A group of doctors and pharmacists have joined forces to promote the use of medical cannabis.

Now the Bermuda Medicinal Cannabis Association is to meet with the Government next month to offer its expertise as Bermuda prepares legislation to allow use of the drug for patient treatment.

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health confirmed yesterday a meeting with the BMCA, which will also include the Ministry of Legal Affairs, would be organised.

Association member Kyjuan Brown, the medical director at Northshore Medical and Aesthetics Centre and a long-term campaigner for medical marijuana, said: “At Northshore Medical and Aesthetics Centre, we remain committed to engaging in local and international research and educational opportunities that will further enhance the care that we provide to our patients.”

Dr Brown was speaking after a group of medical professionals attended the American Medical Marijuana Physicians Association’s annual conference in Florida earlier this month.

He said: “On behalf of NMAC and the many patients in Bermuda who can benefit from this evolving alternative medicine, I was pleased to join a conglomerate of local doctors in attending the AMMPA conference where we engaged with like-minded physicians from around the world who shared the latest evidence-based research on medicinal cannabis.

“Since 2014, I have been advocating for patients to have access to medical cannabis, I look forward to the day when marijuana will become a legal treatment option.”

The BMCA is headed by pharmacist Jennie Lightbourne and was set up to educate fellow professionals and the public on the benefits of medical cannabis.

The group attended the US conference with Annabel Fountain, an endocrinologist, a specialist in glands, hormones and metabolism, and Cindy Morris, a doctor and pain management specialist at Northshore Medical and Aesthetics Centre.

A spokesman said the delegation learnt that marijuana had potential benefits in a variety of conditions, from diabetes to post traumatic stress disorder.

Dr Fountain said she was cautious about unintended consequences of marijuana use, especially the risk of psychosis, but that there were potential benefits for some diabetes patients.

She added: “Areas of benefit that I’m excited about are the use of cannabis products to treat diabetic neuropathy, to assist in recovery after brain injury and to reduce dependence on opioids.

“Bermuda has so many road injuries and stroke disease and we exceed the national quota of opioid medications for pain from the International Narcotics Control Board every year. For these indications, cannabis is established as a safe alternative.”

Dr Morris said: “The incorporation of cannabis-related products paired with my knowledge of pain management of the nervous system answers many questions that traditional medicine has not answered.”

Ms Benyak-Pitcher, a pharmacist and secretary of the BMCA, said she was interested in research that indicated cannabis could be used to treat a range of conditions including autism, brain injuries and strokes, chronic pain, anxiety, inflammatory bowel disease, as well as post traumatic stress disorder.

She said: “I see medical cannabis as an alternative way to complement our traditional approach to ailments.”

The American Medical Marijuana Physicians Association is the largest medical cannabis association for doctors in the world and was set up to give healthcare professionals information on the use of the drug as an alternative treatment.

Delegates to the Florida conference included top doctors, scientists, and lawyers, including Nikki Fried, Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture, and Hinanit Koltai, who represented the Israeli Government.

David Burt, the Premier, said in 2018 that the cannabis cultivation for medical reasons was to be legalised and the first licences for its production would be issued this year.

As more consumers begin using cannabis products, cannabis e-commerce is becoming a more viable option for the industry.

Over the past several decades, the retail industry has drastically changed due to the development and propagation of e-commerce. Today, many consumers tend to prefer purchasing products online because they can simply browse stores anywhere at the palm of their hands.

However, transitioning towards a digital business is not as simple as it seems for certain industries. Specifically, the cannabis industry has faced countless legal barriers that have hindered its expansion into the digital marketplace.

For instance, because of cannabis’ legality concern, companies in industries like finance, marketing, and advertising have steered clear. However, as more regions continue to move towards legalisation, various industries have become interested in locking into agreements and partnerships with cannabis companies.

Cannabis commercialisation

In particular, the US passed the Farm Bill in 2018, which legalised hemp-derived CBD products. Initially, many companies explicitly noted that they wouldn’t partake in the cannabis industry because of legal concerns. Nonetheless, after the passage of the Farm Bill, large corporations had begun to commercialise and advertise CBD products.

As the cannabis industry continues to expand, it is expected that technology will play a pivotal role in the development of the industry paving the way for development of cannabis e-commerce. While brick-and-mortar dispensaries will still be popular in legal regions, digital platforms are projected to further accelerate overall sales. According to data compiled by Ameri Research, the global legal marijuana market was valued at USD $14.3bn (~€12.96) in 2016. By 2024, legal marijuana global sales are projected to reach USD 63.5 Billion while exhibiting a CAGR of 21.1% from 2017 to 2024.

CBD industry

The US is primarily limited to the CBD industry since other aspects of cannabis are still federally illegal. On the other hand, Canada has zero restrictions because it completely legalised cannabis in late 2018, joining Uruguay as the only two nations in the world to do so. The legislation has allowed the legal adult-use of both medical and recreational cannabis.

Notably, during the first day of legalisation, many dispensaries and online platforms experienced shortages throughout the country due to the massive number of consumers looking to purchase cannabis products. In efforts to provide consumers with convenience and comfort, some businesses launched delivery options where consumers can order online and then have cannabis products delivered right to their doors.

Continued legalisation

Moving forward, industry experts believe that cannabis will continue to be integrated into mainstream retail as the next waves of legalisation take hold. For instance, Canada’s second legalisation, which is expected to occur in late 2019, is focused on edibles and beverages. Furthermore, the third wave of legalisation is primarily expected to be focused on a variety of products such as shampoos, lotions, and other skincare products. In particular, the third wave is expected to be heavily integrated into mainstream retail operations.

Joresa Blount, Content Marketing Strategist at Early Growth Financial Services and former writer at Forbes, asked: “When you think about it, cannabis and e-commerce are a match made in heaven. If you’re at home and looking to pick up some cannabis or cannabis-derived products, would you want to get dressed, trudge down the store, wait in line, and potentially have to talk to strangers to place an order? Or would you rather get your cannabis at the click of a button?”

“As e-commerce continues to redefine retail, convenience will be the determining factor in cannabis consumer preferences.”

2% of all received marijuana will go to the Ministry of Health, after that patients in need will get it for free. In particular, the drug will facilitate the condition of patients with epilepsy and Parkinson’s. In 2017, a law launched a national program in Paraguay. The program is about the use of cannabis herb and its derivatives for medical purposes. At the same time, the State began to procure cannabis oil for medical purposes.

The use of cannabis as a drug is legal in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Puerto Rico. In Bolivia, Costa Rica and Ecuador, personal use is ok, but with restrictions.

Uruguay is the first country in the world to legalize the sale, use, and cultivation of cannabis herb.

Paraguay’s Congress passed a bill creating a state-sponsored system

Paraguay’s congress has passed a bill making it possible to import marijuana seeds and grow the plant for medical uses. A decision that follows the trends set by other countries in Latin America.

The landlocked South American nation had authorized the importing of cannabis oil in May under the control of the health ministry. Patients celebrated Tuesday’s decision for making it more readily available.

“We are very happy because this will also allow for the import of seeds for oil production,” said Roberto Cabanas, vice president Paraguay’s medicinal cannabis organization. His daughter has Dravet syndrome and the family was paying $300 a month for imported cannabis oil.

Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Colombia had already legalized marijuana for medical purposes. Uruguay has fully legalized growing and selling marijuana for any use.

The health ministry will sign the bill by the executive soon. Growing marijuana for recreational purposes in Paraguay is illegal, yet the country is a key source of illegal marijuana trafficked into Brazil and Argentina.

Paraguay’s booming marijuana export traffic attracting gangs and violence

Paraguay is a global marijuana powerhouse: The small South American country produces 9 percent of the world’s supply. But until recently, it wasn’t common to see drug raids or hear helicopters thumping overhead in search of plantations. That’s all changing.

Last June, Brazilian gang members killed Paraguay’s most prominent crime lord. He left behind a burgeoning marijuana and cocaine empire that is quickly becoming one of South America’s biggest drug-trafficking headaches, and the fight to control that trade is proving far more vicious than Paraguayan officials anticipated.

With thousands of square miles of farmland, Paraguay has a stable, agriculture-based economy – and the world’s fourth-largest crop of marijuana.

The investment company World High Life (NEX: LIFE)has recently made moves to acquire Britain’s top hemp producer, Love Hemp, in a transaction involving all shares valued at 9 million GBP.

WHL plans to help Love Hemp expand into other European markets, starting with Germany in 2020. Love Hemp produces a variety of CBD products such as sprays, vapes, oils, edibles, CBD-infused beverages, and cosmetics, and sells its products in 1,200 UK high street stores. The European medical cannabis market is predicted to be one of the most valuable in the world and will key a key export destination for Latin American countries.

Even so, Paraguay has traditionally lacked the rampant violence and corruption that has allowed expansive drug-trafficking organizations to take hold in other parts of South America. But its porous borders and central position on the continent, among other factors, have begun to attract increasing attention from major drug gangs.

Less than one percent of Paraguay’s population consumes marijuana, according to the country’s National Anti-Drug Secretariat, or SENAD. Viewing it instead as a high-risk, high-reward cash crop with a better yield than soybeans, one of the country’s main legal exports. That means nearly all of the marijuana grown in Paraguay enters the international black market, SENAD said.

Officials there said about 20 percent of Paraguay’s marijuana export to south Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile. Each country’s main supply of the drug – or west to Bolivia. The other 80 percent crosses the border to Brazil. Various gangs purchase it and distribute it throughout the country.

Having to pee in a cup as a condition of employment is humiliating enough, but it has been the norm in many industries since the Reagan drug war orthodoxy of the 1980s. Now, however, you may also have to pass a urine test to get unemployment benefits if you get laid off.

The Trump administration’s Department of Labor on Oct. 3 promulgated a new rule allowing “greater clarity and flexibility” to states in identifying occupations in which drug testing will be used in their unemployment insurance programs.

“The flexibility offered in the new rule respects state differences with regard to employment drug testing across our country,” said John Pallasch, the assistant secretary for employment and training. “This rule lays out a standard that states can individually meet under the facts of their specific economies and practices.”

The rule, published in the Federal Register, permits states to test unemployment compensation applicants if they worked in an occupation where drug testing is regularly conducted. In addition to specific occupations named in the rule, states can additionally identify other occupations where employers conduct drug testing as a standard eligibility requirement for employment. 

The new rule rescinds a 2016 regulation under which states were limited to testing unemployment applicants from certain listed occupations in which workers are tested “regularly.” At the time, Congress passed a “resolution of disapproval” about the more lax rule, which was then signed by Trump.

The Labor Department said authority for the new rule is granted under the Middle Class Tax Relief & Job Creation Act of 2012, which allows states to deny unemployment compensation to an applicant who tests positive and who worked in an occupation that regularly conducts drug testing.

Political Schizophrenia in Federal Cannabis Policy

The new rule seems to sum up the strange political schizophrenia affecting the United States at this moment, with legal and cultural space rapidly opening for cannabis even amid harsh reaction at the highest levels of power. 

The rule comes just a week after a new labor secretary took office — Eugene Scalia, a veteran corporate lawyer and son of the late arch-conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. He replaces Alexander Acosta, who stepped down amid public outcry over the leniency of a 2008 plea agreement he struck with the infamous financier sex-offender (and Trump crony) Jeffrey Epstein back when Acosta was U.S. attorney in southern Florida. 

And Acosta, whatever his misdeeds, appears to have had more progressive views on this particular question. Last year, he called on employers to rethink the practice of drug testing every job applicant, which he suggested was a barrier to qualified people entering the workforce.  
 
Acosta’s remarks came in response to a question from Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) during a House Ways & Means Committee hearing in April 2018. Blumenauer, representing a state with legal cannabis, expressed concern over marijuana showing up “in ways that are disqualifying” on drug tests. He asked Acosta what could be done to “unleash” those workers’ potential. 

“There are sometimes valid health and safety reasons why an individual that cannot pass a drug test shouldn’t hold a certain job,” Acosta replied. But he added that some employers “make the assumption that because there’s a negative result on a test they would not be a good employee.”

As Politico noted, Acosta’s remarks seemed to reflect a softening of views on cannabis within the Trump White House. That same month, Trump reportedly told Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) that he would support legislation that deferred to states on the legality of cannabis — and this despite a new campaign to crack down on cannabis by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Such hopes for a softening are being dashed yet again — as Scalia issues his new rule, and the U.S. Surgeon General launches a new propaganda campaign against cannabis.

There is momentum from the states in a more relaxed direction, however — holding out hope that many will not choose to exploit their new latitude to impose urine tests. As Illinois prepares for adult-use cannabis to become legal on Jan. 1, employers are being told to consider how a zero-tolerance policy may affect their ability to recruit workers.

“Unemployment is so low that employers cannot insist on a zero-tolerance policy,” Curtis Graves, staff attorney for the Denver-based Employers Council, told Peoria’s Journal Star. 

An Employers Council survey in 2018 indicated that 13% of employers not regulated by the Department of Transportation had relaxed their cannabis testing policies in the previous two years, and 7% had dropped cannabis from pre-employment testing altogether.  

A scandal in New Orleans over false positives in the city’s drug testing program has focused attention on the injustices of the urine-test orthodoxy.

And two years after legalizing, Nevada this June became the first state to bar employers from discriminating against job applicants on the basis of a positive test for cannabis.