Experts Recommend CBD Study to Fight Covid-19
The gist of the science is this: in severe cases of Covid-19 the immune system overreacts and produces too many cytokines. These normally helpful proteins are naturally created in order to fight infection with inflammation. According to Emily Earlenbough, co-founder of Mindful Cannabis Consulting, “But in these extreme cases, you see so much cytokines being released into the system that it creates a cytokine storm. You might see high fever, inflammation, severe fatigue and nausea, and in serious cases, it can lead to death through organ failure.”
Researchers began trials on Tocilizumab, which they report as having cleared lung consolidation and recovery in 90% of the 21 patients, but these results came with side effects like pancreas inflammation and hypertriglyceridemia. This prompted them to turn to CBD, as it has very few side effects.
Virginia Decriminalizes Marijuana
While still illegal, the maximum penalty for being caught with an ounce or less in the state of Virginia has been reduced to a $25 fine. The new law also lessens the long term impact of past and future convictions for simple possession. While not as bold a step as legalization, as many know, decriminalization often comes as the crawl before the walk.
While the changes are welcome, and do not include any escalating penalties for multiple violations, many aspects of the laws have not changed. For one, officers can still search a vehicle if they say they smell marijuana. All other punishments involving cannabis have not changed, either. Growing, possessing more than one ounce, and distribution, even gifting, are still felonies that carry a sentence of one to forty years in prison.
California Proposes LED Mandate, Growers Lament
A new proposal put before the California Public Utilities Commission would require all indoor cultivation to use only LED lights by 2023. While environmentalists are thrilled, many marijuana growers are not happy, particularly those who just spent millions on non-LED grows.
“It’s very important to consider the upfront costs and… how growers will pay for that”, Amber Morris, director of government affairs for NorCal Cannabis stated in a recent United Cannabis Business Association webinar. NorCal is exactly one of these companies, having spent “millions” on a 70,000 square foot indoor grow. Seattle based energy consulting firm Seinergy CEO Bob Gunn estimates a cost of at least US$5.6 million to transition the entire canopy to LED, and estimates a cost of US$255 million for all of California’s growers to switch lighting.
The lights are not the only cost, Joe Cavallero, vice president of cultivation at Nimbus Cannabis, told Marijuana Business Daily, “...there are a lot more costs than just the lighting.” His company spent US$500,000 on LED’s for a small-scale grow, but were still seeing costs after the initial install. Costly upgrades to infrastructure are a likely hurdle, as well as changes to entire operations in order to adjust to the new lights without reducing yield. Cavellero continued, “I’d say a cultivator needs at least a year or two to dial in their new process, and not all operators can get a state-of-the-art facility going to do that.”
Citing mandates that require all growers to report environmental impact-mitigation efforts to the state by 2022, many believe the new proposal is too much. Morris once again voiced frustration, “It seems like this new proposal is a second bite at the apple. We not only have to go through CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) compliance at the state level, we have to go through it locally. We are taking environmental impacts into consideration… this, to us, seems a bit over the top.”
NY Passes Bill Protecting MJ Patients from Eviction
New York state Senate passed 58-2 a bill blocking eviction of tenants solely for being marijuana patients. The law states that landlords may still seek to recover possession of a residential unit for any other lawful ground.
The bill stems from a case involving a 78 year old man who was evicted from federally subsidized housing due to medical cannabis use. He was later returned to his home after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development posted on social media their opinion that the laws should be updated.
A similar bill has been introduced in the U.S. Senate that would prevent landlords from evicting tenants for making cannabis extracts if they have a license to do so.
