Mexico could become the biggest medicinal marijuana producer in the world in five years if the government gives the green light for the cultivation of the plant, according to the president of an industry group.

Luis David Suárez Rodríguez, president of the Mexican Medicinal Marijuana Association, told the newspaper El Universal that there is no country that is better suited to the cultivation of cannabis than Mexico, adding that farmers already have ample experience growing the crop.

“Even though [they grow it] illegally, they know the plant, they’ve worked with it so legalizing its medicinal use would change the equation. It’s a social justice issue . . . our country . . . would change and those communities that were beaten down by the war against drug trafficking could be legal producers. It would be our green gold,” he said.

Suárez said that government approval and regulation of the use and cultivation of medicinal marijuana would allow Mexico to cash in on a lucrative global market, whose annual worth is currently estimated at around US $150 billion.

“I’m convinced that if we look at [cannabis cultivation] as development policy and we start to plant marijuana, we would be the biggest producer in the world in five years. The whole world would be buying cannabis and hemp from us. It could be a strategy to fill the nation’s coffers,” he said, adding that the government currently doesn’t collect any tax from marijuana.

This is the current marijuana strategy.

“. . . The Latin American region has been ravaged by the war on drugs but countries such as Uruguay, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico have started to change that paradigm. Laws have been changed and now we want to be players at another level . . . We want to conduct clinical investigations and to produce and sell the products derived from the plant, and we want the communities that grow this marvelous medicine to benefit,” Suárez said.

The Supreme Court in August ordered the Health Secretariat to publish guidelines for medicinal marijuana use within 180 days while last February it published eight precedents on the recreational use of marijuana which determined that prohibition of the drug is unconstitutional.

Suárez said that last month’s ruling is “very important” because it’s essential to have guidelines that regulate the sale and use of medicinal marijuana.

He said that patients will have more certainty that the marijuana-based medications they purchase actually do contain cannabis and are free of contaminants such as pesticides.

“. . . Leaving the market unregulated, anything can come in [to the country], from a product that is marvelous to one that is poor quality and which only [seeks to] fool people . . .”

Likes, views, clicks, swipes, counts, seconds, minutes, grams and liters consumed.

In a world of limitless measurement, data analysis has helped companies to enhance day-to-day operations. In the cannabis business, many pioneers have begun to implement data analysis and optimization to keep ahead of the curve.

But it's one thing to collect data, it's another to understand how it can be used to inform your decisions. Here are a few key items to understand.

1. Identify your data experts

Amid the constant whirlwind of a rapidly scaling industry, it is often difficult to make sense of all the data being captured. Moreover, how do you know if it is accurate and useful? 

The answers to these questions may be right under your nose. Ask your team and your integrated platforms how you can do things better with data. Typically both the platform account representative or a team manager has thought of a better path for you and your data but doesn’t know how to bring it up. As a leader, you want to set a proactive measure in discovery.

2. Focus on your acronyms

Whether its a Point of Sale (POS), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), or your accounting software (QBO for Quickbooks), each acronym contains relevant information that is ripe and ready for assessment.

Within these trackers are rich examples that can be used to monitor performance, find your top talent, and enhance accountability. Whether it’s your product sales trends, quality control checks, manufacturing process intervals, or budtender satisfactory score, as a business owner, it is crucial to know where to find what data you are capturing.

3. Work with a reputable third-party data service

Not all data about your product is available to you through your internal analytics. For this reason, if you have the budget, it may be worth it to use a third-party data provider. Platforms such as Headset.io, BDS Analytics, and New Frontier Data each are measuring the evolution of the cannabis market. Each platform will host its own specifications that are structured to help solve business problems.

Whether focused on real-time data, consumer trends, product category evolution, or the ever-changing legal regulatory landscape, it is always recommended to hop on a call to understand what these platforms are doing and how they help.

4. Know what data matters

After reviewing, tweaking, and assessing your in-house data and your third-party data, you want to choose the data you can leverage from platforms you are already paying for, then s

Some areas you want to cover:

1. Sales trends - What is selling best? What is selling worst?

2. Internal Procedures - How long does each task take and how can it be done better?

3. Talent Management - Who is driving output? Can they be encouraged further?

4. Project Management - Are we on time? Which projects or areas should we prioritize?

5. Benchmarking Competition - What is my competitor’s pricing? How do they market?

6. Emerging trends - Are varying product categories growing faster than others?

5. Find the good in the "bad"

Seed-to-sale tracking may breed terror in many new entrepreneur's hearts. It's a scary concept to realize that the government is watching each and every step at the gram level to ensure you don’t mess up and risk losing your high-valued license. 

As with every high-stress predicament, it is also best to identify the silver lining. Seed-to-sale tracking, whether through Metrc or any other state-adopted platform, creates a robust amount of data at every point for your business—from suppliers to buyers, to in-house steps and processes. Businesses should look at this as an ample opportunity to audit and capture how to optimize as a business.

Remember data analysis is emerging in every industry as a useful tool that businesses will continue to utilize to create optimal value. In Cannabis, it will stir competition and set those businesses who adopt apart.

Cannabis consumers report that it aids in alleviating symptoms of cramping, abdominal pain, nausea, and poor appetite associated with IBD.

Cannabis has been utilized in the treatment of gastrointestinal issues for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Even before the discovery of the endocannabinoid system in the human body, the use of cannabis has been shown to alleviate symptoms of gastric distress.¹ Could cannabis play a role in improving quality of life and providing symptomatic relief of inflammatory bowel disease?

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a challenging, long-term disorder typically characterized by chronic inflammation of the digestive tract. IBD is further subdivided into ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Ulcerative colitis causes inflammation and sores within the lining of the large intestine and rectum, while Crohn’s disease is identified by a more generalized, deeper inflammation of the entire digestive system. Both classifications may involve weight loss, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and fatigue. In some cases, IBD can lead to life-threatening complications.² Additionally in younger patients, delays in puberty and growth failure may occur.³

The cause of IBD is not completely established, though it is likely that genetics coupled with a dysregulated immune system may result in an inappropriate inflammatory response in the gastrointestinal tract. Current pharmacologic interventions focus on immune suppression and may include antibiotics, corticosteroids, aminosalicylates, and biological therapy. In some cases, surgical intervention may be necessary.⁴

Using animal and human cell lines in experiments, it has been theorized that a lack of naturally produced endocannabinoids in some people may result in the body being unable to control the inflammatory process in the gastrointestinal tract. Consumers of cannabis report that it aids in alleviating symptoms of cramping, abdominal pain, nausea, and poor appetite. It is believed that supplementing an under-producing endocannabinoid system results in improved quality of life and reduction in symptoms.⁵

In a study comparing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and sulfasalazine in the treatment of intestinal inflammation in rodents, it was discovered that the most effective therapy was a combination of low dose THC with CBD. The research is promising for developing a safer, more effective treatment for IBD, especially due to a lack of psychoactive effects when using CBD in combination.⁶

In another study, scientists used CBD without THC to determine the efficacy of inflammation reduction. They discovered that if CBD was given before inducing a flare up, it prevented inflammation from occurring. Additionally, if a patient was suffering from an active flare-up, administration of CBD reduced inflammation.⁷

There is growing evidence to suggest that more specific cannabinoids such as cannabigerol and THCa may be especially useful in alleviating IBD symptoms. It is important to note that THCa needs to be consumed orally in order to derive benefit from it.¹

Additionally, terpenes such as beta-caryophyllene and myrcene have proven to be beneficial for abdominal pain relief. Specific strains that contain the previously mentioned cannabinoids and terpenes include Sour Diesel, Tangie, Cookies, and Durban are the most commonly cited.¹

While further research is integral to clearly identifying the best possible treatments for IBD, it is at least encouraging to see cannabis be a part of the conversation moving forward.

1. Backes, M. (2014). Cannabis pharmacy: the practical guide to medical marijuana. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers. 43, 216.

2. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/inflammatory-bowel-diseas...

3. Leinwand KL, Gerich ME, Hoffenberg EJ, Collins CB. Manipulation of the Endocannabinoid System in Colitis: A Comprehensive Review. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2017 Feb;23(2):192-199. doi: 10.1097/MIB.0000000000001004. PubMed PMID: 28079617; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6038810.

4. Ahmed W, Katz S. Therapeutic Use of Cannabis in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y). 2016 Nov;12(11):668-679. PubMed PMID: 28035196; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5193087.

5. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322764.php

6. Jamontt JM et al. The effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol alone and in combination on damage, inflammation and in vitro motility disturbances in rat colitis. British Journal of Pharmacology. 2011;160:712-23.

7. De Filippis D et al. Cannabidiol Reduces Intestinal Inflammation through the Control of Neuroimmune Axis. PLoS ONE. 2011;6(12):e28159.

The governor of Michigan says she has ordered the state’s health department to put out emergency rules banning the sale of flavored e-cigarettes in both brick-and-mortar stores and online for six months. She also announced plans to prevent companies from marketing the products as “clean,” “safe,” “healthy,” and with other terminology that would present vaping as a harmless alternative to smoking tobacco.

“As governor, I’m going to do it unilaterally until I can get the legislature to adopt a statute and write it into law,” Governor Gretchen Whitmer told MSNBC. “This is too important.”

The issue has become one of concern around the world as vaping technology steadily replaces cigarettes as the preferred method of tobacco intake for many users. Recently, many high profile cases of health risks caused by vapes containing both tobacco and marijuana have surfaced in California and Milwaukee, among other US locations.

Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data showing that 215 cases of severe lung illness that could be attributed to vaping had taken place recently. The report was unable to say how vaping could have led to the health risk, and stated that the agency would be continuing to investigate what, exactly, was leading to the hospitalizations.

Spread of vaping technology has been aided by aggressive marketing campaigns on the part of vaping companies. Phillip Morris came under fire in March when plans were publicized to launch a channel on Vice Media’s UK platform featuring vaping ads, potentially violating England’s laws against advertising tobacco products to minors.

Though Michigan would be the first state to launch such a ban, other jurisdictions have moved to keep e-cigarettes out. San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors voted in June to ban the products, citing a similar concern over user health. But the city has now become a battleground for the issue, largely due to the fact that the Juul corporation is located in San Francisco itself. In fact, Juul announced the purchase of a new 29-floor building to accommodate its expanding staff — on the very day of the Board of Supervisors’ vote.

Now, Juul has thrown $4.3 million — more than any other political group in this election cycle — into a ballot measure campaign that would reverse the ban, and has hired activists across the city to hype the fact that many adults use vaping products to kick addictions to smoking.

The company is on track to spend more money on a San Francisco ballot measure campaign than any other entity in the city’s history. That price tag, perhaps, is a healthy reminder that as technology and product preferences among consumers change, the one thing that doesn’t is the power of corporations to influence our personal health.

President of the American Vaping Association Gregory Conley commented that the Michigan vaping ban could actually be dangerous for the state’s residents, saying that it “could send tens of thousands of ex-smokers back to deadly combustible cigarettes.”