Big Marijuana Is Here, and It’s Hurting Legal Cannabis
Cannabis users are often encountered by mental health professionals. Patients can benefit from knowing the socio-political forces related to cannabis.
Generations of cannabis farmers are going out of business because of the falling prices.
Concentrating money and power in the hands of a few corporations could hurt public health.
People who use cannabis are encountered by every psychologist, counselor, physician, and educator. Some use it recreationally, some use it heavily, and some use it only occasionally.
Cannabis use can have an effect on therapy.
Understanding multiple aspects of cannabis, including its medical, emotional, neurological, cognitive, and even socio-political nature is important to maximize therapeutic efforts.
Cannabis is the most politically charged drug. Being aware of current sociopolitical influences affecting cannabis users gives therapists one more channel for discussing whether or not an individual is using cannabis safely. The previous posts focused on the science of cannabis and the brain, but the following brings therapists up to date on pressing public health issues
Small family farms in California are being killed off by large cannabis agribusinesses, according to an article written by Lester Black.
Many farms have been around for a long time. They are unable to compete against the economies of scale enjoyed by Big Marijuana despite weathering the transition from illegal to legal.
A lot of legal cannabis has led to a crash in wholesale cannabis prices by as much as 95 percent, according to a group of California cannabis farmers. Black found that some are selling for as little as $100 a pound. Economists predicted prices would fall even before legalization was approved.
The price of cannabis would fall by 80 percent after legalization, according to the think tank.
Marijuana growers in California were worried that the passage of Prop 64 would hurt their business. Sixty percent of the people in the southern part of the county were against legalization.
Small growers can't make enough money to survive because of two factors. There is a maze of regulations that burden small growers. A new licensing bureaucracy has been difficult to create. Local taxes, fire and building codes, and environmental regulations have been burdens. Growers have had trouble adjusting to the realities of government-regulated free enterprise because of the industry's long history of operating without any governmental controls. The legal industry is competing on a very even playing field due to insufficient prosecution of illegal growers who continue to evade regulation.
The cost of growing cannabis has gone up but the sale price has gone down due to the emergence of cannabis agribusiness.
Prop 64 was supposed to give a head start to small growers by not issuing licenses for big growers for the first five years. Entrepreneurs found a loophole. Well-capitalized companies applied for hundreds of licenses to create large commercial operations. A farm in Ventura County has built a 1.7 million-square-foot greenhouse facility that is completely subverting the spirit of Prop 64.
The Emerald Triangle has been hit the most. 60 percent of the farms in the county have closed since the legalization of cannabis.
Thirty percent of the farms in the county have been lost. The cannabis consumed in the U.S. could be produced on a few dozen industrial-sized farms. The big marijuana has arrived.
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There are a few ways to rescue small growers. The government subsidizes the market for agricultural products. The only way small farming can survive is if the state allows cannabis to be sold directly to consumers at farmers' markets or roadside stands, according to others. Both strategies seem likely.
Writing the spirit of Prop 64 into law would be a way to help small growers. In combination with more vigorous suppression of illegal growers and distributors, the economies of rural counties would be restored. Big Marijuana would fight any attempt to limit its growth. It would support suppressing illegal elements of the industry in order to argue the unconstitutionality of the law.
Reducing Big Marijuana's ability to lobby politicians would be a benefit.
When not confronted by a few, very wealthy, powerful cannabis corporate agribusinesses, rational public policy would have a better chance of swaying the opinion of the public.
The cannabis industry would be similar to the wine industry in some respects.
Voters should have the right to regulate the cannabis industry in ways that benefit the public good, just as they did when they legalized cannabis. Big Marijuana can't be relied on to hold the public good in high regard. The nature of free enterprise is to use its power for its own benefit. The negative effects of Big Marijuana are being felt.
Cannabis News Week: Sales, Survey Data Show How Popular Marijuana Is
Marijuana is popular in the US. About 20% of Americans over the age of 12 have used cannabis at least once, according to a federal survey.
The results of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health were released earlier this month.
"Harnessing the power of data and evidence is critical to ensuring policies and programs have the greatest opportunity to achieve positive outcomes," said the assistant secretary for mental health and substance use.
Marijuana was the most popular drug used by 22% of the population, according to the data.
1 in 3 young adults admitted to using marijuana in the past year, while nearly 2 in 5 young adults used drugs.
Almost 50 million people in the age range of 12 and older have a substance abuse problem. Most of the people were classified as having an alcohol abuse disorder.
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The sales data says something.
Connecticut is about to open its recreational cannabis industry this week with sales for those over the age of 21.
The path forward on the marijuana trail isn't without its challenges, but as some states found out in 2022, the path forward on the marijuana trail isn't without its challenges.
The cannabis industry is flourishing in some states.
December was the strongest sales month ever in Illinois, as the state saw a record high in legal marijuana sales.
According to Marijuana Moment, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation said that the state brought in more than 1.5 billion dollars in 2020.
There are signs that growth is slowing.
Data from 11 states shows that cannabis sales decreased in November.
While states like Illinois saw growth, Maryland and Pennsylvania, states with medical-only cannabis industries, saw sales decline.
There is a lot of money to be made in cannabis, but it's not a sure thing that sales will grow.
There is a movement for federal legalization.
When Congress is too slow to act, the American legal system can be used to change the law.
The right to have an abortion, gay marriage, and school desegregation are all laws that have been ruled on by the Supreme Court.
The federal shipping laws that make interstate cannabis commerce illegal could be alleviated by a lawsuit.
Jefferson Packing House, a licensed distribution company in the state, is challenging a state law that prevents them from shipping marijuana across state lines because it is unconstitutional.
There is support for the move in the state, but other states would have to change their laws in order to accept products shipped from Oregon.
"We believe that a federal court will treat marijuana like hazelnuts and invalidate state laws prohibiting the export of marijuana notwithstanding the fact that it is illegal under federal law," the lawyers wrote.
Keywords: Mental Health Services, Health Services Administration, HHS Assistant Secretary, cannabis
Source: www.thestreet.com
Consuming cannabis in Thailand: what tourists need to know about marijuana rules
Cannabis cafes and weed shops have become common in Thailand since the delisting of parts of the marijuana plant as a narcotic.
A marijuana Wild West is what it has become due to confusing government amendments to the laws and debate about what should be allowed. Kitty Chopaka is an independent cannabis advocate based in Thailand.
As long as tourists follow a few simple rules, there is nothing to worry about.
What is allowable and what is not?
It is legal for people older than 20 to consume cannabis.
Smoking cannabis can be done inside a person's home, and cannabis can be eaten at a restaurant. Smoking marijuana in public places such as schools, temples, and shopping malls can result in a fine and imprisonment. Chopaka says that people should know not to intrude on other people's space.
There are more than 2,600 weed stores in the country that sell cannabis flowers, pre-rolled joints, edibles, infused foods, and Cannabidiol oil. Dispensaries are easy to find in cities such as Thailand. Chopaka suggests buying things from licensed places.
Individuals need to register with the FDA in order to cultivate cannabis. Cannabis flower buds can be used for research, export or processing.
There isn't a limit for personal consumption. The ministry advises against driving after consuming.
Tourists can't leave the country with the plant or its seeds. The permission that tourists are unlikely to have is required for possession of extracts with a high level of cannabinoids.
People who live here and use cannabis in a responsible way would hope that our guests and visitors will respect Thailand and the people around them.
Keywords: weed Wild West, narcotic last year,cannabis, Thailand
Source: www.theguardian.com