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Lately, there has been much discussion about water-soluble technology in the cannabis industry. Many companies, eager to convey a transformative milestone to the public, are announcing that they’ve developed their own water-soluble technology. Unfortunately for consumers, many of these claims are premature.

The technology being claimed is, in the vast majority of cases, a nanoemulsion. Put simply, a nanoemulsion is created when an oil is combined with functional ingredients and then blasted with energy, causing the oil particles to split into smaller pieces. When the particles are made small enough, it looks like they dissolve in water (they become “water compatible”). 

Nanoemulsions have incredibly useful applications – particularly in the cannabis industry where they solve key issues that plague derivative products. A well-made nanoemulsion will allow uniform dispersion of cannabis oils into water-based products such as beverages, gummies and some topicals. It will also increase the absorption, and reduce the onset time, of THC’s psychotropic effects. The problem, though, lies in whether a given nanoemulsion is actually commercially viable.

Just as you do when you’re thinking of buying a new vehicle, you need to ask questions about how well a nanoemulsion performs. There are a number of things you absolutely have to understand about a nanoemulsion before you can know whether it will actually work in your derivative product:

• Particle size, the type of testing used in measuring size: the ‘by volume’ test is far more optimistic, and less useful, than the ‘dynamic light scattering’ test
• Temperature stability
• pH stability
• Stability in the presence of artificial sweeteners
• The rate at which the active ingredient (e.g. THC) degrades

For example, if a nanoemulsion becomes unstable when used to infuse a citric drink like a lemonade, the oil particles will start to agglomerate, leaving the consumer with a drink that has an oil slick on top and no real reduction in onset time. This type of separation can be seen regularly in nanoemulsions that don’t have broad pH stability.

Another problem regularly encountered by nanoemulsion producers is instability caused by the introduction of artificial sweeteners as part of taste masking. Masking the bitter flavor of nanoemulsions can be done, but it usually requires the use of additives that can destabilize the end product, resulting in a cloudy appearance and eliminating the reduction in onset time. These are just two of many variables that can completely destroy the upside presented by a nanoemulsion. Creating a nanoemulsion solution that can handle all of the destabilizing conditions that are encountered as part of creating and manufacturing a commercially viable product is very difficult.

A leader in this field, Axiomm Technologies, has a nanoemulsion formulation that addresses all of these issues, making it a truly turnkey solution for businesses who want to incorporate this nanotechnology into their products. It has taken a complicated chemistry and engineering problem and reduced it to an easy process that anyone can do using Axiomm’s all-in-one nanoemulsion precursor, µGOO. Having partnered with Qsonica, a market leader in the design, development and manufacture of ultrasonic liquid processors, Axiomm is dedicated to removing the need for businesses to engage in expensive, time-consuming R&D efforts – with no guarantee of success – allowing them to instead focus on other key aspects of their business.

µGOO is a revolutionary precursor technology that enables anyone to produce a consistently best-in-class nanoemulsion. It is compatible with a wide range of inputs and purities and allows users to create a consistently best-in-class nanoemulsion with robust temperature stability, broad pH stability, stability in the presence of artificial sweeteners and minimal active ingredient degradation (less than 2% per month at room temperature, 0.8% per month when refrigerated).

More information on Axiomm and µGOO, including a step-by-step video on how to make a nanoemulsion, can be found at www.axiomm.com.

If you live in a coastal or large city in the U.S., fresh-pressed juices and related products are everywhere. In New York, we have a joke that a juice shop is the first sign of rent increases.

Taking things even further, juice shops now sell expensive waters to go with expensive juices, purporting health and beauty benefits. What some places are charging 10 percent of a Benjamin (US$100 bill) for, you could easily make at home for way, way less.

One of my favourite formulas is a water that is spiked with rose and some hair- and nail-boosting silica. It tastes like plain old water, with a whiff of flowers, but the mineral content is the real draw.

Though the idea is amazing, an US$8 water, even just a few times a week, could seriously cut into your bud budget, or your anything budget.

I like my beauty water on bath days to create a real spa experience, so I often whip up something cucumber based to sip while bathing, using face masks, etc. I also usually smoke during this time. Why not add the THC directly into the beauty water?

Spa Spritz

1 cucumber

Rosewater Honey Water

Cannabis infused glycerin tincture*

Optional additives:

Hyaluronic acid

Omega 7 sea buckthorn oil

Collagen

First, skin the cucumber, then blend into a juice using either a juicer, muddler or blonder. If you’re using a blender or muddler, add water to help get the nutrients (and liquid) out.

Add a splash of hot water to some honey to turn it into a quick syrup. Once dissolved, add cannabis tincture and mix well. Add cannabis honey syrup to a glass with ice. Pour cucumber juice over ice, add a splash of rosewater, close jar and shake. If you are adding other supplements, add before shaking phase.

Pour cold still or sparkling water over the mixture, garnish with strips you peeled off the cucumber and some slices with the skin on.

Consider adding a bit of smoke to your bath fun / Photo: Anneliese Gruenwald-Maerkl / iStock / Getty Images Plus Anneliese Gruenwald-Maerkl / iStock / Getty Images Plus

*Glycerin Cannabis tincture:

In an oven-safe container double sealed with foil, decarboxylate 3.5 grams finely ground cannabis at 225 Fahrenheit. Put cannabis in a Mason jar or vacuum sealed bag, pour over 2 oz vegetable Glycerin and seal tightly. Place in a water bath at just under boiling for one hour. Strain and keep contents in a sterilized container (stores indefinitely in freezer).

Try sipping this while holed up in the tub, it will change your experience dramatically. Now you can be high while you kick back and work on your face all in one simple drink. Not to mention it tastes light, fragrant and incredible.

A note on dosing: THC levels are estimates only. Optimal dosing of cannabis depends on both specific strains and the individual consuming them; questions should be directed to a healthcare professional. Any infused product should be handled with care, stored away from children and pets and clearly marked. 

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In September, Washington D.C. mayor Murial Bowser brought an end to months of anxious waiting on the part of city workers who lawfully consume cannabis. The new mayoral order clarified that the use of cannabis for any reason cannot prevent a person from getting or maintaining a government job. The order also blocked any city agencies from setting their own workplace marijuana policies. But even though most city employees were okayed to consume medical or recreational cannabis off the clock, Mayor Bowser’s order carved out a key exception: workers in “safety-sensitive” positions. Now, some city workers are fighting to overturn the ban. And one worker, Doretha Barber, is suing the city, alleging its workplace drug policies discriminate against medical cannabis patients.

Lawsuit Targets D.C. Ban on Cannabis Use by City Workers

Doretha Barber is a sanitation worker for Washington, D.C.’s Department of Public Works (DPW). For ten years, Barber has helped keep D.C. streets clean, mostly by raking and collecting trash and leaves. It’s a tough gig for Barber, who was born with scoliosis and diagnosed with a serious disease in her spine in 2014. Bending and raking, Barber believes, makes her back condition worse. And recently, the pain, spasms and migraines she gets are causing her to miss work.

To treat her back pain, Barber came to medical cannabis like many other patients. The prescription and over-the-counter medications she was taking weren’t cutting it. Plus, the side effects were sometimes as debilitating as the pain itself. So it was with her doctor’s recommendation that she became a registered patient with D.C.’s medical cannabis program in 2018.

Barber says cannabis was “life changing.” Her migraines were less intense, her spasms were less frequent and she was able to go to work more. Barber says she only took medical cannabis off the clock and never clocked in under the influence of THC.

But in May, Barber was among a number of DPW employees who received a memo ordering them to seek alternatives to medical cannabis treatments. The department, the memo explained, would begin testing workers in “safety-sensitive” positions. And anyone who failed the urine drug test would be at risk of losing their job or facing disciplinary measures.

Workplace Marijuana Policy Impacts Blue-Collar and Black Workers Most

All of a sudden, a mid-2018 reclassification of all DPW jobs as “safety sensitive” regardless of whether they involved operating heavy machinery or other dangerous tasks meant that workers like Barber could no longer use medical cannabis. When DPW started testing workers, Barber was up front about her enrollment in the District’s medical cannabis program. She was told to find a different medicine. Her lawsuit, filed with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union, says DPW told Barber that she could not return to work unless she both passed a urine drug test and completed a substance abuse counseling program.

But Barber has run out of paid leave to use to complete the substance abuse counseling. And in a desperate effort to hang onto the manual labor job she’s had for a decade, she has stopped using medical cannabis to treat her migraines and back spasms. She’s even asked for a transfer to a desk job or other less physical role with DPW. But the agency has denied her requests, even though policies under the city’s official human resources manual obliges the agency to make reasonable accommodations for employees’ medical needs.

Barber’s ACLU lawyer, Michael Perloff, argues that DPW’s refusal to grant Barber an accommodation “constitutes a violation of the District’s anti-discrimination law, the D.C. Human Rights Act.”

Some D.C. city council members have also spoken out about the “safety-sensitive” exception. At-large Councilmember David Grosso, who introduced a bill in May to bar any city agency from discriminating against cannabis consumers, said the ban is effectively biased against blue collar and Black workers. “It’s interesting to me that they’ve put the effort into classifying positions and enforcing that mostly affect blue collar and African American workers in D.C.,” said Grosso.

The cannabis industry is in its most unpredictable era. Marijuana stocks have been stuck in a malicious hangover of late. Investors’ interest in this space remains in high gear, driven by strong performances among some stocks in the sector. The group’s powerful projected long-term growth dynamics also remain a focus.

However, 2019 hasn’t been the best year for marijuana companies in the wake of rising losses, regulatory scandals and negative publicity. Therefore, a steep and fast drop in their share prices.

Though the legalization of recreational marijuana has made cannabis mainstream, still, the industry remains indecisive. And thus on one hand there are great pot stocks that the investors’ could be hopeful of. There are also some of the murkiest ones which would dig a hole in the pocket of those same investors.

Not only has legal weed failed to make marijuana companies profitable, but the rush to get legal weed to the market arguably has contributed to a handful of losers.

Marijuana Stocks To Watch #1: CannTrust (CTST)

CannTrust Holdings (TSX:TRST) (NYSE:CTST) has received the greatest amount of negative publicity in recent months. With a highly untrustworthy management team, CannTrust had been in the indeterminate state for months. It was awaiting what seemed like the inevitable: the suspension of its licenses.

Health Canada finally brought the hammer down when it confirmed CannTrust would be suspended. While the cannabis producer technically didn’t lose all of its licenses, the reality is that the company is in a dire situation. Without the reinstatement of its license, CannTrust could be seeing the beginning of the end.

The company has even been involved disgracefully in illicit cannabis growth in private. This has hurt the sentiment of investors who stood behind the company. Despite being one of the top pot stocks, the reputation of the company is at stake. With the stock getting the boot from the S&P/TSX Composite Index, few investors are likely to flock back. What does the future hold for CTST stock?

Marijuana Stocks To Watch #2: Tilray (TLRY)

Another weak stock in the category is Tilray (NASDAQ:TLRY). It has been one of the largest and most sophisticated producers of premium medical cannabis in the world. Despite having a very successful IPO rising 755% in just two months, TLRY stock has been stuck in a downtrend since. This is largely a result of an over-inflated stock price. At one point, this stock was trading at over 200-time sales–that’s sales, not earnings. Can Tilray recover or are new lows in the cards?

China has a zero tolerance approach to marijuana (along with numerous other drugs), yet surprisingly it is the world’s largest producer of hemp, and also the world’s largest exporter of this increasingly lucrative plant. While chances of medical marijuana being legalized in China are seemingly next to none, calls for a clear policy when it comes to industrial hemp and CBD products are increasing — as is the plant’s production in the country.

While cannabidiol (CBD) has become as widely proliferated as over-the-counter painkillers in the West, products using this hemp-derived compound have yet to be seen stocking store shelves in China. The plant it originates from, however, has had a far lengthier history. Ma (麻), the Chinese word for hemp, has actually been in use for thousands of years, widely enough that the classic text Book of Odes, or Shi Jing (诗经), contains many references to hemp use in the daily lives of Chinese people from the 11th to 7th century BCE.

The cultivation of hemp was made illegal in 1985, despite China having a long history with the crop. It was only in 2010, after a push by locals, that authorities again allowed it to be grown on an industrial scale in Yunnan province in southwest China.

Marijuana plants containing the psychoactive agent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are to date resoundingly illegal within China — despite what Randy from South Park might think — but plants containing quantities of CBD fall into a grayer area.

As it stands, companies are allowed to farm industrial hemp in Heilongjiang and Yunnan provinces (in China’s northeast and southwest respectively). China Daily reported early this year that talk of farmers being allowed to grow industrial hemp in Jilin province (next door to Heilongjiang), which had begun in 2017, had proven fruitful. Additional sources attest that hemp is also legally being grown in regions such as Anhui, Gansu, and Xinjiang.

Figures provided on Hanma Industrial Group Co. Ltd.’s website — one of China’s leading hemp producers — show that half a million hectares of land were used to grow hemp in Anhui province, close to Shanghai in eastern China, in 2014. Other provinces, excluding Heilongjiang and Yunnan, accounted for 0.4 million hectares. Curiously, many media outlets fail to report these facts.

This confusion as to the location of hemp farms in the country is perhaps related to the distinctions of industrial hemp. Industrial hemp is a marijuana plant (cannabis sativa L. subsp. sativa var. sativa) specifically bred to contain the least amount of THC possible, and has a wide range of applications. Industrial hemp is the most commonly farmed hemp strain, although China is home to hemp plants from 33 families and more than 90 genera, including ramie, flax, jute, kenaf, sisal hemp, and abaca.

With that being said, police have historically targeted marijuana plants grown outside of the industry complex. This year, for instance, authorities eradicated 10,000 wild plants growing alongside the Yongding river in Beijing’s Fengtai district.

The mood at the Industrial Cannabis Forum of Listed Companies in mid-August was pragmatic in the face of such continued confusion over regulations in the industry. Participants called for more clearly defined policies on the issues, while Yuan Hua, general manager of Kunming Pharmaceutical Group, said that China’s cannabis industry will need an additional two to three years’ time to establish itself. Her suggestion for companies in the meantime was “research and development,” in order to create new pharmaceuticals and products and lay the groundwork for the future of the industry.

With the recent rise in products containing CBD around the globe, Chinese hemp farmers and companies have begun to turn their attention to cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, beverages, and other products that use CBD in some form.

Tan Xin, chairman and founder of Hanma Investment Group Co. Ltd., tells us: “We did a lot of research in the early days and saw that investors like Peter Thiel and George Soros had put money into this industry. We believe this business has huge potential.”

As an example of the potential lucrative nature of this industry, consider that July to late September/early October is usually harvesting season for hemp plants in China. As more companies seek to gain a foothold in this fledgling market — and news of developments like the legalization of industrial hemp farming in Jilin province has spread — stock prices for firms such as Dezhan Health and Meiyingsen have soared this year not only during harvest time, but since the beginning of 2019, prompting international media outlets like The New York Times to sit up and take notice.

Yet in a move that perhaps put a damper on the industry, the Chinese National Anti-Drug Committee published a release in mid-March earlier this year re-clarifying the country’s stance on industrial hemp farming. The release plainly stated that CBD is not included on the list of narcotic drugs in the country, and that it is not a controlled drug. It also stated that marijuana with a THC content of 0.3% or less can be grown in certain parts of China. While this release certainly clarified parts of China’s stance on CBD, it was also vague in many areas and had a negative effect on multiple stocks on Chinese exchanges, prompting investors to sell off.

Nonetheless, people like Tan are optimistic about the future of CBD in the country, particularly in the beauty industry. “Nowadays, CBD is considered an ‘all-purpose ingredient’ [for beauty] in the Western world,” says Tan. “It not only has a therapeutic effect on skin diseases, but is also effective in terms of oil control, acne, and skin whitening.

While research and development for all types of products using CBD is technically legal, only beauty products with CBD are legal to sell in China.

“Since 2015, ‘hemp leaf extraction’ can be legally used in cosmetics,” says Tan. “And because the cosmetics industry is so huge in China, we have a good shot in this business.”

He adds however that pharmaceuticals and health products remain the company’s biggest priority at the moment.

All of this points to the crux of China’s argument for the widespread legalization of industrial hemp farming and CBD use in medicine: health.

Many tout the benefits of CBD in treating conditions like epilepsy and Alzheimer’s, as well as providing pain relief, though research on some of these claims is as of yet inconclusive. According to a report by Global Times, China holds 309 of the world’s 606 hemp-related patents, but due to legal restrictions, Chinese-made food and medicine containing CBD can only find a market outside of the country, in places like the US and the EU.

As Tan puts it, “the hemp industry is a health industry. Nothing will keep us from the pursuit of health.”

While hemp is not a panacea for endemic poverty in Latin America & The Caribbean, the region’s climate, land mass and generally liberal policies toward cannabis signal vast potential for a thriving sector.

“The hemp industry is in line with sustainable business principles, providing economic, social and environmental benefits,” said Barbara Galletti, CEO of Pronatura Ltda., and co-creator of Nutranabis, the first Chilean brand dedicated to the re-introduction and commercialization of organic hemp products in Chile.

“These principles are essential not only to reduce poverty levels but also to promote social justice and a healthier planet,” Galletti said. “The hemp industry fits perfectly in this new business model.”

Galletti will talk about her odyssey through hemp in Chile at the Latin American & Caribbean Hemp Summit, Nov. 8-9 in Montevideo, Uruguay. The gathering of leading international hemp stakeholders is set for the Hyatt Centric Hotel in Montevideo.

Clearing a path

Governments across Latin American and Caribbean are steadily moving to decriminalize marijuana and other soft drugs, along the way further clearing the path for industrial hemp. Cultivation, production and distribution of hemp is legal throughout most of Latin America and the Caribbean, and a system of effective banking and regulation for trade is in place.

With liberal policies that allow access to cannabis for therapeutic uses, there is a wide berth for hemp extracts in Latin America, most importantly CBD. The total Latin American population of more than 650 million spends $354 billion on healthcare and $117 billion on pharmaceuticals, indicating dramatic potential.

Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru and Mexico all have passed medical cannabis laws.

Enlightened policies

Uruguay has perhaps set the best example, with enlightened laws that guide its cannabis and hemp markets from production to distribution to retail, while putting human rights at the center of the country’s strategy. Uruguay also pioneered the “full 1% THC” standard for industrial hemp. Ecuador followed this year.

Other enticements: Several Latin American countries are proven food growers and exporters, and many have climatic conditions conducive to growing three hemp crops per year.

The Summit will look at innovative developments spanning a wide range of sectors and issues, and feature country reports from leading Latin American and Caribbean markets.

Frank look at CBD markets

The critical and timely issue of what’s happening in the international CBD markets will highlight the Summit. With the opening of the U.S. market following passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, some have said a crash is inevitable. Yet other stakeholders have pushed back against that idea, noting crop failures will depress supply while supply chain development has significantly widened the pipeline to CBD consumers in the USA. Meanwhile, in Europe, CBD isolate suppliers say prices are tending drastically downward.

Other scheduled presentations will explore:

• The potential social & environmental impact of sustainable hemp and cannabis cultivation in Latin America
• International CBD and Industrial Hemp Seed
• A solar-powered hemp factory
• Innovations In Hemp-Derived Water Soluble CBD
• Hempcrete’s potential for carbon capture, for climate goals and business
• Technology for small and medium-size hemp farming
• Building integrated energy storage
• Drafting legislation and regulations for the hemp industry
• The status of international cannabis policy

Other speakers confirmed for the two-day Summit are:

• Sergio Vazquez Barrios, Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries, Uruguay
• Daniel Kruse, Hempro International GmbH & Co. KG; HempConsult GmbH, Germany
• Diego Bertone, Hemptech, Argentina
• Mike Leago, iHempX, High Grade Hemp Seeds, USA
• Leandro McMahon, Gmiracle SAS, Colombia
• Juan Mato Paredes, Orinoco Hemp, Colombia
• Dean Harris, TabBrands, USA
• Hana Gabrielova, Hempoint, Czech Republic
• Jose G. Ojeda, Octagon Consulting Group & Cruz Verde, Inc., Puerto Rico
• Raul Elizade, HempMeds, Mexico
• Pamela Bosch, Highland Hemp House, USA
• Heinrich Wieker, Henry’s HempHarvester, Germany
• Luke Dandrea, Clone Connect, USA
• Carl Martell, Advanced Hemp Technologies, Canada
• Jindrich Voboril, Cannabis policy expert, Czech Republic
• Kevin Nafte, YVY, Uruguay
• Barbara Galletti, Pronatura, Ltd. Chile
• Sanford Stein, Lowis & Gellen LLP; Cannabis Law LLC, USA
• Kehrt Reyher, HempToday, Poland

The main sponsor of the Latin American & Caribbean Hemp Summit is international advisor HempConsult GmbH & Co. KG, Germany. Other sponsors are Clone Connect, online hemp marketplace iHEMPx.com; and HGH, all of the USA; and mh Medical Hemp GmbH, Germany.

On Wednesday, September 25, 2019, the United States House of Representatives passed the Secure And Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act of 2019. This is the first stand-alone cannabis reform bill passed by the House. If passed by the Senate and signed into law by the President, the bill will provide much needed relief to the cannabis industry, long prevented from accessing traditional banks, insurance and other financial services companies.

The SAFE Act generally prohibits a federal banking regulator from penalizing a depository institution for providing banking services to a legitimate cannabis-related business.  A “cannabis-related legitimate business” means a manufacturer, producer, or any person or company that participates in any business or organized activity that involves handling cannabis or cannabis products, including cultivation, production, manufacturing, selling, transporting, dispensing, distributing, or purchasing cannabis or cannabis products, in accordance with the laws of a state or other political subdivision (i.e. city, town, county).

Specifically, the Act addresses many of the fears held by financial services providers that have kept them from doing businesses with those involved in the cannabis industry. For example, the bill would prevent regulators from using an institution’s work with a legitimate cannabis business as a basis for termination or limitation of deposit or share insurance, adverse action on the supervision of loans or penalties for payment collection or processing. This should provide assurances for institutions concerned about potential prosecution for money laundering or conspiracy charges related to work stemming from work with an industry that remains illegal federally, and accordingly relief to the cannabis industry, which has been severely impacted by the lack of access to traditional financial services in the United States. It would also reduce the risk that loan collateral could be seized by the federal government, which may allow cannabis industry players to access traditional financing sources previously unavailable to them.

In addition to financial institutions themselves, the bill’s protections extend to ancillary businesses that may derive a benefit from a transaction with a cannabis-related business or service provider, as well as the employees of both cannabis-related and ancillary businesses. The Act broadly defines “ancillary businesses.” Essentially, ancillary businesses are any businesses or individuals that provide goods or services (business or professional) to cannabis-related legitimate businesses or service providers, which are paid for with proceeds that are generated by cannabis-related activities. This would include, but is not limited to landlords, sellers or lessors of equipment, and lawyers and accountants.  And after some revisions to the initial draft of the bill, its protections also apply to insurers of legitimate cannabis businesses.

Given the complexity of financial regulation and the inevitable questions that will arise, the bill directs enforcement agencies to issue guidelines for institutions who work with cannabis-related businesses. For example, the bill would require the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network to address how institutions should handle suspicious activity reports for cannabis-related businesses. The Financial Institutions Examination Counsel would also be required to issue guidelines. These guidelines could form the basis for operational policies and procedures for cannabis companies to ensure access to financial service providers.

Further, acknowledging that hemp businesses continue to have difficulty gaining access to banking products and services following the passage of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill) legalizing hemp and hemp derivatives, the bill requires federal banking regulators to issue joint guidance on the subject. Specifically, the bill directs federal regulators to confirm the legality of hemp and hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) products, confirm the legality of providing financial services to those industries and provide guidance on best practices for working with them.

The House’s passage of the SAFE Act marks one of the first major steps toward cannabis reform at the federal level.  As of this writing, the bill has been received by the Senate and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. The Senate’s treatment of the bill will be a good indicator of that body’s appetite for cannabis reform.