Study: CBD May Help Treat Alcohol Use Disorder

Cannabidiol shows promise as a potential treatment option for alcohol use disorder, according to a new study published by the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, and epublished by the U.S. National Institute of Health.

“There is substantial interest in the therapeutic potential of cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in plants of the genus Cannabis”, begins the abstract of the study. “The goal of the current systematic review was to characterize the existing literature on this topic and to evaluate the credibility of CBD as a candidate pharmacotherapy for alcohol use disorder (AUD).”

Using a comprehensive search strategy, “303 unique potential articles were identified and 12 ultimately met criteria for inclusion (8 using rodent models, 3 using healthy adult volunteers, and 1 using cell culture).” In both rodent and cell culture models, “CBD was found to exert a neuroprotective effect against adverse alcohol consequences on the hippocampus.” In rodent models, “CBD was found to attenuate alcohol-induced hepatotoxicity, specifically, alcohol-induced steatosis.”

Finally, “findings from preclinical rodent models also indicate that CBD attenuates cue-elicited and stress-elicited alcohol-seeking, alcohol self-administration, withdrawal-induced convulsions, and impulsive discounting of delayed rewards.”

In human studies, “CBD was well tolerated and did not interact with the subjective effects of alcohol. ” Researchers state that “Collectively, given its favorable effects on alcohol-related harms and addiction phenotypes in preclinical models, CBD appears to have promise as a candidate AUD pharmacotherapy. This is further bolstered by the absence of abuse liability and its general tolerability.”

The study concludes by stating that “Human preclinical and clinical studies are needed to determine whether these positive effects in model systems substantively translate into clinically-relevant outcomes.”

More information on this study can be found by clicking here.

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Report: Federal Marijuana Legalization Would Create $86 Billion in New Tax Revenue by 2025

New Frontier Data, which claims to be “the authority in data analytics and business intelligence on the global cannabis industry”, today announced new economic data detailing the potential impact of federal cannabis legalization in the United States.

The federal legalization of medical and adult-use cannabis would create $86 billion in additional U.S. tax revenue between 2019 and 2025 and a $56 billion annual U.S. cannabis market by 2025, states the report. The New Frontier Data State of the Cannabis Union 2019 is now available for free download at the following link: https://newfrontierdata.com/SOTCU.

These findings, as well as comments by Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Congressman Lou Correa (D-Calif.) and insights from the world’s first cannabis testing lab Steep Hill and Top 10 U.S. tax firm CohnReznick, were presented during a briefing hosted by New Frontier Data in collaboration with The Liaison Group, a federal advocacy group working with federal lawmakers towards a safe and thriving cannabis economy.

Currently, 33 U.S. states have enacted legal state cannabis programs. Another 14 have approved CBD use, while support among other U.S. states continues to grow.

“Cannabis legalization and decriminalization has not only occurred in nearly 60% of the United States; it is now being explored or adopted in over 60 nations around the world. Our data shows full federal legalization, specifically in the U.S., will drive material gains across key economic sectors, including federal revenue generation, national job creation, and reduced government healthcare spending and crime rates,” said Giadha Aguirre de Carcer, Founder and CEO of New Frontier Data. “Our ultimate goal is to provide U.S. Congress objective and comprehensive intelligence on the potential socio-economic impact of federal cannabis legalization as its members enter into this delicate debate.”

“A changing political tide for advancing cannabis policy is progressing through Congress. More and more Members in both chambers and on both sides of the aisle are recognizing and acknowledging the country’s will for a regulated cannabis marketplace – and that a majority of Americans clearly support respecting states and protecting patients,” added Saphira Galoob, Principal and CEO of The Liaison Group.

New Frontier Data announced the following projections and updated findings:

• There are an estimated 272 million cannabis consumers globally, equivalent to 4% of the world‘s population
• These consumers collectively spend approximately $356 billion each year on cannabis across legal and illicit markets
• In the United States, over 24 million, or 9.9% of adults age 18+ consume cannabis regularly, and 115 million (48.2%) report consuming it in their lifetimes
• In states where cannabis is currently legal, medical and adult use sales are forecast to grow from $12.9 billion in 2019 to $26.3 billion in 2025
• Federal legalization would create $86 billion in U.S. tax revenue between 2019 and 2025 on $253 billion in sales over that period
• Government pain medication spending drops 11% in U.S. medical cannabis markets vs. non-legal markets
• There were 2.4 million U.S. medical marijuana patients in 2018, up 71% from 2014
• The U.S. hemp market is projected to grow to $5.7 billion annually by 2020
• Legal cannabis supported 259,000 plant-touching jobs in 2018

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Report: New Legal Cannabis Markets in Canada and California Driving Industry

Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics have released a “2019 Update” to the sixth edition of their report on The State of Legal Marijuana Markets, which was published last June. The update takes stock of events in the second half of 2018  and anticipates that worldwide spending on legal cannabis will grow 39.1% to $17 billion in 2019.

Recreational Surpasses Medical

The report’s chief editor Tom Adams writes in his introduction: “Legal cannabis continued its winning streak at the ballot box in 2018, but the industry is finding such victories can sometimes be hollow or at least an opportunity to learn patience.”

Case in point: California, which kicked off recreational sales on Jan. 1, 2018. “Legal cannabis launches have faced expensive regulatory regimes,” Adams acknowledges, “such as that in California that handicapped the legal business with a 77% price disadvantage against a robust illicit market.”

TOM ADAMS: “The science, product development and consumer marketing of a consumable that humans have enjoyed for at least 8,000 years is just beginning. There’s enormous potential in all of that.”

Of the four states that voted to go legalize in November 2016, “Maine remains medical-only, Massachusetts took until November 2018 to get stores open and California [became] the first state to actually shrink legal spending (from $3 billion to $2.5 billion) in its first year of adult-use legality. Only Nevada put reasonable regulations in place quickly, opened stores apace in July 2017 and is now seeing a shrinking illicit market.” 

In November, voters in three states backed major cannabis initiatives: Michigan legalized adult-use, while Missouri and Utah voters passed medical-marijuana initiatives. Additionally, in June, Oklahoma’s legislature approved medical use. Only North Dakota voted no on cannabis in 2018, rejecting an adult-use initiative.

With Canadian legalization, the report notes, “Adult sales surpass[ed] medical for the first time… The doubling of Canada’s market from a medical-only 2017 figure of $569 million to an estimated $1.2 billion in 2018 helped make the adult-use component of worldwide legal cannabis spending larger than the medical market for the first time ($6.5 billion versus $5.7 billion).”

The Global Picture

The two biggest global markets for cannabis are Canada and California, the report says: “Although their combined share of the worldwide market dropped from 49.1% in 2014 to 29.9% in 2018, it is forecast that Canada and California’s combined share will rebound to 36.3% by 2022.”

Besides Canada, the big international cannabis news stories in 2018 were the Mexican Supreme Court’s decision in October mandating legal personal use of cannabis (although the law has not yet been brought into conformity with the ruling) and legalization of medical use by the Home Office in the U.K. in October.

The global section, however, erroneously states that “South Korea became the first Southeast Asian country to legalize cannabis for medical purposes.” This claim—highlighted in bold type as a pull-quote—is inaccurate on two counts: Korea is not in Southeast Asia and the medical-marijuana initiative unveiled by the South Korean government in July only allows for cannabinoid-based pharmaceutical products.

“Thailand followed suit shortly afterward,” the report adds. Thailand did pass a law legalizing medical use in December.

In addition, South African’s High Court decriminalized private use of cannabis in September and Lithuania passed a medical marijuana law in October.

Three Breakthroughs 

According to the report, the three “most significant events” of 2018 were: legalization taking effect in Canada in October, FDA approval of cannabinoid-based drug Epidiolex in September and the legalization of hemp in the U.S. due to passage of the Farm Bill in December.

The report finds that “Canada did one major thing differently than California that largely explains why its market grew in 2018 while California’s shrank: Provinces, unlike cities and counties in California, were not allowed to ban legal cannabis.” But cumbersome Provincial regs are blamed for bottlenecking growth of the Canadian industry.

The Semantics of Cannabis

 In critiquing the Farm Bill, which legalizes hemp and cannabinoids derived from it but not “marijuana” (varieties with a psychoactive effect), the report refreshingly states : “The distinction in the law between ‘cannabis’ and ‘hemp’ is artificial: the hemp now cleared for cultivation in the U.S. is the same cannabis sativa plant that produces what is sold as ‘cannabis,’ some strains of which are more than 25% psychoactive THC. The new Farm Bill simply enshrines in U.S. law that hemp is now defined as having no more than 0.3% THC.”

That 0.3% standard was actually first imposed in the 2014 Farm Bill, which allowed for cultivation of hemp for research, but not commercial purposes. The text of the new Farm Bill actually does make reference to “cannabis.” But the stigma still attached to psychoactivity has created a degree of semantic confusion.

“Cannabis” has, to an extent, become a euphemism for psychoactive cannabis—that is, for “marijuana,” a word now increasingly eschewed by the industry for its supposed negative associations. But clarity is being lost through disuse of the word, as both “hemp” and “marijuana” are cannabis. Some previous ArcView reports have ignored the word “marijuana” altogether. Happily, this one does not.

Despite decrying confused and overly zealous regulation, the report strikes an overall optimistic tone. “There’s every reason to remain bullish about the future of the legal cannabis business,” Adams  concludes. “The science, product development and consumer marketing of a consumable that humans have enjoyed for at least 8,000 years is just beginning. There’s enormous potential in all of that.”

The State of Legal Marijuana Markets report costs $597. Order it here.

Related Articles

Arcview Predicts $7.7 Billion California Cannabis Market by 2021

Arcview Predicts $57 Billion World Cannabis Market by 2027

Report Predicts $13 Billion Latin American Cannabis Market by 2028

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Landrace Strains: The Complete Guide To These Rare Strains

When it comes to cannabis, variety really is the spice of life. From Fruity Pebbles to Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies, there always seems to be a strain for every occasion. But did you know that all the strains we have today trace back to a handful of original cannabis plant types known as landrace strains?

It’s true. In fact, botanists can trace the entire cannabis lineage back to an original landrace strain in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan and Pakistan. We know — mind blown, right?

So what is a landrace strain, specifically? What makes them unique? And should you drop everything, sell your car, and trek to the back of beyond just to try one?

In this article, the experts at Honest Marijuana will answer those questions and tell you everything you need to know about the rare landrace strains.

An Extremely Brief History Of Cannabis

Historical documents from as far back as 2900 B.C.E. (before common era) and archaeological evidence from various regions indicate that cannabis was already in use during the Neolithic period in China.

That means humans could have been smoking weed as far back as 10,000 B.C.E.!

Actually, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. Our ancient stoner ancestors probably consumed cannabis as an edible or as a weed tea. It probably wasn’t until later that some ganja genius got it in his or her head to inhale the smoke of a burning pot plant.

We really don’t know for sure about cannabis use, though, because Wikipedia didn’t exist back then and no one wrote anything down (they probably forgot because they were stoned off their weed tea).

Cannabis genetics are a different thing entirely. Botanists don’t need written records to do some pretty amazing things, like trace all the cannabis strains that we know about today back to single plant variety that first developed in the Hindu Kush region of what is now Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Keep in mind that this area was a no-man’s land between Indian and Chinese civilizations way back then. But it’s not hard to imagine an intrepid Chinese explorer stumbling upon a crop of wild cannabis in this region, eating it, burning it, or just using the fibers for something, thereby kicking off our current marijuana revolution.

From that earliest discovery, mankind took cannabis wherever they went and the plant spread outside the Kush and China to Russia, Africa, South America, the Caribbean, and even parts of North America.

Through the intervening years, ganja growers have combined strain after strain of cannabis plants in order to produce different results.

Some growers wanted the plant to grow in cooler climates. Some growers wanted the plant to grow in warmer climates. Some growers wanted to isolate a particular flavor. That led to the production of the myriad strains we have now.

But everything can be traced back to that one original strain and the handful of landrace strains that followed.

What Is A Landrace Strain?

A landrace strain is a variety of cannabis plant that has less diluted DNA than other strains of cannabis. That means landrace strains have not been crossbred with another variety of cannabis.

To take the distinction even further, landrace strains are usually indigenous to a certain part of the world (meaning they have adapted to the environment of a specific geographic location). And since these landrace strains are the original cannabis plant from that area, descendants from those strains often bear part of the region’s name (e.g., Kandy Kush, Durban Thai, Super Lemon Haze).

Let’s think of it this way for clarification: The original strain that developed in the Hindu Kush so many thousands of years ago was a wild species.

Caveman potheads took seeds from that wild species and planted them in various parts of the world in the thousands of years between then and now. Those plants that were directly descended from the original species are now known as landrace strains.

From there (in, say, the past 100-200 years), mankind continued to practice selective breeding of the cannabis plant for genetic improvement. That produced the modern hybrid strains we enjoy today.

6 Landrace Strains From Around The World

Here, for your pleasure, is a brief list of six landrace strains from around the world. This is by no means an exhaustive list. It’s just to give you an idea of where that Chem Dog you’re smoking came from:

• Hindu Kush, Pakistan

• Pure Afghan, Afghanistan

• Lamb’s Bread, Jamaica

• Acapulco Gold, Mexico

• Durban Poison, Africa

• Panama Red, Central America

Are Landrace Strains Unique In Some Way?

It’s important to understand that the landrace classification only describes the strain’s genetic purity and indigenous upbringing.

It does not mean that landrace strains will get you higher than a good batch of Blue Dream or cut your anxiety quicker than a high-CBD strain.

In fact, modern strains are much better than landrace strains at generating the effects we’re all looking for (be they recreational or medicinal). That’s because growers have bred the plants for those specific effects.

Landrace strains are not “better” than modern strains, or even really unique in any way. They just have less diluted DNA. They’re closer to the original wild species than anything else we have available today.

To put it in perspective, it’s like comparing the very first car (let’s say it was the Model T for simplicity’s sake) with the newest BMW.

You’re going to enjoy cruising around in the BMW more than you would the Model T — the BMW is comfier, rides better, is easier to start, and goes faster (just to name a few) — but it’s still good to know where that BMW originally came from.

That’s how you can look at landrace strains today. They’re really only useful to historians, scientists, and pot purists.

The one benefit from trying a landrace strain would be experiencing more genuine effects that are closer to those produced by the original cannabis strain. Maybe the high or the medicinal effects were completely different. We just don’t know.

Where Have All The Pure Landrace Strains Gone?

You may be wondering why you haven’t heard about landrace strains before. Where have they all gone?

To answer both questions at the same time: the original landrace strains have been taken out of their native environment and endlessly crossbred with other varieties to produce something new.

When a landrace strain is removed from its indigenous environment (say, Pakistan) and forced to grow elsewhere (say, Mexico), it has to mature in different growing conditions. In response to those new growing conditions, the plant will exhibit new characteristics (e.g., smaller flowers, longer grow time, higher THC).

During that transition from indigenous environment to new growing conditions, some of the characteristics of the original plant will be lost. To get those characteristics back, you’d have to return the plant to its native environment.

Even then, the “purity” would be in question because you’ve grown a plant in a different location (Mexico) — producing slightly different characteristics — and then tried to return the seed to the place where its grandparent plant came from (Pakistan).

See how quickly things can get murky and diluted? It’s enough to make your head swim and your eyes go googly (even without taking a toke). That’s why we recommend not thinking about it too deeply.

It’s enough just to know that landrace strains exist. You don’t have to get intimate with the subject. Just give a polite ‘sup nod as you pass by on your way to the local dispensary for a dime bag of Yoda OG.

Should You Try A Landrace Strain?

Our answer to questions like these is usually a resounding, “Yes!”

There are a few times when we have to say no — like, should you make your own THC-O-Acetate or CO2 cannabis oil — but, for the most part, it never hurts to try.

That said, don’t cash in your life savings for the chance to puff a landrace strain. You’ll probably be disappointed. Modern strains are often better at producing the recreational or medicinal effects that you’re looking for.

Remember, landrace strains aren’t stronger, more potent, or better in some way. They’re just less diluted (genetically speaking) than other strains.

And, honestly, even that’s debatable given how much time has passed since the discovery of the original landrace strain and man’s tendency to crossbreed plants to make them grow “better.”

It’s good to know about landrace strains, but we seriously doubt they’re going to be the next big thing in cannabis consumption unless scientists find something in their DNA that cures cancer better than Rick Simpson oil or completely cures anxiety and depression.

You’re better off using organic, pesticide-free marijuana than spending your hard-earned money on something that claims to be a landrace strain.

For more information on all things marijuana and to check out our 100 percent all-natural cannabis products, visit HonestMarijuana.com today.

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Minnesota Legislature to Consider Legalizing Marijuana

Legislation will be introduced today in the Minnesota House and Senate that would legalize and regulate marijuana for those 21 and older.

State lawmakers will introduce legislation today that would fully end marijuana prohibition in Minnesota while establishing a licensed, regulated and taxes system of marijuana businesses.

The legislation, sponsored by Senators Melisa Franzen (DFL) and Scott Jensen (R) in the Senate and Representatives Mike Freiberg (DFL) in the House, would make it legal for adults 21 and older to possess, grow, and purchase limited amounts of marijuana. The state would license and regulate businesses to cultivate, process, test, and sell marijuana to adults, and it would create and enforce strict health and safety regulations, such as testing and labeling requirements and restrictions on marketing to teens.

“Minnesota’s outdated prohibition policy has become more of a problem than a solution,” Freiberg said. “It is forcing marijuana into a shady underground market, which creates more potential harm for consumers and communities than marijuana itself. Regulating marijuana would make our state safer by removing the criminal element and empowering our state and local governments to start controlling production and sales.”

Among other things, the proposed legislation would:

• Empower the Minnesota Department of Health to regulate marijuana dispensaries and direct regulators to develop a “seed-to-sale” system that tracks marijuana from cultivation to sale.

• Allow local governments to regulate the production and sale of marijuana in their communities.

• Prohibit retailers from marketing in a manner that targets teens.

• Allow for the expungement of certain marijuana-related crimes from the records of previously convicted persons.

• Dedicate $10 million annually to impoverished communities, many of which have been disproportionately impacted by marijuana prohibition; additionally, millions of dollars will be directed each year to mental health services, efforts to combat impaired driving, and teen drug education.

Based on current usage rates and the market price of marijuana being sold for adult use in Colorado, the Marijuana Policy Project estimates regulated marijuana sales could generate between $200 million and $300 million per year in new tax revenue for Minnesota.

“Our focus in drafting legislation to end the prohibition of cannabis in Minnesota is to ensure we have a responsible regulatory model for consumer access that still provides for public health, safety and welfare,” Franzen said. “The time has come for us to have this debate.”

A September 2018 KSTP/SurveyUSA poll found 56 percent of Minnesota voters — including 67 percent of voters under age 50 — think the state should legalize marijuana for adults 21 and older.

“It is time for Minnesota to recognize that, like alcohol prohibition in the 1920s, its prohibition of marijuana does not work,” said Jason Tarasek, Minnesota political director for the Marijuana Policy Project and co-founder of Minnesotans for Responsible Marijuana Regulation. “By legalizing marijuana and carefully regulating its sale, we can keep it out of the hands of teens without needlessly arresting responsible adult consumers. This would allow law enforcement to spend more time addressing serious crimes, while also creating a significant new revenue stream for our state.”

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Study: Long-Term CB2R Activation “Might Prevent Neuroinflammation and Oxidative Stress-Associated Sickness Behavior”

Activation of the cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2R), something done naturally through the consumption of cannabis and cannabinoids, “might prevent neuroinflammation and oxidative stress-associated sickness behavior”, according to a new study.

The study, titled Cannabinoid receptor 2 activation mitigates lipopolysaccharide-induced neuroinflammation and sickness behavior in mice, is being published in the journal Psychopharmacology. It was epublished ahead of print by the U.S. National Institute of Health.

“Cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2R) signaling in the brain is associated with the pathophysiology of depression”, states the study’s abstract. “Sickness behavior, characterized by lessened mobility, social interaction, and depressive behavior, is linked with neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and immune system. The present study was aimed at evaluating 1-phenylisatin (PI), a CB2R agonist, in sickness behavior.”

For the study, “influence of acute and 7-day activation of CB2R using PI in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sickness behavior was assessed in mice.” An acute injection of LPS (1.5 mg/kg) “produced a fully developed sickness behavior in animals within 1 h of administration.” The behavioral paradigm “was assessed by open field test, forced swim test, and tail suspension test. Further, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), antioxidant enzymes, and lipid peroxidation were measured in the brain to correlate neuroinflammation and oxidative stress with sickness behavior.”

Both treatments, PI (20 mg/kg) and imipramine (15 mg/kg), were administered orally (once for acute and once daily for 7-day protocols).

Researchers found that :LPS elevated the brain TNF-α level, augmented oxidative stress, and induced the sickness behavior in mice. Acute and 7-day treatment of mice with PI significantly reduced the LPS-induced sickness behavior. In addition, PI inhibited the neuroinflammation evidenced by a reduction in brain TNF-α and oxidative stress.”

They conclude by stating that “Our data propose that acute and long-term activation of CB2R might prevent neuroinflammation and oxidative stress-associated sickness behavior.”

For more information on this study, including its full abstract and a link to its full text, click here.

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Washington Legislation to Raise Legal Age for Tobacco and Vapor Products to 21 Passed by House Committee

Washington State legislation to raise the legal age for purchasing and using tobacco and vapor products has been passed by its initial House committee.

House Bill 1074 was filed by State Representative Paul Harris (R) along with a bipartisan group of 28 other representatives. It was passed by the House Health Care & Wellness Committee today by a vote of 12 to 2.

According to the measure’s official legislative digest, it “Raises the legal age to twenty-one years for the lawful sale or distribution of tobacco and vapor products”, and “Authorizes the governor, in recognition of the sovereign authority of tribal governments, to seek government-to-government consultations with Indian tribes regarding raising the minimum legal age of sale in certain compacts.”

The legislation makes it so that “A person who sells cigars, cigarettes, cigarette paper, tobacco, or vapor products to a person under the age of 21 is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.” In addition, it states that “Tobacco products may not be sold through a vending machine unless the machine is located in a place where persons under the age of 21 are prohibited or in an industrial worksite where persons under the age of 21 are not employed, and it is located at least 10 feet from entrances and exits.”

For the full text of House Bill 1074, click here.

In 2017, Oregon passed into law a similar measure which raised the legal age for tobacco and “inhalant delivery systems” to 21.

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Colorado House Votes to Add Autism to State’s Medical Cannabis Program

Legislation to add autism spectrum disorders to Colorado’s medical cannabis program has been passed through its second reading in the House of Representatives.

House Bill 1263, filed by State Representative Edith Hooton (D), was passed by the House today, less than three weeks after its introduction. It must now be passed through a third reading before it can be sent to the Senate for consideration. If passed by the Senate it will be sent to Governor Jared Polis who is expected to sign it into law if given the opportunity.

According to its official summary, “The bill adds autism spectrum disorders to the list of disabling medical conditions that authorize a person to use medical marijuana for his or her condition.”

Under current law, “a child under 18 years of age who wants to be added to the medical marijuana registry for a disabling medical condition must be diagnosed as having a disabling medical condition by two physicians, one of whom must be a board-certified pediatrician, a board-certified family physician, or a board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist who attests that he or she is part of the patient’s primary care provider team. ” House Bill 1263 “removes the additional requirements on specific physicians to align with the constitutional provisions for a debilitating medical condition.”

If House Bill 1263 becomes law, autism spectrum disorders would join the following qualifying conditions in Colorado:

• Cancer
• Glaucoma
• HIV or AIDS
• Cachexia
• Persistent muscle spasms
• Seizures
• Severe nausea
• Severe pain
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

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Trump Crony Roger Stone Indicted by Mueller and Arrested by the FBI

Donald Trump’s favorite pot head, Roger Stone, is going to face the music for his involvement in the 2016 campaign that mostly focuses on WikiLeaks and his relationship to Julian Assange. A grand jury, based on charges brought by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, indicted Stone on seven counts of obstruction, making false statements and witness tampering on Jan. 24 and FBI agents arrested him in an early-morning Jan. 25 raid of his home in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. His residence in New York was also raided.

“During the summer of 2016, Stone spoke to senior Trump Campaign officials about Organization 1 and information it might have had that would be damaging to the Clinton Campaign,” the indictment reads. “Stone was contacted by senior Trump Campaign officials to inquire about future releases by Organization 1.”

Organization 1 is WikiLeaks and Person 2 is Randy Credico, who allegedly introduced Stone up to Person 1, WikiLeaker Julian Assange.

Stone’s Co-Conspirator Randy Credico

We previously wrote about Stone’s relationship with Credico:

“GOP dirty trickster Roger Stone, 65, claims Credico, 63, was the go-between with Julian Assange and Russian government hackers in releasing emails stolen by WikiLeaks from Hillary Clinton campaign chair John Podesta and the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Credico scoffs at the idea he was the connection in a scandal that may have brought Donald Trump to power.

“It’s generally believed Credico met Assange through his long association with the civil rights activist group, the Center for Constitutional Rights.”

STONE TO CREDICO, OCT. 1, 2016: “Big news Wednesday… now pretend u don’t know me… Hillary’s campaign will die this week.”

The tampering charge regards Credico, a New York radio host who’s been Stone’s stoner buddy for a number of years. In text messages, Stone asked Credico to “Stonewall it. Plead the fifth. Anything to save the plan… And if you turned over anything to the FBI you’re a fool. You need to amend your testimony before I testify. If you testify you’re a fool… I guarantee you you will be the one who’s indicted for perjury if you’re stupid enough to testify.”

Stone encouraged Credico to behave like Frank Pentangeli, the character in The Godfather: Part II who clams up during a Congressional hearing into mob activities when his bother suddenly arrives from Italy and steps into the courtroom. Stone also called Credico a “rat” and a “stoolie” and threatened to kill his dog.

Creedico subsequently decided to invoke the Fifth Amendment and not testify. He wasn’t indicted by the grand jury, despite his clear involvement in steering Stone to Assange

The October Surprise Timeline

On Aug. 16, 2016, Credico texted Stone that Assange had “kryptonite on Hillary.”

On Oct. 1, 2016, Stone texted Credico, “Big news Wednesday… now pretend u don’t know me… Hillary’s campaign will die this week.”

On Oct. 2, 2016, Credico texted Stone, “Off the record Hillary and her people are doing a full court press to prevent (Person 1) from making the next dump… That’s all I can tell you on this line… please leave me name out of it.” The dump refers to WikiLeaks.

On Oct. 3, 2016, Stone to an unnamed person in the Trump Campaign: “Spoke to my friend (Person 1) in London last night. The payload is still coming.”

On Oct. 4, Stone wrote in an email to another unnamed Trump campaign official that Organization 1 planned to release “a load every week going forward” until Election Day.

On Oct. 7, WikiLeaks dumped a new batch of emails stolen from Clinton campaign chairman Podesta. This was Stone, Credico and Assange’s October Surprise. Thanks, in part to these emails, Trump was elected on Nov. 8.

Epilogue

After being released from prison on Jan. 25, Stone claimed he’s innocent of all charges as protestors chanted, “Lock him up.”

Related Articles

Frenemies Roger Stone and Randy Credico Heat Up Mueller Investigation

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Trump Crony Roger Stone Indicted by Mueller and Arrested by the FBI

Donald Trump’s favorite pot head, Roger Stone, is going to face the music for his involvement in the 2016 campaign that mostly focuses on WikiLeaks and his relationship to Julian Assange. A grand jury, based on charges brought by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, indicted Stone on seven counts of obstruction, making false statements and witness tampering on Jan. 24 and FBI agents arrested him in an early-morning Jan. 25 raid of his home in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. His residence in New York was also raided.

“During the summer of 2016, Stone spoke to senior Trump Campaign officials about Organization 1 and information it might have had that would be damaging to the Clinton Campaign,” the indictment reads. “Stone was contacted by senior Trump Campaign officials to inquire about future releases by Organization 1.”

Organization 1 is WikiLeaks and Person 2 is Randy Credico, who allegedly introduced Stone up to Person 1, WikiLeaker Julian Assange.

Stone’s Co-Conspirator Randy Credico

We previously wrote about Stone’s relationship with Credico:

“GOP dirty trickster Roger Stone, 65, claims Credico, 63, was the go-between with Julian Assange and Russian government hackers in releasing emails stolen by WikiLeaks from Hillary Clinton campaign chair John Podesta and the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Credico scoffs at the idea he was the connection in a scandal that may have brought Donald Trump to power.

“It’s generally believed Credico met Assange through his long association with the civil rights activist group, the Center for Constitutional Rights.”

STONE TO CREDICO, OCT. 1, 2016: “Big news Wednesday… now pretend u don’t know me… Hillary’s campaign will die this week.”

The tampering charge regards Credico, a New York radio host who’s been Stone’s stoner buddy for a number of years. In text messages, Stone asked Credico to “Stonewall it. Plead the fifth. Anything to save the plan… And if you turned over anything to the FBI you’re a fool. You need to amend your testimony before I testify. If you testify you’re a fool… I guarantee you you will be the one who’s indicted for perjury if you’re stupid enough to testify.”

Stone encouraged Credico to behave like Frank Pentangeli, the character in The Godfather: Part II who clams up during a Congressional hearing into mob activities when his bother suddenly arrives from Italy and steps into the courtroom. Stone also called Credico a “rat” and a “stoolie” and threatened to kill his dog.

Creedico subsequently decided to invoke the Fifth Amendment and not testify. He wasn’t indicted by the grand jury, despite his clear involvement in steering Stone to Assange

The October Surprise Timeline

On Aug. 16, 2016, Credico texted Stone that Assange had “kryptonite on Hillary.”

On Oct. 1, 2016, Stone texted Credico, “Big news Wednesday… now pretend u don’t know me… Hillary’s campaign will die this week.”

On Oct. 2, 2016, Credico texted Stone, “Off the record Hillary and her people are doing a full court press to prevent (Person 1) from making the next dump… That’s all I can tell you on this line… please leave me name out of it.” The dump refers to WikiLeaks.

On Oct. 3, 2016, Stone to an unnamed person in the Trump Campaign: “Spoke to my friend (Person 1) in London last night. The payload is still coming.”

On Oct. 4, Stone wrote in an email to another unnamed Trump campaign official that Organization 1 planned to release “a load every week going forward” until Election Day.

On Oct. 7, WikiLeaks dumped a new batch of emails stolen from Clinton campaign chairman Podesta. This was Stone, Credico and Assange’s October Surprise. Thanks, in part to these emails, Trump was elected on Nov. 8.

Epilogue

After being released from prison on Jan. 25, Stone claimed he’s innocent of all charges as protestors chanted, “Lock him up.”

Related Articles

Frenemies Roger Stone and Randy Credico Heat Up Mueller Investigation

Roger Stone Reduced to Begging for Donations Online

How Cannabis Activists Derailed Roger Stone

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South Carolina Senate Passes Resolution Urging Feds to Remove Barriers to Medical Marijuana Research

Legislation urging federal lawmakers to pass legislation removing barriers to medical marijuana research has been passed by South Carolina’s full Senate.

Senate Concurrent Resolution 169 was filed by Senator Greg Hembree (R) along with two cosponsors. It states that “the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina hereby urges the United States Attorney General and Congress to take immediate and additional steps to promote and actively pursue scientific research and testing into the potential use of cannabis to treat other medical conditions and illnesses by removing the federal statutory and regulatory barriers that prevent these scientific endeavors.”

The resolution must now be passed by the House of Representatives before it can be “transmitted to the President of the United States, the United States Attorney General, the President and President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate, and the Speaker and Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and that copies of this resolution also be transmitted to the members of the United States Congress from this State.”

According to its official text, part of the reasoning behind the resolution is that “federal statutory and regulatory barriers have prevented thorough research on the use of cannabis to treat medical conditions and illnesses, and these barriers have undermined the ability of states to obtain clear, well-researched scientific evidence relevant to use of cannabis for medical purposes”.

The resolution in its entirety can be found by clicking here.

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Study Finds High-CBD Cannabis Oil is Safe And Effective for Autistic Patients

The administration of cannabis extracts is effective and well-tolerated in patients diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), according to a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports and published online by the National Institute of Health.

The aim of the study, which included 188 participants,  was to “characterize the epidemiology of ASD patients receiving medical cannabis treatment and to describe its safety and efficacy.” To do this researchers examined the daily administration of high-CBD cannabis oil. which consisted of 30% CBD and 1.5% THC.

Among the patients who used the cannabis oil for at least six months, over 90% reported some level of symptomatic improvement; this included reductions in seizures, rage attacks and restlessness. In addition, roughly a third of reported a reduction in other medications.

The study concludes by stating that “Cannabis as a treatment for autism spectrum disorders patients appears to be well-tolerated, safe and seemingly effective option to relieve symptoms, mainly: seizures, tics, depression, restlessness and rage attacks.” They continue by stating that they believe “that double blind placebo-controlled trials are crucial for a better understanding of the cannabis effect on ASD patients.”

The study is titled Real life experience of medical cannabis treatment in autism: Analysis of safety and efficacy.

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Former New York City Council President Advocates for Marijuana Equity and Social Justice

Melissa Mark-Viverito speaks at CannaGather in New York as host Josh Weinstein looks on.

New York’s progressive former City Council President Melissa Mark-Viverito wants to be the city’s next Public Advocate. A special election will be held on Feb. 26. A total of 23 candidates are running. Five other current or former Council member are running.

Public Advocate is essentially a watchdog position. However, it’s second in line to the Mayor, which makes this a particularly important race.

Mark-Viverito made a campaign stop Jan. 22 at CannaGather, New York’s largest monthly meetup of marijuana enthusiasts.

Making Her Mark at CannaGather

She started by saying, “I’ve always been a supporter of the legalization of marijuana,” which is true. Before it was popular in New York, the three-term Council leader took that stance. “I support legalization primarily from a social justice perspective. I firmly believe in social equity and justice. We have to level the playing field and bring more equity.”

Now that legalization appears to be around the corner in New York State – Gov. Andrew Cuomo’a 191-page Cannabis Regulation and Taxation Act (CRTA) was released Jan. 15 – Mark-Viverito wants to make sure the legislation helps “people who’ve been most impacted by the War on Drugs.”

MELISSA MARK-VIVERITO: “I support legalization primarily from a social justice perspective. I firmly believe in social equity and justice. We have to level the playing field and bring more equity.”

“By my second term (as City Council president), 50,000 people were getting arrested for marijuana,” she explained. “The vast majority of those were people of color. This disparity is something we need to rectify. I support legalization primarily from a social justice perspective. I firmly believe in social equity and justice. We have to level the playing field and bring more equity.”

Mark-Viverito questioned Cuomo’s commitment to equity and social justice. “There are all these caveats,” Mark-Viverito said about the CRTA. “Are you really for it or are you trying to play to all the sides?” She added: “If the bill is included in the budget, it would have to get done by April 1.”

Pot-Tax Proposal: Weed for Rails

Running on the “Fix the MTA” line (a.k.a. Weed for Rails), she proposes to split tax revenues gained from marijuana sales between the equity and justice issues discussed above and New York’s transportation infrastructure. Over the last few years, the Metropolitan Transit Authority has been struggling to keep up with necessary subway system repairs. “Who here has been stuck in a delay?” Mark-Viverito asked. Many hands were raised.

“We have to be mindful how this industry rolls out in this state,” she continued. “Those who’ve been on the receiving end of these unjust policies need to benefit from these opportunities. That can’t be forgotten.”

Her final salvo was directed at former Speaker of the House John Boehner, who joined the board of Acreage Holdings, a cannabis company, last year.

“It angers me to hear that Boehner is now talking about the legalization of marijuana when he and his party were the ones that implemented these policies that have been impacting our communities,” she roiled.” This is the kind of stuff that people in elected office should be held accountable for.”

Related Articles

Gov. Cuomo: “Let’s Legalize the Adult Use of Recreational Use of Marijuana”

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New York’s Medical-Marijuana Program Continues to Evolve

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Bipartisan Legislation to Fully Repeal Marijuana Prohibition Passed Through First Reading in Hawaii Senate

Hawaii’s Senate has passed through its first reading a measure that would fully repeal marijuana prohibition.

Senate Bill 702 was filed by Senator Kalani English along with six bipartisan cosponsors. The measure was introduced on January 18, and was passed through its first reading yesterday. The measure must be passed through two more readings, and by the House of Representatives, before it can go to David Ige for consideration.

The legislation “Repeals criminal prohibitions and penalties pertaining to marijuana”, effectively legalizing it throughout the state and ending the decades-long prohibition on the plant. The full text of the measure can be found by clicking here.

A separate measure that “Legalizes the personal use, possession, and sale of marijuana in a specified quantity” and “Requires licensing to operate marijuana establishments” was also passed through its first reading today. That proposal is Senate Bill 686.

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Kentucky Bill Would Decriminalize Marijuana Possession

Legislation to decriminalize the possession of less than an ounce of marijuana – and up to five grams of resin – has been filed in Kentucky’s Senate.

Senate Bill 82 was filed by State Senator Jimmy Higdon (R). It was initially assigned to the State and Local Government Committee, but was reassigned today to the Economic Development, Tourism, and Labor Committee. The measure would decriminalize “personal use quantity” of marijuana, which is defined by being less than an ounce of bud or less than five grams of resin. Those caught possessing within these limits could not face jail time or a criminal charge, but could be given a fine.

The legislation would also exempt “personal use marijuana accessories” from the state’s drug paraphernalia law, allowing for the possession of smoking devices such as pipes and bongs.

“Basically, what my bill says is, they shall write them a ticket,” Higdon said at a recent public forum. “It’s no more than a speeding ticket.”

For the full text of Senate Bill 82 click here.

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