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| The Elder Statesman |
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| Tommy Chong: Reflections on a Life Spent Loving Cannabis |
| The cultural icon muses on meeting his lifelong business partner, starting a cannabis company together and, at age 84, what he thinks about the industry's evolution. More >> |
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| Reschedule? Deschedule? |
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The industry remains abuzz over President Biden’s call for a review of how cannabis is scheduled under federal law. Already, it seems, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra is getting to work on that. “I think you’re going to find that we’re going to move as quickly as we can, but, at the end of the day, science is going to take us to a solution,” Becerra told a press scrum in Tampa last week. “The president was very clear—he wants this done as quickly as possible.” Perhaps more than Biden’s announcement itself, there’s the news. If Becerra is charged with an accelerated timeline, we may yet see swift action from an administration that’s otherwise been silent on the question of cannabis reform. But what kind of action should we expect? Aside from simply doing nothing, which is par for the cannabis course in D.C., the two main routes forward are rescheduling and descheduling the plant and its chemical constituents. That simple switch in prefixes amounts to a world of difference in what the future of cannabis looks like in the U.S. “Rescheduling” would see the U.S. Congress or the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration place cannabis elsewhere on the list of categories under the Controlled Substances Acts—like Schedule II, where we find most opioids, or Schedule V, which is where we find Jazz Pharmaceuticals’ plant-derived CBD medication Epidiolex. Those substances listed in Schedule V have “a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.” In theory, this route could very well push the extant cannabis market into a pharmaceutical-style regulatory regime, in which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration could very well have significant oversight. “Descheduling” would remove cannabis from the list altogether. In theory, this would preserve the state-by-state control over cannabis regulation. What Biden wants is unclear. But now is the time for all industry stakeholders to make their voices heard: Reschedule cannabis? Or deschedule cannabis? -Eric Sandy, Digital Editor
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| Back Online |
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| Cannabis Businesses in Florida, Puerto Rico Reopen Following Hurricanes |
| After two hurricanes hit Puerto Rico and Florida, cannabis operators are assessing and reflecting on the damage. More >> |
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| How Cannabis Businesses Can Leverage Insurance in the Wake of Natural Disasters |
| Many of Florida’s medical cannabis operators suffered damage in the wake of Hurricane Ian, which made landfall Sept. 28. Insurance may be available to cover at least some of these losses. More >> |
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| True Ideals of Leadership |
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| Cannabis Leadership Awards 2022 Recap: CBT Honors Industry Trailblazers at 6th-Annual Cannabis Conference |
| The heartfelt and moving reception, supported by FOHSE, honored dedicated and inspirational cannabis leaders and closed on a comical note, thanks to an impromptu speech from industry icon and Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Tommy Chong. More >> |
| Cannabis Conference 2022: Recap |
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Have you checked out our Cannabis Conference 2022 recap video? Here are a few quotes from those who attended the year’s best cannabis industry trade show. “This show was absolutely incredible.” “I think the networking is top-notch, but I also think the list of manufacturers rivals the best in the industry.” “I’ve been to a lot of conferences, and this is the first time where I see a sense of community with everyone.” “No matter how new or old you are in the industry, you can still come here and learn.” |
