U.S. medical cannabis tech company plans to open China office

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Net Savings Link Inc. said its cannabis division will open an office in Shanghai, China, next month to expand its medical marijuana technology business into the world’s most populous country.

The company, based in Cresco, Pennsylvania, said in a news release it is moving into China because it sees a sizable opportunity there.

China is the world’s largest producer of cannabis sativa seeds, producing nearly 40% of the world’s supply, according to Net Savings Link, which trades on the…

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Pharmacies to begin selling adult-use cannabis in Uruguay

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Uruguay has finally authorized pharmacies to begin selling recreational marijuana in July, more than three years after the Latin American nation became the first in the world to legalize the cultivation, distribution and consumption of rec MJ.

The market’s launch has been delayed multiple times. Sales initially were expected to begin in late 2014, Reuters reported.

According to the news agency, 16 pharmacies have registered with the government to sell adult-use marijuana, with the number…

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Israeli university launches medical cannabis research center

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The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a leading Israeli academic institution, is launching a Multidisciplinary Center on Cannabinoid Research.

Additional research providing evidence of marijuana’s medicinal benefits could persuade more doctors to recommend medical cannabis. Israel already has a reputation as a cannabis research powerhouse.

According to The Jerusalem Post, the new center’s studies will highlight cancer, pain, stress management and inflammation as key areas, as well as a…

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Argentina’s Senate votes to legalize medical cannabis

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Argentina’s Senate voted unanimously to legalize medical marijuana, positioning the nation as the latest Latin American country with an MMJ program.

The Senate joins the lower house in approving the MMJ legislation. According to the Business Standard, Argentina’s President Mauricio Macri is likely to sign the bill. It’s popular with patients and families and has cross-party support.


Mirth ProvisionsThe legislation also removes a ban on the importation of cannabis oil, and Argentines will be allowed…

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Utah governor signs bill allowing research into medical cannabis

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Utah Gov. Gary Herbert signed off on a bill to allow research into the health benefits and risks of medical marijuana.

State lawmakers rejected a larger medical marijuana program before sending the research bill to the governor to sign over the weekend, the Associated Press reported.


Mirth Provisions The Utah Medical Association endorsed the research proposal, saying more exploration is needed before the state moves forward with a MMJ program.

Utah lawmakers have tried unsuccessfully to pass medical…

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Steep Hill Labs partners with Israeli marijuana firm

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California-based Steep Hill Labs entered into a partnership with iCAN, an Israeli medical marijuana company, to establish a testing lab in the Middle Eastern country.

The deal is perhaps the first of its kind for a U.S.-based marijuana testing company to expand internationally. An Israeli testing firm announced last month it planned to set up shop in North America.

Aside from California, Steep Hill already has labs in Alaska, Hawaii, Maryland, New Mexico and Washington state, according to…

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Aussie medical cannabis company raises AU$10 million

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Australian medical marijuana firm MGC Pharmaceuticals raised 10 million Australian dollars ($7.7 million) to foster development of MMJ products and purchase other companies

According to Business Insider Australia, the medical grade cannabis company will use the funds for clinical trials and research and development involving pharmaceutical-grade MMJ products.


Spring 2017 MJBizConThe company is also seeking acquisition prospects at home and abroad in the MMJ industry, Business Insider Australia reported.

MGC…

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Week in Review: Sessions’ cannabis remarks, Oxford MMJ research & odd pairing in MA

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By John Schroyer, Bart Schaneman and Omar Sacirbey

Attorney General Jeff Sessions again criticizes marijuana without offering a clear policy plan, Oxford University receives millions to study medical cannabis, and Massachusetts liquor store owners are eyeing the rec MJ market.

Here’s a closer look at some notable developments in the marijuana industry over the past week.

Mixed messages

Attorney General Jeff Sessions – asked by a reporter if the federal government would be cracking down on…

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Third lawsuit launched in Canada over tainted medical marijuana

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A third proposed class-action lawsuit over pesticide-laden medical marijuana in Canada raises additional questions about Health Canada’s claim that people who consumed the tainted cannabis weren’t becoming ill.

According to The Globe and Mail, the Nova Scotia man listed in the new proposed class action allegedly became violently ill after consuming medical marijuana he purchased from Mettrum, one of two federally licensed MMJ cultivators caught up in the pesticide-related legal…

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Oxford University receives $12.3M to study medical marijuana

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One of the world’s top research universities, Oxford University, has received 10 million pounds ($12.3 million) from a London-based private equity firm to study the medical benefits of marijuana, a move that could lead to more acceptance of MMJ as a medicinal therapy worldwide.

According to a news release, Oxford will use the money to identify state-of-the-art medical therapy by researching the “molecular, cellular and system mechanisms of cannabinoids.”


Spring 2017 MJBizConCiting pain, cancer and inflammatory disease, the release noted the British…

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Colombia’s medical cannabis infrastructure still in the works

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Colombia, one of the latest countries to legalize medical marijuana, is still working toward a functional cannabis industry. But it’s getting there.

The largest company poised to take advantage of the new system is Canada-based PharmaCielo, which was awarded a business license to produce MMJ in Colombia last June. But according to the New York Times, the Colombian government is prepping to issue more MMJ business permits, and PharmaCielo “is looking to hire.”


Spring 2017 MJBizConAccording to the Times,…

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First license issued to grow, research MMJ in Australia

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Cann Group has received the first federal government license to grow medical cannabis in Australia and has submitted an application for a cultivation permit.

The new license permits the privately held company to legally grow medical marijuana and conduct research on how to use cannabis for medicinal purposes, according to Business Insider Australia.


Spring 2017 MJBizCon“The license allows us to apply for a permit to progress our research and development programs, which are particularly focused on the breeding, cultivation, extraction and characterization of…

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Poll: Support building for legalized marijuana in Texas

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Support for legalizing marijuana is on the rise in Texas, a new poll shows.

More than 80% of Texans support legal cannabis of any kind, and 53% of those favor recreational use, according to a University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll released Tuesday. Those numbers increased from 76% and 42%, respectively, since a 2015 poll.

In the latest poll:

  • 32% of Texans would allow possession of small amounts.
  • 30% would permit medical marijuana use.
  • 21% would be OK with possession of any amount.
  • 17% would not allow possession of any kind.


Spring 2017 MJBizCon Backing for a…

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South Africa may legalize medical cannabis production

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The legal medical marijuana trade is poised to spread to its fifth world region: Africa.

The South African Medical Control Council plans to soon publish “proposed guidelines on cannabis production for medicinal use,” according to Independent Online.

Parliament member Narend Singh told an IOL property, The Mercury, he received a letter from the Medical Control Council’s working group on cannabis about its intent to publish.


Spring 2017 MJBizConCurrently, South Africa allows ill patients to use cannabis without fear of legal reprisals, but they can do so…

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Jamaica grants conditional OK for three medical marijuana businesses

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Jamaica’s Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) has given initial approval to three medical marijuana business applicants, two for cultivation and one for processing.

But the actual launch of the island’s medical marijuana industry – ranging from growers to retailers – could still be months off.

A total of 160 applicants competed for the latest batch of business permits, according to the Jamaica Observer.

The handful of applicants chosen so far has touched off complaints on the island that the industry’s rollout is proceeding too…

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Tilray to export medical cannabis to New Zealand 

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Tilray, a federally licensed cultivation company based in Nainamo, Canada, will begin exporting medical cannabis to New Zealand before the end of February.

It’s the latest overseas deal for Tilray, which is owned by Seattle-based private equity firm Privateer Holdings.


Spring 2017 MJBizConBoth the Canadian and New Zealand governments have approved the MMJ exports, Tilray announced in a news release.

The company will export THC- and CBD-infused oils to Middlemore Hospital in New Zealand’s capital, Auckland. Tilray’s medical cannabis products will serve as…

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Peruvian government seeks to legalize medical cannabis

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Peru could become the latest country to legalize medical cannabis if a bill proposed by the nation’s president is approved by the legislature.

President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski decided to back the move after a raid in the capital city of Lima unveiled a group of parents growing cannabis so they could produce oils with which to treat children suffering from epilepsy and other ailments, according to Telesur.


Spring 2017 MJBizConThe likelihood of the bill meeting with success seems small, however, given that the legislature is controlled by the president’s…

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Breaking down borders: The rise of U.S.-Canada cannabis partnerships

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The Green Solution, a large retail marijuana chain in Colorado, wanted a foothold in Canada’s expected recreational cannabis market. OrganiGram, among the growing number of federally licensed Canadian growers, needed know-how and a name.

And so was born a partnership indicative of the growing synergy between the U.S. and Canadian cannabis industries.

It reflects what’s expected to be a growing trend. Another U.S. cannabis brand, Snoop Dogg’s Leafs by Snoop, inked a partnership with Canadian medical cannabis cultivator Canopy Growth…

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Marijuana company’s new stock symbol: WEED

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Investors can now buy and sell WEED on the Toronto Stock Exchange after Canopy Growth Corp., a major federally licensed cannabis cultivator in Smith Falls, Ontario, changed its ticker symbol to the new, slangy version.

The move comes after the company made history last summer when it became the first marijuana cultivator to list on a major North American exchange.

Canopy announced its switchover from ticker symbol CGC on Wednesday and rang in its new era that morning by opening the TSX’s daily trading session.


Spring 2017 MJBizConBruce Linton, the company’s…

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Tilray to begin exporting MMJ from Canada to Chile

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One of Canada’s 38 licensed medical cannabis producers said it will begin exporting MMJ products to Chile starting this month.

Tilray, a subsidiary of Seattle-based Privateer Holdings, is teaming up with Alef Biotechnology SpA on the export deal, according to a news release.


Spring 2017 MJBizConBased in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Tilray estimates the potential MMJ patient base in Chile is roughly 88,000.

Tilray’s products are expected to start arriving in Chile by the end of February and will be distributed via pharmacies and hospitals in Santiago,…

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District attorneys form cannabis policy group

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A group of 14 district attorneys from across the country have banded together to figure out policy positions on marijuana.

The initial report about the subset of the National District Attorneys Association indicated its recommendations may be taken into account by the new Trump administration, which could potentially signal that a firm stance on cannabis may be emerging sooner rather than later from the new president.

But an NDAA statement to Marijuana Business Daily on Tuesday was unclear on whether the reach of the group’s policy would…

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Canadian MMJ grower nearly triples production capacity with purchase

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One of Canada’s largest medical marijuana producers, Canopy Growth Corp., has increased a subsidiary’s production and processing capacity by almost threefold through the purchase of a former candy factory and the 42-acre site it sits on for 6.6 million Canadian dollars ($5.1 million).

In a news release, Canopy Growth said the entire facility, in Smith Falls, Ontario, is “by far the largest indoor cannabis production facility in Canada and likely the world.”

The company, which is headquartered in the building, had been renting…

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Israeli government to finance 13 cannabis research projects

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Israel’s Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry plans to spend 8 million shekels ($2.1 million) on research into cannabis cultivation, biochemistry and medicine.

The government is hopeful the research will lead to cannabis-based therapeutic products, the Times of Israel reported.


Trump ReportTo start, the ministry is financing 13 projects, including seven in the fields of biochemistry and medicine.

Research topics include how cannabis can improve vision, fight colon cancer and treat multiple sclerosis, according to The Jerusalem Post. Other…

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Week in Review: Florida’s restrictive plan, slow returns in NH & Pennsylvania app processs

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By Bart Schaneman, Omar Sacirbey and John Schroyer

Florida’s draft medical marijuana rules would bar new entrants, New Hampshire dispensaries have a ways to go before breaking even, and Pennsylvania releases MMJ business applications.

Here’s a closer look at some notable developments in the marijuana industry over the past week.

Work in progress

Entrepreneurs angling to capitalize on Florida’s new MMJ program may be out of luck – if state health regulators have their way. MMJ advocates, however, are confident this week’s draft…

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German parliament backs medical cannabis legalization

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The German parliament voted unanimously on Thursday to legalize medical marijuana, but the market will remain tightly controlled with limited opportunities for cannabis entrepreneurs.

Thursday’s action spelled out a conditions list that includes “serious illness,” such as multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, appetite loss or nausea from cancer treatment.

The costs of cannabis will be covered by health insurance for patients without any treatment options, and patients can buy MMJ from pharmacies with a doctor’s prescription, according…

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Canadian consumer-oriented marijuana firm raises CA$3 million

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A Toronto-based cannabis, coffee and clothing business, Tokyo Smoke, secured 3 million in Canadian dollars ($2.25 million) from investors, claiming it’s the first marijuana-related consumer brand in Canada to raise capital.

The company, which describes itself as a premium cannabis-oriented lifestyle brand, said in a news release that the first-round raise was oversubscribed and that the amount was more than 50% above its initial target.


Precision Extraction SolutionsInvestors hail from Canada, the United States and South America and include Chuck Rifici, co-founder of…

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Guam medical marijuana sales could begin this summer

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Regulators in Guam have received at least 40 applications for medical cannabis business licenses since the application process opened Wednesday (Tuesday in U.S.).

An official predicted MMJ sales could start as soon as summer for certain medical qualifying conditions, the Pacific Daily News reported.

Though most of the license applications have been for commercial cultivation, permits also are available for dispensaries, commercial manufacturing and testing labs, a Department of Health and Social Services spokesman told the newspaper. The…

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Brazil allows sale of cannabis-based MS drug

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Brazil’s health care regulator, Anvisa, handed out the nation’s first license for the sale of a cannabis-based drug – one designed for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.

According to Reuters, U.K.-based GW Pharmaceuticals PLC developed the marijuana-based oral spray, which is known internationally as Sativex. It will be marketed in Brazil as Mevatyl.


Precision Extraction SolutionsAnvisa announced Monday it had issued a license to São Paulo-based Beaufour Ipsen Farmacêutica to sell and distribute the drug.

Sativex is already sold in 28 other countries, according…

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Guam to begin accepting MMJ business applications this week

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Guam is about to get its medical cannabis industry off the ground.

Entrepreneurs hoping to enter the U.S. territory’s MMJ market can begin applying for licenses Wednesday through the Department of Public Health and Social Services, the Pacific Daily News reported.


Precision Extraction SolutionsGuam voters passed the Compassionate Cannabis Use Act in November 2014, and Public Law 33-220 finally lapsed into effect Dec. 17, 2016, without Gov. Eddie Calvo having signed it.

Calvo favors a recreational program instead of medical cannabis and has introduced a bill that would…

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Thailand approves hemp cultivation

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The cabinet of Thailand’s National Legislative Assembly has approved a proposal to permit hemp cultivation in six provinces in the country’s northern region as part of a project to explore the use of plants for medical purposes.

Officials with the Office of the Narcotics Control Board announced Tuesday said the proposal will be implemented in 2017 in 15 districts in the provinces of Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, Nan, Phetchabun, according to the Bangkok Post.


Marijuana Business License DirectoryThe hemp grown may not have more than 1% THC, otherwise cultivators…

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Guam governor pushes to legalize recreational marijuana

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The governor of Guam wants to legalize recreational marijuana and plans to work with lawmakers to draft legislation that would be introduced early in 2017, a move that would make the western Pacific island the first U.S. territory with an adult-use program.

Voters on Guam passed medical marijuana in 2014. But the program has not been implemented, and Gov. Eddie Calvo believes it should be scrapped in favor of an adult-use program, according to the Pacific Daily News.


Marijuana Business License DirectoryCalvo bases his belief on the difficulties Guam has encountered starting a…

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TN, KY lawmakers introduce medical marijuana bills

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Neighboring southern states Tennessee and Kentucky have pending bills for their 2017 legislative sessions that would legalize medical marijuana.


Marijuana Business License DirectoryTennessee’s bill, introduced Wednesday by Rep. Jeremy Faison and Sen. Steve Dickerson, both Republicans, would allow medical cannabis to be recommended to patients with various conditions and would provide for up to 50 grow operations, The Tennessean reported.

Kentucky’s bill, titled the Cannabis Compassion Act, was pre-filed Dec. 6 by Democratic Sen. Perry B. Clark. It would legalize…

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Mexican Senate passes medical cannabis bill

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The Mexican Senate overwhelmingly passed a medical marijuana bill, but to become law the measure must still win approval from the country’s lower house.

The bill, which was passed 98-7 on Tuesday, would allow the use of products containing THC and would also permit marijuana to be produced for scientific and medical purposes, Reuters reported.


Marijuana Business License DirectoryThe Senate’s passage of the bill is another step toward cannabis legalization in a country where the government is trying to break up violent drug cartels.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto…

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Texas bill would expand medical cannabis conditions list

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A Texas lawmaker is pushing to expand the conditions list for medical marijuana in the state.

Sen. Jose Menendez on Tuesday filed a bill that would allow patients with chronic and debilitating ailments to receive medical cannabis recommendations from doctors, the Dallas Morning News reported.


Marijuana Business License Directory Currently under the Texas Compassionate Use Program, residents can receive physicians’ recommendations for medical marijuana only if they suffer from epilepsy.

“Doctors, not politicians, should be determining what is best for Texas patients,”…

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Ireland may legalize medical marijuana

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Yet another country is now seriously considering legalizing cannabis for medical purposes: Ireland.

The small island nation’s parliament saw a bill introduced to legalize MMJ, and the minority government announced that it would not stand in the way of the measure, Reuters reported Thursday.


Marijuana Business License DirectoryThe nation’s health minister “accepted the central objectives of the legislation,” Reuters reported, though he said he would likely offer amendments before the bill is approved by lawmakers. His party’s government isn’t large enough to stop…

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Another Canadian medical marijuana firm licensed to export

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Aphria, a federally licensed medical marijuana cultivator in Canada, has been chosen to export product to Australian biotech company Medlab Clinical.

Medlab Clinical is conducting trials on the use of cannabis to manage pain in cancer patients, according to the Australian Associated Press, and will import a liquid blend of THC and CBD from Aphria for the testing. The product will be administered to patients via an oral spray.


Conference Deadline ApproachingCanadian MMJ companies increasingly have been tapping the export market.

In July, Canopy Growth Corporation of Ontario…

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Election Updates: Live coverage of marijuana measures across the country

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2016 cannabis elections

Marijuana Business Daily is providing live updates on cannabis ballot measures and related news (all updates in Eastern time).

2:30 a.m. Wednesday (Arizona, Maine, Montana): Three states with marijuana initiatives still hang in the balance, with Arizona’s rec measure on the ropes, Montana’s initiative well ahead and Maine’s adult-use measure a coin flip.

Here are the latest results from those three states:

Arizona: 48% “Yes,” with 82% of the votes reported

Montana: 56% “Yes,” with 63% of the votes reported

Maine: 50.5% “Yes,”…

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Australia’s MMJ market likely to develop slowly, with big players dominating

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Australia MMJ

By Bart Schaneman

Cannabis entrepreneurs hoping to enter Australia’s new medical marijuana market will confront obstacles at the federal and state level, with industry observers predicting a limited number of big companies will come to dominate the business.

Australia’s MMJ market also is expected to develop slowly, given complex licensing procedures and strict, costly regulations.

MMJ dispensaries will be absent from the market, under rules unveiled by the federal government on Oct. 30. Instead, pharmacies will sell MMJ to patients, who…

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Australian CBD producer to distribute in Czech Republic

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Talk about an international operation.

An Australian nutraceutical company that manufactures hemp-based CBD products in Switzerland is planning to sell them in the Czech Republic, according to a news release from the company, Creso Pharma.

Creso, a public company that trades on the Australian stock exchange, said it has signed a distribution agreement with the Czech company MEDI-IN s.r.o. to distribute CBDium, a “food supplemental health product,” in more than 300 retail outlets within the Czech Republic.


Conference Deadline ApproachingThe move became possible after…

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Australian entrepreneurs can now apply to grow medical cannabis

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Australian cannabis business owners can now apply for licenses to grow medical marijuana under the country’s new MMJ law.

The Australian government’s Narcotics Drug Amendment Act 2016 took effect on Oct. 30, according to Australia Network News. It allows businesses to grow marijuana for medicine, conduct research on the plant and create marijuana products for medicinal purposes.

Would-be growers must pass a security test and meet other stringent requirements, according to Australia Network News. Each Australian state territory will have…

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