gallons) prior to transplanting to the field, I again saw instant results in terms of color and leaf position. Although no additional BAM-FX was applied during or after the nursery stage, the treated plants experienced almost no transplant shock and were able to immediately begin growing again."

“As the row of BAM-FX treated plants grew and matured after transplanting, it was, as a whole, very uniform and among the top 20% in terms of overall quality, yield, vigor and leaf size as compared to the other rows that were not treated with BAM-FX at the nursery stage. I also noticed that the BAM-FX treated plants showed an increased resistance to gnats and other pests. I will definitely be using BAM-FX in my nursery crops from now on.”

Since BAM-FX is not yet OMRI certified, Mr. Beck's experience with BAM-FX was limited to use only during the nursery stage; however, the effect of just two early treatments were enough to give those young plants a sufficient boost to put them ahead of the rest of the crop for the entire season. Growers in other facilities who are using BAM-FX throughout the entire crop cycle are reporting tighter stacking of flower sites and denser buds.

Learn more at: BAM-FX.com

Grow Tip - January 2019 - by Ben Horner

Time to Get Growing

Given recent changes in Michigan’s Marijuana policies, there is an increasing number of home growers. While some may already be in the know, there are many first timers and novices to the growing game. It may seem intimidating, but once you are properly prepared with information and physical resources you are on your way!

Grow Novices

Learn the basics, and make sure to log information regarding your grow. A journal composed of past grows can prevent future mistakes, and provide helpful information in recovering from them. It seems a bit old fashioned, but knowledge is power and observation of trial and error will lead to success. Some first grows are perfectly successful, but keep in mind the first time may not be the most immaculate grow.

Being attentive to light, feeding and watering times and climate control are absolutely crucial to the grow process.  For new or old growers gardening is made easier by implementing the use of mechanical timers and smart controllers. These devices measure the variables you have control of in your operation, so pay attention and make necessary changes to continue a consistent and healthy environment for your plants.

Humidity

For those with an established grow, you know that humidity is key in your climate control. Too much humidity can lead to excessive moisture which increases your chance of molding buds. Plants that develop hard buds are especially susceptible to holding in moisture compared to the more airy and fluffy buds. Lower humidity during the last weeks of your grow will encourage the buds to seal and protect themselves with additional resin (in other words, a sparkling outer layer of THC-heavy trichomes).

Cannibals of Freedom: We Can't Let Freedom Break Out in America - by Daniel Price

Happy New Year!  And what an old year?!  Michigan officially legalized marijuana for growing, selling, smoking and well, enjoying for many.  But what does this mean?  Will the federal government’s “drug running” schemes in order to tamper with the governments of foreign countries come to an end?  Highly doubtful.

But I digress.  What does legalization of marijuana mean in the context of freedom?  Let’s take a look.  Currently, there is a bill before President Trump that would take hemp off the schedule 1 drug list.  This would allow people to grow hemp throughout the states, so long as the states do the same as we did in Michigan.  Hemp is such a plant that it can be used to make concrete, insulation, paper, clothes, sun glasses, bottles and containers, and so much more.  It can pretty much replace all petroleum-based products.  

So, what does this mean for freedom?  Well, according to the Mirriam-Webster Dictionary, freedom means, “the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action”.  But according to M-live, Joe Brown, a Saranac hemp farmer stated, “Just like corn or soybeans, you have to have permission to grow hemp”.  As a result, if we must have permission to do something, including growing a plant, then we are not free.  Wow!  Did Mr. Brown willingly give up his freedom in order to grow hemp?  Did he openly admit that we are not free?  Or does he not understand the definition of freedom?

Keep in mind the use of industrial Hemp would not only make goods cheaper, but also biodegradable.  Hemp would cut down on the use of fossil fuels like oil for making products like clothes, plastics, and a great many other things.  Oil and gas will become more plentiful and cheaper.  Trees take decades to mature, Hemp takes weeks.  Paper made from trees uses 40% of the trees cut down every year, so using Hemp will save millions of trees.  Hemp can also be used to make roads, housing, and other structures more cleanly and more cheaply.  Perhaps the best result will be to cut down on pollution and poisonous contamination.

Only the parasitic nature of voters like Mr. Brown, industry, and the parasites in government has kept Hemp illegal for the past 75 or so years.  The economic boom from Hemp production will be truly amazing.  But under the current parasitic social trend in our country and our state, this boom will come at great costs to freedom.  Moreover, those who own the parasites in government will make sure that they will be the ones who profit.  This will be done by making it a crime to grow Hemp and Marijuana without permission, as Mr. Brown admitted.

Clearly Mr. Brown lacks the understanding of what it means to be free, or maybe he hates freedom. But the legislature doesn’t really need his help in the destruction of our freedom.  For sure, just when the marijuana party is getting started, so to speak, those parasites in government and their “owners” in industry are hard at work in their attempts to stop the people from having a voice. Their owners don’t want our interfering with their destroying and incarcerating their competition. In fact, in response to the people of Michigan demanding the legalization of marijuana, the current legislature has worked to undermine voter choices.  Indeed, on December 21, 2018, the Michigan legislature voted to make it harder for citizens to initiate ballot drives like those for hemp and marijuana.  At the same time, the legislature passed a bill to lower the penalties for themselves when they violate campaign finance laws.  If signed by the governor, the citizens right to petition government will be restricted, and the parasites ability to violate the law will become less restricted.  Of course, according to M-Live, the business community supports this legislation.  After all, they own those parasites and contribute to their campaigns!

This reminds me of a poem I previously wrote and rewritten it here as follows:

"I once knew many people with limited sight.
All refusing to see wrong from right.
Living off each other in order to take.
All refusing to acknowledge the reality of their fate.
Banning a plant to enrich themselves.
While the world spins into an environmental hell.
Poisoning all in the name of the public health.
At last when it seemed reason and freedom would gain.
The people helped the parasites tighten the chains."

I end this article with a salute to 36th District Court Judge Kenneth King.  Judge King granted a motion to dismiss the much-maligned case against the marijuana grow in downtown Detroit on July 31, 2018.  I salute you on behalf of all those who seek freedom sir.
Till next year, as always, keep rolling on.

Disclaimer:  This is an informational article only.  It is not to provide individual legal advice.  If you need legal services, feel free to contact me, or any attorney of your choosing.

Free the Weed 95 - by John Sinclair

   

     Happy New Year’s, everybody, and welcome to the brand new year of 2019. Now that marijuana is legal in Michigan at last, I’m looking forward to a new kind of public reality where smokers like ourselves are no longer criminals nor subject to the whims of the police and courts.

      But before I enter into my elongated preachment for this month—Dismantle The Police State—I’d like to invite all my readers to join me at my new coffeeshop, the John Sinclair Foundation Café, located inside Dr. Bob’s Psychedelic Healing Shack at 18700 Woodward Avenue at Goldengate Street in the North End of Detroit.

      Following our Grand Opening on New Year’s Eve, the John Sinclair Café is open daily from 2:00 pm until closing, with live music from 8-10 pm Tuesdays through Saturdays, live poetry on Sundays curated by M.L. Liebler, anda live broadcast if the John Sinclair Radio Show over Radio Free Amsterdam each monday night at 9:00 pm. The café is serving coffee, espresso, teas, juices, fresh Dutch Girl donuts and handmade snacks every day, with hi- speed wi-fi service for all patrons and continuous music provided by Radio Free Amsterdam.

     The music line-up includes guitarists Jeff Grand on Tuesdays, Tino Gross on Wednesdays (followed by the traditional Dr. Bob drum circle), and Billy Davis on Thursdays, with Ras Kenta and his reggae posse on Friday nights and special jazz and other musical presentations in Saturdays. The Café is managed by Adam Brook for the John Sinclair Foundation, the music is curated by Matty Lee and myself, and the sound system is directed by Mike Boulan of Straight Ahead Sound.

     I’d like to repeat my special thanks and appreciation to my old friend Rodriguez, the singer & guitarist sometimes known as “Sugarman,” who’s helped inspire me to undertake this venture in order to provide people today with the kind of place we used to enjoy in the old days with music, poetry, a warm, relaxed atmosphere, coffee and juices, and art, cultural and historic materials displayed on the wall—a place where we can go to be with other people like ourselves in a welcoming environment where we are always made feel at home. Me and Rodriguez came up in this sort of e environment and we want to try to bring it back for the people of today.

     We’d like to invite all our friends and neighbors to join us at the John Sinclair Café for a coffee and a smoke at your earliest convenience. Bring your personal electronical devices and relax with us in a creative, supportive atmosphere unlike anywhere else. And bring your friends—they’re always welcome. I’ve waited a great many years to be able to open a place like this, and as I write this on Christmas Day, I’m thinking that Santa Claus has really been good to me in my old age despite my recent physical set-backs, which now seem finally about to relent.

     And speaking of relenting, with the legalization of marijuana on December 6, 2018 there are certain unacceptable forms of behavior that should cease altogether this year, including arrests for marijuana possession and use, seizure of sacraments and property under the power of law, denial of public benefits to marijuana users like public housing, job opportunities, and welfare support, and in general the fearful aura of repression and interference with the pursuit of happiness by otherwise innocent Americans.

     It’s going to take a while for all this to sink in, but it’ll take even longer to force the police and legal authorities out of our lives altogether for the rest of the future. Witness the fervent attempts by the vicious Republican legislature in Michigan to subvert the intent of the citizens’ initiatives passed by majorities of Michigan voters with respect medical marijuana use and now, recreational use as well.

     I’ve preached about some of these topics before in this column, but the most galling to me is the idiotic call to track marijuana distribution from “seed to sale,” which is projected to provide employment for something like 150,000 police officers who—Instead of busting your door down and dragging you off to jail—will sit in front of their computers and count marijuana seeds and follow them from one destination to another and, presumably, come up with some sort of punishment for offenders of the intricate seed-selling regulations.

     But the whole complex of rules and regulations being promulgated by the hostile legislators and enforced by their goofy agencies completely fails to grasp the actual intent of the citizens who voted to legalize the use of marijuana for medical and recreational purposes (i.e., what we call “getting high”).

     What we want is for marijuana to be legal in every respect, to be recognized as the medicinal and positive social force it is, and to be free to be grown, transported, distributed, bought, sold and ingested at every level by everypne who wishes to do so. Marijuana needs no greater level of regulation than, say, carrots or lettuce, and commerce in marijuana should be regarded as no different from trade in other vegetable matters.

      The business of dismantling the war on drugs starts with the prevention of the sort of regulatory nonsense that’s being devised in the present period of transition. We must contemplate the ugliness of a situation where the very people who arrested and imprisoned millions of us for marijuana use or sales are now charging citizens thousands and thousands of dollars to presume to want to grow, distribute or vend marijuana to consumers.

     The authorities who devised, enacted and enforced marijuana criminalization constructed their eventual empire on a flimsy structure of bullshit, half-truths and outright lies, and they gave it life through the force of weapons, jackboots kicking down your door, cynical prosecutors and district attorneys, corrupt judges, venal probation and parole departments, and the millions of employees of the nation’s vast web of prisons, courts and jails.

      The world of drug law enforcement is the darkest emanation of the American urge to suppress and punish people who refuse to subscribe to the nation’s societal norms. A gigantic machine powered with lethal force has been constructed on the backs of the marijuana smoking populace and used for 80 years to oppress smokers and fill the coffers of the government and the national community of defense lawyers.

     The power and might of this evil social construct has permeated every aspect of American life for several generations, but now it’s time to bring it to a complete and utter end. I can’t possibly predict how this is to be accomplished, but my faith in the creative and organizational genius of the voting public leads me to believe that we will continue the struggle against the War On Drugs until every trace of this filth has been eliminated from our lives. Amen! Free The Weed!

—Psychedelic Healing Shack,
Detroit
December 25, 2018

© 2019 John Sinclair. All Rights Reserved.

Cannabis Legalization in Michigan; The Big and Little Picture - by Tim Beck

Tim Beck
Chairman of the Safer
Michigan Coalition

On December 22, the sun again started its primordial journey from the winter to summer solstice. The days will gradually become brighter and for long suffering cannabis consumers in Michigan, that sun, in an esoteric way, will be even brighter in 2019.

While marijuana will not be regulated like a tomato plant as some would prefer; the new reality for the vast majority of us is profound. The ugly yoke of full blown prohibition for simple adult use, possession, and growing up to 12 plants for personal use has been lifted.

Among other things, no cop can legally bust you because he or she "smells" marijuana around your home or other private real estate (with owner’s permission). Screwball neighbors or relatives no longer have the leverage they once had to infringe upon your life. State "Child Protective Services" enforcers and quack health personnel can no longer break up your family just because they can. Cops will have to prove actual impairment to convict you for "drugged" driving. Within a year or so, there will be state licensed "provisioning centers" for recreational users of the herb, who prefer this kind of convenience.

Unless you want to work for an employer with "zero tolerance" for marijuana, you no longer have to stay in the closet. You no longer have to submit to the mental cruelty of those who once defined you as a criminal. They no longer have any moral authority that is validated by state law. You can tell them where to go with impunity. Angry ex spouses with an ax to grind are now out of luck in divorces and child custody cases, if marijuana is the major part of their repertoire.

That is why lots of us have been fighting the system for years. Many of you reading this have taken the hit from cops, prosecutors, authority figures and self anointed moral arbitrators of every stripe.
Personally, I have been arrested four times in my life. On three occasions, I spent the night in a police lock up. Thanks to the grace of a higher power, firm resolve under intense police pressure, and with expert legal counsel, I have no official criminal record. In addition, at times in the past, I was stopped by the police for no good reason. That only ended a few years ago, when I transferred the ownership of my vehicle and registration to another party.

So glad those days are over for most all of us, as far as state law is concerned.

For some of you reading this, who have been literally risking your life and liberty for years to provide needed medicine and higher consciousness, legalization may not seem to be all good news. Profits may decrease over the long run. However, 2019 could still be a banner year, since there will be no legal places for a recreational user to get their stash until 2020. In addition, the likelihood of getting caught has dramatically decreased since the voters said YES to legalization in November.

The year ahead can be an opportunity to refine your business model and /or find a place in the new milieu.

As far as the immediate future is concerned, I had a brief interview with David Harns, LARA marijuana media spokes person, on December 19. Right now, (this column was written on December 22) it seems there are no plans on the LARA department agenda beyond December 31, 2019. Regarding the provisioning supply center issue, currently operating facilities can get all the provisions they need from caregivers, as long as it is tested according to Mr. Harns. When that supply runs out, there could be problems.

"Any responsibility beyond that rests with the (MMFLA) board. They could extend the deadline beyond December." Mr. Harns explained.

Factually speaking, many deadlines have come and gone since the MMMFLA was signed into law by the Governor in 2016.

With the passage of Proposal 1, police have less motivation to be concerned about marijuana. They must now answer to Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel.

On a macro level, cannabis stocks are now trading on the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ.

Some old timers remember the days of smoke filled rooms, where debate would occur into the wee hours about what would happen in the event of 'legalization." Some predicted big alcohol and drug companies would make their move. That concept was not discounted in these mystical dialogues.
Fast forward to 2018 when Canada went legal; the giant tobacco, pharmaceutical and alcoholic beverage corporations Altria, Novartis, Constellation Beverages and AB INBev all invested in Canadian cannabis producers who want to do business on a world level. There will be more deals like this coming down in the year ahead. The concept is the cannabis plant has such a myriad of uses in addition to getting high that demand will grow exponentially. This will be especially true in the medical area.

Money can be made in these securities now, if one has nerves of steel and can handle extreme market volatility. That said, positive changes in US Federal Government policy toward marijuana in the year ahead, will mean more stable growth in share prices. It will also accelerate entry into the market by larger corporate players as legalization and regulation evolve.

So what is the meaning of these things?

The answer is pretty simple. The world for cannabis users on a micro as well as macro cosmic level is changing. This is practically all good, especially for those of us in Michigan.

For the true purists and old fighters from the days of John Sinclair and before; the right to grow one’s own cannabis crop is the best insurance ever for any negativity which may come down the road. Changing that equation would require a 3/4 super majority vote of the Legislature and that is a very heavy lift.

World News - January 2019 - by Meghan Smith

Amsterdam’s King of Cannabis sets his sights on Canada 

Amsterdam has long been home to some of the best known Cannabis cafes around the world. Most notably is the Green House, which has hosted a multitude of celebrity patrons including Eminem, Rihanna, and even Snoop Dogg. The owner, Arjan Roskam is a 43 time Cannabis Cup winner, and has made it his life’s mission to search the globe for the best Cannabis strains to create his champion seeds.

While the sale and use of Cannabis is legal in the Netherlands, there are no formal rules regarding where the cafes obtain their product, however the laws also currently restrict the growth of more than 5 plants. This back door problem has spawned a significant underground cultivation culture. Arjan, among a number of other Dutch Cannabis experts will be bringing their vast Cannabis knowledge and expertise to Canada in a collaboration with pot-giant Canopy Growth to cultivate champion seeds, in a more structured cannabis environment.

Contaminated Cannabis Recalled

The Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba (LCGA) and the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries (MBL) released a joint statement claiming that Bonify, a local, licensed medicinal cannabis producer that owns a 320,000 sq. ft. production facility in Winnipeg, is currently under investigation regarding 2 of their cannabis strains. The strains, Cherry Lime Pie and Warlock Kush were found to have “irregularities”, and an immediate recall has been issued. roughly 52 units of the recalled product were sold between Nov. 20-30, and involved three retailers.

Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister stated “Our officials here in Manitoba have acted, on the information and materials that came into our possession, quickly and with diligence to get products that are illegal off the shelves to stop the sale of them, [We] also moved to seize those products, which are in stock in retail locations or ready to be used for mail order, and to instruct customers as to their right to return product from this company. this is a black day for the distribution of legal cannabis. It casts appall on the other companies who didn’t do anything wrong who are working through the system.”

Bonify has been reluctant to comment on the situation, however they did release a statement on their Twitter account; “An investigation into these irregularities is ongoing and Bonify’s board will be able to provide further comment at the appropriate time after the investigation reaches its conclusion.”

New Zealanders to Vote on Recreational Cannabis 

An opinion poll conducted last year has suggested that two thirds of New Zealand residents support cannabis legalization, and shows that by the age of 21, nearly 80 percent of all residents have tried cannabis at least once. In response to this, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's Labour Party promised a vote during cross party talks, which has helped to form a coalition government. Until recently the Prime Minister had been avoiding the topic of cannabis reform, however a vote in favour of the reform would make New Zealand the first Asia Pacific country to allow cannabis use recreationally. Chloe Swarbrick, spokesperson for the Green party stated "We've had countless opinion polls for decades now, confirming New Zealanders are positively well ahead of political action on the issue of cannabis law reform, this binding referendum presents an opportunity to have the will of the people trigger meaningful legislative change.”

Cannabis Reform on the Horizon

The first cannabis convention in Africa’s history was held in the Capital of Pretoria this December, and while the actual plant was barred from the expo for both consumers and vendors, the packed event showed that cannabis has big business potential, particularly for export. Southern Africa is an ideal climate for cannabis cultivation, especially in the “dagga belt”, an area including the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. So long as trends continue South Africa could one day become a cannabis cultivation giant.

Earlier this year, cannabis consumption and cultivation for adults in private was decriminalized by the Constitutional court, however no formal regulations have been placed into effect regarding the buying and selling of cannabis, nor the use of it outside of one’s own private dwelling. There are still many obstacles to overcome, but it has become obvious that advocates and supporters are making sure their voices are heard.

South Korea Becomes First Asian Country to Legalize CBD for Medical Use

South Korea, is said to have some of the most oppressive anti-cannabis laws in the world, with citizens even being prosecuted for using cannabis in other countries where recreational laws are in place. Those found guilty of the use or trade of cannabis can be sentenced to up to five years in prison. However, government officials recently made a surprising decision to legalize the use of CBD for patients with debilitating conditions such as epilepsy. The legislation will hold strict restrictions on the medical cannabis program, and will only allow for the use of hemp and CBD, while THC use will remain illegal. Patients will need to receive a recommendation from a physician, and then obtain the approval through a government agency called The Korea Orphan Drug Center, and will be reviewed on a case by case basis.

Government Scientists to Research Cannabis for Medical Use

The Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine’s (IIIM) is looking to further research the medical advantages of cannabis in the management of conditions such as epilepsy, sickle cell anemia, and cancer. Clinical trials are to be conducted at Tata Memorial Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences and a Raipur-based hospital. Director at Tata Memorial Centre, Rajendra Badwe said that cannabis could potentially be called a “natural product” and not a “drug.”

The study will focus it’s research on the medical benefits of the combination of the 2 primary compounds of the Sativa plant, tetrahydrocannabinol (the psychoactive compound) and cannabidiol. Dr Ram Vishwakarma, director, IIIM stated “There is a lot of misconception about cannabis, owing mainly to its abuse because of its psychotropic component, tetrahydrocannabinol. But the two compounds are also very effective for pain relief,” further explaining that “effective pain relief” requires both components.

Currently (along with coca and opium poppy) cannabis cultivation, production, possession, usage, and transportation, is prohibited in India for purposes other than medical and scientific under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. In order to provide the product to conduct this research, IIIM has been give special permission from the state of Jammu and Kashmir to cultivate a limited amount of cannabis.

Artisanal Cannabis Honey Creates a Buzz

An Israeli based cannabis technology company is creating artisanal cannabis honey by feeding honey bees a spectrum of cannabinoids. Bees are insects, and do not possess mammalian endocannabinoid systems, the nutrients pass directly through their honey making process, and the bees are unaffected by the compounds. The bees convert the full spectrum of the plant into the honey, and as a result of this process has created a purely natural cannabis honey, not a cannabis-infused product. The process allows for a wide range of strains with various ratios of concentrations, in order to cater more directly to specific patient needs.

National News - January 2019 - by Meghan Smith

Hemp Is Officially Legal in the U.S.

President Trump recently signed the 2018 Farm Bill, which will allow for the cultivation of industrial hemp, containing less than 0.3 percent THC (the psychoactive component of cannabis). For decades hemp has been roped into cannabis prohibition, despite its many uses and lack of psychoactive components. It should be noted that this is not total legalization, and that various restrictions will still continue to apply. Hemp will no longer be in the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice, but potential hemp growers must still submit their cultivation plans to the U.S Department of Agriculture. Under this bill, hemp crops will be considered covered under the Federal Crop Insurance Act, which means that in the event a cultivator experiences crop loss, they will be entitled to insurance coverage in the same way that farmers for other legal agriculture products are.

While Hemp is explicitly removed from the list of federally banned drugs under the Controlled Substances Act, sadly the same is not necessarily true for CBD as a whole. In regards to this, John Hudak of the Brookings Institute wote “It is true that section 12619 of the Farm Bill removes hemp-derived products from its Schedule I status under the Controlled Substances Act, but the legislation does not legalize CBD generally. As I have noted elsewhere on this blog CBD generally remains a Schedule I substance under federal law. The Farm Bill ensures that any cannabinoid—a set of chemical compounds found in the cannabis plant—that is derived from hemp will be legal, if and only if that hemp is produced in a manner consistent with the Farm Bill, associated federal regulations, association state regulations, and by a licensed grower. All other cannabinoids, produced in any other setting, remain a Schedule I substance under federal law and are thus illegal. (The one exception is pharmaceutical-grade CBD products that have been approved by FDA, which currently includes one drug: GW Pharmaceutical’s Epidiolex.)”

FDA Announces Plans to Facilitate More CBD Products

In response to the president’s signing of the 2018 Farm Bill, the Federal Drug Administration released a lengthy press release regarding CBD, including a pledge to pursue pathways that would allow businesses to legally market products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds. The federal agency also stressed however t retains the right to regulate products containing cannabis and would take enforcement action against businesses that make unsanctioned claims about the therapeutic potential of cannabidiol (CBD) products, including those derived from hemp, or attempt to introduce such products into interstate commerce. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb stated “In view of the proliferation of products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived substances, the FDA will advance new steps to better define our public health obligations in this area, We’ll also continue to closely scrutinize products that could pose risks to consumers.” Gottlieb further stated that because components of marijuana such as THC and CBD are “active ingredients in FDA-approved drugs” such as the epilepsy medication Epidiolex, it remains illegal to “introduce drug ingredients like these into the food supply, or to market them as dietary supplements.”

Gottlieb also recognized that certain foods derived from cannabis do not contain regulated cannabinoids, and used the opportunity to also announce in the press release that the FDA has completed evaluations of “hulled hemp seeds, hemp seed protein and hemp seed oil” and determined that the products are safe based on “generally recognized as safe,” or GRAS, standards. He wrote; “Therefore, these products can be legally marketed in human foods for these uses without food additive approval, provided they comply with all other requirements and do not make disease treatment claims,”

In a separate press release, regarding this determination the FDA further explained; “The GRAS notices are for three different hemp seed-derived ingredients. The GRAS conclusions can apply to ingredients from other companies, if they are manufactured in a way that is consistent with the notices and they meet the listed specifications. Some of the intended uses for these ingredients include adding them as source of protein, carbohydrates, oil, and other nutrients to beverages (juices, smoothies, protein drinks, plant-based alternatives to dairy products), soups, dips, spreads, sauces, dressings, plant-based alternatives to meat products, desserts, baked goods, cereals, snacks and nutrition bars. Products that contain any of these hemp seed-derived ingredients must declare them by name on the ingredient list.”

Amendment to Criminal Justice Reform Bill to Prevent Federal Prosecution in States with Legal Cannabis Fails

U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colorado, had hoped to get an amendment to the proposed First Step Act, which prevents federally insured banks from working with marijuana businesses, however Gardner along with other senators were blocked by a procedural maneuver from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Gardner sought a unanimous consent for his amendment but was blocked by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who called the idea a “back door to legalization.”

After the amendment failed, Cannabis Trade Federation CEO Neal Levine stated “We’re the opposite of feeling defeated. We’re feeling energized, We just had a U.S. senator, who is in a leadership position in his party, say on the floor of Congress that he’s not going to give up this fight.” Gardner plans to reintroduce the bill during the next congress, stating that “If we can get a vote on it, I feel very confident we can get it passed,”

Cannabis Costs Rising 

The Colorado department of revenue released updated average market rates for cannabis sales from retail cultivation centers to recreational pot shops. The rates were based on transactions that were tracked by the state’s marijuana enforcement division between August 1st and October 31st, during this time frame the average price per pound of cannabis flower rose approximately $25, and the price of trim rose by approximately $70 per pound, from the previous reporting period. Cannabis sales are subject to a 15 percent excise, so this price hike means that the state of Colorado will see a higher tax revenue for this reporting time.

The revenue department’s executive director, Mike Hartman said in a statement “The quarterly Average Market Rate update is just one of many examples of the Department of Revenue’s use of data in helping regulate the burgeoning cannabis industry. He further explained that the department sees the rates as “one of the important tools that the state uses to closely monitor supply, demand and pricing dynamics.”

Middle schoolers sent to hospital after fellow student shares cannabis candy 

5 children at a florida middle school were sent to the hospital after a fellow student brought 100 mg cannabis gummies to school and handed them out to 6 other students during gym class. The students reported stomach pain, dizziness and nausea, and the 12 year old student that handed them out is now facing felony charges for possessing and distributing marijuana. Medical Marijuana is legal in the state of Florida, however it is still unclear as to how the child came to be in possession of the gummies, as the child has given authorities multiple different stories. Authorities have also stated that the minor’s parents have been cooperative, and that there is no indication that they were involved. At this time the parent’s will not be facing any charges, however the investigation is ongoing.

Michigan News - January 2019 - by Meghan Smith

Name Regulation

The Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation, the state department that regulates the marijuana industry, is dropping an M. It is changing on all platforms to The Bureau of Marijuana Regulation. The department is in charge of coming up with the rules and regulations that will govern the fledgling recreational marijuana industry.

“While many other states have various licensing, regulation, and patient programs spread throughout different departments and agencies, BMR will keep marijuana-related services in one place in order to best enhance consumer protections and make regulations more efficient for business customers," said Shelly Edgerton, director of the state's Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.
Legal documents will not recognise the change of the way marijuana is spelled, but the department is embracing the more common spelling of marijuana as opposed to marihuana, and recreation use will be referred to as adult-use.

Berkley Garage Explosion

A Berkley man faces criminal charges after his garage explodes while illegally producing marijuana wax. The garage was completely leveled but did not burn. Police and fire fighters determined the source of the explosion was a result of a build up of butane vapors that reached an ignition source. The suspect sustained burns from the explosion, but fled the scene before police arrived. However, the male resident was interviewed the next day as part of the fire department's investigation.

Former Detroit Lions Players Denied

Former Detroit Lions football players Calvin Johnson and Rob Sims had their request to begin growing medical marijuana in Michigan denied on Friday.The partners  The partners were denied upon applying for four licenses due to Johnson’s history of traffic violations. A sorted past of speeding tickets, driving without a license, and not wearing a seatbelt we on the list of traffic offenses. It was stated that based on his past he does not display respect for the law, and therefore cannot be granted licenses for the business.CRJJA Ventures says they are going to appeal the decision, and an attorney for the business said Michigan's denial has no legal basis.

Early K-9 Retirement

With the legalization of Marijuana, K-9 units trained in drug detection may be pushed into early retirement. By one estimate, there are some 400 police K-9s in Michigan. The dogs are usually cross trained, but It’s unclear how many are trained in drug detection.

The dogs have been trained to detect and alert their human partner to the presence of heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana and other illegal drugs. To avoid potential problems involving drug busts and marijuana, other states who have legalized marijuana have retired their canines early.
Michigan State Police have announced they are not retiring any of their dogs, and will have work for them, in places where marijuana is still illegal, like schools. The future of other police departments K-9 units in the state are yet to be known.

State licensing board changes name to reflect Recreational Cannabis 

After the passing of recreational cannabis laws, the state has had to make a few adjustments; one of those adjustments including the changing of the licensing agency. The Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation will be dropping an M, and shall become simply The Bureau of Marijuana Regulation.

The department also announced that they will be adopting the more common spelling of ‘Marijuana’ versus the outdated ‘Marihuana’, as well as has also revamped the website to facilitate both medical marijuana patients, as well as recreational marijuana patrons alike. Shelly Edgerton, director of the state's Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs said “While many other states have various licensing, regulation, and patient programs spread throughout different departments and agencies, BMR will keep marijuana-related services in one place in order to best enhance consumer protections and make regulations more efficient for business customers,"

Newly Passed Recreational Cannabis Laws Created Some Confusion

On December 6th 2018 recreational marijuana became legal in the state of MI, however there was quite a bit of confusion regarding what exactly that entailed. The law allows for adults over the age of 21 to possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis, and to grow up to 12 plants in their own home, However the use of cannabis on federal property, school property, or in a public setting is still banned, as well as the sale or purchase of cannabis is also currently illegal.

Provisioning centers across the state were inundated with phone calls and walk ins inquiring about whether they can come in to purchase cannabis without a medical card. The Reef, Detroit's largest medical marijuana dispensary reported upwards of 400 inbound calls within the first two days of the passing of the recreational law. The sad fact is that despite cannabis being recreational, there is not yet a recreational sales market set up yet. Provisioning centers are still for medical card holders only, and licensing for any recreational facilities is not expected to be finalized until 2020.

Municipalities Opting out of Recreational Cannabis 

With the recent passing of recreational marijuana in Michigan, communities were given the option to allow cannabis businesses within their borders, with the tax revenue of those businesses being allocated to the schools and roads in that community as an incentive. Many communities have chosen to opt out due to concern for regulations and how things will eventually be handled, but with the option to opt back in after things have been sorted out. The individual municipalities were encouraged to inform the state licensing board, LARA, but were not required to do so. Cities like Troy, Pontiac, Livonia, Birmingham and Monroe have opted out but are not on the list.

Currently, the following communities have officially opted out and the list continues to grow;
Cheshire Township, Overisel Township, Three Oaks Township, Coldwater Township, Newberg Township, Volinia Township, Sault Ste Marie, Dallas Township, Greenbush Township, Ironwood, Ingham Township, Williamston, Caspian, Nottawa Township, Brady Township, Charleston Township, Portage, Prairie Ronde Township, Ada Township, Cleveland Township, Fairfield Township, Oceola Township, Pentland Township, Village of Armada, Frenchtown Charter Township, Ashland Township, Village of Milford, Northville, Grant Township, Bridgehampton Township, Brown City, Village of Carsonville, Elmer Township, Flynn Township, Lamotte Township, Maple Valley Township, Marlette, Village of Melvin, Minden Township, Village of Port Sanilac, Sandusky, Speaker Township, Washington Township, Watertown Township, Algonac, Burtchville Township , Casco Township, Columbus Township, Kenockee Township, Richmond, St. Clair and St. Clair township, Mottville Township, Sherman Township, Sturgis Township, Tuscola Township, Geneva Township, Allen Park, Grosse Pointe, and Plymouth.

Herbert Huncke's America: Youth - Edited by Jerome Poynton, Literary Executor

Herbert Huncke’s America

Edited by Jerome Poynton

Youth

By Herbert Huncke

When I was a schoolboy—age fifteen—living in what was considered a respectable middle-class neighborhood in Chicago—I had my first encounter with love.

In the apartment building in which I lived with my mother, brother, and grandmother (my mother and father had been divorced two years previously), there were several women who owned Chow dogs and they would pay me to take the dogs out for walks. This afforded me opportunity to make something of a show of myself—since Chows were quite fashionable—and as I considered myself at least personable in appearance, it rather pleased me to imagine that people seeing me walking along Lake Shore Drive must surely think me the owner and certainly attractive with my pet straining at the leash. Frequently I would walk one of the dogs late in the evening and it was on such an occasion I first met Dick.

I had decided before returning home to stop by the neighborhood drug store and as I was leaving someone spoke my name. I looked into the most piercing brown—almost black brown eyes—I had ever seen. They belonged to a man who at the time was in his late twenties—fairly well built—not too tall—with somewhat aquiline features and exceedingly black hair which he wore combed flat to his head. I learned later he was of Russian Jewish parentage.

I was very much impressed by his appearance and felt a strange sensation upon first seeing him which was to be repeated each time we met for as long as I knew him. I never quite got over a certain physical response to his personality and even now in retrospect I find myself conscious of an inner warmth.

As I was leaving the drugstore and after he had spoken my name and I had smiled and flushed, he commented that I didn’t know him but that a friend of his had spoken with me one evening about my dog and that I had given him my name, and he in turn had given it to him when they had seen me walking and he had asked if his friend noticed me. He then asked me if I would object to his accompanying me home so that we might become better acquainted. He gave me to understand that he wanted to know me. I was no end pleased by his attention and became animated and flirtatious.

We had a thoroughly enjoyable walk and from that point on I began seeing him fairly regularly. He was in the recording business and second in charge of a floor of recording studios in one of the large well-known building off Lake Shore Drive a short distance north of the Loop. He knew innumerable people in show business and I spent as much time hanging around the studio as could be arranged. Sometimes we would lunch together or stay downtown for diner or go to a movie or he would take me along while he interviewed some possible recording star, and it was after some such instance at the old Sherman Hotel that he suggested since it was late I call home and ask permission to spend the night downtown. This I was anxious to do as I had long had the desire to sleep with him.

I was still rather green as to what was expected in a homosexual relationship, but I did know I was exceedingly desirous of feeling his body near mine and was sure I could be ingenious enough sexually to make him happy with me.

Actually I had but little experience other than mutual masturbation with others of my own age, and although I knew the word homosexual I wasn’t exactly aware of the connotations.

We spent the night together and I discovered that in fact he was nearly as ignorant as I and besides was filled with all sorts of guilt. We kissed and explored each other’s bodies with our hands and after both ejaculating fell asleep in each other’s arms.

This began a long period in which he professed deep love for me and on one occasion threatened to throw acid in my face should he ever discover me with someone else.

The affair followed the usual pattern such affairs follow and after the novelty wore off I became somewhat bored, although it appeased my vanity to feel I had someone so completely in my control. Had anyone threatened my supremacy I would have gone to great lengths to eliminate them from the situation.

About this time it was necessary for him to make a business trip to New York, and when he returned he was wearing a Persian sapphire ring which, he explained, he would give to me if I would promise to stay away from some of the people and places I had lately been visiting. I promised to do this and considered the ring mine.

One evening we had dinner in a little French restaurant we frequented, and, while eating, a very handsome young man joined us whom Dick introduced as Richard, who was attending classes at The University of Chicago and was someone he had met recently thru some mutual acquaintance. We sat talking and suddenly I was startled to see the ring on Richard’s finger.

Richard was considerably younger than Dick and really very beautiful. He was blond, with icy blue eyes—innocent and clear. He was very interested in life and people and kept bombarding us with questions— about our interests, the theater, music, art or whatever happened to pop into his head. He laughed a good deal and one could feel a sense of goodness about him. He was obviously attracted to me and asked permission to call me on the phone so that we might make arrangements to see each other. I complied and began making plans about how to get the ring away from him —after all I felt the ring was mine—and I wanted it.

And so it happened that I succeeded in twisting one of the few really wonderful things that occurred when I was young into a sordid, almost tragic experience which even now fills me with shame.

As I have already said—Richard was good. There was no guile in his makeup and he offered his love and friendship unstintingly. It was he who first introduced me to poetry—to great music—to the beauty of the world— and who was concerned with my wants and happiness. Who spent hours making love to me, caressing and kissing me on every part of my body until I would collapse in a great explosion of beauty and sensation which I have never attained in exactly the same way with anyone since. He truly loved me and asked nothing in return but that I accept him—instead of which I delighted in hurting him and making him suffer in all manner of petty ways. I would tease him or refuse him sex or call him a fool or say that I didn’t want to see him. Sometimes I would tell him we were finished, thru, and not to call me or try and see me, and it was after one such episode on a beautiful warm summer night—when I had agreed to see him again if he would grant me a favor—I asked for the ring and he gave it to me.

The next day I visited Dick at the studios and—with many gestures and words of denunciation—flung the ring at him, telling him that we were finished and that anyway he wasn’t nearly as amusing as Richard—and that maybe or maybe not I’d continue seeing Richard—and that in fact he bored me and I only felt sorry for him—and that I would never be as big a fool over anyone as he was over me—and besides my only reason for knowing him at all was so that I could get the ring.

Dick became enraged and began calling me foul names which he sort of spit at me and pulled from his desk drawer a pistol. He was waving it in front of my face and at the same time telling me how cruel and heartless I was and that he could forgive the stupidity of my actions in regard to himself but that the harm I was inflicting on Richard was more than he could stomach and that I would be better dead. Suddenly he started shouting —“Get out—get out—I never want to see you again.” By this time I was shaking and almost unable to stand and stumbled out of his presence.

The following day in the mail I received a letter from Richard containing a poem—that read almost like this—

A perfect fool you called me. Perchance not as 

happy in my 

outlook on life and people

as you— 

Yet in like manner—playing the

role of a perfect fool— Gave me a sort of bliss— 

You in all your wisdom—will 

never know.

Shortly after receiving the letter I called Richard and asked to see him. He refused to see me and at that time I would not plead. A strange thing had happened to me—I had become aware—almost overnight—of the enormity of my cruelty –and I was filled with a sudden sense of loneliness—which I have never lost—and I wanted Richard’s forgiveness.

Richard never forgave me and I have only seen him once since the time he gave me the ring—and that was only long enough for him to tell me —he was trying to forget he had known me.

It was a cold winter day.

Nor did I ever speak with Dick again. Not so many years ago—I read in the paper—he is dead.

_________________________________________________________________________________


Editor’s Historical Notes and Audio Tracks of Brunswick’s Race Records:

Chicago’s Sherman Hotel, long gone, was located on Randolph Street between Clark & La Salle.) Brunswick Recording studios, undoubtedly the building where Dick worked, is still there but the address was legally changed in 1988 from 666 N. Lake Shore Drive to 680 N. Lake Shore Drive.

The Sherman was known for its jazz club with a white orchestra while Brunswick Recording studios was known for its African American recording artists.

Huncke at 15 in 1929 was in the midst of the Chicago jazz scene, on both sides of the color line, which he carried with him all his life – into New York City – associating with black jazz musicians Charlie Parker, Billie Holliday and Dexter Gordon who he was busted with on 42^nd Street for breaking and entering a parked car – and the primarily white beat poets, also interested in jazz and Huncke’s street style.

“Then based in Chicago (although they maintained an office and studio in New York), many of the city's best orchestras and performers recorded for Brunswick. The label's jazz roster included Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington (usually as the Jungle Band), King Oliver, Johnny Dodds, and Andy Kirk, . Brunswick initiated a 7000 race series (with the distinctive 'lightning bolt' label design, also used for their popular 100 hillbilly series) as well as the Vocalion 1000 race series. These race records series recorded hot jazz, urban and rural blues, and gospel.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brunswick_Records

“In the May and June 1929 issues of Talking Machine World there are reports concerning the relocation of the studios from the Brunswick Building to the 21st floor of the Furniture Mart at 666 Lake Shore Drive. Eventually there were two studios in operation—Studio A and Studio 8—but is not known exactly when the second studio was established. The recording ledgers do not make any reference to a specific studio before October 1929—so the second studio was probably established around that time.”

https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/resources/detail/198

Race records link with audio tracks of Brunswick’s output:

https://78records.wordpress.com/category/brunswick-78-race-records/

Photo suggestion: 1920s Sherman Hotel, Chicago

http://www.connectingthewindycity.com/2011/03/down-they-forgot-as-up-they-grew.html