Well-known organizations like the American Cancer Society have already had frank discussions about the benefits of CBD and cannabis during cancer treatment. 

A cancer diagnosis is a life-changing event. From the confusion of understanding the road ahead to the hectic schedule of treatment protocols and never-ending appointments, many individuals struggle through treatment and beyond.

Amy S., a native of Milwaukee, shared that her breast cancer treatment took a toll not only on her body, but relationships as well.  “Exhaustion was an understatement. I didn’t have the brain power or the patience to give to my children, or my husband.” Amy went on to explain that during particularly difficult chemotherapy sessions, while they were targeting her left breast, she had continuous nausea and insomnia. One bright spot, Amy shared, was that a friend passed her some CBD oil. 

After discussing combining the oil with her other treatment, she found relief in small doses. “It didn’t fix the fear, but it gave me a little bit of my life back, between vomiting and overthinking.” Amy credits CBD oil with helping her deal with anxiety and pain during treatment. And, she’s not alone. 

Well-known organizations like the American Cancer Society have already had frank discussions about the benefits of CBD and cannabis during cancer treatment. 

There have been some early clinical trials of cannabinoids in treating cancer in humans and more studies are planned. While the studies so far have shown that cannabinoids can be safe in treating cancer, they do not show that they help control or cure the disease.

Here are five ways cancer patients may use cannabis or CBD oil to alleviate symptoms during cancer treatment:

Anxiety: A cancer diagnosis can bring feelings of uncertainty and tension within the mind and soul. From second-guessing to understanding larger questions around the disease, many patients can experience anxiety and depression. According to Harvard Health, CBD is commonly used to address anxiety. In a 2015 study and analysis, researchers found that CBD oil offered promising treatment for individuals with various anxiety disorders.   

Pain: Men and women experiencing cancer treatment often experience pain at injection sites as well as pain after surgery. In a piece for Doximity, Dr. Johnathan Kaplan shared that Marijuana and CBD offered a myriad of after-surgery benefits, including stopping eliminating opioid addiction, increasing appetite, and decreasing pain and side effects such as constipation.

Via Doximity:

As patients take more opioids for pain, the resulting constipation can cause more pain and the cycle begins anew. That is not an issue with marijuana.

Nausea: The American Cancer Society cites a study where individuals felt relief from symptoms of nausea and vomiting during treatment. In the study, individuals felt that smoking cannabis helped ease episodes of vomiting and nausea brought on by chemotherapy. 

Insomnia: Often caused by anxiety or chronic pain that comes with a cancer diagnosis, insomnia can cause patients, a large CBD study from the U.S. National Library of Medicine found that of the 72 patients sampled, anxiety decreased in the first month of introducing CBD in a bedtime routine. Additionally, sleep scores also improved in the first 30 days in over 66.7% of patients. 

Overall unease: From helping to balance stress and mood to reducing episodes of depression, Linda A. Parker found in writing her book, Cannabinoids and the Brain, found, “in a survey of nearly 4500 people revealed fewer depressive symptoms in cannabis users than in non-users.” 

Even better? Research recently found that cannabinoids (CBs) offered relief for tumor-related symptoms in not just nausea, vomiting and pain for cancer patients, but in attacking the actual tumors. An April 2019 abstract in the U.S. National Library of Medicine found that CBs may slow tumor growth in breast cancer patients because they are active against estrogen-positive breast cancers, but non estrogen breast cancers as well, (as well as triple-negative breast cancer.) Often given to breast cancer patients in the advanced stages of the disease to slow growth, CBs may also offer relief in earlier stages of cancer as well. 

For those experiencing a cancer diagnosis, it’s always best to discuss CBD or cannabis use with your doctor to ensure they have all the up-to-date information of your lifestyle and medicines- especially since CBD or cannabis can interact with medications you may be taking. 

The political divide between New York City and upstate New York is definitely real – even if there is a debate about what really is considered “upstate”. That said, was that why adult-use cannabis legislation failed to pass this past session? 

The friction between the more liberal and conservative sides of the state can be found in numerous examples and attempts at legislation. However, while cannabis views do certainly differ, the opposition to cannabis extended into New York City’s region while crossing across the aisle as well. 

The Divide Between City and Upstate

When it comes to politics and ways of life, the two often rival. “Upstate and downstate are basically different countries in terms of culture and politics,” said entrepreneur and activist Evan Nison. Often, it is assumed that the area in and around New York City is liberal while the rest of the state is conservative. However, it should be noted that some liberal cities and areas do exist north of the city – and vice-versa.  

Nison said that despite there being more registered Democrats than Republicans in all of New York State – at around two voters to one – large parts of the state north of New York City are heavily conservative.

“This is both why the Republicans have succeeded for so long in gerrymandering control of the Senate, and also why it can be difficult for Democrats to win in some Upstate districts,” Nison added.

The fighting between the two parties could shift soon enough. In 2014, New York voters approved a bipartisan commision to redistrict congressional and legislative regions. The commission is set to take effect in 2020. 

Re-shaping the districts wasn’t far enough for one lawmaker. This past winter, Republican state Sen. Daphne Jordan suggested looking into splitting the state. The first year lawmaker representing Columbia county and parts of Saratoga, Rensselaer and Washington counties said, “There’s all kinds of things being passed (in Albany) that aren’t necessarily of Upstate interest.” 

Jordan is the latest to propose such an idea that didn’t gain much traction. Richard Azzopardi, a spokesperson for Governor Andrew Cuomo, a centrist-leaning Democrat, called the effort “the Godzilla of pandering.”

What About Cannabis?

The contrasting views between conservatives and liberals runs deep, just like in most states. While cannabis is part of the discussion, it is far from what divides the parties. 

While marijuana was a significant discussion this past session, it was not the only topic at hand. Other significant recent debates in the state legislature have centered on a variety of issues, including transportation and the statute of limitations on laws and gun control, to name a few. Since Democrats have taken over in the past election cycle, they have targeted New York City’s infrastructure, reproductive health care rights and criminal justice reform, among others.

A key issue is tax revenue. In 2018, state Budget Director Robert Mujica said 70% of New York’s income came from New York City and three additional counties surrounding it: Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk. PolitiFact found the statement to be true, though the actual number was between 66 percent and 82 percent. This is one likely reason many conservatives would not support measures to split up the state. 

When it comes to cannabis, Cuomo himself represents a bit of a pan-New York perspective. Despite being raised in Queens, Cuomo long-held a more conservative approach to pot. Until he was primaried by progressive Cynthia Nixon in 2018, Cuomo had been on the record calling cannabis a gateway drug of sorts. 

Cuomo, under pressure from Nixon’s long-shot primary and growing voter support for cannabis, has since relented and supports legalization, or at least criminal justice reform. 

Upstate New York is not unified in opposition to marijuana, either. Nick, a 30-something Brooklyn resident grew up in Upstate New York near the Montreal border in Saratoga. He explained that his liberal hometown represented a pocket of support for cannabis. “But outside of it is really red. So, a lot of anti[-cannabis],” he said.

The sentiment in his area may be misplaced, according to Nick. “I really think it’s because  heroin is more of an issue so they blame weed as a gateway…[Heroin is] always all over the local news up there. I knew a few guys who OD’ed.” 

While Upstate had its fair share of conservative dissention to the measure, New York City area Democrats are also credited with killing the bill. They include nine lawmakers from Queens, Brooklyn, Westchester and Long Island. Those that gave responses for their opposition boiled down to pressure from schools and police while citing a lack of readiness for legalization. 

Meanwhile, a May 2019 survey from Democrat & Chronicle found that six counties would not allow cannabis sales. Columbia, Chemung, Nassau, Putnam, Suffolk and Rockland each said they would not, while New York City’s five counties pledged to participate. 

What Really Killed the Bill?

Upstate versus city fighting certainly does not help get bills passed regarding cannabis or anything else. And while it may have played a part in the bill failing, other factors seem to be the true death nail for this year’s measure. 

The official stance is that the bill “ran out of time”. Though true, the bill ran out of time due to a number of issues – mostly within the ruling party. 

Democrat opposition as well as lawmakers’ failure to include adequate social justice parameters were huge factors. Such failures prompted certain black lawmakers to withhold support. Coupled with Democrats in more conservative swing state districts fearing re-election, and it becomes much clearer how a seemingly can’t-miss bill does exactly that. 

Instead of adult-use legalization, New York has since passed a decriminalization bill to address criminal justice measures for the time being. 

That said, Nison believes public support should compel lawmakers across the aisle to support the measure. 

“This is one of the few political issues being discussed right now that is supported in a bi-partisan way among the vast majority of Americans and New Yorkers. Politicians should know that their constituents want them to get this done whether your district is Upstate or downstate, Republican or Democrat.”

At my company, we explore and reveal the best marijuana business models and broker the sale of cannabis businesses. I speak with a lot of people along the entire supply chain and I would like to reveal some of what I’ve learned.

In this series, I will share the strategies that I’ve picked up from some of the fastest-growing cannabis and CBD brands for launching and growing a CBD brand.

Here’s the lay of the business landscape and what I’ve found to be the best business and marketing opportunities in the cannabis space right now.

Who This Is For: 

1. Current dispensary owners and marketers looking to expand their businesses.

2. Turn-key franchise buyers who don’t have experience in the industry.

3. Startup mavericks and marketers looking to shake things up with their unique spin.

Licensing Agreements: Interstate Commerce Loophole

While interstate commerce in cannabis is not legal, licensing agreements may be one of the best ways to do business across state lines. Here’s how it works: You can facilitate a licensing agreement where brand A grants brand B the right to produce and sell A’s products in B’s state.

Let’s say your business is a publicly traded, multistate operator. Like many state license holders, you’re looking for opportunities to expand into other states. To do this, you need partners in production, cultivation and retail across state lines.

Here’s a real world example: BaM Marijuana is a publicly traded, multistate operator in four U.S. states. Like many state license holders, it is looking for opportunities to expand into other states. To do so, BaM in Nevada partnered with G Pen in California. G Pen essentially crossed state lines from California into Nevada using this tactic.

The two companies entered into a licensing agreement, and BAM now produces and sells state-compliant cannabis products that are rebranded with G Pen’s brand and distributes them in the state that BAM operates legally in (Nevada). Essentially, G Pen has crossed state lines. This is a great growth strategy.

My advice? Create an interstate commerce network. Look for opportunities to expand across state lines by facilitating relationships in several states.

Brand Hack: Branding Via Archetypes

You basically cannot advertise cannabis or cannabis-derived products (CBD) through most traditional channels offline or online. However, branding might be the most important aspect in cannabis since you need organic word to travel so much further than you do when you can use advertising. So, new cannabis marketing companies are specializing.

Cannabis branding services such as Ladyjane show that you can attract your core audience by aligning with an archetype (explorer, stoner, athlete, etc.). Essentially, develop your core messaging to narrow down your audience so that you stay on brand through every fiber of your organization.

Maybe you’re aiming for a feminine-sensual archetypal persona for a line of CBD-infused beauty products, or you relate more to the outdoor adventurer who wants to connect with Mother Earth, or you’re looking to attract a mature audience that trusts medical cannabis. You don’t want to cross the lines by trying to appeal to all of them with your imagery, in-store experience, employee hires, etc. That’s a quick way to appeal to none of them.

Your customer experience, employee hires, packaging and overall customer experience need to stay congruent or you’ll lose your core audience at some point in the customer journey. You want a specific type of person to “get you” and trust it in their core. So, it’s important to define your target audience — and then stick to it.

Consumer Trust: Brand Ambassadors

Since advertising is difficult, a platform to reach an audience is difficult to find. One strategy is to find the leaders of your archetypal segment of people and recruit them as brand ambassadors to spread the word and build consumer trust.

A real-world application of this can be seen with Medterra CBD, one of the most respected brands in the CBD industry. Athletes carried its brand credibly into the eyes of their followers. The brand calls them the Medterra Athletes and provides them with free CBD products.

To find and appeal to brand ambassadors, you need a clear differentiator and a quality product. Don’t try this with a product straight off the generic shelf — ambassadors are looking to endorse unique, authentic products. To continue the example of Medterra, it was among the first to offer CBD oil with a guaranteed 0% THC to avoid failing drug tests (since CBD can legally include 0.3% THC, pro athletes weren’t risking it). No other brand was doing that at the time. This “advertising” was not traditional, and that’s why it punched through the noise. Always work to convey trust and authority.

People don’t realize how easy it is to reach brand ambassadors these days. You don’t need to engage an influencer with hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram. In fact, studies have shown that “micro-influencers” with less than 100,000 followers see greater engagement. You can find them pretty easily online: Craft a strong offering, and message them to speak with them about your opportunity. Expect to give them a free sample to help with their decision and pay them to use their testimonial as an endorsement of your product.

If you have a cannabis brand that you are looking to grow, consider pursuing licensing agreements and brand ambassador partnerships to continue to reach your defined archetype. The legitimacy created by this strategy can be priceless.

Just about every estimate shows that the cannabis industry will see strong long-term growth. Yet there are some major challenges–and they are more than just about changing existing laws and regulations.

But AI (Artificial Intelligence) is likely to be a big help. True, the industry has not been a big adopter of new technologies. However, this should change soon as investors pour billions of dollars into the space.

So how might AI impact things?  Well, look at what the CEO and Director of CROP Corp, Michael Yorke, has to say: “The use of AI in sensors and high-definition cameras can be used to keep track of and adjust multiple inputs in the growing environment such as water level, PH level, temperature, humidity, nutrient feed, light spectrum and CO2 levels. Tracking and adjusting these inputs can make a major difference in the quantity and quality of cannabis that growers are able to produce. AI also helps automate trimming technology so that it is able to de-leaf buds saving countless hours of manual labor. Similarly, it can be applied to automated planting equipment to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of planting. And AI can identify the sex of the plants, detect sick plants, heal or remove sick plants from the environment, and track the plant growth rate to be able to predict size and yield.”

No doubt, such things could certainly move the needle in a big way. 

There are also opportunities to help with such things as more accurate predictions, which would allow for maximizing efficiency. And yes, AI is likely to be key in discovering new strains or customize strains for specific effects (examples would include relaxation, excitement or increasing/decreasing hunger). The result could be even more growth in the cannabis market.

But there is something else to keep in mind: With no legalization on a federal level in the US, there is a need for sophisticated tracking systems. 

“The existing regulations are complex, requiring businesses to follow detailed rules that govern every area of the industry from growing to packaging and selling to consumers,” said Mark Krytiuk, who is the president of Nabis Holdings. “Even the smallest error can cost a cannabis business thousands, and incur harsh punishments such as losing their cannabis license.”

The situation is even more complex with retail operations. “Artificial intelligence is one key technological advancement that could make a significant impact,” said Krytiuk. “By implementing this technology, cannabis retailers would be able to more easily track state-by-state regulations, and the constant changes that are being made. With this information, they would be able to properly package, ship, and sell products in a more compliant way that is less likely to be intercepted by government regulations.”

Keep in mind that the problems with compliance are a leading cause of failure for cannabis operators. “Running a cannabis business can be costly, especially when it comes to getting and keeping a license, paying high taxes, and dealing with the added pressure of ever-changing government regulations,” said Krytiuk. “If more cannabis businesses had access to automated, AI-powered technology that could help them be more compliant, there would be more successful companies helping the industry to grow.”

Again, the AI part of the cannabis industry is very much in the nascent stages. It will likely take some time to get meaningful traction. But for entrepreneurs, the opportunity does look promising. “The industry is only going to continue to grow, so it’s only a matter of time before it reaches its own technological revolution,” said Krytiuk.