Author: News Room

When asked by my dear friend Ellen, the editor in chief of this publication, to resume writing for High Times I jumped at the request. As a journalist/educator and lifetime student I’ve always enjoyed diving into topics that I’ve covered for this magazine over the years and revisiting certain subjects as new science became available. Here I look into growing cannabis specifically for terpene production. Terpenoids or terpenes are one of the most important chemical compounds produced by the cannabis plant. They are the compounds responsible for the plant’s smell and give each cultivar their unique perfume. Terpenes, like cannabinoids,…

“Rhode Island’s cannabis legalization law is aimed at more than simply ending the policy of prohibition. It is also about righting past wrongs, and building a new industry in as fair and equitable a manner as possible.” By Christopher Shea, Rhode Island Current Rhode Island’s cannabis industry can begin getting new regulations as early as this fall as the state now has chosen the people to craft them. Gov. Dan McKee (D), along with House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi (D) and Senate President Dominick Ruggerio (D) on Thursday announced their long-awaited picks for the Cannabis Advisory Board. The 19-member board,…

A company focused on developing marijuana-derived pharmaceuticals is suing the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) over what it calls “exponential delays” in the agency’s process for granting licenses to grow cannabis for medical research. Rhode Island-based MMJ BioPharma Cultivation Inc. filed a petition for a writ of mandamus in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Friday, alleging that DEA’s yearslong licensing application process has hamstrung the company’s business and stymied innovation that could benefit patients. It’s asking the federal court to compel the agency to act. “Despite beginning this process in November of 2017,” the company says…

State marijuana regulators are telling congressional lawmakers that their investigation into the lack of federal rules for hemp-derived CBD products must take into account other cannabinoids like delta-8 THC that are emerging on the market—and they also need to provide an agency like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with enhanced regulatory authority. In response to a request for expert input on CBD regulations from key House and Senate committees last month, the Cannabis Regulators Association (CANNRA) sent lawmakers a letter on Friday that offered recommendations on creating a framework for all hemp-based cannabinoids. The submission is informed by group…

With Ohio officials set to certify the ballot language of a marijuana legalization initiative that will appear before voters in November, there are signs of splintering among GOP elected officials in the state, with the governor voicing opposition while a Republican congressman tells Marijuana Moment he plans to vote in favor of the measure The secretary of state’s office announced on Wednesday that advocates turned in enough signatures to qualify for the ballot, and the next step is for the state Board of Elections at a meeting on Thursday to approve the exact summary that voters will see when they…

Colorado generated more tax revenue from marijuana than alcohol or cigarettes during the last fiscal year, with $280 million in cannabis tax dollars going toward a variety of government programs and services like K–12 education and health care. An analysis from the state’s nonpartisan Legislative Council Staff (LCS) released on Wednesday showed that even though annual marijuana tax revenue has decreased significantly over the past two years, marijuana sales are still contributing more funds to Colorado’s budget than other regulated substances. In fact, tax revenue from marijuana in the past year amounted to nearly as much as the state generated…

“The delay has been caused by their refusal to follow the law every time. They keep on doing things they shouldn’t do. And they keep on being stuck.” By Alander Rocha, Alabama Reflector A Montgomery County Circuit Judge Thursday put a hold on Alabama’s medical cannabis program amid a lawsuit alleging the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) violated the state’s Open Meetings Act at its most recent meeting. The stay, issued by Judge James Anderson, followed a heated hearing where an attorney for the AMCC suggested the commission would air applicants’ “dirty laundry.” Applicants denied a license won’t be able…

A tribe in Minnesota that’s currently operating one the state’s only adult-use marijuana shops says it’s planning to open a mobile dispensary—effectively a cannabis “food truck” that can travel and do business on tribal land throughout the state. The Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, which opened its doors to adult consumers on the day that a legalization law took effect this month, said it’s currently serving about 300 customers per day at its flagship location in Red Lake, with some people driving hours to visit the northern Minnesota town. Now the Red Lake Nation’s NativeCare retailer wants to expand…

Former NBA athlete and Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade recently announced the details regarding his special cannabis box launch in collaboration with Jeeter. “My partners, Jeeter and I, have created this amazing box. We went with basketball material. It is called Wade Hall of Flame. Nice little play on words right there. Beautiful number three with the flames, you know how we do,” Wade explained on social media. “He is very much deserving of the Hall of Fame recognition and getting to create three signature pre-rolls alongside Dwyane again is always a pleasure,” Sebastian Solano and Lukasz Tracz, Jeeter co-founders…

Argentina has set the THC limit for industrial hemp at 1.0% and established a “one-stop shop” for administration of the hemp and medical marijuana sectors under rules published this month. The regulations, which follow passage of a law legalizing hemp and MMJ more than one year ago, reflect a major advancement in Argentina, long considered a potential hemp powerhouse in Latin America. The rules, however, published by decree in the government’s official gazette Aug. 4., do not allow CBD production. ‘New age’ dawns in LatAm Argentina’s cannabis framework allows hemp to move into the farming mainstream in one of the…