Testing rule worries Ohio medical marijuana advocates

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Medical marijuana advocates in Ohio are concerned a little-known rule that stipulates who can test cannabis products could delay the launch of the program.

Under the state’s MMJ law, private laboratories will not be allowed to test medical cannabis for the first year of the program, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. Instead, the state’s public universities will be responsible for testing.


Spring 2017 MJBizConHowever, universities may decline to test medical marijuana products because cannabis remains…

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Oregon issues first recall for tainted recreational marijuana

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The Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) announced its first recall of pesticide-tainted recreational cannabis, a situation that underscores the need for reliable record keeping and clear communication about contaminated products.

The commission said in a news release that samples of Blue Magoo cannabis grown by Emerald Wave Estate tested positive for excess levels of pyrethrins, a chrysanthemum-based insecticide that also can be made synthetically.


Spring 2017 MJBizConThe tainted cannabis was shipped to a…

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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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Week in Review: Marijuana industry trademarks, cannabis banking & Oregon rec sales

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By Omar Sacirbey, John Schroyer and Bart Schaneman 

A prominent marijuana pipe maker sues to defend its trademark, another state seeks Trump’s guidance on MJ banking, and adult-use cannabis sales continue to drop in Oregon.

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

Trademark rights

Roor might be the Gucci of marijuana paraphernalia.

Both the German glass pipe maker and the iconic Italian handbag label purvey high-end products, are counterfeited ruthlessly and have sought aggressively to…

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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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Week in Review: New life in Montana, rule tweaks in Oregon & obstacles in New England

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By Bart Schaneman and Omar Sacirbey 

Montana’s medical marijuana industry is reactivated, Oregon adjusts its testing regulations, and New England’s adult-use industry encounters obstacles.

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

Back from the dead

Medical marijuana dispensaries in Montana will be flipping their closed signs to open after a state judge gave the industry a new lease on life.

“We’re elated,” said Bob Devine, who owns a dispensary in Bozeman and is president of…

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Testing rules sinking Oregon marijuana sales, report shows

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Marijuana sales in Oregon have been sliding since the state implemented stringent new testing rules on Oct. 1, dropping 8.5% to $29.5 million that month.

The October decline marked the first time since May that the market posted sales below $30 million, according to a new report.

The report, by Colorado-based BDS Analytics, shows the impact of the new testing rules, which the state tweaked on Dec. 2 in a bid to offset supply shortages that arose after the regulations were introduced.


Marijuana Business License DirectoryThe sales decline worsened in November, BDS said, based…

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Cannabis research gets almost $20 million in funding

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Proponents of scientific research in the cannabis industry got encouraging news with recent announcements that two major universities received nearly $20 million in donations for marijuana-related studies.


Marijuana Business License DirectoryThe University of Miami’s Project to Cure Paralysis and Miller School of Medicine received a $16 million grant from Scythian Bioscience in October to research whether a CBD-based pill can help reduce brain cell inflammation that occurs after injuries such as concussions, the Miami Herald reported.

Scythian BioSciences is a private…

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Alaska’s recreational cannabis market just weeks from debut

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By John Schroyer

The fourth recreational marijuana market in the United States is nearly here.

Alaska’s adult-use industry is just a few weeks from the first retail sales, according to estimates by multiple sources. The first rec shop, Frozen Budz, could open in Fairbanks before the end of the month.

The last hurdle is that local and state authorities must clear testing labs to open so cultivators can have their crops checked for potency and microbial contaminants. After that, growers will be allowed to begin supplying retailers, the first…

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First Cannabis Harvest Underway in Alaska

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The first legal commercial marijuana harvests have commenced in Alaska, meaning the state is one step closer to kicking off the latest adult-use cannabis market in this country.

At least seven of the 12 licensed cultivators in the state have begun harvesting their grows for soon-to-open rec shops, according to the Alaska Dispatch News. Some began harvesting up to a month ago, the paper reported.

License Directory SidebarThose cultivators which look like they’ll be first to market include Greatland Ganja, Rosie Creek Farm, Subsistence Products, Pakalolo Supply Co.,…

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Washington State Agencies Team Up for Cannabis Pesticide Testing

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The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board and the Washington State Department of Agriculture announced they will team up to test for illegal pesticides on marijuana.

The two agencies will together work on pesticide enforcement, random testing, and testing when officials suspect illegal pesticides are being used, according to Komonews.com.

MJBizCrashCourseThe board will pay for specialized equipment needed for the tests, while the agriculture department will provide two employees to perform testing.

Under the agreement, the agriculture department will…

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Oregon Lab Accreditation Problems Could Delay Rec Cannabis Rollout

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The full rollout of Oregon’s much-anticipated recreational cannabis industry next month could be delayed owing to problems with the accreditation of marijuana testing labs.

The Register-Guard reported that the Oregon Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program, or ORELAP, is overworked and understaffed. That means the agency may not be able to accredit enough labs to satisfy required testing for rec products in time for the industry to begin full adult-use sales.

In addition to cannabis, ORELAP oversees water and other health…

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Israeli Medical Marijuana Patient Sues Government Over Pesticides

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A medical marijuana patient in Israel whose license to grow his own cannabis was revoked in 2013 is suing Israel’s health ministry for providing him with cannabis that was contaminated with mold and dangerous pesticides that are illegal to use on foods.

“Patient R,” as the plaintiff is known, is one of about a dozen Israelis who was permitted to grow his own plants, and is the only patient involved in the lawsuit, the Media Line reported. There are some 23,000 medical marijuana patients in Israel.

Patient R allegedly became sick in 2013…

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Washington Tribe Expanding Cannabis Business Interests

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The Puyallup Tribe of Washington State is entering almost uncharted business territory: Having already opened a testing lab, it will now start growing and selling medical cannabis to members of its own tribe.

Traditionally, cannabis businesses either stay completely on the testing or the production/retail side of the industry, so as not to create an apparent conflict of interest. In fact, many states ban the practice.

But that apparently isn’t an issue for the Puyallup tribe, which intends to test its own product for pesticides, heavy…

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Marijuana Testing Labs Almost Online in Southeast Alaska

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A key component in southeast Alaska’s upcoming recreational cannabis industry is almost complete: Marijuana testing labs in Juneau, the state capital, are expected to be licensed soon.

That’s important for local cannabis entrepreneurs. All marijuana must be lab-tested under state law in Alaska, and cultivators can’t ship their MJ via air or sea under federal laws, according to the Alaska Dispatch News.

At least two labs look like they’re on the verge of obtaining business permits: Southeast Alaska Labs and Juneau Cannabis Testing…

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Firm’s Findings Show Promising Results Among Testing Labs

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Emerald Scientific, a California supplier of equipment and testing products to the cannabis testing sector, has released the results of its latest Emerald Test – which measures the accuracy of dozens of testing labs – and the results are promising.

Nearly 50 labs entered the company’s semi-annual Inter-lab Comparison and Proficiency Test, which measures a lab’s ability to determine the amounts of cannabinoids and residual solvents in an unknown sample. The test also compares results among labs to offer insights into how labs can…

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Fortune 150 Company Partners With Ancillary Cannabis Firm

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MyDx, a maker of handheld chemical analyzers that allow consumers to check the potency of marijuana strains, has struck a deal with Arrow Electronics, a Fortune 150 company, under which Arrow will help manufacture the analyzers and provide other services and credit for San Diego-based MyDx.

The agreement is the latest to emerge involving a marijuana-related company and a major corporation. Software giant Microsoft Corp. last week disclosed it’s teaming up with an established ancillary cannabis firm, Kind Financial, to land government…

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