How’s it going with legal recreational cannabis in Oregon after four years? Addressing a conference on Occupational Safety & Health in Ashland, a man from the governor’s office said it has been a complicated, controversial journey.

Among the state’s findings, said Jeffrey Rhoades, senior marijuana policy advisor to Gov. Kate Brown, is that pot use by youth 12 and older rose 9% between 2008 and 2016, the year after legalization.

Some of that increase could be because youth feel more free to tell the truth now that it’s legal, so it’s hard to know for sure, added Rhoades.

Weed isn’t legal for those younger than 21, so the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, which controls it, is doing “minor decoys” — using teens to try to buy weed at dispensaries. OLCC found that compliance is about on par with alcohol, so Gov. Kate Brown, who has a zero tolerance policy, got emergency rules to revoke marijuana worker permits and triple penalties for sale to minors at dispensaries.

Weed may be involved in more vehicle accidents, said Rhoades. But it’s often found in combination with alcohol, so even though it’s not legal to get high and drive, there’s no reliable way to determine whether cannabis is in a driver’s bloodstream.

“Someone could make a lot of money if they invent a system to do that,” he said.

However, he said, in addition to roadside blood-alcohol tests, police can use the standard that a driver appears “adversely affected to a noticeable degree.”

In terms of the booming CBD market, OLCC tightened the amount of medical CBD you can buy daily from dispensaries and seeks to ensure purity with testing, while keeping in mind that lab tests are expensive, which can hurt markets and favor larger businesses.

Because of the federal ban on recreational cannabis, access to banks remains very limited for those in the legal cannabis industry. It’s still mostly a cash business, and that introduces much uncertainty and expense, he said.

“Banks are risk averse and say it’s just not worth the risk ... so we’re trying to figure it out,” Rhoades said.

Another federal glitch has snagged hemp, which Rhoades called “rope, not dope,” even though the vast majority of hemp is being grown for medical products. Hemp is now legal nationwide, and the crop is undergoing an “explosion,” which is crowding out ranching and other forms of agriculture, but it is technically not legal to transport it across state lines unless the state files a letter of intent with the federal government and gets approval.

“We submitted the letter, but the feds are very busy with impeachment and all the other issues we hear about, so it’s hurry-up-and-wait. We’re in a tight spot but no one is being prosecuted for it.”

How much is hemp exploding? Oregon had 105 acres of hemp in 2015 and 56,000 acres this year. “Should we keep expanding the market?” Rhoades asked the audience.

Oregon has plenty of product, he said, adding he would advise the governor to keep it where it is, but that brings up big questions of government regulation vs. freedom of capitalism, and you can’t say “keep raising cattle and don’t plant hemp.”

He and other advisors are researching the huge shift in Oregon’s land use and, he noted, they will report it to the next Legislature.

Two educations institutions are offering their first cannabis certificate for healthcare professionals.

Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, a leader in integrative healthcare education, is the first regionally-accredited institution offering a college-level Medical Cannabis Certificate for Healthcare Professionals.

Starting this term, in addition to the core classes presented by their doctoral faculty, Pacific College is partnering with Oaksterdam University, America’s first cannabis college, to offer its students bonus lectures.

Cannabis course for health professionals

The most recognised professionals, attorneys, academics, activists, cultivators, and entrepreneurs in the field of cannabis have contributed to the OU’s curriculum. Two of their noted faculty members, Natalie Darves and Paul Armentano, will be sharing their extensive knowledge on the genealogy and pharmacology of cannabis.

This partnership emphasises the critical importance of cannabis education, as well as the roles Pacific College and Oaksterdam are playing as thought-leaders in the field.

Malcolm Youngren, Pacific College’s COO, said: “Thanks to this new collaboration, we can further educate and guide our healthcare force about the safe and effective use of cannabis.

“Patients deserve expert care,” says Pacific College’s program Chair Carey Clark, “They need reliable information about potential drug interactions, how to procure quality cannabinoid medications, and how to safely use the medicine for maximum relief of symptoms and minimal side effects.”

Details regarding the initial two guest lectures offered this term are below:

• ‘Genealogy of Cannabis’ explores the cannabis genome, how genetics are sourced and stabilised, and the global origin of the cannabis genetic pool. Consumption patterns have significantly shifted the gene pool with both positive and negative effects on the cannabinoid profile of in-demand cultivars. A look at the future of genetic research, labelling standardisation, and genome testing will also be covered.
• ‘Cannabis and Cannabinoids: A Primer’ summarises the science relevant to the pharmacology of cannabis. Particular attention is paid to identifying and highlighting the plant’s therapeutic properties, mechanisms of action, and modes of administration. Also discussed is the use of cannabis and cannabinoids for specific conditions.

OU’s Executive Chancellor, Dale Sky Jones, said: “Pioneering cannabis education and policy reform has been the legacy of Oaksterdam founders for 25 years.

“We are thrilled to be collaborating with Pacific College to further educate their students on the benefits and methods of cannabis consumption. This is just the beginning of the adoption of the cannabis and hemp curriculum into higher education nationwide.”

Pacific College of Oriental Medicine and Oaksterdam University look forward to future opportunities to educate the healthcare industry on the positive impact of cannabis and upregulation of the human endocannabinoid system.

Pacific College of Oriental Medicine

Pacific College of Oriental Medicine was founded in 1986 in San Diego to offer licensure-qualifying programs in Chinese medicine and massage therapy. The college subsequently established branches in New York City and Chicago. It holds regional accreditation with the WASC Senior College and University Commission.

As the largest school of acupuncture and Chinese medicine in the United States, it has a unique position in the complementary and integrative medicine market. Over the years, it has expanded its programs to include a Bachelor of Science in Holistic Nursing, a certificate in Medical Cannabis, and a Master of Science in Health and Human Performance.

It offers on-site education to 1300 students and online training to another 500. In addition, the college runs one of the largest complementary medicine conferences in the United States, Pacific Symposium, which draws 1000 online and on-site attendees each year.

Oaksterdam University

Founded in 2007, Oaksterdam University is America’s first cannabis college, with educational roots going back to 1995. With over 40,000 alumni worldwide, OU has established itself as the leading, trusted cannabis educational and policy brain-trust in the world.

The trailblasing institution offers a campus with hands-on cannabis plant experience. Oaksterdam University is recognised for its expertise and leadership in the cannabis industry, providing government and public affairs regulatory training, exceptional academic learning, and networking opportunities.

Read original article here.

Cannabis may be one of the biggest long-term growth trends on Wall Street in coming years. And that major opportunity for cannabis investors could come at the expense of the alcohol industry.

The Numbers

A new study by Syracuse University and the University of Georgia suggests cannabis legalization has a significant negative impact on online searches for alcohol and online alcohol advertising effectiveness.

The study focused on six U.S. states that legalized recreational marijuana use between 2014 and 2017. Online searches for alcohol were down 10.9% in these states following legalization.

The researchers concluded there is “reduced interest in alcohol when cannabis is legalized and becomes more available.”

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Surprisingly, the study found that tobacco interest is not negatively impacted by marijuana legalization.

“The alcohol industry, by contrast, has valid reasons to be concerned about legal cannabis and may need creative strategies to avoid market decline if recreational cannabis legalization passes,” the researchers concluded.

DataTrek Research co-founder Jessica Rabe said last week: “The marijuana industry still needs time to develop and more legalization to take hold, but it already poses real risks to other markets.”

Alcohol Companies Respond

Some alcohol companies are already playing defense against cannabis. Constellation Brands, Inc. STZ 0.26% has invested in Canopy Growth Corp CGC 2.89%, and Molson Coors Brewing Co TAP 1.78% is partnering with Hydropothecary Corp. to form a cannabis beverage joint venture.

Just last week, Anheuser Busch Inbev NV BUD 1.18% announced that its Fluent Beverage Company joint venture with Tilray Inc TLRY 2.39% will begin commercializing CBD-infused beverages in Canada. Heineken N.V. HEINY 1.03% is also working on cannabis-infused beer.

Other alcohol stocks have been more cautious in dipping their toes in the cannabis market. Diageo plc DEO 0.5%, the world’s largest distiller, has said it is not rushing into the cannabis business.

Benzinga’s Take

Alcohol companies appear to see the cannabis threat coming based on the number of partnerships between the two industries. The alcohol companies willing to most aggressively partner with and/or pivot toward cannabis could potentially be the market leaders in the space in coming years.

This September, the largest legal medical cannabis crop in Southeast Asia was planted at Thailand’s Maejo University, in its medical-grade greenhouse. The crop is made up of 12,000 cannabis sprouts, which will be cultivated and to turned into cannabis oil.

The Bangkok Post reports the crop is the first-ever done to industrial scale in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. In theory, the crop will be able to produce one million bottles of cannabis oil, containing five milliliters of cannabis oil each by next February. That oil will be produced from 2.4 tons of dry marijuana flowers grown in about 32,722 square feet of space.

Historically, Thailand has had a thriving underground cannabis scene, but the government heavily criminalized the plant as one of America’s allies in the War on Drugs. However, in December 2018, Thailand’s conservative government jumped on board the growing international cannabis movement and legalized a strict medical marijuana industry.

This August, the Thai government unveiled its first cannabis laboratory in Rangsit University, where professors are have launched a “ganja studies” program. The university was initially reliant on cannabis that police seized from the underground market, but grows like the one just planted at Maejo University will change that dynamic.

The actual planting of the first sprouts at Maejo was quite the affair, featuring Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul getting dirt under his nails to kick off the crop.

While the crop is at an industrial scale, Charnvirakul said it was a first step in opening up the medical cannabis cultivation process to entities that aren’t licensed by the government.

“These are historic first steps on the path towards allowing people to grow six cannabis trees in their homes,” Charnvirakul told the crowd. “The university will be a center where ordinary people can learn how to plant and grow good quality cannabis. Cannabis is not an issue of politics, it is a product that can benefit people’s health. In the near future, families will be able to plant it in their back gardens like any other herb.”

The university’s director of Maejo Natural Farming Research and Development Centre, Arnat Tancho, will also personally lead the grow as the project manager. He believes the facility’s pedigree will allow his team to produce a medical-grade product completely organically. This means no fertilizers or feeding programs loaded with things like heavy metals, or worse!

According to Tancho, even the strain being planted makes the project special. The strain is called Issara 01, and it was developed from a spread of domestic genetics. Tancho said one of the reasons they went with a strain from rural Northern Thailand for their grow was to inspire people about the quality and possibilities of domestic genetics.

Tancho said the strain will be a one-to-one CBD to THC ratio. He says that is what the medical market demands at the moment. He also says the crop could move to a full outdoor setting in the not-too-distant future if a “plantation license” is approved. He thinks plantation-style grows of local genetics to each region could end up popping up all over Thailand.

With the emphasis of this project being the first of many, it would seem the wider population of Thailand will soon have their opportunity to grow six plants at home.

They will also have the opportunity to sell the final product from their backyard gardens to the government. Each plant could be worth for 2,225 Thai Baht, equal to $73.21 USD, so they have a chance at earning up to $439.26. The average household income in Thailand is only $3,322.81 USD, according to CEIC Data, so this is a reasonably good size chunk of change for people if the program ever gets going.